Passport -

Passport was a German jazz-rock ensemble led by saxophonist, keyboardist, and composer Klaus Doldinger, whose name appears prominently on select releases. Formed in 1971, the band emerged as Germany’s answer to Weather Report, blending electric jazz textures with tight, rhythmic interplay. Their 1972 album Second Passport established the core formula, followed by the landmark Cross-Collateral (1975) and the Latin-tinged Iguaçu (1977).

Frequent collaborators included drummer Curt Cress, bassist Wolfgang Schmid, and keyboardist Kristian Schultze. Doldinger anchored the band with his keening soprano lines and compact electric piano motifs, while the lineup shifted across decades to reflect new stylistic turns. Passport remained a live force well into the 1980s, often crossing paths with international guests on tour and in studio.

Members: Klaus Doldinger (tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, Moog, organ, electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer, lyricon, vocoder, vocals), Olaf Kübler (saxophone), Udo Lindenberg (drums), Jimmy Jackson (organ), Lothar Meid (electric bass), Curt Cress (drums), Wolfgang Schmid (electric bass, 1972-77), Kristian Schultze (keyboards), Roberto di Gioia (keyboards), Ernst Ströer (percussion), Patrick Scales (bass), Peter O’Mara (guitar), Christian Lettner (drums), Biboul Darouiche (percussion), Hermann Weindorf (keyboards), Roykey Wydh (guitar), Alphonse Mouzon (drums), Dieter Petereit (bass), Hendrik Schaper (keyboards), Guillermo G. Marchena (vocals, percussion), Elmer Louis (percussion)

Background

Passport was formed in 1971 by saxophonist Klaus Doldinger (b. 1936), a then-18-year veteran of the Berlin jazz scene.

During the 1950s, he played in The Feetwarmers (a local Dixieland-styled band) and Oscar’s Trio (inspired by Oscar Peterson). His earliest album credit is the 1962 Brunswick release Rolf Kühn feat. Klaus Doldinger, recorded that October with clarinetist Rolf Kühn. Doldinger issued four titles on Philips between 1963 and 1967, including the 1964 all-star release Jazz Goes Baroque with George Gruntz and Klaus Weiss.

In 1969, Doldinger embraced electrified jazz on the Liberty releases Valentin Mehler’s Herbstplatte ’69 and The Ambassador. That same year, he formed the psych-jazz Motherhood with bassist Lothar Meid and drummer Udo Lindenberg. They issued two albums: I Feel So Free (1969, UA) and Motherhood (1970, Liberty).

Concurrently, Lindenberg played on albums by Niagara and Free Orbit. As Passport was getting underway, he drummed on the first album by brass-rockers Emergency and debuted as a solo artist with the 1971 Telefunken release Lindenberg.

The initial lineup of Passport featured Doldinger, Meid, and Lindenberg along with saxophonist Olaf Kübler and American organist Jimmy Jackson. The Pittsburgh native had recently played on albums by Tangerine Dream (Electronic Meditation), Mal Waldron (The Call), and the eponymous release by free-psychsters Haboob. Under the alias Tabarin Man, Jackson also played on Embryo’s Rache, the 1971 sophomore release by Embryo.

Passport

Passport released their self-titled debut album in October 1971 on Atlantic.

The album introduced Klaus Doldinger’s new sextet with a set of concise, high-energy instrumentals centered on sax–keyboard interplay and dense electric textures. Doldinger switches between tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones while layering electric piano and Moog figures against the fuzz organ phrasings of keyboardist Jimmy Jackson. Guitarist Paul Vincent (uncredited) joins Doldinger and saxophonist Olaf Kübler in call–response motifs and unison lines. Jackson and Kübler alternate lead roles on several pieces, while drummer Udo Lindenberg and bassist Lothar Meid maintain a tight backbeat that pivots between fast thematic shifts and locked mid-tempo vamps.

Passport’s 1971 debut opens with high energy and sharp instrumental contrasts, established early in “Uranus,” where layered sax lines lurch across synthetic textures while drummer Udo Lindenberg cuts through with crisp, syncopated shifts under Doldinger’s darting phrasings. “Shirokko” coasts on a springy rhythm section with Meid’s supple bass runs underpinning darting organ fills and double-tracked sax lines that alternate between call-and-response and brief spirals. “Hexensabbat” builds from thick organ swells and firm drumming into a more jagged stretch, marked by abrupt sax lurches and swirling Hammond tones, veering into heavier modal terrain. The pacing pulls back on “Nostalgia,” which floats along soft Mellotron layers and echo-treated sax motifs, tethered by a subdued backbeat.

“Lemuria’s Dance” opens with sparse ambience but escalates on stuttering drum accents and chordal sax layering, its pulse propelled by increasingly forward bass movement. “Continuation” stretches out over nearly ten minutes, starting with languid, low-register horn phrasing and spare keys before entering a dense second half led by angular sax and guitar interplay over tense, rolling snare figures. “Madhouse Jam” returns to a tightly wound, bottom-heavy vamp with rhythm guitar, organ vamps, and oscillating flute bursts, trading smooth transitions for clipped, percussive drive. The arrangements shift often but stay anchored by a reactive rhythm section and a wide palette of timbral treatments on winds and keyboards, rendering each track distinct without abandoning cohesion.

A1. “Uranus” (6:35)
A2. “Shirokko” (5:44)
A3. “Hexensabbat” (4:27)
A4. “Nostalgia” (5:13)

B1. “Lemuria’s Dance” (4:37)
B2. “Continuation” (9:53)
B3. “Madhouse Jam” (5:47)

Doldinger produced the album at a studio in Munich during autumn 1971 with art direction by Petrus Wandrey of Wandrey’s Studio. Though only released in West Germany at the time, Passport laid the foundation for Doldinger’s long-running fusion project and marked a transitional point for Lindenberg before he launched his solo career.

– Klaus Doldinger / alto, soprano & tenor saxes, keyboards
– Jimmy Jackson / organ
– Olaf Kübler / tenor saxophone, flute
– Udo Lindenberg / drums
– Lothar Meid / bass guitar

Second Passport

Passport released their second album, Second Passport, in September 1972 on Atlantic.

The album introduced a revamped lineup with saxophonist Klaus Doldinger supported by a new pair of soloists: guitarist Wolfgang Schmid, who doubles on electric bass, and keyboardist John Mealing, whose organ and electric piano alternate in contrapuntal figures beneath Doldinger’s tenor and soprano runs. Schmid’s bass underpins the set with taut, percussive phrasing, while drummer Bryan Spring locks tight accents against the ensemble’s shifting motifs and meters.

