Das Model
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Das Model" (spelling on album: "Das Modell"; English version title: "The Model") is a song by musicians Ralf Hütter and Karl Bartos, with artist Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It was recorded by their electro-pop band Kraftwerk in 1978, and included on the album Die Mensch-Maschine (The Man-Machine). It is one of the band's most accessible and melodic songs.
First released as a 7" single in Germany (B-side: "Neonlicht"), under its English translation the song was eventually included on the B-side of the "Computer Love" single released in July 1981, which reached #36 in the UK charts. When radio DJs started playing the B-side, EMI re-issued the single in December 1981 – apparently against the band's wishes – with "The Model" as the A-side. It reached #1 in February 1982 and spent a total of 21 weeks in the top 75 of the UK singles charts.
The song was first covered by Snakefinger on his debut LP Chewing Hides the Sound in 1979. Noise rock pioneers Big Black covered the song on their 1987 album Songs About Fucking.