A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 13: FRINGE PROGG

 
BRUNO WINTZELL
Idag sköt jag ihjäl en okänd man / Du och jag – en kärlekshistoria (Polydor, 1970)
Balladen om Joe Hill / Som en seglande mås (Polydor, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Roger Cook's ”Today I Shot A Man I Didn't Know” proved very popular when translated by Hawkey Franzén. There are four Swedish versions from 1970, that I know of, but there might be even more hiding away somewhere. The antiwar message was of course perfectly in tune with the times with the mindless Vietnam war raging like a tameless beast so loud the entire world could hear it. Actor (known for his role in ”Hår”) and singer Bruno Wintzell must have found it irresistable to record it as it's a perfect song for his voice and rather haughty vocal style. Vocally speaking, the best Swedish version is probably Tommy Körberg's, but the arrangement and the production is more to my taste with Wintzell. Still, the calculated maudlinness of the song is always overbearing. The sound and arrangement is what's best with the flipside as well. ”Du och jag – en kärlekshistoria” isn't progg but nice (if you like that kind of stuff) albeit undistinguished orchestral pop lacking the necessary distinctive features.

"Balladen om Joe Hill" was originally known as "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", and was first recorded in Swedish by Fred Åkerström. That one and "Som en seglande mås" (which is Leonard Cohen's "Bird On A Wire" in Swedish) are country tinged but both of them are pretty terrible, with Wintzell taking himself even more seriously than usual.
 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Jukebox JSEP 5601 (Jukebox, EP, 1970)

Featured artists: Tommy Körberg / Mike Castle / November / Diddlers

 English vocals, Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

The so called Jukebox EPs were a long running series of budget compilation seven-inches known for mixing completely unrelated bands and artists, usually four at a time. They're in low demand as most of the tracks chosen for the EPs were taken from already existing releases. This one here is an exception, as blues artist Mike Castle's ”Walkin' Blues” was unavailable elsewhere at the time. It's a not very imaginative rendition of Robert Johnson's classic and was later added as a bonus to the digital reissue of Castle's lone (and Peps related) album ”Kaligyga Express”, also from 1970. But this is the only place to get it on vinyl, why I mention it here. The others are non-exclusive tracks by November, Diddlers and Tommy Körberg..
 

BJÖRN JANSON – Det är skönt / Sommar i en skärgård (no label, 1976)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Apart from music, Björn Janson was a boat designer and a restaurant owner, and he released this single at his own expense. The B side is pure dross, a nondescript piano ballad I wish a long and painful death, but ”Det är skönt” has some nice features of which the soaking reverb isn't one. It's certainly on the commercial side, but the fake funky drive is pretty catchy, and it has some semicool and semiheavy guitar passages which unfortunately are too short. You could probably remix ”Det är skönt” and bring a better track out of it, but I suppose the master tapes are long gone. Probably very rare, but I suppose nobody wants it and that most likely includes you too.

ENVOYS – Kräv Bryggeriet kvar / Så svårt (Marilla, 1976)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Envoys were more than anything a pop band, having started already in 1964 (then with future journalist and TV personality Robert Aschberg as a singer). Their first single appeared on MNW in 1969, a cover of The Beatles' ”I Saw Her Standing There”. Their best known track however is ”Almarna åt folket”, a translation of John Lennon's ”Power To The People” released in support of those who fought for the preservation of the elm trees in Stockholm in 1971. The next single had David Bowie cover ”Starman” on the 'A' side, which was followed by their second charity single ”Kräv Bryggeriet kvar” in 1976. Bryggeriet's full name was Münchenbryggeriet (=”the Munich brewery”) and was built in the 19th century. From the early 1970s, it was a node for various cultural activities, but the powers in charge wanted to tear it down and make room for a new housing area. It caused an outrage with the people, and the protesters against the teardown included several well-known musicians, actors and writers. As in the case of the elm battle, the authorities eventually backed down and Bryggeriet was spared. Envoys' call to arms isn't as powerful as their Lennon interpretation from five years earlier. ”Kräv Bryggeriet kvar” is fairly rocking, especially in the choruses, but it doesn't have the same punch, coming across like a mix of Björn Afzelius and Nationalteatern. The 'B' side is a sappy ballad that sounds more like teenybopper singer/songwriter Ted Gärdestad than a progg band, revealing Envoys' true commercial nature.

 

GOG – The Beatless E.P. (Magog, 1979)
Instrumental
International relevance: *

Not only fringe progg, but on the fringes of everything. Gog was a one man project by Gothenburg's visual artist and musician Dan Fröberg. Gog's self-released EP is basically an abstract sound sculpture in four parts with fractured musique concrète characteristics. It's not without artistic merits, but it's best suited for adventurous listeners accustomed to prototypical tape music and primitive EAM. Might interest those who consider Imp.Ink, Psynkopat and Friz Be too mainstream... Some, perhaps all, copies had extra, off-centre, hand-carved spindle holes so you could choose between a regular playback and a wowy one. 500 copies were pressed, some came with a picture sleeve and an insert. A rare item today, sometimes fetching €100 on the collectors market.

TOMAS BERGH – Upp till kamp / Oh... tryggare kan ingen vara (Frituna, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ?

A very peculiar single with no clear target audience. Because who would possibly want a disco version of ”L'Internationale” in five different languages? Studio 54 strings, perky horns, cheesy basslines and a high BPM number – huh?! And a deconstructed punk version of the hymn ”Children of the Heavenly Father” on the B side?! I mean, what the hell is really going here??? It's obviously tongue-in-cheek but it's still so bizarre and absurd that I dare say that you've never heard anything quite like it before and never will again unless you play it a second time. And you might as well want to, just to figure it out.

