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

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 2: Blues

 LIBERTY BLUES – Road Scrambler / Right Way Blues (Marilla, 1971)
English vocals
International relevance: **

All Liberty Blues managed to release during their five year existence was this single. Very much a throwback to the kind of rhythm & blues that was in vogue in the 60s. ”Road Scrambler” is brimming with fuzzed out energy, fighting to get out of the murky cellar in which it was recorded. At least it sounds like that. Being released on Hans Edler's Marilla imprint, maybe a few cents were put into the recording after all. The B side is a slow rolling blues but it still has a similar underground vibe including that overheated fuzz solo. Plenty of youthful charm and if you're into the style at all it's rather enjoyable.

OHLSSONS GROVA – One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer / One More Mile (NCS, 1971)
English vocals
International relevance: **

Legendary Kalmar outfit who had two singles out in 1971. This was their first, notable for some mean guitar playing courtesy of Bo Wilson. Wilson much later formed his own group, and the band also has loose ties to another Kalmar band, Kung Tung. It's plain blues, but it's very solid and that guitar elevates the single to a new level. The flipside of their second single was included on ”Swedish Meatballs, Vol. 2”. Both their singles are very rare and expensive.

VIGGO – Sings His Own Mississippi River And Blues In Stockholm (Intersound, 1971)
English vocals
International relevance: *

Norweigan born Viggo Paulsen moved to Stockholm in 1969 and there he recorded his only single. Both songs are just Viggo, his acoustic guitar, harmonica and somewhat tortured vocals. It's not so much blues as a 60s styled folk singer/songwriter. Not very good and certainly not worth the ridiculous asking prices on the collectors market. 

COOL HAMBONE – I'm So Tired Of It / Supervisor Blues (Tibet -46, 1972)
English vocals
International relevance: **

Rolf Wikström's debut was this 33 1/3 rpm single with two songs both around the 6 minute mark. There's not much that differs this from Wikström's better known later efforts except the English vocals. His raspy voice is already there, as is his penchant for overbearing guitar soloing. Without a doubt a desirable item for Wikström freaks but very little on offer to those who are not.

FRIENDS – To Bad / Burning Love (SMF, 1980)
English vocals
International relevance: **

Not to be confused with any other Friends, this is the lost chapter of the Blueset saga, with two original Blueset members, singer/guitarist Kenth Loong and bass player Ingemar Linder. The A side is a Loong original with misspelt title ”To Bad”, a slice of autobiographical blues based rock that isn't very exciting. The flip side is a stiff cover version of Dennis Linde's ”Burnin' Love” made famous by Elvis. Those who expect more of Blueset's shabby, stoned psych blues will be sorely disappointed. Two versions exist, a standard black vinyl issue and a red one.

Liberty Blues full single playlist
Cool Hambone full single playlist

Ohlssons Grova:
One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer
One More Mile
Viggo:
Mississippi River
Blues In Stockholm
Friends no links found

ABSOLUT – Absolut (Marilla, 1976)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Only album from this religious band released on Hans Edler's curious Marilla label, and produced by Vatten main man Tomas Ernvik. That's probably the most interesting thing about ”Absolut”, because despite some decent westcoasty harmony vocals and background wah wah and soft fuzz, the songs are too undistinguished for the album to take off. Best track is ”Kurragömma”, but the album is generally typical mid 70's Christian rock, i.e. borrowing features from hipper genres but coming up flat and soulless. I'd rather recommend another, better Tomas Ernvik related album from the same year, Tillsammans.

Tomas Paulson, the brain behind Absolut, has plenty of solo albums since Absolut broke up, and he's also a fivefold Swedish champion of noughts and crosses (!). He's now known as Tomas Hagenfors, Hagenfors being his birth name.

Full album playlist

ROCKAMÖLLAN – Var ska du ta vägen? (Sonet, 1979) / Tron om varann (Marilla, 1980)

Rockamöllan was a reggae band from the small town of Eslöv in the deep south of Skåne, initially fronted by charismatic singer Ronny Carlsson.

 Var ska du ta vägen? (Sonet, 1979)

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: *

The first album by Rockamöllan recorded in late 1978, and the first album to showcase the talent of the troubled and raspy voiced singer Ronny Carlsson, with his lyrics dealing with social issues and the hard side of life (see the album's front cover picture). Reggae demands good playing, especially from the drummer, but Rockamöllan was credible enough. ”Var ska du ta vägen?” indeed has some fine songs, closer to the UK brand of reggae than the original Jamaican one. It's certainly not on Peps Persson's level, but it's OK.

