Erna Schmidt - Live '69-'71 (2000)
01. Erna Schmidt (7:20)
02. Weiss Gott (3:57)
03. Pass - weites Luftmeer (5:00)
04. Woischwiemoin (5:25)
05. La Folle D'Espagne (7:02)
06. Kleines Idyll (4:51)
07. Rulaman (6:44)
08. Ein Tag Aus Dem Leben Des Menschen P. (9:25)
09. Reif Fur Die Insel (5:31)
10. See Ya (3:50)
ERNA SCHMIDT
Erna Schmidt? Who is Erna Schmidt? Rock'n'Roll has come of age but is still crazy enough to write stories like this one.
In early 1998, Gerhard Taufer, a Krautrock fan from Nurimberg, called Wolfgang Mathias after having spent a lot of
time trying to get hold of his phone number. He wanted to know if Wolfgang had once been a member of Erna Schmidt
and if he still had tapes of that group. Wolfgang didn't, but he remembered that an old friend of his,
Gunther Nubertm had recorded a lot of the band's gigs at the time and that he was still in possession of
an incredible 20 hours of live music of the band.
All band members involved eventually agreed to publishing a CD on the Garden of Delights label.
R & B Corporation was formed in Schwabisch Gmund near Stuttgart in 1963 or 64.
They were playing so-called beat music. In early 1965, a lanky guy, Hubert Stutz, joined the band,
using his Fender guitar to open up the road towards blues rock.
Although the majority of the audience were interested in dancing to Bee Gees and Beatles music,
R & B Corporation adopted distored guitar sounds to open new frontiers of improvisation.
Soon they became known in southern Germany.
In 1967, Walter Laible joined the band. Occasionally, a brass section with Dieter Seelow and Gunther Reger
took part in sessions. Furthermore, R & B Corporation played support to famous bands such as Alexis Corner
or Procol Harum.
The time was ripe for a change of the band's name to Erna Schmidt. The name was funny and quite fitting
for the new upcoming Krautrock movement. Musical progress was made as well, with the band concentrating on
writing its own music and lyrics. Hartmut Mau, part of a circle of musicians around Hellmut Hattler,
who were about to found Kraan, also joined the band.
As if by miracle, the band got into contact with Count of Metternich, who offered them his country mansion Wintrup
as a domicile. The road towards a professional career seemed to be open, and the first TV appearance came
in the spring of 1971 in "Talentschuppen", a very important gig on ARD, Germany's first TV channel.
Professional studio recordings for "Pop Shop" followed, a programme produced by the regional network
Sudwestfunk Baden-Baden. Gigs all over Germany, including Berlin's legendary Quartier Latin,
were the result of the band's success.
Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser of the Ohr label offered the band their first recording contract- it was never performed.
Hartmut Mau didn't want to become a professional musician and left the band, dozens of flute players were auditioned,
but nobody met their expectations and things fell apart. Gradually, doubts about their musical concept
began to increase.
Erna Schmidt disbanded in the spring of 1972.
REVIEW
Erna Schmidt, "Live 69-71" (Garden of Delights)
Cyberhome: http://www.ernaschmidt.com/
On paper, this doesn't seem like the kind of album that would appeal to me: late sixties / early seventies psychedelic blues-rock rock played by a quartet of completely stoned German youths - with long guitar solos. Perhaps it shouldn't really be this fun to listen to, but this disc has a unique charm all its own, and somehow manages to elevate itself above the (for me at least) abysmally boring stuff that normally comes from this genre. A few words about the band - Erna Schmidt formed in Germany in the mid-sixties, and went through more personnel changes than any band should. This recording somehow consists of a static quartet of 4 musicians, guitarist Hubert Stutz, bassist Walter Laible, wind man Hartmut Mau, and drummer Wolfgang Mathias. The 10 "songs" on this album were, of course, recorded live and seem to be mostly or completely improvised. The pieces themself are about what one would expect - distortian-heavy onslaughts of powerful, rocking psychedelic craziness. To their credit, Schmidt spice things up dynamically and occasionally lay into more subdued sections. Although there are guitar solos aplenty (and generally pretty good ones), the saving grace of the band is the flute of Mau - the timbral and stylistic shift of his playing keeps things fresh instead of running the songs completely into the group through hour after hour of guitar solos. Whichever instrument is in the spotlight, the others do a good job of supporting it - Laible's bass seems especially whimsical and fluid in the background and Mathias drums (really cheap-sounding, as German bands of this ilk always seem to have) often give the music a charmingly sloppy intensity, but he plays a good groove when the time comes as well. I don't know if anyone else will really enjoy this album, but who knows - if it worked for me, it may work for you. Even if this kind of music isn't up your alley, you should check Erna Schmidt out. ~Jon Dhamra Murphree
EER Editor's note: My listen to this CD transported me back into an era of ancient jams, loosely organized open-air concerts, and that elusive Woodstockian hubris -- and the axework is strong and wide open.
