The Swedish 60s Pop Explosion - The Big 5 Song by Song Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by christian42, Aug 21, 2022.

  1. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    December 1965

    Surprise, Surprise
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n8E4yRj3VEHmtts8Z9RIbSc68K8mNN6sM

    A1 Surprise Surprise (Jagger/Richards)
    A2 Stop Your Sobbing (Davies)
    A3 We Got A Good Thing Going (Ozen)
    A4 (Land Of 1,000 Dances)
    A5 Love Was On Your Mind (af Geijerstam)
    A6 (No No No)
    B1 It's All Right (Davies)
    B2 (Thinkin' Of You)
    B3 I Remember When I Loved Her (Argent)
    B4 Satisfaction (Jagger/Richards)
    B5 This Sporting Life (McGhee)
    B6 (Leave Me Be)

    LP by Ola & the Janglers

    So, the first LP by the Janglers. There are three originals, one of which was new to the album. However, compared with the other albums we've gone through so far, the covers here are much more interesting to me, as they show what (British) bands the Swedish music scene was taking notes from. As you can see, most of them are covers of contemporary groups.

    First out is a Rolling Stones track. The Janglers make it into a more poppy thing, but come away with most of their reputation intact. The sound is a bit thin, but this is a fine opener. We then move into a Kinks number, one of their strongest early recordings, and this time the Janglers don't quite get away with it. The instrumental backing needs a beefier sound. This is followed by another track from the Rolling Stones songbook, though this time not a Jagger/Richards original. "We Got A Good Thing Going" is an okay album track, but amounts to nothing special. At least the production is a bit stronger here.

    Next is a previously released (and discussed) track, but song no. 5 on the album is an absolute stonker. "Love Was on Your Mind" is probably the Janglers' most famous song. Claes af Geijerstam shows almost immediately what he could be capable of, and comes up with a track that's up there with any other mid 60s pop song. The instrumental interplay is wonderful. This is followed by an older track, and we've already talked about it previously, so let's move on to side two of the album.

    Which opens with another Kinks track. Again, the original smokes the Janglers' version (though I suppose I should applaud that the band tries something different during the verses here). I do think it was a misstep to put this as the side opener. "Love Was On Your Mind" should have been here instead. I guess if you've never heard the original - which most Swedish youngsters probably hadn't - then this is fine enough. The next track is another one we've previously discussed, and that is then followed by the first of two Zombies covers. This is a very atmospheric track in its original version, but the Janglers try gamely and actually make a credible pass at the song. The keyboard solo is good stuff.

    The covers so far on the album were all picked from well-known groups, but hardly any of their most well-known material. The next song is different, since it's arguably the Stones' most famous track. However, the Janglers' version is pretty darn good. They manage to approximate Keith Richards's guitar sound, and Ola Håkansson has some bite in his vocals. I'll always pick the original if I have to choose, but I'm impressed with this cover. The penultimate track is the only cover not from a British group. Still, it covers Ian Whitcomb, a British artist from the British Invasion, so I suppose it's from the same neighbourhood... Personally, I like the version by The Lovin' Spoonful the best. The Janglers' version is keyboard heavy, but Ola opted to go for a more talk-singing vocal, which doesn't really work for me. The album is then rounded off with another Zombies cover, which was taken from the previously released EP.

    Overall, I like this LP the best of the ones we've talked about so far. This is mostly down to the choice of material, not necessarily the performances, because on some tracks here the production is too thin and weedy. Another problem with the LP is that quite a lot of the material had been released beforehand. But overall this is a pretty good example of a 60s pop album. Well worth seeking out if you like that sort of thing.
     
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  2. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    December 1965 (cont'd)

    Should I (Stuart/Clyde)

    (I'll Never Quite Get Over You)

    Single by the Hep Stars - Kvällstoppen 2, Tio i topp 3

    The Hep Stars manage to squeeze in another single before the year is over. (What is it, their 56th single of the year?) They follow in the footsteps of their most recent single by covering a contemporary track - this one was released by Chad & Jeremy the same year. It's not really my type of song, but there is some catchiness to it. The tempo change towards the end of the song does give it some pep. (The B-side was previously released on the last album, so discussed there.)

    *****

    Your Mascots
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kt5kueSQVwZ09RJS7IZnwqCOaN_00CBTA

    A1 (Goodbye)
    A2 What Can I Do (Adolfsson/Forsslund/Idering/Ringbom)
    A3 Tip Of My Tongue (Lennon/McCartney)
    A4 My Very Best (Adolfsson/Forsslund/Idering/Ringbom)
    A5 (When I Return)
    A6 (A Sad Boy)
    B1 Stones Fell (Adolfsson/Forsslund/Idering/Ringbom)
    B2 From My Love (Adolfsson/Forsslund/Idering/Ringbom)
    B3 (For Him)
    B4 Too Much Monkey Business (Berry)
    B5 I Feel Ashamed (Adolfsson/Forsslund/Idering/Ringbom)
    B6 Walking With My Angel (Goffin/King)

    LP by the Mascots

    Another album with a whole slew of previously released tracks, a whopping six - no, seven - tracks in fact. At least three of them were released in somewhat alternative versions. What it does have is a whole lot of original tracks - only three covers!

    And whatever you say, "Goodbye" is certainly a strong track to begin on. This is followed by "What Can I Do", a track previously released in a Swedish version, "Lessen". As I said then, it's a moody track with exquisite harmonies. These two tracks get the album off to an excellent start. Track number three is one of the songs the Beatles gave away. I think the Mascots' version is stronger by far than the one released by Tommy Quickly. The song itself is a bit slight, but if it weren't for the Swedish accents, I wouldn't hold it against you if you thought this was actually the Beatles themselves doing it.

    Moving on, we get another moody, melancholy track in "My Very Best". The harmonies are conspicuous by their absence during the first verse, but the arrangement brings in some backing vocals as the tune goes on. This is thus far a very strong album. This album side is rounded out by two sides from the same single. Track five (the B-side) is the lesser of the two, while track six is another wonderful offering. Lots of melancholia, but huge harmonies and infectious melodies make this first side of the LP a winner.

    Can side two live up to the first one? Well, it starts off strongly with another two tracks from a previous single, albeit in different mixes. "Stones Fell" is the better of the two songs, but they're still both quite strong. And after that, the third track "For Him" is another previously released B-side (also pretty good).

