Falco/After the Fire, “Der Kommissar”
This blew my mind last week.
While chilling in my office on Tuesday, Zee German mentioned hearing a Falco song at a store over the weekend.
“They played a few of his songs here, right?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Amadeus, Amadeus.”
“‘Vienna Calling’?” He sang a few lines. “You know that one?”
“Nope.”
“That one song. Cha…cha…cha!”
I knew exactly what he was talking about, and it sure as hell wasn’t from Falco. It was “Der Kommissar” by After the Fire.
“No. That was After the Fire,” I said.
“No. Falco.”
“No, man. Believe me. I know.” And, thanks to my shameful ‘80s Phase, I do. To prove it I showed him proof on YouTube.
He watched the video and I could tell he was perplexed. “I’ve never heard that version before,” he said, then searched for Falco. To my amazement, he found this:
Hold the phone! Did After the Fire cover their one hit wonder, one of my favorite songs from the ‘80s, from Falco?
Yep.
I really don’t know what to make of it — frankly, I’m somewhat crushed — but the facts are facts. Falco recorded the original German version in 1981 and After the Fire covered it in English a year later.
Truthfully, the Falco version (at least the one in this video) isn’t bad. It’s much more disco-esque and ‘70s, which, obviously, tickles me in the right place. However, After the Fire’s is still my preferred version, despite the fact it will now forever carry the “covered” taint.
While chilling in my office on Tuesday, Zee German mentioned hearing a Falco song at a store over the weekend.
“They played a few of his songs here, right?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Amadeus, Amadeus.”
“‘Vienna Calling’?” He sang a few lines. “You know that one?”
“Nope.”
“That one song. Cha…cha…cha!”
I knew exactly what he was talking about, and it sure as hell wasn’t from Falco. It was “Der Kommissar” by After the Fire.
“No. That was After the Fire,” I said.
“No. Falco.”
“No, man. Believe me. I know.” And, thanks to my shameful ‘80s Phase, I do. To prove it I showed him proof on YouTube.
He watched the video and I could tell he was perplexed. “I’ve never heard that version before,” he said, then searched for Falco. To my amazement, he found this:
Hold the phone! Did After the Fire cover their one hit wonder, one of my favorite songs from the ‘80s, from Falco?
Yep.
I really don’t know what to make of it — frankly, I’m somewhat crushed — but the facts are facts. Falco recorded the original German version in 1981 and After the Fire covered it in English a year later.
Truthfully, the Falco version (at least the one in this video) isn’t bad. It’s much more disco-esque and ‘70s, which, obviously, tickles me in the right place. However, After the Fire’s is still my preferred version, despite the fact it will now forever carry the “covered” taint.
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