It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz, by Upstairs

It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz

by Upstairs

supported by

Christian (Pablo) Lundin-Johnson thumbnail

	/

Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Only 300 copies pressed. Includes lyrics insert. High quality vinyl cut by Frederic Stader.

Includes unlimited streaming of It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 2 days

Purchasable with gift card

€20.90 EUR
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

€7.90 EUR
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Order the brand new and limited anniversary issue together with the "Get On A Plane" 12".
Only 300 copies pressed of both issues. LP includes lyrics insert. High quality vinyl cuts by Frederic Stader and SST.
ATTENTION #1: If you have a pending order for other releases, we can combine shipping and will refund partial overpaid shipping charges once the items have been shipped.
ATTENTION #2: New shipping rates to the US & Australia!

Includes unlimited streaming of It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 2 days

Purchasable with gift card

€29.90 EUR

	1.	Wontcha Try 03:18
	2.	You're Just Yourself 04:13
	3.	Make Your Steps On Better Lines 04:33
	4.	It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz 04:19
	5.	Time To Get Up 03:05
	6.	She's Back Again 03:39
	7.	Get On A Plane 04:54
	8.	Happy Hooker 03:36

about

Upstairs, a band from Frankfurt, Germany was active from 1977 to 1983. Though considering themselves mainly a rock group, the band incorporated elements of funk, jazz rock and disco into their music. On their rare and privately released debut album “It’s Hard To Get In The Showbiz” from 1980 they created something that could be called Germany’s definite answer to AOR, yet still with an edgy and unique krautrock flavor.

The album starts with "Wontcha Try," a track where core songwriter, guitarist and lead singer Helmer Sauer is telling the story about being dismissed from his job: "They tried to tell me in a fucking gentle way, that the time had come to kick me…". Sauer serves more personal, hard-edged lyrics on the album as well. On "Happy Hooker," for example, he tells the story of a working girl in the red light milieu: "The job is as hard that you really can never imagine, she serves for the money, degradin' herself in a way - if you'd know how she's feelin' you wouldn't laugh at all". An empathetic view on the subject of prostitution rarely heard at that time.

But aside from the profound lyrics and songwriting, the album has a lot to offer on the groovy side of things. With catchy bass lines, rhythm guitar, Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer, Clavinet and swift crisp drumming "It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz" is one of the best examples of late 70s flavored funky rock from Germany. Additional to the aforementioned "Wontcha Try" another DJ delight should be "Make Your Steps On Better Lines" which showcases a superb synth line and disco funk flavors. We also get the slick mellow latinesque AOR grooves of "Get On A Plane" as well as the now-classic "You're Just Yourself", which marks the most soulful track of the LP. As followers of our label are already well aware, "You're Just Yourself" was featured on the compilation, "Boogie On The Mainline – A Collection Of Rare Disco, Funk And Boogie From Germany 1980-1987" from 2018.

The band mainly performed locally and never really had ambitions to release their music on a bigger label. Too bad that Upstairs only released this one album. Of course, the highly sought-after original pressing is almost impossible to find nowadays. Therefore, we are proud to finally make this record available again after 40 years for a reasonable, regular LP price. Only 300 copies of the carefully re-mastered repress have been produced, and included is a printed lyrics insert identical to the original.

As this is already the 10th release on our label we want to thank you for your support! Stay tuned for more hidden gems unearthed by The Artless Cuckoo.

credits

released September 4, 2020

Produced by UPSTAIRS and H. P. Günster
All titles composed and arranged by UPSTAIRS
Engineering by H. P. Günster
Recorded at TSB-studios during spring 1980
Mastered by Frederic Stader
Vinyl cut by Frederic Stader
Reissue production by John Raincoatman for
THE ARTLESS CUCKOO
Prod. Nr. TAC-010

Cover illustration by Christiane Sauer and
Helmut Brückner
Photos by Stefan Kilian

© The Artless Cuckoo, 2020 | All Rights Reserved

UPSTAIRS:
Hans-Helmer Sauer
Helmut Unverzagt
Heinz Knoche
Harald v. Christen
Conny Keller
Ehmi Zahedi
Lyrics by H. H. Sauer

license

about

The Outer Edge Berlin, Germany

The Outer Edge is a label by German record collector DJ Scientist aka John Raincoatman. The label merges the former imprints The Artless Cuckoo (2015-2022) and Boogie On The Mainline. It now pools all strength to a new and exciting force in releasing music on the edge, free of genre boundaries, yet mostly with a groove. ... more

contact / help

Contact The Outer Edge

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz, you may also like:

Sound Ancestors
by Madlib

supported by 6 fans who also own “It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz”

I'm a bit anoid with my silf that I only just found this fantastic album yesterday, but also chuffed to fuck that I have at all. Love it so much what a wining collaboration 👊🔥🔥 Toblermone
go to album
Habibi Funk 016: Fine Anyway
by Rogér Fakhr

supported by 5 fans who also own “It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz”

The momentum and rhythm of this song is just incredible! ButchAmy
go to album
Promises
by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra

supported by 5 fans who also own “It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz”

hypnotic and incredibly moving marsplutomusic
go to album
AOR Global Sounds Vol.5 (1977-1984, Selected By Charles Maurice)
by Various

featured on Bandcamp Radio Mar 16, 2021
go to album
Feel Yourself
by The Vapor Caves

featured on Bandcamp Radio Oct 22, 2019
go to album
Keep In Touch
by Freeez

featured on Bandcamp Radio Dec 14, 2021
go to album
Education & Recreation
by Surprise Chef

supported by 4 fans who also own “It's Hard To Get In The Showbiz”

One Groovy Lullaby. John Bedard
go to album