A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 8: Various singles

 

BLUESET – Midnight Rambler / The Band (Efel, 1970)

English vocals

International relevance: ***

Second single from Södertälje's Blueset. ”Midnight Rambler” is a pointless cover of The Rolling Stones monolith while the 'B' side is an autobiographical revamp of Willie Cobbs' ”You Don't Love Me” (which in turn was a modification of Bo Diddley's ”She's Fine, She's Mine”). Not any of Blueset's best moments.
 

RÖDA KAPELLET & UNGA GARDET – EP (Arbetarkultur, 1974)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Recorded in 1973 and released as a four-track EP the following year, this was Röda Kapellet's first release. Two of the songs are performed with vocal group Unga Gardet in a typical political leftwing style à la a less militant Freedom Singers/Knutna Nävar. Not good. The two remaining tracks are by the electric (and better) incarnation of Röda Kapellet. Not that neither ”Västeråsvisan” nor ”Rätt till ett meningsfullt jobb” is particularly good, but both have some drive to them that make them at least a little bit catchy. 

 

OKAY TEMIZ - Denizaltı Rüzgarları / Dokuz Sekiz (Yonca, 1975)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Something as unusual as a single from the magnificent Okay Temiz, released only in Turkey in the same year as the ”Turkish Folk Jazz” album but very different. It's actually rather different to most of Temiz did, especially in the 70s (although I do recognize the riff from somewhere). ”Denizaltı Rüzgarları” has a persistent, driving groove and is one of the funkiest tracks in his ouvre, and I could imagine someone remixing it for the dance floor unless it has already happened. ”Dokuz Sekiz” in turn is a freaky percussion workout with downright psychedelic shadings. An excellent non-album two-sider from both ends of the spectrum, thankfully reissued in 2017 by UK based label Arsivplak specialized on Turkish rarities – originals are rare and costly.

JAJJA BAND – Tårarna / Linda (MNW, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A supergroup of sorts with members from November, Träd Gräs & Stenar, Eldkvarn, and Sigge Krantz from everyone from Bröderna Lönn to Archimedes Badkar. Not that it says much about how Jajja Band sounds – they were more of a standard period rock band with light strokes of punk and new wave. Interesting as a footnote to the abovementioned bands but nothing that stands up on its own merits.

 

MUSIC TEAM – Funny Way Of Livin' / Sweet Lorraine (no label, 1979)

English vocals

International relevance: -

The 'A' side is stupid horn rock boogie, the 'B' side is better but only just. And what's better about it is effectively ruined by Boel Peterson's intrusive back-up vocals anyway. Said to be a private release but the labels are suspiciously similar to the labels of Janne Goldmann's R & P Records so maybe there's a connection.

 

ACHILLEUS – Allt vi begär / Öbergs präster (Pang, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

One of many, many bands lured to the rogue label Pang Records by the dodgy Lars E. Carlsson who ran it between 1978 and 1984. The single was pressed, as often with Pang, in 500 copies and the band was gravely dissatisfied with the results. They were a hard rock band with some symphonic moves, and the inferior four track studio was not what they were promised and couldn't capture the sound they aimed for. They remixed the single in 2024 for streaming platforms, and while still an insufficient recording, it does sound better now. It's musically not very good though. Those who nevertheless want to hear more early Achilleus material can check out their streaming compilation ”The Sins Of Youth 1982-1984”.

 

TIEBREAK – Mina grannar (gillar inte rock'n'roll) / Balladen om Lotta Bengtsson (Pang, 1982)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

The singer's dialect suggests Tiebreak might have been from the Swedish West Coast. They sound very much like a Gothenburg version of Sydkraft, meaning irrelevant stupid rock'n'roll. Both songs are bad.

 

VICTIM – Framtid med hopp / Det var då han vann (Pang, 1982)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Clumsy hard rock verging on heavy metal from Vimmerby in the county of Småland. Poorly rehearsed and with a horrible, insipid singer. The cover art is bad even for a Pang release. Very expensive these days, but that has definitely more to do with rarity grade than musical value.
 

 

HELIUM HEAD – In The Sky / Take Me Home (Pang, 1982)

English vocals

International relevance: **

One more Pang 45, and one of the better. The band was from the small town of Yxbo in the Hälsingland county in the middle of Sweden and might have taken their name from the Sir Lord Baltimore song. The guitars are a bit metallic but Helium Head is generally closer to good old fashioned hard rock. ”In The Sky” is really catchy, and while the 'B' side ”Take Me Home” is also very melodic, it's not as good as the other track – it's a little bit too poppy for the style. Still a pity they never released anything else, they had more talent than many other bands screwed over by Pang.

