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Gerhard Augustin (7 September 1941 – 17 March 2021) was a German music producer. He was the first professional disc jockey in Germany and co-founder of the music program ''
Beat-Club ''Beat-Club'' was a West German music programme that ran from September 1965 to December 1972. It was broadcast from Bremen, West Germany on ''Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen'', the national public TV channel of the ARD, and produced by one of its m ...
''. Augustin helped generate a shift in German culture by introducing various genres of music at a time when schlager was the standard by giving exposure to
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...
bands such as Amon Düül II and
Popol Vuh ''Popol Vuh'' (also ''Popul Vuh'' or ''Pop Vuj'') is a text recounting the mythology and history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala, one of the Maya peoples who also inhabit the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, ...
. He later became the head of A&R for
United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1958 ...
in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, and then the producer and manager for American R&B duo
Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...
.


Life and career

Augustin was born in
Hagen Hagen () is a city in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, on the southeastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme meet the Ruhr (river), Ruhr. In 2023, the ...
, Germany on 7 September 1941. Augustin's love for music began at 15 years old when he heard
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
's song "
Don't be Cruel "Don't Be Cruel" is a song that was recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956.Victor (2008), ''The Elvis Encyclopedia'', p.115-116 It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was ranked No. 197 in ' ...
" on the
AFN Bremerhaven AFN Bremerhaven was originally an "Armed Forces Radio and Television Service" (AFRTS) station. (AFRTS, worldwide, is now also known as "American Forces Network" or "AFN"). The Bremerhaven affiliate station was located in northern Germany. At the ...
in 1956. In the early 1960s, he received a
green card A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...
to live in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
for two years. He adapted easily to the new country due to his knowledge of popular American music. When he arrived in New York City, he first lived in
the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, then
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
. There he met
Richie Havens Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk music, folk, soul music, soul (both of which he frequently cover song, covered), and rhythm and b ...
and
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
in 1962. He shared an apartment with the musicians Charlie Chin of Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, Steve Turnage and
Charles Kimbrough Charles Mayberry Kimbrough (May 23, 1936 – January 11, 2023) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as the straight-faced anchorman Jim Dial on ''Murphy Brown''. In 1990, his performance in the role earned him a nomination for ...
. He worked at Stechert-Hafner bookstore, attended concerts of
Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...
and
Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...
, who created his music in front of the audience on stage by involving the audience in the composition process. Augustin often visited the Village Gate and
Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jaz ...
clubs, where he met
Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba ( , ; 4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, ja ...
,
Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...
,
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
, and
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
. In 1963, Augustin became first German
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
in
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
. He created a
discothèque A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and a ...
named the Twen Club in the basement of a restaurant, The Gypsy Cellar. He became well-known in Bremen and
northern Germany Northern Germany (, ) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part of Germany which includes the coastal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony and the two city-states Hambur ...
. In 1965, Augustin met Michael Leckebusch at his Twen Club. Leckebusch, a former trumpet player in a theatre band in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, came to work for
Radio Bremen TV Radio Bremen TV is a regional public service television channel owned and operated by Radio Bremen (RB) and serving Bremen, Germany. It is one of seven regional "third programs". The name reflects the fact these programs all came into existence ...
. Augustin became friends with Leckebusch and they created the television show ''
Beat-Club ''Beat-Club'' was a West German music programme that ran from September 1965 to December 1972. It was broadcast from Bremen, West Germany on ''Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen'', the national public TV channel of the ARD, and produced by one of its m ...
'', which is considered Germany's first rock music program. The series was inspired by Augustin's travels where he had seen the American music program ''
Shindig! ''Shindig!'' is an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles,Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
''. The ''Beat-Club'' premiered in September 1965, broadcast from Bremen and was produced by the regional TV network
Radio Bremen Radio Bremen (), shortened to RB () is Germany's smallest Public broadcasting, public radio and television broadcaster and the legally mandated broadcaster for the city-state Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (which includes Bremerha ...
. Augustin was a co-host of the first seven shows. The show became an immediate sensation. "People from the older generation (old
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
s) hated it, young kids loved it and said things like 'keep it going' and so on. It caused a real reaction between the generations," Augustin said. Eventually, his relationship with Leckebusch deteriorated because Leckebusch was taking credit for the success of the show, and Augustin got phased out of the show. In December 1972, the ''Beat-Club'' was replaced by another music program, ''
Musikladen ''Der Musikladen'' () was a West German music television programme that ran from 13 December 1972 to 29 November 1984. The show continued the 1960s ''Beat-Club'' under a new name, and in turn was replaced by ''Extratour''. History Around 90 ep ...
'', which was on air until 1984.After Augustin left the ''Beat-Club'' in 1967, he moved to
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
in 1968. There he met and befriended promoter Bill Graham who introduced him to bands such as the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
, Quicksilver,
Sly & the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1966 and active until 1983. Their work, which blended elements of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, gospel, and R&B, became a pivotal influence on subsequent Amer ...
, and
Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...
. While in San Francisco, he worked at KQED TV. He was awarded a scholarship to attend
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
where he received a diploma in Mass Communications. After graduation, he worked in Los Angeles with
United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1958 ...
. In 1969, United Artists sent Augustin to work for the company in Germany. Siegfried Loch, head of Star-Club record label, started a German flagship label for United Artists/
Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous rev ...
, to aim both at the domestic market and abroad. After two years as assistant managing director of United Artists' German office, Augustin joined the A&R department in 1971. He signed the bands Amon Düül II,
Popol Vuh ''Popol Vuh'' (also ''Popul Vuh'' or ''Pop Vuj'') is a text recounting the mythology and history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala, one of the Maya peoples who also inhabit the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, ...
, and Can to the label. Augustin produced various Ike & Tina Turner songs and albums, including ''Feel Good'' (1972), '' Blues Roots'' (1972), and '' Sweet Rhode Island Red'' (1974) which were made at the Turners' Bolic Sound studio. In 1975, he left his position as head of A&R for United Artists Records in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
to become their manager until their split in 1976. In 1976, Augustin formed the company Gammarock Musik in Los Angeles with Patrick Gammon. In 1979, United Artists took over the administration of Gammarock Musik. He later hosted a public radio show in Bremen. In 2015, Augustin's handprints were added to the Mall of Fame in Bremen with
Uschi Nerke Ursula Nerke-Petersen (born 14 January 1944 in Chomutov, Komotau, Sudetenland, Germany) is a German actress and television presenter. She became well known as host of the monthly music television show ''Beat-Club'' that ran from 1965 to 1972 and a ...
who hosted ''Beat-Club'' and ''Musikladen''. On 17 March 2021 Augustin died at the age of 79 in Bremen, where he had lived for about 15 years. A year and a half prior, Augustin had suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered.