I've no idea who Tomas Bergh was, if it even was his real name, but the guys backing him up were sessions musicians including Anders Eljas who thought up the concept. Eljas was a music conservatory graduate who worked with opera singers as well as pop stars (he played keyboards on ABBA's 1977 world tour for instance); he orchestrated the ”Chess” musical; produced stage shows for Povel Ramel (Mikael's dad), and conducted the London Symphony Orchestra during a Hyde Park show featuring guest stars like Kylie Minogue, Jamie Cullum, Lulu and Chaka Khan – to mention just a few things he's done. But I still think this very single must be the most askew thing he ever did. Do I like it? Not at all, but I'm intrigued by it. 

It was also issued as a 12” with an extended disco mix of the A side. Burn, baby, burn!

MAKE UP – Hot Love Street / My First Love (Wave, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: - 

Included here more as a warning. Make Up are often classified as a hard rock band, but there are not many features on this single to back up such an assertion. ”Hot Love Street” is a really terrible discofied pop rock track while ”My First Love” is a sappy ballad where the singer's linguistical and vocal shortcomings really come to the fore. A full length album followed in 1981.

DYNAMO VARBERG – Ayatollah Khomeini / Anwar Sadat (Nacksving, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Dynamo Varberg made their debut with a very rare cassette-only album called ”Filiberts höna” in 1978. The 1980 single at hand is a fairly elusive Nacksving release with two songs taking a clear leftist stand against Middle Eastern dictatorship and oppression, with an additional stab at Sweden's then rightwing prime minister Gösta Bohman, like Rävjunk did on their legendary ”Bohman Bohman” single. The music itself has in fact a wee bit in common with Rävjunk's more rock oriented style. It's not as punkish, but Dynamo Varberg had a similar sleazy vibe. There's some biting guitar playing including wah-wah going on, and the songs are quite good – especially ”Anwar Sadat” where singer Björn Spåls also manage to sound a bit like Eldkvarn's singer Plura Jonsson. The worst element is the sitar on the A-side which sounds as if it was played by a stoned-out Edward Scissorhands. Apart from that, this quite appeals to me, and it's certainly one of the more vital releases on Nacksving.

CALCUTTA TRANSFER

Mannen (som på tunnelbanan sket) / Howrah Station (Mistlur, 1980)
India Waits (Mistlur, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

If Calcutta Transfer hoped for any radio play with their first single, they probably shouldn't have named it ”the man who shat in the subway”, so a lot of people probably missed the lyrics' environmental worries. Like almost everything coming from the Transfers, ”Mannen (som på tunnelbanan sket) is outlined from Dag Vag, more precisely ”Ogräs” from their debut album. It's still one of the Transfers' best songs. The clavinet sounds like a spider tapdancing on a hot hob. It's either bloody annoying or oddly effective depending on your mood. ”Howrah Station” isn't their typical reggae but closer to disco. It was a live favourite apparantely, and I can imagine they could stretch it out with plenty of Kenny Håkansson styled guitar soloing on stage, but here it's as dull as yesterday's pasta leftovers.

Their second single is called ”India Waits”, but there's no track here by that title. Both songs are non-album tracks, and the Dag Vag influence is intact. The 'A' side ”Plus minus noll” is a fast paced ska track with a debt to pay to Dag Vag's ”Glappkontakt” but the 'B' side ”Fet guru” shows more originality. It's a slightly spacey track with a rock beat, thick layers of tasty organ and soaring guitars. The band whips up quite some energy the longer it goes on, and it stands out not only as one of their proggiest efforts but also one of their very best.

PAJ VAJ – Med hacka och spade / Flum e dum (Bums, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

It's actually rare that I hear something that leaves me stumped, but this eccentric 45 knocks me off course. What on earth am I listening to? Is it for real or is it a joke?

I've no idea who's behind it because I can't find any valuable info on it anywhere. The songs were written by Bask (who?) and Lindström (which one?), and the Bums label mostly released commercial artists. Paj Vaj were anything but. The singer sounds like Blå Tåget's Torkel Rasmusson trying to cure a hangover from hell by eating three pounds of chalk. He remains hungover but with a demolished voice. Ot maybe he sounds like a Kenta with a rubber ball stuffed down his throat? Is he fucking around or does he need a doctor? Is he immaculately groggy? Deranged? Is he, at all, for real? His idea of enunciation is, er, unusual but it's obvious that the singer (or lyricist, or both) holds a grudge against... parents, teachers, the police, the authorities, actually the entire society. Kill them and bury them. Problem solved.

The music is pretty straightforward with a certain lilt; it's standard rock setting plus harmonica, but thanks to the off-kilter vocals, it has some bizarre gravity. It's too straight qualifying as outsider music, and it's way too odd for any mainstream appeal. I can't really recommend it, but I can't not recommend it either. I'll probably play it a lot more, if only to find out what the hell is going on here. If the discofied "L'Internationale" was puzzling, then this is completely bewildering.

ROCKTEATERGRUPPEN SMÅFOLKET – Nu drar vi ner på stan (Rainbow, EP, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Little known four track E.P. by a self-appointed 'rock theatre group' which immediately makes you think of Nationalteatern. Which is perfectly true because it's hard to imagine this would exist without the source inspiration from said group, But it lacks the sharpness of the Ulf Dageby's and Anders Melander's songwriting, and the instrumental prowess that Nationalteatern developed is surely lacking here. Småfolket sounds like a local group (more precisely from Malmö) performing at youth clubs to a less than excited underage audience. The drummer is rudimentary, the guitarist is far from experienced, but the the two singers – male and female – are especially amateurish. Esther Nordenbrink in particular sounds shrill and shouty which suggests a punk awareness in a Mörbyligan way.

The four songs were featured in the play that gave the E.P. it's title, roughly meaning ”let's go downtown”, and while the B side is a wee bit better with ”Nu är jag ung” (=”now I'm young”) being the best song of all, none of them is up to snuff. A 'B' grade effort that time rightly forgot.

