Claus Zundel
Encyclopedia
Claus Zundel is a German composer, songwriter, producer and pianist. He has created several worldwide successful musical projects, most notable - Sacred Spirit
and B-Tribe
(sold 20 mln. copies combined), as well as more Indie projects such as "Moroccan Spirit
", "Classical Spirit", "Divine Works", Ancient Spirit and his latest project "Tango Jointz". After being a successful producer in the 1980s with a German artist named Hubert Kah
, Zundel produced several pop albums under Circa Records U.K between 1988 and 1992 for an artist known as Sydney Youngblood
. The most successful hit was If Only I Could
, which entered the top 3 in the charts of most European countries, including the UK. Zundel signed to the new label Circa Records run by Ashley Newton and Ray Cooper, later responsible for the huge success of the Spice Girls before they became executives of Virgin USA. All of the Youngblood records were distributed under Virgin Records U.K. The first album feeling free included several hit singles that reached gold status in various countries throughout Europe. The biggest successes were the hit singles "if only i could" and "sit and wait". The success of the Youngblood project opened the door for Zundel into the international music world.
His music style is usually called as "The Brave Sound" - as it considers a large number of different music styles all mixed in his special way. He often collaborates with different musicians and singers from different parts of the world and creates "The Brave Sound" projects with them.
concentrated on R&B music in the 80's, producing three tracks for Chaka Khan
(who had moved to Germany) and several popular European artists in the 80's. Tired of the fast pace, he moved to Ibiza
, Spain in late 80's.
His co-producers were Ralf Hamm und Markus Staab who joined him in 1988. In 1990, they recorded as BSOG with featured vocals by Elaine Hudson. They released a single Bow Wow Wow, with additional tracks Wam Bam and Cooler Moments Of Vivaldi.
Overtaken by flamenco, Zundel amassed 250 hours of these types of performances. Soon after he created his first own successful musical project - B-Tribe
("Barcelona Tribe of Soulsters"). With first album "Fiest Fatal !", B-Tribe hit charts all over the world. Five more albums followed up to date with total sales of over 5 million copies.
At the same time, in 1995 Zundel creates his second multi-million selling project - Sacred Spirit
. The album "Chants and Dances of Native Americans received multi-platinum awards from RIAA and sold 7 mil. In 2001, with "More Chants and Dances of Native Americans" album he got a Grammy award nomination for Best New Age Album.
Other related projects include Divine Works (1996) (which became a notable dance hit with "Ancient Person of My Heart" single), Ancient Spirit (1997) and One Little Creature. Some of these are now getting difficult to obtain. However, a number of tracks from the Divine Works album are on the newer Classical Spirit album (2003) - a collection of 5 famous classical pieces remixed by Claus, as well as 5 his own compositions. Moroccan Spirit album (a "The Brave" mix of Moroccan native songs, recorded by Zundel himself during his 5 month trip to Morocco) was released in 2002 and was a commercial success. The Brave also produced the Rose Moore album Spirit Of Silence in 2002. In February 2007 a new Zundel produced album was released worldwide - "Palermo Nuevo" under a project name "Tango Jointz". Named after the cosmopolitan cultural and musical hotspot in Buenos Aires, this album is a collection of musical offerings combining traditional tango sounds and Latin rhythms with electronic beats.
Singles produced/written
Sacred Spirit
Sacred Spirit is a musical project by Claus Zundel, Ralf Hamm and Markus Staab. The music is of electronic, new age, world, ambient, house, jazz and blues genres. Sacred Spirit's total worldwide album sales estimated to be over 15 million copies...
and B-Tribe
B-Tribe
B-Tribe, or The Barcelona Tribe of Soulsters, is a musical project of the German-born musicians and producers Claus Zundel, Markus Staab and Ralf Hamm , who are also known for their Sacred Spirit project. Driven by the use of classical Spanish guitar and other elements of flamenco music mixed with...
(sold 20 mln. copies combined), as well as more Indie projects such as "Moroccan Spirit
Moroccan Spirit
Moroccan Spirit is a down tempo New Age / Ethnic fusion musical project/album by German musicians Ralf Hamm, Markus Staab and Claus Zundel The Brave., Ibiza-based producers of Sacred Spirit, B-Tribe and other projects.Music is often characterized as quite different from other projects by The...
", "Classical Spirit", "Divine Works", Ancient Spirit and his latest project "Tango Jointz". After being a successful producer in the 1980s with a German artist named Hubert Kah
Hubert Kah
Hubert Kah is a German synthpop band, led by Hubert Kemmler who was born 22 March 1961 in Reutlingen. Kemmler is a German musician, composer, songwriter and producer.- Biography :...
, Zundel produced several pop albums under Circa Records U.K between 1988 and 1992 for an artist known as Sydney Youngblood
Sydney Youngblood
Sydney Youngblood is an American born German singer, who had several successful dance/funk hits during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Career:...
. The most successful hit was If Only I Could
If Only I Could
If Only I Could is the debut single from artist Sydney Youngblood and became his biggest hit. Released as a single from his album Feeling Free in 1989, the song was composed by Claus Zundel, a producer of multi-million selling projects Sacred Spirit and B-Tribe. It is now considered Youngblood's...
