The Bates

 

The Bates were a German punk band, founded in Eschwege, federal state of Hessen, in 1987. (The name referred to the character Norman Bates from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film, Psycho.)

The band were active: 1987–2001. Founding members were Markus „Zimbl“ Zimmer (vocals, bass), Frank „Klube“ Klubescheid (drums), Thomas "Pogo" Möller (rhythm guitar) and Armin Beck (lead guitar).

Armin left the band in 1991, he was replaced by Michael "Reb" Rebbig.

Pogo left the band in 1998, he was replaced by Tillman "Dully" Schüssler in 1999. Zimbl died on 18 June 2006. He was 41 years old.

The Bates were mainly known for their cover versions of songs made famous by other artists. On each of their albums they published at least two such cover songs alongside original compositions. Because the cover versions were particularly well received, The Bates released the album 2nd Skin (2000), which featured cover versions of songs taken from various genres. The Beatles ("Helter Skelter"), Rolling Stones ("Out of Time"), The Cure ("Wailing Wall"), Sailor ("Glass of Champagne"), Aneka ("Japanese Boy"), and Eiffel 65 ("Blue") were covered in the album in typical Bates style.

Amongst the Bates' most commercially successful singles was their cover version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" (1995), which reached No. 10 in the Swiss charts, and No. 67 in the UK Singles Chart, gaining them the highest chart entries of their career. Some other well-received songs were the Shakespears Sister cover "Hello (Turn Your Radio On)" (1994), "A Real Cool Time" (1995), "It's Getting Dark" (1996), and "Independent Love Song" (1997). Fan favourites were "It's Getting Dark", "Say It Isn't So", "A Real Cool Time", "Bitter End", "I Don't Wanna Love You", and "Not Like You".

In 2000, the Bates disbanded. The band members reunited only briefly in December 2006 to play one concert, as a tribute to their former singer Markus "Zimbl" Zimmer, who had died earlier that year. The concert was filmed and, together with some interviews of family, friends and former acquaintances of Zimbl, made into a film: Zimbl - A Real Cool Time. 

No Name For The Baby (1989)

(reissued with bonus tracks 1991)

01 - The Night

02 - Wallbreaker

03 - Sidewalk Surfin'

04 - I Don't Love You

05 - Norman

06 - It's My Party

07 - Time To Shake

08 - It's Me Again

09 - I Don't Care

10 - Best Friend's Girl

11 - Boredom

12 - Summer In The City

13 - Run

14 - Sometimes

15 - Slow Down Baby

16 - No

17 - Runaway

18 - Always The Same

19 - As Tears Go By

20 - The Lips Of Jayne Mansfield (First Single Version)

21 - Baby (Take 2)

22 - Dinosaur (Early Version)

23 - Good Times Are Gone (Early Version)

24 - Goldfinger (Early Version)

25 - Evil (Early Version)

26 - The Sun Ain´t Gonna Shine Anymore (Early Version)

27 - I Heard The Wind

28 - Baby (Take 2)

29 a - Song For Drinkers

29 b - Seemanns Grab

Shake! (1990)

01 - Meet My Friends

02 - The Lips Of Jayne Mansfield

03 - Eagleman

04 - No More

05 - Wet Look

06 - Signed D.C.

07 - Who's That Girl

08 - Goldfinger

09 - Good Times Are Gone

10 - Dinosaur

11 - Sick

12 - Ghostriders

13 - Doc's

14 - I Want You Back Again

15 - Evil

16 - Witches

17 - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore

18 - I Heard The Wind

Psycho Junior (1992)

01 - Iron Bed

02 - Good Friends

03 - Stuff

04 - Questionmark

05 - Love Is Dead

06 - Bibleman

07 - Der Einsame

08 - Broken Picture

09 - Psycho Junior

10 - Beautiful Noise

11 - Lisa

12 - Song For Michael

13 - I Still Miss Someone

14 - Ahead Of You

15 - Wallflower

16 - Summer Without Rain

The Bates (1993)

01 - Bates Motel

02 - Something To Do

03 - I'm Alright

04 - Hello

05 - Worse Than The Devil

06 - No Place To Go

07 - All In All

08 - Don't Tell Me No Lies

09 - Gone Tomorrow

10 - Little Dinosaur

11 - Bubblegum Trash

12 - Heo

13 - Waiting For The Sun

14 - Paint My Horse Green

15 - Off

16 - Farewell To Cheyenne

Unfucked - Live (1993)

01 - Einführung

02 - Good Friends

03 - No More

04 - Beautiful Noise

05 - Who's That Girl?

