Gilla (singer)
| Gilla | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gisela Wuchinger |
| Born | February 27, 1950 |
| Origin | Linz, Austria |
| Genres | Disco, Schlager |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1974–1981 |
| Labels | Hansa Records, MCI Records |
Gilla (born Gisela Wuchinger, 27 February 1950) is an Austrian singer from the late 1970s disco era.
Gilla was discovered by German producer Frank Farian who got her signed to Hansa Records in 1974. After an unsuccessful German cover version "Mir ist kein Weg zu weit" of Marcella Bella's Italian hit single "Nessuno mai", Farian had her record a German disco version of Labelle's "Lady Marmalade". Despite being a modest hit (#24), it caused some attention of being the first German record to feature such explicit lyrics as "Willst du mit mir schlafen gehn?" (Do You Want to Sleep With Me) (1975). It was followed later in the year with "Tu es" (also recorded in English as "Why Don't You Do It") which became Gilla's biggest hit, peaking at #10 in the German charts and giving Farian a commercial breakthrough as a producer. Gilla's debut LP, featuring a mix of disco, pop and schlager tracks, was released shortly after.
In the summer of 1976, Gilla followed with "Ich brenne" (I'm Burning), once again also recorded in English as "Help Help". It was a Dutch hit single but fared less well in Germany. Farian remixed the track with his own vocals for inclusion on Boney M.'s Take the Heat Off Me to replace "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" in some territories. In early 1977, Gilla's second album Zieh mich aus (Undress Me) was released. Despite featuring German versions of Boney M.'s hit single "Sunny" and "No Woman No Cry", it fared poorly. Interestingly, the album also included the German version of a future hit for Boney M., "Belfast" which was originally written years earlier for Boney M. member Marcia Barrett.
Gilla's first international album was released in the summer of 1977. Entitled Help Help, it featured her previous English recordings like "Why Don't You Do It" and "Help Help" + their B-sides, as well as English versions of songs from Zieh mich aus. "Gentlemen Callers not Allowed" ("Herrn-Besuche nicht erlaubt") was released as a single and promoted with Boney M.'s charismatic male dancer Bobby Farrell on a few TV shows but it was still only a minor success.
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