Frumpy: 1970 - 1973

 

Frumpy was a German progressive rock/krautrock band based in Hamburg, which was active between 1970–1972 and 1990–1995. Formed after the break-up of folk rockers City Preachers, Frumpy

released four albums in 1970–1973 and achieved considerable commercial success. The German press hailed them as the best German rock band of their time and their vocalist Inga Rumpf as the "greatest individual vocal talent" of the contemporary German rock scene. They disbanded in 1972 although the various members all worked together at various times over the following two decades and they reunited again in 1989, producing three more albums over five years after which they disbanded once more.
                

All of the band members met as performers with Germany's first folk rock band City Preachers, formed by Irishman John O'Brien-Docker in Hamburg in 1965. In 1968, the band had split, with O'Brien-Docker and several other members parting company. Singer Inga Rumpf, a distinctive "un-feminine"

sounding vocalist often compared favourably with Janis Joplin, continued to use the band name with a line-up including drummer Udo Lindenberg, singer Dagmar Krause, French organist Jean-Jacques Kravetz and bassist Karl-Heinz Schott. In the spring of 1969, Lindenberg left to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Carsten Bohn, who by November that year had grown disappointed with Krause and called for the band to pursue a new creative direction, "a fusion of rock, blues, classical, folk and psychedelic."
                 

Reforming in March 1970 as Frumpy (a play on Rumpf's surname inspired by seeing the word "frumpy" in a CBS record catalogue) the new line-up of Rumpf, Bohn, Kravetz and Schott debuted at

the Essen International Pop & Blues Festival in April 1970, where two of their songs "Duty" and "Floating" were recorded and released on the live compilation album Pop & Blues Festival '70. This was followed by more tour dates in France, Germany and the Netherlands, an appearance at the Kiel Progressive Pop Festival in July 1970, and at the Open Air Love & Peace Festival at Fehmarn, 6 September 1970.
                  

Frumpy topped the Musik Express poll as the most popular German rock group of the year and the newspaper FAZ assisted singer Inga Rumpf to be "the country's biggest individual talent", but a tour of

England with MOTT THE HOOPLE failed to attract popularity in Britain. Musical differences with keyboarder Kravetz caused him to leave FRUMPY, in spring 1972, to record a solo Lp with Inga Rumpf singing one song. But he returned for the recording sessions of FRUMPY's third LP "By The Way". But FRUMPY disbanded after a farewell concert on June 26, 1972. Inga Rumpf, Jean-Jacques Kravetz and Karl-Heinz Schott formed ATLANTIS. The year 1990 saw a FRUMPY reunio and a new LP "Now!".  
                   

1. FRUMPY - ALL WILL BE CHANGED 1970

                    

This is not Krautrock like Can, Amon Duul II, Faust, and the likes. Inga Rumpf's influence is in soul

and blues, and obvious she wanted to be a white soul singer, but at the same time didn't want to be confined to soul music and instead exploring progressive rock. While the drum solo and experimental passages might be a bit difficult for some to take, this album still has a lot of great material that I can highly recommend. Frumpy could be on par with the best organ based blues rock bands of the time.
               

Frumpy – All Will Be Changed
Label: Repertoire Records – RR 4146-WP
Format:    CD, Album, Reissue, Repress
Country: Germany
Released: 1970    
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Krautrock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

                     

01. Life Without Pain    3:45
02. Rosalie Part I    6:01
03. Otium    4:22
04. Rosalie Part II    4:12
05. Indian Rope Man    3:17
06. Morning    3:22
07. Floating Part I    7:39
08. Baroque    7:36
09. Floating Part II    1:23

BONUS TRACKS            

10. Roadriding    4:00
11. Time Makes Wise    2:49

LINE - UP

Inga Rumpf / vocals, percussion
Jean-Jacques Kravetz / organ, piano, Mellotron, spinet, saxophone, percussion
Karl-Heinz Schott / bass, percussion
Carsten Bohn / drums & percussion

Flac Size: 307 MB

2. FRUMPY - FRUMPY 2 1971

                        

