The Border Guards were based in the eastern sector of Berlin, and began life as a Steve Marriott cover punk outfit (Fumble Pie), who went on to be known as The Spartacus League. Cotzin provided guidance, engineering and the bass line for this cover.
He explains: "As a registered blind man in East Germany, I was able to operate more freely than most under the Honecker administration. Pop and rock music was seen as decadent by the DDR regime, but my friends, all with some form of disability, were largely ignored by the Stasi. In fact, we were invited to play several times at Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlandsfunctions. At one point, our recordings filled every position in the East German Top Twenty. Erich Honecker's daughters Erika and Sonja were great fans of The Border Guards, and their influence meant we could gain access to the best recording facilities on offer in East Germany.
We hope to release a box set of recordings in 2012, which would include the original Echolocation. But for now, enjoy Van Credenza's interpretation."
