Einzelhaft

Einzelhaft (Solitary Confinement or Incarcerated!) (1982) is the debut album by Austrian singer Falco. It was released in Austria, Germany, the United States, Japan, Spain, Italy, Canada, Sweden and Finland.

Einzelhaft
Studio album by
Falco
Released1982
RecordedMarch 1982
StudioStereo West Studios, Vienna and Arco Studios, Munich.
GenrePop music, pop-rock, funk
Length41:17
LabelA&M, GIG/Sony
ProducerRobert Ponger, Falco
Falco chronology
Einzelhaft
(1982)		 Junge Roemer
(1984)
Singles from Einzelhaft
  1. "That Scene (Ganz Wien)"
    Released: 1981
  2. "Der Kommissar"
    Released: 1982
  3. "Maschine brennt"
    Released: 1982
  4. "On the Run (Auf der Flucht)"
    Released: 1982
  5. "Zuviel Hitze"
    Released: 1982 (promo)

The album achieved some success with its flagship single, "Der Kommissar", an innovative and influential German-language rap song. An English version of the song by After the Fire was a hit in 1983.

A promotional single, "Auf der Flucht (On the Run)", was released in the U.S. and France. In 1983 the single, "Maschine Brennt / On the Run", hit No. 9 on US Club Play Singles.[1]

Other songs on Einzelhaft are heavily indebted to the "Berlin Trilogy" of David Bowie: "Nie mehr Schule" borrows its music from Bowie's instrumental track from Low called "Speed of Life", whereas "Helden von heute" is a transparent rewrite of Bowie's song, "Heroes".

Background

In 1980 Falco, who played in the band Drahdiwaberl, signed a contract for three solo-albums produced by Robert Ponger and managed by Markus Spiegel. The first single was "That Scene (Ganz Wien)", which reached No. 11 on the Austrian radio chart Ö3-Hitparade. The German version, which is more popular, is called "Ganz Wien". The song was not noticed in other countries.

Production

In early 1981 Falco and Ponger started to produce the album, and already had a melody for Der Kommissar. Originally Reinhold Bilgeri was to have sung that song but he declined. Impressed by the melody, Falco chose to include it in his debut album. Within three days Falco wrote the lyrics to the accompanying rhythm.

In November 1981 the second single "Der Kommissar" b/w "Helden von heute" was released. It reached top of the charts in more than 20 countries. In the American Disco charts the song also reached No. 1.

To promote his album Falco also released "Maschine brennt", "Auf der Flucht" and "Zuviel Hitze".

Re-release (25th anniversary edition)

In 2007 the album was digitally remastered and released by Falco's former producers and managers. In Austria and Germany it was released on June 8, 2007, in other European countries it was released in the end of 2007.

Track listing

All songs written by Falco/Ponger, except where noted.

  1. "Zuviel Hitze" (Too Much Heat) – 4:31
  2. "Der Kommissar" (The Commissioner) – 3:51
  3. "Siebzehn Jahr" (Seventeen Years) – 3:54
  4. "Auf der Flucht" (loosely "On the Run") – 4:13
  5. "Ganz Wien" – (All of Vienna) 5:06 (Falco)
  6. "Maschine brennt" (Engine Burning) – 3:36
  7. "Hinter uns die Sintflut" (After Us, the Deluge) – 3:16
  8. "Nie mehr Schule" (No More School) – 4:36
  9. "Helden von heute" (Heroes of Today) – 4:07 (Falco)
  10. "Einzelhaft" – (Solitary Confinement) – 4:01

Track listing disc two (2007 anniversary release only)
  1. "Nie Mehr Schule (Anniversary Mix 2007) – 4:03
  2. "That Scene (Ganz Wien) – 4:25
  3. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 1 "Aus Hans Hölzel Wird Falco" – 3:59
  4. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 2 "Die Ersten 3 Alben" – 3:09
  5. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 3 "Erfolg Und Seine Konsequenzen" – 3:37
  6. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 4 "Zeitgeist" – 5:28
  7. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 5 "Westen, Osten, Norden, Süden" – 4:40
  8. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 6 "Suche Nach Der Wahrheit" – 3:25
  9. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 7 "Konzentration Der Kräfte" – 4:12
  10. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 8 "Kunst Und Verantwortung" – 2:26
  11. "Interview Johann Hölzel 1993 – Kapitel 9 "Zukunftaussichten" – 5:03

Charts

The album peaked No. 1 in Austria, No. 19 in Germany and No. 45 Sweden and No. 64 of the US Billboard Charts.[2]

Album
Year Albums A[3] US[4] GER CDN[5] S[6] NL I [7]
1982 Einzelhaft 1 64 19 31 45 1 21

Singles
Year Singles A [8] US US (Cashbox) CDN CH GER ES F [9] I J N NL RUS S UK [10] SA [11]
1981 Ganz Wien 11 (Ö3) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1982 Der Kommissar 1 72 74 [12] 11 2 1 1 3 1 1 3 18 1 4 - n/a
1982 Der Kommissar (Falco vs. After the Fire) - 3 5 [13] 12 - - - - - - - - - 20 47 2
1982 On the Run / Maschine Brennt 4 30* - - - 10 34 - - - 4 49 - - - -

*#9 in the US Hot Play

References
  1. Allmusic review Falco in the US Single and Dance Charts
  2. Einzelhaft in the US Billboard
  3. Falco albums in Austrian charts
  4. Falco albums in the US Billboard
  5. "Falco in the Canadian charts". Archived from the original on 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
  6. Falco in the Swedish charts
  7. Falco in Italian Album Charts
  8. Archive of the Ö3-Hitparade: „Ganz Wien“
  9. Falco-Singles in the French Charts Archived 2007-10-08 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Der Kommissar" in UK
  11. "Der Kommissar" in South Africa
  12. Cash Box Top 100 4/23/83
  13. Cash Box Top 100 5/07/83
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