The group was founded in 1976 under the name Wolfgang Niedecken's BAP in Cologne, Germany by Wolfgang Niedecken and Hans Heres. In 1981 they released their most famous song Verdamp lang her (literally 'A damn long time ago'), in which Niedecken describes regrets he has about his relationship with his then recently deceased father ("Bap" is Kölsch for father, derived from Papa).
Nearly all of BAP's lyrics are written in Kölsch, the language of Cologne. Niedecken's most prominent musical influences, especially early in his career, were Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and the Rolling Stones. With ten albums reaching the number one in the German record charts, BAP is one of the most successful bands (2.) in their home country.
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