Dirk Steffens (born May 20, 1950) is a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
musician,
audio engineer, and
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
.
Early musical career
Steffens studied
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
and
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...
at the Hamburg Conservatory.
[E. Gallus"Die Band-Family Tree-Dirk Steffens"-Birth Control-the legend lives on-http://www.birth-control.de/en_index.htm, 2010] As well, he played in the group Beathovens between 1969 and 1971.
In 1971, he began his own group Pennywonder, which also consisted of Thomas Kuckuck, Jurgen Ehlert, and Enrico Lombardi.
[E. Gallus"Die Band-Family Tree-Dirk Steffens"-Birth Control-the legend lives on-http://www.birth-control.de/en_index.htm 2010] In July, 1973, he joined the group Birth Control, and for family concerns, he left the group in Jan. of 1974.
He then worked as a guitar instructor and studio musician.
In the fall of 1975, Dirk Steffens began work on his first solo album, "The Seventh Step",in which he played guitar, and with help from musician Ian Cussick from Scotland, who was a member of
Lucifer's Friend
Lucifer's Friend was a German rock band, formed in Hamburg in 1970 by guitarist Peter Hesslein, singer John Lawton, bassist Dieter Horns, keyboardist Peter Hecht, and drummer Joachim Reitenbach. The group was an early practitioner of heavy m ...
for a short time, and musician
Rolf Köhler
Rolf Köhler (24 May 1951 – 16 September 2007) was a German singer, musician, and record producer.
Career
Köhler initially achieved commercial success performing under the pseudonym Marc de Ville in the late 1970s. As Marc de Ville, he recor ...
, who was from
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, and part of the group To Be.
"The Seventh Step" was finished and released in 1976 by Nova, and a second solo album entitled "Tollhouse" was completed and released by Nova in 1978, also with Dirk Steffens on guitar, and featuring Cussick and Kohler, as well as guest guitarist Peter Wiehe.
["Rolf Kohler Productions"-Rolf Kohler Voice & Music-http://www.talkingforever.com/systemsinblue/rolfproductions.htm, retrieved on Nov. 13th, 2010] A lot of both solo record's song titles were referring to personal things from Steffens' own life.
Solo album reissues and discography
In 1995, "The Seventh Step" was issued on compact disc on Second Battle, and "Tollhouse" was issued on CD in 1998.
Discography
Penny Wonder-"Come On-Angel"(single)-1971
Birth Control-Rebirth-LP-1973
Solo-
The Seventh Step-LP-1976 and
Tollhouse-LP-1978
Compilations
[, 2010]
Birth Control-The Best of Birth Control Vol. 2-1978
Birth Control-Definitive Collection-1996
Record production credits
From the late 1970s and onwards, Dirk Steffens was an active and record producer in the Germany area, and this is a list of artists and recordings he produced.
*
Jutta Weinhold-(Here Is The) Nightlife (single)-1979
*
Accept-
I'm a Rebel-1980
*Accept-
Breaker
Breaker may refer to:
Objects
* A breaking wave on water, or a "breaker", a shallow over which waves break
* Circuit breaker, an electrical overload switch
* Breaker (hydraulic), a percussion hammer attached to an excavator
People
* Breaker Mo ...
-1981
*Cats TV-Killer Automat (single)-1981
*Tabu-Tanz Intim-1982
*Cats TV-Es Tut Mir Leid/Koxhafen-(maxi-single)-1982
*Allein Various-Das Neue Deutsche Tanzcafe 11-1982
*Inner System-ABC (electric)-1983
*Insisters-I'm The Witch-1983
*Accept-Metal Masters-1984
*Dance Connection-Break It Up/Marimba Walk
*Florin-She Is An Angel-1984
*Break It Up (various)-1984
First Affair-Stay (Don't Hide Away)-1985
Accept-Hungry Years-1987
Mad Max-Night Of Passion-1987
Running Wild-Under Jolly Roger-1987
China-China-1988
Pink Cream 69
Pink Cream 69 is a German hard rock/ heavy metal band founded in 1987 in Karlsruhe by Andi Deris, Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou and Alfred Koffler. The band gained their first contract by winning music magazine '' Metal Hammer''s newcomer comp ...
-Pink Cream 69]1989
Pink Cream 69-49-8"-1991
Velvet Viper-Velvet Viper-1991
Rubbermaids-Twisted Chords-1991
Pink Cream 69-
One Size Fits All (Pink Cream 69 album), One Size Fits All-1991
Pink Cream 69-Games People Play-1993
Gagu-Lauter-1996
Sinner-Danger Zone-1984 and Touch Of Sin-1985
Compilations
Zed Yago-The Best Of Zed Yago-2002
Various Elaste Volume 3-Super Motown Disco-2010
Jutta Weinhold-In The Deepest Night(12")
Technical credits
The following is a list of artists and recordings in which Mr. Steffens was involved as an audio engineer or technician:
*
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael W ...
(mixing)-
Walls Of Jericho
*Inner System-ABC-1983
*Dance Connection-1984
*Break It Up (various)-1984
*V2-V2-1988
*Helloween -
Pumpkin Tracks
A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...
-1989
*Pink Cream 69-Pink Cream 69-1989
*Helloween-Kids Of The Century-1991
*Helloween-
Pink Bubbles Go Ape
''Pink Bubbles Go Ape'' is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1991. It marked the departure of guitarist Kai Hansen, with Roland Grapow replacing him. It was also the first album released on EMI Records.
Ba ...
-1991
*Pink Cream 69-49-1991
*Velvet Viper-Velvet Viper-1991
*Rubbermaids-Twisted Chords-1991
*Pink Cream 69-One Size Fits All-1991
*Pink Cream 69-Games People Play-1993
*Gagu-Lauter-1996
*Sinner-Danger Zone-1984 and Touch Of Sin-1985
[http://www.cduniverse.com/, 1996-2010]
*"Sinner-Danger Zone/Touch Of Sin"-Cd Universe-
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steffens, Dirk
German rock guitarists
German male guitarists
German audio engineers
German record producers
1950 births
Living people