Krokodil - Schooldays / Marzipan

This video is for the purpose of entertainment only......
The images used within this video are taken from photos of my personal vinyl LP jacket/cover/labels, original German pressing of Krokodil - "Getting Up for the Morning" (1972) on Bacillus Records BLPS 19117.

Krokodil's lineup on the "Getting Up For The Morning" LP was as follows;

Walty Anselmo - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Sitar, Lead Vocals.
Düde Dürst - Drums, Percussion, Vocals.
Terry Stevens - Bass, Electric Guitar, Klavino, Lead Vocals.
Mojo Weideli - Harp/Harmonica, Flute, Vocals.

"Krokodil" bio borrowed from Alex Gitlin's website
Krokodil (German for "Crocodile") were constantly promoted by the labels they signed to as a Krautrock band, yet though they had the spirit of Krautrock in their veins, the truth was that they were Swiss, not German. So naturally, Liberty Records tried to present them as the Krautrock answer to The Groundhogs. Well, Krokodil did have blues origins, they really knew how to rock-it and had a flair for the experimental, so they did have the same sort of attitude as The Groundhogs. But, all that aside, Krokodil were innovators in their own right, not at all copyist, except for maybe their John Mayall type roots. Like most Swiss bands, Krokodil were an unlikely combo, mostly of German-Swiss extraction, with one Englishman: Terry Stevens. Early on, the quoted "Swiss Bob Dylan" Hardy Hepp seemed to be in control, his softer folk and blues mix, and Mojo Weideli's harmonica, gave them a more down-to-earth sound.
After Hardy's departure for a solo career, Krokodil really blossomed with the extraordinary "An Invisible World Revealed", an album that took on all sorts of ethnic and fusion elements, becoming like a hybrid of Amon Düül II, Man and Third Ear Band, all mixed into that unique Krokodil style. Ethnic elements had figured in earlier Krokodil recordings, but not so much as here, where the sitar, tablas and flute are heavily featured. Krokodil had become the finest of Swiss Krautrock bands.
A change of label, to Bacillus, their next album "Getting Up For The Morning" (1972) offered a similar blending of rock, blues and ethnic styles, though in a more condensed song-based concoction, still sounding very progressive at times. The double album "Sweat & Swim", though it had a couple of duff tracks, also contained some of their best, not least so the 17 minute cosmic-ethnic trip "Linger" recalling the masterworks of "An Invisible World Revealed".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Krokodil
• Schooldays
• Marzipan
• Brainticket
• Toad
• Drum
• Circus
• Krokus
• Swiss
• 70s
• Rock
• Krautrock
• Jane
• Eloy
• Kraan
• Grobschnitt

[drprogensteinphp]

To access "Schooldays" click here: 00:00

To access "Marzipan" click here: 8:07

[Spiregrain]

I have four of their five releases (still need to track down An Invisible World Revealed)...haven't heard a weak song yet. I'm tired of saying it about bands from the continent, but here I go again, why weren't these guys huge in the U.S.??? I can't get enough of this band...I should have been listening to Krokodil alongside Zep, Sabbath and Purple in the 70's. As said above several times, that harp is simply awesome.

[drprogensteinphp]

@Spiregrain

Glad you enjoyed the video. I'm Canadian, and still own all this stuff on vinyl. Funny how during the 70's many lesser known European bands had a larger fan-base here than in the US. I remember seeing this back in the day with other bands like PFM, Gentle Giant, Atomic Rooster, Babe Ruth, Gong, Hawkwind etc, who were popular up here, yet went noticed for the most part in the US. Possibly because the US market was so saturated with their own homegrown artists...no need to list 'em :)

[dereckvon]

A little story; Two years ago I toured Europe playing in a band called Son Ambulance. We played a very cool venue in Zurich and while waiting to set up I noticed an old Krokodil poster on the wall. I remarked to the sound man that I knew of the band. He was surprised and then told me that the drummer's (Düde Dürst) daughter works at the club. He introduced us later and she was also very pleased that an American knew about her dad's band. I have pictures. Had to share.

[drprogensteinphp]

@dereckvon

Very cool!

[ou812uc]

Was wondering if this LP was ever released in the US?? If not it should have been...that harp just reaches out and pulls you in...great sound...thanks for this

[drprogensteinphp]

@ou812uc

Nope, unfortunately this album was never issued in the US. To my knowledge it was only issued twice on vinyl...the original pressing in '72 (Bacillus Records, featured in my video), and once again four years later in '76 (Bacillus Records as well). There was also a 1993 CD reissue on Bacillus, which I own too.

Yeah...that harp is great. People always rave about their previous 3 albums, but I've always preferred this (their 4th) overall. Nice mix of hard prog rock with a bluesy feel :)

[Papa7851]

guru guru and krokodil were often in zurich,these days,two amazing swiss bands,musical as important as toad,mainhorse and tea,the swiss swadron of progressive music with so many good influences of the english,american,but also eastern and arabic,african and german roots,really cosmopolitic and demoratic,haha...

[kansasjcanzus]

@Spiregrain I have an invisible world on cd, if you need to me to send it to you