HS3 BOYS – Fel tåg / Hon är ett lik / Pia Love (no label, 1983; rec. 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Little information availabe for this one as well. There's no print on the colour-coded labels and only the members' first names are stated on the cover. However, HS3 Boys might originate from Östersund as Myrbein's bass player Johan Von Sydow is featured here, and both bands used the Tommys Musiklab studio. While this three-track EP wasn't released until 1983, it was recorded already in 1981 according to information presented to Swedish Radio. With no drummer present, the rhythm is provided by a drum machine which defines their original sound. It's hard to pinpoint it, but there's definitely a Latin influence there. I also sense a touch of Mikael Ramel, but that's possibly only in my head. Still, it's not a very good disc, so not worth the effort hunting it down. 

LJUDLÖST ÖS – Jerry / USA (Natty Records, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Reggae has always been pretty popular in Sweden after Peps Persson introduced the style in the mid 70s, and we had a few quite good or at least decent reggae bands already back in the day. Not only were there high profile names as Dag Vag, Rotpuls and to some extent Rockamöllan following Peps in his footsteps, but there was also a pretty widespread undergrowth of local bands. Ljudlöst Ös was one of the unknowns trying to adapt to the Jamaican backbeat, but thay had certain problems succeeding. If anything, reggae demands a drummer who can forget everything he learnt about the standard rock beat, and Matte Pettersson of Ljudlöst Ös struggles a bit. I've heard far worse examples of drummers losing the concept when switching to reggae, but a Bosse Skoglund he is not. Both songs on their lone, privately released single speak out against racism and cultural colonialism. With female singer Maria Johansson, Ljudlöst Ös sound like I imagine Nationalteatern would sound like if they attempted to be a reggae band. It all sounds a bit chunky and awkward proving that good intentions won't always come out as good results. 

MANTRA – Made In Japan / Här är jag (Mercury, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

This is probably Mantra's biggest claim to fame being released on major label Mercury, produced by Janne Schaffer and with lyrics for both tracks written by Mikael Ramel. It's not Mantra's typical test tube jazz fusion but it still sucks. ”Made In Japan” is some misguided attempt at synth pop an while ”Här är jag” is a bit better, the quasi-punkish rock falls on its feet just the same. 

ZVENSKA MUSKLER – Fyra årstider / När elden har brunnit... (no label, 1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

One-off single from a band that grew out of probably unrecorded band Dr Rockford, and with a name would translate into "Zwedish Muscles, featuring singer/guitarist Tobbe Rüsslander. ”Fyra årstider” isn't that great and not too proggish either, while the slower ”När elden har brunnit” is OK with some extended guitar workouts, electric piano and a peculiar, almost ghostly atmosphere – perhaps due to the decidedly non-professional mix. It's not as good Rüsslander's 1978 solo cassette, but it's still worth hearing once for "När elden har brunnit".

JSMB – Låt fler forma... / Håll mej varm (JSMB, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

More progg in the socially concerned lyrics than in the actual music. The lyrics are unusual in the sense that singer Magnus Sjögren declares he's a liberal (i.e. not a leftist), but he proclaims care for your fellowman whoever and wherever he or she is, so the fundamental tone is that of humanism rather than politics. Sjögren's phrasing suggests he's an Ulf Lundell fan although I wouldn't call the vocals exactly epigonic. ”Låt fler forma...” is decent enough in a rock singer/songwriter style, and certainly much better than the other track. ”Håll mej varm” is totally terrible, a rheumatic rockabilly pastiche which is entirely embarrassing complete with a bathroom reverb to make it sound 'authentic' which it of course does not.

Sjögren later reappeared in Örebro band Big Deal who had some success in the late 80s and is still active. I know nothing about the other members' whereabouts – there are no credits on the label and the single came in a plain white sleeve when originally released.

COREY – Havet / Livet är en dröm (GAT, 1982)
Swedish vocal
International relevance: *

A Gothenburg band apparently with some connections to the Social Democratic Youth Association SSU. Corey's lone single was a private release and features two pop/rock tracks with some semi-heavy and progressive elements. It's quite OK for what it is, especially ”Havet” which is actually rather good, but although it has some nice touches of the right kind, there may not be enough prog/progg here for most blog readers. Two versions of it exists, one in black vinyl and one in red.

Bruno Wintzell
Du och jag - en kärlekshistoria / Balladen om Joe Hill / Som en seglande mås  
Jukebox EP
November - Cinderella / Mike Castle - Walkin' Blues  
Björn Janson
Det är skönt (poor sound)
Envoys
Kräv Bryggeriet kvar  
Gog
Full single 
Tomas Bergh
Upp till kamp / Oh... tryggare kan ingen vara  
Make Up
Hot Love Street  
Calcutta Transfer
Howrah Station / Plus minus noll  
Paj Vaj
Med hacka och spade  
Rockteatergruppen Småfolket
Nu drar vi ner på stan  
Ljudlöst Ös
Jerry / USA 
Corey
Havet 
 
HS3 Boys, Dynamo Varberg, Mantra and JSMB no links found

FRIA PROTEATERN – Vi blir fler / Tänk dej ett Stockholm (Folksång, 7", 1973)

  
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Despite my deep disdain for Fria Proteatern, this is such an interesting release that it needs an entry of its own, not being lumped in with other 45s in one of my singles specials. This is a symbol for a lot more than music alone, why the background story is all important.

When José Feliciano entered the San Remo Festival (the Italian forerunner to the Eurovision Song Contest) in 1971, he came in second place with ”Che sarà”, a song written by the two Italians Jimmy Fontana and Franco Migliacci. The song became very popular and was translated into several languages across Europe. The Swedish lyrics were written by ABBA manager Stikkan Andersson, a prolific lyrics translator in his day and one with a certain knack for storytelling, more often with humanist (even feminist) political overtones than the he was acknowledged for. ”Che sarà” became ”Aldrig mer” which means ”never again” in English, a song that dealt with the often debated regional depopulation in Sweden at the time. The song gave Björn Ulvaeus's pre-ABBA band The Hootenanny Singers a huge hit in 1971.

