"That certain something" Why two Swiss global hits were released simultaneously 40 years ago

Swiss global hits are a rare commodity. This year, however, two songs made in Switzerland are celebrating their 40th anniversary. What was going on in Switzerland in 1985? And when will the next Swiss global hit be released?

Switzerland is known worldwide for many things. Unfortunately, local music is not one of them. But as the saying goes: the exception proves the rule.

The year 1985 is such an exception. 1985 was a special year for local musicians. Two global hits made in Switzerland were released almost simultaneously.

The two Zurich musicians Felix Haug and Kurt Maloo made it into the charts in over 50 countries with the song "The Captain of her Heart" under the name Double.

Almost at the same time, Phil Carmen recorded the jazzy pop song "On My Way in LA" in the tranquil village of Stein am Rhein SH.

The "Way" song was ranked in the Swiss charts for the first time on August 4, 1985, followed by the "Captain" song almost two months later - other countries gradually followed.

The former chart-toppers have become long-sellers: Both tracks are still eagerly streamed today, millions of times over, on Spotify and co. and played by radio stations worldwide.

Secret recipe or a matter of luck?

How do you write a global hit? Is there a secret recipe or is it simply a matter of luck? One person who might know is Bänz Friedli.

The author and cabaret artist wrote from 1985 to 2005 as a journalist specializing in pop culture for magazines such as "Rolling Stone", "Facts" and "Das Magazin".

Bänz Friedli, Swiss global hits are a rare commodity. Only a few Swiss artists have managed to make themselves heard worldwide with their music. Why is that?

First of all, it's completely normal. Because tiny Switzerland likes to think it's a little more important than it actually is. The US state of Idaho hasn't produced any more global hits either.

There are two exceptions - and interestingly, both songs are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year: the Zurich duo Double with "The Captain of Her Heart" and the Central Swiss musician Phil Carmen with "On My Way in LA" both landed a global hit in 1985. Why did they manage this - but not other Swiss musicians?

Both hit the famous common denominator that makes a song memorable and appealing to almost everyone. One key to this is simplicity and accessibility - but what makes a successful pop song magical also applies to both of them: that it retains a kind of mystery and therefore meets the formal requirement that a song should be "mysteriously catchy".

What's more, both songs corresponded to the style-defining mainstream radio stations in the USA at the time, which focused on the soft rock and adult contemporary genres. And both are golden oldies today.

Or were Double and Phil Carmen simply the exception that set the rule?

Why they of all bands made it is first and foremost down to the two songs that really hit the spot. In other words, the thoroughly successful songwriting. The fact that Phil Carmen and Double didn't achieve this a second time and ultimately remained "one hit wonders" or "one and a half hits " shows that chance also played a role - at most a second song from both remained in the collective memory.

The "Captain" and "Way" songs are still streamed millions of times and played on radio stations worldwide. Do you know what the secret of their success is?

Listen to the songs! They have that certain something that makes them immortal. In Double's case, Peter Zumsteg, the world-class Swiss music manager par excellence, took care of the band's affairs.

Zumsteg has also worked successfully with Andreas Vollenweider, Jovanotti, Gianna Nannini and Bob Marley, to name but a few. Zumsteg always made sure that the "Captain" was not sold off, thus preserving the legacy and taking care of the copyrights and publishing rights in a highly professional manner.

He only allowed cover versions that were conducive to the immortality of the original, for example by Wyclef Jean and Randy Crawford. Here, success was simply managed in a world-class manner.

So basically: what ingredients - apart from a lot of luck - are needed to create a global hit?

Actually, the origin, appearance and charisma of the creators don't matter, it's all about the song. It has to be a direct hit.

Do you have the feeling that there will be more global hits made in Switzerland in the future - the music of Priya Ragu, for example, would be wonderfully predestined for this?

Yes, it would be. Kings Elliot and Evelinn Trouble also have what it takes. And you might think that thanks to streaming and direct self-marketing on social media, it has become easier for musicians who don't come from typical pop regions. Everyone could make themselves heard.

But the World Wide Web has not democratized pop music. The algorithms of large platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music harshly penalize all those who are not from the USA, England or Sweden. Some female musicians have already demonstrated this by redesigning their profile and indicating San Diego as their place of residence - the number of streams increased dramatically.

Are there any other artists from Switzerland who you think could have an international career or a global hit in the near future?

Although the country of origin does play a role, as I just mentioned: Global hits can come out of nowhere and be created in a bedroom on a laptop. The decisive factor is the language. That's why I think Zurich rapper Lou Kaena, who has a French-Algerian mother and therefore writes her lyrics in French, is the most likely to make the leap abroad.

If it were just a question of talent, Switzerland would have two world stars in songwriting and interpretation with Sina and Kuno Lauener from Züri West. However, by singing in dialect, they have limited their own market, which makes them all the bigger and more incomparable at home.

Lauener's lyrics have the quality of a Bob Dylan, a Randy Newman, a Lou Reed. The only difference is that they are not written in English. That's why "I schänke dir mis Härz" is just a secret global hit.

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