The Rattles

The Rattles are a German rock band, formed in Hamburg in 1960, best known for their 1970 psychedelic hit single, "The Witch".[1]

The Rattles
The Rattles performing at the Holsten Brauereifest in Hamburg, Germany in 2015
Background information
Also known asThe "In" Crowd
OriginHamburg, Germany
Genres
Years active1960 (1960)–present
Labels
Websiterattles.de
Members
  • Herbert Hildebrandt
  • Dicky Tarrach
  • Eggert Johannsen
  • Manne Kraski

Career

The Rattles performed in Hamburg, and played at the same venues as The Beatles on several occasions in 1962.[1] In 1964, the group recorded "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah", which charted in the UK. In 1968, they recorded their first version of "The Witch", with vocals by Henner Hoier.[1] The band's records sold well in Germany throughout the 1960s.

Their second version of "The Witch" in 1970, this time with vocals by Edna Bejarano, was their only international hit.[1] It reached the Top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, the top 20 in Austria, and the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.. It eventually sold over one million copies.[1]

Rosetta Stone released a gothic rock cover of "The Witch" in the 1990s. The Norwegian psychedelic hard rock band, Motorpsycho, covered the song during 1999 and 2000.[2] A recording of this song can be found on their bootleg Live Union Scene from 14 April 1999.[3]

Members
Current members
  • Herbert Hildebrandt - bass
  • Manfred Kraski - vocals, guitar
  • Eggert Johannsen - guitar
  • Reinhard "Dicky" Tarrach - drums
Former members
  • Achim Reichel (vocals, guitar, 1960–66, 1988–91)
  • Bernd Schulz (keyboards, 1967–68)
  • Dieter Sadlowsky (drums, 1960–63)
  • Edna Bejarano (vocals, 1970–73)
  • Eggert Johannsen [Martin Storm] (vocals, rhythm guitar, 1994–present)
  • Franz "Piggy" Jarnach (keyboards, vocals, 1991–95)
  • Frank Dostal (vocals, 1966–67)
  • Frank Mille (guitar, vocals, 1970–77)
  • Frank Seidel (keyboards, 1996–present)
  • Georg "George" Meier (guitar, vocals, 1969–70, 1974–77)
  • George Miller (drums, 1975–77)
  • Hans Joachim "Hajo" Kreutzfeld (guitar, 1961–65)
  • Henner Hoier (keyboards, vocals, 1968–70, 1988–93)
  • Herbert Bornholdt (drums, 1973)
  • Herbert Hildebrandt (bass, vocals, 1960–68, 1988–present)
  • Hermann "Rugy" Rugenstein (guitar, vocals, 1965–68)
  • Jochen "Lu Lafayette" Peters (keyboards, 1973–77)
  • Kurt "Zappo" Lüngen (bass, 1968–73, 1974)
  • Linda Fields (vocals, 1974–77)
  • Manne Kraski (guitar, vocals, 1991–present)
  • Peter "Peet" Becker (drums, 1968–70)
  • Rainer Degner (guitar, vocals, 1967–69)
  • Reinhard "Dicky" Tarrach (drums, 1963–67, 1988–present)
  • Volker Reinhold (guitar, vocals, 1960–61)
  • Wolfgang "Al" Brock (drums, 1974)
  • Herbert Hildebrandt
  • Manfred Kraski
  • Eggert Johannsen
  • Reinhard "Dicky" Tarrach

(This was the basic mid 1960s line-up.[4] By the time of "The Witch" they had all left and successively been replaced by other musicians, with Edna Bejarano now being the lead singer.)

Discography

Singles
Year Singles A GER UK[5] USA
1965 "La La La" - 19 - -
1965 "(Stoppin') In Las Vegas" - 20 - -
1966 "Come on and Sing" - 11 - -
1966 "Love of My Life" - 16 - -
1966 "It Is Love" - 26 - -
1967 "Cauliflower" - 25 - -
1968 "After Tea" - 26 - -
1969 "Geraldine" - - - -
1970 "The Witch" 20 4 8 79
1971 "You Can't Have Sunshine Every Day" - 45 - -
1971 "Devil's on the Loose" - 38 - -
1972 "Money Making Machine" - - - -
1988 "Hot Wheels" - 47 - -

Albums
  • Twist im Star-Club (1963)
  • Twist-Time im Star-Club Hamburg (1964)
  • Live im Star-Club Hamburg (1964)
  • The Searchers Meet the Rattles (1964)
  • Rattles (1965)
  • Star Club Show 1 (1966)
  • Liverpool Beat (1966)
  • Hurra, die Rattles kommen (Soundtrack to the film of the same name) (1966)
  • Remember Finale Ligure (1967)
  • The Witch (1971)
  • Tonight Starring Edna (1972)
  • Gin Mill (1974)
  • Attention (1975)
  • Hot Wheels (1988)
  • Painted Warrior (1990)
  • New Wonderland (1993)
  • Live (1997)
  • Say Yeah! (2007)

Compilation albums
  • Die deutschen Singles A&B (1963–1965), Vol. 1 (2000)
  • Die deutschen Singles A&B (1965–1969), Vol. 2 (2000)
  • Come On And Sing - Best (2004)
  • Goldene für die Rattles (1970)
  • Greatest Hits (1997)

References
  1. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 285. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  2. "The Witch by Motorpsycho Song Statistics". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  3. "Motorpsycho Concert Setlist at Union Scene, Drammen on April 14, 1999". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  4. "Band line-up". Badcatrecords.com. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 451. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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