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1980    1981    1982    1983    1984    1985   1986   1987   1988   1989  

1980

Kdyz zabloudis, tak zavolej - the single

The record company Supraphon released the single "Kdyz zabloudis, tak zavolej" at the beginning of the year 1980 with the notice that the song had participated in the festival in Tokyo.

Muzy - the album

Helena's 1980 studio album was called "Muzy". The recording sessions took place at the Mozarteum studio in Prague between March and July 1979. Ten of totally eleven songs on the LP had been written especially for the album and they were arranged in the popular by that time disco style. 

Leto je leto (Sun of Jamaica)/Múzy - the single

The first single from the album "Múzy" featured a non-album song "Leto je leto" originally recorded by Goombay Dance Band as "Sun of Jamaica". The title song from the LP - "Muzy" was on the side B.

TV promotion

Czechoslovakian TV recorded a show featuring songs from the album "Muzy". Helena performed her new songs as well as "The Beatles Medley" together with two her colleagues: Vera Spinarova and Jitka Zelenkova. Helena appeared in almost the same outfit as Agnetha Fältskog on the cover of the ABBA album "Gracias Por La Musica".

The rainy session

Music - the album

In April 1980 Helena recorded English version of the album "Muzy" which would be entitled "Music" and released later the same year. The English language album had almost the same cover as its Czech version and information about the singer in English.

The very best of Helena - TV series

Czechoslovakian TV recorded show series entitled "Krucifix" featuring Helena staging different personalities. She acted not only herself but even Marlene Dietrich and Josefin Baker.

Golden Movie Hits - West Germany

New LP in West Germany was entitled "Golden Movie Hits" and it was released by Decca in 1980. The album featured 12 classical film melodies recorded partly in Tokyo and partly in Prague in 1973. It was one more attempt to establish Helena as a pop star in West Germany. All songs were sung in English.

With Jiri

In 1980 Helena re-started a musical cooperation with Czech top singer Jiri Korn. They made several TV shows together with lots of dance. They even toured East Europe as well as they recorded several new songs.  

The "physical" session

This is not Olivia Newton-John's Physical but Helena more than 1 year earlier...

1981

The Winner Takes It All - Helena's cover

The ABBA hit "The Winner Takes It All" written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson did not brought only ABBA to the top on the charts all over the world but even made Helena very successful on the Czechoslovakian and Polish hit lists. The single with Czech version of the song entitled "A ty se ptas, co ja" (And you are asking how I am) was released at the beginning of 1981. There were several different cover editions.

Rest Your Love On Me - the second single

The second single promoting the forthcoming new album featured the duets with Jiri Korn. On the side A there was a Czech cover of the well-known hit of Andy Gibb "Rest Your Love On Me" and on the side B the song "Halo, halo taxi". Both songs were recorded by Helena and Jiri in December 1980.

Sblizeni (Advances) - the album

The main recording sessions for the new album were held between January and March 1981. Two songs which would be included on the new album had been recorded already in October and December 1980. The songs were Helena's cover versions of two smash world hits: "The Winner Takes It All" (ABBA) and "Woman in Love" (Barbra Streisand). Totally 12 songs were included on the album.

The photo sessions

At the beginning of July she recorded a new song "Hej ty tam" (Hi, you there) well-known as the cover of the Dutch pop group Maywood 1980 hit "Late at night". In September there was one more recording session - this time Helena recorded her own version of Alla Pugacheva's hit "Byl jdnou jeden houslista".

Helena singt Billy Joel - the album

Helena's album with Billy Joel's songs recorded and released in 1979 in West Germany saw its Czechoslovakian release in 1981. The LP was released in two versions: the first with German title "Helena singt Billy Joel" and the second with Czech title the biography of the singer on the back cover.

1982

Shaddap You Face - the single

The first single release in 1982 featured Helena & Jiri Korn hit "Ja na brachu - blues" (Shaddap Your Face) backed with "Je mi lito, adieu" sung by Helena.

The photo session

A very nice wet photo session was taken by Pavel Jasansky.

Zrychleny dech - the album

The new year 1982 brought a new album and a new image. She started recording sessions at the beginning of the year with a new producer Vitezslav Hadl. The new image created for Helena was more up-to-date, more 1980s. New photo sessions were taken. The album "Zrychleny dech" (Accelerated breath) with 12 songs was completed at the end of April 1982 and released in the late spring.

The photo session

Bratislavska lyra

In 1982 Helena participate in the song festival "Bratislavska lyra" in the capital of Slovakia. Her performance of the hit "Sblizeni" was awarded with second prize - the Silver Lyra.

