Upstairs

It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz

The Artless Cuckoo
20.95 €
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Upstairs, a band from Frankfurt, Germany was active from 1977 to 1983. Though considering themselves mainly a rock group, the band incorporated elements of funk, jazz rock and disco into their music. On their rare and privately released debut album “It’s Hard To Get In The Showbiz” from 1980 they created something that could be called Germany’s definite answer to AOR, yet still with an edgy and unique krautrock flavor. The album starts with "Wontcha Try," a track where core songwriter, guitarist and lead singer Helmer Sauer is telling the story about being dismissed from his job: "They tried to tell me in a fucking gentle way, that the time had come to kick me…". Sauer serves more personal, hard-edged lyrics on the album as well. On "Happy Hooker," for example, he tells the story of a working girl in the red light milieu: "The job is as hard that you really can never imagine, she serves for the money, degradin' herself in a way - if you'd know how she's feelin' you wouldn't laugh at all". An empathetic view on the subject of prostitution rarely heard at that time. But aside from the profound lyrics and songwriting, the album has a lot to offer on the groovy side of things. With catchy bass lines, rhythm guitar, Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer, Clavinet and swift crisp drumming "It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz" is one of the best examples of late 70s flavored funky rock from Germany. Additional to the aforementioned "Wontcha Try" another DJ delight should be "Make Your Steps On Better Lines" which showcases a superb synth line and disco funk flavors. We also get the slick mellow latinesque AOR grooves of "Get On A Plane" as well as the now-classic "You're Just Yourself", which marks the most soulful track of the LP. As followers of our label are already well aware, "You're Just Yourself" was featured on the compilation, "Boogie On The Mainline – A Collection Of Rare Disco, Funk And Boogie From Germany 1980-1987" from 2018. The band mainly performed locally and never really had ambitions to release their music on a bigger label. Too bad that Upstairs only released this one album. Of course, the highly sought-after original pressing is almost impossible to find nowadays. Therefore, we are proud to finally make this record available again after 40 years for a reasonable, regular LP price. Only 300 copies of the carefully re-mastered repress have been produced, and included is a printed lyrics insert identical to the original. As this is already the 10th release on our label we want to thank you for your support! Stay tuned for more hidden gems unearthed by The Artless Cuckoo.

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Details

Release Date

24.09.2020

Cat No

TAC-010

Charted By

Tinko

Tracklist

Track 1
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Track 2
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Track 3
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Track 4
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Track 5
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Track 6
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Track 7
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Track 8
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Disco
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12"
Upstairs
12.95 €
Get On A Plane / You're Just Yourself The Outer Edge
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Disco
12"
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Upstairs
12.95 €
Get On A Plane / You're Just Yourself The Outer Edge
tba
LP
Upstairs
22.95 €
It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz The Outer Edge
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LP
Upstairs
22.95 €
It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz The Outer Edge
Funk
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12"
Upstairs
12.95 €
Get On A Plane / You're Just Yourself Boogie On The Mainline
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Funk/Soul
12"
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Upstairs
12.95 €
Get On A Plane / You're Just Yourself Boogie On The Mainline
Funk
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2-LP
Imagination
23.95 €
Shake It The Artless Cuckoo
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Funk/Soul
2-LP
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Imagination
23.95 €
Shake It The Artless Cuckoo
Fusion
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LP
Imagination
20.95 €
I'm Always Right - The WDR Tapes 1977 The Artless Cuckoo
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Jazz
LP
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Imagination
20.95 €
I'm Always Right - The WDR Tapes 1977 The Artless Cuckoo
Wave
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7"
Ghia
11.95 €
Whats Your Voodoo The Artless Cuckoo
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Rock / Pop / Indie
7"
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Ghia
11.95 €
Whats Your Voodoo The Artless Cuckoo
Balearic
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7"
Ara Pacis
11.95 €
To The Westcoast / My Fate The Artless Cuckoo
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Disco
7"
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Ara Pacis
11.95 €
To The Westcoast / My Fate The Artless Cuckoo
Kraut Rock
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LP
Herbert Bodzin
15.95 €
Revival II - The Electronic Tapes 1979-1982 The Artless Cuckoo
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Electronica
LP
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Herbert Bodzin
15.95 €
Revival II - The Electronic Tapes 1979-1982 The Artless Cuckoo
Jazz
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10"
Herbert Bodzin
17.95 €
Revival (The Electric Jazz Rock Recordings) The Artless Cuckoo
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Jazz
10"
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Herbert Bodzin
17.95 €
Revival (The Electric Jazz Rock Recordings) The Artless Cuckoo
Transcultured
2-LP
Gotan Project
25.95 €
Lunatico (Black Vinyl) Believe Digital Gmbh
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World
2-LP
Gotan Project
25.95 €
Lunatico (Black Vinyl) Believe Digital Gmbh
Nu Funk / Nu Soul
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12“
Elaine Vassell / 3rd Zone
15.95 €
Never Give Up / You Stole My Heart Heels & Souls
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Funk/Soul
12“
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Elaine Vassell / 3rd Zone
15.95 €
Never Give Up / You Stole My Heart Heels & Souls
Jazz
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LP
Bruno Spoerri
31.95 €
Musiques Legeres (1976-1982) We Release Jazz
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Jazz
LP
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Bruno Spoerri
31.95 €
Musiques Legeres (1976-1982) We Release Jazz
House
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12“
Dickie Landry Featuring JD Twitch
16.95 €
Hang the Rich DFA
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House
12“
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Dickie Landry Featuring JD Twitch
16.95 €
Hang the Rich DFA
Bass Music
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12“
Peaky Beats
16.95 €
CATDUBS002 Peaky Beats
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Bass Music
12“
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Peaky Beats
16.95 €
CATDUBS002 Peaky Beats
Breakbeatz
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12“
Burial
13.95 €
Dreamfear​ / ​Boy Sent From Above XL
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Techno
12“
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Burial
13.95 €
Dreamfear​ / ​Boy Sent From Above XL