Biography
Dieter Meier, recognized for his shadowy singing tone, signature moustache, and abilities across filmmaking and conceptual art, emerges as a memorable presence in pop as co-founder of Yello. Serving as the Swiss electronic group’s lead singer and video creator, he guided the outfit to notable recognition throughout the 1980s, widening its reach among critics and audiences alike.
Born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1945, Meier was raised in an affluent household and entered the 1970s as an experimental filmmaker. Though drawn to music from childhood, he had already presented films at exhibitions such as Documenta 5 in Kassel in 1972 and Kunsthaus Zurich in 1976 by the time he reached his thirties.
Meier first performed with Fresh Colour before launching Yello alongside electronic musicians Boris Blank and Carlos Peron in 1979. Following the trio’s initial single, “I.T. Splash” in 1979, Yello joined the Residents’ Ralph Records and issued their debut album, Solid Pleasure in 1980, which contained the dance track “Bostitch.”
The next release, Claro Que Si in 1981, introduced Meier’s work as the band’s video director through his clip for “Pinball Cha Cha.” This inventive blend of stop-motion animation and live action earned favorable notice and appeared in the Museum of Modern Art’s Music Video Exhibition in 1985. Further albums arrived, among them You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess in 1983, after which Peron exited the lineup. Meier’s videos attracted growing attention with each project, securing heavy MTV rotation for clips tied to “I Love You,” “Lost and Found,” “Desire,” and “Vicious Games.”
The song “Oh Yeah,” an album track from Stella in 1985, secured the widest exposure after inclusion in the 1986 John Hughes comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Built on Meier’s heavily processed vocal refrain, the piece became a lasting cultural reference and resurfaced in films such as Secret of My Success in 1987, She’s Out of Control in 1989, and additional titles across later decades.
Beyond Yello, Meier directed the video for Alphaville’s 1984 single “Big in Japan” and appeared in films including Leo Sonnyboy in 1989, Hors Saison in 1992, and National Lampoon’s Pledge This! in 2006. He released Hermes Baby, a DVD gathering essays, images, and music, in 2008. The following year he rejoined Blank for Yello’s twelfth studio album, Touch Yello, which featured trumpeter Till Brönner, singer/songwriter Heidi Happy, and recorder player Dorothee Oberlinger. In 2014 Meier issued Out of Chaos, his first full-length solo album.
Born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1945, Meier was raised in an affluent household and entered the 1970s as an experimental filmmaker. Though drawn to music from childhood, he had already presented films at exhibitions such as Documenta 5 in Kassel in 1972 and Kunsthaus Zurich in 1976 by the time he reached his thirties.
Meier first performed with Fresh Colour before launching Yello alongside electronic musicians Boris Blank and Carlos Peron in 1979. Following the trio’s initial single, “I.T. Splash” in 1979, Yello joined the Residents’ Ralph Records and issued their debut album, Solid Pleasure in 1980, which contained the dance track “Bostitch.”
The next release, Claro Que Si in 1981, introduced Meier’s work as the band’s video director through his clip for “Pinball Cha Cha.” This inventive blend of stop-motion animation and live action earned favorable notice and appeared in the Museum of Modern Art’s Music Video Exhibition in 1985. Further albums arrived, among them You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess in 1983, after which Peron exited the lineup. Meier’s videos attracted growing attention with each project, securing heavy MTV rotation for clips tied to “I Love You,” “Lost and Found,” “Desire,” and “Vicious Games.”
The song “Oh Yeah,” an album track from Stella in 1985, secured the widest exposure after inclusion in the 1986 John Hughes comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Built on Meier’s heavily processed vocal refrain, the piece became a lasting cultural reference and resurfaced in films such as Secret of My Success in 1987, She’s Out of Control in 1989, and additional titles across later decades.
Beyond Yello, Meier directed the video for Alphaville’s 1984 single “Big in Japan” and appeared in films including Leo Sonnyboy in 1989, Hors Saison in 1992, and National Lampoon’s Pledge This! in 2006. He released Hermes Baby, a DVD gathering essays, images, and music, in 2008. The following year he rejoined Blank for Yello’s twelfth studio album, Touch Yello, which featured trumpeter Till Brönner, singer/songwriter Heidi Happy, and recorder player Dorothee Oberlinger. In 2014 Meier issued Out of Chaos, his first full-length solo album.
Albums
