Berlin

Berlin carved out recognition during the 1980s through an edgy yet emotionally measured approach to synth pop, propelled by chart successes such as “No More Words” and the Giorgio Moroder-penned “Take My Breath Away.” Fronted by the cherubically stylish vocalist Terri Nunn and anchored by bassist and chief songwriter John Crawford, the ensemble surfaced from the late-’70s new-wave milieu of Orange County, merging infectious dance-rock hooks with synthesizer textures shaped by Kraftwerk. Their initial commercial stride came via the 1982 album Pleasure Victim, spotlighting the provocative, tongue-in-cheek single “Sex (I'm A...),” followed by a Top 40 placement for “No More Words” on 1984’s Love Life. The decisive breakthrough, however, arrived with the 1986 hit “Take My Breath Away” from the Top Gun soundtrack, which delivered both broad commercial triumph and lasting pop-culture visibility. In its aftermath the original configuration disbanded; Nunn later secured the band name and released a sequence of Berlin projects without Crawford, among them 2002’s Voyeur and 2013’s Animal. In 2019 the core classic trio of Nunn, Crawford, and keyboardist Dave Diamond formally reconvened to issue Transcendance, the group’s eighth studio album.

During the late ’70s, Orange County high-school basketball player John Crawford took up bass while convalescing from an athletic injury. His instructor connected him with guitarist Chris Ruiz-Velasco and drummer Daniel VanPatten; together with singer Ty Cobb they launched the punk group the Toys. Within a year the lineup evolved—Cobb departed, Toni Childs stepped in on vocals, and the band adopted the name Berlin to project an aura of European refinement. Childs exited in 1978 to launch a solo career, prompting the remaining members to search for a replacement vocalist. They soon encountered singer-actress Terri Nunn, a Los Angeles native who had already accumulated credits on Police Story, James at 15, and the film Thank God It’s Friday. An ambitious pop performer, she reportedly declined the role of Lucy on Dallas to continue pursuing both singing and acting. After auditioning with several ensembles, Nunn joined Berlin, drawn to Crawford’s singular songwriting. Influenced by new wave, punk, and Krautrock acts including Kraftwerk, Devo, and Sparks, the band recorded and released the 1979 single “A Matter of Time” on Renegade Records. Shortly thereafter Nunn left to concentrate on acting. In her absence the group recruited vocalist Virginia Macolino and delivered their debut full-length Information in 1980, which contained a re-recorded “A Matter of Time” plus additional material originally developed with Childs.

Absent Nunn, the band encountered resistance from major labels and had effectively dissolved by December 1979. Crawford and VanPatten promptly formed Fahrenheit, with Crawford assuming lead vocals and songwriting duties. Nevertheless he had accumulated several compositions he believed suited Nunn’s voice and asked his manager to approach her about resuming recording. She consented, and the classic Berlin configuration reassembled in the studio, now augmented by keyboardist-guitarist Dave Diamond and guitarist Ric Olsen. Issued in 1982 on M.A.O. and Enigma Records, Pleasure Victim showcased the band’s polished, club-oriented synth-pop aesthetic. Driven by the cheeky single “Sex (I'm A...),” which featured a saucy tête-à-tête between Nunn and Crawford, the album attracted both favorable and critical radio and press attention, generating momentum that led to a Geffen Records deal. The album was reissued in 1983, climbing to number 30 on the Billboard 200 and yielding further singles “The Metro” and “Masquerade.”

Love Life, the third album, appeared in 1984 with a somewhat glossier production overseen by Mike Howlett, Giorgio Moroder, and Richie Zito. It contained the breakthrough single “No More Words,” the group’s first top-40 entry, which reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Additional singles followed—“Now It’s My Turn,” “Dancing in Berlin,” and “Touch.” Berlin resurfaced in 1986 with Count Three & Pray, now reduced to the trio of Nunn, Crawford, and drummer Rob Brill. Under veteran producer Bob Ezrin the record adopted a more muscular, rock-driven tone. During its sessions the band was invited by Moroder to record his and Tom Whitlock’s composition “Take My Breath Away” for director Tony Scott’s film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. The track, also included on Count Three & Pray, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and captured the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Despite this achievement, Berlin faltered after “Take My Breath Away,” reportedly because Crawford and Nunn diverged over future artistic direction. They formally disbanded in 1987; Nunn pursued a solo path, releasing the David Z.-produced Moment of Truth in 1991. Crawford likewise distanced himself, forming the alt-rock project the Big F and recording under the name John Shreve. A legal dispute resulted in Nunn retaining rights to the Berlin name, and by the late ’90s she was touring with an alternate lineup.

In 2002 the Nunn-led Berlin released Voyeur, which incorporated the Billy Corgan-penned track “Sacred and Profane.” Around the same time Crawford, having become a born-again Christian, largely withdrew from songwriting and recording. In 2004 Berlin were featured on VH-1’s Bands Reunited, which reunited Nunn with Crawford and the original members for a one-off performance at the Roxy in Los Angeles. Although the reunion proved successful, it proved temporary, and Nunn resumed touring and recording with her configuration of the band, issuing 2005’s 4Play and the EDM-influenced Animal in 2013.

Following the 2004 reunion, Crawford, Diamond, and Nunn maintained contact; in 2015 they reunited once more for a Berlin concert in Reno. The next year Crawford endured a divorce and resumed writing songs, while Diamond navigated his own separation. These circumstances drew the three former bandmates back together to collaborate on new material. In 2019 the reconstituted Berlin—Nunn, Crawford, and Diamond—delivered their eighth studio album, Transcendance, featuring the title-track single and a re-recorded version of the 1982 hit “Sex (I'm A...).” Strings Attached, an orchestral reinterpretation of the group’s catalog recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, appeared in November 2020.