Song: "I'm In Love With A German Film Star"
Artist: Foo Fighters
Album: "Best Of You" CD Single (CD 1)
Year: 2005
"I'm In Love With A German Film Star" is a cover song that was originally recorded by post-punk/dream pop band The Passions in 1981 and appeared on that band's album "Thirty Thousand Feet Over China". The Passions lead singer Barbara Gogan has stated that the song was written about Steve Connelly who was a roadie for The Clash and the Sex Pistols and also appeared in minor roles in German films. The Foo Fighters covered this song in 2005 and released as a b-side to their song "Best Of You". The Foo Fighters formed back in 1994, based in Seattle, Washington. Originally, this was just a project for Dave Grohl to keep his musical juices flowing following the tragedy of Kurt Cobain's suicide. Grohl, of course, was the drummer of Nirvana, which Cobain fronted. Grohl basically recorded every song on 1995's "Foo Fighters" by himself, playing every instrument. To tour, he recruited Nate Mendel on bass and William Goldsmith on drums, both of which played for Sunny Day Real Estate. He also recruited former Nirvana touring guitarist Pat Smear to join the band. The self-titled album spawned the singles "This Is A Call", "I'll Stick Around" and "Big Me". In 1997, the band released "The Colour And The Shape". Unhappy with the drum tracks, Grohl re-recorded the drums for the entire album, creating a rift between himself and Goldsmith. Ultimately, Goldsmith left the band and former Alanis Morrisette drummer, Taylor Hawkins was brought in to replace him. Pat Smear also left the band at this time and was replaced by Franz Stahl, who Grohl played with in the Washington D.C. punk band Scream. This album featured the singles "Monkey Wrench", "My Hero" and "Everlong", which really became the band's signature song. 1999 saw the band release "There Is Nothing Left To Lose". This album was recorded in Grohl's home studio in Virginia. The working relationship between the band and Stahl became strained during recording sessions for this album. Stahl was ultimately dropped from the band and the album was recorded as a three piece. "Learn To Fly" became the 1st single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Former No Use For A Name guitarist Chris Shiflett joined the band to replace Stahl at this time. In 2001, the Foo Fighters inducted Queen into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Grohl and Hawkins joined Queen to perform "Tie Your Mother Down" at the induction. In 2002, the Foo Fighters released "One By One". This was a sketchy time for the band. Grohl had played drums on Queens Of The Stone Age's album "Songs For The Deaf" and joined that band's supporting tour leaving the remaining members of the Foo Fighters wondering exactly what is the future of the band. The recording sessions for "One By One" were not going well and Grohl refused to release the material as it was not up to his standards. Luckily, the band got together in Grohl's Virginia studio to re-do the entire album until they were happy with final product. "One By One" spawned the singles "Times Like These" and "All My Life", which turned out to be a huge crowd pleaser! In 2005, the band released "In Your Honor". This was a double disc album, one disc featuring full out rock songs and the other featuring all acoustic material. The album featured the singles "Best Of You", "DOA" and "Resolve". The band also embarked on a small, intimate acoustic tour which ultimately led to the release of 2006's "Skin And Bones", which was the band's 1st live album that chronicled the highlights of this acoustic tour. Pat Smear rejoined the band during this acoustic tour and would stay with the band to this day as the third guitarist. 2007 saw the band release "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" The 1st single, "The Pretender", topped the Billboard Modern Rock charts for a record 19 weeks. The album was also nominated for five Grammy's, winning two, Best Rock Album and Best Hard Rock Performance. On June 7, 2008, the Foo Fighters played to a sold out Wembley Stadium in England. The concert was the true highlight of the band's career and the cherry on top was performing two Led Zeppelin songs, "Rock And Roll" and "Ramble On" with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. In 2009, the Foo Fighters released "Greatest Hits" which featured two new recordings, "Wheels" and "Word Forward". For the release of 2011's "Wasting Light", the band recruited former Nirvana producer Butch Vig. The album was recorded using analog, a process that has waned with the more efficient digital technology. "Wasting Light" became the first Foo Fighter album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. The band also released a vinyl cover album titled "Medium Rare" on Record Store Day. A busy year for the Foo's, they also released the documentary DVD, "Back And Forth", which chronicled the history of the band, right up to the recording of "Wasting Light". Currently, Grohl has stated that the band has been working on new material in 2013 and hopes to have a new Foo Fighters album out some time in 2014. The Foo Fighters are one of the biggest bands out there today. Their hard rocking style is intertwined with their sense of good pop melody. They are not afraid to write a total sing-a-long pop song, or a grungy garage stomper. Dave Grohl is as respected as they come when it comes to music. He was arguably the best drummer in rock and roll, and now he is a great frontman, songwriter and guitar player as well. The Foo Fighters are still relevant, still influential as hell and still sitting at the top of the mountain when it comes to rock and roll bands!
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