Lake -

Lake was a German rock band that released eight studio albums between 1976 and 1986 on CBS and Polydor. They formed in 1973 as a brass-rock unit and cut three standalone singles.

Their classic six-piece lineup coalesced with Scottish singer James Hopkins-Harrison. Produced by keyboardist/composer Detlef Petersen, they made the 1976–79 albums Lake, Lake II, and Paradise Alley and made transatlantic FM ripples with “On the Run,” “Time Bomb,” and “See Them Glow.”

Blonker keyboardist Frank Hieber wrote the bulk of 1980’s Ouch!, which introduced guitarist/keyboardist Achim Oppermann, Lake’s creative guide for the 1981–86 albums Hot Day, No Time for Heroes , Voices, and So What.

Members: Detlef Petersen (keyboards, vocals, 1973-80), Martin Tiefensee (bass, 1973-80), Geoffrey Peacey (keyboards, guitar, 1973-80), Oreste “Lilio” Malagia (guitar, 1973-75), Fritz “Freddy” Graack (drums, 1973-75), Ian Cussick (lead vocals, 1973-74, 2013-present), James Hopkins-Harrison (lead vocals, 1974-88), Dieter Ahrendt (drums, 1975-86), Alex Conti (guitar, 1975-81, 2003-present), Achim Oppermann (guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1980-88), Frank Hieber [Frank Oberpichler] (keyboards, 1980-85), Heiko Efferts (guitar, 1980-81), Jo Kappl (bass, 1981-86), Erlend Krauser (guitar, 1981-83), Bernd Gärtig (guitar, 1984-88), Thomas Bauer (keyboards, 1985-88)

Background

Lake had its roots in the Tornados, a Hamburg-based Top 40 covers band that gigged relentlessly on the German club circuit. The band included keyboardist Detlef Petersen, drummer Fritz “Freddy” Graack, and bassist Martin Tiefensee.

In 1973, they broke off and formed Lake with guitarist Oreste “Lilio” Malagia, second keyboardist Geoffrey “Jeff” Peacey, and Scottish singer Ian Cussick. They initially recorded as an octet with saxophonist Gerd Beliaeff and trumpeter Bernard “Benny” Whelan, a former backing player of ’60s pop singer Paul Raven (who later became ’70s glam icon Gary Glitter). Their first single, “Come Down” (b/w “We’re Gonna Rock”), appeared later that year on Polydor. It was followed by “King of the Rock’n Roll Party” (b/w “She’s Alright”) and the 1974 release “Sailor” (b/w “Freedom Dreamer”), all credited to Petersen and J. O’Brien – Docker.

In 1974, The Hollies invited Cussick to replace their exiting vocalist, Alan Clarke. However, Cussick planned to launch a solo career. He declined the invite and left Lake shortly afterward. (In 1976, he surfaced in the German disco-funk act Linda and the Funky Boys, which charted with “Shame Shame Shame.” His first solo album appeared on Metronome in 1978.)

While in London, Lake encountered another Scottish singer, James Hopkins-Harrison. Graack and Malagia cleared out for Das Panikorchester drummer Detelef Ahrendt and ex-Curly Curve/Atlantis guitarist Alex Conti. The reconstituted six-piece, sans brass, signed to CBS and recorded their first album at the Sawmill Studios in Cornwall, England.

Meanwhile, Peacey and Hopkins-Harrison wrote and recorded the CBS disco single “Train of Love” (b/w “Mayfair Theme”) under the moniker Mayfair.

Lake

Lake released their self-titled debut album in October 1976 on CBS.

The album contains six Detlef Petersen compositions with lyrics by James Hopkins-Harrison, including “Sorry to Say,” “Chasing Colours,” and the singles “On the Run,” “Do I Love You,” and “Jesus Came Down.” Hopkins-Harrison collaborated with second keyboardist Geoffrey Peacey on “Time Bomb,” a US single. Lake climaxes with “Between the Lines,” an epic group-written jam.

Peacey plays secondary guitar on Lake, which features four-part vocal backing from all non-rhythm players. Musically, the album weds CSN-style harmonies with current US West Coast rock (Barnstorm, Pablo Cruise) — a blend similar to Aussie contemporaries Sherbet and the Little River Band.