However, the progg movement was quick and happy to mock Andersson's lyrics for being too nostalgic and resigned – ”we can't change what's happening, it's no use trying”. Especially as Stikkan Andersson was the capitalist devil himself to the progg cognoscenti who rather arrogantly thought only themselves to have the ultimate truth at hand. Then, in 1973, Fria Proteatern wrote their own lyrics to it and released it as a standalone single. Their words are clearly based on ”Aldrig mer” but turned the original message on its head. ”Vi blir fler” argues that the more people unite the greater the possibility to stop the negative process. Same song, same topic but coming to the opposite conclusion: you can improve society if you get together and fight for it. I don't object to that particular assertion, but I say that both sides make valid observations. 

Fria Proteatern of course represented the politically progressive phalanx, but I think Stikkan Andersson's sentiments towards the depopulation problem were closer to what people outside the affected regions thought. The Social Democratic Party governed at the time, and it was their aim to concentrate the population to the large city areas, thus emptying the smaller cities, many of them situated in the north. And I'm afraid a lot of people believed that Olof Palme, then Sweden's prime minister, knew what he was doing and that there wasn't anything that the so called 'ordinary people' could do about it anyway. That's resignation.

We mustn't forget that Stikkan Andersson grew up in a sparsely populated area and kept his pathos for what happened in such places. I believe that ”Aldrig mer” was a heartfelt lament. Add to that that ”Aldrig mer” wasn't an exception. There had already been a significant number of Swedish hits through the decades with lyrics looking through the rose-coloured glasses of safe nostalgia, celebrating the good ole days when life was easy (conveniently forgetting it really wasn't).  

But contrary to popular belief, quite a few Swedish commercial songs in the 60s and 70s had social concerns, a fact that the politically toughest proggers would never have admitted to. And if they did, they would have written them off anyway as cynical attempts at capitalizing on the zeitgeist. Much of the commercial music was crap, no doubt about it, but not all was. There are examples of commercial songs with genuinely concerned lyrics, albeit not phrased for a Proletärkultur or Oktober release. But you don't have to applaude Stalin to have honest intentions. Actually, I prefer if you don't.

My point is, there are nuances. Not all so called commercial music is inherently bad and meaningless, and not all progg is inherently good and meaningful. There is no such law of nature. It's just not that simple.

From this perspective, this is Fria Proteatern's most interesting effort. It's firmly dependent on the context, even if that hardly will make any sense to a non-Swede even if you know about its background. I happen to like the melody myself even if it's a bit of a tearjerker, but that is really irrelevant as the value here doesn't lie with the music, but what their version symbolizes in relation to the version it alludes to. It's a talking point where the music itself is subordinate.

The B side ”Tänk dej ett Stockholm” (=”imagine a Stockholm”) has strong environmental concerns, with lyrics painting a utopic picture of a Stockholm without pollution, noise and unfriendly atmosphere. It's very much like an afterthought to the elms battle, but musically it's just as chunky and lyrically blocky as your typical asinine Fria Proteatern original.

Vi blir fler (through kallelind.se, scroll to the end of the article and click the link)

TORBJÖRN "TOBBE" RÜSSLANDER – Tobbe med egna låtar (no label, MC, 1978)

 
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

A very obscure and almost entirely undocumented cassette-only album, privately issued in 500 homemade copies in 1978, with songs written from 1974 up to the release date. Torbjörn ”Tobbe” Rüsslander was a singer/songwriter and a pretty good guitar player who recorded these twelve songs in his rehearsal room.

Recorded on a 4-track TEAC machine, the album shares the sound characteristics heard on several American private pressings from around the same time. Although the portastudio has its obvious limitations, I've always liked the dryness of it, as if the music was registered onto a chunk of wood. Rüsslander is quite good at using the technical limitations to his advantage. 

Most of his songs are melodic, and a couple of them have a more pronounced proggish feel, like ”Fredagsnatt” and ”En vän i nöden”, the latter nicely decorated with understated flute lines. Otherwise, the progg feel lies mainly with the sincere DIY vibe, not unlike Per Forssell. 

I can't quite put my finger on what, but there's something about ”Tobbe med egna sånger” that occasionally reminds me of U.S. underground legend D.R. Hooker whose 1972 album ”The Truth” is highly regarded by psych fans and collectors, even if Rüsslander doesn't have quite the same off-beat outsider vibe. At any rate, I enjoy listening to it. It may have its shortcomings, but those are overshadowed by the merits.

Rüsslander later re-emerged briefly with his band Zvenska Muskler who released one single in 1981. He still performs, and he also works a guitar teacher.

Full album  

INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER – Remains (Silence, 2018; rec. 1968-1969)

  
Instrumental, English vocals, Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

The batch review of the albums by the various incarnations of Träd, Gräs Och Stenar's is apparently one of my most 'controversial' blog entries as I don't share the automatic reverence for the band. I don't submit to any unreflected worship of sacred cows, and TG&S are the most sacred of them all, but I still think most of what they did was simplistic and inept for its own sake. There are flashes of brilliance, especially during their earliest Pärson Sound days, but not enough to justify their general status as sanctified untouchables.

Of course there's been a number of archival TG&S releases, most of them simply confirming what their original albums already told us. Again, the most striking exception is Subliminal Sounds' 2CD assemblage of 1967-68 recordings showing that the band actually could extract some real energy out of their drones if they wanted to, not only squelch through sleepy one-chord lethargy. And that's where the 5 LP box set ”Remains” comes into the picture. Two of the discs are original albums "Sov gott Rose-Marie" and "Hemåt" but three of them are dedicated to previously unreleased (or mostly unreleased) material, and it's those that I focus on here. 

