BRUNO WINTZELL
Idag sköt jag ihjäl
en okänd man / Du och jag – en kärlekshistoria (Polydor,
1970)
Balladen om Joe Hill / Som en seglande mås (Polydor, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
Roger Cook's
”Today I Shot A Man I Didn't Know” proved very popular when
translated by Hawkey Franzén. There are four Swedish versions from
1970, that I know of, but there might be even more hiding away
somewhere. The antiwar message was of course perfectly in tune with
the times with the mindless Vietnam war raging like a tameless beast
so loud the entire world could hear it. Actor (known for his role in
”Hår”) and singer Bruno Wintzell must have found it irresistable to record it as it's a perfect song for his voice
and rather haughty vocal style. Vocally speaking, the best Swedish
version is probably Tommy Körberg's, but the arrangement and the
production is more to my taste with Wintzell. Still, the calculated
maudlinness of the song is always overbearing. The sound and
arrangement is what's best with the flipside as well. ”Du och jag –
en kärlekshistoria” isn't progg but nice (if you like that kind of
stuff) albeit undistinguished orchestral pop lacking the necessary
distinctive features.
"Balladen om Joe Hill" was originally known as "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", and was first recorded in Swedish by Fred Åkerström. That one and "Som en seglande mås" (which is Leonard Cohen's "Bird On A Wire" in Swedish) are country tinged but both of them are pretty terrible, with Wintzell taking himself even more seriously than usual.
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Jukebox JSEP 5601 (Jukebox, EP, 1970)
The so
called Jukebox EPs were a long running series of budget
compilation seven-inches known for mixing completely unrelated bands
and artists, usually four at a time. They're in low demand as most of
the tracks chosen for the EPs were taken from already existing
releases. This one here is an exception, as blues artist Mike Castle's ”Walkin' Blues” was unavailable elsewhere at the time.
It's a not very imaginative rendition of Robert Johnson's classic and
was later added as a bonus to the digital reissue of Castle's lone
(and Peps related) album ”Kaligyga Express”, also from 1970. But
this is the only place to get it on vinyl, why I mention it here. The
others are non-exclusive tracks by November, Diddlers and Tommy Körberg..
BJÖRN JANSON – Det är skönt / Sommar i en skärgård (no label, 1976)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
Apart from music, Björn Janson was a boat designer and a restaurant owner, and he released this single at his own expense. The B side is pure dross, a nondescript piano ballad I wish a long and painful death, but ”Det är skönt” has some nice features of which the soaking reverb isn't one. It's certainly on the commercial side, but the fake funky drive is pretty catchy, and it has some semicool and semiheavy guitar passages which unfortunately are too short. You could probably remix ”Det är skönt” and bring a better track out of it, but I suppose the master tapes are long gone. Probably very rare, but I suppose nobody wants it and that most likely includes you too.
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
Envoys
were more than anything a pop band, having started already in 1964
(then with future journalist and TV personality Robert Aschberg as a
singer). Their first single appeared on MNW in 1969, a cover of The
Beatles' ”I Saw Her Standing There”. Their best known track
however is ”Almarna åt folket”, a translation of John Lennon's
”Power To The People” released in support of those who fought for
the preservation of the elm trees in Stockholm in 1971. The next
single had David Bowie cover ”Starman” on the 'A' side, which was
followed by their second charity single ”Kräv Bryggeriet kvar”
in 1976. Bryggeriet's full name was Münchenbryggeriet (=”the
Munich brewery”) and was built in the 19th century. From the early
1970s, it was a node for various cultural activities, but the powers
in charge wanted to tear it down and make room for a new housing
area. It caused an outrage with the people, and the protesters
against the teardown included several well-known musicians, actors
and writers. As in the case of the elm battle, the authorities
eventually backed down and Bryggeriet was spared. Envoys' call to
arms isn't as powerful as their Lennon interpretation from five years
earlier. ”Kräv Bryggeriet kvar” is fairly rocking, especially in
the choruses, but it doesn't have the same punch, coming across like
a mix of Björn Afzelius and Nationalteatern. The 'B' side is a sappy
ballad that sounds more like teenybopper singer/songwriter Ted
Gärdestad than a progg band, revealing Envoys' true commercial
nature.
