The Passions - I'm in love with a German film star. TOTP

[freestyleminibus]

A little evocative isn't it?

[1001goofball]

One of the best B bands ever, almost broke over to A. Tons of talent, I wonder what happened to them. This is one of the most original songs I've ever heard. Great guitarist. Lovely voice the singer.

[imjustabadpenny]

makes my spine tingle every time i hear this. it doesn't get any better.....i'm in love, i'm in love 

[hasanrolf]

dogs bollocks

[hasanrolf]

2/3 guitas going on here l m y alltime track

[hasanrolf]

what a guitar player. im a bluesman but cant follow this  guy .quality

[Hugo411]

An early CURVE , without the hard-edge???

[jmaxcamp]

very cool

[GamesFrontiers]

One-hit wonders and rightfully so.

[sweetsweetchimera]

Grandma fashion style !

[WebmasterBretagne]

My favorite!!! So great gig!

[UnknownWebUser]

BACK IN THE 80's

[pm966]

Ahead of its time - brilliant.

[hasanrolf]

what happened to her??  and the superb guitarist??

[hasanrolf]

wow. i always loved this after a smoke lol

but alas you get older lol

[lisaloveshadleigh]

Omg I had forgot how bloody good this song is... The haunting instrumental at the beginning is just fantastic!!!! Love it!

[RicardoDeForceTV]

@bibsteenson It is a bit of an underground classic though. Courtney Love was living in Liverpool in 1981 and she loved this song, and so did Kurt Cobain and the guys who became the Foo Fighters. The Foos covered this song on an album or single, it isn't half as good though!

[RicardoDeForceTV]

@bibsteenson I remember this being on TOTP2 and Steve Wright said "The singer looks like she's just come off the cashier's desk at Barclays Bank" lol

[dermotoblong]

@RicardoDeForceTV funny that steve wright said that tho. the fat 'smashy and nicey, 'love the show' twat! haha!

[bibsteenson]

Or maybe they dislike Peter Powell which is more understandable

[bibsteenson]

19 people actually disliked this song, why are people who enjoy crushing butterflies allowed access to the internet.

[bibsteenson]

Paris and Troyes 1981, this song playing and my first passionate kiss. It's a tragedy that this song is not a standard classic. The trancelike intro still sends shivers

[MrChubbleyWarner]

there are 100's of bands on the indie circuit NOW who couldn't match this!!

[RicardoDeForceTV]

I read somewhere that the only reason this didn't get much higher in the charts was because Polydor didn't print enough vinyl and copies sold out really quick and left empty shelves. Damn shame, cos this is just gorgeous.

[bibsteenson]

@RicardoDeForceTV  This was true, I couldn't get a copy

[MSJCPoetry]

Just listened to this tune on GTA: VCS, so naturally i came here to look it up and here it is! great song from the 80's =)

[88gazzman]

That girl in the yellow top should've smacked Powell in the face. He's a slimy twat.

[hasanrolf]

aint heard this 4 yrs fuckin classic

[TheEdRock77]

shes damn pretty

[GodfreyTempleton]

I think there is a conflict between the guitarist and bass player.

The drummers garb suggest he is siding with guitarist.

Singer is along for best self promotion.

The bass player is the interesting person.

[ezramead]

This was a college station song. Man, those days before the net

[mywheelchairone69]

@highschoolmusical841 Will do.........thanks very much!  :-)

[skipking]

I was lucky enough to see them perform this song, 9 March 1980, at the Marquee club in London, with the Au Pairs opening. Admission? £1.00 !!! And this song STILL gives me goosebumps.

[TheEdRock77]

shes damn pretty

[glaeken14]

La canción prácticamente se escrbió sola.

David Agar.2009

[icaledshotgun]

mmmmm.....dreampop.....

[1hairbear]

The delay on the big Gibson sounds fkin epic - timeless choonage

[Harrylechat01]

Anybody who likes this should check out the Young Marble Giants: stripped down bare music only more so.

[MsTarocchi]

Great song but I have to ask are there any German filmstars? Can't really think of any ....not from this era anyway!

[773SleepyHollow]

@MsTarocchi That strikes me as a ridiculous question on the face of it... unless what you mean is crossover German film stars...

[mywheelchairone69]

@MsTarocchi Errrm.......There was Klaus Kinski.........but he did have a dubious relationship with his daughter Natassija,apparently..........­.