Some of it is still just more of the same, but several of those unissued recordings are in fact much better than what ended up on their proper albums. There's some sloppy slosh here too, but pieces such as ”Cellodron” (”Cello Spear”), and ”Hemåt” (”Homeward”) – once it catches steam – are very good. As is ”Hes häst” (”Hoarse Horse”) which conjures up the spirit of Czech band Plastic People Of The Universe. 

It's hardly surprising that "Remains” is inconsistent both in terms of musical and aural quality, but the good bits are excellent and make me wonder why (International) Harvester/Träd, Gräs & Stenar just couldn't produce any album uniformly on that level instead of making a point of playing below their capacity.

Full album playlist (Spotify)

SCHÜLDT – Schûldt (Schüldts Förlag & Studio, 1979)

 Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

It baffles me that it's still possible to find albums that are more or less unheard of, unknown, unheralded. After all, Sweden is a small country and after running this blog for such a long time, probing, digging, scrutinizing what feels like every inch of the progg soil, it seems so improbable that there are any albums left to excavate. But it does happen, and it happens more often than should be statistically possible. (Not to mention the amounts of long gone, buried 45s – is there even an end to it?)

I can honestly say I had never heard of Schüldt before I came across this private pressing from 1979. Although the front cover shows only the richly bearded Björn Schüldt, it's actually a duo album recorded with his wife Heléne who was highly involved in the songwriting and vocals, played guitar and autoharp, as well as creating the tapestry used for the album's artwork. She has a rather nice voice and a vocal style steeped in both British and American traditions. Björn's vocals are closer to a singer/songwriter style – I can even trace a bit of Ola Magnell here and there. I like Heléne better – Björn's voice is a bit dry with a slightly numb sort of timbre. Their voices blend rather well though on the tracks with both of them singing.

Surprisingly enough, it's all original material, but just like the vocals, the songs themselves display a deep love for the traditional material of both the UK and the USA. Heléne is a tad closer to the Brits, and she also wrote the best song. Her ”Nattlig frost” opens the album and is pretty great in a style that would have worked well on Lal & Mike Waterson's masterful ”Bright Phoebus” album. Björn leans a bit more towards blues and Appalachian country folk.

The lyrics are split between Swedish and English, but the couple's English pronounciation isn't the best why the native language tracks work best. Apart from that, the whole album is elaborate enough both in terms of execution and sound. Especially for being recorded in their own studio which was obviously well equipped for the mainly acoustic framework. Despite the sparse arrangements, the music sounds satisfyingly rich thanks to the couple's tactful and tactile mixing work capturing the rural quality of the songs.

”Schüldt” isn't a 'lost classic', but with some lesser shortcomings aside, it's still rather pleasant and pleasing. And better yet, it suggests that there might be more and perhaps even better albums out there, still undiscovered.

Nattlig frost  
The Wish Of A Bird  

LEVITICUS – STÅ OCH TITTA PÅ (Stanley & Andrew Music, 12”, 1982)

 

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Although Leviticus never acheived the same general success like Jerusalem did, they were one of the major Christian hard rock bands back in the day. Leviticus were closer to heavy metal (where Jerusalem were steeped in the older hard rock tradition), and most of what they did is both too late and too metal for this blog. This debut 12” makes it by the skin of its teeth thanks to the final track of the four. The first three aren't something to waste any words on, but ”Min mästare” is more symph than heavy metal. And with its seven minutes, it becomes rather epic in scope with synths and extended solo guitar. Had it only been better mixed (drums and vocals too low, synths too loud) it could have made more impact though. ”Stå och titta på” is a bit valuable in its original vinyl incarnation and was reissued as a CD EP in the early 00's by a U.S. label, but it's not really worth seeking out. ”Min mästare” is indeed the best track in this set, but still not good enough to motivate a purchase in any format.

Full EP playlist

BJÖRN EHRLING – Utan gräns (YTF, 1976)

  
Swedish vocals, a cappella
International relevance: *

Visa singer Björn Ehrling is previously represented here with his second and final album ”Frihetens fantomer” from 1978. ”Utan gräns” is highly political as shown by Swedish versions of the anti-fascist ”Los Gallos” and the oft-recorded ”Venceremos”. The album has a Spanish and Chilean slant, but there are also songs of Soviet, East German and Swedish origins. The best song however is ”Till Allende” written by Troels Trier from Danish agitprop band Røde Mor.

”Utan gräns” is mostly a singer/songwriter (or visa) album but it has a few proggish features thanks to Björn J:son Lindh's and session drummer Claes Wang's presence. Final track ”Uppmuntran” even has some spacey electric piano effects. It's a tolerable album overall, especially coming from the overtly political side, but it's a long, long way from essential.

Full album playlist 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – JAZZ- OCH ROCKSTIPENDIATER 1976 (Caprice, 1976)

 

Featured artists: Text & Musik / Krokus / Sonant Space
Instrumental, Swedish vocals, other languages
International relevance: **

These three bands were all awarded a Swedish Concert Institute grant that included a nationwide live tour, sessions for the Tonkraft live radio series; and an LP release split between the bands. The concert institute's own label Caprice Records were responsible for the album release.

Krokus were improvisation jazz, Sonant Space fusion, and Gothenburgers Text & Musik had rock leanings. Of the three grant holders, only Text & Musik went on to a recording career, including two albums for the Nacksving imprint. Krokus however had a trombone player that later became very famous in both the national and international fields of soul, pop, funk and jazz, namely Nils Landgren. Krokus appear with one long track that moves from spiritual jazz to 'organized free jazz' before ending in an almost folkish, lyrical fashion slightly reminiscent of Arbete & Fritid. Their portion is the best on the disc.

