Alphaville took their name from the 1965 movie written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Eddie Constantine and Anna Karina. The screenplay's original title was Tarzan versus IBM, but this was changed during production.
In an interview in issue 9 of SFX magazine, author William Gibson said that Godard's Alphaville was an inspiration for the development of the movie Johnny Mnemonic (based on Gibson's own short story).
[Issue 2 of SFX featured a top-ten of SF-inspired rock groups: Alphaville
was number three. Issue 15 of SFX reviewed the young adult ghost novel
She Fades Away, awarding it an 'A+', their highest possible mark.]
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There is an American movie production company called Alphaville. Some of
their more famous movies are Hard Target (1993, directed by John Woo,
starring Jean Claude Van Damme), Heart and Souls (starring Robert
Downey Jr. and Charles Grodin), Dazed and Confused and The
Jackal (Bruce Willis and Richard Gere).
Website: Alphaville Films on IMDb
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From 1982 to 1986 there was a Spanish group also called Alphaville.
Members included José Luis Fernández Abel (leader, ideologist, voice and guitar),
José Luis Orfanel (solo guitar),
Daniel Mendialdúa (bass),
Juan Antonio Nieto (drums, percussion), and
José Carlos -Charles- Sánchez (keyboards, trumpet, harmonica, violin).
Albums:
Singles & EPs
Compilations
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2000AD Sci-Fi Special, 1979. In Strontium Dog, Johnny Alpha
is a mutant bounty hunter. In this story Alpha saves a small town from a band
of raiders. In his honour, the citizens name the town "Alphaville".
Strontium Dog © Rebellion. Story: Ian Rogan; Art: Rob Moran; Lettering: Aldrich
Strontium Dog created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.
Website: 2000AD Online
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"Alphaville" is the commercial name of a real estate and gated communities development in Brazil and Portugal.
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There is an on-line store based in the US called Alphaville. The store specialises in old toys and movie memorabilia.
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A small-press comic book called Alphaville was published in California from 1988 to 1989 by Patrick J. Lee and Mike Lujan. There is no connection with the group, but there was theme music composed to go with the comic strip.
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Ronen Preisler writes:
I just finished reading the latest novel from Stephen King, "Desperation".
It is a story about a bunch of people, that some force brought them together
in order to fight an ancient evil spirit. It was one of the best and exciting
books I've ever read and it's very recommended. What I wanted to mention,
though, is there is a reference to a place called "Alphaville" during the
book. It's on part 4 of the book, in chapter 5. Tak, which is the ancient
evil spirit, was searching for a place to go next. Here is the quote: "It
already knew where to go : Alphaville, a vegan commune in the Desatoyas".
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The "Alphaville 2001" self-assembly PC was launched at the CeBIT exhibition in Hanover in 1996. A promotional single of "Forever Young" was released to coincide with the launch of the PC.
From fischertechnik FAN-CLUB News - Issue 02/1996 - October 1996:
"Experienced kids can build the computer in an hour - adults need a little longer," is how the German economics magazine DM puts it. What they mean is a PC called the Alphaville 2001 which is built using 500 fischertechnik parts. The computer's "internals" are also of the best: a 133 MHz lntel Pentium CPU, 16 MB RAM, 8-disk CDROM drive, a 2 MB video card and a 16 bit stereo soundboard. The 1.2 GB hard disk opens the door to "complex multimedia worlds" according to the suppliers. SOS music in Senftenberg (phone +49 353 798460) offers the kit together with keyboard, mouse, 15" monitor and Windows 95 for just over OM 3000. "The Trick" of it all, according to DM, is that the enclosure is made of black, red and yellow fischertechnik building blocks. The magazine's assessment: a "well equipped computer for PC freaks with a bent for do-it-yourself".
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"Alphaville" is a single released by Bryan Ferry in 2011, and also the title of an unreleased album he recorded with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. (Note: Alphaville covered Bryan Ferry's song "Do the Strand" on CrazyShow).
