Welcome to this thread about the big 5 of Swedish 60s beat music - Tages (not THE Tages, okay?), the Hep Stars, the Shanes, Ola & the Janglers, and the Mascots. This thread should appeal to anyone who enjoys 60s music, particularly the evolution from beat music to mod groups into psychedelia, with a touch of surf music, R&B, soul, and bubblegum to boot. My intention is to go through the releases of the aforementioned five bands chronologically, song by song, from the very first release in 1963 to the final single in 1971. With one caveat: Both the Shanes and the Hep Stars changed direction in 1968-69, losing key members and adding others. I will not be discussing any of the releases of these later incarnations of the bands. Over the course of the thread, we'll be able to chart the rise and then the decline and fall of Swedish pop music, before its resurgence in the 70s. I will go month for month, discussing albums separately and when it comes to singles I'll feature a couple of them per posting. We'll see what kind of tempo I manage to keep. First, I guess a bit of introduction is in order. There were lots of Swedish bands during the pop boom, but I think most connoisseurs would agree that these five bands were the most important ones and the trendsetters. I won't go into any other bands here in the thread - perhaps a mention or two - and I'd kindly ask you to stick to these bands, at least until we reach the end of the chronology. After that, you're welcome to discuss any Swedish 60s bands you like here in the thread. I will also keep from discussing the live releases from these bands - which is mainly to the detriment of the Hep Stars, as the others didn't really release any live material. Please note that I am not a musician, nor do I have any technical knowledge when it comes to recording. I'm simply an enthusiast who likes these bands and who has read what little can be found on the net about them. I'll certainly give my opinion on these tracks, but of course it's no more valid than anything any of you think about them.
Just a quick note on the digital availability of the recorded output of these five bands. Let's start with Tages, who were blessed with a comprehensive box set in 1994. It contains their entire recorded output on three CDs. I'm not sure if this can still be bought in CD shops today, but the entire box set is available on Spotify as well. As for individual LPs, their last album Studio was rereleased on CD in the late 90s, and then again in the early 10s. All five albums were also released in one of those 5-in-1 mini box sets, housing the records in facsimile LP sleeves. All albums are also available individually on Spotify. Tages had a name change in the late 60s, releasing one album under the moniker Blond, and that one is also available on CD on a re-release from the early 00s. It also contains their standalone single. This album, including the bonus tracks, is also available on Spotify. The Hep Stars are almost just as well served digitally. All their albums were re-released on CD with bonus tracks including almost everything recorded by them. They too have one of those 5-in-1 box sets, though it leaves out at least one essential album. The Hep Stars are also well served on Spotify, where all their recorded output until their change of direction is available. The Mascots are another band where you should easily be able to find nearly everything on CD. Their two LPs were re-released on CD by RPM in 2014, and they contain all of the singles and stray tracks, with 1(!) exception. Annoying, but there it is. Things are a bit spottier on Spotify, where you'll be able to find the albums, a handful of singles and a greatest hits that collects a couple more tracks. When it comes to Ola & the Janglers, they are very badly served on CD. They have a couple of greatest hits releases, particularly two CDs collecting all their singles from the 60s (except their very first, for some reason), but only one of their albums, Lime Light, has seen a CD release, and that was way back in 1994. However, all their albums are on Spotify, as well as the two singles collections, which means that their entire 60s output (with the exception of one B-side and one EP only track) can be found there. Finally we come to the Shanes, and they are the ones who have the worst representation digitally. There's another one of those 5-in-1 box sets which collects all their five albums on CD, which is nice. There's also a good greatest hits album which mops up several of their singles and stray tracks. However, this is also what is available on Spotify, which means that there are a handful of tracks that cannot be found anywhere but on their original releases. Pity. Incidentally, that greatest hits album by the Shanes is called 1963-68, and it belongs to a series of greatest hits releases featuring these five bands. They are highly recommended and are probably the easiest to find of all releases by these groups.
