Rumpelstilz -

Rumpelstilz was a Swiss pop, folk, and blues-rock band behind the 1975–77 Schnoutz albums Vogelfuetter, Füüf Narre im Charre, and La Dolce Vita.

Members: Polo Hofer (vocals), Hanery Amman (keyboards, piano), Samuel Jungen (bass), Hans Jungen (drums, 1971), Küre Güdel (drums), Jürg Werren (guitar, 1971), Schifer Schafer (guitar), Christian Ramseyer (bass, 1974-75), Urs Wirth (piano, 1974-75), Ronald Gall (bass, 1975)

Background

Rumpelstilz formed in 1971 in Interlaken, Switzerland, when singer–lyricist Urs “Polo” Hofer and pianist Hanspeter “Hanery” Amman teamed with guitarist Jürg Werren, bassist Samuel “Sämi” Jungen, and drummer Hans Jungen.

Hofer and Amman grew up in the same building on Marktgasse in Interlaken. Hofer joined the local dance band the Jetmen in 1961 as a singer and drummer. He later formed Polo’s Pop Tales, a Bern-based cover group from the late 1960s. Amman learned banjo and ukulele at school and subsequently took up piano. He completed an apprenticeship as a precision mechanic and developed a songwriting partnership with Hofer, who set lyrics for his themes.

Rumpelstilz replaced Hans Jungen with drummer Kurt “Küre” Güdel, a Bern Jazz School student who played with the Shotguns as a teenager. The group made its live debut on October 23, 1971, at the Kellertheater in Thun, where the musicians accompanied folklorist Sergius Golowin in a program of spoken texts and instrumental improvisation. Their early repertoire combined English-language covers with extended jazz-rock passages. Hofer introduced Bernese-dialect lyrics that addressed local social conditions. Rumpelstilz appeared in 1972 at the Atlantis in Basel.

Rumpelstilz recruited René “Schifer” Schafer in June 1972 to replace guitarist Jürg Werren. Schafer previously played with the progressive group Los Popperos and shared a school band with Sämi Jungen. Werren declined a full-time musical career, while Schafer abandoned teacher training in Bern to join Rumpelstilz. The revised quintet supported East of Eden in August 1972 at the Wasserstelzenschulhaus in Basel. Rumpelstilz also appeared at the March 1973 Bern Jazz + Poptage festival.

Rumpelstilz recorded “Warehuus Blues” and “Gammler” in February 1973 at Sinus Studio on Münstergasse in Bern. Sinus issued the single that summer in a pressing of 2,000 copies. The musicians sold records at concerts, while the father of Hanery Amman placed several hundred copies in regional jukeboxes. Radio DRS presenter Christoph Schwegler subsequently interviewed Hofer amid the promotional blitz by band manager Ruedi Bürki.

Amman and Sämi Jungen left Rumpelstilz as the group prepared the first album. Hofer, Schafer, and Güdel recruited pianist Urs Wirth and bassist Christian “Süggu” Ramseier. Güdel helped raise studio funds, while the revised quintet rehearsed at the practice room of the Bernese group Span. Rumpelstilz entered Sinus Studio in September 1974 to record the independently financed Vogelfuetter.

Discography:

“Warehuus Blues” / “Gammler” (1973)
Vogelfuetter (1975)
Füüf Narre im Charre (1976)
La Dolce Vita (1977)
Fätze u Bitze vo Geschter u Itze (live, 1978)

Research notes

Zwischen Mundartrock und Volkstheater: Teil 3 zur «Bärndütsch»-Serie. Bettina Gugger, April 19, 2026. Interviews with Küre Güdel, Schifer Schafer, and engineer Eric Merz. Covers the early recruitment, Thun rehearsals, Schafer succession, Basel concerts, and financing difficulties ahead of the first LP. (BärnerBär)
Der Schattenmann des Mundartrock. Ane Hebeisen, February 6, 2018. Biographical account of Hanery Amman, including his early instruments, precision-mechanic apprenticeship, childhood association with Hofer, and division of songwriting responsibilities. (SUISA)
Rumpelstilz: Warehuus Blues — Docs ’n’ Pics. Archival collection containing the October 23, 1971 debut concert flyer, 1972 performance photographs, original promotional material, period concert posters, and newspaper clippings from 1972–73. Establishes the early personnel sequence and concert chronology. (Sam’s Collection)
Rumpelstilz: Warehuus Blues — Münstergasse 48. Surviving contact sheets by photographer Jürg Hafen document the February 1973 single sessions at Sinus Studio in Bern. (Sam’s Collection)
Rumpelstilz: Warehuus Blues — Vinyl. Original single artwork and a test pressing stamped May 8, 1973. Identifies Sinus as the original label and Kurt Zimmermann as the studio proprietor. (Sam’s Collection)
Rumpelstilz: Warehuus Blues — Review. Details the early English-language repertoire, the transition to Bernese lyrics, the summer 1973 single release, and distribution through concerts and local jukeboxes. Includes recollections from Hofer and Amman. (Sam’s Collection)
Rumpelstilz — Biographie. Historical chronology dated July 24, 1999. Covers the Jetmen and Pop Tales, initial Rumpelstilz rehearsals, Sergius Golowin performances, the June 1972 guitarist replacement, the original single distribution, and the September–October 1974 album sessions. References Thomas Küng, Rhythmus und Rausch: Polo Hofers langer Weg (1988). (Archived biography)
Rumpelstilz — Singles Discography. Confirms the original 1973 Sinus single, catalogue PU-005/2000, with “Warehuus Blues” backed by “Gammler.” (45cat)