    The last three tracks is where the album falls apart - at least to some extent. I don't think Chuck Berry tunes are the Mascots' forte. I like the song itself, but I've heard many better versions. The harmonica break is nice, but the vocals leave a bit to be desired at this tempo. (An alternative version of "Too Much Monkey Business", touted as a prospective single A-side, was added as a bonus track to the CD release of this album. It's got a much more interesting introduction with some interesting harmonizing, but otherwise I think it's the same track, though with different mixing choices.)

    Meanwhile, "I Feel Ashamed" has some country leanings and is nice enough, but has to settle for competing for the title "Worst original on the album". Fun, but fairly inconsequential. And that final Goffin/King cover is again fine enough, but suffers in comparison with the really strong material elsewhere on the album.

    There's really only one drawback to this LP, and that is the fact that so many songs had already been released before. There are only five totally new songs here, which is worse than the practices of American record companies back then. However, that's the only thing I can really complain about. As an album listening experience, this is one of the best beat group offerings I've ever heard, definitely up there with the best the British and Americans had to offer. And the fact that three quarters of the material was self-penned is a huge part of that. The Mascots know what they're good at, and they have the songwriting abilities to make the most of those strengths. This album is highly recommended.

    1965 has seen a great deal of development, and while I wasn't too complementary towards several of the LPs here towards the end, it's clear that the situation has improved a lot. And of course it's nice to see that we finish the year on a high. And yet, better things are still to come!
     
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  3. Manalishi

    Manalishi With the 2-pronged crown

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    I'm trying to think of the Swedish bands on the Nuggets II box. There were several songs on there I liked. Tages were on there IIRC.
     
  4. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    Only Tages and Mascots were represented there.

    There are two excellent box set compilations with Swedish 60s pop, for some weird reason sharing the same name though they were released about 20 years apart. They share some material, but it's not like the later one is an expanded edition of the older one.
    Various - Stora Popboxen - Svensk Pop 1964-1969
    Various - Stora Popboxen (Svensk Pop 1964-1969 Volume 1)
     
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  5. Manalishi

    Manalishi With the 2-pronged crown

    Location:
    New Hampshire
  6. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    Both are quite excellent, so any one of them you can find for a reasonable price.
     
  7. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    Early 1966

    The culmination of the Swedish 60s pop music scene, this would be the year when our five groups (as well as several other Swedish bands not discussed here) really showed their originality and class. Like their British counterparts, many would succumb to the mod influence, as we'll see over the course of this year's releases. And as psychedelia started getting a hold of the Anglo-Saxon music scene, so too would it make inroads into the Swedish repertoires as well.

    As these five bands had all released long players late in 1965, it's no wonder that there are no album releases until well into this year. But we'll have a slew of singles and stray tracks to go through before we get there, so not to worry!

    January 1966

    (Blue Feeling)
    Break Down (Bergman/Henriksson)


    Single by the Shanes - Kvällstoppen 6, Tio i topp 6

    The A-side had already been featured on the Shanegang album, but the B-side is new. It was provided to the band by producer Anders Henriksson and his regular writing partner, poet Thorstein Bergman. They handed a handful of tracks to the Shanes, and we'll see them provide Tages with a few tracks as well. This song is a sort of emulation of those doo-wop things that I don't have much time for. It's well-done, and I'll go so far as to say that I think the vocals actually sound a bit better than usual here. Maybe the producer had a bit more say in things as the song was also his?

    February 1966

    So Many Girls (Lagerberg)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCcObGqffEI
    I'm Mad (Jacobs)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlUJGfhiAlo

    Single by Tages - Kvällstoppen 5, Tio i topp 4

    The A-side here is a clear change of direction for the band with its inclusion of the recorder as a featured instrument. It's another (typically Swedish) melancholy, moody track. A lovely melody and excellent singing make this a winner. The B-side is less successful, IMO. A fairly generic 60s beat track apparently picked up from the British band the Shamrocks. It sounds professional but is hardly essential, unlike the A-side. (Though the instrumental break has a massive sound, which is cool.)
     
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  8. GoodKitty

    GoodKitty FloydM

    Location:
    Pacific
    I admit that I am following this thread because of my love for ABBA ....
    It has inspired me to dig out my only Hep Stars cd and give it many more plays this week, at least five! (I have a couple LPs too but I've never played them and they are in storage elsewhere.)

    [​IMG]


    I really wish that I had time to investigate and digest all of the knowledge and information that @christian42 is providing here .... I am very impressed by the effort you are making. :righton:
     
  9. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    As long as you just click the links I'm happy. ;)

    But seriously: No worries. I'm having fun doing it.
     
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  10. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    love The Mascots "I Want to Live"... above average lyrics from a non-native English language band... "we're holes in a piece of paper" indeed... methinks the narrator is contemplating suicide but can't quite go through with it...

     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2022
  11. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    but by far, my favorite Svenskbeat toon... legend has it the lead guitarist was plugged into not one but two fuzz boxes! The glorious Namelosers lay claim to the oft-covered Land of a Thousand Dances...

     
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  12. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    the compression on this is nuts... the drums are outrageous sounding...

     
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  13. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    March 1966

    Another busy month with several singles and stray tracks.

    I Don't Care, Babe (Grahn/Rautio/Sundqvist)

    I Like To Know (Sundqvist)

    Single by the Shanes - Did not chart

    Two originals on this single from the Shanes. I've not been able to find the B-side anywhere, so I won't comment on that. The A-side starts off strongly with a gritty keyboard intro and a strong vocal. The break changes the tempo, and then the song lurches back into the main melody. A pretty darn good track and definitely a step in the right direction for the Shanes. (Not chartwise, though.)

    *****

    "GOGO SKIVA 66"

    The Man You'll Be Looking For (Lagerberg) - Tages
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-O67kWJLEs
    My Mean Memory (af Geijerstam) - Ola & the Janglers
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDbIMSsEAQU

    Flexidisc

    This disc, featuring three tracks - the third was by fellow compatriots the Strangers - was released as a promotion vehicle for Swedish magazine Bildjournalen.