1963 and the first half of 1964 This post will cover almost one and a half year's worth of releases. However, as there was only one of our five bands that were active at that time, we won't need to cover too many tracks here. As you may know, after the Beatles broke through, their first tour outside Britain took place in Sweden, which meant that they hit pretty hard here as well. As a consequence of this, quite a lot of youngsters decided to get into the music business. However, that tour didn't take place until late October 1963, which means that these tracks are of a different sort. March 1963 Gunfight Saloon (Berggren/Wåhlberg) The Ripper (Berggren) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb2kMBZq9-M Single by the Shanes - Kvällstoppen 18, Tio i topp 10 September 1963 Pistoleros (Berggren) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue4bXt6_-Hg Oh, Wow! (Berggren/Wåhlberg) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DGRGfw9UN4 Single by the Shanes (some sources state that "Oh Wow!" was the A-side) - Did not chart March 1964 Gun Rider (Berggren/Wåhlberg/Elfgren/Rautio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuxgd9ojjDc Banzai (Berggren) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rRS_mTc7FM Single by the Shanes - Did not chart The Shanes were active long before any of the other four bands had started recording. So let's get going with a short presentation of this group. The Shanes started out as a foursome, with the following members: Staffan Berggren - guitars, vocals Tommy Wåhlberg - guitars, occasional vocals Svante Elfgren - bass Tor-Erik Rautio - drums Berggren was, as you've probably surmised from the credits above, their chief songwriter, though both Wåhlberg and Rautio would get a couple of co-writes over the course of the Shanes' career. These guys hailed from the very north of Sweden, a town called Kiruna. Now, while the majority of the groups we'll discuss here in the thread began their career as a result of the breakthrough of the Beatles (and other British beat groups, particularly the Hollies), this influence cannot be found in any of these releases by the Shanes. They, too, would succumb to the Beatle bug later on, but for these three singles, their muse was instead the guitar instrumentals of bands such as the British Shadows and the American Ventures. These tracks are surf rock instrumentals in all but name (though the names of the tracks indicate that Berggren was also influenced by themes from the many Western TV shows that were a staple on TV around this time) - with one exception in "Oh Wow!". What about their quality then? Well, they're all melodic enough and exude a certain charm. The playing is perhaps a tad sloppy at times, but the band manage to get away with it because of their general enthusiasm. (That sloppiness is a bit of a trademark of the Shanes, particularly in their early recordings, and we'll certainly get back to that in time.) Overall, these are enjoyable tracks, and since all of them are short (the two longest tracks are still shorter than 2.30) they don't overstay their welcome. There's one track with vocals, "Oh Wow!", but it still manages to sound more or less the same as all these other tracks. And there's certainly something to commend about all these songs being originals. Mind you, as individual players, I don't think that any of the Shanes were bad. It's just that the impression they give is of a band who were happy to just go in and just do a take, without any sweetening or production touches. And the vocals were where this behaviour was most apparent, so it's less obvious here with this material. Just a quick word about the Swedish charts referenced above. Kvällstoppen was a sales chart, beginning in mid '62 and listing the top 20 selling records in Sweden. Tio i topp, meanwhile, was a chart where people got to vote for their favourites each week, and as such was quite susceptible to manipulation. I'll be listing both charts, where applicable.