[MsTarocchi]

@mywheelchairone69 Never heard of him I shall Wiki him ! I have now racked my brains and thought of one: Jürgen Prochnow who was the Captain in the hit cult film Das Boot. Not the most glamourous but certainly a good actor

[mywheelchairone69]

@MsTarocchi A fine actor indeed,thank you for rekindling memories of " Das Boot ", a great movie I have enjoyed several times.

[Feisty1967]

This song really stands the test of time. If it was re-released today, the younger generation would fall in love with it, as I did when I was 13.

[booldawg]

LOL Angie? Is that you? Wheres Dirty Den?

[midwichyouthclub]

One of the greatest songs ever written-pure dream pop!

[evilrobottolhurst]

At 3:10 you can see just how much in love she is - 13x?

Fantastic song, "Passion Plays" a superb album!

[LittlemanDR]

GTA VCS :D

[flares]

@LittlemanDR What?

[adamclifton29]

@flares Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a game that had this song on it

[klurpook]

@flares Grand theft auto vice city probably included this great song!

[gahloko]

@LittlemanDR

Ooooh fuck Yeah !

GTA Vice City Stories - Radio : Emotion '

Nostalgic Moments 

[MsJayney1]

Used to play this all the time when it was out!

[DaveySkate]

my dad's best mate is david wardillllllllll, the bassist

[thetiktokman]

amazing track! the sound of the times...

[Modboy54]

You twats do not understand the "Dynamics" of song performance - classic pop ditty.

[MochizMuM]

keria knightly dopple ganger aler!

[Vostokesq]

A guilty pleasure! Nostalgic - but something yer ma & granny might NOT like lol! bought this when it came out (1981) and played it to death - ah the memories

[ME6661]

kinda boring.

[tully5111helmets]

Why did i never forget this song ?

[Xythantiops]

The guitar reminds me of Terry Bickers from House Of Love. Fantastic song. Needs to be a hit again so they can get paid..

[Dominionian]

Hahaha.. when I saw the 9:30 thumbnail of this video.. I thought this was a performance at 9:30 Club in DC :)

[1248fixx]

'Skin Deep' cranked up is an incredible track, a crying shame the Passions never broke into the 'big' time...

[1248fixx]

@the rantanwaltz; vocalist reminds me a bit of Andy McCluskey from OMD? Good luck!

[ni66o]

Saw The Passions at Cheltenham Eves Club 1981 - 3 months of great bands on Monday nights included Vapors, Dept S, The Photos, Holly & the Italians, even Bananarama's first ever live song Aie E Mwana. Jools Holland and his Millionaires. Wonderful memories

[Nihilanth1982]

first came across this song whilst playing grand theft auto vice city stories. love it.

[JenBsja2010x]

I've adored this song ever since I heard it on Ashes To Ashes :)

[TheRanTanWaltz]

just been told our band sound like these. got a couple of tracks up on our page, more to come in March. hope you like them x

[guthywoodry]

Everyone knows what this is really about; -Toothticiously-Poptabulous -Radio-1-Mongous Peter-Powell! -BBC Radio-1's Most "One-derful" ever DJ.....

...-Before "it" Happened.....

....-Things at BBC Radio 1 Have Never Been The Same Since......

-The BBC..... -Good Grief.

[TheHairybaz]

quality

[basov]

In my view: The ultimate new wave song. Haunting, rhythmic, eerie, mysterious, underground, original!

[Kniesberg]

@basov You are absolutely right: this is heart of new wave! Never been better, never been dryer! You have the right impression! I love this song! A.

[hategrinder]

@basov after judgement from the sound

[dot4design]

I´m in love with this song, 30 years ago and still fresh as a baby.....MORE FANTASTIC ´80´s music at my channel!!! Take a look....

[ppdix]

The drummer looks like Rick Ocasek from the Cars..

[swanstep]

What a fantastic song (which I'd completely forgotten about). Thanks to flares for posting this clip.

[joeyrider]

I loved and still do The 30 feet Over China Album plez somebody post Runaway!!!!

[GjVj]

Ace.

[beowulven]

Sunrise Hammers, what?

[goldkitten66]

good old days...fantastic guitar

[BadTeutonik]

@goldkitten66

And a fantastic voice ;-)

[kylenavyboy]

Discovered this tune on the Postpunk Chronicles: Left of the Dial compliation I bought over a year ago and just love it! A melody to die for!

