Konkord 142
I Can Fly
The Complete Recordings 1969-1971
Hide & Seek
Reissued for the first time in over 50 years: the complete works of Austrian Psychedelic Rock legends Hide & Seek.
One could call Austria in the late 1960s a developing nation regarding contemporary pop music. The prevailing sound is characterized by Schlager music, brass marching bands, and ultra-conservative folk groups. Even in the cosmopolitan capital city of Vienna, surprisingly little is going on. The current beat and rock productions often reveal their international outsider status. Their sound that is years behind global developments. More often bland, tame pop than wild rock ‘n’ roll is heard in broadcast and on records. And yet it is met with hostility by a cultural establishment that rejects any form of modern pop music.
Only a small, well-informed avant-garde is already waiting behind the scenes, ready to pave the way for the rampant escapades of the 1970s with unprecedented, boundless noise. The Slaves, Novak's Kapelle, The V-Rangers, and Charles Ryder's Corporation are the stars of the Viennese underground. Legendary bands, whose recordings are rare and sought-after masterpieces of their time.
At the same time, a small but amazingly wild regional rock scene is developing in Graz, the provincial capital of Styria. Bands with auspicious names such as Generation 2000, Music Machine, The Heart, and Magic 69 play rock music of international caliber and thrill both young beat audiences and open-minded media people. One of the most remarkable chapters in Austrian rock history is the story of the Graz-based psychedelic rock band Hide & Seek. From 1969, the young outfit came to nationwide success in no time and almost hit the top of the Austrian radio hit parade. But shortly thereafter, on the brink of their Europe-wide breakthrough, the band split up after only a few releases. What happened in between is big pop history and, above all, awesome musical legacy.
No other Austrian rock band of that era captured the succesful British sound better than this remarkable group. Their first single (“The Beggar of St. Pair” / “Riven Street”) clearly shows that the six young musicians made regular trips to London, the capital of pop music. This exciting, psychedelic-tinted freakbeat could also come from the best British, Dutch, or Swedish bands - an impressive showcase of talent from an unknown group from a small Austrian town! Subsequently, the sound becomes harder, with obvious influences from bands such as Cream and Spooky Tooth. Even American hard rock pioneers Mountain can be heard shimmering through. But Hide & Seek always played captivating original compositions. And none of their songs failed to impress.
In 1970, the second 7“ (”Crying Child“ / ”I Can Fly") marked the peak of this outstanding group's success. In the Austrian charts, it was only beaten by Simon & Garfunkel’s global hit „El Condor Pasa“. The band also had a number of sensational appearacnces on television and and in various major music competitions. As a result, well-known producer and music manager Abi Ofarim offered to sign Hide & Seek.
However, after their third single fails to succeed and just before a large-scale tour of Germany, the band's original lineup disbands. Against the wishes of band founder Bernd Pacher lead guitarist Toni Gruber continued Hide & Seek for some time and produced a final single with a new lineup. A final concert in 1973 marks the end of the short and eventful career of this group.
Nevertheless, Hide & Seek left their mark on the Austrian music scene. Two of their members later on became superstars of domestic rock music. Bassist Alex Rehak enjoyed international success with his band Turning Point from 1972 onwards. Over the years he grew to be one of the most prolific and successful producers of Austrian pop music, and is still extremely active at the age of 75. The singer of the band's last incarnation, Wilfried Scheutz, became one of the most succesful exponents of a distinct Alpine rock identity, with quite a number of hits sung in his native dialect. Four other members from the band's heyday - Bernd Pacher, Heinrich Kusch, Manfred Kothgasser, and Helfried Huber - have retired from the music scene. Only Toni Gruber continued to release several records with the party pop band Fez/Fezzz! from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.
On the compilation “I Can Fly – The Complete Recordings 1969-71” you can now hear the four rare and extremely expensive 7“ records by Hide & Seek in the best possible remastered audio quality. In addition, an unreleased original composition by the band was rescued and restored from a practically destroyed live tape. The listening experience is rounded off by an extensive, richly illustrated booklet in which Al Bird Sputnik from the Vienna Trash Rock Archives has written down the history of the Styrian rock stars for interested posterity.