A small detour Strictly Instrumental A1 (Gunfight Saloon) A2 Titanic (Berggren) A3 Yes, Sir, That's My Baby (Donaldson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TQ_zKLaQ90 A4 (Pistoleros) A5 (Gun Rider) B1 (The Ripper) B2 Mr. X (Berggren) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQsT7ek_7A8 B3 (Banzai) B4 Tico-Tico (de Abreu) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO45BVZVX1c B5 Tin-Star (Berggren) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZY-jCQylBo LP by the Shanes For some reason, in 1987 someone thought that the Shanes might just be important enough that they could get away with releasing an album containing the five instrumentals from their first three singles and adding another five unreleased instrumentals that were recorded around the same time. I considered for a while before deciding where to discuss them in the thread, but development-wise I do think it's better to talk about them here. "Titanic" is a very Shadows inspired track. Staffan Berggren manages to coax almost the same sound out of his guitar as Hank B. Marvin usually could. Were I less charitable I'd call it a rip-off, but I kinda like it anyway. "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby" is of course a very old song, from the 20s, but the Shanes do it here in an instrumental version. This is more upbeat and is driven along by frenetic strumming and a fast beat. Less obvious in its influences but I still prefer "Titanic". On side two we have two further unheard originals by Berggren. "Mr. X" is similar to "Yes, Sir..." in its tempo and general sound. If you didn't know the 20s tune beforehand and just heard these two instrumentals with no context, you'd probably be hard pressed to know which was the original and which was the cover song. And I guess that says something for Berggren's compositional skills, that his tune sounds as accomplished as that. "Tin-Star" is another languid instrumental that's more similar to "Titanic". The melody is less immediate but the Shadows influence is again readily recognisable. Finally, "Tico-Tico" is another very well known track (this one from Brazil and originally known as "Tico Tico no Farelo" but apparently now renamed "Tico-Tico no Fubá"). This has a more Latin sound, compared with the other tracks, but Berggren's guitar tone is very similar to what he accomplished in "Yes, Sir..." and "Mr. X". Listening to all these tunes in one sitting shows that Berggren knew what he was doing when composing in this style. He was also a very good guitar player, though quite influenced by Marvin. These are all worthwhile tracks, though unless twangy surf rock instrumentals is just your thing, perhaps better listened to in smaller batches.
August 1964 Thus far, the Shanes had the Swedish pop scene all to themselves. All right, not really, of course there were several other contenders, but this is the month when they would start getting some true competition. And it's also with these releases that we're beginning to see that beat group influence trickle down through the Swedish music business. Keep-A-Knockin' (Penniman) Come On Sally (Berggren) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXd0RSnzU8 Single by the Shanes - Kvällstoppen DNC, Tio i topp 8 The Shanes come out with a version of a Little Richard tune, with their now trademark slapdash sound. The unison singing is comically non-unison at times. But it's an infectious tune and it gets your toes tapping. The original on the B-side is similar to the A-side in some ways, particularly in the so-called unison singing. If I'd picked this up after having heard the first three singles I don't know if I'd have thought this was a good change of direction for the band. ****** I Like My Bike (Idering/Ringbom) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7-ST5tuqkE Yes I Know (Idering/Ringbom) Single by the Mascots - Did not chart So, time for another introduction. The Mascots were another foursome, though a group based in Stockholm. The group consisted of: Stefan Ringbom (guitar/vocals) Gunnar Idering (guitar/vocals) Anders Forsslund (bass/vocals) Rolf Adolfsson (drums/vocals) The three non-drummers had been playing together for quite a while - they got to know one another in school (and I think it's worth mentioning that at the time of this release, the oldest guy in the band was Forsslund who was 17). When Adolfsson was added on drums, they had a very self-sufficient quartet. All four guys in the group could write songs, though on the early singles Ringbom and Idering would be responsible for most of the material. But later on they'd start writing in different constellations, and their quota of originals vs covers was always very high. Ringbom might have been the main voice, but all of the guys had their fair share of lead vocals. Towards the end of the band, Adolfsson took over more and more as lead singer. Speaking of vocals, the Mascots would become known for their great harmony singing (in stark contrast to the Shanes), though this first single is hardly proof of that. The A-side is a bit of a throwaway, which I suppose the title indicates, and while the B-side is a more serious tune (unfortunately, I haven't managed to find it on YouTube), I wouldn't call this single a particularly auspicious beginning for the band. ***** Kana Kapila (Rolle/Dovan) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO2hk56DsnA I Got A Woman (Charles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0QKl2omTZs Single by the Hep Stars - Did not chart On this single, the Hep Stars consisted of: Svenne Hedlund (lead vocals) Janne Frisk (guitar/vocals) Hans Östlund (keyboards) Lennart Persson (bass) Christer Pettersson (drums) The Hep Stars were another Stockholm based band, and they'd originally started out as a foursome, only adding Hedlund shortly before the release of this single. Frisk had quite a few lead vocals on their early recordings, but over time Hedlund would take almost all vocals. The A-side here is just as much of a novelty tune as the Mascots one. The Hep Stars do get a bit of a groove going here, though. If one thing can be said about the Hep Stars, it's that they were a very competent group instrumentally. They sounded very tight, and compared with their competitors at the time sounded much more professional. The B-side is a fairly tame version of the Ray Charles classic. Not bad, but hardly essential. ***** Overall, I'm not super enthusiastic about these first beat singles, as you've seen. I promise that things will improve, but this is obviously early days and none of these groups had truly found the vein they'd later be mining.