Released without a picture sleeve.
 

 

DREAD NOT – Reggae Inna Umeå (no label, 1982)

English vocals

International relevance: *

Reggae band of little significance. They came from Umeå as revealed by the single's title, and despite a prime time television appearance, nothing came of the band except this one self-released and self-produced 7”. The only member I recognize is drummer Jan Gavelin who was in Harald Hedning in the mid 70s. Closer to brit reggae acts like Aswad and Steel Pulse and not very close to Jamaica, the 'A' side ”This World” is OK albeit formulaic, while 'B' side ”Welcome Brother” is entirely forgettable.

Blueset no links found
Helium Head no links found
Okay Temiz full single playlist (Bandcamp)
Tiebreak full single
Victim full single
Röda Kapellet & Unga Gardet:
Västeråsvisan / Världsungdomssången (with Unga Gardet) / Unga gardet (with Unga Gardet) / Rätt till ett meningsfull artbete
Jajja Band:
Tårarna / Linda (Soundcloud)
Music Team:
Funny Way Of Livin'
Achilleus:
Allt vi begär / Öbergs präster
Full remixed single playlist
Dread Not:
This World / Welcome Brother 

FREEDOM – Freedom (Bellatrix, 1978)

 

 Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: *

Dan Tillberg's Bellatrix label was a confusing one. Anything could come out on the label – punk, progg, jazz, garage rock, polka (!), choirs and religious music. This one fits the last two categories.

Released as Freedom but actually performed by Kyrkans Ungdom I Finja Pastorat (=”the church youth of the Finja pastorate”, Finja being a small town in Skåne in the south) to the benefit of the Church of Sweden International Aid. Seemingly appealing to collectors of Jesus pop, it does have some progg characteristics. A few tracks would actually have been quite good hadn't it been a youth choir singing. The best track by far is album opener ”Vem var han?” which wouldn't have been out of place on Obadja's great album ”Testa”. However, it was resurrected on the "Frälst!" compilation – a good choice making "Freedom" redundant. As it stands, it is a youth choir album sounding like one.

Vem var han? (Bandcamp)

ROTPULS – Rotpuls (Amalthea, MP 1981) / Rotpuls (Amalthea, 1982)

Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

A reggae band from Lund in Skåne with a very hands-on Peps Persson involvement. They had released two singles before making their 12” debut with six-track mini LP ”Rotupuls” in 1981, produced by Peps and also featuring musical contributions from him. They had a few less likeable traits in common with  Peps as displayed on his albums with Ronny Åström and ”Fyra tunnland bedor om dan”, i.e. silly songs of a traditional Skånish type. Then again, there are a few good tracks on both the mini album and their first and only full-length, confusingly enough also entitled ”Rotpuls” and again with Peps producing and playing. ”Stig Andersson” from the 12” and ”Vik ut dig” from the LP are fine enough, but the best track is the spacious organ-laced reggae cover of John Coltrane's ”A Love Supreme” which works really well, not only as a cool idea but as a cool piece of music. Too uneven to be considered essential, but the good tracks would make a pretty OK short LP length compilation. Plus there were so few Swedish reggae bands from this period, and the Peps relation makes Rotpuls worth mentioning.

Rotpuls (1981) full album playlist
Rotpuls (1982) full album playlist

BLÅ TÅGET – På Fågel Blå (MNW, 1982)

 

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

I suppose a lot of people assumed that when Blå Tåget disbanded in 1974, that was the end of it. The revamped version called Stockholm Norra was more like an afterthought, and besides, it wasn't the original band anyway. A one-off Blå Tåget reunion in 1980 was just that, but they returned again for several concerts in 1981. The first one was at Fågel Blå, resident stage of theatre group Tidningsteatern, and ended up on a double album the year after.

They performed several new songs (or at least songs never previously recorded), but the whole thing feels more like a nostalgia show. The playing is more accomplished than during their original years, but that means they lost much of their original amateurish appeal. Here they sound like a bunch of cabaret entertainers delivering dance band-like renditions of the Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget repertoire – imagine The Fugs playing a backstreet Las Vegas joint with ”Nothing”, ”Kill For Peace” and ”I Couldn't Get High”. What a hoot. (Actually, thinking of it, that would be more interesting to hear.)

The original line-up is intact with one glaring exception: Roland Keijser isn't here and with him gone, it becomes ever so obvious that he indeed was one of the most important members of the group. At the same time, I'm happy he didn't lend himself to this. 

