KLEENEX

Formed 1978 in Zurich KLEENEX were – beside the english bands the SLITS and the RAINCOATS – one of the first three woman bands of the punk-area as well as the first Swiss-Wave export-hit. In the same year the women decided to record their first four songs (‘Hedi’s Head’, ‘Nice’, ‘Beri Beri’, ‘Ain’t You’) as a single for their friends. One of it carried the EP forward to England and as the disk arrived to John Peel, he played it over and over on his radio-show.

Lislot, Regula, Marlene, Klaudia With the novel mixture from art-school, glamour and punk-noise it succeeded KLEENEX to inspire Londons music-critic. The band got a record-deal with ‘Rough Trade UK’ and the new release of the EP entered the UK Charts!
Tours with the RAINCOATS and SPIZZ ENERGI followed and KLEENEX became a part of the English ‘Rough Trade family’ with GANG OF FOUR, LORA LOGIC, SCRITTI POLITTI, RED CRAYOLA and other musicians.

Also in 1978, publication of the 7″-Single ‘You’ / ‘Ü’, produced by Mayo Thompson (Red Crayola) and followed of innumerable concerts in Europe. The live versions of ‘Hedi’s Head’, ‘You’ and ‘Nice’ are published 1979 on the german-sampler ‘Into The Future’.

Then in 1980, due to a threat by Kimberly Clark (which had the copyright of the name KLEENEX) with a lawsuit, the women saw themselves forced to change the bandname.

1978 Rudolph Dietrich
Candy Düggelbach
Klaudia Schiffe
Lislot Ha
Regula Sing
Guitar
Guitar
Bass
Drums
Vocals
1978-1979 Marlene Marder
Klaudia Schiff
Lislot Ha
Regula Sing
Guitar
Bass, Vocals
Drums
Vocals
1979-1980 Marlene Marder
Klaudia Schiff
Lislot Ha
Chrigle Freund
Angie Barrack
Guitar
Bass, Vocals
Drums
Vocals
Saxophon, Vocals

LiliPUT

LiliPUT was the answer to the forced name-change. ‘Gulliver was bound’ and the bands music developed in the direction of trend-independent experiments. If the KLEENEX songs were shaped by a rudimentary art-punk sensitivity, the LiliPUT songs were characterized more by pop-elements. So for example the 1980 published LiliPUT single ‘Die Matrosen’, which became a underground hit and the title-track was later covered by BOOK OF LOVE.

Cover Liliput 'Eisiger Wind' Then in 1981 the publication of the 7″-Single ‘Eisiger Wind’ / ‘When The Cat’s Away Then The Mice Will Play’, which caught the attention of noted American rock critics Robert Christgau and Greil Marcus, who praised the innovative trio.
On the cover to ‘Eisiger Wind’ the reference to Dada or Cabaret Voltaire is well recognizable.

Different personnel changes followed, whereby Marlene Marder and Klaudia Schiff always built the core of the band. The songs became more experimental and the saxophone to a main instrument.

1982 – four years after their first single – the group finaly released their first full-length album ‘LiliPUT’ for Rough Trade. A year later a further single (‘You Did It’ / ‘The Jazz’) followed as well as the album ‘Some Songs’. One year later the group split up and their life as rock-legends began. Thus bands such as SHONEN KNIFE or SLEATER KINNEY indicate KLEENEX/LiliPUT as one of their influences.

In 1983 ‘Off Course Records’ published a double CD with 46 KLEENEX/LiliPUT songs, which was re-released 2001 under the name ‘Complete Recordings (1978-81)’.

1980 Marlene Marder
Klaudia Schiff
Lislot Ha
Chrigle Freund
Angie Barrack
Guitar
Bass, Vocals
Drums
Vocals
Saxophon, Vocals
1981 Marlene Marder
Klaudia Schiff
Chrigle Freund
Guitar, Vocals
Bass, Vocals
Drums, Vocals
1981-1982 Marlene Marder
Klaudia Schiff
Astrid Spirit
Beat Schlatter
Christoph Herzog
Guitar
Bass, Vocals
Vocals, Percussion
Drums
Saxophon
1982-1983 Marlene Marder
Klaudia Schiff
Astrid Spirit
Guitar, Bass, Percusssion
Bass, Drums, Vocals, Guitar
Violin, Vocals, Percussion, Bass

Discographie

Cover Kleenex 'Hedi's Head'
Cover 1.Edition Sunrise Records
Cover Kleenex 'Hedi's Head'
Cover 2.Edition Rough Trade
KLEENEX 2×7″ Hedi’s Head; Nice; Beri-Beri; Ain’t You 1978
KLEENEX Tape KLEENEX Part 1-4 : Live at Club Hey 1978
KLEENEX 7″ You; Ü 1979
various LP Wanna Buy A Bridge, KLEENEX: Ain’t You 1979
various LP Into The Future, KLEENEX live: Hedi’s Head; You; Nice 1979
LiLiPUT 7″ Die Matrosen; Split 1980
various LP Swiss Wave The Album, LiLiPUT: Hitch-Hike; DC 10 1980
LiLiPUT 7″ Eisiger Wind; When The Cat’s Away Then The Mice Will Play 1981
various LP Venus-Weltklang, LiLiPUT: Waxing Moon 1981
LiLiPUT LP KLEENEX girls NICE 1982
LiLiPUT 7″ You Did It; The Jazz 1983
LiLiPUT LP Some Songs 1983
various LP Clear Cut 4 Flower Pot,
KLEENEX: Do You Mind My Dream; Outburst
1983
KLEENEX/LiLiPUT 2CD Complete Recordings (1978-81) 1993/2001
KLEENEX/LiLiPUT CD+DVD Live Recordings 2010
KLEENEX/LiLiPUT 2CD/2LP First Songs 2016
Marlene Marder book KLEENEX/LiLiPUT 2023