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BAP
BAP in 2018
Background information
Origin	Cologne, Germany
Genres	Rock
Years active	1976–present
Labels	EMI, Capitol
Members	Wolfgang Niedecken Werner Kopal Michael Nass Anne de Wolff [de] Ulrich Rode Sönke Reich Axel Müller F. Johannes Goltz Benny Brown [de]
Past members	See below
Website	bap.de

BAP (German pronunciation: [bap]) is a German rock band. With thirteen albums reaching the number one in the German record charts, BAP is one of the most successful rock acts in their home country.

Nearly all of BAP's lyrics are written in Kölsch, the dialect of Cologne, or more precisely in a Kölsch-influenced derivation of Eifelplatt, a regional variant of the Ripuarian language spoken in the nearby rural Eifel. Niedecken's most prominent musical influences, especially early in his career, were Bob Dylan, the Kinks, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Wolfgang Ambros.

The group was founded in 1976 under the name Wolfgang Niedecken's BAP in Cologne by Wolfgang Niedecken and Hans Heres. In 1981, they released their most famous song "Verdamp lang her" (Damn long time ago), in which Niedecken describes regrets he has about his relationship with his then recently deceased father. The band's name "BAP" derived from "BAPP", both, a play-on-words on the Kölsch word "Papp" (related to the German word dad), but pronounced differently, and Niedecken's then-nickname.

Niedecken translated a collection of Bob Dylan's lyrics to German for his 1995 solo album Leopardefell.^[1]

(Information valid for 2024)

• Wolfgang "Maître" Niedecken – singer (1976–present)
• Werner Kopal – bass (1996–present)
• Michael Nass – keyboards (1999–present)
• Ulrich "Uli" Rode – guitar (2014–present)
• Sönke Reich – drums (2014–present)
• Anne de Wolff [de] – violin, viola, cello, percussion, guitar, trombone (2014–present, as guest 2006–2014)
• Axel Müller – saxophone, guitar, duduk, flutes (2018–present)
• Franz Johannes Goltz – trombone (2018–present)
• Benjamin "Benny" Brown [de] – trumpet, flügelhorn (2022–present)

• "Afro" Bauermann – percussion (1976–1977)
• Rainer "Saxello" Gulich – saxophone (1976–1977)
• Hans "Honçe" Heres – guitar (1976–1980)
• Klaus Hogrefe – bass (1976–1978)
• Wolfgang "Wolli" Boecker – drums (1976–1983)
• Manfred "Schmal" Boecker – percussion (1976–1995)
• Wolfgang "Gröön" Klever – bass (1978–1980)
• Bernd Odenthal – keyboards (1978–1980)
• Fritz Kullmann – saxophone (1980)
• "Steve Borg" (Stephan Kriegeskorte) – bass (1980–1995)
• Klaus "Major" Heuser – guitar (1980–1999)
• Hans "Fonz" Wollrath – sounds (1980–1999)
• Alexander (Axel) "Tschaikägo" "Effendi" Büchel – keyboards (1981–1999)
• Jan Dix – drums (1983–1985)
• Pete King – drums (1986)
• Jürgen Zöller [de] – drums (1987–2014)
• Mario Argandoña [es] – percussion (1996–1997)
• Jens Streifling [de] – saxophone (1996–2002)
• Sheryl Hackett [de] – percussion (1999–2003)
• Helmut Krumminga [de] – guitar (1999–2014)
• Rhani Krija [de] – percussion (2014–2016, as guest 2008–2014)
• Christoph Moschberger [de] – trumpet (2018–2022)

• 1983: Book BAP övver BAP [BAP about BAP]
• 1987: Album Schlagzeiten [Hit times] (Wolfgang Niedecken solo-album)
• 1989: Book BAP övver China (about their Chinese tour)
• 1992: Album Arsch huh, Zäng ussenander [Get up and speak out; literally: Ass up, teeth apart] (various bands from Cologne, live concert against racism and neo-fascism)
• 1995: Album Leopardefell [Leopard's skin] (Wolfgang Niedecken solo-album with translated Dylan lyrics)
• 2002: Film Vill passiert [A lot has happened] (film by Wim Wenders about BAP)
• 2011: Book Für 'ne Moment [For a moment] (autobiography by Wolfgang Niedecken & Oliver Kobold)
• 2022: Album Dylanreise [Dylan travel] (Wolfgang Niedecken solo-album)

• Birlikte – Zusammenstehen (parts of the performance at the festival are published on Niedeckens BAP: Das Märchen vom gezogenen Stecker – live [de]
• Roland "Balou" Temme

• Niedecken, Wolfgang (2004). Immer weiter / BAP-Logbücher 2000–2004 (in German) (1 ed.). Cologne, Germany: Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch. ISBN 3-462-03560-6.
• Kobold, Oliver, ed. (2006). BAP Die Songs 1976–2006 (Lyrics compilation) (in German) (1 ed.). Hamburg, Germany: Verlag Hoffmann und Campe. ISBN 3-455-09551-8.
• Kobold, Oliver, ed. (2011). BAP Neue Songs 2007–2011 (Lyrics compilation) (in German) (1 ed.). Hamburg, Germany: Verlag Hoffmann und Campe. ISBN 978-3-455-40351-0.
• Niedecken, Wolfgang; Kobold, Oliver (2011). Für 'ne Moment (Autobiography) (in German) (1 ed.). Hamburg, Germany: Hoffmann & Campe. ISBN 978-3-455-30699-6.
• Niedecken, Wolfgang; Kobold, Oliver (2013). Zugabe – Die Geschichte einer Rückkehr (Autobiography) (in German) (1 ed.). Hamburg, Germany: Hoffmann & Campe. ISBN 978-3-455-50302-9.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to BAP.

• Official website
• "Rockpalast" concert, Markthalle, Hamburg, 1981-11-28 [2:27:41]
• Concert, Festhalle, Frankfurt am Main, 1984-11-23 [1:13:39]
• "Clubtour" concert, Batschkapp, Frankfurt am Main, 1991-02-21 [2:57:00]
• "ZDF@Bauhaus #61" unplugged concert, Bauhaus, Dessau, 2014-10-15 [1:02:22]
• "Rockpalast" concert, Sartory, Cologne, 2023-12-09 [1:31:18] [1]