A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 1: 3 POLITICAL SINGLES

Three political various artists singles with a strong local flavor.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Historien går igen (Manifest, EP 1977)
Featured artists: Ted Ström / Thores Trio / Magnus Nilsson
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A four-track EP released on Manifest – the premier label of Northern Sweden – to raise money for a feature length documentary on the fate of small town Karlsvik, directed by Kerstin Wixe and Ylva Mårtens. The subtitle for ”Historien går igen” is ”Stöd filmen om Karlsvik!” (=”support the Karlsvik movie!”). An early example of fundraising.

Karlsvik is a very small town, a village really, just outside of Luleå (home of the Manifest label), with a population of then only 280, and once dependent on the local ironworks before it was blown-up in the early 20th century which almost forced the village to shut down completely. The same thing was about to happen again in the late 70s (hence the title ”Historien går igen”, ”history repeats itself”) when the local grocery store was about to shut down. According to the EP's liner notes. a municipal commissioner says in the movie that they'd prefer if they just could let Karlsvik cease and desist altogether. This was actually not uncommon in Sweden during the 70s when many a rural area bled both financially and populationwise to the bigger cities in the South. Several artists, especially from the affected regions, dealt with it in their songs, most notably Bernt Staf and Ted Ström. Not surprisingly, Ted Ström contributes to the lead-off title track to this EP, an acoustic number also included on his ”Kärva lägen” album.

The remaining three tracks are shared between obscure band Thores Trio (who had one full album out in 1981), and Magnus Nilsson who gets two songs. Nilsson was actually a member of Gothenburgians Text & Musik, and although none of the tracks on this EP is any good, Nilsson's ”Den första butiken” is the best. The style of all four selections is rather typical political songs, and if I am to point out any certain value of this release, it would be exclusively historical.

If the movie and its accompanying EP had anything to do with it is beyond my knowledge, but the village of Karlsvik still exists; population 232 in 2020. 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Norrbottenplattan 1 (Manifest, 1977)

Featured artists: Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng / Contraband / Thores Trio / Norrlåtar / Håkan Rudehäll
 Swedish vocals, other languages
International relevance: *

The second of the two volumes of ”Norrbottenplattan” is already on this blog. This first volume was released a year earlier than volume 2, in 1977. Featured on both releases are Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng, the nebulous musical collective who had different members on any given occasion. Their track here is one of their weakest – ”Playa Plannya” is several songs in one mixing show tunes with trad jazz, like a miniature cabaret.

Contraband is featured with a song named ”Euskefeurat” which soon also became the name of the band. As such they had a long career which earned their mix of folk sounds and comedy quite some popularity for reasons that will remain obscure with me.

Thores Trio is back again here with a track in the same sort of old timey folk vein and just as forgettable as the one on ”Historien går igen”.

Norrlåtar is the most credible band in this lot but their contribution is among their weakest tracks.

Håkan Rudehäll released at least one album on his own, and at one point contributed an essay on the lack of work in Northern Sweden to an anthology book published in 1973. His track on ”Norrbottenplattan” is a jolly ditty of which there are seemingly thousands in the field of political song. And none of them is worth hearing.

All in all, this is for local patriots only. Others should steer clear.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Livet i Kvarnbyn / Vi bygger landet (no label, 1982)

Featured artists: Pär Holmertz / Leif Moe / Maria Samuelsson / Mats Sköldberg / Stefan Sporsén 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Quite possible one of the most obscure and secretive releases on the blog, this was a local release from Mölndal, a neighbouring town to Gothenburg. The two songs on the single was culled from a stage play about the labourers movement's development in the Mölndal region in the early 1900s. Info on this release is scarce to say the least; it's not even listed on Discogs and I don't recognize most of the names on the cover either, but it appears that Leif and Ole Moe (brothers, assumably) later had a couple of private releases out, and Pär Holmertz (guitar, bass, drums) could possibly be the Per Holmertz who later did some engineering work for bands in the Gothenburg area. Trumpeter Stefan Sporsén however has had a long career afterwards, playing with several of Sweden's best known artists in more recent times. Not that any of this really matters because it's nothing worth hunting down. ”Livet i Kvarnbyn” is an undistinguished track that reminds me of equally undistinguished Christian singer/songwriter rock from the same time (but without the Christian message). B side ”Vi bygger landet” sounds like any old laborers movement song, and without any proper songwriter's credit here it might very well be. The production is pretty good, especially for a release like this, so I assume somebody put a little cash into its realization.

from Historien går igen:
Ted Ström - Historien går igen
Thores Trio - Hit kom dom

from Norrbottenplattan 1:
Contraband - Euskefeurat
Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng - Playa Plannja
Thores Trio - Norrbottenssången
Norrlåtar - Lakkolaulu Pajalasta

Livet i Kvarnbyn:
No links found.

TED STRÖM – The complete 1970's albums

Following Contact's demise in late summer 1972, Ted Ström swiftly embarked on a solo career. Some of his songwriter characteristics prevailed. You can trace Contact's well known folk influence also on his solo albums, especially in the instrumentation of mandolin, clarinet, accordion etc.