Alphaville (17 Oct 2011)
CD single:
7" Single:
12" Single:
Alphaville (unreleased)
Album
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"Alphaville" is the name of a city in the popular computer game The Sims.
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Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville
Released in 2020, Alphaville is the title the fourth studio album from the
American experimental metal band, and also the title of the album's sixth track.
At the time of recording, Imperial Triumphant were
Zachary Ezrin (vocals, guitars, also with Folterkammer),
Kenny Grohowski (drums, also with Abraxas, Brand X, Chaos Magick, Dapp Theory, Igor Lumpert Innertextures, Kilter, Microdose, PAKT, Simulacrum, The Lonnie Plaxico Group, The Modulators, Titan to Tachyons)
Steve Blanco (bass, vocals, keyboards, also with JUerGeN ReiTeR ORkAaN ORkEstRA, PAK, Steve Blanco Trio),
with taiko drums on "City Swine" by session musician Tomas Haake (also with Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects, Meshuggah).
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An influential post-punk/new wave/alternative rock band active from 1978 to 1985, then
revived from 1990 to 1998, revived again in 2008. They have released ninteen albums and
twenty-three singles to date, plus numerous compilations and side-projects. In January 1979
they released the single He's Frank/Alphaville on Rough Trade Records:
RT 005
Credits:
Bass Guitar - Jeremy Harrington
Drums - John D. Haney
Guitar, Vocals - Bid
The Monochrome Set's current line-up: Bid (founding member, guitar & vocals, also with Scarlet's Well), Athen Ayren (keyboards, vocals), Andy Warren (bass & vocals, also with Adam and the Ants/Would-be-Goods), Stephen Gilchrist (drums, also with Stuffy, The Fuses, Tim Smith's Spratleys, The Lightning Seeds, The Damned, Republica... lots of others). Past members include: Lester Square (founding member, lead guitar & backing vocals, also with The B-Sides, Adam and the Ants, The Invisible), Charlie X (founding member, bass), Simon Croft (bass), John D. Haney (founding member, drums, also with The Art Attacks), Jeremy Harrington (bass), Philip Morris, Lexington Crane (drums), Orson Presence (keyboards, guitar & vocals), Carrie Booth (keyboards, flute & vocals), Morris Windsor (drums, also with The Soft Boys), Nicholas Weslowski (drums), James 'Foz' Foster (lead guitar, also with David Devant and his Spirit Wife, Foster and Gilvan, Sawchestra, Karaoke Circus, Adrift) Tony Potts (founding member, projections), Sian Chaffer (keyboards), Jennifer Denitto (drums, also with Scarlet's Well), Steve Brummell (drums, also with Luxembourg), John Paul Moran (keyboards & guitar, also with Blue Orchids), Mike Urban (drums), Trevor Reidy (drums, also with Danielle Dax), Helena Johansson (violin, mandolin & vocals, also with Scarlet's Well), Alice Healey (backing vocals, also with Scarlet's Well), Deb Van Der Geugten (backing vocals, also with Scarlet's Well)
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The Rentals - Lost in Alphaville
The Rentals' third full-length studio album, released in 2014. At the time of recording, the band members were:
Matt Sharp (vocals, bass guitar, synthesizers, also with Weezer),
Jess Wolfe (vocals),
Holly Laessig (vocals),
Ryen Slegr (guitars, lap steel guitar, also with Ozma),
Patrick Carney (drums, percussion, also with The Black Keys and Drummer),
Lauren Chipman (Fender Rhodes, organ, piano, viola, violin).
Lost in Alphaville track listing:
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U2 - Down to Alphaville
Two two-disc CD sets featuring U2 live
in concert at Madison Square Garden in June 2001. These are presumably bootleg releases
- there doesn't appear to be any information on them on U2's official website.
The phrase "Down to Alphaville" is featured in U2's song "New York" which appeared on the following releases: