BIOGRAPHY

PETER PANKA'S JANE -Shine On

JANE released their Genuine album, featuring most of the original line-up, in 2002 to much excitement among their fans and went on to embark on a major German tour together with their long-standing allies, Birth Control, cutting their album, Live 2002, in the process. Yet these facts do not justify talk of a comeback, after all JANE never actually went away but have proudly held up the flag of German rock music for over thirty years, proving with their new album Shine On that they haven't lost any of their unequalled magic.
The clear, charismatic voice of mastermind and founder member, Peter Panka, and the deeply melodic style of their songwriting continue to give the band their incomparable flair. When co-founder Wemer Nadolny hits his keyboard keys (altematively combined with the sounds of his legendary white Hammond organ), accompanied by Panka's expressive voice, JANE'S songs really begin to float. Fine string sounds appear to rise from imaginary clouds of ground mist, pearly piano sounds seem to drip on the ground, but there are also rousing guitars, and Charly Maucher's sandpaper voice proves that he cuts just as fine a figure on his bass as he does behind the vocal mike. Intense atmospheres are among the strengths of this band who have never wasted valuable time on meaningless technology showdowns, instead relying on atmospheric rock songs. When you listen to JANE you start dreaming, falling into raptures, simply enjoying. That's how their albums have worked in the past, and it's also the concept of their current offering, Shine On.
There are not only musical but also visual reminiscences of Jane's history: as on Genuine, the attractive sleeve artwork on Shine On was designed by Dirk Pape from Hanover, who also contributed the designs foT Jane 1II (1974), Lady (1975) and Fire, WateT, Earth And Air (1976).

Hardly another German rock act looks back on as long and successful a history as JANE. Founded in autumn 1970, after bassist Klaus Hess, saxophonist Werner Nadolny and vocalist Peter Panka had split from the professional act, Justice of Peace, changing not only their musical environment but also their instruments, Hess switched to guitars, Nadolny to organ, and Panka to drums. The original line-up, who cut the debut album, Together, in 1971, also featured bassist Charly Maucher. JANE attracted hordes of fans not only in Germany, but also in Austria and Switzerland. Over two million copies of the eleven albums that saw the light of day via the legendary Krautrock label, Brain, were sold between 1972 and 1982, . while releases like the debut, Together, and Fire, Water, Earth And Air or Live At Home (both tram 1976) are considered milestones in German rock history.

Following a number of personnel changes, JANE'S 2002 release, Genuine, featured Peter Panka (vocals, drums), Werner Nadolny (keyboards), Charly Maucher (vocals, bass) and Klaus Walz (guitars) -in other words almost the original line-up from JANE'S glorious past. During their two recent tours with long-standing brothers-in-arms, Birth Control, both bands revived that magic Seventies flair, proving their extensive stage experience, as can be witnessed on Live 2002-