By Keith Walsh
In 1982, the techno pop band Berlin struck gold when radio stations and clubs around the world played their controversial single, “Sex.” The song is from their breakthrough EP Pleasure Victim, which went on to platinum status.
Fronted by Terri Nunn, the core band Berlin featured songwriter John Crawford on bass and background vocals, and David Diamond on keyboards and guitars. After years of separation, this core trio reunited in 2018 to record Transcendance and play live. It’s so satisfying to see them all together again and hear their innovative sounds.
Just last week, Berlin played a gig at Garden Rocks at Epcot Center at Disney World in Florida. Their song “Sex” was certainly not suitable for the family crowd. Berlin’s strategy? A bowdlerized version of “Sex,” aptly renamed “Text.”
‘I’m a Man/I’m a monkey/I’m a man/I’m a mermaid/I’m an evil queen/I’m a man/I’m a witch/I’m a man/You’re a pirate/I’m a jungle boy/And we have fun together.”
Berlin, “Text”
Starting out in Orange County, California with a slapdash array of analog synth gear and recording Pleasure Victim at Fullerton’s Casbah studio (where Social Distortion and Stacey Q got their start), Berlin has always been concerned with fame and fortune. By sanitizing their iconic song, have they gone to far? Comment below and let me know what you think.
Berlin Page dot com
Berlin Facebook
Berlin On Spotify
“Take My Breath Away” by King Roostah
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