This is via Google Translate, so apologies in advance...
Beach Boys manager makes East Punkrocker a world star - with the support of the Committee for art and entertainment hits à la Milli Vanilli. It could have been a crazy career. Had intervened just not turning. An interview of Linus Volkmann
Rock musician Jens Müller had in the late eighties the very first pop star of the GDR to be. As the former manager of the Beach Boys showed more interest to make an international star Müller, were both unexpected support of GDR cultural authorities - which was not only interested in image building, but also to hard currency. Under the stage name J the then just 20-year-old East Berlin studio recordings in London were made possible. But in the end it was just the fall of the wall, which was probably the most unlikely musical career of GDR history in the way.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: As a musician, you started in the GDR with her first band Kleinkariert and the ska-rock group the others who was especially popular among punks. Not just the spearhead of what einstuften the GDR cultural authorities as representative. Have you had problems to get an official permission to play?
Müller: The others had already. However, we had a so-called classification with pettiness. But one had to submit a list of his titles and prove that you mastered his instruments. Then one was classified for two years - and depending on how good they were, seized a the game permission to perform in public and set out how much money you could ask for. We lay in the basic level A - the lowest class.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Then came an amazing - the East German band came into contact with Jack Rieley, who had managed in the seventies, the Beach Boys and co-written songs for them. Sounds like a fairy tale.
Müller: A bit of it was that way. He stood in mid-1988 just in our rehearsal room, had worried about detours our address. He was looking for something special and has always had a certain soft spot for the GDR had. At that time I played him then my solo stuff before - and he was totally impressed.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: And began to build up as an international star. It keep gossip Rieley have the GDR paid money to take under contract can.
Müller: As money has flowed. But Rieley has established career plans, and the notion that a US manager wanted to make a GDR musicians an international star, apparently liked the cultural sites of the GDR. He was instrumental in the fact that I received a passport, which was really not a matter of course at that time. And so the figure J was born.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Rieley gave her band The others then also the first West-gig in the Berlin Club Ecstasy. Have there not likely to settle?
Müller: Funnily enough, that was not to discuss with us. Changes were in the air, and we just had to play in the West. The need to take our chance, because they would not go back again, so we did not feel. Therefore, we are without that whoever had urged or compelled us boarded the bus to go home. We wanted to sleep in your own bed. The gig was of course incredibly important for a band from East Germany, the real concert but I almost forgot, it was far less spectacular.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Did you come as a GDR musicians that could occur in the West, in contact with the Stasi?
Müller: Yes, once be officers of the State Security wanted to meet with me. The conversation revolved around whether I could pass on information from the alternative music scene. But I thought again and again, because there is nothing interesting to report. They drilled on - but since I have nothing in my hand had pitched for it, I'm fortunately come again out of focus.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Because of the pop star plans, which had been with them, they could before the wall opening in London with Rieley pieces for her debut album "J." record. They are reminiscent of Prince or even Milli Vanilli - a beacon of official socialist culture. What interest had the GDR leadership in supporting such western music?
Müller: That was certainly a test balloon of upheaval. The bodies must have pleased the crazy idea that a western music manager of an Eastern artist took to make him an international star.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Especially Rieley had already cooperated with the DDR Ribbon City and thus proved its loyalty to the GDR demonstrated.
Müller: Certainly those responsible had also in mind that with a successful foreign exchange flowed eastward. The panel appeared not without reason in the state label Amiga.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The DDR-label wanted to conquer Europe and America?
Müller: Exactly, hence the English name J, Jay talked. The idea was that you only defoliated at second glance that this is an artist from the GDR.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Were you content restricted by the official support of the GDR?
Müller: Although I have delivered no propaganda, but I had nothing against the GDR. There I had a good life, why was I so what should be coming at you? Mouth I wanted to not be prohibited, but in that time there was nothing I would want to accuse.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Were there for your career a sort of five-year plan on the part of the GDR?
Müller: For this, the GDR culture operation would not have been capable of. Everything had to be done for a pop career, came from Rieley and me. The GDR put us just any stones here in the way. As became clear that a rapprochement between East and West would take place, Jack and I have then even provided a music industry conference on the legs. With musicians and industry representatives from both East and West. The title was "Looking East". This took place in various hotels in East Berlin - and in 1989, on 7, 8 and 9 November.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Your conference ended with the fall of the Wall?
Müller: Really hard to believe - but true.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The turning staggered Germany in luck wobble. For their debut album, however, she came rather out of season, you can say that?
Müller: Of course, our project came completely under the wheels. The album "J." Although still appeared as planned, but that was interested in the moment, everything is no more. There was also no promotion and the market in the East lusted after, catch up on all the decades West reserved bands. There was nothing interesting than music from the GDR itself. But would the GDR had continued existence and plate works, who knows ...
SPIEGEL ONLINE: It has embittered the? They had, after all, the first pop star of the GDR can be.
Müller: Of course it's never nice if an idea and commitment not rise. But I had no time to complain, it happened so much. And through the wall opening all possibilities potentiated again: I moved to Paris and did with Jack Rieley more shots, came out in 1992 my second album, "We Are the Majority" - only in France, shortly afterwards in Japan and the US over the major label Polydor, that was really successful. Only in Germany has no mitgekriegt.
Jens Müller was born on December 23, 1967 in East Berlin. After the failed attempt to take the first pop star of the GDR in the story, he moved to Paris and New York in order to record additional plates. The mid-nineties, he founded the Internet company Jfax. The idea of a data conversion from phone and fax to the computer gave him the title of "Business Week" and in the mirror, the IPO of his company redeemed a three-digit million amount. He was the too big, Müller left the company. Today he dedicates himself increasingly to their own music.
Jens Muller is also known as Jaye Muller. Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO_KVNRxOSQJudging by Jack's FB posts over the years, their relationship went deeper than artist/manager.
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