    The track from Tages is really good. It sounds like the Who may have inspired some of the sound here - there's some very prominent bass playing, and the vocal arrangement is excellent. It's a shame that the track was buried on a release such as this one. As for the Janglers' contribution, it's not bad either. While not up to the strengths of "The Man You'll Be Looking For", it still shows that Clabbe af Geijerstam had what it took to supply the band with original material. A pretty tight performance which is only lacking a strong melody, IMO.

    *****

    Woman (Argent)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTEcJfrd7Vs
    Meet Me (Forsslund/Ringbom)

    Single by the Mascots - Did not chart

    For some reason - chasing chart action, perhaps? If so, it didn't help - the Mascots chose to rely on a cover for their next single A-side. In this case it's another Zombies track, but nowhere near their best. The original itself is pretty generic and the Mascots don't really improve on matters. I mean, it's fine and all, but compared with what they'd already achieved this does feel a bit lacklustre, with the exception of the guitar break which is pretty wild. The B-side is an original, and much more interesting. I don't think it's A-side material, so I can understand its placement here, but it's got that sweet melancholy beat. The vocal arrangement is simpler than usual, most of the song is a solo lead vocal. I like it better than its flip side, but this is a bit of a step down from previous offerings. Sadly, this B-side doesn't seem to be on YouTube.

    *****

    Sunny Girl (Andersson)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4-EXjakTD0
    Hawaii (Wilson)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-fh6lx7WXE

    Single by the Hep Stars - Kvällstoppen 1, Tio i topp 1

    By now, Benny Andersson had started writing a lot more songs, and this track is one of the cornerstones of Swedish 60s music. It's another one of those quintessentially Swedish melancholy arrangements, and has a wonderful melody. The baroque instrumental arrangements suit it to a T - just listen to that harpsichord. It's only marred by an at times horribly bad English lyric which shows that Benny didn't really have a full grasp of the language and explains why later on he'd rely on collaborations. No matter, this is a top track. The B-side shows an influence which we haven't been introduced to before - sunshine harmony songs. The Hep Stars will later record a whole album of this type of material, but we'll get there. This Beach Boys classic is handled with aplomb. The original is the real deal, but this is a pretty respectable first attempt. Taken at perhaps too fast a clip, the main problem here is the tinny backing track.
     
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  14. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    Spring 1966

    Moving along into the spring months, there's another bunch of singles and suchlike before we get to the next album. Still, there's a lot of respectable, if not excellent, stuff in this post as well.

    April 1966

    Expressens drömband

    Long Tall Shorty (Covai/Abramson) - Tages


    Flexidisc

    This release was a one-off from Swedish newspaper Expressen who let its readers vote for their favourite musicians on the Swedish scene and then featured songs from the bands the lucky winners belonged to. Tages was represented both by their drummer Freddie Skantze and singer Tommy Blom and were thus allowed to feature a track on this release. (The Shanes are also on this disc due to their bass player Svante Elfgren and singer Lennart Grahn, but with a previously released track: "Blue Feeling".) "Long Tall Shorty" is a bit of an anachronism, hailing from those EP sessions in May 1965, so it was almost one year old at the time of release. It sort of shows. The playing is a bit rudimentary, and while Göran Lagerberg gets into it with his vocal the whole thing just plods along.

    *****

    Donna Donna (Secunda)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPwGdSjb3lU
    Come And Stay With Me (de Shannon)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXi_gy30zAc

    Single by Ola & the Janglers - Kvällstoppen 19, Tio i topp DNC

    "Donna Donna" is one of those songs I shouldn't really like, but when I do listen to it, I find myself enjoying it a lot. This might be my favourite version of the song. It's got a beautiful baroque arrangement with harpsichord and an acoustic guitar. As you'll see, I'm a sucker for this sound. The B-side was originally released by Marianne Faithfull one year before this single, and I guess that's where Ola found it. It's another good, if a tad undistinguished, performance from the lads, but the song itself doesn't do much for me. Fine for a B-side, nothing more.

    May 1966

    I'll Be Doggone (Robinson/Moore/Tarplin)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1CpLtKCW9s
    Hitch Hike (Stevenson/Paul/Gaye)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVfKJBobLlk

    Single by Tages - Kvällstoppen 10, Tio i topp 7

    If you need proof that the Mod bug had bitten Tages, here's where you'll find some early evidence. And just compare the sound of this Motown cover with "Long Tall Shorty", and you'll see how far Tages had come in just a year of recording and playing together. Motown songs can leave me hot and cold, but this song really gets me going. The guitar riff is excellent, and since Lagerberg's vocals are even stronger here, this is a total winner for me. The B-side is a song I don't like as much, though Tages do a pretty fine job with it. The harmonica break is particularly good. I'm less impressed with the "hitch hike" backing vocals...

    *****

    Nobody Crying (Forsslund/Ringbom)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qsRPXZvADI
    We Should Realize (Adolfsson/Idering)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYn_sTIm4rw

    Single by the Mascots - Did not chart

    Compared with the heavier material from Tages, this sounds much less forceful. However, the Mascots have a way with melodies, and of course the vocal arrangements are excellent as always. With this single, I might prefer the B-side, as the A-side sounds a bit unconvincing as an attempt at an uptempo song, while "We Should Realize" belongs to that melancholy vein that the Mascots mined so well (and has a lovely cod Gregorian harmony in the middle of the song). While this isn't the band's best single, it's still a very solid offering, and definitely a step up from their last single.

    *****

    Wedding (Andersson/Hedlund)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIzLHBMZTqg
    When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again (Walker/Sullivan)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPlsSCsmSKQ

    Single by the Hep Stars - Kvällstoppen 1, Tio i topp 1

    Benny continues his foray into baroque pop with this song that he co-wrote with fellow bandmate Svenne Hedlund. It's a bit of a copy of their previous, excellent single "Sunny Girl", but if you're going to copy yourself, why not copy the excellent stuff? A great keyboard intro leading into a strong vocal with a memorable melody. A very good follow-up. The B-side is a throwback to the days when the Hep Stars relied on 50s material, though of course the song was actually written in the early 40s! But I'll bet the farm on the Hep Stars finding it on Elvis's second album. And as I'm sure you've guessed, this is not for me at all. There's a deceptive keyboard intro, but as soon as the main song starts I check out. Oh dear me, there's whistling as well.
     
