The tenth Philipp Fankhauser album was released April 21st 2006. Producer Dennis Walker.

„Watching From The Safe Side“ was recorded in Lucerne and Los Angeles. It's the first album Fankhauser has recorded with his high profile touring band - Richard Cousins, bass, Tosho Yakkatokuo, drums and Hendrix Ackle, keyboards. The album contains eleven new tracks, mostly penned by Fankhauser and Walker, as well as two songs by the late great Johnny Copeland.

Produced by multiple Grammy Award winner Denn...

The tenth Philipp Fankhauser album was released April 21st 2006. Producer Dennis Walker.

„Watching From The Safe Side“ was recorded in Lucerne and Los Angeles. It's the first album Fankhauser has recorded with his high profile touring band - Richard Cousins, bass, Tosho Yakkatokuo, drums and Hendrix Ackle, keyboards. The album contains eleven new tracks, mostly penned by Fankhauser and Walker, as well as two songs by the late great Johnny Copeland.

Produced by multiple Grammy Award winner Dennis Walker (Robert Cray, B.B. King, amo.) Additional contributions by long time Elvis Presley backup vocal group "The Sweet Inspirations" and a heavy weight horn section led and arranged by Tom Peterson.

Watching From The Safe Side entered the official Swiss 100 Charts on 19th position in May 2006.

Pre-Selection for a Grammy in 2005 for “Talk To Me”

In 2004, and well into the 20th year of Philipp Fankhauser’s career, the renowned US-Label „Memphis International Records“ releases Fankhausers’ ninth album „Talk To Me“ worldwide. In the same year – and, as the first European artist ever - Philipp Fankhauser performs live at the Chicago Blues Festival, introduced by the daughter of the late great Johnny Clyde Copeland Shemekia Copeland, who also contributed the liner notes in „Talk To Me“. And to top it all off „Talk To Me“ was pre-selected for a Grammy® nomination for „Best Contemporary Blues Album 2004“.

A brief look back: Much more than a milestone in Philipp Fankhauser’s biography is Johnny Clyde Copeland. Philipp Fankhauser’s meeting with Johnny in 1984 was a life changing experience as Copeland became Philipp's close friend and mentor. Philipp began his recording career in earnest in the late 80s and continued to release albums into the next decade. Margie Evans was part of his first CD "Blues For The Lady" in 1989 and a major influence on him. He moved to New York in 1994 to perform as featured vocalist in Copeland's Band and stayed in the US after Johnny Copeland's untimely death in 1997, only returning to Switzerland in 2000.
Back to the present and future: After approx. 100 shows with „Talk To Me“ in Europe, Philipp Fankhauser enters the studio with the US-producer and three time Grammy® Award winner Dennis Walker (Robert Cray Band, B. B. King a.o.) in November 2005 to record the 10th album. “Watching From The Safe Side” will be released in late april 2006.
Philipp Fankhauser live shows include a showcase at MIDEM in Cannes and an appearance at Paris’ famed club „New Morning“ in January, as well as a show at the official Olympic Games in Torino Italy in late February 2006.

No band in that genre has convinced and touched me as much since the early days of the Robert Cray Band!

At MIDEM, the world's most important music trade fair in Cannes, France, Philipp Fankhauser and his band have enthused the crowd on SUISA Music Foundation's "Swiss Music Club" stage in January 2006.

"In all honesty: No band in that genre has convinced and touched me as much since the early days of the Robert Cray Band!Philipp is really an exceptional performer, a husky, absolutely authentic singer, soulful and strong at the same time. I was especially impressed by his way of communicating and playing with the audience. He is convincing as guitar player as well. Notably I really enjoyed his reduced grooves and riffs.
A classy band. Really super!"
Detlev Hoegen, CrossCut Records, Germany