So I’ve got a rock musician, a drummer, and his name is Urs. What else can you say about him? Well, he’s almost surely Swiss German, or of Swiss German descent; almost every guy named Urs is. If I tell you that his full name is Urs Zwicky, well, it’s pretty much a sure thing. And here he is, drumstick in hand, in a photo of the Swiss band he’s been in for years, Daytona (now, that’s a surprise):
(#1) A Zwicky who can rock you
Now in the music news because of a new mix of their old standard “We Stand Together” (apparently from 1993), reviewed a few days ago in World Front News.
Background. From the band’s Facebook page (5/6/20):
DAYTONA is a Swiss “feel good rock band”, founded in 1986.
After the singer Hardy Hartmeier had lived in Daytona for 3 months and survived “spring break”, he renamed his former band DAYTONA right after his return to Switzerland. Inspired by the sound and attitude towards life of the American East Coast, they composed their first album, which appeared in the Top 10 of the Swiss charts shortly after its release.
From World Front News (an on-line news company specializing in business and finance, with sections on technology, entertainment, lifestyle, and news updates):
“Reminisce in The Nostalgic Pleasure Through Rock Band Daytona’s Hit Song ‘We Stand Together’ with a New Mix”
[summary:] Well-seasoned Swiss rock band Daytona is back is their most popular single ‘We Stand Together (Stewart Sullivan Mix)’ with a new mix bringing out the true essence of their feel-good vibe.
Zurich, May 11, 2020 – Since rock music came into being it has gained immense popularity connecting at a different level with the listeners. Eminent rock band Daytona has gained the audience’s approval with their feel-good musical performances in each of their compositions. Their hit track ‘We Stand Together (Stewart Sullivan Mix)‘ featuring some brilliant guitar riffs amplifying the lyrical and harmonic interplay availing the listeners to connect with the song exuding exhilarating feelings. The song just got a new makeover by the mixing-Guru Stewart Sullivan resulting in a brilliant symphony.
[You can listen to the track here (#2). It is, of course, sung in (American) English.]
The five-piece band consisting of Hardy Hartmeier: Lead vocals, guitar, Steve Kingston: Guitar, backing vocals, Mad Sonderegger: Bass, backing vocals, Urs Zwicky: Drums, backing vocals, Yvonne Grünwald: Keyboards, lead vocals and backing vocals, was founded in 1986. Their first album appeared in the Top 10 of the Swiss charts shortly after its release. Their unique feel-good rock vibe and the euphoric tonal delicacy offer people an escape from their monotonic life creating an ambiance of delightful serenity.
Their popular single ‘We Stand Together (Stewart Sullivan Mix)’ still has not lost its charm after thirty years after it got a sensual mix from Stewart Sullivan presenting an unparalleled dynamo of syncopated instrumental riffs and resonating rhythmic melody with an inspiring lyrical narrative that is still viable to this day. Inspired by Beatles, Stones, Uriah Heep, and Bon Jovi, the remarkable Swiss band Daytona has produced masterpieces like ‘Turn Back Time’, ‘Love Me Like Before’, ‘Lonely Eyes’, and ‘I Don’t Wanna Live Without You’ under the renowned production house Command Records transcend above their contemporaries.
The name Urs. From Wikipedia:
Urs is a masculine given name. From the Latin name Ursus, the name means “bear”. It is a popular name in German-speaking Switzerland due to the historical veneration of Saint Ursus [of Solothurn] in Switzerland.
A popular name in German-speaking Switzerland and rare elsewere.
Saint Ursus of Solothurn. In military uniform, at his fountain in Solothurn:
(#3)
Then from the rear, showing also the Cathedral of St. Ursus:
(#4) Photo from the Encircle Photos site
From that site:
Saint Ursus Fountain and Cathedral in Solothurn, Switzerland: Ursus is the patron saint of Solothurn, Switzerland. He was a Roman Christian who was beheaded in 286 AD for refusing to worship false gods, along with Saint Victor and 66 other soldiers who had converted to Christianity together. This fountain in Marktplatz, which was created in 1545 by Albrecht von Nürnberg, shows the saint in his Theban Legion uniform. In the background is the Cathedral of St. Ursus where he is buried. [His feast day is September 30th.]
Solothurn, previously uncovered on this blog. From Wikipedia:
Solothurn (French: Soleure ; Italian: Soletta; Romansh: Soloturn) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on [the plains by] the banks of the Aare [also Bern’s river] and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains.
… The official language of Solothurn is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German [language].
May 15, 2020 at 6:33 am |
The Swiss German theologian Hans Urs von Balthazar was popular when I went to seminary in the mid-1970’s. “Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988) was a Swiss theologian and Catholic priest who is considered an important Roman Catholic theologian of the 20th century.”