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  15. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    June 1966

    So, we've had a couple of months without any album releases, but that's rectified this month. Because there are three albums released by our guys, with another one following in the next one. I guess no one can accuse the management of these bands of colluding in order to allow the customers a steady release schedule to spend their money on.

    Shanes Again
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_krt3MS9AI7KB2upFy3Ku-_Q6rBT0rYPSA

    A1 Why Should I Cry (Sundqvist)
    A2 Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Ellington/Russell)
    A3 Dreamgirl (Sundqvist)
    A4 The Game Of Love (Ballard)
    A5 Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo (Kaper/Deutsch)
    A6 Justine (Terry/Harris)
    B1 When Love Is Gone (Henderson)
    B2 Lonely Boy (Anka)
    B3 Leavin' (Bergman/Henriksson)
    B4 Lucky Ladybug (Crewe/Slay)
    B5 I Love The Way You Walk (Smith)
    B6 Sha La La La Lee (Lynch/Shuman)

    LP by the Shanes

    So, the third album by the Shanes. As you might see from the writing credits, this is a bit of a hodgepodge with just two originals from Sundqvist and one track gifted from producer Henriksson.

    The album starts out with one of Sundqvist's offerings, "Why Should I Cry". To me, this is a bit of a step down from their previous single A-side. It's not all that strong an opener. His other song, "Dreamgirl", is more interesting. Another typically melancholy Swedish pop song with a softer arrangement featuring a fairly buried harpsichord. Although the melody doesn't do much for me, I'd have liked to see more of this kind of stuff. "Leavin'", the track that they received from their producer, is also similar with a baroque string arrangement, and is a clear highlight here.

    The rest of the album is a mélange of 50s style R&B music and contemporary pop. This latter style would account for more and more of the Shanes' recorded output as time passed. Let's first take a look at the 50s covers, though. Track 2 is that Ellington perennial, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (written in the 40s, but this version is obviously styled from all those 50s covers). It's actually a bit tamer than I'd expect, the Shanes weren't ashamed of rocking out a fair bit on their covers. Not the strongest of covers. "Justine" also belongs to this category. This has a bit more pep to it and is a pretty fun cover. "Lonely Boy" isn't as good. It sounds pretty professional - I will admit that this LP is the best the Shanes have ever sounded in the studio, there's very little of that trademark sloppiness here - but the song itself is pretty weak, and I don't think the Shanes had any real chance to improve on it.

    So, moving on to the contemporary pop songs. There are three or six of them, depending on how you count, and you probably recognise several of the songwriters here - and their songs! Let's start of with "Game of Love", fairly recently done by Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders. This version sounds very similar to Fontana's, so you might as well go with that one. It's an okay cover, but there's nothing special with this one. "When Love Is Gone" is a bit out of left field compared to the other contemporary covers. This is a track by the Soulmates, and is done in a similar style to the other pop covers here. The vocals are pretty strong (never thought I'd be able to say that about a Shanes song), unlike the song itself. "Sha La La La Lee" is another catchy song, but in the Small Faces version it did have a bit of a bite. This version is obviously styled on that one, but the Shanes didn't have Steve Marriott as lead vocalist. And the backing is again a bit tame, which doesn't do the song any favours.

    There are three songs remaining, and they are in fact sort of a cross between the last two categories. They're 50s songs, recently remade by 60s groups into sounding just like the other empty pop songs here. First we have "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo". This is quite obviously styled on the Manfred Mann version and sounds just like the type of pop songs Mann would release as A-sides. It's catchy as flu, but the arrangement leaves a little to be desired. It's quite sparse and the beat just plods along.

    "Lucky Ladybug" is complete nonsense, the worst kind of pop throwaway. The Shanes treat it just about as seriously as it deserves, with silly handclaps and a bit of accordion in the arrangement. Finally, there's "Dimples" by John Lee Hooker, though instead of covering the original blues song, the Shanes have chosen the inferior rip-off "I Love The Way You Walk", as released by Tony Rivers & the Castaways. The song itself is fun, but it leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth when credits aren't assigned correctly.

    So, a bit of a mixed bag there, as you see. On the plus side: The Shanes do sound good overall here, there's none of that sloppiness and raggedy backing vocals that we've grown accustomed to. There's also a couple of tracks that stand out - the baroque "Leavin'" and "Dreamgirl" mainly. On the minus side: The album is all over the place. If you like variation, then this is an album for you. However, the material chosen leaves a lot to be desired, and the move into covering 60s "professional" pop might have been necessary due to the dearth of strong songwriters in the band, but it doesn't always make for interesting listening. The production also sometimes lets the band down - there are a couple of tracks where the arrangement sounds fairly tame, which is also new for the Shanes.
     
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  16. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    June 1966 (cont'd)

    Patterns
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n9tN7FlEE8RRguRFDYnoX7Zc1V9SiTGQo

    A1 I Need To Sing (af Geijerstam)
    A2 (Donna Donna)
    A3 Don't Turn Your Back (de Shannon)
    A4 Can't You Feel (af Geijerstam)
    A5 Everything's Alright (James/Karlson/Staveley/Crouch/Conrad)
    A6 La La La (Paul)
    B1 That's When (af Geijerstam)
    B2 It Ain't Me Babe (Dylan)
    B3 I Can Only Give You Everything (Scott/Coulter)
    B4 Not In My Life (af Geijerstam)
    B5 (Come And Stay With Me)
    B6 Blow My Blues Away (Leeman)

    LP by Ola & the Janglers

    The second album by the Janglers starts off strongly, with a jangly(!) original courtesy of Clabbe af Geijerstam. A strong melody with some powerful backing. This is followed by the previously released A-side "Donna Donna", giving a bit of contrast. "Don't Turn Your Back" keeps the momentum going and returns us to some more jangle pop. It's a strong Jackie DeShannon cover with some interesting instrumental touches. Perhaps not as strong as the first two tracks, but a solid album track.

    Clabbe returns with "Can't You Feel". This is a bit of a pot-boiler - not as distinguished as the previous tracks but sort of keeps the album going. The keyboard solo from Olsson is pretty cool. Then it's back to a cover, this time a song by the Mojos. Apparently David Bowie liked it too, covering it on his Pin-Ups album. I like it as well - it's got a good riff and a memorable melody. Another solid album track. Side 1 is closed out by Clarence Paul's "La La La", which seems like a fitting side closer. It rocks along at a good pace with its fuzz guitar and solid beat.

