Polish Bands in the GDR

In 2007 appeared a comprehensive collection entitled “60 Years AMIGA”. One of the three CDs in volume 10 contains the “Red Guitars” album “The Major Successes”. The other two CDs featured two other Polish stars in the GDR: Maryla Rodowicz and “The Skalds” (polnisch: Skaldowie).

“Maryla Rodowicz” was the title of the LP issued in 1974 by AMIGA featuring the Polish singer Maryla Rodowicz. The album contained her greatest hits and catchy tunes, even sung in German, including “Maria” (Małgośka) and “Run, my Horses” (Wio koniku). In the same year she was awarded the prize for the best foreign artist by the GDR Ministry of Culture. Like the “Red Guitars” Maryla Rodowicz was also an extremely popular guest on East German television. Her shows were always sell-outs and she still has many German fans today.

“The Skalds” also released their first German album at the start of the 1970s. In 1971 AMIGA brought out their LP with German songs and a Polish title “Skaldowie Kraków”. This contained many of the bands hits including “The Postman is Coming” (Medytacje wiejskiego listonosza) and “So many Trains are Arriving” (Na wszystkich dworcach świata). The band recorded many singles for AMIGA. The GDR label published quite a few of them on several samplers. In 2008 the CD “The Greatest Successes” appeared on the AMIGA label with a selection of songs by “The Skalds”. Under this name the CD also appeared in the collection “60 Years AMIGA” (Vol. 10): it can still be bought separately. In this connection it is interesting to note that other albums appeared in Poland including in 2001,“Karlstad - Live 1975” (Label: Koch Poland), in 2012, “Live in Germany 1974” (Label: Kameleon) and in 2013 “Live in Germany 1972” (Label: Kameleon), all of which are still regarded as milestones in European rock music:. The last two concerts were recorded by WDR in Cologne thanks to the studio editor Hilmar Bachor. The same goes for the live recordings in Göttingen (1977), Frankfurt (1977), Neckargemünd (1978), Cologne (1979) and Marburg (1980), that were later published on Polish labels, thus proving that the band was not only popular in the GDR but also in the West.

Another Polish musician achieved fame in both West and East Germany in the 70s and 80s. This was Czesław Niemen. In 1973 his recordings appeared almost simultaneously in the GDR (“Niemen” / AMIGA) and in the FRG (“Russische Lieder” / CBS). There followed many concerts in Western Europe, in the FRG and GDR (here too “DT- 64 Konzerte”) as well as appearances at the “Festival of Political Song”. Between 1971 and 1973 Czesław Niemen worked with the Polish rock band SBB (Silesian Blues Band, later also known as “Szukaj, Burz, Buduj” (Search, Break & Build”) around the great musician Józef Skrzek. This band also released recordings in both parts of Germany: “SBB” (1977 / AMIGA / DDR), “Follow My Dream” (1978 / Spiegelei / Intercord / BRD), “Slovenians Girls” (1979 / Omnibus / Arcum / BRD), and “Welcome” (1979 / Spiegelei / Intercord / BRD).

Adam Gusowski, February 2016

Brief information:

CZERWONE GITARY / ROTE GITARREN /RED GUITARS

Founded: 1965

Musicians in the first lineup: Jerzy Kossela, Krzysztof Klenczon, Henryk Zomerski, Bernard Dornowski, Jerzy Skrzypczyk. Henryk Zomerski left in 1965 and was replaced by Seweryn Krajewski.

Diskography (Selection):
 

1966 – To właśnie my (Pronit)

1967 – Czerwone Gitary (2) (Polskie Nagrania Muza)

1968 – Czerwone Gitary (3) (Polskie Nagrania Muza)

1970 – Na fujarce (Polskie Nagrania Muza)

1971 – Spokój serca (Polskie Nagrania Muza)

1971 – Consuela (AMIGA / DDR)

1974 – Rytm Ziemi (Polskie Nagrania Muza)

1976 – Dzień jeden w roku (Polskie Nagrania Muza)

1977 – Port piratów (Polskie Nagrania Muza)

1978 – Rote Gitarren (AMIGA / DDR)

1991 - Czerwone Gitary (1) (Alcom)

1991 - Czerwone Gitary (2) (Alcom)

1994 - Ballady (Digiton)

1995 - Koniec (Tra-la-la)

1996 - The best of (Wodini/BuschFunk / BRD)

1999 – ...jeszcze gra muzyka (Rubicon)

2005 – O.K. (EMI)

2009 – Herz verschenkt (BRD)