[Borisbxl]

great song

[Borisbxl]

great song

[throbasonic1982]

One of the best guitar sounds ever

[nicknick1963]

i.m jn love with barbara gogan

[1hairbear]

Get yerself a digitally remastered copy of this, whack it in the CD player, crank it up and wait for that epic delay from the Gibson - gives me the bumps everytime. Simply superb.

[djbethell]

I'm in love with I'm In Love With A German Filmstar

[jadey212001]

love the guitarists delay

[jadey212001]

love the guitarists delay

[bzzzzap]

Proof that you don't need to really know how to play your instruments to make a totally fantastic song. This is the very simple playing, and a classic tune.

[flares]

@bzzzzap Just because they're not playing the most complicated song ever doesn't mean they don't know how to play their instruments. Infact it's probably because they DO know how to play their instruments that they've made this sound so good and flowing.

[marmaladesoup]

@flares some musicians never reach the stage where they realize leaving space is just as important as filling space. There's plenty going on here, they're obviously confident enough to not overplay and it's obviously a band working towards an overall sound. Nice!

[misternylon]

@marmaladesoup less is more, this is like the musical equivalent of Matisse.

[offthelinegt]

@flares indeed .. simple but effective. The delay on the guitar really brings it out

[dean147uk]

@flares I couldn't agree more... and it's a great song.

[zapspace]

@flares I love the guitar: it's a very original sound. Maybe not technically great but original ...

[snoogans11]

@flares I believe that was what Bzzz was saying.

[Nealo81]

@flares Agreed . . . most of us can learn to play an instrument . . . it's learning not to play that counts. This song is all about space and phrasing - great performances from the band, and a great vocal performance. Absolute genius.

[LaudCranium]

@flares intelligent comment & correct flares.

[Nealo81]

@flares Agreed. Lots of us can learn how to play an instrument . . . the skill lies in learning when not to play . . .

It's a cliche, but so often, the great songs we come across suggest that less is indeed more . .

[trauma6]

@bzzzzap this is obviously mimed.............but the song and album are great

[eric1012wi]

@bzzzzap You are Proof that you don't need to really know that you don't have a brain to post on here.

[gldoherty]

@bzzzzap Actually the guitar lines are reasonably intricate and the delay/reverb sounds is incredible. It is subtle yes but in no way simplistic!

[ZEROTHEHERO1960]

I remember being gutted that this didn't get to No1 at the time because it was the best song performed on Top of the pops for months. Ace.

[djbethell]

@ZEROTHEHERO1960 I remember so many brilliant songs coming into the charts and exiting a week or two later. That's testament to the huge amount of excellent and exciting sounds coming out at that time; there just wasn't enough room for everyone! I'd weep when songs like this just died. Deciding which record to buy and hope others were around to buy later was a continual trauma! Thank god people upload lost tracks. These days you'll be lucky to find anything particularly exciting in the charts.

[jimjams91]

@djbethell

I'm 19 years old and agree with every word. Most of the chart music these days is produced by David Guetta. How exciting :-/

[pussypop100]

i think the film star was bruno ganz who is swiss and played hitler in downfall

[aussieangie]

God I love this song. I remember when it first came out, I couldn't get enough of it. I couldn't stop playing it over and over.

Damn it's an awesome song !!!!

[IMI212]

OMG a lost gem of the New Romantic era!!Love it

[victormusictechnique]

one of the best songs ever written!!There!! ive said said it.

[Alex23Gallo]

( IT REALLY MOVES ME)

Another lost pearl from the 80's . That guitar with inspired use

of echo and the dreamy voice . Fantastic . I saw Passions alive in a cool old

Theatre ( Lisbon)

It was a show never to forget . Great from start to finish and she

had a much better hairstyle

I manage to talk for a while with the band .

:-)

[nik1969100]

One of the best songs of the 1980's - fantastic echoplex guitar.!

[rossige23]

Just love everything about this song.

[victormusictechnique]

This is such an amzazing song,why does no one write songs like this anymore??

The shite today is pitiful and a poor imatation of real talent.

The singer is gorgeous.

Watch the girl in the yellow top when the presenter introduces the passions she goes all shy.

Sweet really....innocence.

[Rentaghost76]

@victormusictechnique

It was a much more innocent time in many ways. No internet, satellite TV, mobile phones, constant techno gadgets been shoved down your throat 24/7. People still interacted with other people instead of being shut off in their own ego-centric private worlds like today. Oh yeah, and flying was a lot less hassle and a lot more fun.

Plus the music was better...I wanna go back!

