Moti Special
Encyclopedia
Moti Special was a German New Wave
band, formed in 1981
in Hamburg
, by Danish
guitar
player Nils Tuxen, Romania
n keyboard
player Michael Cretu
, bassist
/vocalist Manfred "Thissy" Thiers and drummer
Reinhard "Dickie" Tarrach. All of the members had previous experience as session musician
s. Thiers decided on the name of the band after visiting an Indian restaurant in London together with German-Israeli artist Moti Argaman, where they had the "special" (extra spicy) dish of the house.
It was not until 1985
that the band became successful. Although their first single, "Stop! Girls Go Crazy", did not chart, the follow-up, "Cold Days, Hot Nights", was a major hit in Europe, reaching number 3 in Germany. The third single "Don't Be So Shy" made it to number 9. The band's first album, Motivation
, reached number 20 on the charts in that same year.
Michael Cretu left the band to pursue his solo career, and production work with various artists, including his wife, 80s superstar sensation Sandra.
Nothing was heard of from the band again until 1989
, when a new single, In Love We Stand, was released. The album, along with its title-track, Dancing For Victory
were not that well-received as the first album was. Two new members had also been added: Frank Adahl - vocals/keyboards and Anders Mossberg - basses. They were both session-musicians from Sweden. By then, Tuxen and Tarrach were the only original members still in the band.
Michael Cretu has since had a successful career, as a solo artist, collaborator, writer, producer, and most notably, as the creator of Enigma
. He also recorded an album with Manfred Thiers as Cretu & Thiers. Their album Belle Epoque was released in 1988
.
Manfred Thiers is still working as a session bass player, and in 2005
performed on the album The Voice of Leonard Bernstein, alongside Leonard Bernstein
, José Carreras
, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, as well as many other great performers. More importantly, he is also a member of Schiller
-live Band (Weltreise/Voyage, Leben/Life and Tag und Nacht/Night and Day live tour).
In 2006
, official remixes of "Cold Days, Hot Nights" (by DJ/producer Arnold Palmer) took the track, now re-titled simply as "Cold Days", into the Top 5 of the Official German Dance Charts. A subsequent full release has yet to materialise despite the track's considerable success in German clubs.
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 1981
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, by Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
guitar
Guitar
The 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...
player Nils Tuxen, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A 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...
player Michael Cretu
Michael Cretu
Michael Cretu is a Romanian musician. He is known also as Curly, MC or Curly M.C. because of his fair curled hair . His peak musical activity was with the Enigma project, which was mainly based in Germany....
, bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
/vocalist Manfred "Thissy" Thiers and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Reinhard "Dickie" Tarrach. All of the members had previous experience as session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s. Thiers decided on the name of the band after visiting an Indian restaurant in London together with German-Israeli artist Moti Argaman, where they had the "special" (extra spicy) dish of the house.
It was not until 1985
1985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
that the band became successful. Although their first single, "Stop! Girls Go Crazy", did not chart, the follow-up, "Cold Days, Hot Nights", was a major hit in Europe, reaching number 3 in Germany. The third single "Don't Be So Shy" made it to number 9. The band's first album, Motivation
Motivation (album)
Motivation is the first studio album of Moti Special, released in 1985 by Teldec label. The band members were: Danish guitarist Nils Tuxen, Romanian keyboardist Michael Cretu, bassist and vocalist Manfred "Thissy" Thiers, and drummer Reinhard "Dickie" Tarrach...
, reached number 20 on the charts in that same year.
Michael Cretu left the band to pursue his solo career, and production work with various artists, including his wife, 80s superstar sensation Sandra.
Nothing was heard of from the band again until 1989
1989 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
, when a new single, In Love We Stand, was released. The album, along with its title-track, Dancing For Victory
Dancing For Victory (album)
Dancing for Victory is the second studio album of Moti Special, released in 1990 by Polydor. The band members were: the keyboardist and vocalist Frank Ådahl, guitarist Nils Tuxen, bassist Anders Mossberg, and drummer Reinhard "Dickie" Tarrach.Songs...
were not that well-received as the first album was. Two new members had also been added: Frank Adahl - vocals/keyboards and Anders Mossberg - basses. They were both session-musicians from Sweden. By then, Tuxen and Tarrach were the only original members still in the band.
Michael Cretu has since had a successful career, as a solo artist, collaborator, writer, producer, and most notably, as the creator of Enigma
Enigma (musical project)
Enigma is an electronic musical project founded in Germany by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson in 1990. The Romanian-born Cretu conceived the Enigma project while working in Germany, but has based his recording studio A.R.T. Studios in Ibiza, Spain, since the early 1990s until May...
. He also recorded an album with Manfred Thiers as Cretu & Thiers. Their album Belle Epoque was released in 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
.
Manfred Thiers is still working as a session bass player, and in 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
performed on the album The Voice of Leonard Bernstein, alongside Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
, José Carreras
José Carreras
Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini...
, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, as well as many other great performers. More importantly, he is also a member of Schiller
Schiller (band)
Schiller is the main project of Christopher von Deylen , a German musician, composer and producer. He won the ECHO award in 2002 for the Best Dance Single of the Year.. Schiller has sold over 7 million albums worldwide.Christopher Von Deylen does not provide vocals for any of his compositions...
-live Band (Weltreise/Voyage, Leben/Life and Tag und Nacht/Night and Day live tour).
In 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
, official remixes of "Cold Days, Hot Nights" (by DJ/producer Arnold Palmer) took the track, now re-titled simply as "Cold Days", into the Top 5 of the Official German Dance Charts. A subsequent full release has yet to materialise despite the track's considerable success in German clubs.
Albums
- MotivationMotivation (album)Motivation is the first studio album of Moti Special, released in 1985 by Teldec label. The band members were: Danish guitarist Nils Tuxen, Romanian keyboardist Michael Cretu, bassist and vocalist Manfred "Thissy" Thiers, and drummer Reinhard "Dickie" Tarrach...
(1985) - Dancing For VictoryDancing For Victory (album)Dancing for Victory is the second studio album of Moti Special, released in 1990 by Polydor. The band members were: the keyboardist and vocalist Frank Ådahl, guitarist Nils Tuxen, bassist Anders Mossberg, and drummer Reinhard "Dickie" Tarrach.Songs...
(1990)
Singles
- "Stop! Girls Go Crazy" (1984)
- "Cold Days, Hot Nights" (1984) West Germany #3, Switzerland #4
- "Don't Be So Shy" (1985) West Germany #9, Switzerland #10
- "Stop! Girls Go Crazy (Remix)" (1985) West Germany #53
- "In Love We Stand" (1989)
- "Behind Closed Doors" (1990)
- "Dancing For Victory" (1990)
- "Megamix '98" (1998) Germany #66
- "Cold Days" (2006), 'promo only' release credited as Arnold Palmer vs. Moti Special