Tron om varann (Marilla, 1980)

Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

Carlsson left Rockamöllan before their second album to form Onna Taas Band, leaving the songwriting duties to the other Ronny of the band, Jönsson. Unfortunately, that meant weaker songs and not as good vocals. ”Tron om varann” tries hard to convince but fails too often.

Vart ska du ta vägen full album playlist

Tron om varann full album playlist

HANS EDLER – Elektron Kukéso (Marilla, 1971)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

 

Hans Edler is one colourful character with so many tricks up his sleeve that it's almost easier to say what he's not done than to explain all his actual doings and dealings over the decades. He was practically born into music. His grand dad was a folk fiddler from Jämtland in Sweden and his mother was a music teacher. Hans Edler first band was The Mirrors in the late 50's and early 60's. When the beat craze struck Sweden he turned pop with a couple of bands, including the rather popular We 4. He took a course in electronic composition at EMS (Elektronmusikstudion, ”the studio for electronic music”) in Stockholm 1969. He studied mathematics simultaneously, and soon became a studio assistant at EMS. With full access to the studio's equipment he recorded ”Elektron Kukéso” in 1971, only using computers and electronic utilities.

”Elektron Kukéso” is one of the most visionary albums made in Sweden. Blending psychedelia, pop and electroacoustic music, it creates a peculiar inner landscape with Edler's vocals and melodies infusing the songs with an ephemeral melancholy. It's further out than both The United States of America and Fifty Foot Hose, it's more focused than Silver Apples, it's more bizarre than White Noise, less cheesy than most of what Edler's compatriot Ralph Lundsten did. But comparisons to others fall short. This is a singular album, moving in strange spheres only Hans Edler had access to. His baryton voice channels and opposes the soaring melodies at the same time to a great, tense effect. Some songs are plain captivating, especially ”Jag hör ett skrik” despite the obvious quotes from The Supremes' classic ”You Keep Me Hanging On”. Other tracks are decidedly weirder, like ”Leka med ord” and the instrumentals ”My Third Eye”, ”Miscalculation” and ”Lovedust”, sometimes predating glitch music and EAI (electro acoustic improvisation) with several decades. Everything moves and pulsates like a tidal wave, reaches for new mental continents. Not everything is good, but just about everything is fascinating.

Hans Edler released the album on his own label Marilla which he ran throughout the 70's. He released numerous album ranging from dance band music to children's albums, from accordionists to neo-rockabilly. Edler has worked with television, composed choral music, and been a succesful concert promoter. He's still active, usually performing in retro styled shows. Hes released several albums of his own – he even ventured into disco with his ”Space Vision” album in 1979 – but he never made another album like ”Elektron Kukéso”.

Full album playlist

DICE – Dice (Marilla, 1978) / The Four Riders of the Apocalypse (Belle Antique, 1992; recorded 1977)

English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***/***

Dice's was originally released on illustrious character Hans Edler's Marilla label, known for its stylistic diversity. ”Dice” is probably the only symphonic effort on the label though. It bears the band's Yes influences on its sleeve (not literally meant) with dashes of Focus, Gentle Giant and Egg. Complex and competent tracks with quite a few guitar leads to go with the abundant keyboards. A very accomplished work only marred by insufficient vocals. Not my cup of tea, but certainly a lot more lively than most of what Kaipa did (another relevant comparison) and a must for symph heads.

”Dice” was reissued by Japanese label Belle Antique in the late 80's, and they also released the archival ”The Four Riders of the Apocalypse” a couple of years later. Recorded before their first and only proper album, it lets us have a peak into their progress. Dice's ambitions were high but their compositional skills not yet fully developed. It sounds as if they wanted to prove everything at once, making the pieces overcomplicated and directionless (which of course could be said of quite a few symph rock albums...) Although I don't like Robert Holmin's vocals on ”Dice”, but the instrumental ”Four Riders of the Apocalypse” feels unfinished without them.

Belle Antique has also released two albums with material from Dice's live archive, including one show recorded for Swedish Radio in 1977, also partly found in "Progglådan".

Dice full album
The Four Riders Of The Apocalypse full album

Tonkraft 1977 full album playlist (tracks 7-11)