Ton Steine Scherben
Encyclopedia
Ton Steine Scherben (ˈtoːn ˈʃtaɪnə ˈʃɛːɐ̯bən) was one of the first and most influential German language
rock
bands of the 1970s and early 1980s. Well-known for the highly political and emotional lyrics of vocalist Rio Reiser
, they became a musical mouthpiece of new left movements
, such as the squatting movement
, during that time in Germany and their hometown of West Berlin
in particular. Today, after the band's demise in 1985, and the death of Rio Reiser in 1996, Ton Steine Scherben have remained a cult following
and popularity in the related scenes
.
Recently, some of the remaining members have given reunion concerts under the name "Ton Steine Scherben Family".
translation is "Clay Stones Shards"; in German, "Ton" can mean "sound" as well, so the band's name may be considered to be an amphibology
. Singer Rio Reiser
usually told journalists the name was taken from a description by pioneer archeologist Heinrich Schliemann
of what he saw when he first came to the site of ancient Troy
. Other members of the band claim in the biography "Keine Macht für Niemand - Die Geschichte der Ton Steine Scherben" (No power for nobody - the story of Clay Stone Shards") that it is a play on the name of the West German labor union Bau-Steine-Erden (Construction-Stones-Earths).
The band name is also a tribute to The Rolling Stones
and to "Die roten Steine" (The red stones), a trainee theatre group from Berlin.
, guitarist R.P.S. Lanrue, Kai Sichtermann on bass guitar, and drummer Wolfgang Seidel when the members were all around 20 years of age, they are nowadays considered to have been one of the first genuine German-language rock band, together with Udo Lindenberg
. Their first big-stage appearance was at an Open-Air on 6 September 1970 on the Fehmarn
stage where Jimi Hendrix
had had his last appearance directly before. A house right next to the stage went up in flames while they were still playing; it has been alleged that it had been set on fire by the security personnel who had just received news that the event's organizers had disappeared with all the revenues. Still many people believed that Ton Steine Scherben had set the stage on fire, which gave them tremendous credibility in the radical scene.
Die Scherben released their material through their own label. The "David-Volksmund-Produktion" (David from "David and Goliath"; Volksmund = the people's voice) released not only the LPs of the Scherben but also of "Caramboulage", a "girl band" which consisted of Angie Olbrich, Elfie-Esther Steitz-Praeker (R.P.S.'s sister) and Britta Neander (died in 2005); also they were engaged in the German gay-movement, so they released two LPs of "Brühwarm" and a Boy-Group namend "Stricher" ["hustler" or "the moneyboys"]; the last record of the David-Volksmund-Poduktion is the LP "Sternschnuppen" of the singer-song-writer Misha Schoeneberg. In 2003 the DVP was brought back to life. Due to internal disagreements, the sale of TSS music has been put on hold since 2008.
In the middle of the 1970s the pressure on the Scherben from their anarchistic fanbase grew. The Band felt more and more like a "music-box", playing for the radical scene on cue. While the band attempted a shift toward more personal lyrics, the radical scene insisted that they remain as political as before. Under this pressure the band escaped from Berlin to Fresenhagen, a little town in Nordfriesland
, where they bought an old farm, which the numerous bandmembers, about 16 in all, repaired. There they tried to make their dream of "working & living together" come true.
After a period of being managed by Claudia Roth
(later to become co-chairwoman of the German Green Party
), they disbanded in 1985 when the band's debt became unbearable and because they thought that everything that could be said was said.
.jpg)
Singer Rio Reiser
then embarked on a solo career until his death in 1996. At that time the rest of "Ton Steine Scherben" reunited one more time for a farewell concert. As of 2000, some members of the formerly Ton Steine Scherben touring since 2005 as Ton Steine Scherben Family, performing the band's classics.
with a "renegade
stance, what in later years would be dubbed 'punk
'."
Their lyrics were at the beginning anti-capitalist
and anarchist. They didn't think the socialism of the Soviet Union
was anywhere near real socialism, and had connections to the squatter scene (e.g. Rauch-Haus-Song
) and the German Red Army Faction
terrorists during the time before the latter turned to violent crime and murder. Later Ton Steine Scherben toned down on political issues and explored more personal themes like freedom, love, drugs, and sadness. They also contributed to two full-length concept album about homosexuality which were issued under the name Brühwarm (literally: boiling warm) in cooperation with a gay-revue group.
All their albums were self-published and promoted. Revenues from the albums were slim which contributed to the band's dissolution. Only few singles were released, which rarely received commercial attention. The Scherben were also on the so called black-list and not played on radio-stations.
The following albums were issued after the band ceased recording:
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....
rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
bands of the 1970s and early 1980s. Well-known for the highly political and emotional lyrics of vocalist Rio Reiser
Rio Reiser
Rio Reiser , was a German rock musician and singer of the famous rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He was born Ralph Christian Möbius in Berlin and died at the age of 46 in the little German town of Fresenhagen. Rio Reiser was politically active during his whole life...
