''Pink Bubbles Go Ape'' is the fourth studio album by German

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band

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 ...

, released in 1991. It marked the departure of guitarist

Kai Hansen Kai Michael Hansen (born 17 January 1963) is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of metal band Helloween, which he rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent ...

, with

Roland Grapow Roland Grapow (born 30 August 1959 in Hamburg) is a German professional guitarist and music producer. Grapow is best known for his time in the power metal band Helloween, with which he played for 12 years after replacing founding member Kai Han ...

replacing him. It was also the first album released on EMI Records.

Background

The album contains two singles, which are " Kids of the Century" and "Number One". "Kids of the Century" reached #56 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The track "Heavy Metal Hamsters" (supposedly written about the band's former record company) was, according to

Michael Weikath Michael Ingo Joachim "Weiki" Weikath (born 7 August 1962) is a German musician, best known as a founding member and one of the guitarists of pioneering power metal band Helloween. Biography Weikath was born in Hamburg and was musical from a ...

, never intended to be on the album, but rather on a B-side of a single. Many disputes between the producer, bandmembers, management and the record company ensued. Weikath laid much of the blame at the feet of veteran Brit Metal producer Chris Tsangarides. Weikath said, ''“Straight away, I could tell things were going wrong, The show was being run by Michael and Ingo, and Chris simply didn’t like my songs. He couldn’t understand that certain cleverness they had.”'' Weikath wanted Tommy Hansen to produce the album. Also the band spent close to 400,000 pounds recording the new album. ''“The whole situation was bad,”'' Kiske said 2017. ''“We spent a fortune in a studio in Denmark, but there was no inspiration.”''

Storm Thorgerson Storm Elvin Thorgerson (28 February 1944 – 18 April 2013) was an English graphic designer and music video director. He is best known for closely working with the group Pink Floyd through most of their career, and also created album or other ar ...

designed the ''Pink Bubbles Go Ape’s'' cover and the girl on that cover is his niece. Thorgerson also directed the promo-video for ''"Kids of the Century."'' Helloween had left Noise Records and turned to EMI. After the album was released, a lawsuit stopped Helloween from touring for a year. In the spring of 1992 an agreement was done, and they could finally play on a short European Tour starting in Hamburg 30 April 1992, and in the autumn they also played some shows in Japan.

Track listing

*M - 12, 13 also appears on the single " Kids of the Century". *M - 14, 15 also appears on the single "Number One".

Personnel

Michael Kiske Michael Kiske (born January 24, 1968) is a German singer and lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween. Kiske has released four solo albums, two albums with the hard rock band Unisonic, has participated on various metal and rock ...

- vocals, acoustic guitar *

- guitar *

Markus Grosskopf Markus Grosskopf (born 21 September 1965) is a German musician who is the bass guitarist, backing vocalist and a founding member of the power metal band Helloween. Biography Grosskopf started playing bass at the age of 15 when he became friend ...

- bass *

Ingo Schwichtenberg Ingo "Mr. Smile" Schwichtenberg (18 May 1965 – 8 March 1995) was a German drummer and one of the founding members of the power metal band Helloween. Biography Helloween guitarist Roland Grapow said about Schwichtenberg in an interview 1999: ...

- drums

Additional

* Keyboards – Pete Iversen, Phil Nicholas

Recording information

* Produced, engineered and mixed by Chris Tsangarides. Recorded at PUK Studios Gjerlev, Denmark. * "Heavy Metal Hamsters" , "I´m Doin´ Fine, Crazy Man", "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Shit and Lobster": Recorded at Sound House Studio, Hamburg, Germany. Produced by Helloween. Engineered by Dirk Steffens. Mixed by Chris Tsangarides. *"Les Hambourgeois Walkways" and "You Run with the Pack": Produced and Mixed by Helloween and Dirk Steffens.

Charts

References

1991 albums Helloween albums Albums produced by Chris Tsangarides Albums with cover art by Storm Thorgerson {{1990s-metal-album-stub