Instrumental
International relevance: *
Not only fringe progg, but on the fringes of everything. Gog was a one man project by Gothenburg's visual artist and
musician Dan Fröberg. Gog's self-released EP is basically an
abstract sound sculpture in four parts with fractured musique
concrète characteristics. It's not without artistic merits, but
it's best suited for adventurous listeners accustomed to prototypical
tape music and primitive EAM. Might interest those who
consider Imp.Ink, Psynkopat and Friz Be too mainstream...
Some, perhaps all, copies had extra, off-centre, hand-carved spindle
holes so you could choose between a regular playback and a wowy one.
500 copies were pressed, some came with a picture sleeve and an
insert. A rare item today, sometimes fetching €100 on the
collectors market.
TOMAS BERGH – Upp till kamp / Oh...
tryggare kan ingen vara (Frituna, 1979)
Swedish
vocals
International relevance: ?
A very peculiar single with
no clear target audience. Because who would possibly want a disco
version of ”L'Internationale” in five different languages? Studio
54 strings, perky horns, cheesy basslines and a high BPM number – huh?! And a deconstructed punk version of the hymn ”Children
of the Heavenly Father” on the B
side?! I mean, what the hell is really going here??? It's obviously
tongue-in-cheek but it's still so bizarre and absurd that I dare say
that you've never heard anything quite like it before and never will
again unless you play it a second time. And you might as well want
to, just to figure it out.
I've no idea who Tomas Bergh was,
if it even was his real name, but the guys backing him up were
sessions musicians including Anders Eljas who thought up the concept.
Eljas was a music conservatory graduate who worked with opera singers
as well as pop stars (he played keyboards on ABBA's 1977 world tour
for instance); he orchestrated the ”Chess” musical; produced
stage shows for Povel Ramel (Mikael's dad), and conducted the London
Symphony Orchestra during a Hyde Park show featuring guest stars like
Kylie Minogue, Jamie Cullum, Lulu and Chaka Khan – to mention just
a few things he's done. But I still think this very single must be the
most askew thing he ever did. Do I like it? Not at all, but I'm intrigued by it.
It was also issued as a 12” with an
extended disco mix of the A side. Burn, baby, burn!
MAKE UP – Hot Love Street / My First Love (Wave, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -
DYNAMO VARBERG – Ayatollah Khomeini / Anwar Sadat (Nacksving, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **
Dynamo Varberg made their debut with a very rare cassette-only album called ”Filiberts höna” in 1978. The 1980 single at hand is a fairly elusive Nacksving release with two songs taking a clear leftist stand against Middle Eastern dictatorship and oppression, with an additional stab at Sweden's then rightwing prime minister Gösta Bohman, like Rävjunk did on their legendary ”Bohman Bohman” single. The music itself has in fact a wee bit in common with Rävjunk's more rock oriented style. It's not as punkish, but Dynamo Varberg had a similar sleazy vibe. There's some biting guitar playing including wah-wah going on, and the songs are quite good – especially ”Anwar Sadat” where singer Björn Spåls also manage to sound a bit like Eldkvarn's singer Plura Jonsson. The worst element is the sitar on the A-side which sounds as if it was played by a stoned-out Edward Scissorhands. Apart from that, this quite appeals to me, and it's certainly one of the more vital releases on Nacksving.
India Waits (Mistlur, 1981)
International relevance: **
If
Calcutta Transfer hoped for any radio play with their first single,
they probably shouldn't have named it ”the man who shat in the
subway”, so a lot of people probably missed the lyrics'
environmental worries. Like almost everything coming from the
Transfers, ”Mannen (som på tunnelbanan sket) is outlined from Dag Vag, more precisely ”Ogräs” from their debut album. It's still
one of the Transfers' best songs. The clavinet sounds like a spider tapdancing on a hot hob. It's either bloody annoying or
oddly effective depending on your mood. ”Howrah Station” isn't
their typical reggae but closer to disco. It was a live
favourite apparantely, and I can imagine they could stretch it out with plenty of
Kenny Håkansson styled guitar soloing on stage, but here it's as
dull as yesterday's pasta leftovers.