Full album playlist

SKY HIGH – Sky High (Good Vibes, 1980)

 

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Guitarist Clas Yngström had been active since the early 70s and appeared on disc already in 1971 on Acke Gårdenäs's (Acke & Gurra) single ”There Is A Man In The Rain”. He joined forces with Dennis Huntington (Love Explosion) in political rock band Röda Ropet and appeared on their lone album ”Spänn bågen” in 1975. In the same year he took a real step forward as a guitarist with Soffgruppen who released their ”Greatest Sits”, one of the most forceful fusion jazz albums released in Sweden. He stayed with Soffgruppen for a couple of years, and following their demise, he started power trio Sky High in 1978. Starting out as a lingonberry version of Jimi Hendrix performing mostly his songs, they later turned into a lingonberry version of ZZ Top.

Sky High's first single was released by Sista Bussen in 1979, featuring completely pointless and more or less note-by-note covers of ”Red House” and ”Stone Free”. They then switched to Swedish vocals for a second Sista Bussen single, the anti nuclear power track ”Säj nej... till kärnkraft” backed with ”Säj ja... till livet”. The 'A' side was a translated Earl King cover while the flipside was a funky original track. The Hendrix influence is still evident, and Yngström really loves his own guitar wanking.

The eponymous debut album also appeared in shops in 1980. Only one Jimi cover, a translated version of ”I Don't Live Today”, but Yngström's own songs sound so much like Hendrix covers too that it's almost identity theft. Plus, he's a very nondescript singer. The only thing that gives this album some character is that all lyrics are in Swedish, something that would change already to the even more unlistenable second album ”Still Rockin'” from 1982.

”Sky High” was reissued on CD in 2005 with ”Red House” from the debut single plus both tracks from the second one as bonuses. Also added were two further provocatively redundant Hendrix covers (in English), ”Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” and ”Little Wing”.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks 
"Stone Free"

HAUSSWOLF – Bark & is (Sista Bussen, 1980)

 

Swedish vocals, wordless vocals, spoken word
International relevance: *

Carl Michael von Hausswolf has been a driving force in Swedish underground culture for a long time, being a sound composer, visual artist and founder of one of the most important Swedish record labels in the 80s, Radium 226.05. His first appearance on record was as the bass player and guitarist on Claes Ekenstam & Sista Bandet's ”Sista tåget till Tasjkent” in 1979. His first solo album appeared as ”Bark & is” the following year featuring several Sista Bandet members.

The 'B' side points to his future of ambient tape compositions with the side long ”Is” (=”ice”). It does create some tension with chilly sounds, the spooky timbre of a zither, wailing free jazz sax and dead pan recitals of poetry, but it definitely overstays its welcome at 25 minutes. The first side is more rock oriented with traces of The Velvet Underground and the late 70s San Francisco scene with Chrome and MX-80 Sound. The noisy semi-psych tracks ”Forensisk buss” and ”Ljusa lockar” work fine but the most self-consciously affected bits are pretentious and pseudo-artistic in the same way that a lot of the period's industrial music is. Still an interesting historical artefact from a time when not a lot in this vein were made in Sweden – the closest might be parts of the much more improvised album by the mysterious Imp.Ink, also from 1980.

Carl Michael von Hausswolff is father of internationally acclaimed singer Anna von Hausswolff.

No links found 

LENNART ÅBERG – Partial Solar Eclipse (Japo, 1977)

 

Instrumental

International relevance: *

If you're into fusion jazz, this one looks promising at a first glance, with several EGBA members and Lennart Åberg himself from Rena Rama, Häxmjölk and Oriental Wind. ”Partial Solar Eclipse” is a suite in six parts, and ”IV” is OK, moving in freer areas. But most of it is contemporary jazz in a progressive big band mode with only very light fusion touches. And a bit too heavy on the big band part. Not exciting at all. As a matter of fact, it's pretty damn boring.

Full album playlist

PETER ERICSON – Rouge (Piglet, 1980)

 

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Ex-singer/guitarist of Mobben and sometimes known as Peter R. Ericson. This was his first album released under his own name, but using three backing bands, Uppsala Rouge, Åby Hot Rats and the better known Teddybjörn Band. Released on the ever unpredictable Piglet, this is one of the label's most straightforward rock albums. Most of it isn't very good, but it does have a couple of songs that are above the rest. ”Så ska vi vinna” has a hard driving Bo Diddley-like beat and an urgency that I can't help but falling for. The second notable track is ”Söta Klara (La Luna)” which is a most unexpected two chord garage psych paraphrase with prominent organ.

