Trio consisted of
Stephan Remmler (b. 1946), lead vocals and keyboards;
Gert "Kralle" Krawinkel (1947–2014), guitar and backing vocals; and
Peter Behrens (1947–2016), drums and backing vocals. The band was originally called Zam although they were better known in Europe as Trio from 1980 to 1986. The band recorded a number of albums, the first of which was
TRIO, produced by
Klaus Voormann and released in 1981. This album included their signature song, "
Da Da Da", the full English title of which is "Da Da Da (I Don't Love You, You Don't Love Me, Aha Aha Aha)". The next album was
Bye Bye, released in 1983.
Bye Bye was marketed with many different covers; for example, copies in North America were called
TRIO and Error and featured no artwork. While Trio was active, in the early 1980s, the group enjoyed some popularity in Germany, UK, Canada, and the United States. The German version of "Da Da Da" was a #2 hit on the charts (April 1982). Their most notable songs, in addition to "Da Da Da", are "Broken Hearts for You and Me", "Boom Boom", "Hearts Are Trump" and "Anna – Letmein Letmeout". All of these songs, except the first, have a corresponding German version, which sometimes differs considerably in lyrics, and were also released in the English-speaking world. "Da Da Da" hit #2 on the
UK Singles Chart in July 1982, and #3 in Canada in December 1982. They had another three top ten hits in Germany until the end of 1983, then disbanded the following year. Every member launched a solo career, with only Remmler managing to be somewhat successful. They produced a film called ''
, meaning "Three Against Three
". In the movie, three people (played by Trio members) kill doubles of themselves as part of a twisted scam to gain riches. The film was a flop; even avid Trio fan Matthias Klein noted that, "[the members of] Trio are not actors". The corresponding soundtrack is the album Whats the Password''; however, drummer Peter Behrens did not perform on any of the songs, despite appearing on the album's cover. He left the band due to disagreement with Krawinkel and Remmler over financial matters, leading to the complete break-up of Trio in 1986. The 1997 CD re-issue of
TRIO and Error was also released as
Da Da Da in the United States, in response to the U.S.
Volkswagen commercial that featured their most famous song. The re-release had some changes: two songs were added and the album was digitally remastered. Krawinkel died in 2014 and Behrens died in 2016, making Remmler the sole living former member.
"Da Da Da" in popular culture Many
cover versions of "Da Da Da" have been recorded worldwide in various languages including the Spanish version by disc jockey Nacho Dogan, which was a No. 2 hit in Spain in 1982; a Mexican version by the band
Molotov on their 2004 cover album
Con Todo Respeto;
alternative band
Elastica on their 1999 album
The Menace; and Filipino entertainer
Yoyoy Villame in 1982. Pett Productions used "Da Da Da" in the second series of
Tittybangbang for the intro to Pete Wade's sketches. An Italian version (
Mundial Da Da Da) was also released in 1982 to celebrate the Italian Team's winning the FIFA World Cup. In addition to the famous Volkswagen ad, several others have featured "Da Da Da". A
Pepsi ad for the
2006 FIFA World Cup starred several footballers including
Thierry Henry,
Raúl,
Roberto Carlos,
Fernando Torres,
Frank Lampard,
Ronaldinho and
David Beckham playing football inside of an
Oktoberfest tent.
Christina Aguilera sang the tune in several Pepsi spots, including duets with
Rain and
Elissa.
Ariston used the song in their 1987 spots featuring animated white goods, clothing and kitchen utensils forming dancing humanoids. Some ads used modified lyrics.
Teletext replaced "da da da" with "blah blah blah"; as did Lois Jeans. Others who have used the tune in advertisements include
Vicks Cough Drops, and Speeds shoe stores. Following the popular Volkswagen commercial,
ABC aired a promo for the sitcom
Spin City parodying the car ad. In the original VW commercial, two men drive around and pick up a smelly couch, which they quickly dispose of. In the ABC ad,
Michael J. Fox and
Michael Boatman's characters pick up
Richard Kind's character, who becomes so obnoxious that they throw him out of the car. The rice cracker brand Sakata also used the song in advertisements with the lyrics changed to "sa-ka-ta". The song has been used in the Italian film
Il Divo, directed by
Paolo Sorrentino, a fictional biography of Italian politician
Giulio Andreotti. The song was also included in the comedy film
Bio-Dome, directed by
Jason Bloom, starring
Pauly Shore and
Stephen Baldwin, and in the thriller
Thick as Thieves, starring
Alec Baldwin and
Rebecca De Mornay. == Musical style ==