Finally inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame! Well deserved. Here we are 46 years later and Ralf (despite bring in his mid 70s) still has the band going with concert dates set for 2022. Impressive!

@zeitok8

2 жыл бұрын

why people care about that elitist event, pure omissions and omissions

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

@coreybarum5763 Yes, certainly Kraftwerk is a band who deserve the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame status.

@mibevan

Жыл бұрын

Saw them perform in Orlando last May (2022) and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

@@mibevan You are lucky to see them live in last year. The original leader of the band passed away recently, but he will always be remembered by all the fans including myself.

@M.EngelhART

Жыл бұрын

@@zeitok8 Less Is More If You Know What You Need And What You Don`t. Andy Warhol Also Mastered The Art Of Omission And Reduction To The Essentials.

Drive in peace on the Autobahn, Florian.

It’s funny most don’t even realize now but a band with hair that short in 1975 was pretty revolutionary.

@marguskiis7711

6 ай бұрын

Kraftwerk was into 1950s nostalgia a lot those days,. thats why these haircuts

This was the only song my father knew from Kraftwerk. He liked it a lot, and when it played on the radio he sang along with it, driving his big Mercedes Benz in the 70s in Holland, smoking his North State cigarettes, with his wife next to him and his five sons (incl me) on the back seat. But he sang Pa pa pa op de autobaan, in dutch. He thought the whole song was actually about him!!!

@snyper701

5 жыл бұрын

Good story man u made my day 😂 By tue way,this song is in german not dutch. Dutch =neatherlands greets from Germany 🇩🇪

@michaelbagby7760

4 жыл бұрын

great story!

@ew5607

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this story.

@bastienpabiot3678

4 жыл бұрын

@@snyper701 he obviously knows the song is german, he says his father did not

@glennfromthebronx

4 жыл бұрын

well...with 5 sons, everything was about HIm! lmao from NYC.

At 65, I astonishingly never really knew these guys--I was a rocker. But thank God I found them recently, and realize how they influenced all of electronic/techno--music I do like. They were light years ahead of their time. Amazing how some people have that gift.

I'm not a musician but Kraftwerk forever changed the type of music I listened to. Thank you, Florian.

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

Yes, for me too!

@oholm09

10 ай бұрын

I'm self taught musician I can related that

2:23 - 3:23 is just unreal… those people in the audience probably had no idea how special that whole sequence was

All my friends thought they were saying "We're fond, fond, fond of the Autobahn."

@cyrilbrocard

4 жыл бұрын

Actually, your friends were not that far from the truth... "Fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n" was Kraftwerk's little reference to the Beach Boy's "Fun, fun, fun". They liked the BB's music, but the link was thematic too: cars. But instead of driving them en route to the beach, Kraftwerk enjoyed them on German Autobahns. :-)

@Cosmetic_Astro

3 жыл бұрын

Fahn fahn fahn off the autobahn

Happy birthday, Ralf! It's quite possible I could have seen this as a rerun when I was 7 or 8. I remember hearing the radio edit of Autobahn all over the place back in '75, when I was in 1st grade. My friends didn't like, it but I did. Now it's all these years later and I'm still a fan. It was so wonderful to be able to see them in April in NYC at a beautiful Art Deco theater, and a highlight was Ralf's absolutely beaming smile during the Aéro Dynamik encore, as handsome as ever.

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing the good memories about Kraftwerk!

Kraftwerk...my first introduction to electronic music in the 70s. I'd never heard anything like it but I was hooked. I've been listening to synth-based music ever since. 5:05 to 6:30 is absolute bliss.

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

I agree completely!

I saw them live about his time. They played this for 45 minutes. Such a great show.

@oliaslives6986

9 жыл бұрын

Taylor Martin Saw them on the AUTOBAHN tour of America, spring of 1975, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at Pershing Auditorium--with opening prog band Pavlov's Dog. What an incredible fucking night. I had just bought the AUTOBAHN album, was turning all my friends on to it, playing it on my radio show along with the RALF & FLORIAN album (I was a disc jockey at my college radio station at the time). Their music has stayed with me over the years, and it's sad that certain people can't get past their "childish lyrics" and look beyond that into what true innovators they were at the time. Along with Klaus Schulze and the classic Tangerine Dream (Froese/Franke/Baumann), the world was being introduced to electronic new age music on an utterly spiritual, mind-bending level. And for most of us, the effect has never worn off.