Knut Teodor Ström (Grammofonverket, 1973)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

”Knut Teodor Ström” is not only the title of Ström's first solo album, but also his full birth name. The album was written shortly after Contact broke up. with some fine musicians of which Göran Lagerberg, and Fläsket Brinner's Erik Dahlbäck deserve a special mention, as does Björn Holmsten adding a special nuance to the music with his sax, clarinet and accordion. The album sounds what Contact could have sounded like within a somewhat rockier framework. Fine songwriting, with ”Anders Jansson, nyckelbarn” (written with a little help from Ström's friends), ”Frost” and the jazz tinged ”Tidig morgon” highlighting the set.

Kärva lägen (Manifest, 1977)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

With the formation of Norrbottens Järn following ”Knut Teodor Ström”, it took Ström four years to complete his second solo album, using Luleå band Rekyl as a back-up band, and augmented by Nynningen's Tomas Forsell on guitar and mandolin, and Christer Ödberg on horns. Writes Ström about the album on his website (my translation): ”The album is largely influenced by the time and place; an interest in social issues and the environment of Luleå in those days. Ray Davies and Randy Newman were my idols which is obvious on the tracks 'Alkohol' and 'Idolen' which are translations of songs of theirs.”

However, the album opens with Ted Ström's own version of ”Låt i framstegstakt”, originally written for Norrbottens Järn (released on their 1977 album ”Järnet”). The reggae beat here unfortunately doesn't do the song much good, and to be honest, ”Kärva lägen” is generally not Ström's finest hour. It has some good songs for sure but the album sounds dry and surprisingly uninspired. Is it because of Rekyl, or is it because it was mixed by Nacksving producer Johannes Leyman? 

För evigt ung (Sonet, 1979)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: **

Involving Kornet might not look like a good idea on paper – they're probably the most boring of all Swedish fusion bands of the 70's – but they adapt well to the circumstances and don't let loose too many of the instrumental acrobatics that make their own albums so unlistenable. Lasse Englund also appears with his typical acoustic sound, but he too is sympathetic to Ström's songs. Not all of them are good – the title track is just dreadful, and the reggae influence spilling over from ”Kärva lägen” is still awkward. But some songs are fine, better than ”Kärva lägen” including the Dire Straits influenced (yes, Dire Straits, you may stop choking now!) ”Vinterresa” bearing Ström's melancholy stamp.

Ted Ström has continued making records to and fro over the years. Monica Törnell's version of Ström's ”Vintersaga” became a huge hit in 1984. One of the best songs Ström has written, so good you can hear the qualities even through the layers and layers and layers of production polishes smeared all over Törnell's recording.

Knut Teodor Ström full album playlist

Kärva lägen full album playlist

För evigt ung full album playlist

NORRBOTTENS JÄRN – Drömmarnas värld (Manifest, 1975) / Järnet (Manifest, 1977)

Drömmarnas värld (Manifest, 1975)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: **

Norrbottens Järn was the band Ted Ström was in after leaving Contact.

”Drömmarnas värld” features several ironic comments to the commercial society, its music and fashion (the album cover is an obvious mockery of ABBA). However, some of the lyrics just sound stingy and grumpy, but they're indeed valuable as examples of the leftist reactionary era the album was made in. Also, too many pastiches make ”Drömmarnas värld” theatrical. A couple of quite good songs nevertheless, especially ”Jag och du”, ”Flugornas hage” and ”Puttes barn” (the last two actually written by guitarist Bo Sundberg).

Järnet (Manifest, 1977)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

Ted Ström left the band after their first album but wrote some of the songs on ”Järnet”. It's similar in style to ”Drömmarnas värld” and shares most of its weaknesses. Too many corny and/or irritating pastiches and too few good songs. The best are the last two last tracks, the dramatic ”Chile” and the dreamy ”Vaggvisa” (with some easily detectable Hendrix quotes). Also, the version of "Låt i framstegstakt" is better than the one Ted Ström himself did on his "Kärva lägen" album.

A 1975 radio appearance is available in "Progglådan".

Drömmarnas värld full album playlist
Tonkraft 1975 full album playlist
Järnet

Gamarna
Dollar-calypso
En konsumyogis bekännelse
Låt i framstegstakt

I ett champagneglas
Åkebylåten
Onda tider
Flidde II
Till den svenska ungdomen
Farfars väst
Chile
Vaggvisa

CONTACT – Complete albums 1969-1972

One of the most popular of all progg acts, known for their successful song ”Hon kom över mon” which ironically enough wasn't released as a single 'A' side, but on the flipside of to ”Jag är lite lessen ikväll” from 1970.

The seeds to Contact were sown in the early 60's when Ted Ström and some friends formed Ruperts in Lidingö outside of Stockholm. As Ström later attended art school Konstfack, he met drummer Leif Reinholds and they started cover band Hårbandet which became the first rock combo to perform at the Konstfack parties where jazz had been the preferred music up until then. They changed their name to Yellow & Blues (playing in a John Mayall influenced style) and Grand Canyon (backing a young and then still unknown Peps Persson, and The Scaffold featuring Paul McCartney's brother Mike McGear) before settling for Contact in 1968. Their line-up changed a few times during their original 70's period.

