Monkey Bastard's MP3 Blahg

Alright children, be seated. Today's lecture is a brief history of Swedish late 60's and early 70's rock, prog, progg, pop, folk, psychedelia, whatever.

The key word here is "brief", as a post that included everything would never end. The acts included here by no means cover the whole story. A story which would include a myriad of performers, such as Annaabee-Nox, Slam Creepers, Ola And The Janglers, Shanes, Mascots, Solar Plexus, Samla Mammas Manna, Gimmicks, Pärson Sound, Grisen Skriker, Helikoptern Kräks, Älgarnas Trädgård, Nationalteatern, Heta Linjen, Blå Tåget, Mörbyligan, Hoolabandoola Band, Tältprojektet, Gudibrallan, Mecki Mark Men, Merit Hemmingson, Moder Svea, Qartoffel und Zpagetti INC, Träd Gräs Och Stenar, Elda Med Höns, King George Discovery, Isildurs Bane, Charlie & Esdor, Fläsket Brinner, Norrbottens Järn, T-Boones, International Harvester, Skäggmanslaget, etc etc etc. The list goes on and on.

So what I will focus on here are my personal favorites, cuz I ain't got all day. But do seek out those bands I just mentioned, they certainly deserve your time. You can find T-Boones and other forgotten Swedish classics at Raven Sings The Blues, and a little bit of Älgarnas Trädgård over at the almighty Rising Storm.

An enormous, huge, gigantic, gargantuan shoutout to Progg.se where I got a lot of the pics and info.

 

1964

Hep Stars vs. Tages

 

The Beatles were making waves all over the world, and Sweden was no exception. Out of the many Swedish bands influences by this new thing called "pop music", I've picked Hep Stars and Tages. Hep Stars featured none other than Benny Andersson who later be one of the B's in ABBA (you can see him in the top pic - he's the one with the stupid haircut), and Tages featured Göran Lagerberg who would later join Kebnekaise (which we'll get to a bit further down). There was quite a bit of rivallry between these two bands, and Benny Andersson even went on Swedish television and claimed Hep Stars were superior to Tages. He was, of course, talking out of his ass. Tages were a much better band in every respect, they were the one Swedish band of this era who actually had the potential to make it big in the rest of the world. Hell, they opened for The Who and everything.

Hep Stars however, usually only recorded poor covers of international hits in their trademark broken English. Not to say Tages didn't sing with Swedish accents, but at least they had a good grip on rhythm, dressed a lot better and knew how to craft a decent song. They were also very heavily into the American r'n'b that inspired The Beatles, not just copying The Beatles copying American r'n'b. Wedding from 1966 is one of Hep Stars few original songs (penned by Andersson, if I'm not mistaken), and the lyrics are so embarrassing they kick ass. Were Hep Stars a bad band? Yes, they were bloody horrid. But they had that certain charm that only a band who don't know how horrid they are have. Now, I must admit I don't know the exact years the three Tages songs were released. The compilation I have cover the years 1964 to 1968, but contain no information on when each individual song was released, and googling didn't help. But at least you get a rough estimate: sometime between 1964 and 1968. Probably closer to '68 than '64 though.

Hep Stars - Wedding

Tages - Have you seen your brother lately
Tages - She's having a baby now (highly recommended!)
Tages - Wanting

 

 

1967 

When Hansson met Karlsson

In 1966 twenty-three year old Bo Hansson played guitar in bluesrock band The Merrymen. He quit when the band was on the verge of a big break, and after seeing organist Brother McDuff play the legendary Stockholm jazz club Gyllene Cirkeln, he decided the Hammond was the only way to go. He couldn't even play piano but he got himself an organ anyway and started playing solo gigs before he'd even learned how to play it. He soon teamed up with jazz drummer Jan Carlsson (yes, it's spelled with a C; the K was a misprint) and the duo started playing wild, largely improvised gigs regularly at Gyllene Cirkeln, as well as other clubs around the country.

Their first and best album, Monument, came out in 1967 and made quite an impression. Jimi Hendrix jammed with the duo when he played in Stockholm in the late 60's, a jam that was recorded but has never been released. There were plans for Hansson & Karlsson to join Jimi Hendrix's Band Of Gypsys, making it a two drummer band, but Hendrix died before anything came of it. But Hendrix did record a Hansson & Karlsson song, Tax Free, which he also played live occasionally. He also wanted to record Triplets, but again that death thing got in the way. After two more albums H&K went their seperate ways. Hansson made a few solo records before distancing himself from the music entirely, Syd Barrett style. Carlsson meanwhile, moved on to acting. In Sweden everyone knows him as "Loffe", which was the name of the womanizing character he played in the hugely popular mini-series Någonstans I Sverige. The duo reunited in 1999 for a one-off gig.