Second Passport builds momentum through rhythm-first arrangements that highlight Schmid and Spring as a tightly reactive engine. “Mandragora” sets the tone with clavinet syncopation, pulsing electric bass, and alternating solos that trade clipped synth bursts with tenor sax flurries. “Nexus” pivots between stop-start drum accents and looping electric piano figures, then locks into a pummeling mid-tempo vamp where Spring and Schmid double down on offbeat emphasis while Doldinger shapes compressed soprano motifs overhead. “Fairy Tale” scales the tempo back into slow harmonic cycles, anchored by soft brushwork and gently phased piano, with soprano sax tracing the contours of a folk-based theme that gradually expands into layered resolutions.

“Get Yourself a Second Passport” favors clipped wah-guitar syncopation and filtered sax phrasing, punctuated by phased synth leads and midrange sax overdubs that stack into call-and-response patterns. “Registration O” shifts between dense modal sections and open-ended jam space; a low-register organ drives the bassline while distorted electric guitar interjects unexpectedly over thick percussion accents and broken sax phrases.

“Horizon Beyond” keeps a steady drive as soprano sax outlines rising figures against Schmid’s saturated bass tone and Mealing’s swelling organ voicings. “The Cat From Katmandu” ends with multi-tracked sax riffs circling over an almost hypnotic drum-and-bass pattern, lifted by sharp Hammond chords that push the pace toward a final staccato burst. Across the album, sax leads alternate between lyrical sustain and quick-cut phrasing, while the rhythm section pushes each track with constant motion and rhythmic pressure.

A1. “Mandragora” (3:46)
A2. “Nexus” (5:23)
A3. “Fairy Tale” (7:32) – trad., adapted by Doldinger
A4. “Get Yourself a Second Passport” (4:03)

B1. “Registration O” (9:24)
B2. “Horizon Beyond” (6:46)
B3. “The Cat from Katmandu” (4:38)

Doldinger produced the album for Kinney Music GmbH during mid-1972 sessions engineered by Dieter Dierks and Jürgen Scheuermann. It appeared in Germany with catalog number ATL 40417 and included a fold-out tour poster inside a sleeve designed by Wandrey’s Studio in Hamburg.

– Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, electric piano, synthesizer
– John Mealing / elelectric piano, organ
– Wolfgang Schmid / bass guitar
– Bryan Spring / drums

Hand Made

Passport released their third album, Hand Made, in May 1973 on Atlantic.

The album showcases a compact quartet with expanded tonal color and contrapuntal dynamics between Klaus Doldinger’s multi-tracked reeds, Moog, and Mellotron textures, and Frank Roberts’ Fender piano and organ voicings. Guitarist Wolfgang Schmid balances dual roles with melodic flourishes and basslines that anchor and drive the group’s syncopated phrasing alongside Curt Cress, whose drumming interlocks with the rhythm figures while propelling transitions between dense ensemble passages and open solo space.

Hand Made tightens the group’s focus on rhythm-centric interplay and sectional pacing, anchored by Wolfgang Schmid’s spring-loaded bass lines and Curt Cress’s clipped, agile drum patterns. “Abracadabra” builds on rapid turnarounds and shifting accents, with alto sax bursts woven between syncopated piano figures and breakneck unison runs. “The Connexion” unfolds slowly, with wide open phrasing and pauses filled by sparse cymbal chatter and minimal horn lines before it lifts into a more animated vamp with layered instrumentation. “Yellow Dream” opens in soft suspension with echo-tinged mellotron and electric piano, then alternates between low-intensity drift and brief upward surges led by guitar and sax swells.

“Proclamation” condenses the same dynamic into a tighter frame, combining spiky clavinet phrasing and fluid sax motifs over a slow-thrusting backbeat. The title track stretches into longer-form territory, starting with layered crowd noise and entering a measured jam section where Rhodes textures and tandem saxes swirl above a mid-tempo pulse. “Puzzle” moves with clipped staccato precision, layering wah-guitar, sharp chordal bursts, and climbing sax lines over a syncopated funk pattern. “The Quiet Man” closes the album with brushed percussion, low-register keyboard voicings, and understated soprano lines that drift in and out of sustained textures without losing forward motion. Doldinger shapes each phrase with deliberate entry and taper, keeping tension high without pushing the material into overstatement.

A1. “Abracadabra” (7:20)
A2. “The Connexion” (5:33)
A3. “Yellow Dream” (4:20)
A4. “Proclamation” (2:39)

B1. “Hand Made” (9:26)
B2. “Puzzle” (4:07)
B3. “The Quiet Man” (4:43)

Doldinger produced Hand Made for WEA Musik GmbH during sessions recorded by Dieter Dierks and released in Germany through Atlantic, distributed by WEA. The album appeared in a Teldec-pressed edition on May 1973 with catalog credits to Warner Communications and publishing by Musik unserer Zeit/GEMA. Wandrey’s Studio in Hamburg designed the cover artwork.

– Curt Cress / drums
– Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, electric piano, synthesizers, Mellotron
– Frank Roberts / electric piano, organ
– Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar

Looking Thru

Passport released their fourth album, Looking Thru, in November 1973 on Atlantic.

The album builds on the quartet format with denser harmonic layering and tightly interlocked solos between keyboardist Kristian Schultze and bandleader Klaus Doldinger, who alternates across tenor and soprano saxophones, Moog, electric piano, and Mellotron. Guitarist Wolfgang Schmid contributes bright upper-register fills and fuzz accents while anchoring the ensemble with a bass foundation that interacts fluidly with Curt Cress, whose agile patterns and electronic percussion shape the group’s shifting rhythmic spine.

Looking Thru opens with forward momentum and clean contrasts, driven by Curt Cress’s taut snare placements and Wolfgang Schmid’s elastic phrasing. “Eternal Spiral” builds from hovering electric piano motifs into clipped, fast-cycling rhythms where the drums push against sharp keyboard accents and angular sax refrains. The title track stretches across shifting sections: a slow-opening sax figure breaks into a second half built around syncopated funk bass and spacious solo tradeoffs, with Kristian Schultze layering Rhodes pulses and soft synth under Doldinger’s sharpened lead lines. “Zwischenspiel” interrupts with a brief interlude of fingerpicked acoustic guitar over rubato piano voicings.

“Rockport” and “Tarantula” lean into upbeat cadences and clustered arrangements, where Schmid’s saturated bass walks under stabbing sax interjections and tight clavinet ostinatos, with “Tarantula” punctuated by ring-modulated sax panning and modulated synth color. “Ready for Take Off” keeps a mid-tempo glide; sax and keyboard alternate phrases over unhurried shifts in tone, with a rising motif that escalates briefly before releasing. “Eloquence” starts from spare synthetic pulses and grows into a dense, syncopated weave, driven by soprano sax clusters and descending Rhodes flutters. “Things to Come” closes in freeform territory, where open fifths and dissonant keyboard textures float above layered sax phrasings and abrupt rhythmic jolts. Throughout, the band pulls between tight rhythmic cohesion and deliberately unstable motifs, with each track shaped by contrasting densities and clear instrumental hierarchy.