A Fairy Tale / Convul'sions (7”, MNW, 1969)

International relevance: ***

English vocals

Contact's first release was this much likeable 45 on MNW. They hadn't yet developed the folk rock sound they're known for, but ”A Fairy Tale” does have a faint folk touch to it. The real knockout however is the 'B' side. ”Convul'sions” is a hard and primitive track reminiscent of Scorpion (with Contact collaborator Bo Anders Larsson) and the heavier side of The Troggs, with a persistent caveman beat and featuring an unexpected saxophone solo courtesy of Björn Holmsten. Bassist Thomas Larsson was replaced by Lorne de Wolfe after this release. 

Nobody Wants to Be Sixteen (MNW, 1970)

International relevance: ***

English vocals

Produced by American svengali Kim Fowley, Contact's album debut was intended for an international launch that never happened. It's clearly the work of a band looking for an identity, restlessly searching among 60's pop, psychedelia and folk pop – probably due to Fowley's well documented flair for interferring with the artists's material. (”He changed basically every one of our songs and arrangements,” Ted Ström reveals when asked about the collaboration.) Thus, it's unfair to compare it to Contact's later albums as it sounds like a completely different band (or rather Kim Fowley), but it's actually my favourite album bearing Contact's name. The songs are really good, with Ted Ström's ”Wounds”, Fowley's ”How Was Your Summer”, and ”Conquest of a Red Rose” by the band's other songwriter Ted Steerling on top. (An observation: Steerling's ”Visions of Apple” almost sounds like a Big Star ballad before Big Star even existed.) I like the trying and sort of underproduced feel of the entire album. It's a delightful but underappreciated little record, which was brought out of its relative obscurity when reissued on Record Store Day vinyl in 2016 – including the rare pre-album 45 as a separate bonus 7”.

The ”Sixteen” sessions also produced an entire Kim Fowley album with Contact backing him up, released by MNW in 1970, entitled ”The Day the Earth Stood Still”. The sound is similar but Fowley's album is more in his typical exploitation rock style.

Hon kom över mon (MNW, 1971)

International relevance: ***

Swedish vocals

There's a bit of chronological confusion as regards the Contact discography. The 45 ”Jag är lite ledsen ikväll” was actually recorded three months before ”Nobody Wants to Be Sixteen”, with the famous ”Hon kom över mon” on the flipside, a year before the album of the same name was released. Recorded with traditional folk group Skäggmanslaget, ”Hon kom över mon” instigated the latter day notion of Contact as an out and out folk rock outfit. Which they weren't and which becomes evident once you listen to an entire album by them. ”Hon kom över mon” was indeed written to emulate a traditional song, and there are other tracks on the album with a folk ambience, but some of the selections are much closer to rock, such as ”Fisken”, ”Nattens drottning”, ”Vargarnas natt” (that almost sounds like a Nynningen track). 

The album is a bit uneven and it would have been nice to have had the fine ”Jag är lite ledsen ikväll” instead of, for example, ”Samma vindar, samma dofter” which despite being a classic Contact song would have fitted Blå Tåget a lot better with its fake jazz touch provided by violin and clarinet. But make no mistake, this is a good album that was awarded with a Swedish Grammy for best group effort of the year, in competition with NJA-gruppen and Fläsket Brinner.

Utmarker (Polydor, 1972)

International relevance: ***

Swedish vocals

Contact left MNW and signed with Polydor for what came to be the band's last album, something that caused an outrage within the music movement, not unlike what happened to Turid when she left MNW to join Metronome. Ted Ström remembers:

- I tell you, it caused one heck of an outcry. For instance, we were put on trial before a 'public court' with people from Silence and some others too... 'Public court' was irony. Silence might have been out fishing for us when we left MNW. But the meeting was probably more about some obscure principles...

”Utmarker” kicks off with one of the greatest progg tracks ever, ”Fyrvaktarns dotter”, again in a folk inspired vein but even better than the famous ”Hon kom över mon”. The track was also released as a single with the brilliant non-album track ”Fly mig en sommar” on the 'B' side. With a major label budget to back them up, they made a bigger sounding album without losing their integrity. ”Utmarker” is a better album overall than ”Hon kom över mon”, with more distinctive songwriting from Ström, Steerling and de Wolfe alike.

Compilation ”Samma vindar, samma dofter” is a 'best of' CD that picks most of the best tracks from Contact's last two albums, adding ”Jag är lite lessen ikväll” and ”Fly mig en sommar”, unfortunately not in chronological order. It also features a 2004 track by the reformed Contact. They have reunited several times over the years, and is performing again in 2018 with a line-up including two of Ted Ström's sons. A couple of 1970/71 Contact radio recordings can be heard in ”Progglådan”.

After Contact, Ted Ström went on to play with Norrbottens Järn before embarking on a solo career. He's also a highly skilled watercolour painter. Lorne de Wolfe formed Vargen that later developed into successful band Hansson de Wolfe United.

Special thanks to Ted Ström.

Nobody Wants to Be Sixteen full album playlist

Hon kom över mon full album playlist

Utmarker full album playlist

"Fly mig en sommar"