Minstrels

Minstrels is a group from Tarzana, United States, active from 1961 to the present, identified with contemporary folk and folk pop. The act’s membership includes Karen Black, Gayle Caldwell, Kim Carnes, Gene Clark, Rusty Evans, Connie Holiday, Roger McGuinn, Barry McGuire, Jeree Palmer, Art Podell, Kenny Rogers, Mike Settle, Randy Sparks, Nick Woods, Tom Becker, Ann White and Jerry Yester.

Overview

The group becomes known through the song “Grüezi wohl, Frau Stirnimaa!”, which is sometimes described as a kind of secret Swiss national anthem. The original line-up in the group’s history includes Daniel “Dani” Fehr on piano and banjo, Mario Feurer on fiddle, and Pepe Solbach on guitar and vocals. The band is also associated with Swiss folk, folk and blues material in its early performance history.

History

Minstrels come together in Zurich in 1967. At first, they perform in Zurich restaurants as travelling musicians in minstrel costumes. A television appearance at the OLMA in St. Gallen in October 1969 brings wider attention. Shortly afterwards, “Grüezi wohl, Frau Stirnimaa!” enters the Swiss Hit Parade at number 2, remains in the top 10 for seventeen weeks, and spends ten weeks at number 1. The song also charts in Germany at number 3 and in Austria at number 5, and it sells 1.5 million copies across 27 countries.

At the end of 1970, the three musicians buy and move into a 16-room house in the Tobel in Trogen. A studio is set up in the basement and used for recordings. The group releases its debut album, Chrüsimüsi, in 1971. Minstrels also give numerous concerts and appear in television and cinema films.