Sonant Space (later known as just Sonant) played a complex mix of prog rock and funk, and clearly ambitious, they were a bit too ambitious. Their two tracks are unnecessary complicated, and Sonant Space sounds like a young band (which they were) that really wants to prove something. Obviously technically skilled but like too many bands in that ilk, they go so hard at it the results become messy and unfocused. Some sections are just fine, but with so much nervously going on, their contributions sound more like exercises in high level mathematics than focused music. (A third track from the same Tonkraft session as these selections is available on Youtube.)

The three songs by Text & Musik are very different to each other. ”Ibo-Le-Le” is a Haitian voodoo song, ”Ljusen har slocknat i Shanghai” (co-written by Andreas Aarflot) is like a mini-play featuring spoken bits, fusion jazz and Latin infused cocktail jazz, while ”Det måste gå” features lyrics by poet Göran Sonnevi. They're not very smooth to sing. But while the lyrics are too unweildy for vocals, the track features some nice, fluent guitar work from Thomas Carlsson. All three tracks were recycled for the band's debut album "Jaguaren".

With two otherwise undocumented bands, ”Jazz- och rockstipendiater 1976” is all in all more interesting from an academic perspective than a musical one.

Sonant Space
Nogleckt (from bassist Tommy Riboe's website)
Tapto (from bassist Tommy Riboe's website) 

HJÄRNSTORM – Hjärnstorm (Slick, 12”, 1980)

  
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A Stockholm band rooted in punk band Skabb and with ties to Psynkopat, Boojwah Kids and Elegi and others. Hjärnstorm fit well into that lot, with arty progg in their DNA but fully aware of the then burgeoning experimental post punk scene.

This 12” technically features only two songs, but the 'A' side ”En ensam man” (=”a lonely man”) plays like two different ones itself. It begins with an uneasy section of catatonic vocals set to a cold sweat organ drone before bursting into a dance-punk like beat and guitars not entirely dissimilar to Carlos Alomar's on Iggy Pop's ”The Idiot”. Chilly industrial synth effects emphasize the steel-and-concrete paranoia.

The 'B' side is entitled ”Min skugga” (=”my shadow”) and starts with a simple but wonderful almost folksy guitar melody. Halfway through, the song changes to something that reminds me of Dom Smutsiga Hundarna before returning to the original theme's sweet melancholy. ”Min skugga” is oddly haunting, and even better than ”En ensam man”.

It's hard to pinpoint Hjärnstorm's style, because they hint at very different things without ever feeling disjointed. They were quite original, and it's such a shame they didn't stay together long enough for a few more releases. They did back singer/actor Johan Lindell on one 7” track in 1981, but that was a disappointing effort. And when Hjärnstorm emerged into the more typical sounding post punk band Stadion der Jugend, much of their original tension was lost.

Hjärnstorm's 12” was released in four different colours (blue, green, red and black for those who keep track of such things), but none of them seems very rare or sought-after, suggesting this remains something of a lost gem on the brink of genres.

Min skugga

ÅKE "KRÅKAN" NILSSON - Måste man va' poet (CBS, 1979)

  
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

There was quite some buzz around Åke ”Kråkan” Nilsson when he appeared in the spotlight in the late 70s. He earned his nickname Kråkan (=”the crow”) from his rough, gruff voice. Clearly inspired by early Ulf Lundell, Kråkan's lyrics were less romantic and dealt with the darker side of life. Speaking from his personal experience, Kråkan often sang about alcohol abuse and depression in a convincing manner, sometimes making me think of Kenta and Kaj R. Hansson (minus the criminal references). He was clearly a better singer than both of them with a strong powerful voice, somewhere between a smoother Rolf Wikström and a less foghornish Roger Chapman. Kråkan's full throttle approach to singing could surely have used some dynamics here and there, but his vocal urgency works in his favour now and then.

While his love for hard blues and stomping rock is perfectly obvious, he slows it down on a couple of tracks. ”Jag har spelat många roller” is a slow blues that captures the mood of the concrete city's murkier sides really well (a bit like Ulf Lundell's song ”Bente” does but from a different persepctive). ”Jag hoppas det inte är försent” (=”I hope it's not too late”) is another slow one, overflowing with remorse and contrition over what he's done to his friends and family when drowning in alcohol. While the music isn't straight up progg, the lyrics are – for those who can understand them – sincere and gripping on a personal level. Fans of the aforementioned Kenta and Kaj R. Hansson should listen up.

Kråkan made three more albums up to 1983 but they got gradually more commercial sounding, and it's really only this debut album that has enough no-frills proggish production to be of fringe interest to this blog. He's still active on a smaller scale level and is content with making his more recent efforts available on his website. It also has all his albums for streaming and download.

10 år sen sist / Jag vet hur du mår / Blunda och be / Jag har spelat många roller / Whisky och valium / Prestigeladdad kyla / 30-strecket / Jag hoppas det inte är försent / Rädd som fan

HOOGANS MUSIKTEATER – Harry Hoogan behöver dig (Piglet, 1981)

  
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Another album on the puzzling, bewildering, stylistically inconsistent and utterly fascinating Piglet label. Stylistically inconsistent is also the best way to describe ”Harry Hoogan behöver dig”. Here you get funk, rock, reggae, show jazz, balladeering – all in one unkempt mess. The reason is that Hoogans Musikteater, originally named Komadawoloteatern, was a theatre group as much as a musical one, and the songs were taken from a stage play.

The problem with ”Harry Hoogan behöver dig” is the same as with many albums such as this – it doesn't work as an album. It's just a bunch of poor songs that seem out of place without the narrative framework of the play. Not all of Piglet's releases are great, and this is one of the weakest. 

The group also had ties to Låt & Leklaget who released a number of children's albums in the 80s.

No links found

FIENDENS MUSIK – Complete singles 1978-1981

Fiendens Musik were one of the finest groups to bridge progg and punk in a time when genres blurred. Centered around singer Mats Zetterberg, they released two albums but also several singles with non-album tracks/takes.

