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Carsten Bohn (born 18 August 1948)[1] is a German drummer and composer. He was the drummer for the German progressive rock band Frumpy from 1969 to 1972 and had a long career in the German music scene.

He has recorded with Peter Baumann (ex-Tangerine Dream) and played as Drummer with the Jan Hammer Band

Radio play music

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From 1979 to 1983, Carsten Bohn composed 98 pieces of music for the Miller-International label Europa, of which 78 compositions were used in their well-known radio play series (Famous Five, TKKG, The Three Investigators, H. G. Francis' The Horror Series [neon-colored], Larry Brent, Macabros, Flash Gordon, Edgar Wallace, The Funk Foxes, Pizza Gang, among others). Carsten Bohn sings the title song of the Famous Five radio play series ("We are the five friends - Julian and Dick, Anne and George, and Timmy the dog ...").

In 1986, it was researched that Carsten Bohn's music is heard on 172 radio plays by Europa (a total of 2006 sequences with an average of 3:38 minutes per episode).

In 2008, Carsten Bohn exclusively composed new radio play music for the radio play label canora media and their adaptation of the pulp novel series Professor Zamorra from the Bastei-Verlag publishing house.

Legal dispute with BMG-Miller


The music pieces were published by Europa at the time under the pseudonym Bert Brac, among others, created by Miller International. Other collective pseudonyms created by Miller International are Ralph Bonda, Phil Moss, and Betty George. These pseudonyms were also used by Heikedine Körting and Andreas E. Beurmann.

Since 1988, Carsten Bohn and Sony BMG as the successor to the record company Miller International have been in dispute in court over royalties and copyrights. Neither Bohn nor Sony BMG are allowed to use the old music recordings during the ongoing proceedings. Since then, the affected episodes, with the old mixes of the radio plays, have been replaced by new mixes with music pieces by other musicians. This affects, for example, The Three Investigators episodes 1 to 39, and TKKG episodes 1 to 33.

For this reason, the original cassettes or records with the old music mixes have become partly valuable collector's items, especially the 1982 release episode 29 from The Three Investigators series (catalog no. 115 929.1 (LP) and 515 929.6 (MC)) and episode 15 Horror Pop Sounds from the neon-colored H. G. Francis Horror series.

The Famous Five theme song was sold as a product including all exploitation rights and is therefore still used today.

Biography

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Already in his youth he performed at Hamburg's legendary Star-Club (where the Beatles started out), acting as the drummer in a variety of bands that gained a measure of local popularity. His breakthrough in Europe came in 1970 with Frumpy.

The funky lounge sound of Carsten Bohn's soundtrack music for children's audio story books from the 1970s and 1980s has long been a hit in Germany. Between 1970 and 1972, Carsten Bohn was the leader and drummer of Frumpy, the German "Kraut Rock" band headlined by the Hamburg-born blues singer Inga Rumpf.

Bohn was already a fixture in the German music business when, as BERT BRAC, he began composing music for audio story books. The music accompanying the audiobooks became just as popular as the stories themselves. Bohn's work was concentrated on multiple audio book series in which he left his own mark with his music.

The record labels responsible for the audio books, without Bohn's knowledge or permission, used his work to accompany the story telling in at least 16 audio book series totalling approximately 170 individual episodes. Bohn engaged Europa Records in a legal battle for copyright infringement that continues today, with the result that neither the record label nor Bohn were allowed to publish the original music used for the audio books. The publishers of the old audio books had to re-record them with new music not composed by Bohn. This resulted in a full-blown run by fans on the early editions of Bohn's vinyl recordings. Special editions from that time, featuring full-length versions of Bohn's music, are sought-after collector's items. In Germany, the original vinyl LP of some of his recordings can command very high prices, in the region of $US 250. In addition, communities of fans took the trouble to remaster the new audio books, replacing "alien music" with songs from Bohn's older creations, and distributed them in a private pool.

Carsten Bohn performing with the band Frumpy in Hamburg, in 1971

In 1973, Bohn formed the group Dennis, named after his son born in 1971

Between 1977–1981 Bohn formed Carsten Bohn's Bandstand and recorded 3 LP's with different lineups. He was member (drummer) of the Jan Hammer Band between 1982 and 1983 along with Colin Hodgkinson and Jack Bruce, touring the US and Europe.

Bohn has attempted twice to reform Frumpy, once in 1976, and once in 1989. The 1989 revival resulted in the release of two studio albums, and a live album in 1995.

In 2004, Bohn and his band, Carsten Bohn's Bandstand, re-recorded the audio book music released by his own BigNoteRecords label, for re-release. Vol. I & II of a planned CD trilogy series were issued in 2004 and 2005 respectively. The songs therein feature Bohn's signature lounge beat which enjoy cult status among followers. For these re-recordings, the same instruments and equipment used to make the original recordings were used in order to replicate the original 1970s' and 1980s' recorded performances as closely as possible.[2]

Carsten Bohn now composes and records music for films.