This is classic rock with subtle progressive touches for friendly & catchy compositions. This second album is perfectly achieved technically speaking, with kick ass guitars, propulsive Hammond Organs and astonishing, powerfully emotional vocals. "Good Winds" starts as a crazy freak'n roll song and

continues on a brilliant melodic "trip" with a mesmerizing keyboard demonstration. "Take care of Illusion" is a dense, furious heavy rocking song with solid guitar riffs and a great bluesy soul; It's kinda heavy in a sense ever developped by bands as Uriah Heep, Atomic Rooster..."Duty" is a fragile emotional ballad with high class vocals, gorgeous guitar solos. "How the gipsy was born" reaches the whole album with an absolutely punchy, sensitive heavy rock song.
                   

Frumpy – 2
Label: Repertoire Records – REP 4339-WP
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Stereo 1993
Country: Germany
Released: 1971    
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock, Blues Rock, Krautrock

TRACKS

                 

01. Good Winds   10:02
Written-By – Rumpf
02. How The Gipsy Was Born   10:05
Written-By – Rumpf, Kravetz
03. Take Care Of Illusion   7:30
Written-By – Rumpf, Kravetz
04. Duty   12:09
Written-By – Rumpf, Kravetz

LINE - UP

Karl-Heinz Schott - Bass [Guitarist]
Carsten Bohn - Drums [Drummer]
Rainer Baumann - Guitar [Guitarist]
Jean-Jacques Kravetz - Keyboards [Keyboarder]
Inga Rumpf - Vocals [Singer]

Flac Size: 242 MB

3. FRUMPY - BY THE WAY 1972

                  

Different from the two previous CDs, By The Way proved Frumpy could manage a very fine record

without the "Kravetz sound". All songs are good and there was more experiments (specially on the guitar parts), with songs like Release and Singing Songs proving that they had all the chops and talented needed to be on par with the best hard rock bands of the time. It is only a shame they never realize their full potential as an international act, nor got the recognition they surely deserved.

                       

Frumpy – By The Way
Label: Repertoire Records – IMS 7019
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Stereo 1994
Country: Germany
Released: 1972
Genre: Rock
Style: Krautrock, Prog Rock, Blues Rock

TRACKS

             

01. Goin' To The Country    3:40
02. By The Way    8:51
03. Singing Songs    7:02
04. I'm Afraid, Big Moon    6:25
05. Release    8:50
06. Keep On Going    5:25

LINE - UP

Inga Rumpf  / vocals, acoustic guitar
Rainer Baumann / electric & steel guitars
Jean-Jacques Kravetz / keyboards
Erwin Kania / keyboards
Karl-Heinz Schott / bass
Carsten Bohn / drums, percussion

Flac Size: 270 MB

4. FRUMPY - LIVE 1973

              

The jamming stand out track Release which shows them experimenting quite a bit. This also includes the obligatory or maybe essential drum solo. Overall the album is not what prog purists are looking for.

Fans of rrrrrrocking live performances though can't fail here. I mean those gigs where the band is featuring a lot of prowess and acting very close to 100 percent. Nice remembrance, at turbulent times nonetheless, for diverse reasons. Although being prolific and successful, surprisingly the group was disbanded in 1972 for the first time.
               

Frumpy – Live
Label: Repertoire Records – IMS 7035-WR
Format: 2 x CD, Album 1995
Country: Germany
Released: 1973    
Genre: Rock
Style: Blues Rock, Hard Rock

CD1.

             

01. Keep On Going    12:06
02. Singing Songs    8:54
03. Backwater Blues    4:56
04. Duty    17:35
05. To My Mother    11:34

Flac Size: 345 MB

CD2.

            

01. Release    22:00
02. Take Care Of Illusion    8:54

BONUS TRACKS        

    
03. Duty    7:33
04. Floating    12:14

LINE - UP

Inga Rumpf / vocals, guitar
Jean-Jacques Kravetz / keyboards
Rainer Baumann / guitar
Karl-Heinz Schott / bass
Carsten Bohn / drums

Flac Size: 320 MB