The first album with Scharfschwerdt was "Heiß wie Schnee" (Hot As Snow), released in 1980. By this time, the band's popularity outside the GDR was at its peak (other East German bands, notably Karat and City were also being noticed abroad), and they were being cited as an influence on the burgeoning Neue Deutsche Welle, as German-language rock was booming in West Germany; the follow-up "Schattenreiter" (Shadow Rider), recorded in West Germany, was even more successful. It included the band's tribute to John Lennon, "He, John" (Hey John), which they have performed in concert ever since, often interspersed with portions of Lennon's "Imagine," upon which it was based; it was the biggest-selling single in the GDR in 1981. At around this time, an official fan club was formed in the West German city of Paderborn. In acknowledgement of their popularity, they were awarded the National Prize of East Germany for artistic achievement in 1982.