    Side two kicks off with another af Geijerstam original. This is a bit jauntier, which I guess is a good quality for a side opener. It's a pretty solid track, if perhaps a bit too repetitive. And then we're off to Dylan-land with one of his better known tunes. I'm not so sure about this one. There are more than 100 cover versions of this tune, so I don't know if the Janglers based their own version on one of them, but it doesn't sound like any of the versions I've heard at least. To be honest, I prefer the Turtles' version. Next we have a Them track picked out by Ola Håkansson, "I Can Only Give You Everything". While Ola can't really match Van Morrison's vocals, this is otherwise a pretty faithful cover which brings back that cool fuzz guitar. If you already have the original, there's nothing essential here, but otherwise this is a fine track.

    The final quarter of the album kicks of with one last number by Clabbe. This also seems to be his first song that plays up that Swedish melancholia with minor chords and whatnot. Of his four offerings to this album, this is my favourite. A lovely melody with acoustic backing. Next is the previously released B-side "Come And Stay With Me", which only leaves the closer. "Blow My Blues Away" features cool falsetto backing vocals, and the Janglers make this fairly obscure Mark Leeman cover into their own. A strong ending.

    This is a pretty solid album overall. Claes af Geijerstam is coming into his own as a composer, providing at least two of the highlights of the album. The band is overall quite solid and there are good instrumental ideas all over the place. A continued step in the right direction.
     
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  17. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    June 1966 (cont'd)

    Ellpee
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m5mlf62ry2d1QW_Gdcrk9m36XjRsZF5yY

    A1 The Winner (Forsslund/Ringbom)
    A2 This Proud Crowd (Ringbom)
    A3 I Close Your Eyes (Adolfsson/Idering)
    A4 Things Are Turning Out (Forsslund/Ringbom)
    A5 Every Way I Think Of You (Ringbom)
    A6 Droopy Drops (Adolfsson/Idering)
    A7 (Nobody Crying)
    B1 Did You Ever Think (Ringbom)
    B2 I Won't Let You Down (Ringbom)
    B3 That's You (Forsslund/Ringbom)
    B4 I Want To Live (Adolfsson/Idering/Ringbom)
    B5 I Don't Like You (Adolfsson/Idering)
    B6 This Time Girl (Adolfsson/Idering)
    B7 A Different Mind (Forsslund/Ringbom)

    LP by the Mascots

    This is the first (and one of only two in this thread, I think) album to feature only original songs. A great achievement by the lads, and therefore it's baffling that it turned out to be their last album as well. And as there's only one previously released track on the album, we've got a whopping 13 new originals to look forward to!

    "The Winner" gets the album going with some jagged guitars and a pretty strident vocal. While not the harmonic gold that the Mascots had made into their own, it's still a really good track. As a contrast, "This Proud Crowd", the second track finds Ringbom in a Dylan mode with a simple acoustic backing and some social observation. Lovely stuff. We just as quickly return to those distorted guitars for track three. While a step down from the first two tracks, it's still a worthwhile listen. Is this possibly Adolfsson's first lead vocal? The halfway point of side one arrives with "Things Are Turning Out", which sounds very novelty-ish with its tinkly piano and kazoo solo. It's got an infectious tempo and a cheery melody so I still like it a lot.

    Another Ringbom solo credit on track five, and we're back in melancholy mode. This is less successful than his previous solo outing. There's some vocal histrionics that turn me off, which is a shame as I think there's a pretty nice song in here somewhere. We're continuing in a not too serious mode with "Droopy Drops", flamenco guitar and all. The melody here is more memorable, so to me this is a step up. The first album side closes with the previously released A-side "Nobody Crying".

    Side two kicks off with another two solo credits for Stefan Ringbom. "Did You Ever Think" sounds a lot like the Mascots of old, a melancholy melody with lots of minor chords. The drumming is a bit intrusive, but this is a really good opener. This is followed by "I Won't Let You Down", which wears its Beatle influences on its sleeves, but it also features a lot of backing vocals which is welcome as this hasn't been as prominent thus far on the album. A bit on the generic side, but an okay album track.

    With Anders Forsslund added on the credits, "That's You" continues Ringbom's streak of credits. This is one of the highlights on the album with a gorgeous baroque backing and a gentle vocal. Absolutely wonderful. "I Want To Live" moves us into the home stretch, and this couldn't sound more different from its predecessor if it tried. A bit of a rockabilly riff and a fast tempo married to an engaging melody make it another strong track. The distorted guitar solo comes almost out of left field - makes it all sound a bit psychedelic.

    Track five on side 2 is another track that sounds very much like a novelty, though I think the lyrics are actually more serious than that. The dichotomy is a bit jarring to me, and Rolf Adolfsson's extremely nasal vocal in the middle eight doesn't help matters either. There's some sort of good song in here somewhere, but again the band have botched things up. "This Time Girl" is a return to the beat music of yore. It's a fine little album track, nothing to get too excited about. The closing track, "A Different Mind", features another jaunty riff and an excellent melody with a weaving vocal arrangement that makes it one of the highlights of the album.

    The band has sort of splintered into two different songwriting pairs here. Overall, I favour the Ringbom/Forsslund pairing, mainly because I'm not sure about Adolfsson's vocals - there's some quality in his singing that turns me off a bit. But it's truly impressive that they managed to create a whole album from scratch without any outside help, and a lot of the songs here are really good. Overall, I think it's on a par with their first album, but as that featured a lot of previously released singles I still think this one has the edge. So, another highly recommended album.
     
