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Propaganda (band)
Propaganda is a German synth-pop band formed in Düsseldorf in 1982. They signed a recording contract with the UK label ZTT Records in 1983 and released their first single "Dr. Mabuse" in 1984. Their debut studio album, the critically acclaimed A Secret Wish, was released in mid-1985, and contained both "Dr. Mabuse" and the hit single "Duel" (both singles were UK Top 30 hits). A second studio album, 1234, was recorded with a markedly different line-up and released in 1990 by Virgin Records to less success. There have been several partial reformations of the group in the 21st century, with the original vocalists Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag currently active as xPropaganda who released a new album in 2022, and the remaining original members Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens continuing as Propaganda and releasing an album in 2024 with a guest vocalist Thunder Bae.
Propaganda was formed in Düsseldorf, West Germany, in 1982, by Ralf Dörper (a member of the pioneering German industrial band Die Krupps). As a trio, with artist Andreas Thein and vocalist Susanne Freytag, the group made initial recordings in Germany which were destined for future release in the UK, where Ralf Dörper's early experimental recordings had received critical acclaim by radio DJ John Peel and journalist Chris Bohn (aka Biba Kopf). With the inclusion of classically trained musician and composer, Michael Mertens and singer Claudia Brücken (who had been in an all female band, The Topolinos, with Freytag), music journalist Paul Morley signed the band to Trevor Horn's newly formed ZTT label in 1983.
The group relocated to the United Kingdom and released the single "Dr. Mabuse", named after the fictional character made famous by filmmaker Fritz Lang. The single reached the Top 30 in the UK Singles Chart, and the Top 10 in Germany. The group appeared on various TV shows in the UK, including Channel 4's The Tube. Here, as well as performing "Dr. Mabuse", the group also gave one of its few performances of a cover version of Throbbing Gristle's song "Discipline".
Before the year was out, Thein was asked to leave the band due to musical differences. With Mertens now filling the gap left by his departure, the band forged ahead with recording its follow-up single and debut album. However both of these were to be delayed as a result of the unexpectedly huge success of ZTT's most famous signing, Frankie Goes to Hollywood. As the label was still in its infancy, ZTT was forced to spend all its limited resources on promoting and marketing Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and this also meant that Trevor Horn was not available to produce Propaganda's album. Stephen Lipson, one of Horn's established studio engineers, took his place along with Andy Richards playing keyboards, but the delay meant that Propaganda's second single, the more pop-oriented "Duel", did not surface until April 1985. Perhaps the band's most recognisable release, it was also their highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 21. The band made its single appearance on the flagship BBC music programme Top of the Pops in June of that year.
In May 1985, with Frankie Goes to Hollywood becoming tax exiles in Ireland, the band effectively headlined "The Value of Entertainment", a series of showcase gigs of ZTT signings, held at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. The shows also featured Art of Noise, Anne Pigalle, Andrew Poppy and Instinct. Propaganda were joined on stage by former Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes and ex-Japan drummer Steve Jansen.
The first week of July 1985 finally saw the release of the band's debut album, A Secret Wish. After receiving considerable critical acclaim and some commercial success, it reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was followed by another single, "p:Machinery", in August 1985, which only reached number 50 in the UK, but becoming a bigger hit in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and even being used in the hit US TV Show Miami Vice (1986 episode: The Fix). The 12-inch version of this release caused controversy (even within the group) as Paul Morley thought it was a good idea to have the sleeve feature a quote by writer J. G. Ballard, praising the activities of the German extremist group Red Army Faction. Ariola, who distributed ZTT's releases in Germany, refused to carry the 12" as a result, so the quote was changed on the German release to another by Ballard, on the aesthetic perfection of German suburbs.[citation needed]
The group spent the rest of the year on their "Outside World" tour, taking in Europe and America. They were joined once again by Derek Forbes on bass, with his fellow ex-Simple Minds colleagues Brian McGee on drums, and Kevin Armstrong on guitar, with backing tapes used for most of the keyboard parts.[citation needed] In the meantime a remix album, Wishful Thinking, was released in November 1985. Originally intended for the American club market, the album was also released in Europe, but against the wishes of the group themselves.[citation needed] The album peaked at number 82 in the UK. A remixed version of "p:Machinery" was also re-released as a single, only four months after its original release. In the UK, it too failed to make an impact and peaked at number 83, but was, again, more successful in France and Germany.[citation needed]
1986 started positively with the single "p:Machinery" gaining the number 1 chart position in Spain (for one week) and entering the Top 10 in France, but disaster was looming. In late 1985, the band's management had introduced them to the London-based music lawyer Brian Carr (of Compton Carr), who had helped to win the legal case between John Lydon (Sex Pistols/Public Image Ltd) and his management. Carr explained to the group members that under their current contracts with ZTT, they could go on making records for the rest of their lives and never make any money from them. Based on this information the band asked ZTT to renegotiate their contracts, which the company declined. Soon afterwards Claudia Brücken (who was married to ZTT's Paul Morley) left Propaganda to pursue a solo career, and remained signed to ZTT. After a protracted legal battle, which saw the remaining members of Propaganda under an injunction by ZTT for fourteen months, they were finally released from their contract to ZTT in a hurried out-of-court settlement in the summer of 1987. ZTT signed the duo Act of Brücken and Thomas Leer in 1988, but they did not match the commercial success of Propaganda despite the production of Stephen Lipson.
