Richard Müller (singer)
Richard Müller (born September 6, 1961) is a Slovak singer, songwriter, and occasional actor.[1] He is one of the most successful singers both in the Czech and Slovak Republics, where he has sold more than one million records.[2]
Richard Müller | |
---|---|
Richard Müller performing in London KOKO in 2007 | |
Background information | |
Born | Hlohovec, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) | September 6, 1961
Genres | Pop rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actor |
Years active | 1984–present |
Associated acts | Banket |
Website | muller |
Biography
He started as a music journalist. In the beginning of the 1980s, while studying the theory of drama and screenplay at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU), he started writing for the daily paper and the only specialized periodical at the time, Popular, and, later, for Gramorevue. As a journalist, in his own words, he could get close to the musicians he admired easier. His first song, Radio, was recorded with the Burčiak Pavla Daněka band. The track was very successful in the music chart 5xp, which encouraged Müller to start a band with Martin Karvaš, it was called Banket. Their debut album, Bioelektrovízia (1986) was full of hits, including the immortal song written by Vašo Patejdl – Po schodoch ("Up the Stairs"). Co-operation with Andrej Šeban produced and was very perceivable in the two succeeding albums Druhá doba?! and Vpred. He has also made a very popular song with Daniel Junas in the '90's called Na Zlatých pieskoch v lete.
After 1990 Richard Müller started his solo career. In the very beginning he experienced great success with "federal" Czechoslovak hits, songs sang in Czech such as Štěstí je krásná věc ("Happiness is a Beautiful Thing") and Rozeznávám ("I Am Distinguishing"), from the album V penzionu Svět written by Petr Hapka and Michal Horáček. Müller's first two solo albums, produced by Henrich Leško, were Neuč vtáka lietať and 33, where he collaborated with Jaro Filip, who wrote songs for him for couple of years afterwards as well. The result of this were three albums L.S.D. (1996), Nočná optika (1998) and Koniec sveta (1999). The album 01 was created with the help of his musical partner and producer Ivan Tásler from a well known Slovak band I.M.T. Smile and it received many awards. In 2003 during his stay in New York City, Müller created his first author album Monogamný vzťah ("Monogamous Relationship") with a couple of American musicians. When Henrich Leško got back on the post of the producer, 44 the newest album was created in co-operation with musicians such as drummer Omar Hakim, bass guitarists Anthony Jackson, Will Lee and guitarist Hiram Bullock. With this line-up, with the addition of guitarist Mike Caffrey and Clifford Carter on the piano, Richard Müller toured Slovakia and the Czech Republic in December 2005.
Banket years
Between 1984 and 1991, Müller was the lead singer of the pop band Banket, considered legendary today due to their pioneering role as one of the main proponents of electronic pop music in Czechoslovakia in the 1980s.
Awards and achievements
In 1989 Banket won Bratislavská lýra song contest with Aj ty!. During his career Müller received 7 Aurel Awards, 1 Artmedia Award and 2 Gold Slávik Awards (2 Silver, 4 Bronze). In The 100 Greatest Slovak Albums of All Time list Müller had 4 solo albums and 2 albums with Banket, while Bioelektrovízia was at 3rd overall position, Nočná optika 6th in Males category and 33 10th in the same category. In Top 25 česko-slovenských alb dekády (2000–2010) list (Top 25 Czech and Slovak albums of decade 2000–2010) '´01 was at the 9th position.[3]
Discography
- Bioelektrovízia (1986)
- Up the Stairs (1986, English version of Bioelektrovízia)
- Druhá doba?! (1988)
- Vpred? (1990)
- Banket ’84-’91 (1991), best of Banket
- Neuč vtáka lietať (1992)
- 33 (1994)
- Baal (1995), soundtrack to a musical of the same name, in cooperation with Andrej Šeban
- LSD (1996)
- Nočná optika (1998)
- Müllenium live (1999)
- Koniec sveta (1999)
- ... a hosté (2000)
- ´01 (2001)
- Retro (2002)
- Monogamný vzťah (2004)
- 44 (2005)
- Čo bolo, bolo (2006), best of selection of hits spanning his career
- Už (2010)
- Ešte (2011)
- Hlasy (2013)
- Hlasy 2 (2014)
- Socialní síť (2015)
- 55 (2016)
See also
- Slovak music
- The 100 Greatest Slovak Albums of All Time
- Jaroslav Filip