A Bavarian jazz-pop band led by Hans-Jürgen Buchner, Haindling released a series of fairly successful albums beginning in the early '80s and also contributed soundtracks to a long list of German film and television productions. The band's style of jazz-pop incorporates elements of Bavarian volksmusik, including language unique to the southern region of Bavaria, and exotic instruments are often employed by the bandmembers, especially Buchner. The lineup of Haindling remained mostly in place over the years: Buchner (vocals, saxophone, tenor horn, tuba, klavier, keyboard, guitar, percussion), Heinz-Josef Braun (bass, tuba), Michael Braun (saxophone, trumpet, tenor horn, keyboard, percussion, vocals), Peter Enderlein (drums, percussion), Rainer Kürvers (keyboards, tenor horn), and Roald Raschner (klavier, keyboards, guitar, vocals). Heinz-Josef Braun and Kürvers exited the band in 1999 and were replaced by Wolfgang Gleixner (bass, tuba, guitar, percussion, vocals) and Reinhold Hoffmann (keyboard, tenor horn, saxophone, oboe); Raschner exited 2004, replaced by Michael Ruff (keyboards, klavier). Haindling was founded by Buchner, who was born December 27, 1944, in Bernau bei Berlin, Brandenburg. He moved to Regensburg, Bavaria, as a child and grew up in Niederwinkling, a town in the Niederbayern (i.e., southern Bavaria) region. Upon the completion of his preliminary schooling, he went on to study ceramics, eventually earning a master's degree in 1965 at age 21 and opening a pottery business in nearby town of Straubing thereafter. Buchner remained committed to this career path for 17 years, until he decided to become a professional musician in 1982. Heretofore a hobbyist, he managed to sign a recording contract with Polydor, for which he and his band recorded a series of albums: Haindling 1 (1982), Stilles Potpourri (1984), Spinn I (1985), Meuterei (1986), Höhlenmalerei (1987), Muh (1989), and 7 (1991), followed by a pair of best-of compilations, Speck (1982-1992) (1992) and Schrilles Potpourri (1993). During this same period, Haindling began working with Franz Xaver Bogner, a Bavarian writer/director with whom the band worked consistently over the years: the band contributed soundtracks to the director's television series Irgendwie und Sowieso (1985-1986), Zur Freiheit (1987-1988), and Café Meineid (1990-2003). Haindling returned to the marketplace in 1993 with Haindling, the first of many albums for BMG (Weiss, 1995; Perlen, 1996; Zwischenlandung, 1998; Filmmusik, 2000; Tigerenten-Liederchen, 2001; Karussell, 2002; Vivaldi & Vier Jahreszeiten, 2004), several of which charted. The band continued its soundtrack work as well, contributing soundtracks to films by Bogner (Madame Bäurin, 1993; Das Ewige Lied, 1997; Einmal Leben, 1999), Julian Pölsler (Der Schandfleck, 1999; Polt Muss Weinen, 2000; Blumen für Polt, 2001; Himmel, Polt und Hölle, 2002; Polterabend, 2003), and Douglas Wolfsperger (Heirate Mir! -- Die Braut und Ihr Totengräber, 1999; Bellaria: So Lange Wir Leben (2001); Die Blutritter (2003); War'n Sie Schonmal in Mich Verliebt?, 2004). ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi