Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester have seen sales of MTV Unplugged soar. Recorded live as part of the long-running acoustic showcase series, the cult cabaret star’s latest album entered the German charts soon after its release last November. After reaching No.2 in Germany in January, Max Raabe & Palast Orchester – MTV Unplugged has now gone Gold with sales of over 100,000. This success is reflected in its Amazon.de sales – top 10 in the Music CDs & vinyl category, No.1 in Compilations and No.2 in German pop – as well as a strong showing in the Austrian pop chart. The album is available in CD, LP, DVD and Blu-ray versions.

“Max Raabe creates music from the emotions we all experience. You can’t help smiling when you hear him sing because you recognise yourself in his lyrics,” says Dr Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon. “His inimitable style comes through on MTV Unplugged too – Max is always Max. Together with the Palast Orchester and an impressive array of guest artists he’s put his own unforgettable and very personal stamp on this legendary format. My congratulations to all involved in this wonderful achievement, and my thanks to our partners at MTV, Starwatch and Airforce1.”

Max Raabe was the 24th German artist to appear by invitation on MTV Unplugged. He was joined for the occasion by the first, actor and singer Herbert Grönemeyer, for a performance of “Du weißt nichts von Liebe” and the Palast Orchester’s take on Grönemeyer’s classic hit “Mambo”. The album’s illustrious line-up also includes Finnish heavy metal star Mr Lordi, who turns the volume down a touch in the tango “Just a Gigolo”. Two great wordsmiths from very different genres come together in “Der perfekte moment” as Raabe duets with rapper and hip hop artist Samy Deluxe. Other guests include singer and rapper Namika, singer-songwriter LEA, stage and film actor Lars Eidinger, and “Polish” drumming dervish Pawel Popolski – aka composer and all-round musician Achim Hagemann – who transforms Raabe’s hit song “Kein Schwein ruft mich an” into an upbeat polka.

Max Raabe has enjoyed further success with his latest single and video, “Ich bleib zu Haus”, released by Deutsche Grammophon in April. The new track presents Keno Hybro’s chilled-out remix of the Raabe-Samy Deluxe duet version of “Der perfekte Moment”, designed to raise smiles and spirits.