Information about Dune
The beginning
It all began with the smash-hit Hardcore Vibes, which is,
according to my oppinion, one of the best songs Dune have ever made. Hardcore Vibes
was made by Burhoff and Oettrich, who also are the producers
of Dune's songs. Hardcore Vibes was supposed to be a one-time hit, but Dune
released more songs than just that single one. Hardcore Vibes became such a succes
in both the charts and the European dance floors. When the producers realised that,
they knew that there had to be made a second single, it was here the third composer/producer
Froning joined and a new single was made. The new single was a cover version of
Are you ready to fly? made by the dance-act Rozella in 1991.
Burhoff, Oettrich and Froning started working on a album. That was the first album
Dune released and it was named Dune.
The breakthrough
Dune got their real breakthrough with their third single,
Can't stop raving, it appeared
on the album Dune as an instrumental song, but it had later on been added text and some more
speed and released as single. Dune was now a real band. Oliver was chosen to play
the keyboard and one of the dancers of Dune, Verena Von Strenge, became the lead-singer of Dune.
Her beautiful voice and pitched up vocals caused the major breakthrough for Dune scoring
top ten hits in Germany, Nederlands, Belgium and a lot of other european countries.
A short time after, they released their second album Expedicion,
before the album they had released a single, Rainbow to the stars.
The fans expected a lot of the album aswell as the single, but they got more than they expected
and so did the critics. Rainbow to the stars was helped on it's way to the top by the great video to the song.
The big success
The single Hand in hand, from the album Expedicion was a big
surprise, the single boosted up to the top position on the charts and became Dune's biggest hit.
Dune aswell as the single Hand in hand became a big hit in Europe in the warm summer of '96.
Million miles from home, from the album Expedicion, was chosen as
official song for the 30th birthday of Star Trek, however it didn't get as much fame as
Hand in hand. Million miles from home reached the top ten charts, which is very unusual,
for a band producing techno, to do twice.
A different style
In the fall of '96 Dune surprised their fans totaly. They released the live album,
Live!, it was recorded at an open-air party in Rastatt, Germany on
Verena's 21st birthday. Dune also annouced that Verena was
leaving the band for a solo-carreer. A new single was released, it was Queen's old song,
Who wants to live forever. Instead of turning it into a fast
rave song, they kept it very close to the original. That single was still between the best on
the charts, when the last album, Forever, was published. The last single with Verena was,
Nothing compares 2 U, originaly made by Sinead O' Conner.
The single remained only a few weeks on the charts and didn't reach any top position.
A year of silence
1997, a year of silence Dune didn't make anything and Oliver was still
looking for a replacement for Verana. Due to the lack of information
from Dune, rumors said that Dune ceased to exist, but trusty Dune fans
agreed that if Dune didn't make anything new, they would be forgotten
and it would be very tough for them to make a come-back, because of the
reputation they had earned with earlier releases.
The uprising of Dune
In March 1998 Dune released a new single, Keep the Secret.
After the leaving of Verena, the search for a new lead-singer took a long time, but Oliver
found one, who he thinks is qualified as the lead-singer of Dune. The new lead-singer is
Vanessa Hörster, she was totally unknown in Germanny, when Oliver found her, but still he
chose her. Oliver said in a program on the German music channel, VIVA that he was very happy to make music again
and Dune will continue making songs in their usual style.
Eventhough the single Keep the Secret, hasn't got that much succes in Germany or Europe,
I think that Dune will get the succes and support from fans again.
What happened to Verena??
Well, Verena went solo and her first single was, surprisingly, named Finaly alone, but I don't
think that it has anything to do with her leaving from Dune. The single didn't get very much
succes, but I think that it is only a matter of time before she, aswell as Dune, will get the
succes. Not only in Germany, but also in the rest of Europe.
The "new" Dune
My opinion about Dune today, or as I preffer to call them, "The new Dune",
is that the music they make now isn't very good. It was allright to make
Forever, but instead of again make music like
Hand in hand and Rainbow to the stars,
they continue to make very slow ballads and I think that it if they don't change,
it will mean the death of Dune. I think a lot of other fans have the same opinion as I do,
when I say that Dune need to change stile at once, because, I think that no "original"
Dune-fans would buy the new singles or the new album that has been released, at least I wouldn't.
If you do, or don't, share the same opinion as I do, please send me an
E-mail and I will discuss it with you.
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