Stephan Eicher
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Stephan Eicher (Born 17 August 1960 in Münchenbuchsee near Berne, Switzerland ) is a Swiss singer.
His songs are sung in a variety of languages, including French, German, English, Italian, and Swiss-German, and sometimes he even uses different languages in the same piece.
His success started in German-speaking countries into the 1980s with the single Eisbär. With hit songs such as "Combien de Temps" and "Oh Ironie", his popularity spread Europe-wide with various albums, tours, and chart success in France and Switzerland.
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[edit] Life
Stephan Eicher was born in the rural municipality of Münchenbuchsee not far from Berne.
He was musically trained at the academy of art in Zurich, where he and others also learned how to use the computer for composing music.
He released his first single Eisbär together with his brother Martin on the album Grauzone in 1980. He became interested in French songs by Jacques Dutronc, Georges Brassens, and Serge Gainsbourg, and these influences resulted in him creating the album Les Chansons Bleues. This album is also inspired by the American singers listened during his youth, such as Patti Smith, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan.
His two following albums began to establish his reputation. The album "I tell this night" and the single "Two people in a room" were released in 1985. It peaked on the Swiss Charts at number ten and stayed twelve weeks. Two years later, the album "Silence" reached number three and was in the Swiss Top 10 for fourteen weeks. Both albums were created by Stephan Eicher almost single-handedly.
With 1989's "My Place", Stephan Eicher went in a different direction. The French lyrics were written by his friend, author Philippe Djian. His largest commercial success came in 1991 with the album "Engelberg", which spent five weeks at number one in Switzerland and 46 weeks on the charts in total. The song "Dejeuner En Paix" was also number one in France. With all his following albums, Stephan Eicher regularly reached the top five on the Swiss album charts.
Following a world tour, which included concerts in Africa, he produced his first live album in 1994.
Since 1989, his song lyrics have been written by Djian.
In 2001, Eicher released his first greatest hits compilation album entitled "Hotel*s". For many years, the hotel Hess on the Swiss Engelberg was his second home. Martin Hess, son of the Hotelierehepaars, became his close friend and producer. At the hotel, the albums "Engelberg" and "Louanges" developed. Eicher selected the title "Hotel*s" as homage to this grand hotel, which was torn down in the same year. For the title selection for the album, he let the fans co-ordinate with the official homepage.
[edit] Trivia
- Singer Sian Charia recorded a cover version of Eicher's "Pas d'ami" (translated into Khmer) in Phnom Penh in 1995.
- Eicher has recorded a cover version of the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine".
- His song "Combien de Temps" has been remixed by Flood.
- In the past 25 years, Stephan Eicher has collaborated with numerous musicians. He also participates in many large European Festivals. I Muvrini (Corsica), Ismael Lo (Senegal), Axelle Red (Belgium), and Texas (UK) have all been guests on his tours.
- Eicher also produces Swiss musician Tinu Heiniger.
[edit] Discography
- Tour Taxi Europa (2004)
- Taxi Europa (2003)
- Hotel*s (2001)
- Louanges (1999)
- 1000 Vies (1996)
- Non Ci Badar, Guarda e Passa (1994)
- Carcassonne (1993)
- Engelberg (1991)
- My Place (1989)
- Silence (1987)
- I Tell This Night (1985)
- Les Chansons Bleues (1983)
- Souvenir (1982)
- Grauzone (1980)
- Noise Boys (1980)
- Eisbär (1978)
