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Listen to Fischer-Z, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!

Fischer-Z

Rock

The next Fischer-Z concert is scheduled for Saturday, June 28, 2025 at De Casino in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. See all 3 upcoming concerts
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Top Songs By Fischer-Z

Listen to So Long by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
So LongFischer-Z
Listen to Marliese by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
MarlieseFischer-Z
Listen to Red Skies over Paradise (A Brighton Dream) by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
Red Skies over Paradise (A Brighton Dream)Fischer-Z
Listen to Song and Dance Brigade by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
Song and Dance BrigadeFischer-Z
Listen to Pretty Paracetamol by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
Pretty ParacetamolFischer-Z
Listen to Cruise Missiles by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
Cruise MissilesFischer-Z
Listen to The Writer by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
The WriterFischer-Z
Listen to You Never Cross the Same River Twice by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
You Never Cross the Same River TwiceFischer-Z
Listen to Remember Russia by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
Remember RussiaFischer-Z
Listen to When Love Goes Wrong by Fischer-Z, see lyrics, music video & more!
When Love Goes WrongFischer-Z

Latest Release

Listen to Two Sides of PUNKT! - Single by Fischer-Z
ALBUMTwo Sides of PUNKT! - SingleFischer-Z

More albums from Fischer-Z

Listen to Triptych by Fischer-Z
ALBUMTriptychFischer-Z
Listen to Til the Oceans Overflow by Fischer-Z
ALBUMTil the Oceans OverflowFischer-Z
Listen to Swimming In Thunderstorms by Fischer-Z
ALBUMSwimming In ThunderstormsFischer-Z
Listen to Building Bridges by Fischer-Z
ALBUMBuilding BridgesFischer-Z
Listen to Ether by Fischer-Z
ALBUMEtherFischer-Z
Listen to Stream by Fischer-Z
ALBUMStreamFischer-Z
Listen to Kamikaze Shirt by Fischer-Z
ALBUMKamikaze ShirtFischer-Z
Listen to Destination Paradise by Fischer-Z
ALBUMDestination ParadiseFischer-Z
Listen to Fish's Head by Fischer-Z
ALBUMFish's HeadFischer-Z
Listen to Reveal by Fischer-Z
ALBUMRevealFischer-Z
Listen to Red Skies Over Paradise by Fischer-Z
ALBUMRed Skies Over ParadiseFischer-Z
Listen to Going Deaf For a Living by Fischer-Z
ALBUMGoing Deaf For a LivingFischer-Z
Listen to Word Salad by Fischer-Z
ALBUMWord SaladFischer-Z

Fischer-Z's Popular Music Videos

Music Video

Watch So Close music video by Fischer-Z
So Close
Fischer-Z
Watch Damascus Disco music video by Fischer-Z
Damascus Disco
Fischer-Z

About Fischer-Z

Listen to Fischer-Z, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!
Hometown
Sandhurst, England
Formed
1979
Genre
Rock
Fronted by the enigmatic John Watts (vocals/guitar), Fischer-Z leaped onto the music scene in 1979 with their quirky debut album, Word Salad. This quartet (also featuring Steve Skolnick on keyboards, Steve Liddle on drums, and David Graham on bass) played a rough-and-tumble form of new wave that was equal parts Roxy Music and Talking Heads with art pop and prog rock leanings. Watts' vocals were extremely distinctive, veering from a low baritone to a higher register that was not unlike Pete Townsend on helium. Although this schizophrenic debut didn't set the charts on fire, they did score a few minor hits with "The Worker" and "First Impressions (Pretty Paracetamol)" (a tamer re-recording of the album's opening track). Their second album, 1980's Going Deaf for a Living, was a far more cohesive effort, less prog rock and more melodic than their debut. It even contained a bona fide hit in "So Long" which even drifted over to the U.S. and garnered impressive radio play. By the time Red Skies Over Paradise was released in 1981, Skolnick was gone and Watts' musical vision was more direct and less arty than before. Although European sales for this album were FZ's strongest yet, it was passed up for release in the U.S. (as has been the case with all of the subsequent FZ albums). Realizing that his musical vision belonged to him and only him, Watts chose to end FZ on a high note and continue as a solo artist. Watts released One More Twist in 1982, then the slickly produced The Iceberg Model the following year, neither living up to the huge sales of the last FZ album. After EMI let him slip away, Watts formed the Cry (with Graham back on board) and released an album on Arista before quietly slipping out of sight. Re-forming Fischer-Z in 1987 (with Watts being the only original member, although Skolnick makes a cameo), FZ hit big in Europe and Australia with the single "The Perfect Day" and the album Reveal. Though the album sounded nothing like the Fischer-Z of old, Watts took his finely tuned talents and presented them to a much wider audience. Fish's Head (1989) was more of the same, albeit a bit heavier. With yet another lineup change, Watts and FZ released the absolutely stunning Destination Paradise in 1992, their best effort yet. This touching and beautiful album featured more acoustic guitars than ever before and focused on Watts' songwriting skills and passionate, earthy vocals (which had dropped an octave or so since their debut). Trying to capitalize on the success of Destination Paradise, FZ quickly issued the rougher Kamikaze Shirt in 1993, mixing their softer side with an edge (and, in some cases, a dance beat). Two years later, FZ issued Stream, a close second to Destination Paradise as their finest work. Realizing he was at another crossroads, Watts laid FZ to rest again and began pursuing his solo career in earnest. His first solo album under his "new" moniker, JM Watts, 1997's Thirteen Stories High, continued where Stream left off. Two further albums followed under the Watts moniker before the he would revive the Fischer-Z name for a second time on 2002’s Ether. Watts continued to release music under his own name as the decade progressed, but would periodically return to Fischer-Z, issuing This Is My Universe in 2016 and Building Bridges in 2017. ~ Steve Schnee
Members of Fischer-Z include, or have included, James Stevenson, John Watts, and Skolnik.

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Upcoming Concerts for Fischer-Z

  • Jun
    28
    Jun 28, 2025
    De Casino
    Sint-Niklaas
  • Jul
    11
    Jul 11, 2025
    Kastanjelaan - Zottegem
    Zottegem
  • Aug
    23
    Aug 23, 2025
    Kemnade Parking Oveney
    Bochum