Geil (song)
Encyclopedia
"Geil" was a 1986 single
release by the Euro disco
duo Bruce and Bongo
, which charted in several Europe
an countries, making it their best performing release of any type. The single was released in April 1986, and topped the Austria
n charts the following month. The song was Bruce and Bongo's only major hit, making the duo a one-hit wonder
.
The song is considered a novelty song
, with lyrics mostly in English
. In German
, the word "Geil" means cool or awesome, and in some ways horny. From the beginning of the 1980s, it became very popular among young people in Germany
, being used as a synonym for "cool". For the older generation this sounded like a provocation, and it was meant to be one of course.
The song featured lyrics stating that everyone is cool/horny ("Everybody's geil, g-g-g-g-geil"). It also featured a section about the tennis
player Boris Becker
, claiming that "Boris is geil", and imitating a tennis umpire
.
The music video
accompanying the song featured Bruce and Bongo in a gym
, with several elderly women doing exercises on various items of gym equipment. The music video is today generally considered to be cheesy
and slightly camp
, although this was probably done intentionally to give the video a novelty factor matching that of the song.
After the release of "Geil", Bruce and Bongo would release The Geil Album, although in comparison the album was a commercial failure.
12" Single
"Geil" was a 1986 single
release by the Euro disco
duo Bruce and Bongo
, which charted in several Europe
an countries, making it their best performing release of any type. The single was released in April 1986, and topped the Austria
n charts the following month. The song was Bruce and Bongo's only major hit, making the duo a one-hit wonder
.
The song is considered a novelty song
, with lyrics mostly in English
. In German
, the word "Geil" means cool or awesome, and in some ways horny. From the beginning of the 1980s, it became very popular among young people in Germany
, being used as a synonym for "cool". For the older generation this sounded like a provocation, and it was meant to be one of course.
The song featured lyrics stating that everyone is cool/horny ("Everybody's geil, g-g-g-g-geil"). It also featured a section about the tennis
player Boris Becker
, claiming that "Boris is geil", and imitating a tennis umpire
.
The music video
accompanying the song featured Bruce and Bongo in a gym
, with several elderly women doing exercises on various items of gym equipment. The music video is today generally considered to be cheesy
and slightly camp
, although this was probably done intentionally to give the video a novelty factor matching that of the song.
After the release of "Geil", Bruce and Bongo would release The Geil Album, although in comparison the album was a commercial failure.
12" Single
"Geil" was a 1986 single
release by the Euro disco
duo Bruce and Bongo
, which charted in several Europe
an countries, making it their best performing release of any type. The single was released in April 1986, and topped the Austria
n charts the following month. The song was Bruce and Bongo's only major hit, making the duo a one-hit wonder
.
The song is considered a novelty song
, with lyrics mostly in English
. In German
, the word "Geil" means cool or awesome, and in some ways horny. From the beginning of the 1980s, it became very popular among young people in Germany
, being used as a synonym for "cool". For the older generation this sounded like a provocation, and it was meant to be one of course.
The song featured lyrics stating that everyone is cool/horny ("Everybody's geil, g-g-g-g-geil"). It also featured a section about the tennis
player Boris Becker
, claiming that "Boris is geil", and imitating a tennis umpire
.
The music video
accompanying the song featured Bruce and Bongo in a gym
, with several elderly women doing exercises on various items of gym equipment. The music video is today generally considered to be cheesy
and slightly camp
, although this was probably done intentionally to give the video a novelty factor matching that of the song.
After the release of "Geil", Bruce and Bongo would release The Geil Album, although in comparison the album was a commercial failure.
12" Single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
release by the Euro disco
Euro disco
Euro disco is an all encompassing colloquial term used to describe a variety of European electronic dance music that first originated from disco in the 1970s; incorporating elements of pop, New Wave and rock into disco-like continuous dance atmosphere...
duo Bruce and Bongo
Bruce and Bongo
Bruce and Bongo were a 1980s British electronic, New Wave duo consisting of Bruce Hammond Earlam and Douglas Wilgrove . The pair are best known internationally for their 1986 hit "Geil". The German word 'geil' is used in this context to mean 'cool' or 'awesome', but translates literally as 'horny'...
