Helge Engelke
Helge Engelke (24 September 1961 – 28 April 2023) was a German guitar player, composer, and producer most celebrated for his guitar work in the hard rock bands Fair Warning and Dreamtide. He has also employed his considerable guitar talents in acclaimed “studio work” and has guested on various artists’ albums/CDs including vocals and guitars for his friend Zeno Roth. Herr Engelke was born on 24 September 1961 in Hanover, Germany. He has passed away unexpected on April 28, 2023. He died in hospital after complications occurred with a colon tumor which only had been discovered two days before.
Helge started playing guitar at the age of 13 and soon became obsessed with the instrument and music in general. To quote Engelke, “I listened to everything that was around. From Yes to Genesis, from T Rex to Mott the Hoople, from Deep Purple to Led Zeppelin. My favorite band was – and in some concerns still is – Rainbow. I really liked the mixture of heavy rock guitars with strong vocal melodies and powerful drums.”[1] The young musician was a fan of both Uli Jon Roth (then Ulrich Roth) and Michael Schenker so his early guitar preferences were the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Flying V.[2]
In 1996, Engelke was in a car accident breaking both arms. It took him approximately five months to recover and regain his playing skills, delaying the recording and mixing of Fair Warning’s “Live and More”.[3]
On 11 August 2012, Helge married long time girlfriend Olatz Ibarlucea in Llodio, Pais Vasco, Spain.[4]
Brief history: Fair Warning, Dreamtide[edit]
Fair Warning originated in 1990, rising from the ashes of a band called Zeno. They were masterful with their first demo and were immediately signed to WEA worldwide. In the year 2000, Andy Malecek left the group (April) followed by Tommy Heart (August) effectively breaking up the band. Fair Warning reunited in the summer of 2005 and is still active.[5] The band recently recorded a new album, “Sundancer”, which was released on 24 April 2013 in Japan. The CD was released in The United States in June 2013.
Engelke formed Dreamtide in 2001 with then former FW drummer, C.C. Behrens. The band was rounded out with Olaf Senkbeil (vocals), Ole Hempelmann (bass), and Torsten Luederwaldt (keyboards). Francis Buchholz (Scorpions) replaced Hempelmann for the third album. Dreamtide is still active.[6]
Other activity[edit]
In 2011, Engelke was instrumental in the production of German band NITRO GODS eponymous first studio album. In 2014, he co-wrote and co-produced “Unbroken”, a new album from Hannover-based band THOMSEN.[7]
Death[edit]
Helge Engelke died from colon cancer on 28 April 2023, at the age of 61.[8]
Discography[edit]
Fair Warning
- 1992 – Fair Warning
- 1993 – Live in Japan (Live)
- 1995 – Rainmaker
- 1995 – Live at Home (Live)
- 1997 – Go!
- 1998 – Live and More (Live)
- 2000 – Four
- 2006 – Brother’s Keeper
- 2009 – Aura
- 2010 – Talking Ain’t Enough (Live)
- 2010 – Talking Ain’t Enough (DVD))
- 2012 – Best and More
- 2012 – Save Me (Single)
- 2013 – Sundancer
- 2016 – Pimp your Past
- 2019 – Two Nights to Remember (2CDs + DVD)
Dreamtide
- 2001 – Here Comes the Flood
- 2003 – Dreams For the Daring
- 2008 – Dream and Deliver
- 2022 – Drama Dust Dream
Other appearances
- 1992 – Letter X “Born into darkness”
- 1992 – Inspiration “Anyway”
- 1992 – Victory “You Bought It You Name It”
- 1992 – Simone “Sometimes”
- 1992 – Simone “Passenger” single
- 1993 – Mind odyssey “Keep it all turning”
- 1993 – V.A.N.
- 1994 – Eloy “Destination”
- 1995 – Zeno “Zenology”
- 1998 – Karel Gott “Für Immer Jung”
- 2002 – Ralph Santolla “Shaolin Monks in the Temple of Metal”
- 2002 – Lana Lane “Project Sangri-la”
- 2005 – UFO “Showtime” DVD
- 2011 – HELP!
- 2011 – Nitrogods “Nitrogods”
- 2014 – Thomsen – “Unbroken”
References[edit]
- ^ “Becoming a Musician”. Helgeengelke.com. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ^ “Becoming a Musician – Page 2”. Helgeengelke.com. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ^ “GLORYDAZE Music”. Archived from the original on 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
- ^ “Facebook”. Facebook. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ^ “Fair Warning – The Website * Best View with Microsoft Internet Explorer”. Fair-warning.de. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ “Thomsen Unbroken – Home”. Thomsen-unbroken.de. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ^ “FAIR WARNING: è morto il chitarrista Helge Engelke”. Metalitalia.com (in Italian). Retrieved 29 April 2023.
External links[edit]