A1. “Eternal Spiral” (3:59)
A2. “Looking Thru” (7:58)
A3. “Zwischenspiel” (1:31)
A4. “Rockport” (3:31)

B1. “Tarantula” (3:48)
B2. “Ready for Take Off” (4:47)
B3. “Eloquence” (5:12)
B4. “Things to Come” (2:45)

Doldinger produced the album for WEA Musik GmbH during October 1973 sessions at Studio Dierks with engineer Dieter Dierks. WEA issued the album in a laminated sleeve designed by Wandrey’s Studio, Hamburg, under the Warner Communications banner with publishing handled by Musik unserer Zeit.

– Curt Cress / drums, electronic percussion
– Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxophones, Moog, electric piano, Mellotron
– Wolfgang Schmid / bass
– Kristian Schulze / electric piano, organ

Doldinger Jubilee Concert

In 1974, Passport released Doldinger Jubilee Concert, recorded live on October 16, 1973, in Düsseldorf.

The concert assembled a rotating cast of soloists around Klaus Doldinger’s saxophone and synth leads, including guitarist Volker Kriegel, organist Brian Auger, and American tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, whose call-and-response exchanges stretch across extended ensemble passages. Moog and Mellotron overlays by Kristian Schultze intertwine with his Fender runs, while bassist Wolfgang Schmid drives from beneath. Curt Cress and Pete York alternate and layer percussive figures that stabilize the set’s shifting foundations, acting as both rhythmic fulcrum and source of dynamic propulsion.

Doldinger Jubilee Concert opens with brisker takes on familiar themes, where faster pacing pushes pieces like “Schirokko” into more volatile terrain. The arrangement opens up midway, letting rhythm section improvisation stretch under spiraling sax phrases before locking into a dense, accelerating close. “Freedom Jazz Dance” dials up low-end drive with tightly wound bass and restless percussion while keyboards dart and swirl across the mix in layered pulses. “Rockport” shifts between ambient organ textures and scattered bursts of distorted synth before veering into a chaotic outro. “Lemuria’s Dance” pivots away from the band’s usual phrasing, centering extended blues guitar figures and organ swells while sax remains peripheral. Energy peaks early, then recedes into looser, less focused shapes.

A1. “Handmade” (5:42) – Doldinger – originally on Hand Made (1973)
A2. “Freedom Jazz Dance” (6:00) – Eddie Harris – not previously recorded by Passport
A3. “Schirokko” (9:30) – Doldinger – originally on Passport (1971)
B1. “Rockport” (9:15) – Doldinger – originally on Looking Thru (1973)
B2. “Rock Me Baby” (4:40) – traditional, arranged by Alexis Korner – not previously recorded by Passport
B3. “Lemuria’s Dance” (6:55) – Doldinger – originally on Second Passport (1972)

Siegfried E. Loch produced the album, recorded live at Rheinhalle, Düsseldorf, using the Rolling Stones Mobile on October 16, 1973. Andy Johns handled on-site engineering; Dieter Dierks mixed the tapes for WEA Musik GmbH, which issued the LP with catalog number ATL 50 070. Artwork was designed by Wandrey Studios, Hamburg, with photography by Dieter Zill and Werner Bokelberg. Auger appeared courtesy of CBS Records; Kriegel appeared courtesy of MPS. All titles were published by Musik unserer Zeit Verlag, GEMA, except “Freedom Jazz Dance” and “Rock Me Baby.”

– Buddy Guy / guitar
– Philip Catherine / guitar
– Johnny Griffin / saxophone, saxophone (Tenor)
– Les McCann / piano, keyboards, vocals
– Klaus Doldinger / keyboards, saxophone, saxophone (Soprano & Tenor), Moog synthesizer
– Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar, bass (electric)
– Curt Cress / drums
– Kristian Schultze / organ, piano, keyboards
– Pete York / percussion, drums

Cross-Collateral

Passport released their fifth studio album, Cross-Collateral, in March 1975 on Atlantic.

The album refines the quartet’s balance of tonal layering and rhythmic drive with expanded arrangements and extended interplay between Klaus Doldinger’s soprano and tenor sax lines and Kristian Schultze’s electric piano and organ voicings. Guitarist Wolfgang Schmid offsets his bass role with pointed lead phrases, while Curt Cress adds punctuation and movement through syncopated patterns and electronic percussion textures that anchor the ensemble’s momentum.

Cross-Collateral opens with a disorienting swirl of pulsing keyboard arpeggios and fractured rhythms, locking into a swing-heavy tempo on “Homunculus,” where Curt Cress drives the pulse with restless snare clusters while Kristian Schultze threads electric piano runs through clipped saxophone shapes and warped stereo textures. The title track unfolds in staged sections: a fragmented intro built on triggered percussion and stop-start sax phrases gives way to a turbulent midsection of tumbling fills and thick organ swells, followed by a fuzz-toned guitar passage and a closing reprise that cycles back to its angular opening motifs.

“Jadoo” tightens the energy into a three-minute sprint, led by a cracked clavinet solo and upper-register sax phrases that coil around a rigid, fast-thrust rhythm track. “Will-O’the-Wisp” reshapes that energy into a laid-back funk contour with loosely phrased sax riffs rising over steady downbeats and deep, slow-turning keyboard shifts. “Albatros Song” floats on a suspended chordal base with synth overlays and soft sax lines, restrained and textural in contrast to the previous tracks. “Damals” closes the album in acoustic tension, with a dry-tone sax melody stretched over minimal drum work and sparse guitar voicings, pulling the mood inward after the earlier rhythmic density. Across the album, phrasing grows more fragmented and sectional, and momentum shifts are cued by sudden instrumental spotlighting rather than shared dynamics, creating a sharp contrast between the album’s eruptive first half and more atmospheric second.

A1. “Homunculus” (6:09)
A2. “Cross-Collateral” (13:38)

B1. “Jadoo” (3:03)
B2. “Will-O’the-Wisp” (6:15)
B3. “Albatros Song” (5:18)
B4. “Damals” (4:38)

Doldinger produced Cross-Collateral during sessions held in November 1974 at Tonstudio Dierks with engineer Dieter Dierks. The album was mastered at Atlantic Studios in New York by GP and issued in the US by Atlantic Recording Corporation with pressing by Specialty Records. Wandrey’s Studio provided the cover design.

