Das Model
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| “Das Model / The Model” | |||||
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UK picture sleeve (1981)
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| Single by Kraftwerk from the album The Man-Machine |
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| B-side | "Neonlicht" (1978, Germany) "The Model" (1981, Germany) "Computer Love" (1981, UK) |
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| Released | September 1978 (Germany) December 1981 (UK) |
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| Format | 7"/12" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1977–78 | ||||
| Genre | Synthpop | ||||
| Length | 3:38 | ||||
| Label | EMI Kling Klang 1C 00645109 (1978, Germany) EMI Kling Klang 1C 006 78078(1981, Germany) EMI Capitol EMI5207 (UK) |
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| Writer(s) | Ralf Hütter, Karl Bartos, Emil Schult | ||||
| Producer | Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider |
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| Kraftwerk singles chronology | |||||
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| German sleeve, 1981 | |||||
- For people known as "The Model", see The Model (disambiguation).
"Das Model" (spelling on album: "Das Modell"; English version title: "The Model") is a song recorded by the electro-pop group Kraftwerk in 1978; written by musicians Ralf Hütter and Karl Bartos, with artist Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It is featured on the album, Die Mensch-Maschine (The Man-Machine). It is one of the band's most accessible and melodic songs.
First released as a 7" single in Germany (B-side: "Neonlicht"), under its English translation the song was eventually included on the B-side of the "Computer Love" single released in July 1981, which reached #36 in the UK charts. When radio DJs started playing the B-side, EMI re-issued the single in December 1981 – apparently against the band's wishes – with "The Model" as the A-side. It reached #1 in February 1982 and spent a total of 21 weeks in the top 75 of the UK singles charts.
[edit] Chart performance
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany | 7 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
[edit] Cover versions
The song was first covered by Snakefinger on his debut LP Chewing Hides the Sound in 1979. Noise rock pioneers Big Black covered the song on their 1987 album Songs About Fucking. Another version was released by Rammstein in 1997; see Das Modell (Rammstein single). It has also been covered by The Cardigans, Carter USM, Electric Six, Yat-Kha, Ride, Aviador Dro, Eläkeläiset and Zoot Woman, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Demolition Group, Wunderkind, Fink and I'll Be Your Wire. Sophie Ellis-Bextor recorded a cover of the song, but Kraftwerk didn't allow it to be released.[citation needed]
| Preceded by "Oh Julie" by Shakin' Stevens |
UK number one single by Kraftwerk January 31, 1982 |
Succeeded by "Town Called Malice" by The Jam |
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