Lake

Band members               Related acts

- Dieter Ahrendt -- drums (replaced Freddy Garrack (1974-)

- Alex Conti -- guitar (replaced Oreste Malagia) (1975-)

- Ian Cussik -- vocals, bass (1973-74)

- Heiko Effertz -- bass, backing vocals (replaced Martin

  Tiefensee) (1981-)

- Freddy Graack -- drums (1970-74)

- Frank Hieber -- keyboards, backing vocals (replaced

  Geoffrey Peacey) (1981-)

- James Hopkins-Harrison (RIP 1992) -- vocals (1974-)

- Oreste "Lilio" Malagia -- guitar (1973-75)

- Achim Opperman -- guitar, vocals (1981-)

- Geoffrey Peacey -- keyboards (1973-81)

- Detlef Petersen -- keyboards (1973-81)

- Martin Tiefensee -- bass (1973-81)

 

 

 

- Atlantis (Alex Conti)

- Curley Curve (Alex Conti)

- Mott the Hoople (Geoffrey Peacy)

 

 

 

 

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Lake

Company: Columbia

Catalog: PC-34763

Year: 1977

Country/State: UK/Germany

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: promo timing sticker on cover

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4542

Price: $8.00

Cost: $4.35

 

This band's always been a personal favorite since the first time I heard them on Armed Forces Radio Network while living in Germany during the late 1970s.  What made them interesting to me was the fact they were one of the few German (okay German and English) bands to get any kind of radio play on AFN.

 

Drummer Dieter Ahrendt, keyboardist Detlef Petersen and bassist Martin Tiefensee started their musical collaboration as members of the German cover band The Tornados.  By 1973 the three decided to strike out on their own, forming Lake.  Over the next couple of years the band underwent a steady stream of personnel changes, but by 1975 the band had coalesced into a multinational lineup rounded out by former Atlantis guitarist Alex Conti, Scottish singer James Hopkins-Harrison and former Mott the Hoople keyboardist Geoffrey Peacey.  The band spent several years working as sessions players, recording a series of demos.  Unable to interest a label in signing them, the band raided their collective savings to finance their own debut album.   

 

Recorded in England, 1977's cleverly-titled "Lake" was produced by Petersen (who also co-wrote all eight tracks with Hopkins-Harrison.  The result was an excellent and largely overlooked collection that effortlessly mixed pop and progressive moves - they got the mix right at least a couple of years ahead of Supertramp.  Propelled by Hopkins-Harrison's curiously accented vocals, the album offered up an engaging mix of commercial pop ('On the Run' and 'Sorry To Say') and longer, more progressive-oriented moves (the three tracks found on side 2).  The eight tracks were full of strong melodies, nice vocal harmonies and some interesting instrumental segments - probably explaining why progressive fans don't think too much of the set.  Propelled by the top-40 single 'Time Bomb' b/w 'Chasing Colours' (Columbia catalog number 3-10614) and an American tour opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd (!!!) the album still managed to sell well in the States, eventually hitting # 22.

German picture sleeve

'On the Run' b/w 'Time Bomb'

CBS catalog number CBS S4865

 


"Lake" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) On the Run   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

2.) Sorry To Say   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

3.) Time Bomb   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

4.) Chasing Colours   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

5.) Do I Love You   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

 

(side 2)
1.) Key To the Rhyme   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

2.) Jesus Came Down   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

3.) Between the Lines   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

 

 

 

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Lake

Company: CBS

Catalog: CBS 81661

Year: 1977

Country/State: UK/Germany

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: original German pressing; original inner sleeve with lyrics

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5508

Price: $15.00

 

 I also have a copy of the original German pressing; different cover art, but same track lisitng.

"Lake" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) On the Run   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

2.) Sorry To Say   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

3.) Time Bomb   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

4.) Chasing Colours   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

5.) Do I Love You   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

 

(side 2)
1.) Key To the Rhyme   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

2.) Jesus Came Down   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

3.) Between the Lines   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 

 

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Lake II

Company: Columbia

Catalog: PC-35289

Year: 1978

Country/State: UK/Germany

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: promo timing sticker on cover

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4590

Price: $8.00

Cost: $4.35

Anyone who liked "Lake" will probably find the 1978 follow-on equally appealing.  In spite of the fact it was recorded on the run during sessions in Hamburg, Dave Edmund's Rockfield Studios and in Colorado's Caribou Studios, the self-produced "Lake 2" sounds like a continuation of the earlier album.  Again largely written by Hopkins-Harrison and Petersen the album managed to come up with a nifty blend of pop and progressive moves.  Propelled by another set of memorable melodies and those trademarked group harmonies, tracks such as 'Red Lake' (with some pseudo-Beach Boy vocals), 'See Them Glow' (perhaps their prettiest song) and 'Love's A Jailer' were prime AOR radio fodder.  To be honest, I almost like this one more than the earlier album ...  Elsewhere Columbia tapped 'See Them Glow' b/w 'Highway 216' as a single (Columbia catalog number 3-10818).