– Curt Cress / drums, electronic percussion
– Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, Moog, electric piano, Mellotron
– Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar
– Kristian Schulze / electric piano, organ

Doldinger Jubilee ’75

In late 1975, Passport released Doldinger Jubilee ‘75, recorded live on August 28–29 at Onkel Pö’s Carnegie Hall in Hamburg.

The concert features an expanded lineup that blends the core Passport quartet with guests from the jazz and blues circuits, enabling layered interaction between Klaus Doldinger’s sax and Moog lines, Philip Catherine’s guitar phrasings, and Les McCann’s Fender piano and vocal delivery. Johnny Griffin contributes extended tenor runs, while Buddy Guy adds sharp vocal-guitar punctuation on one track. Curt Cress and Pete York alternate on drums and percussion, reinforcing the harmonic undercurrents sustained by Wolfgang Schmid’s firm bass lines and Kristian Schultze’s dual keyboard textures.

Doldinger Jubilee ’75 captures an expansive live set marked by tonal contrasts and shifting instrumental centers. “Compared to What” rides McCann’s clipped Fender phrasings and staggered vocal cadences, with the band punctuating each line in tight bursts. “I Just Want to Make Love to You” slows the pace with low-end drawl and long vocal bends from Buddy Guy, who intersperses sustained notes with brief distorted fills.

“Spanish Steps” pivots toward a slower, open structure where electric piano and flute alternate focus across wide intervals. Catherine threads angular solo lines through “Alone – Aloud,” darting around the rhythm section’s restless pulse, while Johnny Griffin’s tenor lines in “Freedom Jazz Dance” tumble in mid-register flurries over interlocked patterns. The ensemble stretches time and space across the set, locking in and pulling apart without fixed center.

A1. “Compared to What” (5:15) – Gene McDaniels – not previously recorded by Passport
A2. “Albatros Song” (7:30) – Doldinger – originally on Cross-Collateral (1975)
A3. “Abracadabra” (7:30) – Doldinger – originally on Hand Made (1973)
B1. “Jadoo” (4:55) – Doldinger – originally on Cross-Collateral (1975)
B2. “I Just Want to Make Love to You” (5:55) – Willie Dixon – not previously recorded by Passport
B3. “Angel Wings” (8:20) – Philip Catherine – not previously recorded by Passport

Klaus Doldinger and Siegfried E. Loch co-produced the album, recorded direct to tape by the Dierks Recording Mobile and engineered, mixed, and remixed by Dieter Dierks. WEA Musik GmbH issued the album in Germany with catalog number ATL 50 186, housed in a laminated gatefold sleeve designed by Wandrey’s Studio. The live set was mastered and cut at Tonstudio Pfanz and pressed by Teldec. Photography credits include Bokelberg and Vogel.

Infinity Machine

Passport released their sixth studio album, Infinity Machine, in March 1976 on Atlantic.

The album continues the quartet’s interplay of melodic improvisation and layered electronics, spotlighting Klaus Doldinger’s soprano and tenor saxophone over a shifting base of Moog and keyboard textures. Guitarist Wolfgang Schmid contributes sharp accents and harmonizer effects while anchoring the low end with fluid, syncopated motion. Curt Cress and Kristian Schultze underpin the ensemble’s direction—Cress with precise rhythmic contour and Schultze with dual keyboard roles that alternate between percussive pulse and atmospheric expansion.

Infinity Machine pivots between rhythm-forward drive and atmospheric restraint, layering tightly arranged motifs with sudden spatial breaks. “Ju-Ju-Man” rides a clipped disco-inflected cadence under processed sax bursts and glancing synth stabs, with Curt Cress anchoring each pivot in tempo with sharp downbeat emphasis while Doldinger and Schulze toss short melodic fragments back and forth across stereo space. “Morning Sun” shifts into a faster pace with cleaner articulation—lighter sax phrasing loops above syncopated electric piano and tom-heavy fills, maintaining propulsion without oversaturation. “Blue Aura” pulls back into a two-voice dialogue between softly phrased soprano lines and responsive piano voicings, the track never rising above medium dynamic, holding tension through spacious timing and note placement.

The title track explodes from a fragmented intro into hard-charging forward motion, built around interlocking sax riffs, sharp Moog runs, and rapidly cycling keyboard accents that never loosen grip. “Ostinato” anchors its long form on a repeating bass figure that slowly expands in ornamentation, peaking in the fifth and sixth minutes with brief guitar bursts and tom-centered syncopation that lifts the pulse without shifting tempo. “Contemplation” closes in suspended rhythm, blending echo-heavy Rhodes, wind chime accents, and slowly climbing sax motifs that stretch into static tension without release. Across the album, Cress’s drumming and Schmid’s bass patterns form a durable frame for sharp instrumental entrances, while the solo phrasing drifts between clipped exclamations and wide-panned overlays, with textural contrast driving much of the album’s momentum.

A1. “Ju-Ju-Man” (10:04) clipped horn accents and syncopated drums lock into a steady four-beat pulse, while distorted synth phrases drift in and out of alignment above clavinet jabs and tightly wound bass.
A2. “Morning Sun” (5:49)
A3. “Blue Aura” (3:02) contracts into a quieter dialogue between voice-like soprano sax and sparse piano comping, both instruments phrasing in slow arcs against sustained background chords.

B1. “Infinity Machine” (5:12)
B2. “Ostinato” (7:37) expands on a single-loop bass motif, gradually adding layered percussion, echo-treated electric piano, and fuzzed rhythm guitar before shifting into a stripped-down closing stretch with rolling tom fills and circular keyboard overlays.
B3. “Contemplation” (6:39)

Doldinger produced the album during sessions held in January 1976 at Tonstudio Dierks and Union Studios in Munich, with engineering by Dieter Dierks and Mal Luker. Atlantic Recording Corporation issued the album in the US through WEA Musik GmbH, pressed by PRC in Richmond, Indiana, and mastered at Atlantic Studios. Wandrey’s Studio designed the cover artwork. All titles were published by WB Music Corp. under copyright to WEA Musik GmbH.

– Curt Cress / drums, percussion
– Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, Moog, keyboards, voice
– Wolfgang Schmid / bass, guitar, harmonizer
– Kristian Schulze / keyboards

Iguaçu

Passport released their seventh studio album, Iguaçu, in February 1977 on Atlantic.

The album incorporates Brazilian percussion and layered ensemble arrangements, anchored by Klaus Doldinger’s soprano and tenor saxophones in tandem with Kristian Schultze’s Fender and Yamaha keyboard textures. Guitarist Roy Louis and bassist Wolfgang Schmid trade off melodic and rhythmic motifs, alternating the lead voice and holding the ensemble’s phrasing together. Curt Cress provides the percussive backbone alongside Elmer Louis, while guest players including Pedro “Sorongo” Santos, Wilson das Neves, and Clélio Ribeiro add cuica, berimbau, and surdo accents that broaden the album’s rhythmic scope.