Less surprisingly, there's some good guitar playing here as Ericson was a driven axe slinger who later joined brilliant rock singer/songwriter Anders F. Rönnblom's band. He has released several more solo albums.

Full album playlist 

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 6: Pop progg

 MIKAEL RAMEL – Förvånansvärt (Knäppupp, EP 1967)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Mikael Ramel's first proper solo release is an EP with four tracks released while he was still in Steampacket. His melodic style was already there albeit a little but undeveloped at this early stage. The best song is ”Bara ett par dar”, an acoustic version of a Steampacket track released the same year. A very charming EP but not on the level of his later masterpieces.

 

ROWING GAMBLERS
A World Of Roses / My Very Special Dream (Parlophone, 1969)
A Present For Tonight / Taken For A Ride (Toniton, 1970)
English vocals
International relevance: **

A Stockholm band that already had three singles out before ”A World Of Roses”. They were really a commercial pop band covering Neil Sedaka and a bad Yardbirds song but got a wee bit psychedelic on their last two 45s. ”A World Of Roses” is a Göran Lagerberg composition not released by Tages and a rather good track at that with some nice guitar work. Both tracks on their final outing are Rowing Gamblers originals, and especially ”Taken For A Ride” has obvious psychedelic overtones with a drowsy beat and Paul McCartney styled bass. 

SOMMARFILOSOFERNA – På en sommardag / På en sommarnatt (Mercury, 1970)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

”På en sommardag” is a Swedish version of Mungo Jerry's ”In The Summertime”, a song I've tried to escape for my entire life. The slightly jazzy ”På en sommarnatt” is better but still not good. The single is mainly notable for having Björn Töpel and Göran Lagerberg from Tages, along with Björn J:son Lindh. and Jan Bandel on banjo, surprisingly enough. Sommarfilosoferna were a project put together by producer Anders "Henkan" Henriksson.

KENT-MORGANS – Balladen om Kalle / Brother Hood Feeling (Marilla, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

One of the strangest inclusions in the ”The Encyclopedia Of Swedish Progressive Music” as Kent-Morgans were nothing but a typical Swedish dance band in the vein of Sven-Ingvars. Tobias Peterson calls ”Brother Hood Feeling” ”basement psychedelia” but I don't know where he got that from. Bengt Dahlberg's fuzz guitar isn't enough. Dahlberg was later in Acke & Gurra.

TOM ZACHARIAS – Josephine / Roller (Green Light, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This was years before his infamous ”Belinda” album, and there are no traces of the pornographic lyrics of that album here. Instead, this is debile folk pop and decrepit rock. Interesting only because of the Green Light label, MNW's early 70s subsidiary. 

XTRA – Vatten / Kaffepannan (CBS, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The first of two Xtra 45s, a band best known for their album ”Oh! 10-15” from which the 'A' side was taken. ”Kaffepannan” is the interesting one here as it's a non-album track. It's not essential though, an instrumental sounding like a theme song to an imaginary drama documentary on royal life in the Middle Ages.

HASSE PERMBO
Soliga minnen / Nu piskar regnet (Playback, 1972)
Balladen om Karl Hubert / Satir i moll (Playback, 1973)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: */**

A singer/songwriter of sorts with peculiar lyrics. Something about him reminds of Kjell Höglund but without his talent for exact and well-phrased words. The second single is the better of the two thanks to ”Satir i moll” which is an entirely unexpected heavy track with an strange loop melody contrasting the lighter chorus. 

PERSONS BAND – Miljö-låt / När vi fått det för bra (Euphonic, 1973)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Only recording from this Tranås band on local label Euphonic. The vocal credits are split between the two songwriters Lennart Ljungdahl and Peter Ljungkvist. Both sides are rather poppy with apple-cheeked vocals but with OK guitar playing. Ljungdahl's ”Miljö-låt” is a little better. Both songs have a diluted political message. A privately released CDr of rehearsal recordings from 1973-1974 also exists.

JACONNE – Earth / Polisen (TOR, 1977)
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance:

TOR was a commercial pop and dance band label, and Jaconne falls in the first category. ”Earth” reveals a light Beatles and E.L.O. influence. ”Polisen” has an irritating melody and lyrics against police violence. The odd thing about it all is that the trigger happy guitar player who sounds as if he believes he's in a heavy metal band which he clearly isn't.

