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Official homepage:

https://web.archive.org/web/20220526232547/http://music.mikemareen.de/index.html

 

Mike Mareen (real name Uwe-Michael Wischhof) was born on 9th November 1949 in Berlin and grew up in Lüneburg, Germany. He started a carrier playing German folk music. After that he changed music style and become a drummer of the group Cementery Institution playing at Star Club in Hamburg. Eager for traveling, he went around the world looking for his own musical style. Later on, as a sailor, he came to New York. Among other things he stayed for several years in America as a vocalist for various American groups.

After returning to Germany he took acting and piano lessons in order to enlarge his artistic skill. Through his extravagant live show he overnight became one of the most wanted live show acts in Europe. The name Mike Mareen was born. In 1982. he founded Night 'n' Day Records, his own record label. The major goal was to help young artists gain a foothold in the music business.

In 1984. Mike published a co-production with a British composer and producer Chris Evans-Ironside called Dancing In The Dark, which became nr. 1 hit in 26 countries around the world.

Here's what Mike says about that cooperation:

I met Chris in 1974 during recording my very first single. Very quickly vve became good friends and made lots of common projects together: like music for children or my vocal support for his musical called 'Time'. Thanks to Chris I discovered an electronic sound. His new toy - ARP synthesizer - vvas a really big thing at that time, very impressive! While producing Drafi Deutschers 'SiIver Bird' performed by Tina Rainford. we used a synthesizer for the very first time ever and - to ourbig surprise - a song immediately landed on the music chart is tstposition!

In the team vvorking on Mike Mareen's productions there was also Luis Rodriguez, the guy responsible for the sound of Modem Talking. Luis arranged many of Mareen’s songs, being a main sound engineeron 'Dance Control" production.

I also met Luis Rodriguez in the 70’s. I was very much interested in other musicians’ achievements. especially of those vvho were my 'neighbours'. Luis vvas among others vvorking on arrangements for many other artists. At that time music was engineered 'manually', we did not have ali those computers, sound processors, sophisticated applications and electronics that is used for making music nowadays. Imagine for example that Luis himself vvas cutting drum section tapes vvhen doing soundengineering! For 'Dance Control'recording session in Luis s studio we invitedpopular DJ's like Jens Llssat or Holly Post (both from Zeppelin Stelle). Also Junior Andree Dee Jay of Galactica Luneburg contributed to that project. You knovv, in ali contracts at that time there was a clause forbidding the artist to take part in any advertising campaigns. But since the record company belonged to me. I was free to do vvhatever I vvished. Thats why I decided to put an advertisement of the Galactica discotheque on the back cover of my new album. That way I earned back the cost of its production. And that vvas hovv the special remix of 'Dancing In The Dark' vvas made. released and knovvn as the 'Galactica Remix'.

He also sold out show events, e.g. in Mexico City he performed in front of an audience of 50.000 people.

 

In 1986. Love Spy was his final breakthrough by which Mike Mareen established himself in the international music field as the "Italo-Disco-King". The record was sold vvorldvvide in 6.5 million copies. There is an interesting story behind it - and, as it often happened in case of great successes, it vvas an accident that helped that song gain popularity:

Authors of that song Peter Lack and Thomas Weiss suggested that I produce it with one of my protšgees. But somehovv I could not convince any of ‘my‘ artists to interprete the song in that special crazy-comic way I vvanted it to be. So in the end I decided to perform it myself. The final result is knovvn to everyone. 'Love Spy'became a vvorldvvide disco-killer.

Since 1986 Mareen starts cooperating with the new production team. A brand-new sound is compietely different from what we ali remember from 'Dance Control" and is a continuation of "Love Spy". There are nevv singles in that style released shortty: "Agent of Liberty*, 'Ðoni Talk To The Snake" and 'Štand Up".

Until that time no other artist from "old Germany" had managed to unite more than 3.000 fans at his place of arrival. By this time all artists performing this musical style were compared to Mike Mareen. He is one of the few European artists who has been present for weeks with various songs in the American Billboard Charts. International success also resulted from working as a producer with famous artists such as Roberto Blanco, DJ's Project and Shipra.

In 1987. Mike succeeded in having another hit with his single Agent Of Liberty which is a long runner in various radio trailers until now. This success led to the release of the 12" LP Let's Start Now at the close of the year 1987, which became a standard at the dance clubs across Europe.

Ralf Stemmann (Nick Stone) and Lutz Rahn ’s Bruckenstudio (Band Novalis) drevv lots of my attention to possibilities of making a brand-nevv sound Every musician -especially a keyboard player - has his ovvn unique ‘musical handvvriting' and that vvas exactly vvhat made me try their style. Together vve recorded a vvhole album called 'Lets Start Now‘, vvith a big help from a very talented sound engineer VVolfgang Timpe, vvhose voice you can also hear on some tracks - he vvas a back-vocalist there as vveli as an electric guitar player.

At the same time, Mareen vvorks as a producer for such artists as DJ's Project Amadeus Liszt U.K., Shipra, K.B. Caps, Triple G. Even though Mareen's music's popularity started fading in late 80's, he still remained active and performed on stage. Over 30 thousand fans gathered at his concerts in Moscovv, St. Petersburg and Mexico in 2004 and 2005. Nowadays Mike Mareen is busy vvith his Fine Fashion Leather Design company. But he has not sard his last vvord in dance music business yet: My plan is to record one more - a farevvell album, before I definitely focus on doing something else. But before it happens, I d like to concentrate my actions on my artist ic leather fashion and design business that I have been developing fora yearnow. When I see it going vve//, / 'II start vvorking on my nevv album. And I do really hope to provide ali my fans vvith some more joy and positive vibrations coming straight from my music. I vvish you ali the best and lots fun vvhen listening to the 'Essential Release'.

The beginning of 1988. saw the release of the single Stand Up and later Lady Ecstasy. Caused by the major success of Mike Mareen's dance music, a remix of all his classic hits was released in 1991, on request of numerous DJ's of well-known dance clubs.

You can listen to and enjoy all of his songs here...