Ideal (German band)
| Ideal | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Berlin, Germany |
| Genres | Neue Deutsche Welle |
| Years active | 1980–1983 |
| Members |
Annette Humpe, Ernst Ulrich Deuker, Frank Jürgen Krüger (died 2007), Hans-Joachim Behrendt |
Ideal was one of the more successful German Neue Deutsche Welle music groups. It is best known for the songs "Blaue Augen" (Blue Eyes), "Berlin", and "Monotonie" (Monotony).
In 1980, Annette Humpe, Ernst Ulrich Deuker, Frank Jürgen "Eff Jott" Krüger and Hans-Joachim "Hansi" Behrendt formed the band "Ideal". Annette Humpe had played previously in the band Neonbabies alongside her sister Inga Humpe, before forming Ideal. Eff Jott Krüger previously played for the X-Pectors. In May 1980, Ideal released their first single on Eitel-Imperial—their own record label—entitled "Wir stehn auf Berlin" / "Männer gibt's wie Sand am Meer", which soon sold out. The British rock band Barclay James Harvest—who were particularly successful in Germany—performed a free open-air concert on August 30, 1980 in front of the Reichstag building. The 150,000 visitors also saw Ideal, as they were booked as an opening act; this was a large step toward mainstream popularity.
In November, Ideal released their a self-titled LP on the Innovative Communication label. The album reached number three on the German charts. Oddly enough for an LP, it was supposed to be played at 45 rpm, the speed intended for singles and which results in improved sound quality. This was not done with subsequent releases. This was followed by concerts in Switzerland and Austria. In August 1981, Ideal played in front of 22,000 fans at the Waldbühne Berlin. This was broadcast nationwide by SFB as part of Rocknacht. Following this, the band began recording a second album. Together with the help of producer Conny Plank and engineer Dave Hutchins, they produced "Der Ernst des Lebens", which was released in October 1981. At the same time, Ideal's debut album went gold, and marked the first time an album released on an independent record label went gold.
Ideal performed 27 sold-out concerts during their 1981/1982 tour through German-speaking countries. By their final concert on the tour, they had received another gold record, this time for "Der Ernst des Lebens." In the fall of 1982, Ideal produced their third album, "Bi Nuu", under the direction of Micki Meuser. It entered the chart in December 1982, but only peaked at 20th place; these sales did not meet the expectations of the record label and a planned tour was cancelled.
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