The myth

Barry Graves

* 26.07.1942  08.09.1994

Thought, memories and occurences gathered by colleagues, friends and listeners and works on from R. Scheps

and Web master Nedlog (photo:© DAvP- Berlin, privately) [Version 16.Juli 2011]

This Side is automatic Translation by http://babelfish     Deutsche Version

The early years

Manipulation were combined. Graves called the concept „multimedially “. ¹⁵

Already with its first transmissions it appeared that he would bring in all only possible one. Barry was restless, it rushed from the studio into production around its new projects and visions to realise and produce. The RIAS, which would at that time send still by “conviction” in mono because it the opinion was to in-to-calibrate thereby further into the GDR placed to 14.5.1975 (Rias 2) and to 9.12.1978 (RIAS 1) due to of art head radio plays its program on Stereo over. Thus it created the basis for further aufwändige productions, a chance the Barry Graves used. He devised transmission forms, which there were not before in the radio. Its model, the American radio, fast, maintenance SAM and popular. Into the early 70ern it produced “the so far singular radio series, which connected multimedially avant-garde literature, skirt, sound of effects and electronic manipulations, “¹ these features announced Graves. In a transmission “the Barry Graves show” of 12.06.1974 over Bob Dylan was sent such a feature. 1977 had moderated Barry an TV-appearance of Klaus Schulze in the WDR. Klaus Schulze answers on my request why a title “For Barry Graves” is called: “Late, after Barry '94 died, and there I its Rias transmissions very much liked, I this school CPU title of the WDR in the school CPU set THE ULTIMATE EDITION published, and it this title gave, as nice gesture and small memory at Barry.”¹⁷

Graves at night

Starting from 1978 it produced together with Rainer Czekalski (its as he says: Favourite clay/tone engineer) the transmission “Graves space”, later renamed in“Graves at night”. In these transmissions (over 70 transmissions were probably produced) it concerned in each case a topic. The transmission was divided into two parts, first (55 min) contained the actual transmission. After the messages then “the Suite” ran, in which the music of the first part was played purely and partly. In an almost indescribable kind it let us sharings alive from bed Midler (production for Germany radio, April 1994) and James Dean (last RIAS following September 1985). Armin Amler remembers: “, Know you, which was also an enthusiast, one of those, which made history with their enthusiasm for this medium. I worked much with Barry Graves on its transmissions, and we spoke also about much. We floated in different spheres, but it was always a friendly relationship. “²

One is clear, it set yardsticks in the radio landscape and used promptly effects, which were not used up to then in the German radio. “Always technical plays with buttons and automatic controllers in the studios” provoked me. One worked nevertheless still”… with tape recorder and adhesive strip. “¹⁴ “so correctly technically out-raves themselves can it in the transmission row “Graves space” and in its RIAS Dance show “studio 89”. The aufwändige production of such transmissions (Graves space) often lasted ¹¹ three days and more. Rainer Czekalski speaks even this form the radios work as well as Graves to have invented! Armin Amler over the work with Barry: “Now, Barry was not only disc jockey, but also reporter and music editor, and he built whole shows up, which had individual parts are cut and mixed, it was like that, which he spoke much live, but others, often nearly radio play-like segments came from the volume, and those were often for days together-cut and built up, and in the technology one was there often very intensively busily - deferment of payment, sometimes for days. And was to me sometimes forthcoming”. 1993 the music talking document urine Barbara Rüger, Barry Graves for some larger transmissions got ² back to the RIAS (in the meantime Deutschlandradio). Its last large transmission, Bed Midler divine and moves.

In the "RIAS meeting place", "Manhattan" or "skirt of over RIAS" he chatted over Pop music, doziert. It represented a reference person before the microphone for the listeners, no anonymous Blabla voice, but a broadcast personality. Its broadly varied Insider benefitted it thereby just as as its journeys into its "second homeland" New York. There it had a dwelling, which it used every few months in Greenwich Village (Greenwich Ave. Nr.55 apartment 3). There it sucked the newest music trends (Barry loved Salsa, Tamla Motown, Donna buzzers, Soul and everything that surrounded itself with Glamour, particularly the Popmusik from the USA), often went into the cinema, into shows, into Discotheken and read a great deal technical literature. He buys in the USA the newest disks and the first portable CD Player. It was fascinated by the clear sound of this technical wonderwork. Later it verkabelte the Player with the mixer in the studio. When once into his apartment one broke in, it was annoyed above all, which its video cassettes were geklaut. New York was for Barry Graves an inspiration. It was fascinated of the city and it offered to it again and again new material for further productions.

