Recorded: Jonas Dreyfus
Crocodile, 1969
«The photo shows Krokodil, the first Swiss rock band to become known across the border. During its existence from 1969 to 1974, she performed with bands such as Pink Floyd. Its members, including the Zürcher Düde Dürst, Walty Anselmo and Hardy Hepp, played unusual instruments such as flute, sitar and violin. The American record company, with which Krokodil was under contract with artists like Ike and Tina Turner, was called Liberty Records. The cover of the first record showed the Statue of Liberty in the form of a crocodile holding a hash pipe. As a result, it never appeared in the United States. “
Crocus, 1980
«Tommy Kiefer, Chris von Rohr and Marc Storace, who can be seen from left to right in this picture, stand for the formation that made Krokus from 1980 what it is to this day: by far the most successful Swiss rock band with hits like «Bedside Radio» and sold more than 1.5 million albums. Most of the rock bands of that time played the music that their members liked themselves – mostly so-called progressive rock, which was relatively cerebral. Hardly any consideration was given to the taste of the audience. With Krokus that changed. The members of the band were also the first who could really make a living from making music. “
Patrick Moraz, 2017
«Patrick Moraz is the first and only Swiss musician who made it to the top of the international pop and rock scene. In 1974 the incredibly virtuoso keyboardist from western Switzerland joined Yes, at that time one of the most successful British bands in the world. When he was kicked out, he went to court. It wasn’t the only time Moraz struggled legally. Recordings of the trial against the band The Moody Blues, with which he was for thirteen years, can even be seen on YouTube. Moraz is 73 today and lives in Florida. In the picture he’s standing there on the beach. “
Polo Hofer, 1976
«Polo Hofer was also a brilliant entertainer – the photo shows him as the singer of Rumpelstilz. Dialect was frowned upon in rock circles for a long time – polo made it socially acceptable. The idea of singing in Bern German came to him in prison, where he was imprisoned for refusing to serve. He told this over and over again during his lifetime. On October 23, 1971, almost exactly 50 years ago, Rumpelstilz gave their first concert in Thun. The band also had success in Germany with a High German version of their hit ‘Kiosk’. “
Hardy Hepp, 2020
«For my book I visited Hardy Hepp at his place of residence in Wallenwil TG, where the photo was taken. He is an original and told about the past six hours in a row without interruption. He was a leading figure of the time, was a musician and, as the first DJ in the city of Zurich and as a record seller, brought a sound to Switzerland in the 1960s that was not yet known here. For example that of Bob Dylan or the Rolling Stones. He was also a kind of chairman of the ‘Haus zum Raben’ commune, where the entire creative scene of that time gathered. Later Hepp was with Krokodil and even tried briefly as a pop singer. “
Les Sauterelles, 1969
“The Sauterelles with Toni Vescoli in the middle were the most successful Swiss beat band in the 1960s. In 1968 she brought out Heavenly Club, the first Swiss song to make it to number 1 in the domestic charts. Beat music was the forerunner of rock and was heavily based on the Beatles. The bands played the songs of their role models. Including the Kinks or the Stones. It was about sounding like the idols as much as possible. That was the main difference to rock, whose fans wrote their own songs, made their own music. In the photo you can see the band members and sisters Fioretta and Bernadette Wälle. In the pioneering days of rock in Switzerland, women were marginal figures. That was an all-male club. “
Span, 1975
«The band Span, previously Grünspan, poses here with a cannabis plant in front of the farm in the Bernese hamlet of Hämlismatt. It’s my favorite photo from my book because it exudes the hippie bliss of this commune. The group around Schöre Müller claims to have been the first Bernese dialect rock band. Its members come from the city and not from the Oberland like Polo Hofer and the members of Rumpelstilz. The Spaniards then played with Hofer under the name Polos Schmetterling. Span’s best-known songs include ‘Bärner Rock’ and ‘Louenesee’. The band still exists today. But she no longer lives on the farm. “
From rock to jazz and back
In his youth, Stefan Künzli first listened to rock, but then switched to jazz and blues. His interest in music history, the connections and developments were aroused at the University of Bern, where he studied history and ethnomusicology. Today the 59-year-old from Aargau is Head of Culture and Music Editor at CH Media. In his private life he plays the saxophone in various rock and blues bands. His book “Swiss Rock Pioneers: A Search for Traces in the Rebellious Founding Years” has been published by Zytglogge.
In his youth, Stefan Künzli first listened to rock, but then switched to jazz and blues. His interest in music history, the connections and developments were aroused at the University of Bern, where he studied history and ethnomusicology. Today the 59-year-old from Aargau is Head of Culture and Music Editor at CH Media. In his private life he plays the saxophone in various rock and blues bands. His book “Swiss Rock Pioneers: A Search for Traces in the Rebellious Founding Years” has been published by Zytglogge.