@None.of.ya.business666

8 жыл бұрын

Yes, Sir, I am jealous... (The burden of the late birth... *sigh*)

@devicefactor2290

7 жыл бұрын

Noneofya Business same here. you two are lucky. I'm only 31. the greatest days are way behind me

@kzinful

6 жыл бұрын

Olias Lives + I am relived that you survived the experience of listening to Pavels Dog...lol. Sorry, but I remembered when that album came out. Forgive me, that wasn't meant as a slight on your experience of hearing Kraftwerk live, I was just having fun. Remember: the Walrus Abides

@MashedPotatoeComedy

6 жыл бұрын

I love it, the chord progression never gets old or boring

I like these older performances where you can definitely tell it is a live performance, as it is not exactly like the studio version. In the later live touring videos, everything is so well polished that I'm not sure they are actually playing.

@Kohntarkosz

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, a lot of stuff, you're almost wondering how much of it is them playing live, how much is being driven by a sequencer, and how much of it is on tape full stop.

@cappaculla

2 жыл бұрын

@@Kohntarkosz To be most fair, during concerts there are no recorded sounds, mostly sequenced/triggered and then what ever else the other 2 play and or mix on top of that. This is the case for any electronic band performing live... Cant expect all members to cover all tracks, impossible..

@johnk6312

Жыл бұрын

After radio activity they began to use sequencers more and more, on the 1981 tour they used a mixture of tape synced to sequencers and live playing so that era was a mixture. It looks like nowadays is more about video and lighting etc being controlled from the stage.

@justinnaramor6050

9 ай бұрын

@@cappaculla It's possible for all members to cover all tracks if the band has enough members, simple-enough musical parts, and few enough instruments in their songs. Saying otherwise is simply very ignorant... it's wrong to think that all of electronic music has to involve sequencers/backing tracks. Look at a band called Keys N Krates for example; they play it all live, no sequencers, no backing tracks. Every note, chord, drum sound, vocal sample... is triggered manually. This song is super easy to play live, and so is Radioactivity... these songs are just not complex enough to require sequencers/backing tracks. I can tell this is obviously being performed live... it's clear just from the audio.

I didn't even realize how far Kraftwerk went back in the public domain. Amazing how ahead of their time they were. Ambient lounge circa 1975

@undergroundwarrior70

3 жыл бұрын

Kraftwerk started out in 1970. Check out their live video footage (1970 or 1971) in Germany on KZread "Kraftwerk Rockblast". It is just over 40 minutes long.

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

@MistressFrixa You are absolutely right. I agree!

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

@@undergroundwarrior70 But they started doing albums from 1973-1974. This track "Autobahn" is on their 1975 album of the same title which I think is their first big hit.

Truly, the most influential electronic band to come along since i have been alive. They are not only great musicians, they formed a new kind of music, and how many of todays bands can really say that. To this day when i hear Kraftwerk they still amaze me. Just an opinion!

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

You are exactly correct! I agree with your view.

@axelazaryan

Жыл бұрын

Agree 100%

Awesome, Kraftwerk never gets old .RIP Florian

I remember this song being an WIOQ in Philly - that station played everything! Radio used to be pretty damned good - I first heard The Ramones, The Jam, Blondie, Talking Heads, Tom Petty and also groups as diverse as Yes, Little Feat and Utopia all in the same hour. No labels yet - just rock music. Hearing this was a little different - it seemed like a new era in music and that turned out to be correct. Great stuff!

@Phoenix85006

Жыл бұрын

That must've been an AMAZING time! 📻🎶

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

Ready-Adhesiveness40. Yes, I agree with your view.

