Guru Guru is a German Krautrock band formed in 1968 as The Guru Guru Groove by Mani Neumeier (drums) and Uli Trepte (bass) later joining Jim Kennedy (guitar). In time for their debut in 1970, Ax Genrich had replaced Kennedy to solidify the classic Guru Guru line up.
Music
Guru Guru was both related to the free jazz music scene and both worked with Swiss female pianist Irène Schweizer. Neumeier already won several Jazz-prizes. The band was influenced by rock music, such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, The Who, Rolling Stones and early Pink Floyd.
Among the band's friends were Amon Düül, Can and Xhol Caravan, with whom Guru Guru played jam sessions.
Frontman Mani Neumeier (drummer and singer) has an original style of playing drums, and is known in the European jazz rock-scene. He was also involved in numerous other projects, as Tiere der Nacht, The Psychedelic Monsterjam, Damo Suzuki's Network, Globe Unity Orchestra, Harmonia, Acid Mothers Guru Guru, Voodootrance & Lover 303.
Social environment
Guru Guru's live performances in the late 1960's and early 1970's were politically left-oriented. They organized concerts together with the Socialist German Student Union, read political texts between the songs, and sometime played at the jails. Their shows were extravagant and anarchistic, some of the musicians lived together in a commune in German Odenwald region, experimented with hallucinogens (one of their songs is titled The LSD March/German: Der LSD-Marsch). Mani Neumeier is one of the organizers of the annual Krautrock-Festival Finkenbach.
Publicity
Guru Guru released over 20 LPs, and over 500,000 copies of their records were sold (all releases together). The band played numerous live concerts, appeared in films, radio and television. In 1976 Guru Guru was the first German band to play live in the TV-show WDR-Rockpalast.
Discography
- 1970 UFO
- 1971 Hinten
- 1972 Känguru
- 1973 Guru Guru
- 1973 Don't Call Us, We Call You
- 1974 Dance of the Flames
- 1974 Der Elektrolurch(2 LP)
- 1975 Mani und seine Freunde
- 1976 Tango Fango
- 1977 Globetrotter
- 1978 Live (2 LP)
- 1979 Hey du
- 1981 Mani in Germani
- 1983 Mani Neumeiers neue Abenteuer (aka Guru Mani ... )
- 1987 Jungle
- 1988 Guru Guru 88
- 1988 Live 72
- 1992 Shake Well – MC
- 1993 Shake Well
- 1995 Wah Wah
- 1996 Mask (limited edition)
- 1997 Moshi Moshi
- 1999 Live 98 (3 CD - Set, also on 2 LP)
- 2000 2000 Gurus
- 2003 Essen 1970
- 2005 In the Guru Lounge
- 2007 Wiesbaden 1972
- 2008 PSY
- 2009 Live on tour 2008
Mani Neumeier's discography: see Mani Neumeier
External links