A1. “On the Run” (4:06)
A2. “Sorry to Say” (3:06)
A3. “Time Bomb” (3:15)
A4. “Chasing Colours” (3:47)
A5. “Do I Love You” (4:05)

B1. “Key to the Rhyme” (4:32)
B2. “Jesus Came Down” (3:43)
B3. “Between the Lines” (10:22)

Sessions took place in Cornwall, England, at Sawmills, a year-old Golant facility used for 1975/76 albums by Back Street Crawler, Greenslade, Gryphon, Magna Carta, and Michael Chapman. Petersen produced and arranged Lake but doesn’t list as an actual member. Peacey and Hopkins-Harrison co-produced their cut, “Time Bomb.” Additional work occurred in Germany at Studio Maschen and Peer Studio, Hamburg, where Lucifer’s Friend keyboardist Peter Hect did string arrangements.

The original 1976 European release shows the name in lipstick on a window overlooking a lakeside thoroughfare. Illustrator Patrick Von Spreckelsen did similar airbrushed work for Amon Duul II (Hijack), Creative Rock (Gorilla), Lucifer’s Friend (Mind Exploding), and Das Waldemar Wunderbar Syndikat (I Make You Feel Good). The back cover shows Lake profiled in a lineup (minus Peterson).

CBS lifted “On the Run” as a Germany single (b/w “Time Bomb”), followed by “Do I Love You” (b/w “Key to the Rhyme”) and “Jesus Came Down” (b/w “Chasing Colours”).

In July 1977, Lake appeared stateside on Columbia with new cover art by James McMullan, a longtime illustrator for the label’s classical Masterworks division. McMullan’s illustration shows the name in water deposits around a blue peephole to an overflowing kitchen sink with a cat overlooking the floor puddle. This cover also appears on Europen CBS reissues. McMullan did similar peephole art for their two subsequent albums.

“On the Run” appeared simultaneously as a transatlantic single, followed in the US by “Time Bomb,” released to FM stations in September (b/w “Chasing Colours”). Columbia included “On the Run” on a US promo EP with cuts by Crawler (“Without You Babe”), Libby Titus (“Can This Be My Love Affair”), and Ram Jam (“Black Betty”).

Lake II

Lake released their numerical second album in February 1978 on CBS and Columbia.

Lake II contains nine songs with lyrics by James Hopkins-Harrison; five composed by Detlef Petersen and four by Geoffrey Peacey.

Petersen’s tracks include the opening salvo “Welcome to the West” and the singles “See Them Glow” and “Letters of Love.”

Peacey submitted the poignant ballad “Love’s a Jailer” and two epic numbers: “Red Lake” and “Scoobie Doobies,” which veers between subtle verses and a floodgate chorus with the Hamburg Cats Choir.

A1. “Welcome to the West” (5:06)
A2. “See Them Glow” (4:58)
A3. “Letters of Love” (3:38)
A4. “Red Lake” (4:55)
A5. “Love’s a Jailer” (4:29)

B1. “Lost by the Wayside” (4:24)
B2. “Highway 216” (3:36)
B3. “Angel in Disguise” (4:26)
B4. “Scoobie Doobies” (7:45)

Sessions occurred in late 1977 at studios in three counties: Rüssl (Hamburg), Rockfield (Monmouth, Wales), and Caribou Ranch (Nederland, Colorado). Beach Boy Carl Wilson sang backup on “Red Lake” at Caribou, a converted barn in the Rocky Mountains owned by music mogul James William Guercio, who recently cut ties with his main client, Chicago.

Detlef Petersen produced Lake II and appears as a member in the inner-sleeve photo. James McMullan’s artwork (a possible sequal to his prior Lake cover) presents a porthole view of a flooding neighborhood.

CBS lifted “Letters of Love” as the first UK/German single (b/w “Lost By The Wayside”), followed by “See Them Glow” (b/w “Angel In Disguise”). In July, “See Them Glow” became a US single (b/w “Highway 216”).

Paradise Island

Lake released their third album, Paradise Island, in March 1979 on CBS and Columbia.

This was their last of three albums with keyboardist/producer Detlef Petersen, who wrote four songs: “Into the Night,” “Hopeless Love,” “The Final Curtain,” and the title track. He make contributions on the Fender Rhodes electric piano (“Hopeless Love”), Oberheim synth (“The Final Curtain”), tubular bells (“Paradise Way”), and plays the piano solo on “Glad to Be Here.”