@stephenhess9680

Жыл бұрын

Saw them in Germany when I was a soldier 1973-1976. Came back home to Philly in April of 76 and was pleasantly surprised to hear them on WIOQ. FM radio was great back then. 😊

@davidneal1127

Жыл бұрын

Hell yeah, brother. It was KPFT for me, but same idea; they played everything from local acts like the Judy's to raw punk, bluegrass and everything in between. We had a movie theater that published their monthly schedule with a different movie *every night*. Mainstream radio is so homogenized as to be boring and useless. Thank goodness for streaming.

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

@@stephenhess9680 Good memories for you!

The sound is much better with old analog equipment then with modern digital.

@NOWtheband

8 жыл бұрын

very true! :-)

@devicefactor2290

7 жыл бұрын

NOWtheband absolutely

@t3chnod3lic

5 жыл бұрын

THIS.. Analogue will ALWAYS rule over digital.. more wonderful sound!!!!!!!!!!

@donniecatalano

4 жыл бұрын

indeed

@Wuppie62

3 жыл бұрын

@@GODenWord I heared and understood you. I know many kraftwerkfans prefer all of their songs in German. I like some more in German, but I also think certain Kraftwerk songs are very good in English too. Occasionally a song may even sound better in French, or Japanese... ;) Apart from this, I think English is a good language for Popmusic in general, because of how it sounds and how compact it is. In German certain words just need too many syllables, which makes it a bit more difficult for poppy lyrics and international resonance.

When I was 11, we all watched the Midnight Special and I remember this one.

RIP FLORIAN 73 years

RIP Florian

They pulled music through prog, electronic pioneering, to ambient, synth ambient dance, right through to great soundtrack productions. Leaders of the 20th and 21st Century musical direction.

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

Yes indeed ! I agree with your view.

Ralf and Wolfgang were so handsome young men :)

@NismoDJ20

8 жыл бұрын

indeed they were. wish i had ralfs dashing looks.

@epicgames8497

7 жыл бұрын

Ralf is so handsome now.

@plasticfriend9292

4 жыл бұрын

And he is still good looking for 73.

@DulceN

4 жыл бұрын

They were smashing!

@jrgalluzzo

3 жыл бұрын

All of them were, but Florian caught my attention first. My favorite photos of him are from the early days with Ralf. 😊

They were more of an influence to Hip Hop than anyone knows.

Qué pinche viajesote más chingón. Me encanta esto, mi tío lo ponía cuando era niña y yo me moría de gusto. DANKE, DEUTSCHLAND!

Oh dear...Ralf was soooo pretty!

@femme-mirage

Жыл бұрын

Indeed he was.

I remember this I was living in Glendale California the summer of 75-what a memory.

It was a big single-hit in the U.S.because they understood "Fun Fun Fun auf der Autobahn" ;-)) but the lyrics are "Fahrn auf der Autobahn" (driving along)

@tuttt99

9 жыл бұрын

Jeztz schalten wir das Radio an Aus dem Lautsprechter klingt ist dann Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der Autobahn Wir fahren auf der Autobahn

@ScubaSteveM45

6 жыл бұрын

That's what makes it clever

@jalcruces

6 жыл бұрын

Actually English speakers thought it sounded like "Fun Fun Fun of the Autobahn" :D

@cyrilbrocard

5 жыл бұрын

Yup. It was intended that way, as a tongue in cheek allusion to the Beach Boys' Fun, fun, fun.

This may seem blasé by today's standards, but it was positively trend setting in 1975. Not just the music but the clothes, the hair, everything. This was a time when men were wearing 3" wide ties and even bigger lapels, and hardly any man had hair shorter than their earlobe on the sides. On anyone else their style would have been "square", but Kraftwerk made it cool. Exceedingly so! They were truly ahead of their time.

@jayrox40

10 жыл бұрын

Blase? this is and always will be groundbreaking my friend. :)

@mjimih

9 жыл бұрын

except for D.E.V.O. of course

@tuttt99

8 жыл бұрын

+verve92 We are the Robots

@kayejeyeracer

7 жыл бұрын

agreed..

Florian was the SOUND engineer of Kraftwerk.... he made those smooth sound ...

It’s so interesting to see Florian playing the lead melodies. Back in the day he clearly seemed to have a bigger manual role, before switching to his beloved vocoding and sound effects.

