MISSING PICTURE
History:
Karthago were founded in Berlin by Joey Albrecht (guitar, vocals, originally
from Hannover) and Gerald Luciano Hartwig (bass). 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 (keyboards) and Wolfgang Brock (drums).
"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 multi-coloured 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 Babe" and "String Rambler". Others, like the catchy little
instrumental "Nos Vamos", had a more distinct Latin character, very much
like early Santana. 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 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 (now comprising Albrecht,
Bischof, Cornick, Goldschmitt and Bommarius) 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 trademark 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 (guitar, vocals, ex-Hardcake Special)
and Ringo Funk (drums, ex-Atlantis, ex-Jeronimo).
This record literally became the 'Karthago testament', as the group
disbanded in the Spring of 1976. However, Albrecht laterssembled Ringo
Funk, Chico de los Reyes (piano, vocals), Jochen Roth (guitar) and Ernst
Keinz (bass) in the studio in theSummer of 1977 for the forgettable "Love
Is A Cake" - a commercial disco, pop - rock disaster!