Iguaçu opens with layered ambient chatter and celebratory percussion on “Bahia do Sol,” which gives way to tight unison phrasing between sax, keys, and guitar over a mid-tempo pulse. The rhythm section thins out midway for a clipped guitar solo under piano chords and hand percussion, then surges again with a second-line feel in the final stretch. “Aguamarinha” builds from a softened tenor sax line into a more muscular midsection, where wah-treated guitar riffs press against syncopated keys and bass until the sax returns with more forceful contouring. “Bird of Paradise” moves at half-speed, balancing sustained soprano lines with staggered keyboard chords and light percussion textures, then drops into a quieter middle stretch with suspended phrasing and loose dynamic interplay before reassembling.

“Sambukada” begins with interlocking hand drums and whistles before the full ensemble enters around clustered sax phrasing and short keyboard flares, with electric piano stepping out for the first solo and processed sax later filling the upper range. “Iguaçu” alternates between dense, full-band propulsion and quiet clavi-driven passages with background ambient textures and restrained rhythm guitar, with soprano sax leading the build-up from the breakdown sections. “Praia Lame” compresses that structure into three minutes, trading lines between Rhodes and lightly phrased alto over a compact funk rhythm.

“Heavy Weight” stays anchored to a single vamp with little deviation, while “Guna Guna” introduces additional guitar textures from Mats Björklund, whose soloing rides above a multi-layered rhythm bed of percussion and chorus-treated horn figures. Across the album, transitions shift between forward-driving ensemble passages and atmospheric dropouts, with percussion playing a central role in shaping both tempo and texture. The band applies rhythmic variation as the core structural device, often using midsection contrasts to reshape and relaunch their thematic material.

A1. “Bahia do Sol” (5:53)
A2. “Aguamarinha” (4:10)
A3. “Bird of Paradise” (5:36)
A4. “Sambukada” (4:30)

B1. “Iguaçu” (8:42)
B2. “Praia Lame” (2:58)
B3. “Heavy Weight” (4:30)
B4. “Guna Guna” (4:28)

Doldinger produced the album during sessions split between Union Studios in Munich and Estúdio Level in Rio de Janeiro. Mal Luker and Andy Mills engineered the recordings, with SST Brüggemann GmbH handling lacquer cutting for the German pressing. WEA Musik GmbH distributed the album under the Atlantic Records imprint, with publishing by Musik Unserer Zeit/GEMA. Inge Doldinger supplied the photography and cover painting.

– Curt Cress / drums, berimbau
– Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, organ, Moog, flute
– Elmer Louis / percussion
– Roy Louis / electric guitar
– Wolfgang Schmid / bass

Guest musicians:
– Mats Björklund / guitar (8)
– Wilson Das Neves / atapaques, pandeiro (4)
– Roberto Bastos Pinheiro / surdo (4)
– Noel Manuel Pinto / cuica (3-4)
– Clélio Ribeiro / berimbau (4)
– Marcello Salazar / percussion (4)
– Pedro Santos / percussion, whistles (3-4)

Ataraxia

Passport released their eighth studio album, Ataraxia, in March 1978 on Atlantic.

The album features compact, rhythm-driven compositions framed by Klaus Doldinger’s layered saxophone and keyboard figures and Hendrik Schaper’s synth and organ voicings, often interlocked in sustained thematic dialogues. Guitarist Roy Louis adds clipped phrasings and melodic counterlines, while Yamaha bassist Dieter Petereit anchors the ensemble alongside drummer Willy Ketzer, forming a tightly articulated fulcrum reinforced by Elmer Louis’s and Guillermo Marchena’s polyrhythmic percussion patterns.

Ataraxia opens with ambient drift on Part 1, where layered synth textures stretch across a static field with little rhythmic development, functioning more as a threshold than a statement. Part 2 extends the mood into structured motion: sustained keyboard beds give way to staggered bass and soft funk underpinnings once Doldinger enters on sax, shifting the harmonic center without breaking the atmosphere.

“Sky Blue” introduces tighter phrasing, carried by staccato bass and a rising sequence of flute-like synth leads over brittle percussion; the transitions stay smooth, but the pacing turns deliberate. “Mandrake” moves toward more defined structure, circling a repeated bass riff and double-tracked sax refrains, interspersed with palm-muted guitar breaks and clipped handclap accents. “Reng Ding Dang Dong” pares things down to minimalist synth loops and distorted rhythmic figures, anchored by mechanical pulse but animated by layered sequencing and syncopated interjections.

“Loco-Motive” leans on a motoric beat with staggered sax overlays, peaking in its third minute when Doldinger’s solo lifts into shrill high-register bursts over tightly locked drums and arpeggiated synths. “The Secret” shifts between unison horn stabs and softer, open-harmony sections, balancing ensemble phrasing with extended soprano sax lead lines over a gradually intensifying rhythm bed.

“Louisianna” slows the pace, stretching a laid-back vamp beneath Doldinger’s processed saxophone lines, but without introducing new tension. “Algeria” closes the album with interlocking percussion figures and repeated group accents, broken up by a looser central solo section and a drawn-out rhythmic fade. Across the album, the rhythm section favors tight repetition and static pulse, while textural development comes from modulated keyboard washes and layered winds. The music sits in a state of poised restraint, shifting dynamics through instrumentation more than density or volume.

A1. “Ataraxia, Pt. 1” (2:55)
A2. “Ataraxia, Pt. 2” (5:23)
A3. “Sky Blue” (4:38)
A4. “Mandrake” (4:27)
A5. “Reng Ding Dang Dong” (3:01)

B1. “Loco-Motive” (4:17)
B2. “The Secret” (5:05)
B3. “Louisianna” (4:32)
B4. “Algeria” (5:12)

Doldinger produced the album at Soundport Studio in Isartal with engineering by Tommy Klemt. SST Brüggemann GmbH handled lacquer cutting for the WEA Musik GmbH pressing. Bengt Böckmann’s lithograph Palm of My Hand (1971) appears on the front cover, with photography by Inge Doldinger. All titles were published by MUZ/GEMA and credited to WEA Musik GmbH under the Atlantic label.

– Klaus Doldinger / saxophones, flute, keyboards, Mellotron
– Willy Ketzer / drums
– Elmer Louis / percussion
– Roy Louis / guitar
– Guillermo G. Marchena / vocals, percussion
– Dieter Petereit / electric bass
– Hendrik Schaper / keyboards

Garden of Eden

Passport released their ninth studio album, Garden of Eden, in April 1979 on Atlantic.