Wolf and Karl were probably the inspiration for Dave Simmons to come up with his version of electronic percussion pads. Which then went onto inspiring many others. True pioneers right here. And definitely... RIP Florian. Never to be forgotten

@janath9118

Жыл бұрын

@sabiancrusher1 You are right. I agree. They are true pioneers indeed. Kraftwerk will never be forgotten. They will live with us forever!

What a timeless classic!

Man, imagine what the "dazed and confused", spicolli american high school crowd must've thought of these guys when they came on the scene!!!! This is a big departure to listening to Zep, Sabbath, and Foghat!!! L.O.L.

@richardmarshall6751

3 жыл бұрын

It was an epiphany when Allison Steele started playing Autobahn on her WNEW overnight show. There was no going back to Foghat....

@yojimboxxx2805

3 жыл бұрын

I think the Hip Hop guys dug it first (Planet Rock,etc...... )

@stephenhess9680

Жыл бұрын

Still appreciated it along with all the other 70’s rock bands.

Man I wish I was there to experience the 70’s and 80’s plus the synths

Love theese guys! ❤🖤❤🖤 this music gets me so emotional

They sure sound like they’re having fun singing this joyful song about having fun on the autobahn. 😂

@John-uz2sz

Жыл бұрын

If only the lyrics meant that.

@jnnx

Жыл бұрын

The song was their tribute to The Beach Boys, and Pet Sounds.

@dynjarren8355

Жыл бұрын

@@jnnx Wow, I never heard that before. That’s cool! Instead of a little Deuce Coupe, it’s Fun, Fun, Fun on the Autobahn! Don’t lose control at 120 MPH and crash 💥 or rollover because that won’t be Fun. Then you’ll be done instead! Am I too negative? I don’t mean to be but my dark mind goes there automatically! I can’t help it. Whenever I have driven 90 MPH even I think if I pop a Tire 🛞 I’m in trouble! So I really get nervous at even higher speed’s. I know today’s Sports Cars have great safety features but it’s still incredibly dangerous to drive over 💯 MPH. I wish I could not think about the danger and just enjoy the speed but I can’t. Have Fun on die Autobahn! I never will. Now I’m too scared in my old age. I’m a Chicken! I’m so pathetic! 🤣😝

Thanks, a piece of Music history... RIP Florian, and thank you

Having had the audio of this performance for years it was great to finally see the video! Keep Werking!

Ralf keeps great timing - No sequencers !

@this_is_angel74

4 жыл бұрын

Thank Karl and Wolfgang.

@jackal3311

4 жыл бұрын

@@johnssonsmixed8303 got link for this please?

@johnssonsmixed8303

4 жыл бұрын

@@jackal3311 yeah sure. kzread.info/dash/bejne/p4yLw6qHcdOeZ7w.html At 8:00 was the first time, computer love. And then when he played the Menchmaschine and Space lab, then again on Tour the France. This vid is just 33 min od the whole 2 hour concert. The public was kinda hard, we only sang along to the Menschmaschine. Although it was really something to see.

Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der autobahn We're driving on the autobahn

What most people are failing to realize is that THEY are LOVING what they are creating, and that element holds its own...Nobody is better than anyone else or even comparable in that regard...Just be glad that you can be apart of these fantastic creations by just listening... What have you created?

Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n till her daddy took her T-Bird away...

i grow up with this Masterpiece when i was as school kid. 🎖🏅🏆

Thanks for a version of my favorite Kraftwerk song that I've never seen or heard. It was cool seeing them from their early days with those antique synthesizers.

Wow. Ralf was a gorgeous young man, huh? This is so much better than that greasy, post-hippie look he had in 1973. And I like this Gilbert & George-ish aesthetic they've all got going on.

Wow! I've never seen that one before. Fantastisch! I'm still reeling from the shock of finding out that Kraftwerk didn't have sequenced drum-machines for Trans Europe Express. All the percussion was done manually with those knitting needle things!

I remember watching this very episode. I was only 13 at the time and just really getting into music and this just blew me away. Thanks to the poster of this video.

