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Berlin
Berlin, 1984. L–R: David Diamond, Rob Brill, Terri Nunn, John Crawford, Matt Reid, and Ric Olsen.
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	New wave synth-pop post-punk
Years active	1978–1987 1997–present
Labels	Enigma Geffen Columbia Time Bomb
Associated acts	The Big F
Website	www.berlinpage.com
Members	Terri Nunn John Crawford David Diamond Dave Schulz Carlton Bost Chris Olivas
Past members	Joseph Diforte Mitchell Sigman Rob Brill Rod Learned Virginia Macolino Jo Julian Ric Olsen Dan Van Patten Matt Reid Chris Ruiz-Velasco Roger O'Donnell Toni Childs

Berlin are an American new wave band originally formed in Orange County, California. The band gained mainstream-commercial success with singles including "Sex (I'm A...)", "No More Words" and the chart-topping "Take My Breath Away" from the 1986 film Top Gun. Band members included John Crawford (bass, vocals), Terri Nunn (vocals), David Diamond (keyboards), Ric Olsen (guitar), Matt Reid (keyboards) and Rod Learned (drums).

History

Early years

The earliest genesis of Berlin was the band, The Toys, formed in 1978 in Orange County, California by John Crawford (bass guitar), Dan Van Patten (drums), Chris Ruiz-Velasco (guitar), and Ty Cobb (vocals).^[1][2] After a few shows, the band changed its name to Berlin, discharging Cobb as lead singer in the process. After a brief stint with Toni Childs as lead singer, Terri Nunn joined the band after answering an ad through the Musicians Contact Service in Hollywood in 1979^[3]. Despite its name, Berlin did not have any known major connections with the capital of Germany; the name was chosen to make them seem European and exotic. They were inspired by the keyboard work of Kraftwerk, Devo, Sparks and The Screamers.

The band's first single, "A Matter of Time," was released in 1979 on Renegade Records^[4] and they appeared on television for the first time on the short-lived "Hollywood Heartbeat" hosted by former Fleetwood Mac guitarist, Bob Welch^[5]. Nunn left the group later that year to pursue an acting career forcing the band to replace her with Virginia Macolino. The band released the 1980 album Information^[6][7], with Macolino as lead vocalist, but the band struggled signing with a mainstream label without Nunn. As band manager, Perry Watts-Russell explained, "Unfortunately, the record labels that had shown interest in December 1979, when Terri was the singer, were no longer keen to sign the band. So, by later that year, Berlin had effectively broken up, and John had formed and was the lead singer in another group, Fahrenheit, with Dan Van Patten. But he had some songs that he thought were better suited to Terri’s voice and he asked me if I thought she might be interested in singing them. We asked and she was."^[8]

Eventual success

Terri Nunn rejoined the band as singer in 1980, and they signed to independent label Enigma Records on which they released a double A-sided single, "Tell Me Why" / "The Metro". The single was intended as a one-off, since Crawford was by then focusing on his new band Fahrenheit and regarded Berlin as a "just for fun" side project.^[9] However, the single was a success, helping to finance the EP album, Pleasure Victim, which was recorded on a $2,900 budget.^[9] The EP included their first significant hit: the controversial synth-driven "Sex (I'm A...)" (1982), which was banned by some radio stations due to its graphic lyrics. The song was intentionally written and composed to get airplay on Los Angeles radio station KROQ, which specialized in playing music that was not heard on other stations, and of which members of the group were fans.^[10] Due to the attention brought on by the single, wider release offers were made by larger record labels for Pleasure Victim.^[9] Geffen Records' offer was accepted and the label re-released Pleasure Victim worldwide in early 1983. The label also re-released "The Metro", which then became another hit. The band appeared at the 1983 US Festival.

In 1984, the band released their next album, Love Life, and the single "No More Words," whose subsequent video saw Terri Nunn and bandmates re-enact a Bonnie and Clyde-style car chase and shoot-out, became their first top-20 hit. "Take My Breath Away" (from the movie Top Gun) became their best-selling single in 1986 and a huge international hit, but also their last big hit.

