VARIOUS ARTISTS – Blandat band (Tibet -46, 1974)

 

 Ragnar Borgedahl / Sanitetsgruppen / Leif Ljung & Lennart Andersson / Ralph Onegård, Rainer och Reino Santi & Dan Jedenfeldt / Jämmer & Elände / Sjön Suger / Per Lönngren, Roger Wannberg & Bernt Lööf / Bernt Lööf & Jan Eriksson / Jemerton Jönssons / En Liten Ters / Equador Trampe & EVRF / Jaj Magnusson, Tore Söder & Alice Eriksson
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

”Bandet går” (”tape's rolling”) was a Swedish radio programme riding the airwaves throughout the 70's, starting in autumn 1971. True to the 'play your own song' ethos of the then burgeoning progg movement, it provided a public slot for unsigned DIY artists who sent their often crude home recordings made on reel-to-reel or cassette tapes, hoping to get their short time in the spotlight presented by well-known pop presenter Kersti Adams-Ray and long time music asset Stefan Wermelin. Many – most! – never got any further, but a few artists later rose to fame and even fortune. Among the contributors were Philemon Arthur & The Dung (the epitomic band of home recordings), Per Gessle (later to become a international mega star with Roxette), Ulf Lundell and Joakim Thåström of Swedish punk legends Ebba Grön and arena postpunkers Imperiet.

With Stefan Wermelin's involvement and never-tiring passion for off-pist music, selections from the radio show were released on the Tibet -46/Musiklaget label co-operated by him. Most participants never released anything outside of ”Blandat band” (”mixed tape”), but Ragnar Borgedahl had great success with the irresistably catchy ”Hum, hum från Humlegårn” when re-released on his debut LP. Sjön Suger managed to release a full four albums in the years to come, while Jemerton Jönssons had only one album in 1975.

But the best tracks both feature Bernt Lööf. One along with Per Lönngren and Roger Wärnberg whose ”Alla här på jorden” has a slight Christian vibe but is a really good full band track. The other track is with Jan Eriksson entitled ”Kan ljuset vända åter?”, a semi-psychedelic jewel that was rightfully brought to new life on the excellent ”Swedish Meatballs” heavy rock compilation. Two really good songs that have me hoping for a full archival release of these guys. They certainly deserve it.

The rest of the material is, as suggested above, much less impressive. Choose between misguided stabs at humour that probably wasn't funny even in 1974, C grade singer/songwriters with hardly any merit at all, and some sing-this-all-together crap typical of its time.

Ragnar Borgedahl - Hum hum från Humlegårn
Bernt Lööf & Jan Eriksson - Kan ljuset vända åter?