Das Model

"Das Model"

German sleeve
Single by Kraftwerk
from the album The Man-Machine
B-side
Released
  • 1978 (Germany)
  • 1981 (UK)
Format
Genre Synthpop[1]
Length 3:38
Label EMI Kling Klang 1C 00645109 (1978, Germany)
EMI Kling Klang 1C 006 78078(1981, Germany)
EMI Capitol EMI5207 (UK)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kraftwerk German singles[2] singles chronology
"Die Roboter"
(1978) Die Roboter1978
"Das Model"
(1978) Das Model1978
"Taschenrechner"
(1981) Taschenrechner1981
"The Model"

UK sleeve
Kraftwerk UK singles[3] singles chronology
"Computer Love"
(1981) Computer Love1981
"The Model"
(1981) The Model1981
"Showroom Dummies"
(1982) Showroom Dummies1982
Audio sample
Kraftwerk - The Model
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"Das Model" (spelling on all releases of the album up to the 2009 remaster: "Das Modell"; English version title: "The Model") is a song recorded by the German 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 (English version title: The Man-Machine).

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 1981, which reached no. 36 in the UK charts. When radio DJs started playing the B-side, EMI re-issued the single in 1981—apparently against the band's wishes—with "The Model" as the A-side. It reached no. 1 in February 1982 and spent a total of 21 weeks in the top 75 of the UK Singles Chart.[4]

Chart performance

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] 43
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[6] 39
Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 33
Germany (Official German Charts)[8] 7
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] 41
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[10] 1

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Rammstein cover

"Das Modell"
Single by Rammstein
B-side
  • "Kokain"
  • "Alter Mann"
Released 1997
Format
Length 4:46
Label Motor Music
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Rammstein singles chronology
"Du hast"
(1997)
"Das Modell"
(1997)
"Du riechst so gut '98"
(1998)

"Du hast"
(1997)
"Das Modell"
(1997)
"Du riechst so gut '98"
(1998)

German band Rammstein covered the German version of "Das Model" in 1997 as "Das Modell". It was released as a non-album single.

"Das Modell" is introduced by a French phrase spoken by film editor Mathilde Bonnefoy:[12] "Mesdames et messieurs, nous avons l'honneur ce soir, de vous présenter la nouvelle collection de Rammstein" which translates to "Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we have the honour of presenting you with Rammstein's new collection".

The single contains three non-album tracks taken from the Sehnsucht recording sessions. In the special version of "Alter Mann", Bobo (Christiane Hebold) sings alongside Till Lindemann in the chorus. Also included is the computer game "Asche zu Asche" for Microsoft Windows.

Live versions

Despite being a single, "Das Modell" has only been played live once, on 23 October 1998 in St. Louis, MO, USA, during the Family Values Tour.[13] It had a shortened intro and outro, making it one of the few Rammstein songs to be shortened instead of extended when played live. The second song Kokain was also played in concerts two or three times. Moreover, Flake Lorenz stated it was a difficult song to put across live.[14]

Track listings

Promo CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Das Modell"Ralf Hütter, Karl Bartos, Emil Schult4:46
2."Kokain"Rammstein3:09
Enhanced CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Das Modell"Hütter, Bartos, Schult4:46
2."Kokain"Rammstein3:09
3."Alter Mann" (special version) (featuring Bobo)Rammstein4:22
4."Rammstein Computerspiel für Windows" (Rammstein computer game for Windows)n/an/a

Chart performance

Chart (1997–1998) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 18
Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 41

See also

References

  1. Reynolds, Simon (2009). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-5712-5227-5. A few weeks later, another song from 1978 — Kraftwerk's 'The Model', the catchiest song on The Man-Machine — was released as a single and, as if to proclaim the Düsseldorf group's ancestral centrality for synthpop, promptly soared to number 1
  2. Kraftwerk International Discography: Germany at the Wayback Machine (archived 6 February 2006).
  3. Kraftwerk International Discography: Great Britain at the Wayback Machine (archived 6 February 2006).
  4. "Kraftwerk". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Kraftwerk – The Model" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  6. "Kraftwerk – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 170. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kraftwerk – Das Model". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Model". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  10. "Archive Chart: 1982-02-06" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  11. "British single certifications – Kraftwerk – Computer Love/The Model". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Computer Love/The Model in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  12. "Rammstein – Das Modell (CD, Maxi, Enh)". Discogs. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  13. "Rammstein – RammsteinNicCage.com – Concert Info – St. Louis, MO, USA – October 23, 1998". RammsteinNicCage.com. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  14. Williams, Jeremy. "Press: Rammstein Chat with Flake". Herzeleid.com. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  15. "Austriancharts.at – Rammstein – Das Modell" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  16. "Offiziellecharts.de – Rammstein – Das Modell". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  17. "Swedishcharts.com – Rammstein – Das Modell". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
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