Discography

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Frumpy

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  • All will be changed, 1970
  • Frumpy 2, 1971
  • By the Way, 1972
  • Frumpy LIVE, 1973
  • Now!, 1990
  • News, 1991
  • Frumpy (live '95), 1995

Other projects

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  • Zabba Lindner - Vollbedienung of Percussion, 1973
  • Dennis - Hyperthalamus, 1973
  • A.R.Machine - A.R.4, 1974
  • Kickbit Information - Bitkicks, 1975
  • P. Baumann - Repeat Repeat, 1981
  • Georgie Red - We'll Work It Out, 1986
  • Georgie Red - Helpless Dancer, 1987
  • Udo Lindenberg - Atlantic Affairs 2001

Carsten Bohn's Bandstand

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  • Humor Rumor, 1977
  • Mother Goes Shoes, 1978
  • C.B. Radio, 1979
  • New York Times, (Solo), 1993
  • Brandnew Oldies Vol.1, 2004
  • Brandnew Oldies Vol.2, 2005
  • Brandnew Oldies LIVE - Limited Fan-Edition (DVD), 2006
  • Brandnew Oldies LIVE,Hamburg,02.10.04 (DVD+CD), 2006
  • Brandnew Oldies Vol.3, 2009
  • Brandnew Oldies Vol.4, 2018

Awards

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On October 31, 2009, Carsten Bohn was awarded 62 gold records and 4 platinum records at once for his composed radio play music from the 1970s and 1980s for the Europa label.  This has never happened in this form in Germany before.

* The three ???
** 29× Gold
** 3× Platinum
* TKKG
** 19× Gold
** 1× Platinum
* Five friends
** 13× Gold

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Carsten Bohn

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''Carsten Bohn'' is a German drummer, composer, and keyboardist known for co-founding the progressive rock band Frumpy in the early 1970s and for his prolific contributions to music for German audio dramas, particularly the long-running Die Drei ??? series on the Europa label. [1] Born on 18 August 1948 in Hamburg, he emerged in the krautrock and progressive rock scenes of the 1970s as a member of groups including Frumpy and Die City Preachers, before shifting focus to session work, library music, and especially audio play soundtracks that have earned him widespread popularity in Germany. [1] His work on the Europa youth audio series, including numerous Die Drei ??? episodes, resulted in significant commercial success, with 62 Gold and 4 Platinum certifications awarded in 2009. [1] Bohn also leads his own project, Carsten Bohn's Bandstand, and operates the Big Note Records label. [1] Through his versatile career, Bohn has bridged the experimental rock of the 1970s with enduring contributions to children's and youth media in Germany, establishing himself as a key figure in both progressive music and audio production. [1]

Early life

Birth and background

Carsten Bohn was born on August 18, 1948, in Hamburg, Germany.[2][1][3] As a native of Hamburg, often referred to as an "Ur-Hamburger," he grew up in the city during the post-war reconstruction period after World War II.[4] His early influences included classical music alongside whatever musical offerings urban life in post-war Hamburg permitted during the 1950s.[4] In his youth, Bohn was actively present in Hamburg's emerging music scene, particularly around the time the Star-Club opened in 1962 with its programmatic slogan declaring the end of "village music" and heralding the arrival of the beat movement in Germany.[4] This vibrant environment shaped the city's musical landscape during his formative years.[4]

Early musical involvement

Carsten Bohn's early musical involvement began in his youth in Hamburg, where he played drums in the band Die City Preachers (also known as City Preachers), a notable group in the local scene during the mid-to-late 1960s. He was part of Hamburg's vibrant music environment, performing with local bands and developing his drumming skills. These formative experiences marked his transition into the professional music scene, culminating in his co-founding of Frumpy in 1970.[5]

Music career

Frumpy

Carsten Bohn co-founded the progressive rock band Frumpy in 1970 and served as its drummer until the group's initial dissolution in 1972.[6] As a key figure in the Hamburg music scene, he helped establish Frumpy alongside vocalist Inga Rumpf, keyboardist Jean-Jacques Kravetz, and bassist Karl-Heinz Schott, with guitarist Rainer Baumann joining in 1971.[6] Frumpy gained recognition within the German Krautrock and progressive rock movement for its blend of powerful vocals, jazz-influenced improvisation, extended instrumental passages, and experimental arrangements that distinguished it from mainstream rock of the era.[6] Bohn performed on the band's first three studio albums: All Will Be Changed (1970), Frumpy 2 (1971), and By the Way (1972).[6] These releases documented Frumpy's evolution from debut explorations of progressive structures to more refined compositions, with Frumpy 2 featuring notable tracks that highlighted the band's improvisational strengths.[6] The original lineup's work was later captured on the double live album Frumpy LIVE (1973), which preserved performances from their early 1970s concerts.[6] Frumpy reformed in 1989, with Bohn participating alongside Inga Rumpf and Jean-Jacques Kravetz. This reunion led to the release of Now! (1990), marking a return to recording after nearly two decades.[6] Bohn's tenure with Frumpy represented a foundational chapter in his career, bridging his early musical experiences in Hamburg to subsequent projects in progressive and experimental music.[7]

