The Sexy Chartsfuckers

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Cumulative Line-Up

Thomas "Ghee-Bone Walker" Geissmann - guitar, vocals
Jenny "Sleeping Booty" Pastorini - background vocals
Markus "Spam" Roth - guitar, vocals
Christophe "Arrète ton bordel, merde!" Soligo - guitar, harmonica, vocals
Krisztina "Kriszty Babe" Vasarhelyi - background vocals

Band History

The Sexy CF were the inofficial house-band of the Anthropological Institute of Zürich University in the mid 1990's. Founded by Christophe "Arrète ton bordel, merde!" Soligo and Thomas "Ghee-Bone Walker" Geissmann in 1994, the early repertoire of the band was deeply rooted in the R&B-tradition. As a trade mark of the band, instrumental competence was virtually nil, but the fun factor was top-notch, at least for the band members.

A first recording session was held in late May or early June 1995 using a ghetto blaster with built-in microphone. It produced only one recording (Baby, what you want me to do), because nothing had ever been rehearsed, and because this was the only song of which both band members were able to remember the text. Take 1 is famous for Christophe's discovery - early on during his harmonica solo - that he was holding his instrument the wrong way 'round! And this was still the best take.

Within a few days after the first recording session, three additional members had been tricked into joining The Sexy CF: Jenny "Sleeping Booty" Pastorini, Markus "Spam" Roth and Krisztina "Kriszty Babe" Vasarhelyi.

A special highlight in The Sexy CF's history occurred during the bands legendary Hyde Park concert on 19 June 1995, which consisted of an unrehearsed impromptu performance in front of a stunned audience (Hi, Jenny!). Because most band members could not afford the flight ticket to London, The Sexy CF were reduced to a spartanic core section consisting of Thomas Geissmann (guitar and vocals) and Markus Roth (guitar and vocals) (Fig. 1). During the performance, Thomas and Markus were each playing a song the other band member had never heard before... The memorable event was tape-recorded by a fan (Hi, Jenny!) with a walkman.

Fig. 1. The legendary HydePark concert

Back in Switzerland, the first and only ever rehearsal of The Sexy CF occurred on 22 June 1995 at the Anthropological Institute of Zürich University, on the occasion of their unforgettable first and only live concert in Switzerland which was scheduled for the following day. As documented by the tape-recorded session, the repertoire of the band had begun to diversify since the recruitment of new band members. It now also included songs which were younger than the band members. The tracks nicely document the usual chaos of The Sexy CF sessions and the general unfamiliarity of the band members with their repertoire. In spite, or maybe as a result, of this rehearsal session, Jenny and Krisztina refused to appear on the stage the following day, in a desperate attempt to avoid being associated with The Sexy CF in public. For reasons which escape reconstruction, the actual life performance on 23 June 1995 was not tape-recorded, but photographed (Fig. 2). The event remains an unforgettable experience for everybody who had not succeeded to leave the party in time.

Fig. 2. The unique Sitzerland gig

A (so far) final recording session took place on 8 February 1996, at Jenny's and Markus's apartment at the Rössligasse in Zürich, again attended only by the core section consisting of Thomas Geissmann, Markus Roth, and Jenny Pastorini. This recording session was the first and only one carried out with a decent microphone in The Sexy CF's recording history!

The Sexy Chartsfuckers were never officially dissolved, but simply stopped playing together by the end of 1996 when each band member emigrated to a different country. When asked about their affiliation with The Sexy CF, each member will probably refuse to comment or even deny ever having heard of this band.

Post Scriptum

July 2000 saw publication (3 copies) of The Sexy CF's only CD, the album "Anthology Vol. 1: 1995-1996" featuring all relevant recordings of the legendary band. The historic performances included, though not of the highest sound quality, were deemed worthy of being digitally mastered on compact disc, a must for all serious collectors.

Anthology album cover

Anthology album back-cover

The CD of The Sexy CF was so successful that a fan club was founded by Claude Rosselet in 2003, which required that the CD saw its first reprint (1 copy) for the fan club's member.

In 2005, two of The Sexy CF's recordings were heavily remixed by DJ Thomas in a desperate (and unsuccessful) attempt at revealing the compositions' original beauty.

Listen to some recordings of the The Sexy CF here.