Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Suggest New Bands and Artists
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Karthago (German heavy prog or eclectic prog)
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedKarthago (German heavy prog or eclectic prog)

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
ozzy_tom View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: March 15 2006
Location: China/Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 754
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Karthago (German heavy prog or eclectic prog)
    Posted: April 20 2010 at 04:13
Karthago was a German band playin' in 70' heavy/eclectic prog with funk (!?)  influences. Their most important member was organist Ingo Bischof who later joined jazz-rock band Kraan (already on PA).
 
disography:
 
 
line-up:
 
Tommy Goldschmidt (drums, percussion, vocals), Wolfgang Brock (drums, percussion, vocals, 1971-76), Joey Albrecht (guitar, vocals), Ingo Bischof (organ, vocals), Gerald "Luciano" Hartwig (bass, vocals, percussion, 1971-74, 1976), Norbert Lehmann (drums, percussion, 1972), Konstatin Bommarius (drums), Glenn Cornick (bass, 1974-76), Rolo Rodriguez (drums, 2003-present), Chris Rodriguez (bass, 2003-present), Frank Diez (bass)
 
 
"Karthago were founded in Berlin by Joey Albrecht (originally from Hannover) and Gerald Luciano Hartwig. Since 1968 they had performed together in clubs as the duo Blues Machine. In 1970 they engaged the Bolivian percussionist Thomas Goldschmitt (mainly hand percussion) and soon landed a recording contract with BASF. Just a month before the recordings of their first album began, two additional members were added to their line-up: Ingo Bischof and Wolfgang Brock. Karthago was recorded in October 1971 at Audio Tonstudio, Berlin with Dieter Zimmermann producing and Stan Regal engineering. It was released in a spectacular, inventive and expensive six part fold-out cover with several die cuts! Certainly a lavish package, recalling the multicoloured and psychedelic Santana album designs - but actually outdoing them! Karthago's sound was graced with excellent heavy guitar work and the funky, gutsy vocals of J. Albrecht, recalling the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the heavy progressive funk band Funkadelic. The best tracks in this style were "Why Don't You Stop Buggin' Me" and "String Rambler". Others, like the catchy little instrumental "Nos Vamos", had a more distinct Latin character, very much like early Santana. In my opinion, this is a very underrated album! Few other German bands recorded music in this particular style.

More Santana-esque instrumental work was present on Second Step, recorded at Windrose Dumont Time, Hamburg, May 1973 with C. & M. Hudalla producing. This was much more of a joint group effort, balanced between jazzy keyboards, heavy guitars and South American rhythms. Most of the material was great, but I feel Ingo Bischof's compositions were a bit out of place - his songs were almost singer-songwriter type of ballads! Original drummer W. Brock had left for The Rattles in February 1973 and was replaced by Norbert "Panzer" Lehmann on this album. Then within months Lehmann departed to the heavy progressive band Epitaph. Into Karthago came Konstatin Bommarius (ex-2066 & Then, Abacus). The bass player Gerald Luciano Hartwig also left - in the Summer of 1974. His replacement was something of a sensation at the time - Glenn Cornick (ex-Jethro Tull, Wild Turkey) joined the band in October 1974.

A revamped five-piece Karthago signed with Bacillus and relocated to Oxford, England, in November 1974, where they recorded Rock'n'Roll Testament in the Chipping Norton Studios. The producer of this album was Peter Hauke, manager of the Bacillus label. About the same time, another of his German signings, Nine Days' Wonder, recorded in England, although his British signing Nektar recorded in Germany for years! Karthago's new album did quite well and many people consider it to be their best. It marked a change of style towards a smooth, well-produced rock with some minor symphonic touches. Karthago had become another purveyor of the characteristic 'Bacillus rock' - a trade mark of Peter Hauke and Dieter Dierks.

Concerts in Berlin and Hamburg in January 1976 were recorded and released as the double album Live At The Roxy (1976). As Glenn Cornick had quit the group, Gerald Hartwig was now back in action again. Albrecht, Bischof and Goldschmitt were also helped by Reinhard Bopp (ex-Hardcake Special) and Ringo Funk (ex-Atlantis, Jeronimo). This record literally became the "Karthago testament", as the group disbanded in the Spring of 1976. "
 
AUDIO CLIPS:
 
 
 
 
official website:
 
 
more info:
 
cn.last.fm/music/Karthago
 
 
www.answers.com/topic/karthago-rock-album
 
 
 
Back to Top
harmonium.ro View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: August 18 2008
Location: Anna Calvi
Status: Offline
Points: 22989
Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 27 2010 at 09:39
The sample from MySpace sounds like typical organ-driven classic rock... And the samples from the official website are even more remote to prog. 
Back to Top
ozzy_tom View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: March 15 2006
Location: China/Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 754
Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 27 2010 at 21:47
MySpace samples?  I only found amazon samples (http://www.amazon.com/Live-at-Roxy-Karthago/dp/B00000862F/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_lnk).
 
Anyway this band is considered as one of the most important German prog-rock band (as far as I know...). Maybe samples aren't so accurate, I suppose...
Back to Top
harmonium.ro View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: August 18 2008
Location: Anna Calvi
Status: Offline
Points: 22989
Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 28 2010 at 01:35
Yes, on the organist's MySpace he has a samples from each band he played in. The Karthago sample is the last one. 
Back to Top
BaldJean View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: May 28 2005
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 10387
Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 28 2010 at 02:07
I think they deserve a place in prog-related. after all, we have Ingo Bischof and Gerald Luciano Hartwig as members, who played in several important bands of Krautrock (Bischof with Kraan and Guru Guru, Hartwig with Embryo, Guru Guru and Roman Bunka). percussionist Tommy Goldschmidt guested on Guru Guru albums too


Edited by BaldJean - April 28 2010 at 02:14


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
Back to Top
Alberto Muņoz View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: July 26 2006
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 3577
Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 04 2010 at 17:27
If my memory serves right they have been rejected earlier.
 
 




Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.133 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.