The story of the Nina Hagen Band

Nina Hagen Band – 1978

Introduction

On November 20, 1978, the debut album by the Nina Hagen Band entered the German charts for the first time. A great motive for the story of the band responsible for presenting the phenomenon, that is Nina Hagen, to the world.

Nina Hagen

Catharina “Nina” Hagen was born on March 11, 1955, in East-Berlin, East-Germany. Her parents were Hans Oliva-Hagen (scriptwriter) and Eva-Maria Hagen (actress and singer, sometimes called the Brigitte Bardot of East-Germany). When Nina was 2 years old, her parents divorced. When she was 4 she entered ballet and at the early age of 9 years she was seen as a major opera prodigy.

Nina Hagen & Automobil – Du Hast Den Farbfilm Vergessen

In 1966 Nina’s mother started a relationship with singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann, who was a major opponent of the East-German regime. In 1973 Nina joined the German band Automobil and her star started rising quickly. The song Du Hast Den Farbfilm Vergessen (“you forgot the color film”) became a hit. The song’s hidden message didn’t get picked up by the authorities. It made fun of the sterile, grey, communist state. Her career blossomed until 1976.

Nina’s stepfather Biermann was granted access to West-Germany to perform his songs, but upon returning home he was denied access to East-Germany. What happened next is not entirely clear, but the story goes that Nina Hagen claimed to be Biermann’s daughter and she wanted to be with her father in West-Germany. She threatened to be just as unyielding as her ‘father’. Both mother and daughter Hagen were allowed to leave East-Germany.

Nina Hagen Band (the band)

Nina Hagen left for England where she wrote the song Pank with Ari Up (The Slits) and got in touch with new music, like punk and reggae. Back in West-Germany Hagen set up shop in the Kreuzberg area of West-Berlin, where she formed the Nina Hagen Band mid-way 1977. In November the band signed a deal with CBS.

Nina Hagen Band – Nina Hagen Band

Nina Hagen Band (the album)

On November 20, 1978, the debut album by the Nina Hagen Band, simply titled Nina Hagen Band, appeared in the German charts for the first time. The exact release date is unknown. February 11, 1978, is named in a number of online publications, but that’s wrong. September is named in articles appearing in 1978, which is also wrong. Given the press attention for Nina Hagen it’s highly probable that the album hit the charts upon release, so I stick with the week before November 20th, which could have been (Tuesday) the 14th or (Thursday) the 16th of November, 1978.

Most of the songs were already written by Nina Hagen in East-Germany. The first single was a cover of White Punks On Dope, a song by the theatrical rock band The Tubes, which Hagen renamed to TV-Glotzer. But the band gained true fame with the singles. Naturträne combines rock and opera in a way that had never been done before (or since) and it’s magical. Unbeschreiblich Weiblich was hailed as a feminist manifest:

Ich war schwanger
Mir ging’s zum Kotzen
Ich wollt’s nicht haben, musste gar nicht erst nach fragen
Ick fress’ Tabletten
Und überhaupt, Mann
Ich schaff’ mir keine kleinen Kinder an

Nein, nein, nein
Warum soll ich meine Pflicht als Frau erfüll’n?
Für wen?
Für die?
Für dich?
Für mich?
Ich hab’ keine Lust, meine Pflicht zu erfüll’n
Für dich nicht
Für mich nicht
Ich hab’ keine Pflicht!

© 1978 Nina Hagen

Both Naturträne and Unbeschreiblich Weiblich can be seen in the videos accompanying this article.

Nina Hagen is equally outspoken in other songs: “Ob blond / Ob schwarz / Ob braun / Ich liebe alle Frau’n”, sure in and convinced of her own sexuality: “Ich bin heiß! / Mir ist heiß! / Ach warum sind denn nicht alle so heiß?”, her role as the devil who operatic-like repeats “Gott ist tot / The Lord ist fort” like it’s a mantra, and in the last song when she leaves her ‘lover’: “Ich bin nicht deine Fickmaschine / Spritz, spritz / Das is’n Witz / Schätzchen, wir müssen auseinander geh’n / Tschau, tschau / Du alte Sau”.

But the ultimate go-to song here is Naturträne, lyrically a sincere declaration of love to nature. A short introduction leads to an impressive pro-longed outro, in which Hagen uses her vocal acrobatics to full advantage. It’s moving, time and time again.

