Origin: Würenlos, Aargau (Switzerland)

SERGEANT

Rob Seales - Rolf Schulp - Gary Steimer - Pete Prescott - Urs Amacher - Chris Wiedemeier

Sergeant albums:

	Sergeant - 1984
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	Streetwise - 1986
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Notes about Sergeant:

 Text in English

- Sergeant was a hard rock band from Würenlos, in the Swiss canton of Aargau, formed in 1982 from the remains of the Steve Whitney Band [1, 2]. That band had been formed in the same town in 1977 as the Steve Withney Band and changed its name to Steve Whitney Band in 1981; the name came from the nicknames of two of its founders, Rolf "Steve" Schlup and Christian "Whitney" Wiedemeier, who is credited as Chris on Sergeant's album sleeves [1, 3, 4]. Sergeant was active in the interval between the Steve Whitney Band's split and its later reunion [1]. The sextet was predominantly Swiss; its singer, Pete Prescott, was British [1, 2]. Alongside him, the lineup that recorded both of Sergeant's albums comprised Rob Seales and Chris Wiedemeier on guitars, Urs Amacher on keyboards, Rolf Schlup on bass and Gary Steimer on drums [3, 4].

In June and July 1984 the six musicians recorded their debut album at the Spygel Tonstudio in Kirchheim unter Teck, in what was then West Germany. Sergeant produced the album itself, with Batze Kramer as recording engineer; Manfred Lohse mixed it, all ten songs are credited to the band as a whole and Fritz Michel designed the cover. The copyright and phonographic copyright were held by Gama Musikverlags GmbH, a Kirchheim company [3]. *Sergeant* was released in 1984 in Germany on Camel, a label belonging to Gama (LP 70032 / MP 850), and in a European edition on the Belgian label Mausoleum Records (SKULL 8367); the run-out inscriptions of both pressings indicate that they were mastered at Studio-Nord-Bremen [3, 5, 6]. The opening track, "Upside Down", was also issued as a single, backed with "Make Your Move", on Camel and on the Swiss label Musk Project [6, 7].

In 1985 Sergeant appeared at the OpenAir St. Gallen, on a bill that included Joe Cocker, Mezzoforte, Opus, the Klaus Lage Band, Telephone and Amazulu [8]. On 1 December that year the band's performance of "Upside Down" at the Volkshaus in Zurich was recorded with the Le Mobile unit for *1. Marlboro Rock-in Live*, a compilation released by EMI in Switzerland in 1986 [9].

The second album was recorded at Spygel in November and December 1985, again with Batze Kramer as recording engineer and with Rob Seales as assistant engineer. Tom Krüger mixed it at the studio in January 1986 and Rico Sonderegger mastered it in St. Gallen; the cover is credited to Martin Appoldt. Again written entirely by the band, *Streetwise* opens with "Living In The Fast Lane" and closes with "Don't Stop". The lineup was unchanged, although the sleeve now credits Rob Seales with lead guitars and vocals and Chris Wiedemeier with guitars and vocals [4].

*Streetwise* was released in 1986 on the Scratch label (SCRATCH 941311), with the rights again held by Gama Musikverlags GmbH and with distribution by Intercord. That year it was also issued in Switzerland on Hallelujah (X 709) and in France on Power Records (9801), and a Greek edition followed in 1987 [4]. AllMusic's biography of the band describes its music as American-style hard rock with a strong melodic element, likens the debut to Van Halen, Kiss and Foreigner and finds that *Streetwise* did little more than rework the formula of its predecessor [2].

Also in 1986 the British label Powerstation Records, based in York, released *Living In The Fast Lane* (AMP 10), a ten-track LP that brings together eight songs from the two albums and two that appear on neither, "Gonna Show You" and "I've Got A Feeling" [3, 4, 6, 10]. Sergeant split up that year [1, 2].

In 1988 Rob Seales and Urs Amacher re-formed Sergeant [2]. The 12-inch EP *Limited Edition*, released in Switzerland in 1989 by Borner Productions and pressed by Turicaphon, credits Romy Caviezel on vocals, Seales on guitar and vocals, Harry Borner on bass and vocals, Amacher on keyboards and Urs Rothenbühler on drums; its four songs are "Can't Stand The Light", "Love You Forever", "Let It Grow" and "Back On The Streets" [11].

