Bernd Begemann

Bernd Begemann
Bernd Begemann 2010
Background information
Born	1963, Bad Salzuflen, Germany
Years active	1980s–present
Labels	Grand Hotel van Cleef
Associated acts	Die Antwort, Die Befreiung
Website	bernd-begemann.de

Bernd Begemann (far right) and band Die Befreiung, Oct. 2007

Bernd Begemann (second from left) and band Die Befreiung, 2005

Bernd Begemann is a contemporary German alt/pop singer-songwriter linked to the Hamburger Schule.

Biography

Begemann's biological parents were probably a man from Turkey and a woman from Germany, although Begemann admits he does not know. In 1963 he was adopted by Margot and Bernhard Begemann at the fragile age of six months. By the end of the 1970s, in his hometown of Bad Salzuflen (in East Westphalia, Germany) he had become a 15 year old punk. His first band, founded in 1979, was a punk rock band with the "real rebel name", "Vatikan". The members of this band were Bernd Begemann, Frank Jacobs (later in the band "Out of Order" and "Time Twisters") and Martin Stammeier (later, the drummer of many heavy metal bands^{[citation needed]}).

From the middle to the end of the 1980s he was part of the Pop-music label "Fast Weltweit" (almost world wide). It was found by Michael Girke, Achim Knorr, Andreas Henning, Frank Spilker (Die Sterne) and Frank Werner. They released singles and cassette tape samplers, such as Jochen Distelmeyer's (later in the band Blumfeld) "Bienenjäger" with Thomas Wenzel (now in Die Goldenen Zitronen and Die Sterne) and the very first Die Sterne single. Even with his connection to "Fast Weltweit", Bernd never released any records with them.

When he was 20, Begemann moved to Hamburg to later create the band known as Die Antwort^[1] (engl.: The Answer). With Die Antwort, Begemann would finally be able to do the music he's always desired. This made the "Hamburg-Ostwestfalen-Verbindung" (the Hamburg-East-Westphalian Connection).

1988 was the year that it finally happened: Die Antwort released its first CD. Produced for 150,000 german marks (by RCA), the CD (called "1987") flopped because, according to some people, the band's "image was too hard for their soft sound". Eventually, Die Antwort broke up as a band.

With respect to his musical attitude, Begemann said: "I only make music because nobody can speak for me. I'm the only one who can. That's why being punk doesn't just mean drinking cheap beer and puking on the sidewalk." ^[1]

Discography

Bernd Begemann and Die Befreiung

Albums

• Unsere Liebe ist ein Aufstand (2004)
• Glanz (2008)
• Ich erkläre diese Krise für beendet (2009)

Singles

• Ich habe nichts erreicht ausser dir (2004)

Bernd Begemann and Dirk Darmstaedter

Albums

• So geht das jede Nacht (2010)
• This Road Doesn't Lead to My House Anymore (2003)

Bernd Begemann

Albums

• Ich werde sie finden (2006)
• Endlich (2003)
• Live (2001)
• Sag Hallo zur Hölle (2000)
• Jetzt bist du in Talkshows Album (1996)
• Sexy Sadie (1996)
• Solange die Rasenmäher singen (1994)
• Rezession, Baby! (1993)

Singles

• Bis Du den richtigen triffst - nimm mich (2003)
• Zweimal zweite Wahl (1996)
• Viel zu glücklich (um es lange zu bleiben) (1994)

Vinyl

• Rezession, Baby! 7", (1993)

Die Antwort

Albums

• Die Antwort (1998)
• Eine einfache Lösung Album (1997)
• Hier Album (1992)
• No.1 (1991)
• 1987 (1987)

Singles

• Ein Abschied zuviel (1998)
• Ich habe mich rasiert (1998)
• Was macht Miss Juni im Dezember (1992)
• Oh ja / Oh Nein (1992)
• Meine Jahre mit Elisabeth Taylor (1990)
• Sie haben alles verkauft (1990)
• Wann Wann Wann (1987)
• Unten am Hafen (1987)

Vinyl

• Morgen tut es Dir leid 7", (1990)

Notes

1. ^ Leggett, Steve. "Biography: Bernd Begemann". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p748910/biography. Retrieved 26 April 2010. 

1. ^ BB: "Ich mache nur Musik, weil niemand für mich sprechen kann. Das kann nur ich selbst tun! Punk heißt nämlich gar nicht Dosenbier trinken und in die Fußgängerzone kotzen." (PlayGirl 2/97)

External links

• Bernd Begemann Website
• Literature by and about Bernd Begemann in the German National Library catalogue

Persondata
Name	Begemann, Bernd
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1963
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death