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  18. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    July 1966

    2
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nAYxO0HqRql1BoWYK4-fdUSGU7xfBVwVU

    A1 Dancing In The Street (Stevenson/Gaye/Hunter)
    A2 I Still Remember (Blom/Lagerberg/Larsson/Töpel/Skantze)
    A3 Guess Who (Blom/Lagerberg/Larsson/Töpel/Skantze)
    A4 Get Out Of My Life, Woman (Toussaint)
    A5 Jealous Girl (Mills/Weske)
    A6 In My Dreams (Blom/Lagerberg/Larsson/Töpel)
    B1 Crazy 'Bout My Baby (Mosley)
    B2 I Got You (I Feel Good) (Brown)
    B3 Dirty Mind (Blom/Lagerberg/Larsson/Töpel/Skantze)
    B4 Those Rumours (Blom/Lagerberg/Larsson/Töpel/Skantze)
    B5 Leaving Here (Holland/Dozier/Holland)
    B6 Go (Blom/Lagerberg/Larsson/Töpel/Skantze)

    LP by Tages

    Half originals, half covers, this is the album where Tages went Mod. There's some Motown, some soul music and a whole lot of horns. The original songs are credited to the entire band, but I think in most cases it's possible to guess who was the main writer. This is also the album where Tages switched drummers. Original drummer Freddie Skantze was a few years older than the rest of the guys and had grown tired of the hectic touring life, so he gave his notice shortly before the sessions for this LP. The band quickly found a replacement in Tommy Tausis, who's featured on almost half the album. With Tausis, they also got a fine singer to round out their vocal arrangements.

    The album kicks off with one of those perennial Motown numbers, "Dancing In The Street". It's a good opener with Lagerberg and Tausis duetting strongly. It does have a very cheesy keyboard intro, but don't let that turn you off. While this isn't my preferred version, it still gets the toes tapping. The second number I imagine is a mainly Larsson penned track, with some heavy influence from the Beatles. It's a melodic track with a double tracked Larsson, who also handles the plinky piano, and Tausis on the skins. Nice! And if the second track sounds a lot like the Beatles, the third track gives away where the influence came from already with its title! Yeah, this is a Who track in thin disguise. Skantze does his best Keith Moon impression and Lagerberg yelps away on what is probably mainly his song. The rave-up in the middle is yet another nod to Townshend & Co.

    Tausis returns to the kit for the fourth track which is another soul cover with Lagerberg wailing away. He's quickly becoming the band's most reliable singer. The song itself is one I like quite a bit. Larsson's keyboards sound much better here than on "I Still Remember". With "Jealous Girl", on the other hand, it took a while before I warmed to it. This Johnny Kidd & the Pirates song has an attention grabbing guitar riff and another duet by Lagerberg and Tausis. Really excellent. The first side of the album is rounded off with a track that was also culled as an A-side, released the same month. "In My Dreams" was originally a Tommy Blom song before producer Anders Henriksson tinkered with the middle eight and the rest of the band added a final verse. Another typically Swedish song with its moody arrangement probably taking its cue from the previous Tages A-side with its prominent woodwind. That's Skantze on the bongos, by the way. Another excellent song.

    Side two kicks off with something that sounds suspiciously like a Mellotron sample, but I don't know if they had actually been introduced at this time, particularly in Sweden. So if that flamenco guitar intro is genuine, then I'm very impressed. No matter, it leads into an infectious riff and another excellent Lagerberg/Tausis duet. This is another cover of the soul variety, though I think it's quite possible that Tages picked it up from the Swinging Blue Jeans who released their own version one year before. Next is that ubiquitous James Brown track, "I Got You". With Skantze drumming, Tommy Blom takes the vocals here, but his voice is less suited to this type of material than Lagerberg's. Otherwise, this is a respectable cover. Another original follows this track - "Dirty Mind", which is probably mainly written by Lagerberg and Töpel. They double on the vocals, with Skantze behind the kit again, and while the sound is pretty tinny compared with some of those beefy soul tracks, this change in style actually works in its favour, so even though it feels a bit slight it fits pretty nicely here in the album.

    Another original follows - this is probably another Lagerberg track, perhaps with some Larsson involvement? The former sings this poppy number where Skantze's drums are very prominent. Another track that's destined to fill out an album, but engaging enough that it holds its own. The penultimate track brings us back to Motown, and Tages acquit themselves well on this track which probably was on every Mod group's repertoire. Blom's vocals work better here than on the James Brown cover, and while the song itself hardly is a favourite of mine, it's a solid performance. (Skantze drums again.) The final track is a quintessential Swedish minor concoction with its baroque arrangement with harpsichord and acoustic guitars. A wonderful song, though not a typical album closer. This is the only track to feature both Tausis and Skantze. The former sings backing vocals while the latter plays the bongos.

    This is also a strong album, an incredible improvement on their debut where the covers seemed perfunctory and a bit lacklustre. Here, the soul influence is clear and strong and Tages are up there with the best Mod groups in Britain in their interpretation of this material. And their originals are on the whole very good - I'd argue that at least three of them - "I Still Remember", "In My Dreams" and "Go" are highlights here.

    And now you're wondering, if the other four bands released albums in mid '66, where are the Hep Stars? Well, they committed one of their first faux pas. They released a single in Swedish - "I natt jag drömde" b/w "Jag vet" - and unfortunately this became a massive hit, which led to them having hits on Svensktoppen, the chart for songs sung in Swedish. And that tainted them, not only for me and my stocky ways, but even then, youngsters didn't really like bands "going Swedish", because it generally meant that they were a bit safe and not rock'n'roll enough. We'll get back to this later on. (However, commercially this was a great decision since the non-English speaking part of the public was much larger than the English speaking part.) Anyway, you'll be cheered to hear that the Hep Stars will return to their regular English speaking material.
     
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  19. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    Autumn 1966

    Since early summer had been busy with several album releases, it's no wonder that things got a bit quieter over the next few months. But there were still a few singles being released and those are the ones we'll talk about in this post.

    September 1966

    Poetry In Motion (Anthony/Kaufman)

    We've Got A Groovey Thing Goin' (Simon)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kNPjPwAD5Y

    Single by Ola & the Janglers - Kvällstoppen 7, Tio i topp 1

    Ola and the lads rock this A-side up quite a bit with a heavily featured fuzz guitar. A nod to the slowly burgeoning psychedelic scene? As this is another one of those 50s doo-wop style pop songs, it's not a favourite of mine. I suppose the guys still didn't have full confidence in af Geijerstam's composing abilities. He'll prove them wrong soon. The B-side is a better song, if not Paul Simon's strongest composition. The fuzz guitar is invited to this party as well, though here the keyboard is more of a lead instrument. A pretty interesting arrangement with Ola coming in quite late with his vocals. I'll give the original the edge, but this is definitely worth a listen or two.