In 2007 the American label Stormspell Records reissued both albums on CD in editions of 1,000 copies, with additional material: *Sergeant* adds a remix of "Upside Down" and video clips of "Steamroller Blues" and "Living In The Fast Lane", and *Streetwise* adds "Gonna Show You" and clips of "I've Got A Feeling" and "Moving" [12]. In 2020 "Movin'" was included on *The Best And The Rare Of Gama Records – Hardrock And Heavy Metal 1980–1989*, a double-CD sampler released by Golden Core [13]. -

Notas sobre Sergeant:

 Texto en Español

- Sergeant fue un grupo de hard rock de Würenlos, en el cantón suizo de Argovia, nacido en 1982 de los restos de la Steve Whitney Band [1, 2]. Esta se había fundado en la misma localidad en 1977 con el nombre de Steve Withney Band y pasó a llamarse Steve Whitney Band en 1981; el nombre procedía de los apodos de dos de sus fundadores, Rolf «Steve» Schlup y Christian «Whitney» Wiedemeier, que en las contraportadas de Sergeant figura como Chris [1, 3, 4]. Sergeant estuvo en activo en el intervalo entre la separación de la Steve Whitney Band y su posterior reunión [1]. El sexteto era mayoritariamente suizo; su cantante, Pete Prescott, era británico [1, 2]. Junto a él, la formación que grabó los dos discos del grupo la completaban Rob Seales y Chris Wiedemeier a las guitarras, Urs Amacher a los teclados, Rolf Schlup al bajo y Gary Steimer a la batería [3, 4].

En junio y julio de 1984, los seis músicos grabaron su primer larga duración en el Spygel Tonstudio de Kirchheim unter Teck, en la entonces Alemania Occidental. Sergeant se encargó de la producción, con Batze Kramer como ingeniero de grabación; Manfred Lohse hizo la mezcla, los diez temas se acreditan al grupo en su conjunto y el diseño de portada es de Fritz Michel. El © y el ℗ figuraban a nombre de Gama Musikverlags GmbH, empresa de Kirchheim [3]. *Sergeant* se publicó en 1984 en Alemania en Camel, sello perteneciente a Gama (LP 70032 / MP 850), y en una edición europea del sello belga Mausoleum Records (SKULL 8367); las inscripciones de la zona de salida (run-out) de ambos prensajes indican que se masterizaron en Studio-Nord-Bremen [3, 5, 6]. El tema de apertura, «Upside Down», salió también en sencillo, con «Make Your Move» en la cara B, en Camel y en el sello suizo Musk Project [6, 7].

En 1985, Sergeant actuó en el OpenAir St. Gallen, en un cartel en el que figuraban Joe Cocker, Mezzoforte, Opus, la Klaus Lage Band, Telephone y Amazulu [8]. El 1 de diciembre de ese año, su interpretación de «Upside Down» en el Volkshaus de Zúrich se grabó con la unidad móvil Le Mobile para *1. Marlboro Rock-in Live*, un recopilatorio que EMI publicó en Suiza en 1986 [9].

El segundo disco se grabó en Spygel en noviembre y diciembre de 1985, de nuevo con Batze Kramer como ingeniero de grabación y con Rob Seales como ayudante. Tom Krüger lo mezcló en el mismo estudio en enero de 1986 y Rico Sonderegger lo masterizó en San Galo; la portada se acredita a Martin Appoldt. Compuesto otra vez íntegramente por el grupo, *Streetwise* se abre con «Living In The Fast Lane» y se cierra con «Don't Stop». La formación no varió, aunque la contraportada atribuye ahora a Rob Seales las guitarras solistas y las voces, y a Chris Wiedemeier las guitarras y las voces [4].

*Streetwise* se publicó en 1986 en el sello Scratch (SCRATCH 941311), con el © y el ℗ de nuevo a nombre de Gama Musikverlags GmbH y distribución de Intercord. Ese mismo año se editó también en Suiza, en Hallelujah (X 709), y en Francia, en Power Records (9801), y en 1987 apareció una edición griega [4]. La biografía del grupo en AllMusic describe su música como un hard rock de corte estadounidense con un fuerte componente melódico, compara el debut con Van Halen, Kiss y Foreigner y considera que *Streetwise* apenas hizo otra cosa que reelaborar la fórmula de su predecesor [2].