I Am As I Am - the single

Another 1982 single featured "Jsem, jaka jsem" (I am as I am) and "Zaplatis vic, nez mas" (You'll pay more than you have)

A ty se ptas co ja - the MC compilation

The compilation entitled "A ty se ptas co ja" (Czech version of the ABBA hit "The Winner Takes It All") saw its release as a cassette in Czechoslovakia in 1982. The compilation featured 16 Helena hits - mostly covers of world hits. Helena performed here Czech versions of Lennon -McCartney's "Honey Pie", Eurovision hit "Save Your Kisses for Me", Roberta Flack's evergreen "Killing me softly", Barbra Streisand and the brothers Gibb's "Woman in Love", Goombay Dance Band's "Sun of Jamaica", Melanie Safka's "What Have They Done To My Song Ma", Barry Gibb's "Rest Your Love On Me", Donna Summer's "McArthur Park" and of course ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All".

New Year's Eve's show

The last performance in 1982 was in the New Year's show "Silvestr 1982". Helena performed a medley of her 10 greatest hits. The medley was called "Rytmus" and it was officially released on Helena's CD "Platinova Helena" in November 2002.

1983

Getting married

The year 1983 was very important for Helena and her private life. On 28 April she married German rock musician Helmut Sickel. The wedding was held in the palace in Straznice in southern part of Mähren.

After the honeymoon she got back work. Helena toured in Sovjet Union and East Germany. In Berlin she performed in the TV show "Ein Kessel Buntes" in the summer of 1983.

Prelety - 2 LP

A double compilation album entitled "Prelety" (Flyovers) was released in 1983 and it featured 28 songs - mostly Helena's greatest hits so far. The release contained even special extras as a big poster and a booklet with pictures and full discography. Special photo session for this album had been taken by photographer Pavel Jasansky in 1982.

The photo session

Sladke mameni - Sweet nuthins

One of the most successful Helena hits "Sladke mameni" (Sweet nuthins) was released as a single together with the song "True Love" (S laskou) on the flipside performed together with Karel Gott. "Sladke mameni" was featured in the Czech movie "I enjoy the world only with you" (S tebou me bavi svet) which was a very successful comedy in 1983. Helena re-recorded the song in 2001 and added as a bonus song on their album "Helena 2002".

The photo session

The photo session arranged by the photographer Alan Pajer in 1983 would appear on several single covers.

Slunce (The Sun) - the single

The collaboration with Jiri Korn brought two new songs: "Slunce" (The Sun) and "Ja se neptam" (I don't ask) which were released on the single at the end of the year. The single was released with 4 different covers.

1984

The time is against us - the single

The year 1984 was really good for the singer and her music. It brought one of her best albums she recorded in the 1980s and a smash hit written by her husband Helmut Sickel "Cas je proti nam" (The time is against us). The song was released on the single together with "Nahodny znamy" (She Works Hard for the Money).

From me to you - the album

In March 1984 a brand new album was completed - "Ode mne k tobe" (From me to you). The album contained 12 songs and among them the Czech language cover of Agnetha Fältskog's hit "The Heat is On" which was entitled "Ani nahodou". Helena re-recorded "The Heat Is On" one year later in English version which saw its release on Helena's international album "I'm Your Song". Most of the songs on the album were completely new and written by the best Czech pop composers. The album "Ode mne k tobe" still remains one of the best Helena albums released in the 1980s.

Ode mne k tobe - the photo sessions

The second single

The second single from the album "From Me To You" featured a disco number "Bajecny flam" (Wonderful party) and "Nahravam" (I am recording). Funny that the cover of the single featured the same photo as the first single released earlier the same year.

1985

In February 1985 Helena and Jiri Korn arrived in London. They met an English choreographer Douggie Sqquirese who helped them with new ideas for their dance performances. After the stay in London both singers went to Baden-Baden in West Germany where they appeared on TV.

Moments with songs - the show

Helena and Jiri Korn participated in the show "Moments with songs" recorded in the Prague Concert Hall "Lucerna" where they performed "I Like Chopin" - an international hit which Helena had released on her 1984 album "From me to you".

The musical cooperation with Jiri Korn continued during next two months. Vondrackova and Korn toured in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Sovjet Union, France, Holland and Italy. The last performance took place at Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin. Later the same year Helena and other Czech singers went to Havana (Cuba) and performed on The Czechoslovakian Days on Cuba.

The Tour 1985

Helena started her 1985 tour called "Velka neonova laska" on 15 May 1985. The final concert took place at Lucerna concert hall in Prague on 16 September 1985.  The last Prague concert was filmed by Czechoslovakian TV.

I am Your Song - the album

The English language LP entitled "I Am Your Song" released in 1985 featured 12 hits recorded by Helena in English. The songs had been chosen from Helena's latest albums. The album included even a real rarity - the English version of Agnetha Fältskog's 1983 hit "The Heat Is On". The Czech version of the song had been released on Helena's 1984 LP "From Me To You" under the title "Ani nahodou". Her big hit "Cas je proti namn" (The time is against us) had been re-recorded and got title "Time is not on our side". The recording sessions for the album had been held in October and November 1984. The Polish release of the album (with different cover) had wait until 1990.

