Nine Days' Wonder (NDW for short) was founded back in 1966, when singer and frontman Walter Seyffer gave his band The Graves a new name.
Like so many “beat groups” in the mid-1960s, NDW started out as a cover band. The line-up changed constantly until the early 1970s, when the first more stable formation emerged with Walter Seyffer (vocals), Rolf Henning (guitar), Karl Mutschlechner (bass), John Earle (saxophone, flute, guitar) and Martin Roscoe (drums).
In 1971, the quintet recorded their self-titled debut album, which was released in Germany on Bellaphon and in England on Harvest in the same year. In the summer of 1972, Nine Days' Wonder broke up at short notice; Walter Seyffer joined the psychedelic rock band Medusa, where he met bassist Michael Bundt. Since the quintet had only released one single on CBS, Nine Days' Wonder was reformed in December 1972.
The new line-up consisted of four Medusa members (Seyffer, Bundt, guitarist Hans Frauenschuh and keyboardist/saxophonist Freddie Münster) as well as drummer Karl-Heinz “Hyanzintus” Weiler. In the summer of 1973, the second Nine Days' Wonder album, “We Never Lost Control”, was released on Bacillus/Bellaphon. In 1974, Rolf Henning returned. Sid Gautama replaced “Hyanzintus” Weiler on drums. The third NDW album, “Only The Dancers,” was recorded at Chipping Norton Studios in the UK by Mike and Richard Vernon, with Dave Jackson from Van der Graaf Generator, among others. A year later, the personnel carousel spun again. With a new line-up, the last album “Sonnet To Billy Frost” was released in 1976, after which the band finally split up.
Now, at the end of August, all four albums are being re-released under the title “The Bacillus Years”, remastered and including bonus tracks (the Maternal Joy aka NDW single “Ticket to the North Pole / Fat”, 1971)
1.1. Fermillon / Puppet Dance / Square / Hope? / Morning Spi
1.2. Moss Had Come
1.3. Apple Tree
1.4. Drag Dilemma / Montony 1 / Stomach's Choice / Monotony
1.5. Ticket To The Northpole [Bonus Track]
1.6. Fat (Bonus Track)
1.7. Days In Bright Light
1.8. Fisherman's Dream
1.9. Andromeda Nomads
1.10. The Great Game
1.11. Angels Due To Arrive
1.12. We Grasp The Naked Meat
1.13. Armaranda
2.1. Long Distance Line
2.2. Only The Dancers
2.3. It's Not My Fault
2.4. Frustration
2.5. Hovercraft Queen
2.6. Time Is Due
2.7. The Way I'm Living
2.8. Moment
3.1. Alchemists
3.2. I Need A Rest
3.3. In Memory Of Sir Hillary
3.4. Five Minute Musical (Uncle Franky / Silver Forest)
3.5. Turn And Go On
3.6. Sonnet To Billy Frost
3.7. Empty Frame
3.8. Almost October
3.9. Jamie
3.10. You're Always All Alone With The Things You Love
3.11. I Need A Rest