Guitarist Alex Conti wrote “One Way Song” and co-wrote “One Way Song” with drummer Dieter Ahrendt and keyboardist Geoffrey Peacey, who co-composed “Glad to Be Here” and “Crystal Eyes” with James Hopkins-Harrison, who penned the album’s lyrics. Peacey’s arsenal consists of pianet, clavinet, and Moog synthesizer (“One Way Song” and “Final Curtain”). He plays the organ solo on “Into the Night,” which features German comedian Otto Waalkes as a guest percussionist.

A1. “Into the Night” (5:11)
A2. “Glad to Be Here” (3:49)
A3. “Crystal Eyes” (3:58)
A4. “Paradise Way” (4:55)

B1. “Hopeless Love” (4:09)
B2. “One Way Song” (3:43)
B3. “Hard Road” (3:34)
B4. “The Final Curtain” (5:04)

Sessions occurred in Hamburg at Rüssl Studio, where Petersen produced the album ahead of On My Feet Again, the debut by German rockers Elephant. Peacey engineered Paradise Island in tandem with Flying Stork, a collaboration by Dusseldorf’s Jazztrack with English vocalist Norma Winstone.

Jim McMullan’s cover illustration presents a lurid (possibly grim) peek through a pink-tiled peephole to a bathroom where a woman bathes in an overflowing tub with a bird on her knee. The pink duck reappears on the back-cover group pic and white-on-teal lyrical inner-sleeve. The six-piece band appear photographed in a pool by Benno Friedman, whose subjects also grace late-Seventies covers for David Werner, Pat Travers, Patti LaBelle, Rupert Holmes, and Urszula Dudziak.

CBS lifted “Hard Road” as a single (b/w “One Way Song”), followed by “Paradise Way” (b/w “Crystal Eyes”).

Between their third and fourth album, Lake underwent a fifty-percent lineup overhaul when Petersen, Peacey, and bassist Martin Tiefensee cleared (respectively) for guitarist Achim Oppermann, keyboardist Frank Hieber, and bassist Heiko Effertz. Hieber amd Effertz played on the second and first albums (respectively) of Blonker, the band moniker of German acoustic guitarist Dieter Geike.

Ouch!

Lake released their fourth album, Ouch!, in May 1980 on CBS.

The album features six compositions by new keyboardist Frank Hieber, including the single “Something Here.” He co-wrote songs with guitarist Alex Conti (“Jamaica High”) and new bassist Heiko Effertz (“Listen to Me”).

James Hopkins-Harrison added words to all nine songs and co-wrote three (“Celebrate,” “Amigo,” “Living for Today”) with new second guitarist Achim Oppermann.

A1. “Celebrate” (3:49)
A2. “Come On Home” (4:36)
A3. “Listen To Me” (4:14)
A4. “Amigo” (2:48)
A5. “Jamaica High” (4:39)

B1. “Living for Today” (4:29)
B2. “Something Here” (4:32)
B3. “Hit Your Mama” (4:15)
B4. “Southern Nights” (4:28)

Sessions took place at studios in London (Pye) and Hamburg (Rüssl). James William Guercio mixed the album at the Caribou Ranch, where he worked on Ouch! in tandem with Dressed for Drowning, the sixth studio album by the reconstituted Sailor.

Original German CBS copies showed a moving image of a giant female hand slapping an old woman (front) and each band member (back). In North America, Caribou Records issued Ouch! with an alternate image by James McMullan, whose fourth and final Lake illustration shows a peach-tiled peephole into a kitchen where a woman sprinkles her dog with hot moisture from the lid of a burning pot.

CBS lifted “Celebrate” as a single (b/w “Come On Home”), followed by “Something Here” (b/w “Amigo”) and a ‘special live version’ of “Living for Today” (b/w “Jamaica High”).

Alex Conti and Heiko Effertz cleared for two Romanian musicians: guitarist Erlend Krauser and bassist Iosif Kappl, who made three prior albums with post-psych legends Phoenix.

Hot Day

Lake released their fifth album, Hot Day, in 1981 on CBS.

The album contains five songs by guitarist Achim Oppermann, including “Goodbye Alexander,” “The Sound of America,” and the singles “Sanford and Son” and “Band at the Top.” He plays a dual-keyboardist role with Frank Hieber, who wrote “Silicone Sally.”

James Hopkins-Harrison penned lyrics for everything, including three contributions by new lead guitarist Erlend Krauser: “Escape,” “Everyone,” and “Cities On Fire.”