Hello out there: Just wanted to drop a note to say I really appreciate you taking the time to write up these great posts and linking to these tunes. This is a fascinating subject, and one that doesn't seem to get a lot of attention --at least not in the English language. I'm very interested in 60s Swedish pop music, although I'll admit I've only really listened intently to Tages (who I'm very fond of) but only a few tracks from their peers in Sweden at the time. Keep up the good work! This is my new favorite thread, so I'll try to chime in when I feel like I have something to add to the conversation.
Glad to see someone writing, not just checking the thread! I appreciate you taking the time, and I hope that you'll find a lot more stuff to like as the thread moves along. Personally, I'm also mostly a Tages man, but I've grown to appreciate a whole lot more of the Swedish pop scene as I started to delve into it, and there will be a lot of great music coming here over the coming posts. Do let me know if there's anything that strikes your fancy as we move along the timeline. And I certainly hope that others too will find new music to explore through this thread.
What a fun post. Thanks for doing this. I was aware of The Tages and some years ago, happily stumbled across a compilation CD. Automatically, it was a keeper. But enjoying learning about these other bands.
October 1964 Two months later, and we'll see our first LP this month! However, this post will discuss the two singles that were also released this month, and then we'll save the LP for the next post. Sleep Little Girl (Blom) Tell Me You're Mine (Lagerberg/Töpel) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QfR4CEqOeI Single by Tages - Kvällstoppen 3, Tio i topp 1 So, here's another debut single then. For their entire career, Tages would be a five man band, though like Spinal Tap they'd switch drummers a couple of times over their career. The first incarnation of the band looked like this: Tommy Blom (vocals/percussion) Göran Lagerberg (vocals/bass) Danne Larsson (rhythm guitar/vocals) Anders Töpel (lead guitar/occasional vocals) Freddie Skantze (drums) Tages hailed from Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden, and had played together for a while before winning a competition and gaining a recording contract. They were blessed with an abundance of songwriters in the group, with Blom and Lagerberg writing the lion's share of the songs, but the two guitarists would also write the occasional song, though in Töpel's case always as a co-writer. When they started out, they did sound a bit amateurish, and that certainly applies to this single. The A-side has a bit of a 50s vibe to it, what with all the reverb and echo, and sounds very naive. The B-side is more beat-ish with prominent harmony singing, though it manages to sound almost as bad as the Shanes, and the backing is still quite rudimentary, while the production is all but non-existent. In all, Tages followed the trend set by the other bands of this thread by releasing a somewhat underwhelming first single. ***** Lyckan (Idering/Ringbom) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKD-qBkmNzg Lessen (Idering/Ringbom) Single by the Mascots - Did not chart As the titles intimate, these songs are sung in Swedish. And let's not beat around the bush here, the A-side is a novelty tune through and through. It's sung in a silly way with silly shouts in the background and silly whistling and silly sped up vocals. I guess it's amusing and all, but mainly memorable for all the wrong reasons. The B-side is much better, and was later re-made with English lyrics and vocals. This version is fine, but I prefer the latter version. This earlier version sounds more serious, but the lyrics are still a bit silly, and I think they nail the harmony singing even better on the English version. This second single is another false start to the Mascots' recording career, but at least the B-side shows a lot of promise. (Unfortunately, this is another track that doesn't seem to be on YouTube.) I might as well get it out of the way here, but I vastly prefer songs sung in English instead of Swedish. And that's even though most of the singers in these bands had fairly heavy accents when they sang in English. I just find a lot of the Swedish lyrics cringe-worthy and silly - I suppose it's the same with a lot of you when songs are sung in English, but I don't have that problem there. Anyway, I'll probably keep from commenting on the Swedish language songs henceforth.