Review

With Nina Hagen Band Nina Hagen set the bar ludicrously high for the rest of her career. It’s an almost flawless album. German rock that was well produced, a fine band and Nina Hagen’s expressive voice and singing. The album and her behavior earned her the title “The Godmother of German Punk”, even though the music itself doesn’t have much to with that genre.

The end-result is widely regarded as a highlight in German (pop)music; a true classic. It’s almost impossible to believe this a is debut album.

Nina Hagen Band – Nina Hagen Band – Singles

Singles

The album produced four singles, of which the last two reached the charts outside of Germany as well.

• TV-Glotzer (released in 1978)
• Auf’m Bahnhof Zoo (released in 1978)
• Naturträne (released in 1979)
• Unbeschreiblich Weiblich (released in 1979)

Songs

All songs written by Nina Hagen, many of which with help from others (between brackets).

• TV-Glotzer (White Punks On Dope) (Michael Evans, Bill Spooner, Roger Steen)
• Rangehn (Bernhard Potschka)
• Unbeschreiblich Weiblich (Manfred Praeker)
• Auf’m Bahnhof Zoo (Manfred Praeker, Reinhold Heil)
• Naturträne
• Superboy (Herwig Mitteregger)
• Heiss (Reinhold Heil, Herwig Mitteregger, Bernhard Potschka, Manfred Praeker)
• Fisch Im Wasser
• Auf’m Friedhof (Herwig Mitteregger, Bernhard Potschka)
• Der Spinner (Herwig Mitteregger)
• Pank (Arianne Forster)

Nina Hagen Band – Nina Hagen Band – Inlay

Musicians

• Nina Hagen – vocals
• Reinhold Heil – keyboards
• Herwig Mitteregger – drums, vibraphone
• Bernhard Potschka – guitar, vocals
• Manfred Praeker – bass, vocals

Promotion

Promotion for the Nina Hagen Band album took place from late 1978 all the way through 1979, starting with a European tour. Part of the tour was a performance for the German music show RockPalast, which was recorded on December 9, 1978, at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, West-Germany. The recording was broadcast in 1979 and released on DVD in 2012.

Nina Hagen – Club 2 08/09/1979

Without her band, Nina Hagen was a popular guest in television programs and talk shows. She often provided excitement and spectacle. As was the case when she guested the Austrian Club 2 on August 9, 1979. She demonstrated, clothed yet explicitly, a number of masturbation techniques and poses and had heated debates with other guests. After the broadcast, the show’s host was forced to resign.

But there was trouble as well. During the promotional tour it quickly became apparent that the combination of the musicians and Nina Hagen wasn’t fruitful anymore; there were frequent fights. It became so serious that the next album was recorded separately.

Nina Hagen Band – Unbehagen

Unbehagen

Approximately one year after the debut the successor was released in November 1979. The title said it all really, Unbehagen, which translates into uneasiness. That could most certainly be applied to the way the album came about. Nina Hagen had decided to leave the Nina Hagen Band, but was legally required to make a second album. The solution? The band recorded the music in Berlin and Nina Hagen, who had left for the US, recorded her vocals in Los Angeles.

Review

As stated before, Nina Hagen Band had set the bar very high. If the real fire is missing to record the follow-up, an album like Unbehagen is the predictable outcome. Which doesn’t mean there is nothing here to enjoy. The single African Reggae is superb, but the album does contain songs that are flat-out cringeworthy. Unfortunately, Unbehagen never reached the same level as its predecessor.

Nina Hagen Band – Unbehagen – Singles

Singles

The album produced three singles.

• African Reggae (released in 1979)
• Herrmann Hiess Er (released in 1979)
• Auf’m Rummel (released in 1980)

Songs

Composers between brackets.