The album blends layered ensemble sections with compact vocal passages, featuring dialogues between Klaus Doldinger’s reeds and the electric phrasing of guitarist Kevin Mulligan. Hendrik Schaper’s synth and organ textures thread around Doldinger’s melodic contours, while bassist Dieter Petereit and drummer Willy Ketzer sustain the group’s pulse with unified rhythmic motion. Kathy Bartney joins on select tracks with vocal lines that alternate between declarative and harmonic roles.

Garden of Eden opens with “Big Bang,” where sustained synth layers ease into clipped disco rhythms under Doldinger’s spiraling soprano lines and short, echo-treated bursts of bass phrasing. The multi-part title suite begins in pastoral stillness with “Dawn,” then moves through the vocal-led “Light I,” where phased electric guitar and layered synths introduce motion, before “Light II” tightens into a forward-leaning sequence driven by syncopated rhythm guitar and Moog counterlines beneath alternating sax and dual-vocal refrains. “Snake” stretches into slow-motion phrasing, its tempo held in suspension while sax and keys circle each other in soft half-step intervals.

“Gates of Paradise” pivots toward funk, with slap bass and sustained chords pushing a steady mid-tempo base under interlocked group vocals and short lead breaks. “Dreamware” loops rhythmic motifs around handclaps, muted guitar, and filtered synth leads, while “Good Earth Smile” softens the tempo and leans into long chordal phrases under blended winds. “Children’s Dance” closes the album in bright, quick pulses, with sax, keys, and guitar rotating short lines over bouncing percussion. The album favors repeated harmonic cells and even pacing, balancing between tightly modulated ensemble motion and light vocal ornamentation, with texture and rhythm more central than variation or development.

A1. “Big Bang” (3:53)
A2. “Garden of Eden” (8:51)
— a. “Dawn” (1:54)
— b. “Light I” (1:53) – Doldinger, R.W. Palmer-James
— c. “Light II” (5:04) – Doldinger, R.W. Palmer-James
A3. “Snake” (4:49)

B1. “Gates of Paradise” (3:47) – Doldinger, R.W. Palmer-James
B2. “Dreamware” (5:00)
B3. “Good Earth Smile” (5:04) – Doldinger, R.W. Palmer-James
B4. “Children’s Dance” (3:39)

Doldinger produced the album during sessions at Soundport Studio in Isartal with engineering by Tommy Klemt. Final mastering took place at Tonstudio Pfanz following post-processing at Excitom. WEA Musik GmbH issued the album with cover artwork titled Tin Can Garden (1978) by Bengt Böckmann, licensed via Galerie Brusberg (Hannover) and Galerie Leger (Malmö). Publishing was handled by Warner Bros. Music GmbH / Musik Unserer Zeit.

– Klaus Doldinger / saxophones, keyboards, clarinet
– Willy Ketzer / drums, percussion
– Kevin Mulligan / guitar, vocals
– Dieter Petereit / bass
– Hendrik Schaper / keyboards

Guest musicians:
– Kathy Bartney / vocals (4-6)
– Horst Ramthor / harp (2a)

Oceanliner

Passport released their tenth studio album, Oceanliner, in March 1980 on Atlantic.

The album presents compact ensemble pieces shaped by layered phrasing between Klaus Doldinger’s saxophone, Lyricon, and vocoder textures and Hendrik Schaper’s keyboard voicings. Guitarist Kevin Mulligan alternates between rhythmic accents and melodic foreground, supported by Dieter Petereit’s nimble bass work and the responsive pulse maintained by drummer David Crigger, whose phrasing provides a dynamic fulcrum throughout.

Oceanliner opens with synthetic pulse and vocoder effects across tightly looped dance patterns, where Doldinger trades his usual sax for Lyricon leads that drift atop metronomic beats. “Ancient Saga” shifts abruptly into mid-tempo power-ballad territory, with Kevin Mulligan layering sustained guitar bends over rigid chord progressions. The title track restores some rhythmic flow, pairing clipped funk bass with Doldinger’s tenor sax, whose phrasing cuts through processed vocals and staccato keyboard stabs.

Side two opens with more vocoder-driven phrasing over syncopated bass and drum interplay, while “Bassride” scales things back, giving Petereit space to stretch long, fluid lines over sparse electric piano and ambient textures. “Scope” shifts again, unraveling into a wandering free-time piece with fragmented synth tones and unmetered sax figures. “Seaside” closes the album in laid-back sync, its softened rhythm and lilted phrasing offering a low-stakes resolution to an otherwise unsettled sequence.

A1. “Departure” (4:54)
A2. “Allegory” (3:40)
A3. “Ancient Saga” (4:15)
A4. “Oceanliner” (5:52)

B1. “Rub-a-Dub” (4:39)
B2. “Uptown Rendez-Vous” (3:32) – Doldinger, Bernard Loncheval, Kevin Mulligan
B3. “Bassride” (4:09)
B4. “Scope” (2:12)
B5. “Seaside” (5:28)

Doldinger produced Oceanliner at Soundport Studio with engineering by Tommy Klemt. Mastering took place at Atlantic Studios, with final lacquer etching by D.K. WEA Musik GmbH issued the album under the Atlantic imprint, pressed in the US by Specialty Records Corporation. Bengt Böckman supplied the cover artwork, and Inge Doldinger handled photography. Publishing was administered by WB Music Corp.

– David Crigger / drums, percussion
– Klaus Doldinger / saxophones, Lyricon, keyboards, vocoder
– Kevin Mulligan / guitar, vocals
– Dieter Petereit / bass
– Hendrik Schaper / keyboards

Lifelike

In 1980, Klaus Doldinger and Passport released Lifelike, a live double-album culled mostly from recent shows at Liederhalle Stuttgart and the Montreux Jazz Festival.

The album highlights the group’s ability to pivot between compact thematic frameworks and open improvisational passages, with Klaus Doldinger trading lines and textures with keyboardist Hendrik Schaper and guitarist Kevin Mulligan. Dieter Petereit underpins each set with melodic bass figures that steer the ensemble’s phrasing, while David Crigger’s responsive kit work balances propulsion and restraint. Additional tracks from 1977 feature an extended jazz lineup under Arif Mardin, including Herbie Mann, Etta James, and members of the Average White Band.

Lifelike catches Passport in transition, leaning into sharp unison riffs, sustained keyboard beds, and fast shifts between tight structure and solo-led breaks. Tracks from Iguaçu stretch out with added bite—“Ju-Ju Man” locks into clipped bass lines and percussion accents while sax and guitar trade midrange leads. “Dreamware” tightens around repeating keyboard pulses and thin, syncopated drumwork before sax phrases arc across the mix. “Algeria” features extended drum focus, with David Crigger building from scattered figures into rapid bursts over fixed vamping. The brief interludes without rhythm section shift the energy inward, pairing piano or synth with sax in slower, space-drenched forms.