The photo sessions

Sprint - the album

The new studio album released in 1985 was entitled "Sprint" and it featured 12 new songs. The recording sessions had been completed on 31 May 1985. The album was released shortly before Christmas the same year. Helena's husband Helmut participated on the album both as a songwriter and musician.

The singles

The singles that promoted the album before its release were:  "Jeste svetu sanci dej" (Give the world one more chance), one of the best songs Helena ever recorded, the title track "Sprint" and "Proto dam vodu svym kvetinam" (That's why I will give my flowers some water).

1986

Solo pro tve oci - the album

Helena worked hard in the recording studio in 1986. The first album release was"Solo pro tve oci" (Solo for your eyes). The album contained 12 modern arranged songs written by Helmut Sickel (8), Helena's brother Jiri Vondracek (3) and Jan Neckar (1). The recording sessions for the album were completed on 12 September 1986.

Helena describes the album as a modern techno-pop piece with the sound achieved with help of available technical resources by that time.

Photo sessions

Promotion

Helena promoted her new album in several TV shows on Czechoslovakian TV in the autumn 1986. In the show "Pisnicky z obrazovky" (Songs from the screen) she performed "Svaly" (Muscles) and the title song from the album "Solo pro tve oci" (Solo for your eyes). The song "Jedu kros" was featured in the TV special "Promeny Heleny Vondrackove" (The transformations of Helena Vondrackova).

1987

Helena sings Jezek - the album

The LP "Helena sings Jezek" was released at the beginning of 1987. Helena recorded a whole album with her own versions of songs written by a Czech composer Jaroslav Jezek (1906-1942). The LP "Helena zpiva Jezka" with 14 songs had been completed in June 1986 but the release had to wait until the beginning of 1987.

This album was quite odd project in Helena's career as it contained material originally performed in theatres. Helena's versions had no theatre feeling as she recreated them into plain pop songs with a touch of the 1930s and 1940s. The idea of recording this album came from the orchestra conductor Karel Vlach who wanted just Helena to perform the songs of Jaroslav Jezek. The artist herself was very happy to have a possibility to perform the songs as the composer had always belonged to Helena's favorites.

The photo session

Recording sessions

In June Helena and Helmut started working with songs for a new album. Almost all material for the forthcoming album was written by Helena's husband Helmut Sickel. The recording sessions continued during all three summer months at the studio H Sestrih in Prague.  Even if the album was completed in August the release would wait until next year.

I wanna dance with somebody...

The first song from summer recording sessions was a cover of one of the biggest world hits of 1987 "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" originally sung by Whitney Houston. Helena presented it for the first time in the New Year's Eve TV show on Czechoslovakian TV. The second single promoting the upcoming new album was an LP track "Krizaly, housle a pulmesic".

1988

The Elvis Presley show

Helena and Jiri Korn appeared in a TV show devoted to Elvis Presley. They performed the song "A Boy Like Me, A Girl Like You" which was not available on any record until 2007 when it was included on Helena's and Jiri's compilation album "Tech par dnu" in 2007.

Marta in Ritka

Helena did not forget her old friend from Golden Kids - Marta Kubisova who was by that time forbidden as a singer by communists. The photos below were taken when Marta was at Helena's place in Ritka one summer day in August 1988.

Skandal - the album

Finally the new album "Skandal" (Scandal) was released - almost one year after the recording. Among 11 released songs 9 of them were written by Hellmut Sickel and one by Helena's brother Jiri Vondracek. Hellmut arranged 6 songs on the album and played on several instruments. The album "Skandal" would be Helena's last studio album in the 1980s.

The album was promoted by the traditional christening.

The photo session

The "Skandal"- photo sessions were taken in 1987 by Roman Kelbich

1989

I got still my friends with me... - the single release

Helena worked as usual even if there was an absolute stagnation in the cultural life in Czechoslovakia after the Revolution 1989 - theatres were closed, no concerts were arrangetd. Helena released only two singles in 1989. One of them contained the big hit "Svou partu pratel jeste nastesti mam" (Luckily I still got my friends with me) and the cover of Giorgio Moroder's hit "Hand in Hand" performed together with old friend Karel Cernoch.

Abeceda (Alphabet)

The biggest project with Helena's participation was a TV show "Abeceda". Helena hosted the show and performed several songs. Among the guests there were the actress Dagmar Vserknova (today married with Vaclav Havel - former president of Czechoslovakia) and the Polish group VOX.

Golden Kids on stage

On 26 and 27 December 1989 Helena, Marta and Vasek stood on stage together again. Golden Kids performed at the Karlin theatre in Prague. It was their first performance since 1970.