, they became a musical mouthpiece of new left movements
New social movements
The term new social movements is a theory of social movements that attempts to explain the plethora of new movements that have come up in various western societies roughly since the mid-1960s which are claimed to depart significantly from the conventional social movement paradigm.There are two...
, such as the squatting movement
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
, during that time in Germany and their hometown of West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
in particular. Today, after the band's demise in 1985, and the death of Rio Reiser in 1996, Ton Steine Scherben have remained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
and popularity in the related scenes
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
.
Recently, some of the remaining members have given reunion concerts under the name "Ton Steine Scherben Family".
Etymology
Ton Steine Scherben's literal EnglishEnglish 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...
translation is "Clay Stones Shards"; in German, "Ton" can mean "sound" as well, so the band's name may be considered to be an amphibology
Amphibology
Amphibology or amphiboly is an ambiguous grammatical structure in a sentence. -Examples:*Teenagers shouldn't be allowed to drive...
. Singer Rio Reiser
Rio Reiser
Rio Reiser , was a German rock musician and singer of the famous rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He was born Ralph Christian Möbius in Berlin and died at the age of 46 in the little German town of Fresenhagen. Rio Reiser was politically active during his whole life...
usually told journalists the name was taken from a description by pioneer archeologist Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann was a German businessman and amateur archaeologist, and an advocate of the historical reality of places mentioned in the works of Homer. Schliemann was an archaeological excavator of Troy, along with the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns...
of what he saw when he first came to the site of ancient Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
. Other members of the band claim in the biography "Keine Macht für Niemand - Die Geschichte der Ton Steine Scherben" (No power for nobody - the story of Clay Stone Shards") that it is a play on the name of the West German labor union Bau-Steine-Erden (Construction-Stones-Earths).
The band name is also a tribute to The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and to "Die roten Steine" (The red stones), a trainee theatre group from Berlin.
History
Formed in 1970 by vocalist and guitarist Rio ReiserRio Reiser
Rio Reiser , was a German rock musician and singer of the famous rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He was born Ralph Christian Möbius in Berlin and died at the age of 46 in the little German town of Fresenhagen. Rio Reiser was politically active during his whole life...
, guitarist R.P.S. Lanrue, Kai Sichtermann on bass guitar, and drummer Wolfgang Seidel when the members were all around 20 years of age, they are nowadays considered to have been one of the first genuine German-language rock band, together with Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg
Udo Lindenberg is a German rock musician and composer.-Career:Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician . In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in...
. Their first big-stage appearance was at an Open-Air on 6 September 1970 on the Fehmarn
Fehmarn
Fehmarn is an island and - since 2003 - a town on this island in the Baltic Sea, off the eastern coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and ca. 18 kilometers south of the Danish island of Lolland...
stage where Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
had had his last appearance directly before. A house right next to the stage went up in flames while they were still playing; it has been alleged that it had been set on fire by the security personnel who had just received news that the event's organizers had disappeared with all the revenues. Still many people believed that Ton Steine Scherben had set the stage on fire, which gave them tremendous credibility in the radical scene.
Die Scherben released their material through their own label. The "David-Volksmund-Produktion" (David from "David and Goliath"; Volksmund = the people's voice) released not only the LPs of the Scherben but also of "Caramboulage", a "girl band" which consisted of Angie Olbrich, Elfie-Esther Steitz-Praeker (R.P.S.'s sister) and Britta Neander (died in 2005); also they were engaged in the German gay-movement, so they released two LPs of "Brühwarm" and a Boy-Group namend "Stricher" ["hustler" or "the moneyboys"]; the last record of the David-Volksmund-Poduktion is the LP "Sternschnuppen" of the singer-song-writer Misha Schoeneberg. In 2003 the DVP was brought back to life. Due to internal disagreements, the sale of TSS music has been put on hold since 2008.
In the middle of the 1970s the pressure on the Scherben from their anarchistic fanbase grew. The Band felt more and more like a "music-box", playing for the radical scene on cue. While the band attempted a shift toward more personal lyrics, the radical scene insisted that they remain as political as before. Under this pressure the band escaped from Berlin to Fresenhagen, a little town in Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland, English "Northern Friesland" or "North Frisia", is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia along with adjacent areas to the east and south and is bounded by the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Dithmarschen, the North Sea and...
, where they bought an old farm, which the numerous bandmembers, about 16 in all, repaired. There they tried to make their dream of "working & living together" come true.
After a period of being managed by Claudia Roth
Claudia Roth
Claudia Benedikta Roth is a German Green Party politician and one of the two current party chairs, together with Cem Özdemir.- Biography :...
(later to become co-chairwoman of the German Green Party
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
), they disbanded in 1985 when the band's debt became unbearable and because they thought that everything that could be said was said.
