Possibility of Mickie Krause recording the song in the present day?
For a quarter of a century, Mickie Krause's hit "Ten Naughty Friseurs" has been causing a stir. The song, sung about a group of Friseurs with wet hair, has been debated as either an ultimate party classic or plain bad taste. Even the singer himself is unsure.
This catchy tune is a type that often leads to a word that might be lighthearted or suggestive. One of the most famous examples is from Gottlieb Wendehals and his "Polonaise Blankenese" - "We're marching with big steps, and Erwin grabs Heidi from behind at the shoulder."
On a Tuesday, another frivolous tune celebrated its 25th anniversary. "Give me Ten Naughty Friseurs, with really wet hair." Those who think of something else that's wet find it amusing.
For Mickie Krause, the song was a breakthrough in his career and he explains, "I owe my career to this Ballermann hit."
Mickie Krause, the Late Bloomer
In 1999, two years after the cult film "Ballermann 6" with Tom Gerhardt, German party tourism at Playa de Palma was thriving. The "Oberbayern" cellar disco, which was still an outdoor club at the time and didn't open "Megapark" until a year later, was experiencing a good atmosphere, thanks to Jürgen Drews who was crowned "King of Mallorca" by Thomas Gottschalk on "Wetten, dass..?" summer edition.
For Mickie Krause, it was his second summer at the Ballermann and he performed late at night at the "Riu Palace" hotel. A year earlier, the singer from Münsterland, born Michael Engels, released his first song, a cover of "Anita."
Then, carrier bear Krause, who in the 90s was still known as a schlager singer touring German discos, was presented with the "Friseusen" text by the sports reporter Lou Richter and Clemens Winterhalter. He had no idea at first of the song's double meaning and why his wife was laughing. "Perhaps, because I'm a latebloomer," says Krause, laughing.
The Barbers' Guild protested
German Mallorca tourists celebrated the hairy hit, and young partygoers in Germany sang it loudly: "There are 100,000 haircuts. They have beautiful eyes." Or: "There are 50,000 hares. They all want to tell me something."
But humor can be a matter of opinion. The Barbers' Guild Hamburg protested the offensive text in the "Bild" newspaper, demeaning the dignity of hairdressers and barbers. "But that's what gave the song even more momentum and attention. That's how it was with 'Layla' in the end," explains Krause.
The song stayed in the single charts for nine weeks and reached place 26 - a huge success for a party schlager at the time. And what does the interpreter say about the sexism allegations today?
"If someone writes a song explicitly to be sexist, I don't think that's good. But the song wasn't written back then to polarize, provoke, or cause stress. I just want to entertain people."
Inspiration for many others
The fresh Ballermann newcomer from 1999 is now one of the legends of Playa. "Mickie Krause was my inspiration and my inner motivator," says colleague Ikke Huftgold. His goal was from the beginning to be "on a par with Mickie Krause."
Julian Sommer, who recently released the duet "Handwerker" with Krause, is a big fan. "Mickie Krause is one of the most influential musicians in the party music scene for me. He shaped and made the industry known with his music and hits over decades," says the musician born in 1970.
With "Schatzi, give me a photo" or "For eternity", Krause sings texts that are family-friendly now and performs in shows by Florian Silbereisen or in the "ZDF-Fernsehgarten".
"Layla" would have rejected Krause
"If they had offered me 'Layla' three years ago, I would have rejected the song. Regardless of how much potential it had. I would have destroyed in the shortest time what I had built up in the last ten, twelve years," says the musician. He doesn't know if he would still release the "Friseurs" today.
On the other hand, his regular appearances in "Megapark" include his first hit as standard programming. For the 25th anniversary, there is even a "Silver Wedding Edition" with entertainer Knossi. And in 2024, hairdressers and hairdressers may have other problems than frivolous song texts.
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Mickie Krause considered recording a new version of "Ten Naughty Friseurs" in the present day, as it could be turned into a pop music hit, transforming the controversial song into an entertaining piece of majorcan entertainment.
The popularity of highly entertaining tracks like "Ten Naughty Friseurs" has led to numerous cover versions and adaptations, with music artists often performing the songs at major festivals and events in Majorca.
