Claudia Brücken

During the '80s, it was not common for women to front synth pop bands. As the lead singer of Propaganda, Claudia Brucken inserted a strong female voice in the male-dominated world of electronic dance music. As a teenager, Brucken was in a group called Haarstrauben; she was also a member of the Toppolinos. When Brucken joined Propaganda, she originally shared vocal duties with Suzanne Freytag. In 1985, Propaganda released their first LP, A Secret Wish. The provocative single "Duel" reached number 21 on the U.K. charts. However, the band began having problems with their label, ZTT, and Brucken's marriage to ZTT co-founder Paul Morley caused friction with the other members. Brucken left Propaganda in 1986. After Propaganda, Brucken formed Act with Thomas Leer, recording the album Laughter, Tears and Rage. But Act didn't receive the attention or airplay that Propaganda once did. In the early '90s, Brucken released her solo debut, Love: And a Million Other Things. However, shifting personnel at Island Records killed its potential of finding an audience. In 2000, Brucken toured America with Paul Humphreys of O.M.D., performing both O.M.D. classics and Propaganda covers. Brucken also started co-writing songs with Humphreys. Brucken eventually reunited with Freytag and Michael Mertens as Propaganda and recorded new material. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide