Ten thousand steps - the first ten years of the Hungarian cult rock band Omega
On 23 September 1962 played the legendary Hungarian band's first concert under its own name - how it all began: the first ten years of the band 
János Kobor 2007 (Photo: omega.hu ) 
fan photo from around the end of 1971 (archive MB) 200-400 € you have to fork out even if you want to get hold of an original, and there is not yet clear whether one can ranorganisieren one - speaking of the very first LP the Hungarian cult rock band Omega, which was published in 1968 under the title "Omega Red Star" for Decca in London. When this plate appeared, the Budapest rock band had a few years under their belts, because Omega was founded on during their first official concert 23rd September 1962 in the University Club University of Technology (now University long ago) Budapest. The occupation at the time: László Benkő (keyboards), János Kobor (vocals, guitar), András Kovacsics (guitar), István Varsányi (bass), Peter Lang (sax) and Tamás Künsztler (drums). Omega, which were then missed their name from a short decisive poster artist who does not quite know how he was to announce the still nameless group is to present to the oldest still active rock bands in the world - the Rolling Stones, whose founding date of the concert at the Marquee club on 12 July is marked 1962, only about two months older.
In the omega-history goes back even further. By 1959 Kobor, Kovacsics, Laux and Varsányi had on Attila József Grammar School and founded Benko, Láng and Künsztler on Sándor Petofi high school student bands around tingelte within Budapest, the concert on 23 September 1962 was then something of a self-together-finding.
changed in the years after the occupation and consolidated itself. Laux came and replaced Künsztler, as already known through TV appearances Zsuzsa Koncz belonged briefly to Omega, before moving to Illés, as the singer climbed Mari Wittek, for long came the saxophonist Harmath László, who was replaced in 1964 by Tamas Somlo. As Mari Wittek left in 1966 the band was Kobor front man and lead singer. And in 1967 finally Varsányi was drafted into the army and Tamás Mihály took over the bass guitar. Finally got another in the same year Gábor Presser, a year later and went Kovacsics Somló own way, with György Molnár was the new guitarist. Since 1967, still a young lady was part of the team, the former student Anna Adamis as a writer, the first year was forced, under the pseudonym István S. Nagy work because students were not admitted as a lyricist.
had, after several personnel changes emerged in 1967 the classic Omega-Cast: József Laux (dr), Tamás Mihály (bg), György Molnár (g), Laszlo Benko (tp, keyb), Gábor Presser (org, voc) János Kobor (solo-vocals).
Even the end of 1964 was the Eötvös club to club become Omega's house - so the band was always present in Hungary. Their first publicity highlight Omega reached in 1966 when one after the other appeared away their first four singles, all known recordings of "Western" rock and pop hits: "Paint it black / Bus Stop, "" Bend it / I put a spell on you "," Little man / What Now My Love "and" Sunny / No milk today ".
had 1967 she then shared with Zsuzsa Koncz a three-minute appearance in the film "Ezek a fiatalok" ("Oh youth, this") and they were booked as a backing band at the appearances by Zsuzsa Koncz and Zsuzsa Pálos the dance song festival.
But the decisive impulse for the breakthrough came from a joint concert with the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic with Omega in Budapest. Then namely Omega was invited to a tour of England. The Hungarians gave concerts in London, among other things and had an appearance on BBC-TV. The manager of the Spencer Davis Group, John Martin, arranged an album production at London's Decca label, which missed the group's name "Omega Red Star". Work on the album lasted three days, then had to return to Budapest János Kobor to write theses. The album was in England sounded technically never finished mixed, Decca released it the way the work was just as, namely, with the lead vocals by Tamas Mihály titled "Omega Red Star From Hungary". One of the most sought after rock records from the Eastern bloc had seen the light of day, but will give you an objective assessment that the later Omega plates artistically should be much more high-profile.
Later in Hungary the "Red Star" album is completed, but only a few songs released on singles.
published after the success in London then Omega, the first Hungarian LP with the label Qualiton under the title "Trombitás Fredi és a rescue numeral Emberek" (Trumpeter Freddy and the crazy people) - for many rock fans from the GDR, the first ever "East Rock plate, could take seriously the man. The plate, which retained the "Red Star" material, but was sung in Hungarian, sold only in the small country of Hungary in the same year over 100,000 copies and earned the group the first gold LP. From that Omega was a cult. Everything else could only strengthen the cult and even expand.
with the LPs "10,000 lépés" (Ten thousand steps, and in 1969), "Ézakai Országút" (Nocturnal highway; 1970) and the legendary packaged in aluminum "Eloe Omega (Omega live, 1972) captured the band a place in Europe's rock Olympus.
The Hungary Rocker toured Spain, Finland, Yugoslavia and France, won with "Gyöngyhajú lány" (actually literally beads haired girl) awards at Barbarella Festival in Palma de Mallorca and the Yamaha Festival in Tokyo.
In connection with the Awards published the Japanese JVC the piece as a single. However, since not the whole group flew to Japan, the single was recorded with help of Japanese studio musician - as a performer had the record sleeve "János Kobor and half the Omega Band from.
Few rock fans now know that at the time Omega has also inspired other musicians.
The melody of "Gyöngyhajú lány" (from Omega's LP "10000 lépés") was the early 70s in the GDR Banaroo "I write in the sand." And the Scorpions had used for her hit "White Dove" at the Omega song.
In April 1971, Presser Gábor, József Laux left the band and formed the supergroup Locomotive GT. The writer Anna Adamis, now wife of Laux wrote for this band now. At Omega as a copywriter for an increased school friend Peter Kobor Sülyi. Drummer Ferenc Debreceni came for Laux. Almost logical that he continue on the 72-LP was mentioned "Eloe Omega" a song "Hütlen Barátok" (infidelity friends).
The appearance of this LP was not planned that way. Because originally took Omega album "200 evvel az utolsó háború utan" (200 years after the last war) on. But this has been censored, probably mainly because (best regards "Brave New World" and "Metropolis"!) the gloomy vision of a purely functional people in the title song to the Hungarian culture "superiors" do not fit into the concept.
Instead, the band took its own initiative, just the album "Eloe Omega" - the LP with the famous aluminum cover. The title of the LP ("Eloe" in German means "alive" but also "live") is ambiguous: Besides the fact that this is a tour-recording, Omega demonstrated with the LP designation that the band, despite the separation of Presser and Laux continue playing ("Live") is - from then on many, many years until today. But then that's a completely different story ...
Mathias Bäumel