 

En spark rätt i skallen / Du går aldrig säker (för Fiendens Musik) (Bellatrix, 1978)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

”En spark rätt i skallen” appeared as one of the key tracks on the ”Fiendens Musik” LP in 1979, but this is an earlier, rawer take. It's more desperate than the album version which suits the song's lyrics against senseless street violence perfectly. A great song in its best version! The B side is a Swedish version of Iggy Pop's ”The Passenger”, not as great as the A side but amusing and charmingly semi-chaotic.

 

Pappa har alltid haft rätt... / Tredje tåget (Bellatrix, 1979)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Recorded late 1978 and released early 1979. ”Pappa har alltid haft rätt” is co-written by Zetterberg and Lars ”Ferne” Fernebring (Risken Finns), and an early example of Zetterberg's knack for engaged storytelling (this time about the generation gap) with suitably pissed-off vocals and a great use of Mats Bäcker's sax -- always crucial to Fiendens Musik's trademark sound. ”Tredje tåget” is a straightforward rock track in a Stonesy pub rock vein with rough edges. The title was later recycled for Mats Zetterberg's record label Tredje Tåget.

 

A Boot Right In The Face / Goalgetter (Slyngel, 2014; rec. 1979)

English vocals

International relevance: **

English language versions of two tracks otherwise found on the debut album. ”A Boot Right In The Face” doesn't work quite as good as ”En spark rätt i skallen”, while ”Goalgetter” is actually better than the Swedish equivalent ”Kulan i luften”. Originally intended for a British release, the single got stuck in the archives until 2014 when finally released on Slyngel Rekords, a Swedish label specializing in 45s with unreleased material by domestic punk bands.

 

Moderata brudar / Slutna sällskap / Arabisk bonus (Bellatrix, 1979)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A slightly more polished outing from Fiendens Musik compared to their earlier singles, with two pretty catchy tracks ”Moderata brudar” and ”Slutna sällskap” as the main attraction. The most interesting track though is the third one, the semi-instrumental ”Arabisk bonus”, an oddly jouncing number with loads of echoed sax. An atypical Fiendens track but an odd favourite of mine.
 

 

Musik mot gryningen / Stadsbo (Tredje Tåget, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

”Musik mot gryningen” is probably the most sophisticated track by Fiendens Musik with a slightly snaky melody and an unsettling mood underscored by Bäcker's nervy sax. A great one and a pity it was their swansong (not counting reunions). B side ”Stadsbo” is a humorous upbeat track, more of a throwaway compared to the brilliant A side.

En spark rätt i skallen full single playlist 
Pappa har alltid haft rätt full single playlist 
A Boot Right In The Fave full single
Moderata brudar full single
Musik mot gryningen full single  

LOOPING – Sänd mej en ängel (Musiklaget, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

This is pretty much a ”progg by association” album, more than an actual progg album. It features Christer Nahrendorff of Solen Skiner as singer and main songwriter, keyboardist Pierre Swärd of Soffgruppen, fusion band Life, and Mikael Ramel's Harru Lust to name a few, and session guitarist Thommie Fransson. It was also released by Musiklaget, home to Bättre Lyss, The Underground Failure, Bröderna Lönn and several other progg albums from the early 70s and on. Unfortunately the album itself is typical early 80s pop rock with some funky touches. Plus a whole lot of glitzy treble and a fair bit of synth polish. In short, it sounds just like the album cover looks.

The best track is also the longest, the more than eight minute album closer ”Sanning” which might sound like progg if you squint hard with your ears.

There's also a 1979 Looping 7”, ”Den underjordiska rymden”, with two non-album tracks.

No links found 

KG 22 BAND – KG 22 Band (Sjöbo Påpp, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: -

Fundamentally a pop/rock band with some funk and disco moves, but mentioned here briefly because of a couple of jazz fusion tracks plus some mainstream progg touches. None of it is good though, and the fusion like stuff is incredibly stale. The track ”It Ain't Easy” was culled from the album for a single with an exclusive track on the flip, ”Twelve Bars From Mars”. That was later combined with a couple of unreleased tracks for a three-track streaming EP which, believe it or not, is even worse than their ghastly album.

Full album playlist   
Full single playlist

GRUS I DOJJAN – Friska grustag (Sonet, 1976) / Efter kaffet (Amalthea, 1981)

 
Swedish vocals, English vocals, a cappella, instrumental
International relevance: *

Grus I Dojjan were a band of surprising longevity. Formed in 1970, their album debut came the following year which kicked off a ten year long career on record. They existed much longer than that but didn't release another album until 2002. Also, they backed Thomas Wiehe on his 1980 album ”Fågeln i mej” under the moniker Hullimullan Band.

I've reviewed Grus I Dojjan's other albums before, and these two LPs are the last remaining to appear on Swedish Progg Blog (unless they release a 10 CD box set of previously unreleased private tapes...). There's nothing I can say about them I haven't already said before. It's goodtime music, a cheerful mix of old Swedish dance tunes, various country music styles including bluegrass, and Irish folk. All their albums are basically interchangeable; they remained true to their style over the years, and if you like it you like it, but I don't.

I can just add that ”Friska grustag” (with a nice looking sleeve) was recorded live which was the perfect setting possible for the band, and that ”Efter kaffet” was their last album from the original era. ”Efter kaffet” actually has the best track I've ever heard from them, ”Rakkniven”. It's a genuinely great track; dark, doomlaiden and paranoid – completely unexpected coming from Grus I Dojjan! Too bad it took them ten years to come up with something on that level.

No links found 

HÄXFEBER – Häxfeber (MNW, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This is one of those albums I thought would entirely different than I suspected it would be. Long before I heard it I thought this would be a jazz album somewhere between Tintomara and Salamander. But Häxfeber proved to be a rock progg band but was probably the all female line-up that fooled me because it was still more common with women jazz groups than rock ditto in Sweden in those days (although punk changed some of that).

