Achim Reichel has reached a career milestone with the debut of his final album, Schön war es doch - das Abschiedskonzert, which debuted at number eleven in the official German Albums Chart. Released on January 26th via BMG in celebration of his 80th birthday, the album marks the highest chart entry for the "Original Father of German Rock".

This retrospective album showcases Reichel's unparalleled 60-year career with a collection of 22 songs including 'Der Spieler', 'Regenballade', 'Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins' and 'Aloha Heja He' as well as a Hildegard Knef cover of 'Aber schön war es doch'.

With a career spanning six decades, Achim Reichel's musical journey began in the 1960s as the founder and lead singer of the beat and rock band The Rattles, who opened for The Beatles on their final tour in 1966. In 1968, he co-founded the psychedelic pop group Wonderland, produced by James Last, with songs such as ‘Moscow,’ followed by his progressive krautrock solo project A.R. & Machines in 1971.

From the mid-1970s he sang and produced sea shanties with albums such as Dat Shanty Alb'm (1975), Klabautermann (1977), Regenballade (1977), Fledermaus (1988), Wilder Wassermann (2002) and Volxlieder (2006). BMG represents Achim Reichel’s recorded catalogue.

His 1991 Top 10 hit ‘Aloha Heja He’ went viral in China in 2021, marking its resurgence thirty years after its original release.

Schön war es doch - das Abschiedskonzert sets the stage for a massive farewell tour kicking off in March 2024, with fifteen dates across Germany, accompanied by his band.