Mikael Ramel full EP
Sommarfilosoferna full single playlist
Kent-Morgans full single playlist
Persons Band full single playlist
Rowing Gamblers: 
A World Of Roses 
My Very Special Dream
A Present For Tonig
Taken For A Ride
Tom Zacharias:
Josephine
Roller
Xtra:
Vatten
Kaffepannan
Hasse Permbo:
Soliga minnen
Nu piskar regnet
Balladen om Karl Hubert
Satir i moll
Jaconne:
Earth
Polisten

ÄNGLASPEL – Jazz i Sverige '82 (Caprice, 1982)

Instrumental
International relevance: *

Included for relations rather than content. We have Erik Dahlbäck (Fläsket Brinner), Anders Jormin (Dan Berglund, Mwendo Dawa), Stefan Forssén (Narren, Dan Berglund, Maria Hörnelius), Stefan Isaksson (Ibis, Hawkey Franzén) and Ann-Sofie Söderqvist (Thomas Almqvist, Hawkey Franzén). Not as progg-y as one could expect, but more an album of technical post bop. This was their first album but leader Stefan Forssén used the Änglaspel name on several more scattered over the decades.

Full album playlist 

TOTTE WALLIN – Enköpingståge' (Metronome, 1978)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

This is Totte Wallin's third album, following ”När kulorna rullar” in 1975 and ”Grand Canyon” in 1977. None of them belongs here, and nothing he did after 1978 does either. His albums are mostly slick soft rock – music for people who don't really care about music – with lyrics supposed to be 'humourous' but without being funny. Still, he was signed to Metronome by Anders Burman who also discovered John Holm, Pugh Rogefeldt and Ola Magnell, and Wallin even toured with Magnell and Marie Bergman.

Only ”Enköpingståge'” has enough of a progg vibe, much thanks to Finn Sjöberg's production. Some tracks here are characterless as usual but there are a few decent moments. ”Pressveck” sounds a bit like Ola Magnell, ”Ett förslag” is OK, and ”Inte vet väl jorden” has an eerie late 70s vibe that I like. But the best song is also hands down the only really great song Totte Wallin wrote, namely ”Våren dör aldrig i Prag”. ”Enköpingståge'” isn't exactly good, but it's Wallin's best album.

Full album playlist 

LARS ALDMAN & HAFFSORKESTERN – Gud hjälpe! (Nacksving, 1977)

 Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Of all the bad Nacksving albums, and there are many, Lars Aldman's two are among the very worst (his first one ”Nånting har hänt” from 1976 is already on the blog). ”Gud hjälpe!” is embarrassing political platitudes set to a B grade version of Nationalteatern styled rock music. In an eye-pokingly ugly sleeve at that. The 8 minute ”Och hör du” could possibly have been OK if done by somebody else. This is so bad that it's no surprise that Lars Aldman refused to discuss his albums when I once asked him about them.

Trädet

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 5: Political and religious

THE VERGERS – Se dig för / Fader vår (Celesta, 1969)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

”Se dig för” is included on ”Frälst!” but B side ”Fader vår” remains uncomped. Not a very good one, weaker than the A side, so there's no need to look for this 45 if you have ”Frälst!”. This was the last of The Vergers' four singles.

 

FRIA PROTEATERN – Chile (Folksång, 1974)
Swedish vocals:
International relevance: *

Two tracks unique to this Chile solidarity single, although side one's ”Ett enat folk” is available in a live version on ”Koncert I København Okt. 1973”. Side B has ”IB, ÖB och SÄPO” about the political scandal described in some detail here. For Fria Proteatern fans only.

OPPONER – Alfa blues / Till min make (Opponer, 1975)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Two tracks not on Opponer's full length album. ”Alfa blues” is exacrly that, a blues number of no particular merir, while ”Till min make” is a traditional tune with new lyrics by Opponer singer Anna Olofsson and bassist Mats Sönnfors. A much better song with that sweet melancholy typical to the best Swedish folk tunes. Released with the aid from the workers at pump facorty Alfa Laval.

ELEVER PÅ MUSIKLÄRARSKOLAN SÄMUS I GÖTEBORG / FRIA PROTEATERN – Vietnam Kambodja befriade (Befria Södern, 1975)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

As the Vietnam war ended in 1975, so did the stream of releases from De Förenade FNL-grupperna and their cohorts. This was the last of those, a three track EP split between Fria Proteatern and Elever på musiklärarskolan SÄMUS i Göteborg (students at the Gothenburg school for music teachers). Released to celebrate the war's end, it's typical political stuff very much in line with the other Vietnam albums and singles, and so best ignored. Fria Proteatern's ”Balladen om Rune Henry Johansson” is also on ”Sånger från ljugarbänken”.