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Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, October 2001
This release by Erna Schmidt, on the Garden Of Delights label, represents the first and only release from the band, recorded live over the years 1968 - 1971 (though mostly from 1970). The band broke up on the cusp of recording their first album. They were first known as R & B Corporation, forming in 1963. In 1965, guitarist Hubert Stutz joined the band. With the departure of two members, Manfred Gartner and Lutz Baumann (both guitarists), the bands musical direction moved toward Hendrix, in part owing to Stutz own direction. At one time the band was a sextet, with a second drummer (Rolf Schiegl), pianist/flautist (Sam Drake), and an organist (Romi Schickle). And, on occasion, a brass section comprising Dieter Seelow and Gunther Reger would join in, as would Peter Mayer on vibraphone. The line up for most of this set is: Hubert Stutz on guitar; Hartmut Mau on flute, sax, oboe and ocarina; Walter Laible on bass, and Wolfgang Mathias on drums and percussion. As you might expect, the extensive liner notes detail the history of the band, plus there are several pictures of the band. The sound quality on this disk is so clear that one only realizes that it is a live recording when the audience applauds. The pieces on this live document are part composition, part improv, but everything meshes so well, it's hard to tell.
Hubert Stutz plays some fantastic, taut, bluesy leads, making this an air-guitarists delight. His style does owe a lot to Hendrix, but not only Hendrix, as I think of Eric Clapton at times at well. As Cream is mentioned as an "example" to follow, this is not surprising. There are so many great moments here -- the high energy of "Ein Tag Aus Dem Leben Des Menschen P," for example. A hard blues rocker where Stutz just lets loose... as does drummer Wolfgang Mathias, who gets to solo about two-thirds of the way in. "Rulaman" which is a foot-tapper -- nay, a foot-dancer -- with Middle Eastern phrasing. The Led Zeppelin-esque "La Folle D'Espagne." "Erna Schmidt" is a signature piece that hints at all the directions the band will be taking with the rest of the tracks, including both rock and pastoral passages, giving focus to guitars and flutes, without overshadowing the contributions by bass and drums. This track itself builds and builds into a flurry of hard driving sound. "Woischwiemoin" is another standout track, a slow, bluesy number.
There were moments on this release where I also thought of The Guess Who, The Beatles, and Jethro Tull, though with the latter, I have to admit it was mainly due to the flute playing of Hartmut Mau (on "La Folle D'Espange"). "Kleines Idyll" begins with Mau on flute, creating a very pastoral setting; this made me think of The Guess Who's "Share The Land," but this quickly goes off into a different direction. A quickly paced wah-wahed guitar workout, with flute just audible in the background, concluding in a manner that hints at "Strawberry Fields," though I don't think this is deliberate, as the The Guess Whoness of it also remains. Mau's flute is very sweet, and very clear.
Erna Schmidt had the stuff, that's for sure. This album is proof of that. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this, and recommend it not only to Krautrock fans, but also to fans of music in general.
More about Live '69 - '71:
Track Listing: Erna Schmidt (7:20) / Weiss Gott (3:57) / Pass - weites Luftmeer (5:00) / Woischwiemoin (5:25) / La Folle D'Espagne (7:02) / Kleines Idyll (4:51) / Rulaman (6:44) / Ein Tag Aus Dem Leben Des Menschen P. (9:25) / Reif Fur Die Insel (5:31) / See Ya (3:50)
Musicians:
Hubert Stutz - guitar
Hartmut Mau - flute, sax, oboe and ocarina
Walter Laible - bass
Wolfgang Mathias - drums and percussion
Contact:
Garden Of Delights
108 Scott Hall
1090 Carmack Rd.
Columbus, OH 43210-1002
USA
Henderson.120@osu.edu
Website: www.aural-innovations.com/god/main.html
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