• African Reggae (Nina Hagen, Reinhold Heil, Bernhard Potschka)
• Alptraum (Nina Hagen, Herwig Mitteregger)
• Wie Leben Immer… Noch (Lucky Number) (Nina Hagen, Lene Lovich, Les Chappell)
• Wenn Ich Ein Junge Wär” (Live-Version) (Heinz Buchholz, Rudolf-Günter Loose)
• Herrmann Hiess Er (Nina Hagen, Manfred Praeker)
• Auf’m Rummel (Nina Hagen, Bernhard Potschka)
• Wau Wau (Nina Hagen, Rienhold Heil, Herwig Mitteregger, Bernhard Potschka, Manfred Praeker)
• Fall In Love Mit Mir (Nina Hagen, Reinhold Heil, Herwig Mitteregger, Bernhard Potschka, Manfred Praeker)
• No Way (Reinhold Heil, Herwig Mitteregger, Bernhard Potschka, Manfred Praeker)

Musicians

• Nina Hagen – vocals
• Bernhard Potschka – guitar
• Reinhold Heil – keyboards, bass synthesiser on No Way
• Manfred Praeker – bass, guitar on No Way
• Herwig Mitteregger – drums, percussion

Marriage Herman Brood & Nina Hagen (Cha Cha)

Cha Cha

One month after the release of Unbehagen the soundtrack to the Dutch film Cha Cha was released, on which Nina Hagen sings on a number of songs. The movie tells the tale of Dutch rock icon Herman Brood. Nina Hagen also plays a part in the movie: in one of the scenes she marries Herman Brood, leading to much speculation in the Dutch press whether it was a real marriage or not.

Nina Hagen Band – Nina Hagen Band (EP)

Implosion of the Nina Hagen Band

A planned European tour was canceled. The musicians of the Nina Hagen Band would go on as Spliff and release a number of albums, which were popular in Germany. Nina Hagen moved to the US. In 1980 the limited edition 10″ EP Nina Hagen Band was released in the US. The release contained a short biography on its backside:

Over The Wall and into your arms. Nina Hagen from East Germany to you.

Nina Hagen, whose albums sell in golden proportions throughout Europe and are successful as imports here in the U.S.A.

Nina Hagen, whose albums are not available in countries where Truth is suppressed.

Nina Hagen, whose voice will thrill you, or else.

Nina Hagen, who grew up like many of us: Divorced parents, Janis Joplin records, a dishonorable discharge from her youth organization…

Nina Hagen. She just dresses different.

“Things went fine,” says Nina, “up until the start of school, the world was still okay.”

© 1980 Nina Hagen Band (EP)

Nina Hagen and daughter 1982

Late 1980 Nina Hagen turned out to be pregnant by her (ex-)boyfriend, the Dutch guitarist Ferdinand Karmelk. On June 17, 1981, Nina Hagen gave birth to her daughter Cosma Shiva Hagen. In 1982 Hagen released her first solo album, NunSexMonkRock, followed by a world tour with the No Problem Orchestra. This time as well, her debut album (as a solo artists) turned out to be her best album.

Many albums would follow:

• Angstlos (1983)
• In Ekstase (1985)
• Nina Hagen (1989)
• Street (1991)
• Revolution Ballroom (1993)
• FreuD Euch (1995)
• Om Namah Shivay (1999)
• Return Of The Mother (2000)
• Big Band Explosion (2003)
• Irgendwo Auf Der Welt (2006)
• Personal Jesus (2010)
• Volksbeat (2011)
• Unity (2022)

In 1989 Nina Hagen Band and Unbehagen were released as a double-cd package, a great occasion for me to purchase both albums in a digital format. In 1990 Hagen gave birth to a son, Otis Chevalier-Hagen. Nina continued to be an in-demand guest at talk shows, even though her behavior became increasingly eccentric, in particular by her (religious) convictions. Subjects like God, UFOs, animal rights, vivisection, denial that HIV causes AIDS, protest against the Iraq war, vegetarianism and her baptism in the Reformed church were all discussed openly.

Much to Hagen’s surprise her debut song Du Hast Den Farbfilm Vergessen was chosen by Angela Merkel as one of the three songs she wanted played at her goodbye as German chancellor in December 2021.

Nina Hagen – 1980

Work high school

During my search for this article I stumbled upon the picture shown above. It conjured up a memory, I had totally forgotten about. In 1980/1981 I was in the third grade. We had gotten an assignment to make a cast of our faces in order to create a mask. The mask had to be adorned with clippings that expressed something about yourself or what you thought to be important or nice. Next to many clippings, I also used the photo of Nina Hagen. The cause was twofold: Nina Hagen represented music and the contradiction between East- and West-Europe, the flag represented the Cold War, which was at one of its many peeks at the time, and the fear of the bomb.

In closing

What’s your opinion on the Nina Hagen Band and both of the albums they released? Let me know!

Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: The story of the Nina Hagen Band. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.