Blue Apple

Although since the age of forteen they all previously played in different groups, it was at the end of the 'Wild Sixties' that Uwe Patzke, Mandy Lange, Reiner Baur and Helmut Treichel first met and it was more of a coincidence that one day a certain music-producer, non less than Otto B.Hartmann took notice of the group, which was then called 'Phallus Dei'. After three month rehearsal they started their first session in the 'Union Studios' in Munich, producing their first album. Nick Woodland, who had at the time just arrived from U.K. was a tremendous asset after joining. The group especially concerning characteristic 2 voice-guitar-riffs. It was at the end of that studio-session that the birth of a new German-Rock-Group 'GIFT'. The starting-project in the early seventies was the 'Gift-Music-House' which became very famous in the scene, and allowed the group work, live with families and entertain fiends. It also encouraged various other groups to visit the 'Gift-Music-House' which meant that the could work and have fun together. Close relationships where found with groups like 'Scorpions', 'Kraan', 'Birth Control', 'Atlantis', 'King Ping Me' and many others. Playing as a frontgroup to international top-acts they visit many places and festivals single-concerts. The 'Gift' project was managed and organised by Mandy Lange and Uwe Patzke, who was also responsible for the total marketing and visual artwork of the group, which created their image of being the Hardest-German-Rock-Group of their time, manifesting with their second album 'Blue Apple' which during a very productive period was created and produced in Hamburg. With Helmut Treichel and Nick Woodland leaving the group, time and members changed allowing Dieter Frei (Keyboards) and Dieter Atterer (Lead-Vocal/ Guitar) to arrive bringing in new ideas which resulted in releasing the single 'Got To Find A Way'/'Blue Apple', reaching the highest placement in the Rock-Charts. The press critic were overwelming in comparison to the top English and American groups. 'Gift' became a living legend on the German-Rock-Scene and even uptill today, their albums remain bestselling insider-tips. But after five years, the called wellknown 'group-problems' infected and destroyed the 'Gift-Music-House'- community. Exactly 20 years after the second album OBH produced the both albums as CD’s on his own label. Because the mastertapes wouldn’t be remixed, and with a little help from digital-technology, the sound-quality was increased, allowing the original-pure-sound to drive through.