[ambertjeblue]

@Rentaghost76 SOOOO happy I was there all the way back to Bill Haley, I was 12 then, ))

[zathras1000]

@Rentaghost76 Do you know what, MANY years ago my nan said "it all went wrong when telly arrived"-somehow,many years later,I feel she was right..It was the proverbial camels nose in the tent......never mind .

Kind Regards to You..

[devonrz1]

@Rentaghost76 1981 when this track was out....... Iran releases US hostages after 444 days, Solidarity in Poland leads to marshall law, IRA man Bobby Sands dies while on hunger strike, Protesters picket US airbases, Yorkshire Ripper is caught, Pope John Paul is shot, Riots in London Liverpool and Manchester, Presidents of Egypt and Bangladesh murdered and the Aids virus is identified! Innocent times? I think not....... The music was ace though!!

[phoboskitty]

@Rentaghost76 i think you are romantizising that "era", of course there was constant techno gadgets being shoved down our throats, remember VCR's BETAMAX and VHS, WALKMANS, VIDEO CAMERAS, CD PLAYERS, LASER DISC, musically there were new synths coming out every week, and TV is actually worse than Satelite TV and the Internet is better than both, humans have always been ego-centric, flying however is much more of a hassle these days, lots of good music to day you just need to look

[Fifty1stState]

@Rentaghost76 on the other hand, there were IRA + left wing terrorists blowing things up, economies going to pot (nothing new there then), atrocities took place behind closed doors and the world didn’t know it, the media did know it. And if you wanted to find something out, you went to the library and read about how it was, five years before!

Ahh Pure Bliss :o)

[P.S. joking! Music was good though - Age of innocents = Age of ignorance!]

[agfagaevart]

@Rentaghost76

It certainly was NOT so innocent: About four months later, there were riots in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, etc...

[sibeliandrift]

@agfagaevart Yeah but they were innocent riots.

[agfagaevart]

@sibeliandrift

Eh?? How come? There was just cause, but some people decided to take advantage and go looting.

[ballickmoyler]

@Rentaghost76 yea man, blur said it best. modern life IS rubbish.

[markSTINKS]

@vivaldi01

'Ultravox were NEVER a punk band, in their lyrics' ... How about this line: "someone told me Jesus was the devil's lover, while we masturbated on a magazine cover" - maybe not mohican haircuts, but completely incendiary - and that's what the original 1970s PUNK revolution was all about. The Passions, of course, were never punks, but I agree, this is a timeless classic!

[vivaldi01]

@markSTINKS

The punk revolution was more about fashion and lifestyle than incendiary lyrics. That's why Ultravox could never belong in tthat genre.

On a slight tangent...Barbara Gogan, whose brilliantly edgy voice together with Clive Timperly's echoplex,make this song what is is - used to roadie for The Clash & The Pistols

So in many ways, Tha Passions are more punk than Ultravox :oD

[victormusictechnique]

@vivaldi01 Is it an echoplex that gives the guitar that sound?

its an amazing sound I wondered what type of echo it was,thanks man.

[markSTINKS]

The Skids exemplified punk - adrenaline-driven rock n roll, passionate lyrics, brilliantly catchy riffs. Punk was never, ever, about putting bands into pigeon-holes. Blondie played chart pop but so what? They were there, at CBGB's, in the mid-70s, when most American rock fans despised anything than wasn't Kiss or Boston. Even Ultravox, believe it or not, were a punk band in 1977 - listen to tracks like 'Young Savage'. BTW Johnny ain't been 'Rotten' for 30+ years!!

[vivaldi01]

@markSTINKS

Ultravox were NEVER a punk band, either in their lyrics, attitude, fashion or music. .

Back on topic.

The Passion's song is timeless. If it were released for the first time today, it would gather a huge following.Simply beautiful.

[koitorob]

Amazing guitar sound!!!

[porridgeeveryday]

no one can even name a german film star.

[Parysia77]

@porridgeeveryday Benno Fürmann, Conrad Veidt, Udo Kier, Hardy Krüger, Jürgen Prochnow, Horst Buchholz, Helmut Griem, Gustav Fröhlich, Klaus Kinski, Bernhard Bettermann, Gedeon Burkhard, Til Schweiger, Thomas Kretschmann

[andreaprodan]

They say the 'film star' in question was Rutger Hauer, whom Lizzie Bowen had just seen in the movie 'The Hitcher'. Problem is Hauer IS gorgeous but...DUTCH!

