Blonker -

Blonker was a German acoustic/symphonic band headed by guitarist Dieter Geike. After the 1978 German-language folk debut Die Zeit steht still, Geike reconfigured Blonker as an instrumental solo project with the 1980/81 Philips albums Fantásia and Windmills, followed by three albums through 1989 on Mercury.

Members: Dieter Geike (guitar, percussion), Kay Jessen (vocals, 1978), Nicolas Stallard (keyboards, guitar, 1978), Helge Tillmann (drums, 1978), Thomas Grützmacher (bass, 1978)

Background

Blonker formed in 1970 in Hamburg, West Germany, from The Tones, a beat group with guitarist Dieter Geike, bassist Günther Janoschek, and drummer Manfred Noll. Singer Manfred Feuerhak and guitarist Michael Topolov joined the three in the new quintet.

Geike co-founded The New Dixie Syncopators in 1962 with schoolmates at the Realschule im Furtweg in Hamburg-Eidelstedt. An initial banjoist, he took up guitar and formed The Rondos, which played local beat competitions, including an engagement at the Hitclub on Große Freiheit. In 1966, Geike backed R&B singer Knut Kiesewetter and joined The Tones, whose lead singer Manfred “Tissy” Thiers later played bass in Randy Pie.

Blonker cut their first demos in 1970 at the Stintfang youth hostel near the Hamburg waterfront. They developed a German-language jazz-rock repertoire and played the Jazzhouse on Brandstwiete. In 1976, bassist Thomas Grützmacher and drummer Helge Tillmann replaced Janoschek and Noll. The revised group played Onkel Pö’s Carnegie Hall in Hamburg and the Erdbeerparadies on the island of Föhr. Organist Hermann Quetting briefly expanded the lineup with his own pieces, including “In der Stadt,” co-written with Feuerhak. A demo attracted record-company interest, but Quetting departed during the negotiations.

By summer 1977, Blonker comprised Geike, Grützmacher, Tillmann, singer Kay Jessen, and keyboardist-guitarist Nicolas Stallard. The quintet shared a concert bill with Novalis at Hamburg Stadtpark and maintained regular engagements at Onkel Pö’s Carnegie Hall.

In November–December 1977, Blonker entered Alster-Studio in Hamburg with engineer Richard Borowski and producer Jochen Petersen, a saxophonist in Randy Pie. The sessions also involved percussionist Bernardo Ball and backing singers Gaby Borowski, Rolf Köhler, and Heiko Effertz. Die Zeit steht still appeared on the Brian division of Metronome.

Blonker appeared at the 1978 Brain Festival in Essen, where their German-language repertoire failed to engage the audience. Metronome issued the instrumental “Indigo” as a single, which received extensive radio play. The group dissolved in 1979 when Geike alone opted for guitar instrumentals. Music publisher Gerd Müller arranged his first solo album and secured a Phonogram contract after the sessions. Geike retained the Blonker name for the 1980 Philips release Fantásia, produced by Petersen at Rüssl-Studio in Hamburg with pianist Frank Hieber, vibraphonist Wolfgang Schlüter, and former Blonker drummer Tillmann.

Discography:

Die Zeit steht still (1978)
Fantásia (1980)
Windmills (1981)
Homeland (1983)
Inside (1984)
Time to Remember (1989)

References and notes

Dieter Geike — official Blonker archive. Firsthand history with annotated photographs of the school bands, The Tones, founding Blonker lineup, Stintfang demos, Quetting departure, 1977 concerts, and original album credits. (Blonker)
The Crack in the Cosmic Egg — Blonker. Original 1978 Brain LP (60.104), November–December 1977 sessions, and album personnel. (Cosmic Egg)
JazzRockSoul — Randy Pie. Manfred Thiers and Jochen Petersen personnel histories, including the 1973–77 albums. (JRS Randy Pie)
Musicbase — Blonker. Original LP discography, recording personnel, and 1978 Brain single “Indigo.” (Musicbase)
Hitparade.ch — Blonker. Original Brain release chronology, including “Indigo” and Die Zeit steht still. (Hitparade)
BSC Music — Blonker biography. Confirms the original group format, the 1979 dissolution, and subsequent continuation under Geike as a solo artist. (BSC Music)