If the equipment and venue at that time did not exist When I thought that I couldn't do a live performance of " Autobahn " Thank you for uploading this live video of him, who is very hard to reproduce now. R I P Florian Schneider

No sequencers, no metronome They're man-machine

@andreasu.3546

3 жыл бұрын

No click on the 24 track.

@Cosmetic_Astro

3 жыл бұрын

Lol man machine 😂

@opaljk4835

3 жыл бұрын

They started with sequencers on trans Europe express I believe

@Bonnieprinceharley

Жыл бұрын

They are the robots

The pioneer in electronic music! Simply the best! 😉👍

Ralf and Florian! Great Crew!

Superb and mellow ...

History happened and it was past my bedtime.

@maskmarvin803

5 жыл бұрын

F

@exilenolonger

4 жыл бұрын

😄

@MrJacMac1968

3 жыл бұрын

Sucks I was 7 .It was past my bedtime too

Perfection!!

Young Ralf was soooo beautiful.

@femme-mirage

Жыл бұрын

At that ephemeral time, he was particularly appealing

@wididididididi8693

8 ай бұрын

I love him so much. You can say that again

This is really Live! the show The Midnight Special is known for real live performances and no lip-synching.

Those electric drums look they were put together with duck tape and wires from a radio shack.😊 I love the spaghetti noodles drumsticks.😮 Yes hall of fame worthy.

I just read about this in Karl's fantastic book. Great to be able to watch the actual performance he talked about!

What an amazing video. Not too many people have the attention span these days to watch, if it was aired today.

Mini Moog, Arp Odyssey v1 and a Farfisa organ--no sequencing.

Thank you for your nice comments. I noticed that this video was taken offline. A very good friend assisted me getting it back online. I decided to give KZread one more change. If they take it down again, you can watch it on MyTube :) You can get the original AVI at the forum.

The Forefather's and Innovators of Electronic Music. They paved the way for others to follow and have Inspired many.

Crazy to think how many Kraftwerk songs correctly predicted the future ex: Computer Love predicting online dating.

Just Cool 😎.... Autobahn is the Best!!!!....Go Kraftwerk!!!

I love reference to 'speed cars' on the autobahn as I remember myself driving my 1969 Volkawagon 'Bug' in New York in 1975 ...listening to Autobahn on my 8-track tape player thinking I was the only person listening to this music....great that these tapes are available on the internet here on KZread!!!

They didn't show the full performance of Kraftwerk doing Autobahn. Didn't show where Ralf did the Vocoder in the beginning. I saw the original showing of this. Swear to God.

@Jwnorton

7 жыл бұрын

I remember that too, and Wolfman Jack's 'uncertain' entro...

@RickM0301

7 жыл бұрын

Jwnorton Yep.

@tuttt99

5 жыл бұрын

I wish they had a shown the whole group on stage with their names in neon. I don't think you even saw Wolfgang's face in this cut. :'(

@nickelodeonstuff1572

5 жыл бұрын

RickM0301 I will KILL for the original version of this, the FULL 22 minute live version aired on tv.

@Mikael909

4 жыл бұрын

Well maybe the ai has calculated that the human race isnt fully prepared to hear the full version.

So great ... 70s and 80s best time for electronic music

Oh how much i love the old school moog sound 😍

Kraftwerk was one of the inspirations for David Bowie switching up his soundscapes in the mid to late 70's. These guys, Bowie's experimentation, and the demise of proper punk clearly led to the explosion of post-punk. Some groups didn't use synths as much, but the pace and feeling was definitely there.

one of my favs! thx!!

Well, if we had only this video, same thing we could say about the drumming part: it seems asif Wolfgang were doing a lot more than Karl. The truth is that Karl, being himself a great musician, looks underused here. Anyway, he looks so cute, so young, playing the electric percussion, seat on the chair, happy as a kid with his tindrum he he (lovely smile too :D). This is a wonderful video really :)

This is beautiful and I can't stop watching it.

I am going to see them LIVE - first time 2023 - WOW - still HEROES

Great video! This band is one of my inspirations to start playing synths. Thanks for posting!

RIP Florian Schneider!