, which charted in several Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries, making it their best performing release of any type. The single was released in April 1986, and topped the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n charts the following month. The song was Bruce and Bongo's only major hit, making the duo a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
.
The song is considered a novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
, with lyrics mostly in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, the word "Geil" means cool or awesome, and in some ways horny. From the beginning of the 1980s, it became very popular among young people in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, being used as a synonym for "cool". For the older generation this sounded like a provocation, and it was meant to be one of course.
The song featured lyrics stating that everyone is cool/horny ("Everybody's geil, g-g-g-g-geil"). It also featured a section about the tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
, claiming that "Boris is geil", and imitating a tennis umpire
Official (tennis)
In tennis, an official is a person who ensures that a match or tournament is conducted according to the International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis and other competition regulations....
.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
accompanying the song featured Bruce and Bongo in a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, with several elderly women doing exercises on various items of gym equipment. The music video is today generally considered to be cheesy
Cheesy
-History:Six tracks were recorded in Hamburg, Germany, with Günter Schulz and KMFDM's then engineer Blank Fontana: "Cum," "Gypsy Queen," "Ich Bin," "Rule the Mob," "Granola," and "The Past is Beyond Recovery." These tracks would have comprised En Esch's half of the KMFDM album Apart. Wax Trax!...
and slightly camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
, although this was probably done intentionally to give the video a novelty factor matching that of the song.
After the release of "Geil", Bruce and Bongo would release The Geil Album, although in comparison the album was a commercial failure.
Track listings
7" Single- Geil (Geilomatick Mix) 3:55
- Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub (New York Horny Mix) 3:55
12" Single
- Geil (Geilomatick Mix) 7:15
- Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub (New York Horny Mix) 7:15
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 7 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 13 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 4 |
Bruce and Bongo vs. Tony T. version
In 1998 Bruce and Bongo released a new recording of Geil with the british Rapper Tony T., which was not successful and this version is heavy Hip Hop influced.Track listings
CD Single- Geil (Kurz und gut und Geil-Mix) 5:07
- Geil (Lang und gut und Geil-Mix) 5:07
- Geil (Letzter geiler-SOmmer-Mix) 5:34
- Bruce & Bongo - Geil (Das Original) 4:01
"Geil" was a 1986 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
release by the Euro disco
Euro disco
Euro disco is an all encompassing colloquial term used to describe a variety of European electronic dance music that first originated from disco in the 1970s; incorporating elements of pop, New Wave and rock into disco-like continuous dance atmosphere...
duo Bruce and Bongo
Bruce and Bongo
Bruce and Bongo were a 1980s British electronic, New Wave duo consisting of Bruce Hammond Earlam and Douglas Wilgrove . The pair are best known internationally for their 1986 hit "Geil". The German word 'geil' is used in this context to mean 'cool' or 'awesome', but translates literally as 'horny'...
, which charted in several Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries, making it their best performing release of any type. The single was released in April 1986, and topped the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n charts the following month. The song was Bruce and Bongo's only major hit, making the duo a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
.
The song is considered a novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
, with lyrics mostly in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, the word "Geil" means cool or awesome, and in some ways horny. From the beginning of the 1980s, it became very popular among young people in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, being used as a synonym for "cool". For the older generation this sounded like a provocation, and it was meant to be one of course.
The song featured lyrics stating that everyone is cool/horny ("Everybody's geil, g-g-g-g-geil"). It also featured a section about the tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
, claiming that "Boris is geil", and imitating a tennis umpire
Official (tennis)
In tennis, an official is a person who ensures that a match or tournament is conducted according to the International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis and other competition regulations....
