Claudia Brücken

Synth-pop groups seldom featured female frontwomen throughout the 1980s. Claudia Brücken supplied a commanding feminine presence within Propaganda, standing out in the largely male realm of electronic dance music. During her teenage years she performed with Haarstrauben and also belonged to Toppolinos. Upon entering Propaganda she initially divided vocal responsibilities with Suzanne Freytag. The band issued its debut album, A Secret Wish, in 1985. Its provocative single “Duel” climbed to number 21 on the U.K. charts. Internal difficulties soon surfaced with the group’s label, ZTT, and Brücken’s marriage to co-founder Paul Morley generated tension among the remaining members. She departed Propaganda in 1986. Afterward she formed Act alongside Thomas Leer and they completed the album Laughter, Tears and Rage. The project failed to attract the same level of notice or radio exposure once enjoyed by Propaganda. In the early 1990s Brücken issued her first solo effort, Love: And a Million Other Things. Turnover at Island Records nevertheless prevented the record from reaching a wider audience. During 2000 she joined Paul Humphreys of OMD for an American tour that included both OMD standards and Propaganda material. She also began collaborating on new songs with Humphreys. Eventually she rejoined Freytag and Michael Mertens under the Propaganda name and they produced fresh recordings.