BJÖRN AFZELIUS BAND / NATIONALTEATERN – Kamrater, Bodenarbetare / Rädda varven! (Nacksving, 1978)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Two exclusive tracks, one by Björn Afzelius Band and one by Nationalteatern. Afzelius's ”Kamrater, Bodenarbetare” is in support of the strikers at Boden's car factory in 1978. It's a pretty good track with slight folk rock shadings, good especially for Björn Afzelius. Nationalteatern's ”Rädda varven!” is a call to save the Gothenburg boatyard threatened by shutdown which eventually happened. A weak track in an undistinguished Gothenburg/Nacksving rock style.

EN RÖD KÖR OCH SÅNGGRUPPEN DEN MÄNSKLIGA FAKTORN – Säj nej! (no label, EP 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A privately pressed single released in 1980, the year of the Swedish nuclear power referendum and has anti-nuclear message. It has two acts, the choir En Röd Kör and vocal folk group Den Mänskliga Faktorn, although it's hard to say if it all involves the same people. Acoustic as it is it could easily fall into the Fria Proteatern trap but there's something very charming and disarming about the unpretentious atmosphere. The rock & roll pastiche ”The Sysselsättning Rock” is pretty terrible but the other songs are in fact rather catchy. Well, perhaps I wouldn't call the title track exactly catchy, but it's a quite atmospheric adaptation of a Czech herding song. It's nothing I would particularly recommend, but I've heard far worse and way more self-important examples of political songs than these.

The Vergers:
Se dig för (Bandcamp)
Fader vår
Fria Proteatern:
Ett enat folk (El Pueblo Unido)
IB, ÖB och SÄPO
Opponer:
Alfa blues
Till min make
Vietnam Kambodja befriade:
SÄMUS - Vietnam är befriat
Fria Proteatern - Balladen om Rune Henry Johansson
SÄMUS - Kambodja är befriat 
Björn Afzelius/Nationalteatern:
Björn Afzelius Band - Kamrater, Bodenarbetare
Nationalteatern - Rädda varven!
En Röd Kör och sånggruppen Den Mänskliga Faktorn:
no links found

FRED ÅKERSTRÖM – Två tungor (Metronome, 1973)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Featured in Tobias Peterson's ”Encyclopedia Of Swedish Progressive Music” in the ”also listen to these artists” list, why at least one of his many albums should be featured here.

Fred Åkerström made a massive impact on the troubadour/visa singer scene in the 60s and 70s, and he was the most successful of the lot along with Cornelis Vreeswijk. There's not a lot progg about him however. At least not musically. Politically is a different thing, as he was a stubborn communist who joined the KPMP(r) party, based in Sweden's #1 working class city Gothenburg and known for having acts such as Knutna Nävar and Dan Berglund on their side. A friend of Åkerström's once said that Stockholm born and bred Fred was so red that he even began speaking with a Gothenburg accent. His political sympathies was clear from the start; an early Åkerström recording is ”Kapitalismen” (”the capitalism”) that has become a leftist classic.

But no, he's much more of a traditional singer/songwriter in the Scandinavian vein than a progg artist. The one album that comes closest to progg is ”Två tungor”, It was recorded in late 1972 with Hawkey Franzén and Mats Glenngård helping out on a few tracks. Coming from the often rowdy Fred Åkerström the album is conspicuously low-key as exemplified by his best known song ”Jag ger dig min morgon”, a very tender rendition of Tom Paxton's ”I Give You The Morning”. But the best track is probably album closer ”Den trettionde i första sjuttiotvå”. The title is the date of Bloody Sunday, 30 January 1972, when British soldiers killed thirteen civilians during a civil rights march in Derry, Nothern Ireland.

”Två tungor” has a slightly folkish feel all through and the sensitive and mild-mannered arrangements help set the dusky atmosphere that makes this one of his emotionally most consistent efforts and probably his best altogether, 

Full album playlist 

CARL-ANDERS DEXTER – Sån't som får mig att ilskna till (Contra, 1978) / En sång om friheten (Contra, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Carl-Anders Dexter is a truly rare bird in the progg universe. He hates everything from the political left, and he really hates communists. I mean he really hates them! He hates them so much that he recorded two albums in 1978 and 1981 respectively just to tell everybody how much he hates communists. And then he released them on Contra, a publishing company known for really hating communists.