, which entered the top 3 in the charts of most European countries, including the UK. Zundel signed to the new label Circa Records run by Ashley Newton and Ray Cooper, later responsible for the huge success of the Spice Girls before they became executives of Virgin USA. All of the Youngblood records were distributed under Virgin Records U.K. The first album feeling free included several hit singles that reached gold status in various countries throughout Europe. The biggest successes were the hit singles "if only i could" and "sit and wait". The success of the Youngblood project opened the door for Zundel into the international music world.
His music style is usually called as "The Brave Sound" - as it considers a large number of different music styles all mixed in his special way. He often collaborates with different musicians and singers from different parts of the world and creates "The Brave Sound" projects with them.
Biography
The native of HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
concentrated on R&B music in the 80's, producing three tracks for Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
(who had moved to Germany) and several popular European artists in the 80's. Tired of the fast pace, he moved to Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, Spain in late 80's.
His co-producers were Ralf Hamm und Markus Staab who joined him in 1988. In 1990, they recorded as BSOG with featured vocals by Elaine Hudson. They released a single Bow Wow Wow, with additional tracks Wam Bam and Cooler Moments Of Vivaldi.
Overtaken by flamenco, Zundel amassed 250 hours of these types of performances. Soon after he created his first own successful musical project - B-Tribe
B-Tribe
B-Tribe, or The Barcelona Tribe of Soulsters, is a musical project of the German-born musicians and producers Claus Zundel, Markus Staab and Ralf Hamm , who are also known for their Sacred Spirit project. Driven by the use of classical Spanish guitar and other elements of flamenco music mixed with...
("Barcelona Tribe of Soulsters"). With first album "Fiest Fatal !", B-Tribe hit charts all over the world. Five more albums followed up to date with total sales of over 5 million copies.
At the same time, in 1995 Zundel creates his second multi-million selling project - Sacred Spirit
Sacred Spirit
Sacred Spirit is a musical project by Claus Zundel, Ralf Hamm and Markus Staab. The music is of electronic, new age, world, ambient, house, jazz and blues genres. Sacred Spirit's total worldwide album sales estimated to be over 15 million copies...
. The album "Chants and Dances of Native Americans received multi-platinum awards from RIAA and sold 7 mil. In 2001, with "More Chants and Dances of Native Americans" album he got a Grammy award nomination for Best New Age Album.
Other related projects include Divine Works (1996) (which became a notable dance hit with "Ancient Person of My Heart" single), Ancient Spirit (1997) and One Little Creature. Some of these are now getting difficult to obtain. However, a number of tracks from the Divine Works album are on the newer Classical Spirit album (2003) - a collection of 5 famous classical pieces remixed by Claus, as well as 5 his own compositions. Moroccan Spirit album (a "The Brave" mix of Moroccan native songs, recorded by Zundel himself during his 5 month trip to Morocco) was released in 2002 and was a commercial success. The Brave also produced the Rose Moore album Spirit Of Silence in 2002. In February 2007 a new Zundel produced album was released worldwide - "Palermo Nuevo" under a project name "Tango Jointz". Named after the cosmopolitan cultural and musical hotspot in Buenos Aires, this album is a collection of musical offerings combining traditional tango sounds and Latin rhythms with electronic beats.
Discography
Albums produced/written- Sydney Youngblood - Just the Way it Is 1993
- B-Tribe - Fiesta Fatal (Warner/Atlantic) 1994
- Sacred Spirit - Chants And Dances Of The Native Americans (Virgin) 1995
- B-Tribe - Suave Suave (Atlantic) 1995
- Ancient Spirit (1997)
- Sacred Spirit - Culture Clash (Virgin) 1997, re-released as Indigo Spirit in 2000 on Higher OctaveHigher OctaveHigher Octave is a sub-label imprint of Narada Productions, which is part of EMI's Blue Note Records label group, located in New York.Higher Octave was founded in 1986 as an independent record label specializing in a wide variety of uplifting music, including smooth jazz, New Age music, Latin music...
Music - Divine Works - Soundtrack for the New Millennium (Virgin) 1997
- Divine Works - Ancient Person Of My Heart (Virgin) 1997 (CD, Maxi-Single and as 12" vinyl)
- B-Tribe - Sensual Sensual (Atlantic) 1998
- One Little Creature - Music of Fading Cultures - Pieces of Time (Virgin/Phantom) 1998
- Hubert Kah - Rosemarie 1999
- Sacred Spirit - More Chants And Dances Of The Native Americans (Higher Octave/Virgin) 2000
- Ancient Spirits for a New Age - 5 CD Box Set
- B-Tribe - Spiritual Spiritual (Higher Octave) 2001
- Moroccan Spirit - Morroccan Spirit (Higher Octave) 2002
- Rose Moore - Spirit of Silence 2002
- Classical Spirit - Classical Spirit (Higher Octave) 2003
- B-Tribe - 5 (Higher Octave) 2003
- Sacred Spirit - Jazzy Chill Out (Higher Octave) 2003
- Sacred Spirit - Bluesy Chill Out (Higher Octave) 2003
- Tango Joitz - Palermo Nuevo (La Escondida) 2007
- Macao Cafe -presents b-tribe 6 (macaocafemusic)2007
- Holophone presents B-TRIBE 6 (Holophone) 2008
Singles produced/written
- Raw Pulse - No Brothershit (Based On Take Five) 1994
- B-Tribe - Fatal Fatal
- B-Tribe - Nanita
- B-Tribe - Que Mala Vida
External links
- http://www.sacredspirit.de/ [ German fan website ]
- http://www.b-tribe.de/ [ German fan website ]