A1. “Introduction” (0:19) – Doldinger – previously unreleased
A2. “Shirokko” (6:29) – Doldinger – originally on Passport (1971)
A3. “Guna Guna” (5:06) – Doldinger – originally on Iguaçu (1977)
A4. “Bahia Do Sol” (4:07) – Doldinger – originally on Iguaçu (1977)

B1. “Morning Sun” (4:35) – Doldinger – originally on Infinity Machine (1976)
B2. “Fairy Tale” (4:31) – trad., adapted by Doldinger – originally on Second Passport (1972)
B3. “Ostinato” (10:08) – Doldinger – originally on Infinity Machine (1976)

C1. “Jadoo” (7:30) – Doldinger – originally on Cross-Collateral (1975)
C2. “Sambukada” (7:38) – Doldinger – originally on Iguaçu (1977)
C3. “Stormy Monday Blues” (7:33) – Crowder, Eckstine, Hines – not previously recorded by Passport

D1. “Ataraxia” (8:23) – Doldinger – originally on Ataraxia (1978)
D2. “Dreamware” (5:28) – Doldinger – originally on Garden of Eden (1979)
D3. “Alegria” (7:57) – Doldinger – originally on Ataraxia (1978)

Doldinger produced the album, with Arif Mardin overseeing the 1977 Montreux tracks (C1–C3). Recordings span four venues: Elzer Hof, Mainz (June 3, 1980); Liederhalle Stuttgart (June 4, 1980); and the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 10, 1977 and 1980. Engineers included Thomas Kukuck, David Richards, and Gene Paul, with final mixing and mastering by Tommy Klemt at Soundport Studio. WEA Musik GmbH issued the double-LP with mastering by Tonstudio Pfanz and pressing by Record Service Alsdorf. Most titles were published by Musik Unserer Zeit (GEMA), with exceptions noted.

Blue Tattoo

Passport released their eleventh studio album, Blue Tattoo, in May 1981 on Atlantic.

The album centers around tight ensemble execution and electronic layering, with Klaus Doldinger switching fluidly between saxophone, Lyricon, and vocoder effects over harmonized synth passages from Hendrik Schaper. Guitarist Kevin Mulligan trades phrases with Doldinger across rhythmic cadences reinforced by Dieter Petereit’s weighty bass presence and the dynamic, responsive underpinning of drummer David Crigger.

Blue Tattoo opens with tightly framed, mid-tempo vamps, where synth and electric piano carry most of the forward motion before sax enters in brief, expressive arcs. “Radiation” stands out for its sharp turn into faster pacing, where layered keyboard runs and more active cymbal patterns contrast the album’s otherwise relaxed pulse. The title track unfolds over a restrained reggae-patterned rhythm, with chord changes shaped by long keyboard sustains and low-register sax interjections.

“Piece for Rock Orchestra” shifts from subdued phrasing into a more dynamic midsection, driven by stereo-panned synth swells and tom-heavy drum fills. The final tracks slow the pace again, balancing smooth unison lines with soft-touch phrasing and broad, echo-treated chordal textures that recede rather than peak. Across the album, instrumental roles remain contained within clear tonal boundaries, and phrasing relies more on texture layering than contrast or interplay.

B1. “Riding on a Cloud” (4:17)
B2. “Radiation” (5:17)
B3. “Ragtag and Bobtail” (4:10)
B4. “Blue tattoo” (4:05)

B1. “Piece for Rock Orchestra” (5:46)
B2. “Rambling” (4:08)
B3. “In a Melancholy Way” (4:42)
B4. “Daybreak Delight” (4:45)

Doldinger produced Blue Tattoo during sessions at Soundport Studio in Isartal, with engineering by Tommy Klemt and mastering at Strawberry Mastering. Record Service Alsdorf pressed the LP for WEA Musik GmbH under the Warner Communications imprint. Klaus Voormann and Peter Maltz designed the cover artwork, with all titles published by Musik Unserer Zeit Verlag GmbH. Instrumentation on the album included Dynacord, Musicman, Pearl, and Keilwerth gear.

– David Crigger / drums
– Klaus Doldinger / saxophones, Lyricon, keyboards, vocoder
– Kevin Mulligan / guitars
– Dieter Petereit / bass
– Hendrik Schaper / keyboards

Earthborn

Passport released their twelfth studio album, Earthborn, in November 1982 on Atlantic.

The album integrates layered synth and saxophone lines with melodic counterpoint from guitarist Kevin Mulligan and keyboardist Hermann Weindorf, whose parts shift between chordal support and foreground figures. Dieter Petereit’s phrasing locks firmly with Curt Cress’s kinetic percussion work, establishing an elastic yet grounded foundation across alternating rhythmic frameworks.

Earthborn opens with “Ball the Jack,” where phased keyboard textures frame short guitar patterns that escalate into clipped, rhythmic bursts under layered electric piano and sax figures. “Akabus” builds a more relaxed forward motion, driven by chordal keyboard cycles and walking bass, while sax outlines short ascending contours in the upper range. “Allemande” adopts a more processional shape, with linear phrasing over an understated pulse and sustained organ layers that soften each instrumental entrance. Other tracks stay compact in form, using brief stabs of rhythm guitar and unison sax-keyboard refrains to punctuate otherwise spacious arrangements. Kevin Mulligan’s guitar alternates between short bursts and tonal shading, while Doldinger’s saxes often trace the perimeter of each theme without dominating. Keyboard tones remain fresh and dry across the mix, forming the core atmosphere rather than decoration.

A1. “Palm Tree Song” (4:16)
A2. “Ball the Jack” (4:30)
A3. “Bassic” (3:17)
A4. “Earthborn” (5:52)
A5. “New moon” (4:10) – Doldinger, Jimmy Patrick

B1. “Allemande” (4:35)
B2. “Leave Taking” (5:45)
B3. “Abakus” (5:40)
B4. “Night Delighter” (5:10) – Doldinger, Hermann Weindorf, P. Bischof/Fallenstein

Doldinger produced Earthborn at Soundport Studio with engineering by Tommy Klemt. WEA Musik GmbH issued the album under the Atlantic label, with artwork by Markus Oehlen. Mats Björklund appears as a second guitarist on “New Moon,” and all titles are credited to Musik Unserer Zeit Verlag, unless otherwise indicated.

– Curt Cress / drums, percussion
– Klaus Doldinger / saxophones, flute, keyboards
– Kevin Mulligan / guitars
– Dieter Petereit / bass
– Hermann Weindorf / keyboards, vocals

Man in the Mirror

Passport released their thirteenth studio album, Man in the Mirror, in September 1983 on WEA.