 

German picture sleeve

'See Them Glow' b/w 'Angel In Disguise'

CBS catalog number CBS S 6688

German picture sleeve

'Letters of Love' b/w 'Lost By the Wayside'

CBS catalog number CBS S6243

 

 

"Lake II" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Welcome To the West   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 5:06

2.) See Them Glow   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 4:58

3.) Letters of Love   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 3:38

4.) Red Lake   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Geoffrey Peacey) - 4:56

5.) Love's A Jailer   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Geoffrey Peacey) - 4:27

 

(side 2)
1.) Lost By the Wayside   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 4:42

2.) Highway 216   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Geoffrey Peacey) - 3:36

3.) Angel In Disguise   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 4:27

4.) Scoobie Doobies   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Geoffrey Peacey) - 7:44

 

 

 

Genre: rock

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  Paradise Island

Company: Columbia

Catalog: JC-35817

Year: 1979

Country/State: UK/Germany

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: white label promo copy; timing strip on back cover

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4572

Price: $10.00

Cost: $4.35

 

In theory there's no reason why I shouldn't have enjoyed 1979's "Paradise Lake" as much as Lake's earlier albums.   Self-produced, musically the set didn't sound much different from "Lake" or "Lake II".  That said, in spite of repeated spins I found this one disappointing.  The difference may have been in the fact that this time around the band leaned towards pop at the expensive of progressive moves.  Nah, in truth I think the formula just began to turn cold.  Hopkins-Harrison didn't seem particularly interested in the material and his weird German-Scottish accent sounded shriller than unusual.  Mind you there were still a couple of decent tracks in the form of 'Into the Night' and their peeping Tom ode 'Hopeless Love'.  Elsewhere tracks such as 'Crystal Eyes' and 'One Way Song' are simply dull AOR.

 

"Paradise Island" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Into the Night   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 5:11

2.) Glad To Be Here   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen - Geoffrey Peacey) - 3:49

3.) Crystal Eyes   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen - Geoffrey Peacey) - 3:58

4.) Paradise Way   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 4:55

 

(side 2)
1.) Hopeless Love   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 4:09

2.) One Way Song   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Alex Conti )- 3:43

3.) Hard Road   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen - Alex Conti - Dieter Ahrendt) - 3:34

4.) The Final Curtain   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Detlef Petersen) - 5:04

 

There's also a German picture disc version of the LP (CBS catalog number P 83480):

 

 

 

 

 

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Ouch!

Company: Caribou

Catalog: JZ-37083

Year: 1981

Country/State: UK/Germany

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened to play and tape once); cut lower left corner

Available: 2

GEMM catalog ID: 4751

Price: $15.00

 

 

 Recorded in the wake of personnel upheavals that saw half the line up replaced, by all measures 1981's "Ouch!" should have been a complete disaster.  Instead, the resulting collaboration with longtime Chicago producer James William Guerico stood as at least a partial return to form.  Fans of the band's original progressive moves were probably disappointed by the band's continued drift towards a more commercial sound, but propelled by James Hopkins-Harrison's instantly recognizable vocals (his strange blend of English and German accents always brings a smile to my face), material such as 'Celebrate', 'Listen To Me' (with a surprising pro-union message) and 'Living for Today' (nice harmony vocals) was catchy and radio friendly. Most of the nine songs (largely penned by Hopkins-Harrison and new keyboardist Frank Heiber) were at least worth hearing once or twice.  In fact the only true flops were the reggae flavored 'Jamaica High' (major lame) and the Peter Cetera/Chicago-styled ballad 'Amigo'. (Ask yourself do you really want to hear Hopkins-Harrison singing in Scottish and German accented Spanish?)  The album was certainly better than the previous 'Paradise Island' though it did nothing commercially.  (This is pure speculation on my part, but I'm assuming the connection with Guerico and his Caribou Record label stemmed from the band's friendship with Beach Boy Carl Wilson.  Wilson and the Beach Boys had worked with Guerico and recorded at his Caribou Studios.)

"Ouch!" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Celebrate   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Achim Oppermann) - 3:49

2.) Come on Home   (Frank Hieber - James Hopkins-Harrison) - 4:38

3.) Listen to Me   (Haiko Efferz - Frank Hieber - James Hopkins-Harrison) - 4:15

4.) Amigo   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Achim Oppermann) - 2:51

5.) Jamaica High   (Alex Conti - Frank Hieber - James Hopkins-Harrison) - 4:46

 

(side 2)
1.) Living for Today   (James Hopkins-Harrison - Achim Oppermann) - 4:30

2.) Something Here   (Frank Hieber - James Hopkins-Harrison) - 4:32

3.) Hit Your Mama   (Frank Hieber - James Hopkins-Harrison) - 4:17

4.) Southern Nights   (Frank Hieber - James Hopkins-Harrison) - 4:30

 

Postscript - Imagine my surprise when I got an email from original keyboardist Geoffrey Peacey.  In an exchange of notes Peacey was kind enough to provide an update on what he and some of the other members were up to.

Sometimes at work when I have a couple of moments peace I brows the Internet for any new info on various things including Lake. So I came across your home page.

After leaving Lake I spent a couple of years as a freelance sound engineer. I then took a position at Peermusic-Hamburg as their sound engineer and I’ve been here since. I also function as  an IT engineer so I keep busy. It also gives me a chance to play on sessions one in a while. Detlef [Peterson] does film and tv music, Martin [Tiefensee] is a camera man with his own company and he gets to travel a lot. Dieter [Ahrendt] works for a advertising company and Alex [Conti] still plays in various bands. Jim [Hopkins-Harrison] died back in early 1990’s, he got onto the wrong side of life. (Sadly Hopkins-Harrison died in 1991, reportedly a heroin casualty.)

We had talked about a reunion but due to the daily work pressures that everyone has it kind of got “Lost by the Wayside” . Well Scott if there any questions please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer them

Have fun, Geoffrey Peacey

 

 

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