Silver Convention: The German Sound of Disco!

If when you think about disco, you think about North American artists, singers and performers, then, you must be confused about the origin of Silver Convention.  During 1970, Linda Übelherr known as Linda Thompson, Gertrude Wirshinger known as Penny McLean, and Ramona Kraft or Ramona Wulf joined in a disco band founded by the producers Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay called, at first, Silver Bird Convention and then Silver Convention. Sylvester and Michael were also songwriters. When their single “Save Me” (1974) reached the best position in the United States, they decided to form a group. This resulted in the establishment of the female trio Silver Convention.

Once the band was fully established as Silver Convention, they succeeded again in the United States, this time with the release of two singles: “Fly, Robin, Fly,” and “Get Up and Boogie.” The former was, during three weeks, the number one in 1975 while the latter spent the same amount of weeks as number two in 1976. Thanks to “Fly, Robin, Fly”, Silver Convention was awarded with a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. By this time, the members of their band were releasing their solo materials, being remarkable the success achieved by Tompson and Mac Lean with the singles “Ooh What a Night” and “Lady Bump” respectively.

A new producer and a renewed staff of singers Suzie McClosky aka Zenda Jacks, Rhonda Heath and Ramona Wulf gave birth to a new hit album Love in a Sleeper in 1978. The singles “Spend the Night With Me” and “Mission to Venus” were both successful. However, the next releases “Tiger Baby” and “No No Joe” did not achieve the expected success. Silver Convention's whole discography involves 1975’s Save Me, 1976’s Silver Convention, 1976’s Madhouse, 1977’s Golden Girls, 1978’s Love in a Sleeper, 1994’s Get Up & Boogie: The Best of Silver Convention , 1994’s Greatest Hits, 1995’s Greatest Dance Hits, 1998’s Lost in the Seventies and 1999’s Get up and Boogie.