[rodvan72]

I remembered this tune as a kid but only knew its name when bolly walking in the nightclub, a2a series 1, cool song

[rodvanblack]

Man i never knew the title of this until it was on series 1 of ashes to ashes, how cool

[themanwithxrayeyes]

Brilliant song, great memories. The guitar sound is just perfect, sounds a bit like the Cure guitar on 17 seconds record, and it looks like a Gretsch to me :)

[nirmalamayi]

you could put this song out today and it would be a hit... FANTASTIC!! 

[ugforthewin]

A band called Katsen has a really nice cover of this (amazing) song.

[slideharp1]

The guitarist squeezing all those great sounds from that black Gibson (Gretsch?) is Clive Timperlee, the lead guitarist of Strummers original band, The 101ers. A real fine Muso.

[jdivision1970]

european grey. love it. a lot of Factory acts were doing better tho..

[bevntrim]

Absolutely LURVE this one - great memories of discos and silver lycra outfits..... GREAT!!!!

[bcbc23]

can't stop playing this song over and over....

[ashyfaq]

Man this bring's back memorie's i remember i heard it years ago on the radio the (When i was around 12) recption was really bad & i thought the lyrics were "i'm in love with a German toaster"

i thought why would anyone sing abbout a toaster??

But i never forget the tune and it still sounds just as beautiful as it did back then

[ollie6333]

what kind of guitar is he using? any ideas ?

[nellymidas]

@ollie6333 Gibson 335

[JinXiansheng]

This is awesome, but there is a version performed by a male band. Does anyone know of that version? Please respond and/or post if so.

[spackerandy]

@JinXiansheng pet shop boys?

[gpass60]

Fantastic song

[borntoloop]

I'm in german love star film.

[MrMeefos]

the germans bombed my filmstars

[johnmckinlay67]

Always loved this song..Nice twangy guitars .. goes well with a nice joint !

[Shapersofthe80s]

I recognise these guys from somewhere or other... Must get round to mentioning them in my history of the Swinging Eighties - shapersofthe80s dotcom

[arpquadra]

what a gorgeous song

[sduddy]

she looks like a pixie

[kp996]

I'm in love with Adolf Hitler

[StrictlyBG]

@kp996 but adolf was austrian.

[kp996]

@StrictlyBG fair enough.

[dunnefan]

check out  bang bang machine "geek love" ,similar???

[Allthelovetoyou]

Where? have the years gone.Still sounds so good to my old ears,X.

[saintrobski]

This is such a wicked song and so cool even 29 years later- at least they have the fact that a certain cashmoney-spewing stadium-chewing turn with the same guitar sound never quite had anything this good. Now who could I mean by that?

[motocross1975]

proper song,how can you compare todays shite with this??? ahhh please bring it back.

[sirhartleyhare]

@motocross1975 top song top times ! do you ride ? say hello !

[motocross1975]

@sirhartleyhare yes mate I do,rmz 450, but its getting hard now I'm getting older,guess you ride too?

[Rentaghost76]

@motocross1975

Too right mate! Iwas born in 1972 so the 80s were my teenage years. Wish i could go back and experience all the music and great parties again and escape from this shitty 2010 world!

[motocross1975]

@Rentaghost76 Im with ya mate, I would go back tomorrow if it were possible!!2010... too much crap going on in the world.

[Rentaghost76]

Oh yeah, and this is a fantastic song by a group who didn't get the success they deserved. As if anyone could make a song this moody and evocative today!

[joeyrider]

The whole album, 30 feet over China is fucking awesome now as it was 20 years ago... the Gogan sisters were both great ! Susan was in PragVEC a fantastic experimentalist combo

[johnnycheck99]

Whatever happened to the guy that played that strange guitar ? And what sort of guitar was it ?

[JasonMessham]

@johnnycheck99

Gibson 335 Semi Acoustic...a real beauty..

[yellowlucky70]

80's haircuts were good,except the mullet, that was shit!

[laiban]

im in love with the foo fighters semi acoustic cover but the orginal is really good.

[broadpath]

Wow, this is a great song. I know it from the deep soul of Chris Whitley. But whoever wrote the melody is a genius. How can a band write a song this good and not become as big as The Beatles or U2?

[cloudbuster66]

god 80s girls looked so sexy,bring back the 80s ahhhhhhh

[ferpastorino]

UNIQUE!!

[vlaovik]

i heard this song in 1981 and then didn't hear it for 20 years when i found it online. the memory of how wonderful, dreamy and mysterious stuck with me for all those years although I only ever heard it once. Love it.