ZANG TUMMM TUMB ARTICLES “the first draft of history”

Act: Fact

  1. Claudia Brucken (vocals) and Thomas Leer (instruments and vocals), together for two years to write music for material boys and girls who still cherish ideals.
  2. Claudia Bruckens first group project was Propaganda, whose debut album “A Secret Wish” sold 500,000 throughout Europe. Wishing to broaden the range and possibility of her music, she teamed up with
  3. Thomas Leer, whose solo work, embracing jazz, soul and the avant-garde, had been acclaimed through Europe — songs such as “International” and “Number 1" were hits in a number of European territories.
  4. And then there was ACT.
  5. Hi-tech electronic cabaret music for the nuclear age.
  6. Songs written during 1987 appear on their debut compact disc, “Laughter, Tears & Rage” — 14 songs, an hour of music. The LP “Laughter, Tears & Rage” features a selection of ten songs from the compact disc: the cassette features a selection of twelve songs. These songs include such dramatic and powerful works as “Under The Nights Of Germany”, “Certified”, “Absolutely Immune” and “Snobbery & Decay”, as well as cunning emotional entertainment such as “Laughter”, “I Cant Escape From You” and “A Friendly Warning”. The compact disc contains the groups now notorious jazz interpretation of The Smiths “Heaven Knows Im Miserable Now.”
  7. So, ACTs debut album is entitled “Laughter, Tears & Rage”.
    :the cassette contains 2 extra tracks
    :the compact disc contains 4 extra tracks
  8. “Laughter, Tears & Rage” is an exuberant variety show, perfect for optimists or pessimists, parties or privacy, loving or loving, cars, boats, planes, trains… day or night, night and day.
  9. Before you know it, youll love them… why not sooner rather than later.

The Actress — CLAUDIA BRUCKEN

Born in Bavaria, West Germany, in 1963, Claudia Brucken was first inspired by rock music in the mid ‘70s; such as Patti Smith, The Velvet Underground, The Sex Pistols and Nina Hagen. By 1980 she was already performing on stage, in the Dusseldorf group Torpelinos — a local all girl group who became very much loved as a kind of hint of Bananarama things to come.

Her first international project was with the German group Propaganda. She sang on the groups first album, “A Secret Wish”, which was a success in numerous countries around the world. As singer on Propagandas “Outside World Tour” in 1985, she was the undoubted star of the venture.

(cont.)
She left Propaganda in 1986 to pursue other projects. The first of these is ACT, and she is also working on her first solo LP. “Prima Donna.” with Trevor Horn as executive producer.

Her current ambitions are to set the world alight singing songs from an open heart, to appear in a musical, to transcend the whims of fashion, and by 1999 be singing a set of songs that sum up the 20th Century.

She claims: “I will love you until you all love me”.*

* copyright Perfect Songs Ltd.

The Actor — THOMAS LEER

Born in Scotland in 1956, Thomas Leer has been performing music since the late ‘70s — first in local beat groups, and after punk in 1976 experimenting with some of the more adventurous of British musicians inspired by punk. His experimental work in the Os was acclaimed as much as work by Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and Wire. By the 1980s he was turning his intention to only slightly disturbed more conventional pop music, and he released a series of respected records on the Arista label. He as worked with Claudia Brucken since 1986 in ACT, and is also working on a solo collection of pieces, “Plastic And Physical”, which will set curious jazz to damaged rhythms.

ACT

The first ACT LP is a soundtrack to an imaginary film, “Laughter, Tears And Rage”. ACT is an experiment in union: their album is an adventure in idealism and escapism. As well as featuring 8 songs written by Claudia and Thomas snatches of dialogue and instrumental music, it also features songs written by ‘80s writers most admired by Brucken and Leer. Steven Morrissey and Johnny Marrs “Heaven Knows Im Miserable Now” — representing idealism — and Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rices “Id Be Surprisingly Good For You” — representing escapism.

Their next single release “I Cant Escape From You” is also on the album, and their live show, a mental musical, is being rehearsed for European dates.