Production credits


Singles

* 1972:
Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...
– " Up In Heah" / "Doo Wah Ditty (Got To Get Ta)" * 1972: Ike & Tina Turner – "Chopper" * 1972:
Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...
– "Think" / " Lawdy Miss Clawdy" * 1972: Ike Turner – "Right On" / "Tacks In My Shoes" * 1972: Demon Thor – "East And West" / "Ant Hill" * 1973: Missing Link – " Friday On My Mind" / "Kid's Hunting" * 1973: Demon Thor – "For One Little Moment" / "Good Morning" * 1973: Demon Thor – "Pink Mary" / "The Army (Part II)" * 1974: Ike & Tina Turner – " Sexy Ida (Part I)" / "Sexy Ida (Part II)" *1976: Patrick Gammon – "Party Hardy" *1978: Days – "Love Only Hurts" / "(Roll Up To The) Mystery Tour"


Albums

* 1970:
Popol Vuh ''Popol Vuh'' (also ''Popul Vuh'' or ''Pop Vuj'') is a text recounting the mythology and history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala, one of the Maya peoples who also inhabit the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, ...
– ''
Affenstunde ''Affenstunde'' ("Hour of the Monkey") is the first album by German band Popol Vuh. Originally released in 1970 in Germany by Liberty Records, it has been reissued several times by various international labels. The 2004 German SPV edition feature ...
'' * 1972: Missing Link – ''Nevergreen!'' * 1972: Tommy Fortman – ''Demon Thor (Anno 1972)'' * 1972: Ike Turner – '' Blues Roots'' * 1972: Ike & Tina – ''Feel Good'' * 1972: Delf Jacobs – ''Meine Lieder'' * 1974: Demon Thor – ''Written In The Sky'' * 1974: Tommy Fortmann – ''Sunshine In Deep Darkness'' * 1974: Ike & Tina Turner – '' Sweet Rhode Island Red'' *1978: Patrick Gammon – ''Rawness'' *1978: Popol Vuh – ''
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
'' *1978: Popol Vuh – '' Brüder des Schattens – Söhne des Lichts'' *1982: Gammarock – ''Spread The News''* *1990: Popol Vuh – ''Florian Fricke'' *1993: Patrick Gammon – ''Outch Baby''* *1994: Popol Vuh – ''Movie Music''* *1996: Ike Turner – ''My Bluescountry''* *1997: Amon Düül II – ''Flawless'' *1997: Popol Vuh – '' Shepherd's Symphony – Hirtensymphonie''* *2000: Amon Düül II – '' Phallus Dei'' (reissue)* *2000: Amon Düül II – ''Utopia'' (reissue) *2000: Amon Düül II – ''Lemmingmania*'' *2000: Amon Düül II – ''Tanz Der Lemminge'' (reissue)* *indicates albums credited as Executive Producer


Books

* 1986: ''Tina Turner'' () * 1989: ''Die Beat-Jahre: Musik in Deutschland - d. sechziger Jahre he Beat Years. Music in Germany in the sixties' ()


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Augustin, Gerhard 1941 births People from Hagen German record producers German DJs United Artists Records German male writers A&R people German music managers 2021 deaths Businesspeople from Bremen (city) 20th-century German businesspeople