    October 1966

    Can I Trust You (Remigi/Vance/Snyder)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkLtDKV68YU
    Like Before (Sundqvist/Grahn)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SYJOoMvkMY

    Single by the Shanes - Kvällstoppen 5, Tio i topp 7

    The A-side is another one of those "empty calorie" pop songs churned out by the dozens by different songsmiths, in this case the Italian Memo Remigi, but the treatment given to it by the band elevates it from those run of the mill covers we got on the previous album. This is probably the first truly psychedelic track we've come across in this thread, and whatever its origins, this is a great listen with its keyboard heavy arrangement. Just like they did on their recent album, the group take some care with their vocals and sound really good here. The B-side is an original, and has a similar sound, though is more of a popsike track. Another good one, which makes this the best release by the Shanes thus far.

    *****

    (Things Are Turning Out)
    The Girl That You Are (Forsslund/Ringbom)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITxMTpH7DC4

    Single by the Mascots - Did not chart

    The Mascots make a somewhat strange choice when culling a song from their album to use as a single A-side... However, the B-side is a very strong track that would have improved said LP if included there. A strong melody with an interesting introductory guitar line.

    *****

    Consolation (Andersson)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaPcr_RftsY
    Don't (Leiber/Stoller)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKUbZAxg0Eg

    Single by the Hep Stars - Kvällstoppen 1, Tio i topp 2

    The A-side is said to be Benny Andersson's second ever composition, one he was never truly satisfied with. Which just shows that sometimes the artists are their own worst critics, because this is another very strong A-side from Benny's pen. It's a sort of cross between psychedelia and baroque pop, leaning heavily into those Swedish melancholy chords. The B-side stands in stark contrast as it's yet another nod to the Hep Stars' true love - 50s rock music. It does have an arrangement that sounds like an early Brian Wilson production, but ultimately this ballad doesn't really go anywhere. But the A-side is worth the price of admission!
     
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  20. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    November 1966

    Yay, another Tages LP!

    Miss Mac Baren (Blom/Lagerberg/Larsson/Töpel/Tausis)

    Get Up An' Get Goin' (Bergman/Henriksson)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI8-wlV_2CQ

    Single by Tages - Kvällstoppen 1, Tio i topp 4

    Extra Extra
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kyxBJSP24_ajcuY0D4tZUnOrqLf13xxGc

    A1 Mohair Sam (Frazier)
    A2 Secret Room (Blom)
    A3 Gone Too Far (Lagerberg)
    A4 (Get Up An' Get Goin')
    A5 Mustang Sally (Ryce)
    A6 Howlin' For My Baby (Dixon/Burnett)
    B1 Friday On My Mind (Vanda/Young)
    B2 True Fine Woman (Lagerberg)
    B3 Ride Your Pony (Toussaint)
    B4 One Red, One Yellow, One Blue (Blom/Töpel)
    B5 Understanding (Marriott/Lane)
    B6 Extra (Henriksson/Larsson)

    LP by Tages

    The single was apparently a true band collaboration, simply because the record company needed a new single to accompany the album they were about to release, and the band had to scramble over the day to get something together to record. And I'd say they succeeded admirably. It's another one of those infectious mid 60s pop songs, with some sweet production touches - particularly that intro with a bunch of piano strings being played like a harp.

    The accompanying LP didn't contain the A-side, but the B-side on the other hand is here. The album is a mix of the previous one's soul/Mod leanings and quite a few forays into psychedelia. The originals vs. covers quote is still just about the same, with the band penning five songs and also receiving one from producer Anders Henriksson, and the other six made up of covers, mainly of the soul variety.

    The album kicks off with "Mohair Sam" which is a bit of a novelty, but Tages kick it into becoming a pretty great opener. It drives along at a pretty quick tempo with fun backing vocals. The first original is Blom's "Secret Room" which starts off strongly with backwards drums and a lyric which would never be allowed on the BBC at that time... The middle eight nudges the song into excellence with its jangly piano in the background. And then Lagerberg continues the strong streak with a very peaceful tune about a relationship gone wrong. The baroque arrangement with celesta and triangle is just beautiful. Göran's weary vocals are just icing on the cake.

    The second half of side one is dedicated to soul stompers. First is the track that was also culled as the B-side to "Miss Mac Baren". It's a great pastiche of the genre by Henriksson and his most regular songwriting partner Thorstein Bergman, and Lagerberg belts out the lyrics with gusto. Blom joins in for the middle eight. We then continue into Tages' version of "Mustang Sally". It's another strong Göran Lagerberg vocal, but I've heard better versions - I'm not entirely sure of the backing arrangement. Still, it does continue the string of appealing songs. There's a little surprise at the end - another nod towards psychedelia? The first album side is then rounded off by an older blues track by Howlin' Wolf released in various incarnations and with differing titles. Tages turn it into another soul stomper with Tommy Blom handling the vocals. A fine guitar solo elevates the track. A fine album track.

    The second side starts with another strong 60s pop song, in this case borrowed from the Easybeats. It's fairly faithful to the original, so if you've already heard that one the Tages version doesn't really bring much new to the table. A good song, though. The next track is Lagerberg trying to write one of his beloved soul songs. Of all the originals, this is probably my least favourite. Göran does his usual strong vocal work, but I don't feel the song is quite up to scratch. Not a favourite for me, but it's still an okay album track. "Ride Your Pony" follows it, and it's another brassy song, this time with Blom back behind the microphone. This is a fun song with Lagerberg and Tausis helping out in the vocal department.

    Then we have a song by Blom and Töpel which is another foray into psychedelia. The writers handle the singing as well, but the main draw of the song is the atmospheric arrangement with producer Henriksson on the organ. Lagerberg then gets one final chance to use his soul voice in their cover of the Small Faces "Understanding". As usual with their contemporary covers, it doesn't offer a whole lot of difference from the original which probably means that you're best off listening to that one. If on the off chance you haven't heard it, then you'll probably enjoy this pseudo soul rocker a lot. The album ends with its most out and out psychedelic song, created by Larsson and Henriksson. It's the producer himself who handles the majority of the vocals, with Larsson coming in for the middle eight (if you can call it that when he just sings "la la la"). I don't really want to compare it to "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles, because it's not really the same kind of song, but this song must have surprised the listeners of this album in the same way as that track did the Revolver listeners. A very interesting track.

    Tages have created another strong album here, and their psychedelic songs show a lot of promise. If you're not a fan of soul music, you probably won't have as much fun with this album as I do, but you should at least recognise the strong musical work by the group members. A very good album indeed.

