Gaze, Heino

Heino Gaze (* 20 February 1908 in Halle (Saale); † 24 October 1967 in Berlin) was a German composer and lyricist.

Heino Gaze (pronounced: Gaaze) studied law in Halle after graduating from high school in the 1920s and 1930s. Like his father, who was not only a lawyer in Halle but also president of the local philharmonic orchestra and composer of operettas, Gaze was split between a "solid" legal education and a penchant for the "light muse". He initially financed his studies with income as a piano player in bars. He passed the Große juristische Staatsexamen in 1936 and was then admitted to the bar. Gaze worked as an assessor and finally as in-house counsel and head of the personnel department of an iron and steel works. He composed on the side and had his first great success in 1943 with the song Laternchen, Laternchen, for which he had also written the lyrics.

After the end of the war he changed his profession for good and took over the musical direction of the cabaret of comedians in Berlin in 1945, which he gave up again in 1949. He also acted as house composer there at this time. In the fifties and sixties, Gaze worked as a freelance composer and became known for his numerous hit songs, which also made him the front-runner in terms of GEMA income. Like other composers, Gaze also founded his own music publishing company Takt und Ton.

Gaze received a gold record for Calcutta liegt am Ganges (1960), sung by Vico Torriani; the song was recorded as Calcutta by Lawrence Welk at the end of 1960 and reached No. 1 in the US pop charts in 1961. There was also a gold for the mood song Schnaps, das war sein letztes Wort, sung by Willy Millowitsch. Bully Buhlan was a well-known interpreter of Gause's songs (Hab'n se nich ne Braut für mich, Ich hab' mich so an Dich gewöhnt). He also contributed music to around 40 films. In 1962, Gaze discovered Drafi Deutscher for show business.

His best-known hits: Opapa (in ganz Europa) 1948, Schnürlregen (Da-domm, da-dimm) 1949, La-Le-Lu (1950), Mit 'nem Kuss vor der Haustür fing's an (1951), Hab'n Sie nicht 'ne Braut für mich (1951), Ich hab mich so an dich gewöhnen (1951), Sonntagnacht auf der Reeperbahn (1951), Egon (1952), Heimweh nach Dir (1952), Ein Musikus, ein Musikus (1952), Turn around once more (1952), Schau in meine Augen (1952), Sei lieb zu mir (1953), Das kleine Liebeskarussell (1953), Angelika (1953), Die Mädchen mit dem treuen Blick (1954), Die Bar von Jonny Miller (1955), Die Gipsy-Band (1955), Aber nachts in der Bar (1958), Kalkutta liegt am Ganges (1960), Schnaps, das war sein letztes Wort (1960), Berliner Polka (1961), Shake Hands (1964).

Heino Gauze's hit songs have been arranged and interpreted many times, but have also been remixed, such as La-Le-Lu. In 1993 and 2003, the classic song was reissued and also sung by the German pop-rock band Pur. Nevertheless, very special performers are associated with his songs, such as Evelyn Künneke (Egon) or Heinz Rühmann (La-Le-Lu). Gase's Berlin Polka is one of the most popular hit songs that have this city as its theme. Gauze's music is still present today. This was demonstrated by the revue Berlin kommt wieder, which premiered on 1 June 1945 with Brigitte Mira. With the help of Sonja Gaze, the composer's widow, it was revived on the occasion of Berlin's 750th anniversary in August 1987 at the Westkreuz railway station, directed by Johannes Felsenstein.

Source: Wikipedia