Twinkle & The German Blue Flames - Sha-La-La-La-Lee (1966)

The German Blue Flames were a West German beat band from Gelsenkirchen and the surrounding area that celebrated their successes in the 1960s.

The German Blue Flames emerged in 1962 from the Gelsenkirchen "Hot Band" Allround Men. At first Klaus Grochowski and Hartmut Kulka wanted to found a band as students, but failed to get the necessary amplification equipment. Finally Heiner Landwehr (guitar), Hartmut Kulka (vocals, guitar), Hans Lißeck (drums), Dirk Schortemeyer (piano) and Ulrich Feldhege (guitar) joined forces to form the dance combo Allround Men. In the beginning the band played at club and school parties. Dirk Schortemeyer left the band because of his studies, "the other four had long been infested by the beat bacillus, which had conquered the mainland from England.

During a stay in London in summer 1962 Heiner Landwehr and Hartmut Kulka visited a concert of the British Rhythm & Blues combo Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames. Here they got the suggestion to call their band "Blue Flames", first Blue Flames, later "German Blue Flames" for legal reasons when signing the record contract. The German Blue Flames had their first performances at the Jugendtanztee in Recklinghausen, at the parish hall of the evangelical Matthäus-Gemeinde Gelsenkirchen-Buer-Middelich, as well as in numerous communal and denominational youth centres. During this time also Klaus Grochowski joined. All band members studied or were high school graduates.