A1. “Sanford and Son” (3:47)
A2. “Escape” (3:36)
A3. “Everyone” (4:05)
A4. “Silicone Sally” (3:58)
A5. “Goodbye Alexander” (4:19)

B1. “The Sound of America” (5:02)
B2. “Cities On Fire” (5:11)
B3. “Band At the Top” (4:19)
B4. “We Can Try” (4:29)

Sessions occurred in February 1981 at Rüssl Studi, where Lake co-produced the album with engineer Udo Arndt, an alumnus of Os Mundi.

CBS lifted “Sanford and Son” as a single (b/w “Escape”), followed by “Band at the Top” (b/w “Cities On Fire”).

Live – On the Run

In 1982, Lake released Live – On the Run, a two-record CBS live album sourced from 1979–80 concerts.

A1. “On the Run” (4:24)
A2. “Red Lake” (4:58)
A3. “Hopeless Love” (4:28)
A4. “The Final Curtain” (4:53)
A5. “See Them Glow” (4:25)
B1. “Black Friday” (6:28)
B2. “Between the Lines” (7:14)
B3. “Jesus Came Down” (3:50)
B4. “Paradise Way” (5:44)
C1. “Rocky Mountain Way” (7:45)
C2. “Glad to Be Here” (3:44)
C3. “Scoobie Doobies” (11:20)
D1. “Celebrate” (3:55)
D2. “Living for Today” (4:05)
D3. “Jamaica High” (5:05)
D4. “Key to the Rhyme” (5:12)
D5. “Chasing Colours” (4:12)

Recorded live May 1979 and October 1980
Recorded By – Rüssl Mobile Studio

Drums – Dieter Ahrendt
Guitar – Achim Oppermann, Alex Conti, Erlend Krauser
Keyboards – Achim Oppermann, Detlef Petersen, Frank Hieber, Geoffrey Peacey
Lead Vocals – James Hopkins-Harrison

Erlend Krauser cleared for guitarist Bernd Gärtig, recently of Eric Burdon’s Fire Dept.

No Time for Heroes

Lake released their sixth studio album, No Time for Heroes, in June 1984 on Polydor.

The lineup now featured two members from the 1976–79 sextet (James Hopkins-Harrison and drummer Dieter Ahrendt) and one recruit each from 1980 (guitarist/keyboardist Achim Oppermann), 1981 (bassist Jo Kappl), and 1983 (lead guitarist Bernd Gärtig), plus incoming keyboardist Thomas Bauer.

Oppermann composed an instrumental and co-wrote the first three songs with Hopkins-Harrison. Bauer served as a third-writer on “Johnny Don’t Go” and composed two tracks: “Lorraine” and “Lady Divine.” Kapple submitted three songs: “Heroes,” “Never Say Never,” and “Fight It Together,” all lyricized by James, who also co-wrote one track (“Scotsman”) with Gärtig and Ahrendt.

A1. “Continental Vagabond” (4:32)
A2. “Dreams In the Night” (4:11)
A3. “Tell Me Why” (3:42)
A4. “Heroes” (3:59)
A5. “Never Say Never” (4:20)

B1. “Instrumental No. 1” (3:50)
B2. “Johnny Don’t Go” (4:12)
B3. “Lorraine” (3:21)
B4. “Scotsman” (4:11)
B5. “Lady Divine” (3:16)
B6. “Fight It Together” (4:07)

Sessions spanned October 1983 through March 1984 at Peer Southern Studios in Hamburg, where Lake co-produced the album with supplemental keyboardist John Groves. No Time for Heroes was engineered and mixed by their original co-keyboardist, Geoffrey Peacey.

Polydor lifted “Dreams In the Night” as a single (b/w “Instrumental No. 1”).

After No Time for Heroes, Dieter Ahrendt cleared for drummer Udo Dahmen. With Ahrendt’s departure, Hopkins-Harrison was the last remaining pre-Ouch! member.

Voices

Lake released their seventh studio album, Voices, in 1985 on Polydor.

The album contains six Achim Oppermann compositions: “Music’s a Way of Life,” “Who Do You Love,” “Nervous Breakdown,” “Echo of the Melody,” and the singles “Alright” and “More Than a Feeling.”