También en 1986, el sello británico Powerstation Records, con sede en York, publicó *Living In The Fast Lane* (AMP 10), un larga duración de diez temas que reúne ocho canciones de los dos discos y dos que no figuran en ninguno de ellos, «Gonna Show You» y «I've Got A Feeling» [3, 4, 6, 10]. Sergeant se separó ese mismo año [1, 2].

En 1988, Rob Seales y Urs Amacher reactivaron Sergeant [2]. El EP de doce pulgadas *Limited Edition*, publicado en Suiza en 1989 por Borner Productions y prensado por Turicaphon, contiene cuatro canciones, «Can't Stand The Light», «Love You Forever», «Let It Grow» y «Back On The Streets», y en sus créditos figuran Romy Caviezel a la voz, Seales a la guitarra y voces, Harry Borner al bajo y voces, Amacher a los teclados y Urs Rothenbühler a la batería [11].

En 2007, el sello estadounidense Stormspell Records reeditó los dos discos en CD, en tiradas de 1000 copias y con material adicional: *Sergeant* añade una remezcla de «Upside Down» y los videoclips de «Steamroller Blues» y «Living In The Fast Lane», y *Streetwise*, «Gonna Show You» y los videoclips de «I've Got A Feeling» y «Moving» [12]. En 2020, «Movin'» se incluyó en *The Best And The Rare Of Gama Records – Hardrock And Heavy Metal 1980–1989*, un recopilatorio doble en CD publicado por Golden Core [13]. -

Sources/Fuentes

1. Discogs, artist profiles of Sergeant, Steve Whitney Band and Pete Prescott, consulted 19 October 2026. https://www.discogs.com/artist/212803-Sergeant https://www.discogs.com/artist/366242-Steve-Whitney-Band https://www.discogs.com/artist/2634219-Pete-Prescott

2. AllMusic, "Sergeant", artist biography, consulted 19 October 2026. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sergeant-mn0001009988

3. Sergeant, *Sergeant*, LP, Mausoleum Records SKULL 8367, Europe, 1984. Back-cover credits and notes, examined from a photograph; run-out inscriptions as transcribed in Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/3363627-Sergeant-Sergeant

4. Sergeant, *Streetwise*, LP, Scratch SCRATCH 941311, Germany, 1986. Back-cover credits and notes, examined from a photograph; other editions in Discogs. Master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/518356 Hallelujah X 709: https://www.discogs.com/release/9419261 Power Records 9801: https://www.discogs.com/release/7720575 Greek edition: https://www.discogs.com/release/3409626

5. Sergeant, *Sergeant*, LP, Camel Records LP 70032 / MP 850, Germany, 1984. Credits and run-out inscriptions as transcribed in Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/4152543-Sergeant-Sergeant

6. Discogs, label profiles of Mausoleum Records, Camel Records (2), Musk Project and Powerstation Records, consulted 19 October 2026. https://www.discogs.com/label/35452-Mausoleum-Records https://www.discogs.com/label/250045-Camel-Records-2 https://www.discogs.com/label/165486-Musk-Project https://www.discogs.com/label/102615-Powerstation-Records

7. Sergeant, "Upside Down" / "Make Your Move", 7" single, Musk Project mp 10-853 / Camel Records C S 700321, Germany and Switzerland, undated. https://www.discogs.com/release/7908068-Sergeant-Upside-Down

8. Wikipedia (German), "OpenAir St. Gallen", copy published by de-academic.com, consulted 19 October 2026. https://de-academic.com/dic.nsf/dewiki/1052284

9. Various artists, *1. Marlboro Rock-in Live*, LP, EMI 13C1763961, Switzerland, 1986. Notes and credits as transcribed in Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/14093363-Various-1-Marlboro-Rock-in-Live

10. Sergeant, *Living In The Fast Lane*, LP, Powerstation Records AMP 10, UK, 1986. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/6540937-Sergeant-Living-In-The-Fast-Lane

11. Sergeant, *Limited Edition*, 12" EP, Borner Productions 14489, Switzerland, 1989. Credits as transcribed in Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/6806766-Sergeant-Limited-Edition

12. Sergeant, *Sergeant*, CD, Stormspell Records SSR-SS06, US, 2007; *Streetwise*, CD, Stormspell Records SSR-SS07, US, 2007. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/5207068-Sergeant-Sergeant https://www.discogs.com/release/5207030-Sergeant-Streetwise

13. Various artists, *The Best And The Rare Of Gama Records – Hardrock And Heavy Metal 1980–1989*, 2×CD, Golden Core, 2020. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/17318335