JANNE GOLDMAN ROCK UND ROLL GRUPPE – Janne Goldman Rock Und Roll Gruppe (R&P, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Janne Goldman is one of the unsung figures of the progg era, simply because he never was an out-and-out progg artist. But there was often something freewheeling about his music, even at its most traditional sounding, that has me including him here (previously as one half of Gin & Grappo).

This album was his first under his own name. Along with his backing band Rock Und Roll Gruppe he indeed delivers a rocking album with a certain seedy vibe that at times reminds me of Ensamma Hjärtan at their sleaziest. It's definitely not to everyone's tastes being very much in the straight-ahead rock mould, and it's not an album I long to hear over and over again, but I have to admit that the music's scruffy demeanor is oddly appealing and entertaining once I put it on. Even more surprising then that Clarence Öwferman is credited as 'conductor' on the front cover – Öwferman later became a star producer and hit it really big with his appallingly slick and bombastic production work for Roxette!

Regnrockar och pisspottor

GIN & GRAPPO – Gin & Grappo (CBS, 1975)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Featured on ”Who Will Buy These Wonderful Evils Volume 4,” 1974 single 'A' side ”Förståelse” is Gin & Grappo's best known song. It's a catchy little track, taking cues from The Rolling Stones classic ”Sympathy for the Devil”. Gin & Grappo released two more singles plus two full length albums, the first one being self released in 1973.

For their second LP, they scored a deal with CBS, confusingly enough eponymous just like their debut. The 1975 albu features eleven tracks, nine of them written by Janne Goldman (the Gin half of the duo, with Bo Johansson being Grappo), with a couple of lyrics penned by Anders Klintevall, at the time host for Swedish radio show Tonkraft. The songs are half decent, not particularly good, not particularly bad but not particularly exciting either. Most of them are in a 'soft-rock with an edge' mould with a couple of them displaying a slight country tinge thanks to steel guitarist Jan Lindgren. The performances are competent utilizing the talents of well-known studio musicians and seasoned performers such as skilled piano player Per-Erik Hallin (the Swedish Christian Elton John of the 70's), percussionist Malando Gassama and back-up singer Agneta Gilstig whose main claim to fame is releasing an album with Vatten's Thomas Ernvik in 1980. The best track is probably album closer ”Så många människor” (ironically one of the two non-Goldmann compositions).

Goldmann later embarked on a solo career releasing a couple of albums and several 45's, occassionally with his backing band Rock Und Roll Gruppe. Bo Johansson appeared on a couple of Goldman albums and wrote ”Christine” for Swedish Traveling Wilburys styled supergroup Grymlings (featuring among others Pugh Rogefeldt, Mats Ronander and Göran Lagerberg formerly of Tages, Kebnekajse et al).

Full album playlist