Dexter (if that's his real name - ”dexter” is Latin for ”right” and it seems a little too appropriate if that was his birth name) was obviously a Merle Haggard fan. There's two Haggard songs on ”Sån't som får mig att ilska till” (=”things that makes me angry”). One of them is, needless to say, ”Okie From Muskogee” which may or may not be ironic on Haggard's part, but here every trace of possible irony is gone. There's a bit of country in Dexter's original songs too, but filtered through the jiggly sound of Swedish dance bands. With the difference that Dexter's songs are so musically stiff that I can't imagine anyone actually wanting to dance to them.

And then there's his vocals. His prosody is peculiarly squeaky and his articulation is so exaggerated that the whole thing almost comes off as parody – his rolled Rs are so overly clear that he sounds like a singing vibrator.

But there's no parody involved here, and if Dexter has anything like humour in him, it only comes out as coarse assaults. It's like listening to an inverted Knutna Nävar. They are both equally intransigent, only coming from the extreme opposites of the political spectrum. Except that Knutna Nävar actually had one or two pretty good songs and they sometimes even, probably by mistake, could swing a bit.

Carl-Anders Dexter's two albums were later reissued as ”Dexter ilsknar till igen”, a CD-r again on the Contra label with a few songs omitted plus one previously unreleased radio session (how on earth did he get on the radio?!). He also had a privately released cassette out in 1992. His albums are cheap and not too hard to find, but they're best left to wither away in the flea market bins or wherever you may find them.

From Sån't som får mig att ilskna till:
Sagor som sagor
Bekämpa kommunismen

From En sång om friheten:
En sång om friheten
Tjejer

CONO SUR – Cono Sur (Nacksving, 1979)

Other languages, instrumental

International relevance: *

A Gothenburg trio of two Latin Americans and one Swede performing music from Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela. Everything is obviously very heartfelt and honest with educational liner notes, but apart from the short ”Chaska” with a distinct renaissance flair, the album is as boring as a rainy summer holiday.

No links found

SCAFELL PIKE – Complete albums 1973-1976

 The Month Of Maying (Epic, 1973)
Lord's Rake (Epic, 1974)
Four's A Crowd (Mercury, 1976)
English vocals
International relevance: *

An English/Swedish combo playing a watered down version of British folk rock, closer to an unholy mix of Lindisfarne and Cat Stevens than any Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span. Still they were a very popular act in their day, often heard on the radio and appearing on TV. They were the first exposure I ever got to anything even close to British folk melodies, and thus a tiny seed was sowed for my lifelong love for UK folk rock.

Scafell Pike also fleshed out their English repertoire with Swedish songs by the likes of haughty troubadour Evert Taube and 18th century poet and songwriter Carl Michael Bellman, all translated into English. But everything comes out twee and/or perked up. Saying that ”Lord's Rake” is their best album doesn't say much at all, because it's still way too insufficient and superficial to deserve a listen. There's absolutely no need to bother when the great UK folk rock bands are readily available to anyone these days.

Scafell Pike later became more of a classic rock band, a style they weren't very good at either.

The Month Of Maying full album playlist
Lord's Rake full album
Four's A Crowd full album playlist

YALSA BAND – Life Vest Under Your Seat (Nacksving, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Late to the game Gothenburg band with Hannes Råstam of Blåkulla and Text & Musik, and Motvind's Göran Ekstrand. Parts of this is horrendous disco rock while other parts sound like a Nynningen gone completely bad. ”Allt medan älven drar förbi” is a stillborn cover of Bob Dylan's ”Watching The River Flow” while ”Om blixten slår ner i datan” is an Ulf Dageby song he had the good sense of not recording himself.

No links found

DAN TILLBERG – Complete albums 1979-1981

Another name from the ”you may also like” list at the end of Tobias Petterson's book ”The Encyclopedia of Swedish Progressive Music”, but unlike some of them, Dan Tillberg at least has some progg bearings, if not so much stylistically so historically. He was, for instance, in Änglabarn. 

Gatstenar (Bellatrix, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

An album consisting exclusively of Rolling Stones covers translated to Swedish by Mats Zetterberg (Fiendens Musik) and Dan Hylander (Raj Montana Band). This is one bizarre beast of an album and probably one of the most uninhibited albums you'll hear in a while. I wouldn't exactly call it good, but the over the top energy, perhaps more akin to punk than progg, is perversely fascinating. Eyewitness reports from the studio sessions promise no intoxicants were involved but they manage to give the whole thing a sloshed street fight vibe, even on the slower tracks. Try ”Hur var det med din morsa, tjejen (kom hon i skymundan)?” (=”Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadows?”) or ”Din första kollision” (=”19th Nervous Breakdown”) and I think you'll see what I mean.

