Mambo Kurt, Organ Wrecker (MP3, videos)

Over the last 10 years or so, Mambo Kurt, the King of Heimorgel, has brought us organ cover versions of songs by Rammstein, Slayer, Nirvana, Kiss, Britney Spears and many more giants of rock music. Just as a sample, here is how the Sex Pistols sound like on a Heimorgel, from the 2004 live album Sun Of A Beach: Mambo Kurt feat. Heidi Schulz - Anarchy In The UK [MP3, vocals by Mambo Kurt's former organ teacher Heidi Schulz, supposedly nearly 80 years old]

Since 2004, Mambo Kurt has been a regular at the Wacken Open Air music festival in Germany, alongside a whole bunch of heavy metal acts. You can find several low-quality videos of his performances on YouTube. Here is the encore from 2007, organ destruction in two parts:

YouTube links: Part 1 | Part 2

Comments

[Jones()]

Okay, that's it: the indie-rock love affair with self-remove has jumped the shark with Mambo Kurt. It's shit. We all know it's shit. Yet we're supposed to treat it like it's not shit. And why? Because it IS shit!

It's not even an original idea! D.J. Leibowitz was doing kitschy covers of punk songs on the piano fifteen years ago. And now here comes Mambo Kurt working the same angle.

Nor is it "real" in any sense of that word. When Wesley Willis put his da-da into action, it was silly, and we all had a good laugh at the developmentally disabled street musician -- but we knew that he meant it. It came from his heart. This is contrived silliness for the sake of being silly.

Is this really the kind of thing that anyone sits down with and listens to because they like it? Somehow, I think not. This is the stuff we put on at parties so that everyone can go, "What is that?" and we can explain it to them. Granted, it might help those of us who have heard it to feel more interesting than we really are. It might even spark that conversational inroad that gets us laid. But as music, it's worthless.

And that's Mambo Kurt's fifteen minutes -- which he MIGHT be able to stretch to nineteen with a Christmas album (you know it's coming!).

take care

---Jones()

[Dominick]

My mom wants to get rid of an organ just like that one. it. Can he come over?

[Ruy de Lima e Silva]

I was absolutely horrified seeing that organ destruction. So this is First World Germany, land of Bachs, Beethovens and Stockhausens? Well, Hitler and Goebels are alive and well, for all I know.They're in for a comeback. And the mob roars, groans and bellows, just like Olympics 1936. Yes, History is about to repeat. This time as a farce, of course, but harmful nevertheless. Grüss Gott!

[Sjo]

I am one of the persons listening to Kurt regularly. I have a fondness for crazy cover versions. Never heard DJ Leibowitz (thanks for the hint!), but Mambo definitly rocks the shit out of most songs he covers. And sometimes he bleeds them to death.
Sure, it's not to everyones taste but not worthless!
Ah, all this talk about him, I'm going to listen to Paradise City again. Makes me forget that last GnR crap.