Rio Reiser
Rio Reiser , was a German rock musician and singer of the famous rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He was born Ralph Christian Möbius in Berlin and died at the age of 46 in the little German town of Fresenhagen. Rio Reiser was politically active during his whole life...
then embarked on a solo career until his death in 1996. At that time the rest of "Ton Steine Scherben" reunited one more time for a farewell concert. As of 2000, some members of the formerly Ton Steine Scherben touring since 2005 as Ton Steine Scherben Family, performing the band's classics.
Musical traits, lyrical themes and influence
Ton Steine Scherben were pioneers in German music culture. Their style has been described as rockRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
with a "renegade
Turncoat
A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party...
stance, what in later years would be dubbed 'punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
'."
Their lyrics were at the beginning anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
and anarchist. They didn't think the socialism of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
was anywhere near real socialism, and had connections to the squatter scene (e.g. Rauch-Haus-Song
Rauch-Haus-Song
The Rauch-Haus-Song of the West Berlin band Ton Steine Scherben thematizes thesquatting of the former Bethanien-Krankenhaus from the sight of the squatters. The title reflects on the circumstance, that the squatters renamed the house „Georg-von-Rauch-Haus“ after Georg von Rauch who was shot by the...
) and the German Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
terrorists during the time before the latter turned to violent crime and murder. Later Ton Steine Scherben toned down on political issues and explored more personal themes like freedom, love, drugs, and sadness. They also contributed to two full-length concept album about homosexuality which were issued under the name Brühwarm (literally: boiling warm) in cooperation with a gay-revue group.
All their albums were self-published and promoted. Revenues from the albums were slim which contributed to the band's dissolution. Only few singles were released, which rarely received commercial attention. The Scherben were also on the so called black-list and not played on radio-stations.
Founding members
- R.P.S. Lanrue -- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1970–1985) - Rio ReiserRio ReiserRio Reiser , was a German rock musician and singer of the famous rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He was born Ralph Christian Möbius in Berlin and died at the age of 46 in the little German town of Fresenhagen. Rio Reiser was politically active during his whole life...
-- vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1970–1985) - Wolfgang Seidel -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s (1970–1971) - Kai Sichtermann -- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1970–1985, except 1974–1975)
Last line-up
- R.P.S. Lanrue -- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1970–1985) - Rio ReiserRio ReiserRio Reiser , was a German rock musician and singer of the famous rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He was born Ralph Christian Möbius in Berlin and died at the age of 46 in the little German town of Fresenhagen. Rio Reiser was politically active during his whole life...
-- vocals(1970–1985) - Funky K. Götzner -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s (1974–1985) - Kai Sichtermann -- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1970–1985, except 1974–1975) - Martin Paul -- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1981–1985) - Misha Schoeneberg -- managementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, stageStage (theatre)In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
- and lightdesign (1981–1985) - Claudia RothClaudia RothClaudia Benedikta Roth is a German Green Party politician and one of the two current party chairs, together with Cem Özdemir.- Biography :...
-- managementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
(1982–1985) - Dirk Schlömer -- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1983–1985)
Former members
- Nikel Pallat -- vocals, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, managementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
(1970–1978) - Jörg Schlotterer -- organising, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Sven Jordan -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s (1971) - Oliver Lietzau -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s (1972) - Angela Olbrich -- chorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, percussions (1972–1981, except 1976–1977) - Captain Hynding -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1972) - Helmut Stöger -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s (1973) - Werner "Gino" Götz -- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1974–1975) - Britta Neander -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, chorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
(1974–1982) - Elfie-Esther Steitz-Praeker -- chorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, cateringCateringCatering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
(1979–1982) - Elser Maxwell -- managementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
(1981–1982) - Marius del Mestre -- choir/chorus, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1981–1982)
Current members of Ton Steine Scherben Family
- Funky K. Götzner -- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Kai Sichtermann -- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Martin Paul -- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Marco Schmedje -- (lead guitar)
- Angela Olbrich -- chorusChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, percussions - Nikel Pallat -- vocals, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, managementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively... - Marius del Mestre -- vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Elser Maxwell -- managementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
Discography
- 1971 - Warum geht es mir so dreckig (Why am I so miserable)
- 1972 - Keine Macht für NiemandKeine Macht für NiemandKeine Macht für Niemand is the name of both the second album and best-known song by the band Ton Steine Scherben. The double album, released in 1972, is also sometimes called "die Weiße" in reference to its simple cover with a white background and black text.The album as a whole, as well as the...
(No power for nobody) - 1974 - Wenn die Nacht am tiefsten (When it's darkest night)
- 1980 - IV
- 1981 - Auswahl I
- 1983 - Scherben(Shards)
- 1984 - In Berlin (live)
- 1985 - Live I
The following albums were issued after the band ceased recording:
- 1996 - Live II
- 2006 - Live III