Camouflage – Best Of Camouflage: We Stroke The Flames

Camouflage – Best Of Camouflage: We Stroke The Flames

By Steve Huey
The German synth-pop trio Camouflage was officially formed in 1984 by vocalist Marcus Meyn and keyboardists/programmers Heiko Maile and Oliver Kreyssig. The group took first place in a radio-sponsored song contest in 1986, and before long, their debut single, “The Great Commandment,” was scaling the German charts. Their full-length debut, Voices and Images, was released in 1988, reflecting the group’s classic new wave synth-pop influences, but most of all Depeche Mode. 

1989’s Methods of Silence began to broaden Camouflage’s sonic palette, yet the Depeche Mode sound still remained at the forefront. Oliver Kreyssig then left the group, leaving Maile and Meyn as a duo augmented by several studio musicians. By the time of 1991’s Meanwhile, Camouflage had garnered a not insignificant following on college radio; the album moved still farther away from synth-pop and incorporated greater instrumentation. However, with the advent of grunge, synth-pop lost a great deal of its footing on college radio; Camouflage soon found itself without an American record deal.

1993’s Bodega Bohemia, available only as an import, moved back towards synth-oriented music and took a darker tone than much of their previous work. The mostly instrumental Spice Crackers followed in 1995, after which the future of the band was cast into doubt; a best-of compilation, We Stroke the Flames, was released in Germany in 1997. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Album Notes

Best of Camouflage: We Stroke the Flames is German synthpop group Camouflage’s first compilation album, released in 1997 in Germany and 1999 in the US. It includes all of their singles from 1987 to 1993, excluding “This Day”, along with several album tracks and a remix of “Love Is a Shield” by William Orbit. This album however, contained no input from either band members.
Former member Oliver Kreyssig helped in the design of the album art, and as a result, rejoined the band by 1999.

EC1011	Camouflage – Best Of Camouflage-We Stroke The Flames
Label:	Polydor
Catalog#:	539 086-2
Format:	CD [Compilation]
Made in:	Germany
Released:	1997
Barcode:	7 31453 90862 8
Style:	Synth-pop, New Wave

============================================================================ Best Of Camouflage: We Stroke The Flames
============================================================================
01. The Great Commandment
02. Jealousy
03. Sooner Than We Think
04. Handsome
05. One Fine Day
06. Neighbours
07. Suspicious Love
08. A Picture Of Life
09. Love Is A Shield
10. Strangers Thoughts
11. Crime
12. Heaven (I Want You)
13. Waiting
14. Close (We Stroke The Flames)
15. I Once Had A Dream
16. Love Is A Shield (William Orbit Dub Mix) 
Total Time: 01:12:10

Companies etc▼
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Polydor GmbH

Credits▼
Artwork: Marcnesium
Lyrics By: H. Maile* (tracks: 1, 4, 12, 13), M. Meyn* (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 16), Neutron (2) (tracks: 14), O. Kreyssig* (tracks: 1, 3, 9, 16), P. Godwin* (tracks: 9, 16)
Music By: H. Maile* (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 to 16), Ito* (tracks: 14), M. Meyn* (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8, 12 to 15), O. Kreyssig* (tracks: 1, 3, 15)
Photography By: Stefan Müssigbrodt
Producer: Axel Henninger* (tracks: 6, 15), Camouflage (tracks: 1, 3 to 6, 8 to 10, 12, 13, 15, 16), Colin Thurston (tracks: 4, 12, 13), Dan Lacksman (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7 to 9, 11, 14, 16), Heiko Maile (tracks: 2, 7, 11, 14)

Notes▼
© 1997 Polydor GmbH, Hamburg
Marketed by Polydor GmbH, Glockengießerwall 3, 20095 Hamburg – a Polygram company

Other Identifiers▼
Matrix / Runout: 539 086-2 01 +
Other (SID Mastering Code): IFPI L002
Other (SID Mould Code): IFPI 01U8
Label Code: LC 0309
Rights Society: BIEM / MCPS
Other (Distribution Code): PY 900