The Rickets were one of the very first German Beat bands already forming in 1961. The band went through various transitions and had been inspired by the very early psychedelic explosion which can be heard on fantastic tracks like ‘Action Painting’.

The Rickets released several singles for Format and BASF-Deutsche-Vogue labels and ended playing in 1974, although the members resurrected the band in recent times. Their above mentioned freakbeat number, ‘Action Painting’ remains some of the most exciting unknown tracks of the Swinging Sixties era.

Where and when did you grow up? Was music a big part of your family life? Did the local music scene influence you or inspire you to play music?

Dieter Thelen: The band The Rickets was formed in 1961. Founding members are Dieter Thelen, Karl Prudel and Ernst Krichel. We were inspired by my uncle Rex Gildo, our great role model Buddy Holly and musicians like Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Little Richard…

The Rickets in 1960 | Rene’ de Jong, Ernst Krichel, Moderator Peter Müller, Dieter Köster.

How did you begin playing saxophone? What influenced you the most in those early years? Jazz records?

I bought my first saxophone in 1962, inspired by a single by Earl Bostic (‘Night Train’).

The Rickets is one of the oldest German beat bands, how did you meet other members of the band and when did you form?

When we were very young, Karl Prudel, Ernst Krichel and I started making music and rehearsing in 1958 in my parents’ basement. The Rickets’ first performance took place in the hall of the vocational school in Bottrop.

What were some of the clubs you played early on? Where were they located?

Later we played in almost all locations in the Ruhr area as well as in many large and small cities in Germany.

Who were some other bands that you shared stages with?

Joint appearances took place with Manfred Mann, The Monks, Mr. Acker Bilk, Tony Sheridan, The Easybeats, The Lords, The Rattles and Drafi Deutscher.

Did you have your own management?

The Rickets were managed from 1963 by Carsten Helmke, later by Udo Heinze and Peter Frey.

I’m having a bit trouble finding out about your exact discography, was ‘My Dear’ / ‘Rickets’ Special’ your debut single for Format GTS?

The first single was produced on the Format label: ‘My Dear’ / ‘Ricket’s Special’.

Are there any other singles following up to the 1971 ‘Land Of Rainbows’ / ‘Weekend’ for Vogue Schallplatten?

In 1971 -‘ Land Of Rainbows’/ ‘Weekend’; 1972 – ‘Hey, Hey Remember’ / ‘I Stay Myself’. The label was BASF-Deutsche-Vogue.

The name Rickets was often written with a double t (Ricketts) by mistake.

What was the songwriting process for you like?

A lot of R&B and soul music followed a là Otis Redding, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Arthur Conley, Tony Joe White et cetera.

Thanks to various compilations that released your material I found a song which is very dear to my heart. I would love it if you can share the story behind the fantastic ‘Action Painting’? Why wasn’t it released as a single?

‘Action Painting’ was released on the LP sampler ‘Wir im Spotlight’ on the Resono label distribution Teldec and not as a single. This was a production for a youth series on German television.

Did you ever consider working on an album back then?

We would have liked to have done that. Unfortunately, at that time there was no record company that would have released this.

After that there were no more releases due to a brief breakup of the band.

The band’s first endorsement deal in the ’60s. Here 3 of 5 musicians. Magazine: BRAVO, print run: 500,000 | Hans-Jürgen Million, Karl Prudel, Dieter Thelen.

How did you experience the psychedelic rock that was going on? ‘Action Painting’ really captures that moment in time, don’t you think?

Yes, of course. It was basically the time to experiment and translate your dreams and feelings into music. We had like-minded role models like The Who and Jimi Hendrix.

Are there still a lot of unreleased material available?

Yes, we have released other material with different musical genres on the 1964-2004 20 track CD ‘Feel The Rhythm’ on the Cain label.

When did the band stop?

In 1974.

Dieter, you worked under the moniker Marc André and Frank Andersen, releasing several singles. Why did you use monikers? Please tell us more about the recorded tracks.

I never wanted to sing German hits. After the Ricky Shayne and Drafi Deutscher scandals, manager Udo Heinze persuaded me to take this step. At the instigation of the producer, Dieter Thelen became “Marc André.”

The Rickets in 1965 | Dinslaken, Germany

The Rickets in 1964 | Ronny Hirsch, H.J. Million

Appeared on the Resono label:

1) ‘Wenn du das Hasch nicht brauchst,’ 2) ‘Die Spatzen pfeifen es vom Dach,’ 3) ‘So schön wie Aphrodite,’ 4) ‘So süß wie Marzipan (Original: ‘Another Saturday Night’ by Sam Cooke), 5) ‘Nimm die Welt wie sie ist’ (Original: ‘What Is Life’ by George Harrison), 6) ‘Hände weg’ (text and music Giorgio Moroder, Holm/Siegel), 7) ‘Das allerschönste Mädchen’ (appearance in the tv show Drehscheibe).

German Polydor changed the moniker to Frank Anderson without my knowledge. The last German recording appeared: ‘Was machst du am Sonntag?’

After that I didn’t fulfill the contract (two more productions) and left the German hit world.

How about others? Was anyone involved with music after the Rickets?

Bassist Ernst Krichel continued to be a successful producer and recording studio owner for a long time. He owned the Cain label and was a music publisher. Among others he released CDs by Bonfire, Jerry Riopelle, Supersession.

Drummer Karl Prudel played in the band Hard To Handle. An LP production was carried out.

I still play in the band Patina.

The old formation of the Rickets played independently at various concerts.

What were some other German bands back then in the style of Rickets?

We are not aware of any.

What currently occupies your life?

Of course the music! Ernst Krichel also deals with vintage cars and painting. My hobbies are cross-country skiing and riding my partner’s horse.

What are some of the most important players that influenced your own style and what in particular did they employ in their playing that you liked?

Maceo Parker (alto sax) and equal professionals influence me the most, but also experimental musicians such as The Brecker Brothers.

Looking back, what was the highlight of your time in the band? Which songs are you most proud of? Where and when was your most memorable gig?

From 1966-1968 we were the first beat/rock band to help organize cultural events:
– 12 performances with works by Peter Handke (Nobel Prize winner for literature). We set his poetry to music – including the chant (“Weissagung” and “Publikumsbeschimpfung”). You could say it was the forerunner of today’s rap.
– Under the motto Beatmusical we played ‘Kiss Me Kate’ by Cole Porter in about 50 performances in the Stadttheater Oberhausen.
– “Kunst und Musik” und “Beat/Rock für Kinder” – projects that were ahead of their time.
– ‘Route 66,’ ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ and ‘Satisfaction’.
– In 1964 we played a joint concert with the USA boys “The Monks” in the Rocktempel Stade (near Hamburg).

Klemen Breznikar

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