Their second single is called ”India Waits”, but there's no track here by that title. Both songs are non-album tracks,
and the Dag Vag influence is intact. The 'A' side ”Plus minus noll”
is a fast paced ska track with a debt to pay to Dag Vag's
”Glappkontakt” but the 'B' side ”Fet guru” shows more
originality. It's a slightly spacey track with a rock beat, thick
layers of tasty organ and soaring guitars. The band whips up quite
some energy the longer it goes on, and it stands out not only as
one of their proggiest efforts but also one of their very best.
PAJ VAJ – Med hacka och spade / Flum e dum (Bums, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
It's actually rare that I hear something that leaves
me stumped, but this eccentric 45 knocks me off course. What on earth
am I listening to? Is it for real or is it a joke?
I've no
idea who's behind it because I can't find any valuable info on it
anywhere. The songs were written by Bask (who?) and Lindström (which
one?), and the Bums label mostly released commercial artists. Paj
Vaj were anything but. The singer sounds like Blå Tåget's Torkel Rasmusson trying to cure a hangover from hell by eating three
pounds of chalk. He remains hungover but with a demolished voice. Ot
maybe he sounds like a Kenta with a rubber ball stuffed down his
throat? Is he fucking around or does he need a doctor? Is he immaculately groggy?
Deranged? Is he, at all, for real? His idea of enunciation is, er,
unusual but it's obvious that the singer (or lyricist, or both) holds
a grudge against... parents, teachers, the police, the authorities,
actually the entire society. Kill them and bury them. Problem
solved.
The music is pretty straightforward with a certain
lilt; it's standard rock setting plus harmonica, but thanks to the
off-kilter vocals, it has some bizarre gravity. It's too straight
qualifying as outsider music, and it's way too odd for any mainstream
appeal. I can't really recommend it, but I can't not recommend it
either. I'll probably play it a lot more, if only to find out what
the hell is going on here. If the discofied "L'Internationale" was puzzling, then this is completely bewildering.
ROCKTEATERGRUPPEN SMÅFOLKET – Nu drar vi ner på stan (Rainbow, EP, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
Little known four track E.P. by a self-appointed 'rock theatre group' which immediately makes you think of Nationalteatern. Which is perfectly true because it's hard to imagine this would exist without the source inspiration from said group, But it lacks the sharpness of the Ulf Dageby's and Anders Melander's songwriting, and the instrumental prowess that Nationalteatern developed is surely lacking here. Småfolket sounds like a local group (more precisely from Malmö) performing at youth clubs to a less than excited underage audience. The drummer is rudimentary, the guitarist is far from experienced, but the the two singers – male and female – are especially amateurish. Esther Nordenbrink in particular sounds shrill and shouty which suggests a punk awareness in a Mörbyligan way.
The four songs were featured in the
play that gave the E.P. it's title, roughly meaning ”let's go
downtown”, and while the B side is a wee bit better with ”Nu är
jag ung” (=”now I'm young”) being the best song of all, none of
them is up to snuff. A 'B' grade effort that time rightly forgot.
HS3 BOYS – Fel tåg / Hon är ett lik / Pia Love (no label, 1983; rec. 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
Little information availabe for this one as well. There's no print on the colour-coded labels and only the members' first names are stated on the cover. However, HS3 Boys might originate from Östersund as Myrbein's bass player Johan Von Sydow is featured here, and both bands used the Tommys Musiklab studio. While this three-track EP wasn't released until 1983, it was recorded already in 1981 according to information presented to Swedish Radio. With no drummer present, the rhythm is provided by a drum machine which defines their original sound. It's hard to pinpoint it, but there's definitely a Latin influence there. I also sense a touch of Mikael Ramel, but that's possibly only in my head. Still, it's not a very good disc, so not worth the effort hunting it down.
