THE GENTS live – GERMAN TEENBEAT MADNESS

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, these boys mostly don’t sing fantasy lyrics – in fantasy English – like a lot of German bands did. But that’s not what it’s all about. These boys really deliver – they throw genuine Teenpunk about the ears of the boys and girls in the audience. And these answer with enthusiasm. That’s how things were happening in almost all the German dancehalls in the early to mid-sixties – be it village or big city. The Gents were from Hamburg. These recordings were done between 1962 and 1964 with a primitive mono-tape recorder and a single microphone and yet they capture so much excitement on and off stage. The band members celebrate the songs, so many of the songs will clock in at over 4 minutes. It was common then to put a lot of echo on the vocals, as it is the case here. Full throttle Rock ‘n’ Roll. And they wouldn’t stick to the song’s original melody line, but turned it into Teentrash… just listen to “My Soul”. They recorded a couple of singles, but they never did them justice.

 

The Gents were: Sundolf Köhler, voc, lg, Rainer Lange, dr, Bahne Markowski, voc, rg, Manfred Markowski, voc, rg, Günther Schultz, voc, b.

 

Auch bei den Gents ist nicht alles textsicher, aber darum geht es gar nicht. Da haben andere die Nase weit vorn, was Fantasieenglisch angeht. Bei den Gents wird Teenpunk gescherbelt, dass die Fetzen fliegen. Und so ging es auf vielen deutschen Bühnen zu, egal ob Dorf oder Metropole. The Gents sind Hamburger. Die Aufnahmen entstanden zwischen 1962 und 1964 mit einem Mono-Tonbandgerät und nur einem Mikrophon. Die Tonqualität hat natürlich keine Studioqualität.

There are more Gents-live recordings coming.

Ja, von den Gents kommt noch mehr.

CD 025

01.     The Gents live in Hann.-Münden  -  It’s All Over Now (voc. Günther)

02.     The Gents live Club Holiday, Kassel  -  Skinny Minnie (voc. Bahne)

03.     The Gents live in Hann.-Münden  -  Kansas City (voc. Bahne)

04.     The Gents live in Hann.-Münden  -  My Soul (voc. Bahne)

05.     The Gents live in Hann.-Münden  -  Do You Love Me (voc. Sundolf)