Thanks, have honestly never heard of any of them. Will aim to give them a listen over the next year, this is my favourite era of pop/rock music.
October 1964 (cont'd) Let Us Show You https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n0_oOP1WZbjTwThRU7oFyzurIkKG7wd3M A1 Let Me Show You Who I Am (Berggren) A2 Say You Want Me (Berggren) A3 Cathy's Clown (Everly) A4 Georgia's Back In Town (Berggren) A5 Just Go (Berggren) A6 My Lover Baby (Berggren/Wåhlberg/Elfgren/Rautio) B1 (Keep-A-Knockin') B2 I Got A Woman (Charles) B3 All I Have To Do Is Dream (Bryant) B4 (Come On Sally) B5 The Shanegang (Berggren) B6 (Gunfight Saloon) LP by the Shanes So, we finally reach our first LP. The Shanes were first out of the starting gate, so it's no surprise that they're the first ones to record a long player. Similar to the single released two months before, this is clearly an album influenced by beat music (though their very first A-side is included as the final track on the album). There are a whopping 8 originals out of the 12 tracks. Though to be fair, "The Shanegang" owes about 99% of its existence to Bo Diddley, and "My Lover Baby" is an amalgam of every Beatles track released till then, but it's still quite an impressive number. Out of the covers, there's the previously released single A-side "Keep-A-Knockin'", and a version of a song we've already heard by the Hep Stars: Ray Charles's "I Got a Woman". Interestingly, this version by the Shanes is actually quite tightly recorded. Some days, I'd argue this is a better version than the Hep Stars one. Then there's two Everly Brothers covers. The first one is "Cathy's Clown", a track I've never really had any particular feelings for. This version is quite sloppy and the harmony singing is quite out of sync. The other Everly number is of a song I like much better, "All I Have To Do Is Dream". But to state it simply, this could be the very worst recording I've ever heard. The Shanes continue to be out of sync in their harmony singing, and here they're woefully out of tune at times. And the backing isn't much better. It's truly awful. I have no idea why it was included on the album. What about the originals then? Well, they're okay-ish. They suffer a bit from not being distinctive and memorable enough. And because of that, the ones that appear earlier on the album fare better. I like the first two tracks here, they both have a fairly infectious chorus. "Georgia" has a bit of a skiffle backing going on, but is otherwise undistinguished and too long. And after that it gets a bit too samey. In such cases it doesn't help that most of the singing and playing is sloppy and slapdash. However, if those things don't bother you, you'll probably have a better time with this album than I do. At least there's noticeable enthusiasm and excitement from the lads.
Late 1964 We round off the year with another couple of single releases, and in this post, the fifth of our groups make their debut. November 1964 Little Girl (Idering) I'll Stand By Your Side (Idering) Single by the Janglers with Ola - Did not chart The observant among you have noticed the slight name variation for the group here. This is their only release under that name - everything else would be released as Ola & the Janglers. For this release, the group consisted of: Ola Håkansson (vocals/percussion) Christer Idering (guitar) Johannes Olsson (keyboards) Åke Eldsäter (bass) Leif Johansson (drums) Originally, the four Janglers (minus Ola) started the group and auditioned for a singer, and in the end settled for their driver, Ola Håkansson. Idering was the group's songwriter for these early releases, and you might recognise the surname from one of the other bands here. Yes, Christer was the brother of Gunnar from the Mascots. Sadly, none of these two tracks can be found on YouTube. A pity, since the A-side is better than several of the other debut singles we've heard here - this is definitely not a novelty tune - though it still feels a bit slight. There's some fairly prominent keyboards and Ola does well with what he's got. The B-side is one of those tracks that are almost impossible to find, since it's only been released twice - on this single and later on an obscure 70s compilation featuring different Swedish 60s bands. So unfortunately, I can't say anything about it, since I've never heard it. ***** December 1964 Baby Baby (Idering/Ringbom) Call Me Your Love (Idering/Ringbom) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h54arDjrh4 Single by the Mascots - Kvällstoppen 16, Tio i topp 4 After two Mascots singles that were more or less novelties, this single comes as a breath of fresh air. It would also become the Mascots greatest chart success of all time (one of their only hits, to be honest). I think there are quite a lot of Mascot tracks more deserving of that fate, but it has to be said that this is a really solid track. The B-side is perhaps more forgettable, but is another slice of upbeat beat pop. After a very disappointing LP and some so-so singles so far, could this be the turning point towards greater things? As we bid 1964 farewell, we'll see what 1965 brings us.
