Opel-Gang

Opel-Gang is the debut album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The title is a reference to an article in a Düsseldorf newspaper, where a gang of small-time thieves, who drove self-tuned Opels, were named Opel-Gang, even though the band wasn't initially into car modding. The album took under 10 days to record.

Opel-Gang
Studio album by
Die Toten Hosen
Released1983
2007 (jubilee edition)
GenrePunk rock
Length36:21
79:43 (re-release)
LabelTotenkopf
EMI
ProducerJon Caffery
Die Toten Hosen chronology
Opel-Gang
(1983)		 Unter falscher Flagge
(1984)
Singles from Opel-Gang
  1. "Reisefieber"
    Released: 1982

As the band is from Düsseldorf, several songs on this album are centered on this city. "Modestadt Düsseldorf" is a nod to their home town; the title and the theme, although not the exact lyrics of "Opel-Gang" are based on the article mentioned above; in "Hofgarten", the Düsseldorf court garden is meant.

"Reisefieber" was released as a single and a video was made for it. "Opel-Gang" and "Bis zum bitteren Ende" have become live favourites and defining songs for Die Toten Hosen; the band sometimes refers to itself as "the original Opel gang" and "bis zum bitteren Ende" has become somewhat a slogan for the band, also it was used as the title of their first live album.

Track listing
  1. "Tote Hose" (Nothing going on, lit. Dead trousers [in singular]) − 1:24
  2. "Allein vor deinem Haus o. dein Vater der Boxer" (Alone in front of your house or your father the boxer) (von Holst, Frege/Frege, Meurer, Trimpop) − 2:18
  3. "Modestadt Düsseldorf" (Fashion city Düsseldorf) (Die Toten Hosen/Frege) − 2:16
  4. "Reisefieber" (Travel nerves, lit. Travel fever) (Breitkopf, Frege, von Holst, Meurer, Trimpop/Frege) − 3:46
  5. "Kontakthof" (von Holst/Frege) − 2:38
  6. "Opel-Gang" (von Holst, Frege/Breitkopf, Frege, von Holst, Meurer, Trimpop) − 1:47
  7. "Willi muß ins Heim" (Willi has to go to an approved school) (von Holst/Trimpop, Frege, Meurer) − 2:17
  8. "Wehende Fahnen" (roughly Waving flags [from to go down with flying colours]) (von Holst, Frege/Trimpop, Frege) − 3:08
  9. "Schwarzer Mann" (Black man or Man in black) (Die Toten Hosen/Frege) − 2:20
  10. "Geld" (Money) (Frege, von Holst/Meurer, Trimpop, Frege) − 2:13
  11. "Ülüsü" (Meurer, von Holst, Frege/Frege) − 2:33
  12. "Es ist nichts gewesen" (Nothing has happened) (von Holst/Frege) − 2:38
  13. "Sommernachtstraum" (Summer night dream) (von Holst/Trimpop, Meurer, Frege) − 1:37
  14. "Hofgarten" (Court garden) (von Holst, Meurer, Breitkopf/von Holst) − 3:07
  15. "Bis zum bitteren Ende" (Until the bitter end) (Frege/Frege) − 2:19

2007 remastered anniversary edition bonus tracks
  1. "Jürgen Englers Party" (Frege, von Holst/Frege) – 1:26 (from "Wir sind bereit")
  2. "Niemandsland" (No man's land) (Frege, von Holst/Frege) – 2:41 (from "Reisefieber")
  3. "Armee der Verlierer" (Army of losers) (Frege, von Holst/Frege) – 4:23 (from "Bommerlunder/Opel Gang")
  4. "Opel-Gang" – 1:59 (from "Bommerlunder/Opel Gang")
  5. "Schöne Bescherung" (roughly Happy holidays; lit. Nice gift-giving, also Nice mess) (Breitkopf, Frege, von Holst, Meurer, Trimpop/Frege) – 3:02 (from "Schöne Bescherung")
  6. "Willi's weiße Weihnacht" (Willi's white christmas) (Breitkopf, Frege, von Holst, Meurer, Trimpop/Frege) – 2:35 (from "Schöne Bescherung")
  7. "Knecht Ruprechts letzte Fahrt" (Knecht Ruprecht's last ride) (Breitkopf, Frege, von Holst, Meurer, Trimpop/Frege) – 3:46 (from "Schöne Bescherung")
  8. "Kriminaltango" (Criminal tango) (Trombetto/Feltz) – 3:32 (from "Kriminaltango")
  9. "Allein vor deinem Haus o. dein Vater der Boxer" – 2:26 (from "Kriminaltango")
  10. "Es ist vorbei" (It's over) (Frege, von Holst/Frege, Meurer, Trimpop) – 3:09 (from "Kriminaltango")
  11. "Die Abenteuer des kleinen Haevelmann" (The adventures of the little Haevelmann) (von Holst/Frege) – 2:29 (as Tangobrüder, from the compilation Ein Vollrausch in Stereo - 20 schäumende Stimmungshits)
  12. "Frühstückskorn" (Korn for breakfast) (von Holst/Frege) – 1:57 (as Tangobrüder, from the compilation Ein Vollrausch in Stereo)
  13. "Bis zum bitteren Ende" – 3:08 (as Tangobrüder, from the compilation Ein Vollrausch in Stereo)
  14. "Wir sind bereit" (We are ready) (Frege, von Holst/Frege) – 1:59 (live in „S0 36“ in Berlin, 30.04.1982)
  15. "Hip Hop Bommi Bop" (Breitkopf, Frege, von Holst, Meurer, Trimpop/Meurer, Trimpop) – 4:34 (from "Hip Hop Bommi Bop")

Personnel

Charts
2023 chart performance for Opel-Gang
Chart (2023) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[1] 3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[2] 28

References
  1. "Offiziellecharts.de – Die Toten Hosen – Opel-Gang" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  2. "Swisscharts.com – Die Toten Hosen – Opel-Gang". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
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