Members

Aside from Nunn, members of the band were founding member John Crawford (primary songwriter, bass guitar and synthesizer), and David Diamond (synthesizer & guitar). Ric Olsen (lead guitar) was brought in during the final recording of Pleasure Victim. Other members added were Matt Reid (synthesizer), Rob Brill(drums: 1983–1987) and Rod Learned (drums: 1979–1983). Berlin's breakout EP, 1982's Pleasure Victim, featured Nunn, Crawford, and Diamond, as well as guitarist Ric Olsen, drummer, synthesist and producer Dan Van Patten and guitarist Chris Ruiz-Velasco. (These last two were founding members, along with Crawford and original male vocalist Tyson Cobb.) Before Pleasure Victim was completed, Van Patten and Ruiz-Velasco parted ways with Nunn, Crawford, and Diamond. Ric Olsen was brought in to complete tracks on Pleasure Victim.

Dissolution and re-formation

Berlin officially disbanded in 1987, partly due to the lack of success of their album Count Three & Pray and because of personal disagreements over the single "Take My Breath Away." Nunn viewed it as a fresh new song that allowed the band to perform globally, while others disliked it as it had not been written or composed by any of them.^[11] Later after the release of the 1991 solo album Moment of Truth, Nunn retained the legal rights to usage of the band's name after legal wranglings with the founding member of the group, John Crawford. Nunn recreated Berlin, with a new lineup of musicians, in 1997. In 1999, Berlin opened for The Go-Go's on their West Coast reunion tour.^[12]

After 2000

In 2000–2001, Berlin contributed to several artist tribute albums. The only track to make it on to a full Berlin release is a cover of Marilyn Manson's "The Dope Show," which is included on Berlin's 4play album as well as the Marilyn Manson tribute album Anonymous Messiah (2001, Vitamin Records). Other tributes include material by Madonna, Blondie and Depeche Mode.

Berlin was featured on the VH1 show, Bands Reunited^[13] where the roughly pre-Love Life era lineup of the band (John Crawford, Terri Nunn, David Diamond, Ric Olsen, Matt Reid and Rod Learned) agreed to reunite as a band and as friends. They played one show at The Roxy in California to a sold-out crowd.

The band, featuring Nunn supported by other members who were not part of the classic line-up, toured with rock band INXS during the summer of 2011.^[14]Gerald Casale of Devo created a video for Berlin which was scheduled to debut at a late November 2011 performance.^[15] Nunn herself was scheduled both to debut a radio show on KCSN-FM, and to record a new album, in 2012.^[15]

In July 2013, it was announced that a new album called Animal would be released on September 17, from which a single "It's The Way" would also be issued.^[16]

In an August 9, 2016 interview with The Washington Times,^[17] Terri announced the original members (Crawford, Nunn and Diamond) have been writing new material, and planning a tour and new album for 2017.

On the 80s Cruise 2018, Diamond and Crawford performed with the Nunn-fronted version of Berlin. Rather than replacing any of the existing members, Diamond and Crawford are merging with Nunn's current Berlin incarnation to form a six-person line-up. They performed two new songs from their forthcoming album. They jokingly announced the album's title would be "Woke", a suggestion from VJ Mark Goodman during a Q & A session on the cruise, and that the album would be released in July 2018. Although an official name has not been determined, the new album is scheduled for release later this year.

Discography

Studio albums

• 
  Information (1980)


• 
  Pleasure Victim (1982)


• 
  Love Life (1984)


• 
  Count Three & Pray (1986)


• 
  Voyeur (2002)


• 
  4Play (2005)


• 
  Animal (2013)

References

External links

• Official website


• 
  "Berlin > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  


• Berlin guitarist Ric Olsen's page dedicated to original Berlin


• Producer Giorgio Moroder tribute website