Monday, September 10, 2018

TOM ZACHARIAS – Belinda (SB, 1975)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The curious Tom Zacharias is said to have attended the same private school at the same time as Sweden's future monarch Carl XVI Gustav. He was predicted a future in tennis but wanted to become an actor. Instead he turned into a stand up comedian, a career that ended when he at one point peed on the audience... Zacharias then tried his luck as a pin-up boy (he didn't quite have the looks for it) and actually did some acting before scoring a record deal with MNW for one 45, released on their Green Light imprint. The single was a massive flop. Reputedly only a handful of copies were sold. MNW didn't renew the deal. Zacharias then had an album out on Grammofonverket in 1973, ”Är du ärlig – är du härlig”.

Trying hard to make it in the entertainment business and haphazardly taking whatever showbiz job he could get, Zacharias jumped at the chance when shady businessman and inventor Stefan Brydolf one day contacted him. He suggested Zacharias should write a book and record two albums with triple X rated content. Zacharias came up with the BDSM themed book ”Rebecka” in three weeks, released to no success and soon forgotten altogether. The material for the first of the two albums was written during the same intensive period, and then quickly recorded by an exhausted Zacharias together with session drummer Rolf Alex, bassist Lars Bergstrom (ex-Levande Livet) and guitarist Tommy Broman. For the female vocals, Esther Nordenbring (previously involved in the Tillsammans project) and Suzie Heine (whoappeared in the Swedish stage version of ”Hair”) were recruited, appearing on the album as Vera Fräsch and Helen Bed. The album's cover star is Tommy Broman's girlfriend at the time, Karin.

The first album was named ”Belinda” and sold anonymously in porn shops and through ads in porno mags. It's probably the most infamous Swedish album of the 70's, perhaps even of all time (and that includes Johnny Bode's scandalous ”Bordellmammans visor” which gave Stefan Brydolf the idea for the ”Belinda” albums to begin with). The lyrics certainly are hardcore, I assume way too coarse for the average listener – sadism, incest and enema are ingredients in this bizarre stew.

The story behind "Belinda" and the myth surrounding Zacharias are much better than the music itself. Yes, it's a bit more accomplished than one would suspect from the nature of the album and the circumstances under which it was recorded, but that has more to do with the session players than the songs. Some of them are OK, some pedestrian, some just bad. You could say ”Belinda” sounds like a technically more talented Erik Aschan album.

The follow-up album ”Belindas döttrar” was recorded three months later, and selections from both volumes were chosen for a projected album in English. New vocals were overdubbed but the English album went unreleased until Subliminal Sounds unearthed the recordings in 2004 and released them as a CD with bonus tracks from the Swedish versions. They also reissued it on double vinyl in 2011.

Tom Zacharias had another album out in 1975, ”Horar gör vi alla”, and a children's album (!) followed in 1979, ”Vi barn” that was awarded with the Swedish 'children's album of the year' Grammy (!!!). He also acted in children's TV series ”Katitzi” the same year, appearing alongside actor/drummer Janne Carlsson (i.e. the half of Hansson & Karlsson that's not Hansson). In 1984 he released ”Till frukost” on his own label, featuring 50 people including Turid Lundqvist whispering profanities. He continued looking for a breakthrough and participated in various strange projects over the years before passing away in 2010.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks

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