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Propaganda (band)
Propaganda is a German synth-pop band formed in Düsseldorf in 1982. They signed a recording contract with the UK label ZTT Records in 1983 and released their first single "Dr. Mabuse" in 1984. Their debut studio album, the critically acclaimed A Secret Wish, was released in mid-1985, and contained both "Dr. Mabuse" and the hit single "Duel" (both singles were UK Top 30 hits). A second studio album, 1234, was recorded with a markedly different line-up and released in 1990 by Virgin Records to less success. There have been several partial reformations of the group in the 21st century, with the original vocalists Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag currently active as xPropaganda who released a new album in 2022, and the remaining original members Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens continuing as Propaganda and releasing an album in 2024 with a guest vocalist Thunder Bae.
Propaganda was formed in Düsseldorf, West Germany, in 1982, by Ralf Dörper (a member of the pioneering German industrial band Die Krupps). As a trio, with artist Andreas Thein and vocalist Susanne Freytag, the group made initial recordings in Germany which were destined for future release in the UK, where Ralf Dörper's early experimental recordings had received critical acclaim by radio DJ John Peel and journalist Chris Bohn (aka Biba Kopf). With the inclusion of classically trained musician and composer, Michael Mertens and singer Claudia Brücken (who had been in an all female band, The Topolinos, with Freytag), music journalist Paul Morley signed the band to Trevor Horn's newly formed ZTT label in 1983.
The group relocated to the United Kingdom and released the single "Dr. Mabuse", named after the fictional character made famous by filmmaker Fritz Lang. The single reached the Top 30 in the UK Singles Chart, and the Top 10 in Germany. The group appeared on various TV shows in the UK, including Channel 4's The Tube. Here, as well as performing "Dr. Mabuse", the group also gave one of its few performances of a cover version of Throbbing Gristle's song "Discipline".
Before the year was out, Thein was asked to leave the band due to musical differences. With Mertens now filling the gap left by his departure, the band forged ahead with recording its follow-up single and debut album. However both of these were to be delayed as a result of the unexpectedly huge success of ZTT's most famous signing, Frankie Goes to Hollywood. As the label was still in its infancy, ZTT was forced to spend all its limited resources on promoting and marketing Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and this also meant that Trevor Horn was not available to produce Propaganda's album. Stephen Lipson, one of Horn's established studio engineers, took his place along with Andy Richards playing keyboards, but the delay meant that Propaganda's second single, the more pop-oriented "Duel", did not surface until April 1985. Perhaps the band's most recognisable release, it was also their highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 21. The band made its single appearance on the flagship BBC music programme Top of the Pops in June of that year.
In May 1985, with Frankie Goes to Hollywood becoming tax exiles in Ireland, the band effectively headlined "The Value of Entertainment", a series of showcase gigs of ZTT signings, held at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. The shows also featured Art of Noise, Anne Pigalle, Andrew Poppy and Instinct. Propaganda were joined on stage by former Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes and ex-Japan drummer Steve Jansen.
The first week of July 1985 finally saw the release of the band's debut album, A Secret Wish. After receiving considerable critical acclaim and some commercial success, it reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was followed by another single, "p:Machinery", in August 1985, which only reached number 50 in the UK, but becoming a bigger hit in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and even being used in the hit US TV Show Miami Vice (1986 episode: The Fix). The 12-inch version of this release caused controversy (even within the group) as Paul Morley thought it was a good idea to have the sleeve feature a quote by writer J. G. Ballard, praising the activities of the German extremist group Red Army Faction. Ariola, who distributed ZTT's releases in Germany, refused to carry the 12" as a result, so the quote was changed on the German release to another by Ballard, on the aesthetic perfection of German suburbs.[citation needed]
The group spent the rest of the year on their "Outside World" tour, taking in Europe and America. They were joined once again by Derek Forbes on bass, with his fellow ex-Simple Minds colleagues Brian McGee on drums, and Kevin Armstrong on guitar, with backing tapes used for most of the keyboard parts.[citation needed] In the meantime a remix album, Wishful Thinking, was released in November 1985. Originally intended for the American club market, the album was also released in Europe, but against the wishes of the group themselves.[citation needed] The album peaked at number 82 in the UK. A remixed version of "p:Machinery" was also re-released as a single, only four months after its original release. In the UK, it too failed to make an impact and peaked at number 83, but was, again, more successful in France and Germany.[citation needed]
1986 started positively with the single "p:Machinery" gaining the number 1 chart position in Spain (for one week) and entering the Top 10 in France, but disaster was looming. In late 1985, the band's management had introduced them to the London-based music lawyer Brian Carr (of Compton Carr), who had helped to win the legal case between John Lydon (Sex Pistols/Public Image Ltd) and his management. Carr explained to the group members that under their current contracts with ZTT, they could go on making records for the rest of their lives and never make any money from them. Based on this information the band asked ZTT to renegotiate their contracts, which the company declined. Soon afterwards Claudia Brücken (who was married to ZTT's Paul Morley) left Propaganda to pursue a solo career, and remained signed to ZTT. After a protracted legal battle, which saw the remaining members of Propaganda under an injunction by ZTT for fourteen months, they were finally released from their contract to ZTT in a hurried out-of-court settlement in the summer of 1987. ZTT signed the duo Act of Brücken and Thomas Leer in 1988, but they did not match the commercial success of Propaganda despite the production of Stephen Lipson.
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