Effective period / Period of releases: 1971 - 2016

Members: Hans Rolf Schade, Chris Williams (10), Felix Hans, Chris Barutzky, Klaus Kohlhase, Jürgen Wimpelberg, Reinhard Schulte, Carsten Hille, Marc Klemme, Norbert Hötger

German rock band formed in Hamm (north-east of Dortmund) in the late 1960's, originally known as Fashion. Adding English vocalist Chris Williams (from Grail), they became Abacus in 1971.Their debut LP was progressive rock with a classical edge mixing British and Krautrock elements.
After that they got more jokey and eccentric, and released three further albums with a borderline pop sound (hints of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and The Move). Through to the mid 1970's the line-up changed completely, with only Klaus Kohlhase from the original line-up in a 1979 reformation. Jürgen Wimpelberg from that line-up kept the band going issuing a CD much later.