With all the serious musical discussion going on would it be really stupid for me to just say that I would totally do young Ralf

First all electronic band to break into the Billboards Top 40 charts in 1975 with this song.Paved the way for everybody else.

It had not occurred to me Mike Oldfield was contemporary to Kraftwerk. The fantasy of a machine is more so hypnotic than cultural, I am surprised by the level of sentiment expressed in this piece. Hold on, honking your horn, in a car? Calm down guys!

Y'know, when I think about it, it looks like every piece of music is played live. It's a big difference to most other electronic bands, which use backing tapes. Truly a sign of how good Kraftwerk's musicians are. :)

I remember watching this new after it had been playing on the radio for a while. I was not disappointed.

This is kraftwerk for me!

What a trip, ive never heard of this stuff until today. I was watching a Ham radio antenna video posted by a guy from Switzerland and the video played Kraftwerke "Antenna" during thd video. Ive always been a 60's "Beatles" mersey beat and 70's British power pop "Badfinger" enthusiast amongst other rock n roll. This was definately monumental for its time!✌⚡🎸🎶🔉

Ralf is so cute, ah xD

Conheci essa banda aos 16 anos,bem lembrado. Obrigado 😂😂

fun fact; kraftwerk's first time performing in north america as well as the first time kraftwerk has sang infront of an audience was during the autobahn tour in 1975

@edmundhobe2281

2 ай бұрын

They did a handful of European gigs earlier in 1975 prior to the US tour and "Autobahn" can be heard on two of these recordings (Leverkusen and Cologne), both performances feature the flute and Farfisa piano duet that was excised by the time they were touring North America, foreshadowing Kraftwerk's upcoming shift to a totally electronic sound (starting with the UK tour months later and then with the release of Radio-Activity).

HELL YES...Kraftwerk is and will always be an element...

I watched this when it was first broadcast. Yeah, I'm old.

I'm so glad to see that Kraftwerk are returning to the United States.....they'll be playing in Manhattan EIGHT nights in a row, April 10 through April 17, playing one album per night; surprisingly, one of the albums being played is "The Mix" (on April 16) which, of course, was a compilation album of remixed versions of their best songs from each of their albums. So that night it'll be more like a normal concert!

💛

I can't believe someone was able to capture this. Thanks so much for posting. Amazing, 1975!!!

You know this is Kraftwerk doing The Beach Boys :)

@nerdalert4444

9 жыл бұрын

theclubunicorn Kraftwerk doing Kraftwerk.

@IVR02

8 жыл бұрын

Actually, that's a common mishearing. It sounds like they're saying "fun fun fun", but they're actually saying "fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n", which translates to "drive drive drive".

@litlgrey

8 жыл бұрын

I don't think they have ever done anything to dissuade English-speaking fans from taking it that way, though.

@baldur6892

6 жыл бұрын

no, they didn't. The similar sounding is intentional, the lyric is inspired by the Beachboys' song.

first to use electronic drum pads I think. Look at them, the thin drum sticks are connected to wires in back.

@koyaanisqatsi316

4 жыл бұрын

Not only the first, they patented it (USD0244717).

Perfection..........I adore Kraftwerk!!! This has gotta be one of my fave videos on KZread! Thanks for uploading this gem!

OMG Ralph's voice was a massive turn on *u* I went to their concert on 2014 March, the man I saw performing there and the young man here don't look a like at all! GREAT MGHTY KRAFTWERK ♡ THANKS GERMANY!

Now you gotta love Kraftwerk...... & this is the first time I am seeing Kraftwerk on The Midnight Special & I used to watch this show all the time.... I love it..... : )

I never seen this video, is awesome!!! thanks for upload this piece of history.

I didn't know they did anything on American TV. I remember the Midnight Special. I can say if I had seen this then it would have been a lull in the show to me and just strange. Of course I was 5 when this aired and too young to appreciate it as I do now. It was when I saw Kraftwerk's Music Non Stop video at a club in 1986 that altered my taste in music. It was a whole new world to me.

RIP Florian :(

canada needs a high speed autobahn just so i can listen to kraftwerk properly.

beautiful clip! i love Kraftwerk