LJUDLÖST ÖS – Jerry / USA (Natty Records, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
Reggae has always been pretty
popular in Sweden after Peps Persson introduced the style in the mid
70s, and we had a few quite good or at least decent reggae bands
already back in the day. Not only were there high profile names as
Dag Vag, Rotpuls and to some extent Rockamöllan following Peps in
his footsteps, but there was also a pretty widespread undergrowth of
local bands. Ljudlöst Ös was one of the unknowns trying
to adapt to the Jamaican backbeat, but thay had certain problems
succeeding. If anything, reggae demands a drummer who can forget
everything he learnt about the standard rock beat, and Matte
Pettersson of Ljudlöst Ös struggles a bit. I've heard far worse
examples of drummers losing the concept when switching to reggae, but
a Bosse Skoglund he is not. Both songs on their lone, privately
released single speak out against racism and cultural colonialism.
With female singer Maria Johansson, Ljudlöst Ös sound like I
imagine Nationalteatern would sound like if they attempted to be a
reggae band. It all sounds a bit chunky and awkward proving that good
intentions won't always come out as good results.
MANTRA – Made In Japan / Här är jag (Mercury, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -
This is probably
Mantra's biggest claim to fame being released on major label Mercury,
produced by Janne Schaffer and with lyrics for both tracks written by
Mikael Ramel. It's not Mantra's typical test tube jazz fusion but it
still sucks. ”Made In Japan” is some misguided attempt at synth
pop an while ”Här är jag” is a bit better, the quasi-punkish
rock falls on its feet just the same.
ZVENSKA MUSKLER – Fyra årstider / När elden har brunnit... (no label, 1981)
One-off single
from a band that grew out of probably unrecorded band Dr Rockford, and with a name would translate into "Zwedish Muscles, featuring singer/guitarist Tobbe Rüsslander. ”Fyra årstider”
isn't that great and not too proggish either, while the slower ”När
elden har brunnit” is OK with some extended guitar workouts,
electric piano and a peculiar, almost ghostly atmosphere – perhaps
due to the decidedly non-professional mix. It's not as good Rüsslander's 1978 solo cassette, but it's still worth hearing once for "När elden har brunnit".
JSMB – Låt fler forma... / Håll mej varm (JSMB, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
More progg in the socially
concerned lyrics than in the actual music. The lyrics are unusual in
the sense that singer Magnus Sjögren declares he's a liberal (i.e.
not a leftist), but he proclaims care for your fellowman whoever and wherever he
or she is, so the fundamental tone is that of humanism rather than
politics. Sjögren's phrasing suggests he's an Ulf Lundell fan
although I wouldn't call the vocals exactly epigonic. ”Låt fler
forma...” is decent enough in a rock singer/songwriter style, and
certainly much better than the other track. ”Håll mej varm” is
totally terrible, a rheumatic rockabilly pastiche which is entirely
embarrassing complete with a bathroom reverb to make it sound
'authentic' which it of course does not.
Sjögren later
reappeared in Örebro band Big Deal who had some success in the late
80s and is still active. I know nothing about the other
members' whereabouts – there are no credits on the label and the
single came in a plain white sleeve when originally released.
COREY – Havet / Livet är en dröm (GAT, 1982)
Swedish vocal
International relevance: *
A Gothenburg band apparently with some
connections to the Social Democratic Youth Association SSU. Corey's
lone single was a private release and features two pop/rock tracks
with some semi-heavy and progressive elements. It's quite OK for what it is,
especially ”Havet” which is actually rather good, but although it has some nice touches of the right kind, there may not be
enough prog/progg here for most blog readers. Two versions of it exists, one in black vinyl and one in red.
Bruno Wintzell
Du och jag - en kärlekshistoria / Balladen om Joe Hill / Som en seglande mås
Jukebox EP
November - Cinderella / Mike Castle - Walkin' Blues
Björn Janson
Det är skönt (poor sound)
Envoys
Kräv Bryggeriet kvar
Gog
Full single
Tomas Bergh
Upp till kamp / Oh... tryggare kan ingen vara
Make Up
Hot Love Street
Calcutta Transfer
Howrah Station / Plus minus noll
Paj Vaj
Med hacka och spade
Rockteatergruppen Småfolket
Nu drar vi ner på stan
Ljudlöst Ös
Jerry / USA
Corey
Havet
HS3 Boys, Dynamo Varberg, Mantra and JSMB no links found
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