Maffay + Oerding

It’s quite possible that life doesn’t always go smoothly and that sometimes you might even be knocked off your stride. The important thing is simply to get back up, brush the dust off your knees and carry on.

‘Ein Leben lang ist nicht lang’ draws its strength not only from its message, but also from the two very special voices of Peter Maffay and Johannes Oerding, who draw strength from one another. Carried by guitars and drums, with a driving, warm rhythm, the song is exactly what it sounds like: confident, rousing and uplifting. With a title that sums it up perfectly: A lifetime isn’t long – so we’d better get started straight away.

The single also offers a first taste of *Nashville*, the joint album by Peter Maffay and Johannes Oerding – two kindred spirits whose bond extends far beyond the occasional joint performance. Their first points of contact arose whilst working on Peter Maffay’s MTV Unplugged project; later, the pair met time and again both on and off stage – including during their duet “Wenn wir uns wiedersehen” and on Maffay’s grand farewell tour in 2024, which Oerding accompanied.

A joint album was never part of the plan: it was only whilst chatting that the two realised they shared the same rock ’n’ roll essence – rhythm and blues, country rock and a love of handcrafted, narrative-driven music. Those initial demos became *Nashville*: recorded live last year at the renowned Blackbird Studio in Nashville, in just five days – eleven songs, a complete duet album on which both artists perform together on every single track.

With 21 number-one albums in the Official German Charts, Peter Maffay holds the record – more than any other artist in the national album charts worldwide. He has sold over 50 million records, has been one of the country’s most successful live performers for more than five decades, and, as the creator of Tabaluga, is one of the defining figures of German music and pop culture. With three number-one albums, gold and platinum awards, over a million records sold and sold-out arena concerts, Johannes Oerding is one of the most successful and influential German pop artists of his generation.

Photocredit: Jennifer Többen