Pell Mell -

Pell Mell was a German symphonic-rock band that debuted with the 1972 Bacillus release Marburg, followed by the 1973 Philips title From the New World. After the 1976–78 Venus albums Rhapsody and Only a Star, violinist/bandleader Thomas Schmitt formed the spinoff group Skyline but resurrected Pell Mell for the 1981 CAIN release Moldau.

Members: Bruno Kniedmeijer [Mitch] (drums), Rudolf Schön (vocals, percussion, guitar), Thomas Schmitt (vocals, violin, flute, Mellotron), Otto Pusch (piano, organ, 1971-75), Jörg Götzfried (bass, 1971-75), Dietrich J. Noll (organ, piano, 1973-75), Ralph Lippmann (keyboards, vocals, guitar, 1975-79), Cherry Hochdörfer (keyboards, 1975-79), Götz Dräger (bass, 1975-79), Ralph Fricke (guitar, 1979-81)

Formation

Pell Mell formed in 1971 at Marburg University, where violinist Thomas Schmitt and organist Otto Pusch teamed with guitarist Rudolf Schön, bassist Jörg Götzfried, and drummer Bruno Kniedmeijer. Their name is an international phrase for confusion, derived from the French word pelemele. They signed with Bacillus, a just-launched underground division of Bellaphon Records GmbH.

Marburg

Pell Mell released their debut album, Marburg, in June 1972 on Bacillus.

The album contains five extended group compositions, including “Moldau,” which interpolates a theme from Czech Romantic composer Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884).

Thomas Schmitt multi-tasks on violin, flute, and guitar; the latter two shared with fellow vocalist Rudolf Schön. Frame guitarist Andy Kirnberger serves as a guest sixth musician.

A1. “The Clown and the Queen” (8:37)
A2. “Moldau” (5:24) derives from Vltava, an 1874 Smetana symphonic poem, known in German as Die Moldau.
A3. “Friend” (7:04)

B1. “City Monster” (8:42)
B2. “Alone” (9:24)

Sessions occurred in early 1972 at Dierks Studios in Stommeln, where Bacillus founder Peter Hauke produced Marburg and Frame in sequence with titles by Epsilon, Haze, Message, My Solid Ground, and Nine Days’ Wonder. Dieter Dirks engineered the aforementioned amid projects by Electric Sandwich, Emtidi, Holderlin, Missing Link, Mythos, Passport, Twenty Sixty Six and Then, and Wallenstein.

Marburg appeared in a black sleeve with a cover illustration by Helmut Wenske, whose post-psych surrealism graced multiple Nektar covers. His Marburg art depicts a fish-eye view of a clustered township of tall clocks and colorful skyscrapers.

From the New World

Pell Mell released their second album, From the New World, in November 1973 on Philips.

The album contains four pieces co-credited to Thomas Schmitt and singer/percussionist Rudolf Schön, including “Toccata,” a neo-classical instrumental dominated by Otto Pusch’s organ.

Side B contains two suites with guest pianist/organist Dietrich J. Noll in lieu of Otto. From the New World otherwise retains the Marburg quintet. Schön relegates the few guitar parts to repeat guest Andy Kirnberger.

A1. “From the New World” (16:06)
A2. “Toccata” (3:53)

B1. “Suite I (Five Past Four a.m.)” (8:05)
B2. “Suite II (Deficiency)” (11:30)

Sessions occurred at Rhein-Main Tonstudio in Frankfurt, where Schmitt co-produced the album with musicologist Wolfgang Sandner, a recent soundman for Agitation Free and Sixty-Nine.

From the New World appeared in a black sleeve with inverse blue-scale photos of a symphony, pictured from an aerial view (top) and upside down (bottom). Original copies sport a pink-ringed sticker of the Statue of Liberty. The backside contains a picture of a live outdoor Pell Mell performance.

In the three-year gap before their next album, Otto Pusch and bassist Jörg Götzfried left the band.

Rhapsody

Pell Mell released their third album, Rhapsody, in October 1976 on Venus.

The album presents a reconfigured sextet with guitarist/singer Ralph “Flipper” Lippmann, bassist Götz Draeger, and ex-Frame keyboardist Cherry Hochdorffer, who join Pell Mell’s three remaining co-founders: singer Rudolf Schön, drummer Bruno Kniedmeijer (identified here as Cornelius “Mitch” Kniesmijer), and violinist/flutist Thomas Schmitt, who also plays electric guitar and keyboards.

Rhapsody contains three extended songs and a three-piece suite co-written by Schön and Schmitt. The first movement, “Frost of an Alien Darkness,” interpolates Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811–1886). Schön submitted “Prelude,” based on a theme by Russian Romantic composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943).

A. “Rhapsody”
— a. “Frost of an Alien Darkness” (9:24) derives from Liszt’s 1851 work Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.
— b. “Wanderer” (2:31)
— c. “Can Can” (3:38)
A2. “Prelude” (3:18)

B1. “Desert in Your Mind” (6:18)
B2. “The Riot” (6:06)
B3. “Paris the Past” (8:10)

Sessions occurred in late 1975 at Dierks Studios, where band manager Cornelius Hudalla produced the album. Stockhausen protege Toby Robinson engineered Rhapsody amid titles by Birth Control, Can, and Dzyan.

Rhapsody shows an illustration of a concert hall entrance with framed profiles of each member.

Before the next album, “Mitch” Kniesmijer cleared for ex-Frame drummer Wolfgang Claus.

Only a Star

Pell Mell released their fourth album, Only a Star, in June 1978 on Venus.

A1. “Count Down” (4:51)
A2. “Daydreamer” (3:43)
A3. “Only a Star” (4:21)
A4. “Across the Universe” (7:22)

B1. “Disillusion” (8:44)
B2. “Trailors in Movie Halls” (3:45)
B3. “Phoebus Is Dead” (7:13)

Thomas Schmitt – violin, strings, vocals, synthesizer, flute, vibraphone, music
Rudolf Schön – lead vocals, lyrics
Ralph Lippmann – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric piano, organ, strings
Cherry Hochdörfer – keyboards
Götz Draeger – bass
Wolfgang Claus – drums, vocals

Cornelius Hudalla – producer
Heiner Friesz – recording engineer