James Hopkins-Harrison lyricized everything, including two songs each by bassist Josef Kappl (“Chase the Dragon,” “Love Is a Game”) and keyboardist Thomas Bauer (“Comedy of Love,” “I Don’t Wanna Lose You”).

Bauer doubles on alto saxophone. Oppermann sings lead on “I Don’t Wanna Lose You.” Voices features auxiliary electronics by Detlef Reshöft. The “angry voice” on “Nervous Breakdown” is Julie Maccadum.

A1. “Alright” (3:36)
A2. “More Than A Feeling” (4:26)
A3. “Comedy of Love” (3:44)
A4. “Echo of the Melody” (4:27)
A5. “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” (3:44)

B1. “Nervous Breakdown” (3:12)
B2. “Chase the Dragon” (3:53)
B3. “Who Do You Love” (4:46)
B4. “Love Is a Game” (3:14)
B5. “Music’s a Way of Life” (4:43)

Sessions occurred in Hamburg at Tao Studios, where Hopkins-Harrison co-produced the album with Oppermann, who co-engineered the tracks with Askan Siegfried.

Voices features cover art by Petrus Wandrey.

Polydor lifted “Alright!” as a single, backed with an instrumental version. “More Than a Feeling” became the second single (b/w “Nervous Breakdown”).

After Voices, Jo Kappl cleared for bassist Benjamin Hüllenkrämer.

So What

Lake released their eighth studio album, So What, in 1986 on Polydor.

The album contains seven Achim Oppermann compositions; six with lyrics by James Hopkins-Harrison and one (“Inside to Outside”) worded by outsider Colin Pearson.

So What also includes two Bernd Gärtig compositions (“My Emotions,” “Children of War”) and one Thomas Bauer number (“Voice In the Wind”).

“Inside to Outside” appeared beforehand in the setlist of ex-Kajagoogoo singer Limahl.

A1. “In the Midnight” (3:39)
A2. “So What” (3:40)
A3. “My Emotions” (3:56)
A4. “Thick and Thin” (3:45)
A5. “Children of War” (4:08)
B1. “Inside to Outside” (3:15)
B2. “Feel You In My Arms” (3:46)
B3. “Voice In the Wind” (3:55)
B4. “Big Brother” (4:03)
B5. “Laura” (3:20)

Recorded At – Tao Studios, Hamburg
Recorded At – Chamäleon Studio
Recorded At – Woodhouse Studio
Recorded At – Audio Studios, Berlin

Arranged By [Brass] – Bob Lanese (tracks: A3)
Arranged By [String] – Stefan Pintev (tracks: B5)
Bass, Vocals – Benjamin Hüllenkremer
Booking – Blindfish Promotion*
Brass Band [Section] – Bob Lanese (tracks: A3), Ludwig Götz (tracks: A3), Roland Schmitt (tracks: A3)
Conductor [Choir] – Henner Hoier (tracks: A2)
Design [Cover] – Gerd Becker
Drums, Percussion – Udo Dahmen
Engineer [Audio Studio] – Udo Arndt, Uli Hieber
Engineer [Chamaleon Studio] – Klaus Bohlmann, Matthias Dietrich
Engineer [TAO Studio] – Achim Oppermann
Engineer [Woodhouse Studio] – Siggi Bemm
Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals – Achim Oppermann
Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals – Thomas Bauer
Lacquer Cut By – Hi*
Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals – Bernd Gärtig
Lead Vocals – James Hopkins Harrison*
Mastered By [Digitally] – Peter Harenberg
Mixed By – Udo Arndt
Mixed By [Assistant] – Uli Hieber
Photography By – Matthias Heitmann
Producer – Achim Oppermann, James Hopkins-Harrison
Strings [Ensemble] – Dana Anca* (tracks: B5), Jordan Rodin (tracks: B5), Katarina Ranic (tracks: B5), Michael Streif (tracks: B5), Milomir Stamenkovic* (tracks: B5), Rodrigo Reichel (tracks: B5), Stefan Pintev (tracks: B5), Susanne Calgéer* (tracks: B5), Ulrich Schneider (6) (tracks: B5)
Stylist – Matthias Strahl
Vocals [Additional] – Madeleine Lang (tracks: A5, B1), Marion Schwaiger (tracks: A5, B1), Ulf Meyer (2) (tracks: A5, B1)
Voice [Ad libs] – Madeleine Lang (tracks: A5)
Voice [Speaker] – John Newton (14) (tracks: A5)