Two sleeve variations exist, one brownish yellow and one turqouise with the brownish one being the original.

Mors och fars kärlek (Axiom, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Mostly originals second time around with only a couple of stray covers of Bob Dylan, Swedish garage rockers Problem, and a Chip Taylor penned number. A couple of tracks are co-written with Ronny Carlsson of Rockamöllan and Onna Taas Band. Nowhere near as hysterical as ”Gatstenar” which unfortunately means the skewed appeal of the predecessor is all gone. ”Mors och fars kärlek” most of all sounds like a bad Raj Montana Band album. Best track by far is ”Det är okej” still has a very long way to go to even lick the shoes of Problem's original version, even though Problem main man Stefan Ahlqvist appears on guitar. Partly recorded in Silence's studio, but you couldn't tell from the cold, bony, artificial production.

Kärlek minus noll (Axiom, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Back in covers land again, this time Bob Dylan. But it's better to read the album than to listen to it (if you know Swedish, and even so if you don't). The production is as 80s as it gets already in 1982 – unbearable. But some of the translations are among the best Swedish Dylan interpretentions you'll ever see. Two of them are by Ronny Carlsson, one by Dan Hylander, but most of them – the best ones – are by man of words Mats Zetterberg.

Dan Tillberg made a few more albums in the 80s.

Gatstenar full album playlist
Mors och fars kärlek full album playlist
Kärlek minus noll full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Framtid – decentralisering (Centerns Ungdomsförbund, EP 1972) / Gemenskap där alla behövs (Centerns ungdomsförbund, 1976)

An infamous pamphlet published by Oktoberförlaget in 1977 decided that ”the people have never triumphed to the music of the enemy”. Perhaps the youth league of the Swedish Centre Party (the right wing party most to the left) adapted that credo years before the communists did. Or they simply thought that it was unfair that only the leftist groupings should release records to push their politics.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Framtid – decentralisering (Centerns Ungdomsförbund, EP 1972)
Sparxs / unknown artist 

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

This four track EP was released already in 1972 and has the incredibly sexy title ”Future – decentralization” (spot the irony). Side A belongs to the otherwise completely unknown Sparxs. “Säga vad man vill” sounds like a Christian song of the 60s while “Vi talar ej – vi tiger” is comparitvely OK. The uncredited performers of side B have nothing going for them however. “Hembygdsmuseet” sounds like an old-timey waltz that certainly doesn't suggest any youthfulness. “Biocider” sounds like any generic attempt at securing a place on the Svensktoppen radio hit list of the 60s. Best thing about the EP is the nice green vinyl.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Gemenskap där alla behövs (Centerns Ungfomsförbund, 1976)
Björn Scharin / Cheese Doodles / Piteå-Långnäs Programlag / Mats Ohlsson / Rodney Liljeholm / Birgit Wallouch / Karin Stattin / Margaretha Bäckstrom / Tommy Engström / Birgitta Söderström / Folke Antonsson / Freddie Hedman / Gert Ove Lundberg / Karin Stenvall / Marianne Olofsson / Per Stenvall / Anette Apleryd / Ann Hallberg / Berith Gustafsson / Elisabeth Larsson / Marie Hallberg / Yvonne Nilsson / Birgitta Johansson / Eva Hansson
Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: -

1976 was the year when the Social Democratic Party lost the power for the first time in 40 years. The Centre Party was the biggest party in the right wing coalition why the Prime Minister spot went to slow-talking leader Torbjörn Fälldin. I can assure you that this album, released in the very same year, had absolutely no role in their victory. Had more people heard it, they surely would have lost. If a four song EP was too much, then a full album becomes a health issue. With songs taken from various theatrical plays, the style is roughly the same, with old-timey stuff, Svensktoppen dross, and that persistent, rosy-cheeked Christian vibe. New to this album are dashes of debile country music which certainly don't ease the pain. “Best” track is Björn Scharin's “Lokalsamhällen” which sounds like cross between Bernt Staf and an underslept Ragnar Borgedahl.

Framtid - decentralisering:
Sparxs - Säga vad man vill
Sparxs - Vi talar ej - vi tiger
Unknown artist - Hembygdsmuseet
Unknown artist - Biocider

Gemenskap där alla behövs full album playlist