    With this album, we also say farewell to the band's second drummer, Tommy Tausis. He never felt completely comfortable in the band, being a natural introvert in a group of extroverts, and therefore decided to go on in his career, instead joining the Spotnicks.
     
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  21. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    November 1966 (cont'd)

    Lime Light
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k5Z65Aznrzjbz7Yxa6qqigwb-MiCeHoI4

    A1 Light Of Lime (af Geijerstam)
    A2 Mary Come Home (af Geijerstam)
    A3 Now I Like Her (af Geijerstam/Olsson)
    A4 No One Knows What Happens 'Round The Corner (af Geijerstam)
    A5 How Come (af Geijerstam/Olsson)
    A6 (Poetry In Motion)
    B1 Alex Is The Man (af Geijerstam)
    B2 Chained And Bound (Redding)
    B3 Our Love (af Geijerstam)
    B4 Bird's Eye View Of You (af Geijerstam)
    B5 Heart (af Geijerstam/Olsson)
    B6 (We've Got A Groovey Thing Goin')

    LP by Ola & the Janglers

    If the autumn single didn't show the boys brimming with confidence in their resident songwriter, this album rectifies matters as apart from aforementioned single, which is dutifully included here, there's just one single cover on the album, while the rest are af Geijerstam originals, though with some help from keyboardist Olsson here and there.

    The album starts with the pseudo title track. It's a busy track instrumentally which rocks enough to get you into the mood for the album. Ola yelps away over the coda. A fine opener, though better is yet to come. For example with track two, which is a beautiful soft ballad with a very baroque arrangement. It sounds like there's a harpsichord as well as an acoustic guitar over the bongos. The third track, where Johannes Olsson gets a co-write, is a strong uptempo pop number to contrast the previous track. A memorable melody continues the album's momentum.

    With track four we turn the corner into psychedelia with sitars and "deep" lyrics. It's a bit kitschy, but I happen to like this type of music so it gets a big thumbs-up from me. An Olsson co-credit appears on "How Come" as well, which got a bit of a soul touch to it. It's an okay track, I guess, but probably the weakest one so far on the album. The final number on side one is the previously released A-side.

    Side two starts off with another highlight. In my mind I always lump "Alex Is The Man" together with Tages' "Miss Mac Baren", because they're both great examples of mid 60s pop, and they've both got that special intro to get things going. The jaunty backing is embellished with an excellent vocal from Ola Håkansson and funny bass vocals in the background. A very strong song. The "new" cover on the album is Otis Redding's "Chained and Bound", which shows that the Janglers too were noticing the mod trends over in Britain. In this case it's one of those big soul ballads unlike the brassy soul pop of Tages' soul forays. This type is less interesting to me, but I do think that the boys handle themselves well with the material. We return to Clabbe's originals with "Our Love", which is another poppy thing with prominent keyboards. It also offers some variation from the previous track and moves the album along in a good way.

    As does "Bird's Eye View Of You", which is another highlight of the album. Af Geijerstam had really learned the knack of creating memorable pop tunes by this time. This is a slower song with more focus on melody and a fairly sparse arrangement featuring a harpsichord. The final original, again a co-write with Olsson, is a ballad which changes tempo a bit towards the end of each verse. This is my least favourite of the originals here. The album closes with the B-side from the previous single.

    Ola & the Janglers continue to improve with each new album. They've got a strong songwriter in Claes af Geijerstam who contributes two or three absolute classics on this album. There are admittedly a couple of tracks that just kinda sit there, but there's no embarrassing material here. A strong mid 60s pop album, recommended for anyone who likes this type of music.
     
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  22. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    What a great thread. I just read the whole thing. Congratulations.
     
  23. Wright

    Wright Forum Resident

    Why are they still doing doo-wop well into 1966? The ’50s never went away in Sweden?
     
  24. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    We do seem to have a bit of a 50s fetish in this country. Artists like Jerry Williams and the Boppers were very successful with their retro sound as late as the 1990s.
     
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  25. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    December 1966

    The final month of the year sees a slew of releases, all of which are recommended. We start off with an EP and a single in this post, and then the Hep Stars finally release their 1966 LP this month as well. But that's for the next post.

    A1 Let Me Tell Yah' (Bergman/Henriksson)

    A2 You Gotta Tell Me (Sundqvist/Grahn)
    B1 Too Much For Me (Sundqvist/Grahn)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okr_Z618MqQ
    B2 I Wanna Go Bowlin' (Sundqvist/Grahn)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spnAzhKFKIA

    EP by the Shanes - Kvällstoppen 17, Tio i topp 7

    This is the only non-single by the Shanes to only feature original material, if we count songs specially written for the band as "originals". The overall mood is somewhat psychedelic, something the Shanes would largely leave for their B-sides from here on.

    The first song is quite silly with a very childish organ sound. It certainly has the air of a kiddie song. I wonder why this was chosen as the opener. The rest of the songs on the EP come from the partnership of Lennart Grahn and Kit Sundqvist. The first of their three tracks is a pretty straight pop song, though it sounds as if their producer managed to sneak in and add a celesta overdub. This is a stronger song, and would have worked much better as the opener. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to find it on YouTube.

    The flip-side of the EP opens with what might be the closest we'll get to freakbeat in this thread. The Shanes pull out all the stops and the fuzz guitar drives things along nicely. A hot guitar solo and a vocal that's mixed far back makes them sound like a garage band. Good stuff! The final track's lyrics mark it too as a novelty piece, but at least the band treat it more like a real song. If the lyrics are a bit silly, the rest of the track makes up for that.

    With this EP, the Shanes continue their hot streak. We've not really seen this side of them on their albums so far, so it's really nice to see them stretch themselves. That Grahn and Sundqvist managed to come up with these songs (and the one on the previous single) sort of begs the question why they didn't try harder to incorporate their own material on their albums.

    *****

    Since You Broke My Heart (Adolfsson/Idering)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcnyxt5Qw1g
    (Droopy Drops)

    Single by the Mascots - Did not chart

    This is a really good track, with Adolfsson doing his best to emulate the soul greats. The melody is memorable and it's got a strong hook. Should have been a hit. The B-side is from their latest LP, but they really should have used the A-side on the album instead. A good single, and their final release on Decca.
     
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