Formed in Berlin, Germany in 1959, the Lords are a beat / rock combo that mixed rock and roll influences from the US and the UK with musical influences from their home country, added several novelty elements – including Prince Valiant-style Medieval hairstyles instead of Beatles-inspired mop tops – and became one of the best-selling homegrown rock bands in Germany. Originally influenced by the skiffle genre inspired by Lonnie Donegan, the Lords became swept up in the British Invasion movement that was sweeping the world thanks to the Beatles. The Lords entered a contest to be named ‘Germany’s First Beat Music Act’ and won. They scored a hit in 1964 with a cover of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates’ “Shakin’ All Over,” a single that introduced their raw and humorous approach to rock and roll. In 1965, some line-up shuffles made way for what is considered the Lords’ classic line-up: Ulli Günther (vocals), Leo Lietz (guitar), Bernd Zamulo (bass), Max Donath (drums), and Rainer Petry (guitar). Over the next six years, they scored 11 hits in West Germany including “Poor Boy” (1965), “Poison Ivy” (1965), “Gloryland” (1967), “Rockin’ Pneumonia” (1967) and more. While the group’s popularity in Germany continued to rise, they were virtually unknown anywhere else. They opened for big bands like the Kinks and the Who but never achieved international success. The Lords released many albums during this time including In Black and White – In Beat and Sweet (1965), Shakin’ All Over (1966), Some Folks by the Lords (1967), Ulleogamaxbe (1969) and Inside Out (1971). The Lords split up in 1971 and the members went on to work on other projects. In 1976, the Lords staged their first reunion and continue to perform at oldies shows with various line-ups.
