falco
Falco was the most internationally successful pop artist ever to come out of Austria, best known for his 1986 chart-topping hit “Rock Me Amadeus.” [1]
Johann (Hans) H?lzel (February 19, 1957 ‘ February 6, 1998), better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian rap, pop and rock musician and had four #1 Hits - “Der Kommissar “, “Rock Me Amadeus “, “Jeanny ” and “Coming Home (Jeanny Part 2)”. [2]
Born Johann Holzel in Vienna on February 19, 1957, he was a classically trained child prodigy, but after graduating from the Vienna Conservatoire, he relocated to West Berlin and began fronting a jazz-rock band. [1]
With Drahdiwaberl he wrote and performed the song “Ganz Wien,” which he would also include on his debut solo album, Einzelhaft. [2]
Falco began his solo career in 1982 with the LP Einzelhaft; his “Der Kommissar,” which fused techno-pop with rapped German lyrics, became a major European hit and a club favorite in the U.S., with a cover version by the group After the Fire reaching the Top Five in 1983. [3]
Falco’s first hit was “Der Kommissar “, from the 1982 album Einzelhaft. [...] A German language song about drug consumption that combines rap verses with a sung chorus, Falco’s record was a number-one success in many countries but failed to break big in the U.S. The song, however, would prove to have a life of its own in two English-language versions. [...] When he returned to Vienna he was calling himself “Falco,” reportedly in tribute to the East German skier Falko Wei?pflog, and playing in the Austrian bands Spinning Wheel and Hallucination Company. [...] Born in Vienna, studying at the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977 which he left after one semester to become a real musician, he lived for a short time in West Berlin, singing in a jazz-rock band. [...] Falco recorded “Rock Me Amadeus ” inspired in part by the Oscar -winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986. [2]
Rechristening himself Falco in honor of the German skier Falko Weissflog, he returned to Vienna in time to play bass on the punk outfit Drahdiwaberl’s 1979 album Psycho Today, penning their best-known song, “Ganz Wein.” [3]
While 1984’s Junge Roemer attracted little attention, in 1986 Falco issued Falco 3, highlighted by the single “Rock Me Amadeus,” a campy blend of classical music and synth pop which topped both the American and British charts. [1]
In 1986, the album Emotional was released, produced by Rob and Ferdi Bolland (Bolland & Bolland). [...] British Rock band After the Fire recorded an English cover version, loosely based on Falco’s lyrics and also called “Der Kommissar” (with “uh-oh” and “alles klar Herr Kommissar” the only other lyrics held over from the original). [2]
The follow-up, “Jeanny,” was banned outright by radio as a result of its theme of prostitution, but nevertheless went on to top the German charts. [3]
Sources:
[1] Falco: Information from Answers.com
[2] Falco (musician) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[3] Falco | Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates, Ringtones, and Lyrics | MTV