Description:
1980s Euro disco trio from Austria, best known for the hits "Touch By Touch" and "Valerie".
The band JOY was formed in Bad Aussee, an Austrian town of 5.000 citizens. Andy Schweitzer (26.02.60), Freddy Jaklitsch (22.01.60) and Manfred Temmel (25.02.59) were school friends – and already as teenagers played in different amateur bands together; but after graduation they have chosen different careers. Andy became a policeman, Freddy started teaching German language and history at school, and Manfred was a popular DJ in Orion disco-club, in German city Traunreut.
Three friends met again in 1984, and decide
1980s Euro disco trio from Austria, best known for the hits "Touch By Touch" and "Valerie".
The band JOY was formed in Bad Aussee, an Austrian town of 5.000 citizens. Andy Schweitzer (26.02.60), Freddy Jaklitsch (22.01.60) and Manfred Temmel (25.02.59) were school friends – and already as teenagers played in different amateur bands together; but after graduation they have chosen different careers. Andy became a policeman, Freddy started teaching German language and history at school, and Manfred was a popular DJ in Orion disco-club, in German city Traunreut.
Three friends met again in 1984, and decided to focus their joint efforts on a professional musical career. Quickly enough three young talents got a record deal – with an Austrian label OK Musica. The record company owners appointed Michael Scheickl (23.03.57; represented Austria as a leading force of due Mess duo at Eurovision song contest in 1982, where their track Sonntag reached #10) to guide three young talents through all the curves and dangers of show-business.
JOY first single, Lost In Hong Kong (composed by Michael Scheickl – using a pseudonym M.Mell), was released in February 1985. It didn’t become a big hit, but the new band was mentioned in press. The next single Touch By Touch, released in September 1985 and composed by Schweitzer and Jaklitsch, immediately reached European Top 20 Dance Charts - and was Nr.1 in Austrian national chart. In Austria, Portugal and Spain more than 50.000 copies of Touch by touch have been sold - and the single reached golden status in these 3 countries.
Third single, Hello, also composed by Michael Scheickl, again became a hit - and reached 26th position in Austrian national chart. The first album - also entitled Hello - immediately entered Austrian national chart, and charted in many European countries as well. That brought world-wide popularity to the band with their albums sold in more than 30 countries. Even a track that has not been released as a single, Valerie became a hit it Eastern Europe: in USSR due to a flexi-single, released by Krugozor magazine #3 - 1987, and in Hungary – so that a few years later local group Inflagranty recorded a cover-version entitled "Te meg en".
Due to their positive melodies and non-political lyrics JOY became one of the few bands who played behind the Iron Curtain – in 1986 and 1987 they’ve performed in the GDR, at the TV-show Ein Kessel buntes.
In the summer 1986 JOY returned to their studio to record a second album, which has been entitled Joy And Tears. The album release was anticipated by a single release - Japanese Girls. In Austrian charts that single was not higher than Nr.14, but this song made JOY extremely popular in Asia. In 1986 JOY have been voted the most popular international act in South Korea - even more popular than Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Their Asian tour, which took JOY in January and February 1987 to Bangkok, Hongkong, Singapore, Taiwan and Seoul, has been attended by more than 60,000 spectators. In Seoul, South Korea JOY have twice played for 12.000 people at the completely sold out Jamsil Olympic stadium, and performed a taylored version of their hit Japanese Girls – which got a special title Korean Girls.
Immediately upon the end of their Asian tour JOY played a few concerts in USA, in California - in famous Shrine Auditorium, and in San-Jose - mainly for Chinese and Vietnamese audience. A picture taken in San-Jose has later been used on a sleeve for "It happens tonight" single.
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