Hansson & Karlsson - Richard Lionheart
Hansson & Karlsson - Triplets (highly recommended!)
Hansson & Karlsson - Tax free

 

 

1968

Baby Grandmothers

Baby Grandmothers is a band that's been rather hyped lately, thanks to a release entitled simply Baby Grandmothers, which included their 1968 single Somebody Keeps Calling My Name and some live tracks recorded in 1967. Good shit. Guitarist Kenny Håkansson later joined Mecki Mark Men and Kebnekaise.

Baby Grandmothers - Somebody keeps calling my name

 

 

Made In Sweden

Made In Sweden was a largely instrumental jazz/rock band that also played Gyllene Cirkeln quite a bit. Their debut album Made In Sweden With Love, from which the three tracks below are taken, sold well and won a grammy. It contained a few originals, as well as a cover of The Beatles' A Day In The Life, but they'd changed it so much that (at least to my ears) it's completely unrecognizable. They could easily have claimed to have written that track themselves and gotten away with it. They made a few more albums before calling it quits in 1970. Guitarist George Wadenius later joined Solar Plexus before moving to the States to join Blood, Sweat & Tears. He reformed Made In Sweden in 1975 with a new line-up, but that only lasted two years.

Made In Sweden - I don't care (highly recommended!)
Made In Sweden - Peter Gunn
Made In Sweden - Saucery

 

 

1969

Pugh Rogefeldt

While Jan Carlsson (far left in that pic) was raising hell in Hansson & Karlsson, he found the time to play drums on Pugh Rogefeldt's debut album Ja, Dä Ä Dä in 1968. George Wadenius (the one in the middle) from Made In Sweden played guitar. Pugh was only 21 when this album was cut, and you can tell from the youthful energy and playfulness that shimmers all over the whole recording, even the mellow songs. It was rather unusual to sing in Swedish in 1968, and it definitely set a trend. Ja, Dä Ä Dä made it fashionable to sing in Swedish, and before you knew it you had to sing in Swedish or the huge progg movement deemed you a corporate whore, America lover, a capitalist and a sell out. By the way, do not confuse progg with prog, which is something different altogether. Go here and read up on it.

Pugh followed this album with Pughish in 1970 and Hollywood in 1971, and after that he pretty much left the psychedelic world for more mainstream rock that wasn't terribly interesting. Ja, Dä Ä Dä is perhaps the best album ever recorded in Sweden, certainly the best album ever recorded in Swedish. A psychedelic masterpiece! Dä Ä Bra, Dä Ä Fint is a personal favorite of mine - basically a song about how great he feels now that his woman left him. Här Kommer Natten is another brilliant track that needs to be heard by more people.

Pugh Rogefeldt - Love, love, love
Pugh Rogefeldt - Här kommer natten
Pugh Rogefeldt - Dä ä bra, dä ä fint (highly recommended!)

I don't have any facts to back this up, but I'm pretty sure Gustav "Dungen" Ejstes, the golden boy of modern Swedish psych, has quite a few Pugh records in his collection...

Dungen - Panda

 

 

1970

Doris Svensson

Doris Svensson (as an artist known simply as "Doris") became something of a cult figure in Sweden a few years ago when the TV show Musikbyrån did a half hour special on the music scene in late 60's/early 70's. Before the show, very few had even heard of her, and suddenly her only solo album Did You Give The World Some Love Today, Baby (released in 1970, released on cd in 1996) sold like crazy. Doris was born in 1947 and started her career as a singer with the band Strangers in 1960. In 1966 she joined a band called Plums (apparently no one bothered to put a "the" in front of their band name in those days). Plums' best song Wouldn't That Be Groovy was released in 1969, and Lasse Hallström (director of The Cider House Rules, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Chocolat) directed the promo video.

She was then offered to record a solo album with respected producer and jazz pianist Bernt Egerbladh. Jan Carlsson (again!) was hired to do the drumming, and together with bassist Lukas Lindholm and guitarist Bengan Carlsson they recorded an album that certainly stands the test of time. Jazz, rock, pop, country and little bit of soul all rolled into one. What makes it work though is Doris' remarkable voice - somehow childish and mature at the same time. Both innocent and raunchy. Both girly and womanly.

Plums feat. Doris - Wouldn't that be groovy
Doris - Did you give the world some love today, baby (highly recommended!)
Doris - You never come closer

 

 

Bo Hansson goes solo and the ring goes west

Inbetween Hansson & Karlsson's split and Bo Hansson's becoming a recluse, he had a short solo career. His girlfriend had lent him a copy of Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, and he became obsessed with the idea of turning it into a record. The legend tells of how Hansson borrowed a friend's apartment for three months, and Hansson made such a racket writing songs on his Hammond organ he got his friend evicted. A cabin was rented on a remote island in Stockholm's archipelago, and the recordings began. Music Inspired By Lord Of The Rings came out in 1970, went gold is several countries made the pop charts in the States and the UK. It's by far Hansson's most well-known work, although some of the follow up albums are just as good, if not better. Here's two songs from Lord Of The Rings; I wanted to include the song Lothlorien as well, but my cd was scratched so the computer wouldn't rip it. It's a good song though, buy the album and check it out.

