A Secret Wish Come True
- pip
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
It’s always an incredible honour when the music artists I paint get to see my work. Music has been the heartbeat of my life, and the heroes I grew up listening to in the 80s remain my greatest inspiration. My paintings are my tribute to them, so moments like this feel truly special.
Recently, all four members of the original line-up of the brilliant German synthpop band Propaganda — Ralf Dörper, Michael Mertens, Claudia Brücken, and Susanne Freytag — were presented with signed, limited-edition prints of my painting reimagining their iconic 1985 album cover A Secret Wish.
This came about courtesy of Chris from Luton, a devoted fan of the band, who commissioned the original painting earlier this year to celebrate the album’s 40th anniversary. Chris took four numbered prints (editions 1–4) with him to Germany and gifted them personally to each member of the band.
This is Chris's story...
"It was a dream a year in the making. After seeing xPropaganda live at The Garage in London back in May 2022, and then flying to Hamburg that November, I promised myself: next time, I’ll do every date.
Fast forward to November 2024. Tickets went on sale for a five-date German tour, and I booked them instantly, meet & greets included. The journey began on Friday 5th December 2025 at Berlin’s Columbia Theatre, followed by Bochum, and then Hamburg on Sunday, Claudia’s birthday. That night I presented both Claudia and Susanne with prints of Pip Pop Art’s painting celebrating the 40th anniversary of A Secret Wish. They were very warm, appreciative, and already knew about the artwork I had commissioned."
Chris with Claudia Brücken, and Susanne Freytag in Berlin, December 2025
"The following day in Düsseldorf, I had arranged to meet Michael who kindly invited Ralf along too. They each received their prints and were equally delighted, with eagle eyed Ralf even spotting that his was numbered 4/50. Meeting them in person, sharing the artwork, and getting records signed was an unforgettable honour.
The tour continued with shows in Frankfurt and Munich. The crowds were electric, and in Munich, as the band left the stage, Claudia thanked me over the microphone. I was stunned. To have that recognition from the stage was beyond anything I could have imagined.
A Secret Wish truly came true, and with fingers crossed, I’m hoping for more tour dates next year and maybe even a new album."
For me, this story is a reminder of how art and music connect us across time and place. To know that Propaganda themselves now own prints of my painting is beyond anything I could have imagined when I first picked up a brush. A Secret Wish truly came true...not just for Chris but for me too.
Chris's collection of Propaganda's 'A Secret Wish' album
About Propaganda
Propaganda is a German synth-pop band formed in Düsseldorf in 1982. They signed a recording contract with the UK label ZTT Records in 1983 and released their first single "Dr. Mabuse" in 1984. Their debut studio album, the critically acclaimed A Secret Wish, was released in mid-1985, and contained both "Dr. Mabuse" and the hit single "Duel" (both singles were UK Top 30 hits).
There have been several partial reformations of the group in the 21st century, with the original vocalists Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag currently active as xPropaganda who released a new album in 2022, and the remaining original members Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens continuing as Propaganda and releasing an album in 2024 with a guest vocalist Thunder Bae. Read more about the band's history on their Wikipedia page.
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