Skirt encyclopedia

It had the conditions and the knowledge which was necessary, in order to publish 1973 the "skirt encyclopedia". Already longer than 1 year and investigated Graves and the Siegfried Schmidt Joos at still today the valid manual of the Rock/Pop music, originating from Thuringia, worked. Joos (at that time MIRROR editor) got the offer to write an encyclopedia. However was however not to be realized, then it looked for a partner that is competent, which has knowledge and this is able to convert also in writing. Barry fulfilled all these requirements shining. After previous arrangement first everyone wrote its part around it then from the partner against-read to let. If necessarily then still another correction addition took place. Already two years later (1975) there were the 2nd revised edition. No later book concerning the popular music, which did not specify the skirt encyclopedia in the source listing. The encyclopedia is today very successful until and each music fan should it in the cabinet be located have. Barry was this encyclopedia obviously much because of the heart. A listener reports: "once he (note: Barry Graves) something then in a general manner drew by lots and said to the listener: You a skirt encyclopedia won, I may not say of whom that are not, because for its own books one is not to make an advertisement."

Barry Graves and the press

Barry always danced on different weddings. It wrote for the "evening", the "world", "taz", to "Zitty", the "morning mail", the "tip", the "daily mirror", the "time", the "star" and the "mirror". Barry Graves was one of the best connoisseurs of the citizens of Berlin culture scene.

Rock over RIAS

In the summer 1975 then a further bass drum impact with the loose transmission row "skirt of over RIAS". Together with Olaf Leitner, Walter Bachauer (1989) castle hard intoxication (impact things/singing "Bel Ami"), Uwe Wohlmacher and illustren guests naeherbrachten the moderators to the listeners in loose atmosphere the skirt music. Also this transmission was taken over, like some different also, by further transmitters (NDR). Barry Graves participated from the outset!  It invented the legendary "is enough nights". Thousands remained until early around four at the radio.³ 1978 to the film festivals, became acquainted with Rik De Lisle Barry. Rik knew hardly a word German and Barry Graves it later helped to seize in the RIAS foot. "we have", then Rik remembers, "1984 the first time together worked. I had at that time ne transmission "skirt with Rik" and afterwards came Barry with "Country time". Also "we made skirt of over RIAS" few times together ".⁴

Barry privately

Barry Graves smoked not and drank no alcohol (Pepsi light, Tonic, bitterly Lemmon). Also it did not sag on parties. He ate everything that fit into the microwave. “If I to the work came, he and me (in each case) a NESCAFÉ with cold water in a cup dissolved and her up in the microwave heated”. It no driving licence the taxi possessed and took¹³. Privately it bulkheaded itself radically. A reason for it were surely its sexual inclinations. Graves was homosexual, its locations was later”… until spring 1975 “the source of rapid-transit railway” at the Savignyplatz "¹⁸ the “tuber”, Elli's - beer bar and the “Metropol” in Berlin. Here one usually found Barry some time after midnight without partners. It affected rather reservedly, which applies both to the clothe handle, and its feature. “Usually it remained some hours. Usually it applied alone. Today I find remarkable that he was associated as far as I know never or, if nevertheless, this remained invisible for us. I ask myself whether he had at all a more intensive private life. In the bar it seemed to look for only harmless scattering or relaxation. “Contents of the discussions were low-digging few. It referred frequently to other present guests, whom one “through-took”. Barry was funny, also somewhat spitzzüngig. “18 if the moderators after transmissions like “skirt of over RIAS” still one to drink went, to Barry had already disappeared. “There were private contacts probably to Rainer Veidt…”13 Lehnert: “It was high-professionally, hochloyal and high competent” - on air joked with colleagues and flirted already times with colleagues, but of its private life one knew as well as nothing. “Barry built persistently, although unobstrusively, at its myth. It began to erase promptly its name Jürgen German man and us the Barry Graves in pumices. “Blue jeans, trainers saw themselves, carried 12 Barry and tried to the image of the American to correspond as an Ambassador Amerikas often cross-hatched shirts. This behavior contributed surely considerably to the legend Barry Graves. Its self-assessment: “The heart on the right mark and… no bad humans.” Error?: “In three sentences I use sometimes too many foreign words. I would like to actually address with my transmissions pupils and workers, but I unfortunately mostly state that I reach only students… “11 nevertheless was he also an uncomfortable partner. It permitted contradiction only rarely. It was very consistently, rarely ready to compromise (e.g. if it the opinion were that a transmission form is too undemanding), a contentious character, only it was usually right! “Unfortunately there are much too many Dilettanten in this business. Perhaps I work arrogantly, because I read much and thus a larger music knowledge have "11 Graves was very industriously and 'ne quantity made money. Its plates he procured himself in Berlin probably mainly with WOM in Augsburger STR. in value home. There there was the Playlist on demand also for transmission. With Griesbach beside of old alliance likewise the head office in the Joachimstaler is it to have availed itself.   

Nevertheless it was also an uncomfortable partner. It permitted contradiction only rarely. It was very consistently, rarely ready to compromise (e.g. if it the opinion were that a transmission form is too undemanding),

 a contentious character, only it was usually right! "unfortunately there are much too many Dilettanten in this business. Perhaps I work arrogantly, because I read much and thus a larger music knowledge have"11  

Graves was very industriously and ' ne quantity made money. Its plates he procured himself in Berlin probably mainly with WOM in the Augsburger STR in value home. There there was the Playlist on demand also for transmission. With Griesbach beside of old alliance likewise the head office in the Joachimstaler is it to have availed itself.