.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
accompanying the song featured Bruce and Bongo in a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, with several elderly women doing exercises on various items of gym equipment. The music video is today generally considered to be cheesy
Cheesy
-History:Six tracks were recorded in Hamburg, Germany, with Günter Schulz and KMFDM's then engineer Blank Fontana: "Cum," "Gypsy Queen," "Ich Bin," "Rule the Mob," "Granola," and "The Past is Beyond Recovery." These tracks would have comprised En Esch's half of the KMFDM album Apart. Wax Trax!...
and slightly camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
, although this was probably done intentionally to give the video a novelty factor matching that of the song.
After the release of "Geil", Bruce and Bongo would release The Geil Album, although in comparison the album was a commercial failure.
Track listings
7" Single- Geil (Geilomatick Mix) 3:55
- Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub (New York Horny Mix) 3:55
12" Single
- Geil (Geilomatick Mix) 7:15
- Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub (New York Horny Mix) 7:15
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 7 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 13 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 4 |
Bruce and Bongo vs. Tony T. version
In 1998 Bruce and Bongo released a new recording of Geil with the british Rapper Tony T., which was not successful and this version is heavy Hip Hop influced.Track listings
CD Single- Geil (Kurz und gut und Geil-Mix) 5:07
- Geil (Lang und gut und Geil-Mix) 5:07
- Geil (Letzter geiler-SOmmer-Mix) 5:34
- Bruce & Bongo - Geil (Das Original) 4:01
"Geil" was a 1986 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
release by the Euro disco
Euro disco
Euro disco is an all encompassing colloquial term used to describe a variety of European electronic dance music that first originated from disco in the 1970s; incorporating elements of pop, New Wave and rock into disco-like continuous dance atmosphere...
duo Bruce and Bongo
Bruce and Bongo
Bruce and Bongo were a 1980s British electronic, New Wave duo consisting of Bruce Hammond Earlam and Douglas Wilgrove . The pair are best known internationally for their 1986 hit "Geil". The German word 'geil' is used in this context to mean 'cool' or 'awesome', but translates literally as 'horny'...
, which charted in several Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries, making it their best performing release of any type. The single was released in April 1986, and topped the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n charts the following month. The song was Bruce and Bongo's only major hit, making the duo a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
.
The song is considered a novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
, with lyrics mostly in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, the word "Geil" means cool or awesome, and in some ways horny. From the beginning of the 1980s, it became very popular among young people in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, being used as a synonym for "cool". For the older generation this sounded like a provocation, and it was meant to be one of course.
The song featured lyrics stating that everyone is cool/horny ("Everybody's geil, g-g-g-g-geil"). It also featured a section about the tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
, claiming that "Boris is geil", and imitating a tennis umpire
Official (tennis)
In tennis, an official is a person who ensures that a match or tournament is conducted according to the International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis and other competition regulations....
.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
accompanying the song featured Bruce and Bongo in a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, with several elderly women doing exercises on various items of gym equipment. The music video is today generally considered to be cheesy
Cheesy
-History:Six tracks were recorded in Hamburg, Germany, with Günter Schulz and KMFDM's then engineer Blank Fontana: "Cum," "Gypsy Queen," "Ich Bin," "Rule the Mob," "Granola," and "The Past is Beyond Recovery." These tracks would have comprised En Esch's half of the KMFDM album Apart. Wax Trax!...
and slightly camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
, although this was probably done intentionally to give the video a novelty factor matching that of the song.
After the release of "Geil", Bruce and Bongo would release The Geil Album, although in comparison the album was a commercial failure.
Track listings
7" Single- Geil (Geilomatick Mix) 3:55
- Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub (New York Horny Mix) 3:55
12" Single
- Geil (Geilomatick Mix) 7:15
- Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub (New York Horny Mix) 7:15
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 7 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 13 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 4 |
Bruce and Bongo vs. Tony T. version
In 1998 Bruce and Bongo released a new recording of Geil with the british Rapper Tony T., which was not successful and this version is heavy Hip Hop influced.Track listings
CD Single- Geil (Kurz und gut und Geil-Mix) 5:07
- Geil (Lang und gut und Geil-Mix) 5:07
- Geil (Letzter geiler-SOmmer-Mix) 5:34
- Bruce & Bongo - Geil (Das Original) 4:01