06 - Questionmark

07 - It's My Party

08 - Der Einsame

09 - I Want You Back Again

10 - Kill That Girl

11 - Yesterday

12 - Runaway

13 - Stuff

14 - Song For Michael

15 - Eagle Man

16 - Witches

17 - I Don't Care

18 - Bring It On Home To Me

19 - The Lips Of Jayne Mansfield

20 - Paul Ist Tot

Billie Jean EP (1995)

01 - Billie Jean

02 - Tonight (Remix)

03 - Love Is Dead (Part II)

04 - Yeah (Acoustic Version)

Pleasure + Pain (1995)

01 - Tonight

02 - The Only One

03 - Still The Same

04 - In This Town

05 - A Fuck On The Edge Of The World

06 - Shine

07 - Yeah

08 - Highscore

09 - Say It Isn't So

10 - Don't Wanna Be Like You

11 - Junkie

12 - Fuck The World

13 - Rock 'n' Roll Heart

14 - A Real Cool Time

15 - Billie Jean

16 - Fuck

17 - Donna Clara

18 - High Above The Ground

Kicks 'N' Chicks (1996)

01 - Here We Go

02 - O.K.

03 - It's Getting Dark

04 - When Will I See You Again

05 - I Can Handle It

06 - I'm Still Waiting

07 - Friendship

08 - On My Own

09 - In Your Head

10 - Lips

11 - Der Westen Ist Einsam

12 - I Hate To Go

13 - Baby I Got You

14 - Poor Little Girl

15 - Poor Boy

16 - Drivin' Without Brakes

17 - All I Got To Say

18 - Not Like You

19 - Do You Care

20 - The End

Live! (1997)

01 - Bates Motel

02 - Here We Go

03 - O.K.

04 - The Only One

05 - Say It Isn't So

06 - Poor Little Girl

07 - Poor Boy

08 - Highscore

09 - Billie Jean

10 - All I Got To Say

11 - Auszieh'n

12 - Friendship

13 - Shine

14 - Fuck The World

15 - Dinasaur

16 - On My Own

17 - It's Getting Dark

18 - Heo

19 - Der Einsame

20 - Not Like You

21 - Runaway

22 - Beautiful Noise

23 - Hello

24 - Paul Ist Tot

25 - ...Soundcheck

Punk? (1998)

01 - Fire & Spoon

02 - Nimm Mich Mit

03 - Down The Up Escalator

04 - In Love With You

05 - Mond

06 - Put The Blame On Me

07 - Lucille

08 - Believe In Me

09 - Slow Down Baby

10 - Nachts

11 - Chocolate Junkie

intraVenus (1998)

01 - I Don't Wanna Love You

02 - Gonna Make It Through The Night

03 - My Baby's Gone Away

04 - Schnoizelchen

05 - Be My Baby

06 - Keine Ist Wie Du

07 - She's Mine

08 - She Won't Come Back

09 - Running Forward

10 - One Minute

11 - Sound Of Silence

12 - Going For The Show

13 - Pay Back

14 - Over You

15 - Out Of My Mind

16 - I Know Now

17 - Baby I Miss You

18 - Independent Love Song

Right Here! Right Now! (1999)

01 - Bitter End (Album Version)

02 - Just Some Fun

03 - Let's Get It On (A Tribute To Turbonegro)

04 - Böse

05 - Häßliches Kleines Mädchen

06 - All For Me

07 - Halte Dich Bereit

09 - Be Glad To Me

10 - Fox On The Run

11 - Wahrheit

12 - Lucy Is Back

13 - Leuchtturm

14 - Don't Really Know

15 - Immer Weitergehen

16 - Bin Nicht Verliebt

17 - (Pia) Ramona

18 - Ohne Dich

2nd Skin (2000)

01 - Up The Down Escalator

02 - Out Of Time

03 - Japanese Girl

04 - Ferry 'Cross The Mersey

05 - Children Of The Revolution

06 - Wailing Wall

07 - 48 Crash

08 - Sorry Suzanne

09 - Blue

10 - To Know Her Is To Love Her

11 - Glass Of Champagne

12 - Nights In White Satin

13 - Big Spender

14 - Up Around The Bend

15 - Helter Skelter

What You Leave Behind - A Tribute To The Bates (2024)

01 - The Hawaiians - Sometimes 

02 - Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space - It's Getting Dark

03 - J Prozac - On My Own

04 - The Swoons - Good Friends

05 - The Richies - A Real Cool Time

06 - Henning Wehland - Shine

07 - The Swipes - Paint My Horse Green

08 - The Float - Evil

09 - Brad Marino - The Lips Of Jayne Mansfield 

10 - Trashkids - No Place To Go

11 - The Lost Lyrics - Sick

12 - Sperm8 - Good Times Are Gone

13 - Flatulinees - Gonna Make It Through The Night

14 - The Amuse Girls - I Want You Back Again

15 - Laminatoren - Iron Bed

16 - Wilde Zeiten - Gone Tomorrow

17 - 2Insanes - Love Is Dead

18 - Mad Dog Dan - A Fuck On The Edge Of The World

19 - Sanoe - It's Me Again

20 - Lucas Rieger Mit C - Say It Isn't So

21 - Katze - Der Einsame

pass: freepunk77