Emergency

Emergency is a Germany-based krautrock and jazz-rock group active in the 1970s. The band forms around Czech musician Hanus Berka, who settles in Munich and starts the group at the end of 1970. The original line-up includes Udo Lindenberg on drums, Barrie Newby on guitar, Jiro Matousek on keyboards, Otto Bezloja on bass, Dusko Goykovic on trumpet, and Reddy on vocals. The group is international in make-up, with four Czechoslovakians, one German and one English member.

Recording history

Emergency records two jazz-rock albums for CBS with brass arrangements: Emergency and Entrance. The second album appears in 1972 with a changed line-up. After the summer of 1972, the band splits up.

Later line-up and style

The group reforms in December 1972 with a new line-up: Berka, Peter Bischof on lead vocals, Richard Palmer-James on guitar and vocals, Jerzy Ziembrowski on bass, Veit Marvos on keyboards, Martin Harrison on percussion, and Bernd Knaak on drums. This version of the band has a soul-leaning vocal style and brings together jazz, soul and funk rock in a more song-oriented, mainstream sound. It records Get out To the Country and No Compromise, the latter again with a changed line-up. The band then folds.