 Carlton, who grew up on a farm in Northern Germany, took off for the Netherlands at the age of 17.There he began playing in what was at the time one of the liveliest European rock and pop scenes.Starting in Groningen, Carlton played in numerous rock bands, including Herman Brood and his Wild Romance, Long Tall Ernie and the Shakers (with whom he recorded a gold record in 1977) and Vitesse.