Embedded Files
(Hamburg, 1977-1978; + revivals in USA, CH, BE)
Erik Ludwig (voc, g),
Robert "Bob" Jackowski (voc, g)
Gregor (voc, g, harmonica)
We met in a student dorm in Haburg, Germany, late 1977. What we had in common: being able to play most Beatles songs.
Without being aware of it, we became perhaps one of the first “unplugged” cover bands, as - with one exception - we only played “acoustic Beatles” , with three-part harmony where appropriate and the with the proper “exotic” touch, as Bob and Erik were US-Americans.
We started out as street buskers (the name of the band was derived from the name of Spitaler Strasse, one of the pedestrian streets). Then we moved to the standard and well known live-music jounts, and also performed at the “Alsterfest” city festival and even at the "Fete de Lausanne" (Switzerland).
A tour got the band playing in the pedestrian zones of several towns, such as Bonn, Trier, Heidelberg, Tübingen, Kassel, Hannover.
We also had several revival concerts in the US (1980 /1981 in Bloomington, IN, Terre Haute, IN, and in Santa Rosa, CA.) and even in Basel, Switzerland (1991), where we last met as a Trio.
Over the years there have been several meetings and jams, but only with two of us, respectively (two in Switzerland, 2013 and 2018, Bob&Gregor; see "Honey don't" and other clips, here), and one in Phoenix, AZ, in November 2016, Erik&Gregor; see for instance "Tell me what you see" and other clips). A big revival and reunion however occurred in August 2019 near Minneapolis. Search YouTube for selected reunion clips.
Sound engineer for the legendary "Hamburg tapes" (1978): Bernd "Orlo" Orlowski. I know him from the "Rocktheater Kneifzange", where he had playd the bass. I once played and recorded guitar parts as “studio guitarist” for a soundtrack for the threatre troupe (that was used for playback), and also loaned my voice and guitar to the grouo for a small section in a TV show at Radio Bemen.
See FOTOS on FLICKR
SELECTED VIDEO CLIPS (= YouTube playlist: selected clips of latest Spitaler Boys reunion 2019; plus meetings of two of the "boys", but never all three)
SELECTED AUDIO-FILES:
I saw her standing there (live)
You're gonna lose that girl (live)
Greek traditional instrumental (the only non-Beatles cover), featured as soundtrack in this VIDEO
Minneapolis, Aug 2019
Hamburg 1978
Northfield, Aug 2019
Aug 2019
Bob is a teacher in the US, near Chicago, lives in Valparaiso, IN
Erik ist bassoonist and contra-bassoon player with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra
Gregor lives in Basel, Switzerland
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