The album continues the band’s exploration of synthesizer-rich textures and melodic motifs, led by the alternating lyricon, soprano, and alto saxophone voicings of Klaus Doldinger in dialogue with Hermann Weindorf’s electric piano and polyphonic synth layers. Guitarist Kevin Mulligan adds clipped harmonic phrases and lead lines, while Dieter Petereit and Curt Cress shape a disciplined rhythmic foundation, balancing syncopation and pulse beneath the shifting dynamics.

Man in the Mirror leans into polished, mid-tempo pieces where tight keyboard figures and glassy synth pads dominate the foreground. Tracks like “The Great Escape” and “In the Eye of the Storm” add light vocal refrains, but the core motion remains instrumental, built around steady rhythm guitar pulses and punctuated sax phrases. Doldinger’s lines often surface as bright accents rather than woven interplay, hovering above rather than engaging with the rhythm section. Drums and bass act more as a framing device than a driving force, holding pace while the synth layers shift between shimmer and lull. Most phrasing avoids tension or buildup, favoring sustained tones and clipped rhythmic passages wrapped in a consistent digital sheen.

A1. “Glass Culture” (3:34)
A2. “Evocation” (5:53)
A3. “Mango Tango” (4:05)
A4. “The Great Escape” (5:12) – Weindorf, Jimmy Patrick

B1. “Nightfall” (4:48)
B2. “In the Eye of the Storm” (4:39) – Doldinger, Weindorf, Jimmy Patrick
B3. “Walkin’ on Air” (4:26)
B4. “Man in the Mirror” (5:28) – Doldinger, Weindorf, Jimmy Patrick

Doldinger produced the album at Soundport Studio with engineering by Tommy Klemt. Record Service Alsdorf pressed the LP for WEA Musik GmbH, with cover artwork by Gerd Huss and photography by Inge Doldinger. All titles were published by Musik Unserer Zeit Verlag, except tracks A4, B2, and B4, co-published by Bavaria Sonor. Printing was handled by Druckhaus Maack KG.

– Curt Cress / drums, percussion
– Klaus Doldinger / alto, soprano & tenor saxes, Lyricon, keyboards
– Kevin Mulligan / guitar
– Dieter Petereit / bass
– Hermann Weindorf / keyboards, vocals

Running in Real Time

Passport released their fourteenth studio album, Running in Real Time, in March 1985 on WEA.

The album expands on digital textures and syncopated phrasing, balancing Klaus Doldinger’s saxophone and bamboo flute leads with interwoven keyboard sequences from Hermann Weindorf and melodic guitar phrasing by Kevin Mulligan. Billy Lang and Roykey Wydh alternate on lead guitar, with Dieter Petereit and Curt Cress holding a consistent rhythmic center beneath the ensemble’s harmonic interplay. Victoria Miles sings on four tracks.

Running in Real Time opens with “At Large,” built on brisk rhythm guitar patterns and mid-range sax lines that rise and recede over shifting keyboard layers. “Auyrin” pulls the tempo back, centering on soft sax contours and warm electric piano voicings that hold steady beneath brief guitar fills. “Talisman” pivots into slower, more spacious territory, using bamboo flute phrases and circular percussion figures to establish a looser pulse around ambient chord swells. The second half shifts character as vocals enter—“Help Me” and “Heart to Heart” carry clipped phrasing over relaxed drum patterns, with synth pads and wordless refrains anchoring the arrangements more than instrumental interplay. Closing themes ease back into instrumental space, but phrasing remains understated, favoring rounded shapes and even pacing over sharp contrasts or acceleration.

A1. “At Large” (4:46)
A2. “Auryn” (5:34)
A3. “Talisman” (7:29)
A4. “Help me” (4:12) – Doldinger, Jimmy Patrick, Victoria Miles

B1. “Joy Riding” (6:36)
B2. “Slap Shot” (5:45)
B3. “Mr. Mystery” (4:14) – Doldinger, Patrick, Miles
B4. “Running in Real Time” (3:42) – Doldinger, Patrick, Miles

Doldinger produced the album at Soundport Studio with engineering by Tommy Klemt. WEA Musik GmbH handled the release under its Warner Communications imprint. Anthony Powell designed the cover artwork. All titles were published by Musik Unserer Zeit Verlag, with lyric contributions by Jimmy Patrick and Victoria Miles. Guest guitar appearances are split between Billy Lang (A1, A3, A4, B1, B2) and Roykey Wydh (B3, B4).

– Curt Cress / drums, percussion
– Klaus Doldinger / alto, soprano & tenor saxes, bamboo flute, keyboards
– Victoria Miles / vocals
– Kevin Mulligan / guitar
– Dieter Petereit / bass
– Hermann Weindorf / keyboards

Guest musicians:
– Bill Lang / guitar (1-3-4-5-6)
– Claus Reichstaller / trumpet (8)
– Franz Weyerer / trumpet (8)
– Roykey Wydh / guitar(7-8)

Heavy Nights

Passport released their fifteenth studio album, Heavy Nights, in 1986 on WEA.

The album blends spacious horn voicings with rhythmic interplay between Klaus Doldinger’s saxophone and Lyricon leads and Hermann Weindorf’s synthesized textures. Guitarist Kevin Mulligan’s phrases weave in and out of the upper melodic spectrum, while Dieter Petereit and Curt Cress stabilize the momentum with a low-end fulcrum reinforced by Biboul Darouiche’s percussion. Guest trumpeters Andy Haderer and Franz Weyerer join flugelhorn soloist Benny Bailey and featured vocalist Victoria Miles across select tracks.

A1. “Bahia Praia” (5:13)
A2. “Playing Games” (4:13)
A3. “Here Today” (5:57)
A4. “Forever” (5:36)

B1. “Heavy Nights” (6:03)
B2. “Easy Come, Easy Go” (4:24)
B3. “Remembrance” (4:50)
B4. “It’s Magic” (4:14)

Doldinger produced Heavy Nights for WEA Musik GmbH, recorded and engineered by Berthold Weindorf. Pressing was handled by Specialty Records Corporation. The album features brass arrangements on Side B with guest spots by Benny Bailey, Andy Haderer, and Franz Weyerer, while Victoria Miles appears on the closing track. All compositions were published by Musik Unserer Zeit.

– Curt Cress / drums
– Klaus Doldinger / soprano & tenor saxes, Lyricon, keyboards
– Victoria Miles / vocals (8)
– Kevin Mulligan / guitar
– Dieter Petereit / bass
– Hermann Weindorf / keyboards

Guest musicians:
– Benny Bailey / flugelhorn (5-6)
– Biboul Darouiche / percussion
– Andreas Haderer / trumpet (8)
– Nadine Holloway / backing vocals (8)
– Franz Weyerer / trumpet (8)

Discography: