Belfegore
Encyclopedia
Belfegore was a short-lived European Gothic
New Wave
band, formed in the early 1980s by Meikel Clauss. The group released several singles and two albums, initially for the German independent Pure Freude and later for Elektra. Belfegore are probably best known now for the US college radio hit "All That I Wanted", the video to which aired on MTV
and VH1
and USA Network.
and Der KFC, with Manfred "Charly" Terstappen (aka Charly T Charles) and Walter Jaeger, formerly with Die Krupps
. The band was formed 1982 in Düsseldorf and quickly became part of the Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave) movement, playing a distinctly German style of new wave music that owed a lot to both the early UK Goth scene as well as the European punk movement.
Their First album "A Dog Is Born" was a mostly self-financed affair, gaining limited release in Germany through Pure Freude and was imported into the UK by Rough Trade. This release was followed by the self-titled 12" EP "Belfegore" and the 7" live single "Marmor". In 1983, just as the group signed a record deal with Elektra, Jaeger left the band and was replaced by Raoul Walton. The resultant album, "Belfegore", produced by Conny Plank and released with two different covers, saw a shift away from the more experimental new wave sound to something harder-edged and industrial.
The band supported U2
on the European part of the Unforgettable Fire Tour
. In 1985 Clauss dissolved the band because he claimed he'd had enough of the rock'n'roll lifestyle and he went on to study medicine in Germany. Raoul Walton later played with the German rock band Anyone's Daughter
. In 1988 Charly Terstappen joined The Lords
, one of Germany's longest-serving rock bands.
The video for "All That I Wanted", which was directed by Academy Award-winning director Zbigniew Rybczyński
in one of his first forays into music video, was also aired on MuchMusic in Canada, to much acclaim.
On 30 September 2011 the band (Clauss/Walton/Terstappen) played a one-off reunion gig at Ratinger Hof in Düsseldorf
.
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band, formed in the early 1980s by Meikel Clauss. The group released several singles and two albums, initially for the German independent Pure Freude and later for Elektra. Belfegore are probably best known now for the US college radio hit "All That I Wanted", the video to which aired on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
and USA Network.
History
Belfegore was a project and brainchild of the German singer and guitarist Michael (Meikel) David Clauss, formerly of NichtsNichts
Nichts are a German language rock band from Düsseldorf, Germany. Founding members are Tobias Brink , Michael Clauss , Andrea Mothes and Chris Scarbeck...
and Der KFC, with Manfred "Charly" Terstappen (aka Charly T Charles) and Walter Jaeger, formerly with Die Krupps
Die Krupps
Die Krupps is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.-History:Their initial sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion...
. The band was formed 1982 in Düsseldorf and quickly became part of the Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave) movement, playing a distinctly German style of new wave music that owed a lot to both the early UK Goth scene as well as the European punk movement.
Their First album "A Dog Is Born" was a mostly self-financed affair, gaining limited release in Germany through Pure Freude and was imported into the UK by Rough Trade. This release was followed by the self-titled 12" EP "Belfegore" and the 7" live single "Marmor". In 1983, just as the group signed a record deal with Elektra, Jaeger left the band and was replaced by Raoul Walton. The resultant album, "Belfegore", produced by Conny Plank and released with two different covers, saw a shift away from the more experimental new wave sound to something harder-edged and industrial.
The band supported U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
on the European part of the Unforgettable Fire Tour
Unforgettable Fire Tour
The Unforgettable Fire Tour by Irish rock band U2 took place in 1984 and 1985 in support of band's album The Unforgettable Fire. Beginning in August 1984 with the band's first tour to Australia and New Zealand, the tour spanned four further legs which included 43 concerts in Europe and 50 in North...
. In 1985 Clauss dissolved the band because he claimed he'd had enough of the rock'n'roll lifestyle and he went on to study medicine in Germany. Raoul Walton later played with the German rock band Anyone's Daughter
Anyone's Daughter
Anyone's Daughter is a German progressive rock band founded in 1972 in Stuttgart by Uwe Karpa und Matthias Ulmer. The band started out playing covers of Deep Purple and others, and named themselves after the Deep Purple song released in 1971....
. In 1988 Charly Terstappen joined The Lords
The Lords
The Lords may refer to:* The Lords , a Dutch ZX Spectrum demogroup* The British House of Lordsin music:* The Lords , a rock band founded in 1959...
, one of Germany's longest-serving rock bands.
The video for "All That I Wanted", which was directed by Academy Award-winning director Zbigniew Rybczyński
Zbigniew Rybczynski
Zbigniew Rybczyński is a Polish filmmaker who has won numerous prestigious industry awards both in the United States and internationally. He was also a teacher of cinematography, and digital cinematography. Currently he is a researcher of blue and greenscreen compositing technology at Ultimatte...
in one of his first forays into music video, was also aired on MuchMusic in Canada, to much acclaim.
On 30 September 2011 the band (Clauss/Walton/Terstappen) played a one-off reunion gig at Ratinger Hof in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
.
Members
- Meikel Clauss: Vocals/guitar/electronics
- Manfred Terstappen ("Charly T. Charles"): Drums/backing vocals
- Raoul Walton: Bass/backing vocals
- Walter Jaeger: Synth/bass
Albums
- A Dog Is Born - 1983 Pure Freude
- BelfegoreBelfegore (album)Belfegore was the second album by the German band Belfegore. This was Belfegore's first and last major studio release. Despite decent sales, the band split-up one year later.All lyrics are sung in English unlike their previous album...
- 1984 ElektraElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
Singles
- "Belfegore/Nacht in Sodom/Heilige Kriege" - 1983 Pure Freude
- "Belfegore in Roma: Marmor/Herz Atmet Echos" - 1984 Pure Freude
- "All That I Wanted (Remix)/All That I Wanted (single version)" - 1984 ElektraElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
- "All That I Wanted (Extended Club Mix)/Wake Up With Sirens (Remix)/Seabird Seamoan (Remix)" - 1984 ElektraElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....