Carsten Bohn's Bandstand

Carsten Bohn founded Carsten Bohn's Bandstand in 1977 as a vehicle for his original compositions and production work following his earlier drumming experience. [8] The project debuted with the album Humor Rumor in 1977, showcasing a blend of jazz-rock, fusion, prog rock, and funk/soul influences. [9] Bohn handled production, arrangement, writing, drums, vocals, and additional instruments across the release. [9] The band followed with Mother Goose Shoes in 1978 and C.B. Radio in 1979, maintaining a focus on instrumental fusion and jazz-rock arrangements while expanding Bohn's role as central composer and multi-instrumentalist. [8] These early albums established the project's reputation in the German progressive and jazz scenes during the late 1970s. [8] After a long hiatus, Bohn revived Carsten Bohn's Bandstand in the 2000s with the Brandnew Oldies series, beginning with Vol. 1 in 2004, which featured fusion and score-oriented material recorded in Hamburg studios. [10] The series continued with Vol. 2 in 2005, Vol. 3 in 2009, and Vol. 4 in 2018, presenting new compositions that revisited and updated elements of his earlier stylistic palette in a contemporary jazz-fusion context. [8] [11] From 2006 onward, the project has included live releases and DVDs, such as the Brandnew Oldies Live! special fan-edition DVD in 2006 and concert recordings from Hamburg performances, documenting the band's ongoing activity and stage presence. [8] These later outputs highlight Bohn's continued leadership and evolution of the Bandstand concept across decades. [8]

Radio play compositions

Carsten Bohn composed 98 pieces of music for the Miller-International/Europa label between 1979 and 1983, with 75 of them actually used in productions. [12] His compositions became a significant part of German radio play soundtracks during this period, often appearing in popular youth and genre series. [13] Bohn's music was featured in major Europa series such as Die drei ???, TKKG, Fünf Freunde—where he also sang the title song—and H.G. Francis's horror series, among others. [13] As researched in 1986, his works appeared in approximately 172 Europa radio plays, encompassing over 2000 sequences. [12] These contributions were frequently credited under the pseudonym Bert Brac, created by the Miller International label, alongside other names such as Ralph Bonda and Phil Moss. [13] [12] Since 1988, Bohn has been involved in a legal dispute with BMG (later Sony BMG) over royalties and usage rights for these radio play compositions. [12] [13] The conflict led to restrictions on the use of his original recordings in re-releases, prompting the label to employ re-mixes or entirely new music in many instances. [14] In response, Bohn re-recorded selections of his earlier radio play themes with Carsten Bohn's Bandstand for the Brandnew Oldies series, starting with releases in 2004. [12] [14] His body of work for Europa later received multiple gold and platinum certifications. [13]

Film and television career

Early soundtrack contributions

Carsten Bohn's early forays into soundtrack work for visual media began in 1978 with his contributions to the film Sex Roulette, where he wrote multiple tracks including the main title "Roulette (Main Title)" as well as "In Love", "Sky Rag", "Come On, Baby", "Monte Carlo", "Elegy Dream Love", "Hey, Teeny", "Orgy Grand", and "Vivaldi Concerto". [15] [3] In 1989, he composed the music for the film Europa, abends and served as music editor on Hab' ich nur deine Liebe. [3] These initial credits marked his transition from radio play compositions into film and television scoring. His work extended to the early 2000s with contributions to the German edition of the reality series Big Brother (2000), where he performed and wrote specific cues such as "Perry Rhodan Pt.1", "Momme, der Kobold Pt. 3", "Flaggio let me be like I am Pt.2", and "Arnoldskinder reissen aus Pt. 1 (Pfeifftheme)". [3]

Television film compositions

Carsten Bohn established himself as a composer for German television films during the 2000s and 2010s, creating original scores for numerous TV movies broadcast on public channels such as ARD and ZDF.[3][16] His work in this period often involved collaborations with director Jan Ruzicka on romantic and dramatic productions.[16] Among his prominent credits are the scores for Liebe wie am ersten Tag (2005), Endlich Urlaub! (2005), Die Liebe kommt selten allein (2006), Annas Geheimnis (2008), Die Frau des Frisörs (2008), Hoffnung für Kummerow (2009), Den Tagen mehr Leben! (2010), Pilgerfahrt nach Padua (2011), and Die Fischerin (2014).[3] These compositions supported a range of TV movies produced by companies including Studio Hamburg FilmProduktion, Provobis, and Bavaria Fiction, typically aired as part of ARD Degeto or similar slots.[16] Bohn also contributed to episodic television series during this era, composing music for two episodes of the crime series Die Männer vom K3 (2000–2003) and one episode of Im Fadenkreuz (2000), while additionally serving as music editor on two episodes of the police procedural Großstadtrevier in 2003.[3]

Awards and recognition

Personal life

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