Entertainment For Lively Minds
Propaganda
Posted by sandamiano on 2 March 2010 - 9:58pm.
Any love for the 'Duel' hitmakers? A Secret Wish was easily one of the best albums of the 80s i think. Like a cleverer, colder, slightly eerie Frankie Goes To Hollywood but just as melodic and with a 20 year old gorgeous German model as a frontperson instead of Holly Johnson.
I ask you Word massive, what's not to love?
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Still love...
...'A Secret Wish'. They were pretty good live as well.
I saw them play live...
... just after "Duel" was a hit, and the crowd was totally non-plussed until they played "Jewel", at which the whole place kicked off and the rest of the gig was amazing, lots of catwalk model posing from the girls, excellent sound from what I remember, too.
"A Secret Wish" is still an excellent album, and who else was doing Josef K cover versions then (or now, for that matter?)
The last thing I'm aware Claudia Brucken did was an album of cover versions with fellow ZTT-alum Andrew Poppy, "Another Language", actually pretty good stuff - here's "Running Up That Hill": http://www.cubpop.com/mp3/06%20Running%20Up%20That%20Hill.mp3
A Spinoff..
Act. They are featured heavily on the soundtrack of Blizzard Of Aaahs - a belting ski movie from the late 80's. All very ZTT; Claudia Brücken vocals and Trevor Horn production. Shiny, shoulderpaddy and very much of it's time.
Always loved the album
Still do. The remixes and 12" CD isn't bad either.
good to hear this again
the passage of Murder of Love from 3:40 in particular, reminded me why I liked this album
I'd go even further
and say that the entire solo which starts around 3:20 is sublime! Judging by the credits and my highly trained ears this would be Steve Howe of Yes, playing a wonderfully jazzy guitar. David Sylvian is also listed amongst the contributors but what he's contributing (gutar, keyboards, vocals?) is hard to tell. Love most* of this album, which is on frequent rotation at Obdewlla Towers. "Duel" is a particular favourite.
*Only "most" because I've never got on with the last track "Dr. Mabuse" even though I bought the 12" before the album was released.
I was collecting the ZTT catalogue for a while - didn't keep it up, although I must be one of the very few people to own both of Anne Pigalle's singles plus her album and an Andrew Poppy album (which I quite like actually).
P-Machinery's original title ....
... was 'Sylvian's Machine' - I believe he co-wrote it and did some of the synths on said track. Original Simple Minds' bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGee contributed and toured with the act. I recall Davey Hepworth introducing the band on summat like Whistle Test back in the day, might be on one of the excellent OGWT DVD sets.
There's also a terrific CD called 'Outside World' released about 5 years ago that collates all manner of rare tracks, remixes, and videos - in fact, I once bought for a fiver the remix album of 'A Secret Wish' called 'Wishful Thinking' in a Hortens in Osnabruck back in '92 which, such was it's rarity, ended up at one point being worth an insane £125 until it was rereleased for ZTT's 25th anniversary.
There's some terrific live performances of Dusseldorf's finest on YouTube, the best of which was them ironically on The Tube.
And yeps, my favourite track is "The Murder Of Love" - I also like the anglo-German lyriced "Frozen Faces", reet artsy!
BR
FT
ZTT catalogue...
I went through a period collecting all things ZTT - tucked away in my spare room I have a sampler ("Zang Tumb Tuum Sampled" disappointingly enough) including songs by Propaganda, FGTH, Art of Noise, Andrew Poppy, Anne Pigalle, and Instinct - as well as lots of those varied 12" singles, cassette singles, picture discs etc etc.
On a Propaganda-related note I have a 12" single of a duet by Claudia Brucken & Glenn Gregory called "When your heart runs out of time", apparently in 1985 and from the soundtrack to the film "Insignificance" whatever that was... Probably a sign that I had more disposable income than sense at the time (actually, as I was 15 then that's definitely what it was).
Always loved Propaganda
Just something about that Teutonic ice in their soul... And Claudia Brucken had a gorgeous solo single in the early '90s too:
Ahhhh yeah
Was going to put that up myself but you beat me to it. I *loved* that whole 12" - it was the brief period where loads of pre-rave musicians (see also Jazz Butcher, Lilac Time, Frazier Chorus) would all just whack a sub-Soul-II-Soul beat and bassline under their stuff and somehow manage to sound amazing...
Another Claudia project...
Also worth a listen to is Claudia's project with husband Paul Humphreys (the OMD chap) called OneTwo from a couple of years back
ZTT OTT
I recall the Dr Mabuse 12" being a particularly epic ZTT production - at least ten minutes of bluster, bangs and crashes. Tremendous.
Martin Gore's fave band of all time too!
I wish someone would re-release this i'd love to see it. I mean if ACT are worth a triple CD reissue (!) and Art Of Noise a box set (!!) then surely this is worth some video label or other stumping up the cash:
http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=819687
Just to say...
Yes. I had a copy of the album on cassette tape & played it to death.
A fine piece of work.
The second Propaganda album
whilst being far less electronic and far more, well, Radio 2, is also worth a listen. The last track is the below Morriconish instrumental, which is wonderful.
Why does it hurt when my heart misses a beat?
'Abba From Hell' as Paul Morley put it. Dig out the twelve inch single version of Duel (Bittersweet) - on spotify - and a second hand up for the 'Outside World' album.
Great to see this thread...
... because A) I love Propaganda and B) I'm in the middle of preparing a deluxe edition of A Secret Wish for ZTT, which will come out in the summer.
It will be the same size and shape as the recent Frankie deluxe edition (http://www.ztt.com/news/welcome_to_the_pleasuredome_deluxe_edition.html)...
...And it will be compiled from the original master tapes, like this one:
...I'm also about to start work on an expanded reissue of Claudia's afore-mentioned Love: and a million other things solo album which will be out on Cherry Red in a few months time.
Tremendous news
If I may ask, did Claudia Brucken record just the one track with Martin Gore, or are there others? I just think the two voices together would be something worth hearing.
Yes! Yes! YES!!!
This is truly great news. My summer will be complete! I am such a happy bunny!
Loved them
I thought they were excellent. Unlike a lot of stuff from that period I think it stands up well.
I was going to ask if Claudia Brucken was still married to Paul Morley but Minty W answered that for me.
Thanks also to Nick S for the Claudia Brucken track.
Crikey...
...such a large response for such an unprolific act. I have to say Dr Mabuse, like all great Horn productions, is such a big single that you really don't feel it needs to be backed up by a strong album. The same is true of Left to My Own Devices, Slave to The Rythm and Two Tribes.
That said I'll definately be checking out the rest of Secret Wish following this thread..