Bo Hansson - Leaving Shire
Bo Hansson - At the house of Elrond & The ring goes west (highly recommended!)

 

 

November

 

My favorite band of this era is without question November. Often called Swedish first heavy metal band, November's first album En Ny Tid Är Här... came out in 1970 and displayed heavy influences from Black Sabbath, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Cream. The second album 2:a November was released in 1971 and the third and last one, 6:e November in 1972. Simply one of the best bands to ever walk the earth. Ever!

All of these are highly, extremely motherfartin' recommended:

From En Ny Tid Är Här...:

November - Gröna blad
November - Varje gång jag ser dig känns det lika skönt
November - Åttonde

From 2:a November:

November - Ganska långt från Sergel
November - Mina fotspår fylls av vatten
November - På väg

From 6:e November:

November - Starka tillsammans
November - Februari
November - Kommer långsamt

 

 

1971

Kebnekaise

Kebnekaise, a eleven man band named after Sweden's highest mountain (that's not saying much though, we have puny mountains), featured Kenny Håkansson from Baby Grandmothers and Göran Lagerberg from Tages. They set out to combine rock with traditional Swedish folk music (if you scroll up and download the track Have You Seen Your Brother Lately by Tages, you'll hear plenty of Swedish folk music influences, particularly in the intro). The first Kebnekaise album Resa Mot Okänt Mål saw the light of day in 1971, and is definitely their best album. In addition to traditional Swedish music, the band also got a more African flavor when percussionist Hassan Bah joined the band in the mid 70's.

Kebnekaise - Resa mot okänt mål
Kebnekaise - Förberedelser till fest

Kenny Håkansson left the band in 1976 and released his first solo album, Springlekar Och Gånglåtar, in 1978. It was album full of traditional folk music, and to be honest: it sounds like shit. But at least it sounds like he had fun recording it:

Kenny Håkansson - Trettondagsmarschen

 

 

1972-73 

Turid

 

Turid was a singer who was a member of Kebnekaise between 1971 and 1974. Initially she sang in English and was very much inspired by Joni Mitchell, but by the time her first solo album, Vittras Visor, came out in 1971 she had swtiched to Swedish and found her own sound. Her best song, Den Gamla Vanliga Historien, was released as a single in 1972 and later included on her magnum opus, the 1973 album Bilder, an album which also included her second-best song Tom I Bollen.

In 1977 she left progg label Silence and signed to the more commercial Metronome. Of course the proggers (see the link in the Pugh section above) turned their backs on her. Bastards.

Turid's trademark was here soft, fluttering voice which is instantly recognizable. A current Scandinavian singer like Ane Brun has more than a little Turid flavor in her voice.

Turid - Den gamla vanliga historien (highly recommended!)
Turid - Tom i bollen

 

 

1974-75

Peps Persson

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh at that pic all you want, Peps Persson could still kick your ass.

Peps (born in 1946) formed his first band Downbeat Crown in 1966. In 1973 he formed Peps Blodband, and embarked an a journey lined with blues and reggae. He would often translate American songs into his native Scanian accent, as well as writing his own material in both English and Swedish. The thing with Peps is that he would seperate his blues work from his reggae work. I don't care much for reggae in any form, no matter who's playing (I can muster a Bob Marley song or two if I have to, but that's where it ends), so I tend to only listen to Peps' blues albums. Blodsband (1974), Blues På Svenska (1975) and Rotblos (1997) are the golden trio in Peps' catalog.

Peps Persson - Onådens år (highly recommended!)
Peps Persson - Vakna Törnrosa
Peps Persson - Djupt i mitt hjärta

Bonus track:

Peps Persson - Min trollmoj funkar (Got My Mojo Working, highly recommended!)

 

Damn, that wasn't very brief, was it? It's been a while since I did a mammoth post... I don't think I've done it since the Chris Cornell post over a month ago. I'm friggin' exhausted. I'm gonna leave you now with one last song, Svenska Proggorkestern's Motstånd from 1980, then I'm gonna take a nap.

Svenska Proggorkestern - Motstånd

Don't know if you can find much of this stuff outside Sweden, but you can always try Amazon. That's it for Sweden, if you're interested in what was going on in the rest of the world at the time, you can always take a gander at my 60's post of April 9th. 21 brilliant songs waiting to be listened to.