Jürgen Thomas
The Karel-Gott-of-Trash (2005/2006)
Recently, children's songs have experienced a great renaissance in today's infantile pop culture mutating into one of the most profitable genres within the music business. The fictitious success of Juergen Thomas and his smash hit "Armes Floh!" came about due to the lack of communication between the national pop cultures in Czech Republic and Austria. The main argument in a faked live chat amongst his supporters and enemies: Is Thomas really the new "Karel Gott of Trash", or just an ordinary one-hit-wonder?
Armes Floh!
Since spring 2005, Jürgen Thomas is on the road playing serveral gigs all across europe, but he never expected the huge sucess of his first single „Armes Floh!“. Maybe everything changed with his appearance at Stefan Raab‘s TV Show „TV Total“ on german television. At home in beautiful Prague people are proud of their son „Charming Jürgen“, and it‘s not easy for Jürgen to spend his hard-earned money without notice. Nevertheless Jürgen stays modest, quote: „I don‘t see myself as a one-hit-wonder, and I won‘t become a megalomaniac! I‘ve got better things to do. Chart sucess isn‘t everything for me!“ Right now, Jay-Tee (that‘s how british fans used to call Jürgen) is working on his debut album, which should be in stores around summer 2006. „Yesss!“ says Jürgen Thomas.
(Source: Milan Hrbal/Reflex 10/2005)
Jürgen Thomas' youth bedroom
Juergen Thomas’ number-one single “Armes Floh”, songs like “Schnappi, the little crocodile”, “Gorilla Dance” or “Bob the builder” – these former children’s songs experience a great renaissance in today’s infantile pop culture, mutating into one of the most profitable genres within the music business.
“Juergen Thomas’ success in the Czech Republic is yet more remarkable – no other European one-hit-wonder has such a strong fan base as Juergen Thomas has in his home country. He has been successful for many reasons: Juergen’s appearance and attitude has a strong similarity to the Czech sanctuary of pop music, the singer Karel Gott. The well-chosen amount of trash in Juergen’s marketing and his down-to earth attitude distinguish him from the Czech pop mainstream. The core of his fan base are teenagers aged from 12 to 15, primarily male. They have chosen Juergen as a role model for general rejection of today’s common hypercapitalism and self-exposure - communist times seem to be a better place (though this is no longer a generation that has experienced this era).
In “Juergen Thomas’ Jugendzimmer” (Juergen Thomas’ youth bedroom) Christoph Schwarz provides a detailed depiction of this generation’s living circumstances.“ (Source: Daniel Bleninger - From the catalogue REAL 2006 - Young Austrian Art, Kunsthalle Krems)
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"Armes Floh!" auf der Austria Video Edition Vol. II
with: Jürgen Thomas, Sabine und Annette
Music: Christian Schwab @ Rakusan Records
Thanks to: SchülerInnen der Tschechischen Schule Sebastianplatz Wien III, Reinhold Zisser, Robert Hoffmann, Hanna Schwarz, Dirty Dabrowski, Oles Zupnik