Great , informative thread. I discovered some of Scandinavia's`6Os Beat-scene a while back with a few compilation CDs of needldropped 45s &, EPs from the land of the midnight sun. Who Will buy These Wonderful Evils Vol. 2 ℗2OO4 Dolores Recordings–DOL 141, Virgin–7243 577913 2 8 ,also Diggin' For Gold Volume 1 CD, Compilation ℗1997 Way Back Records–MMCD 66071
Those look like very nice compilations, though a bit hodge-podge in their selection (which I guess is what this type of releases is all about). It's not just Swedish stuff though, as far as I can see. I will keep an eye out for these comps.
Early 1965 In Britain, this year would see the gradual phasing out of beat music (as several of those early Mersey, Birmingham and Manchester bands would find it harder to stay relevant), but for those groups that were able to make the transition, 1965 would prove to be a fruitful year with a lot of great music and the emergence of the mod scene, and along with it, soul music. In Sweden, we've seen the first baby steps of the heroes of our thread. Very little, if anything, has been great, but over the course of this year, the Swedish pop music scene would also advance by leaps and bounds. This development would also mean that the reliance on 50s material would diminish a great deal, particularly for Tages, the Mascots, and Ola & the Janglers, which on a personal level is an excellent development. February 1965 I Should Be Glad (Lagerberg/Larsson) I Cry (Lagerberg/Larsson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Z8sOuJFM4 Single by Tages - Kvällstoppen 2, Tio i topp 2 This immediately shows how Tages were able to improve. They'd been lambasted in the music press for their first single and their amateurish sound, and their response was this very solid A-side. The harmonies are mostly great and the Beatles influence is palpable. An excellent single, where the guitar solo might be the only thing that needs improvement. The B-side is less memorable, but at least it's got a good drive and contrasts well with the more melancholy A-side. And say what you will - it's great to see two originals again. ***** March 1965 She's Not There (Argent) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibDTGD8c1IY Don't Ask Me What I Say (Jones) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS-Tr1DBC18 Single by Ola & the Janglers - Kvällstoppen DNC, Tio i topp 10 Ola Håkansson had a knack for finding songs with hit potential that hadn't reached the Swedish public (remember, Sweden was a much smaller market, and not all hit singles from Britain or the US would gain traction here). He subscribed to several music magazines from Britain, and his knowledge of the British music scene is how he managed to find the Zombies track that the Janglers cover here on the A-side. It's a fine version with Håkansson doing his best to emulate Colin Blunstone's vocals on the original. I can imagine that if you hadn't heard the Zombies version, this would sound like a great single. The B-side is a Manfred Mann track, probably found in a similar way by Håkansson, and doesn't aspire to be anything else than just that, a B-side. A simple blues based ditty. As on the A-side, Johannes Olsson's keyboards dominate the proceedings.
March 1965 (cont'd) A Tribute To Buddy Holly (Goddard) Bird Dog (Bryant) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tv_1k1MVu4 Single by the Hep Stars - Kvällstoppen 5, Tio i topp 4 Summertime Blues (Cochran) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTeH9fDF8r0 If You Need Me (Pickett/Bateman/Sanders) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtfJDdlu2OQ Single by the Hep Stars - Did not chart Farmer John (Terry/Harris) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibyqivbVuLI Donna (Valens) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw7dLTEJi4k Single by the Hep Stars - Kvällstoppen 1, Tio i topp 1 Yeah, you read that right. The Hep Stars released three singles in the same month. (And spoiler alert, they'll release another one in the next month!) For these releases, they'd lost their original keyboardist Hans Östlund, necessitating finding a replacement. Which they did in a certain Benny Andersson, of whom you may have heard. For many of these tracks, the singer is Janne Frisk, who alternated with Svenne Hedlund on a lot of this early material. The Buddy Holly song (recorded by Mike Berry originally) is a bit silly, what with the whistling and all, but shows the Hep Stars' affinity for 50s sounding material. The spoken bit certainly hammers that home. Its B-side is a true 50s track, this time an Everlys cover. It certainly sounds like a B-side. Eddie Cochran's Summertime Blues is taken at too fast a clip. Frisk can hardly keep up with the backing. But I certainly prefer it to the "Tribute" single. I'm not sure where the band heard the B-side - the Wilson Pickett original or the Rolling Stones version recently released on their 5X5 EP. But since they're not too dissimilar that hardly matters. I think this is probably the best of the four tracks this far. And I've seen that the A-side and B-side were swapped on some releases - a good decision if true. Finally, there's "Farmer John" which they may have picked up from the Searchers. This is by far the best track the Hep Stars had done so far. It too drives along relentlessly, but not so fast that they can't keep up with the tempo. An excellent version. And then comes the ubiquitous "Donna" (you'll see a couple more versions of this Ritchie Valens song in this thread). The track has never been a favourite of mine. The Hep Stars make a good fist of what they've got, but I'm still not convinced. A piece of damp cloth for me.
I'd say "I Should Be Glad" is pretty respectable for early '65 by any standards. It's a catchy tune (though certainly indebted to The Beatles) that's well-executed. I think the accented harmony vocals give it a lot of character. I even like the guitar solo--sure it's amateurish but it has a cool timbre (sounds like a 12 string) and fits the song. I liked the Ola + Janglers version of She's Not There more than I expected to. It's essentially an imitation of a classic, but it's enjoyable on its own. Looking forward to more of what pop 1965 Sweden has in store for us.
I had to look this up based on your description, and holy smokes, it is truly awful! It is indeed one of the worst professional recordings I've ever heard too. Wasn't there a producer at the session? I don't know much else about this band, but this recording should make them ineligible for any Big Five status.
I disagree; I thought it sounded amateurish. Compare for example with the Italian cover by Dino e i Kings: Sorry for the negativity! I do know the Swedes will improve...
This thread is thankfully going to force me out of my Tages fixation, a band that I feel created the great lost rock record of the late 60's (Studio in 1967), approached song topics with eye raising social commentary and dressed it all up in the some of the most amazing arrangements. Their sound managed to be pop in melody, but pre-empted Prog more than other artists of their period. Their playing, riffs, guitar tone, drums (sounding like The Flaming Lips) and measure changes are simply too precise on these tracks to be just psych. But I digress. I was looking at Wikipedia's page for Independent Record Label to get info for a different thread and I found this tidbit that lends huge cred to these artists even before hearing the music: In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major labels EMI, Philips, and Decca had so much power that smaller labels struggled to establish themselves.... Internationally, the situation was different. In Sweden, three of the four biggest rock bands at the time were signed and saw great commercial success with independent labels.[11] These included Hep Stars (Olga Records), Tages (Platina Records) and Ola & the Janglers (Gazell Records).[12][13][14] According to Företagskällan, these three artists secured an interest for minor record labels, a situation which otherwise would've led to 'the big five' having full control of the Swedish music scene during the 1980s.[11]
I can hear it on this Italian track as well, but to a far lesser degree than the first example - in fact here it almost sounds like it could all be down to timidity, save for the rather unfortunately vexing off-pitch voice in a spot or two. * I had meant to add that the enthusiastic performance by the instrumentalists, who clearly [could] bring the energy on in an exciting way - wait for the guitar solo section - delivered garage-punk heaven in spades!
Glad to see I'm not alone in my opinion. (In fact, the few reviews I've seen of the album all agree that it's a bafflingly bad track.) I've not been able to ascertain who the producer of this first album is, it doesn't say on the cover or the labels. Later on, I know that Anders Henriksson - also producer for Tages - produced their output, but I'd be very surprised if he was responsible for this album. His work is otherwise much, much better. And while I haven't been too positive regarding the Shanes' output so far, they will release some excellent tracks as we move along the timeline. Just stay tuned!