Häxfeber weren't the best of instrumentalists. Especially drummer Karin Fält should have practised her drum fills a bit more before putting them on permanent record. ”Avenyn” is one of the most evocative tracks on their eponymous album, but the drum stumbles somewhat spoil the mood that the vaguely reggae influenced beat and the heavily reverbed guitar create. Another snag is the vocals, as if the singers felt they had to proclaim the feminist themed lyrics with too much urge to get heard (which might have been perfectly true). Then again, we mustn't forget that 1980 was a landmark year for Swedish punk, and Häxfeber were clearly aware of what was going on around them.

I do like guitarist Birgitta Larsson though. She isn't flashy (that doesn't automatically equals good anyway), but her licks and leads are quite tasteful, and she's also good at finding suitable sounds. The albums doesn't hold up all through, but there are several good, effective songs that would have been even better with a generally more proficient execution.

”Häxfeber” is a decent album with both flaws and strengths, a bit of an unfulfilled promise. Häxfeber had some talent but not the time to develop it – they disbanded after this album, and only Birgitta Larsson appeared shortly in another band, the obscure Scandal Beauties who had two songs on V/A compilation ”Vilda vanor” in 1985.

Med blåprickig slips  
Syntesen

ENERGIOPERANS KÖR & ORKESTER – Den femte naturkraften (Lilla Räven, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This is the most unusual anti-nuclear album I've heard. A real one-off thing on a private, one-off label. The music were made for a street theatre performance in 1980 called "Energioperan" and involved 23 musicians and 46 singers, collectively known as ”The Energy Opera's Choir & Orchestra” in translation. The best known names are probably Anita Livstrand (Vargavinter, Bitter Funeral Beer Band, solo), Margareta Söderberg (Arbete & Fritid) and Catarina Abelli (Hot Boys, and Torbjörn Abelli's half sister -- she also did the cover art for this album).

It ought to be a well established fact that I have serious problems with political albums where a thousand singers insist on singing their slogans all at once, and true that ”Den femte naturkraften” (=”the fifth force”) has its share of appalling tracks. But a fair bit of it is actually rather captivating. The choir provides an ethereal feel to some of the numbers, and a few selections are really toned down with Oriental and Balkan folk shadings. Especially the bewitching ”Siarens sång”, sung and co-written by Anita Livstrand with a snaky melody framed by flute, tablas and 'acid folk' acoustic guitars. (I don't like that term, but it's highly applicable here.)

So if you navigate past the odd rock track and one or two dreadful political shouties, there's quite a few moments well worth investigating here. And with an Anita Livstrand runaway track like ”Siarens sång”, it's definitely worth spending some loose change on it. 

No links found

VARIOUS ARTISTS – MUSIKFESTIVALEN 1978 (no label, MC, 1978)

 
Featured artists: Magnum Brus / Trycket / Harline Blue / Handkraft / Staffan Pettersson / Kylans Rockorkester / Horny Band / Inferno
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

An incredibly rare cassette, home copied on standard TDK tapes and privately released locally in the northern town of Örnsköldsvik in 1978. The compilation was recorded live during a benefit festival for Örnsköldsvik youth club that needed renovating. Several local acts performed at the festival, the best known being Kylans Rockorkester along with several bands that never made it beyond the city limits. Apart from Kylans Rockorkester, only Hairline Blue got as far as to have a 45 out under their own name, although a couple of the performers also appeared on ”Musikfest 80 Örnsköldsvik”. There's heavy rock, bebop, jazz fusion, and funk, and the level of playing varies almost as much as the musical styles. Some bands are pretty skilled while others are not. The sound quality isn't great but OK for a 70s audience recording. Neither is the music. The best selection is ”Spränga hela skiten”, the first-ever released Kylans track, atypically dark in mood coming from them and not as bluesy as their better known stuff.

”Musikfestivalen 1978” is definitely of interest to collectors of local releases, but the average listener need not bother.

Full album playlist 

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 12: Various

DEN TRETTIONDE FEBRUARI – Den trettionde februari / Harley Davidson (Ljudspår, 1976)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

I wanted to hear this one-off 45 for a very long time, but it proved elusive. I had no idea what to expect from it but I still had the feeling it might be good.

The lyrics were written by later on awarded radio journalist Olle Hägg while an unidentified Hungarian keyboardist using the pseudonym David Oliver was responsible for the music. The two songs were recorded in Acke & Gurra's studio providing a not too flashy but adequate, slightly spacious underground-ish sound. That comes in particularly handy on the track sharing its name with the band itself. ”Den trettionde februari” is a faintly funky track with a very effective, flanged and nervy guitar. The flanger adds an electric sitar quality to the solos, and a persistent moog adds to the semi-psychedelic quality. It's a really enjoyable piece that somehow seems a bit overlooked. ”Harley Davidson” is more of a singer/songwriter styled half-ballad that fails to make the same impression as the main track, but it's well worth seeking out for the A side!

DOM SMUTSIGA HUNDARNA – För din nakenhets skull / Visa i Molom (MNW, 1977)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Released to generate interest for the then forthcoming debut ”Vårdsjuk blågul fanblues” by this Gothenburg band, but only the A side ”För din nakenhets skull” is on the album. The B side is exclusive to this single, a cover of visa singer Alf Hambe's best known song, the folksy and mystical ”Visa i Molom”. It's vastly different in the hands of Dom Smutsiga Hundarna. Gone is the fragility of the original. It's definitely rock, with a peculiarly pulsating rhythm underlined by a watery organ, an odd drum section and a wailing fuzz guitar taking the lead. ”Visa i Molom” would have been out of place on the album, but as a quirky B side it's really quite great. If you're a fan of ”Vårdsjuk blågul fanblues”, this is an excellent addition to your collection.

RONNY ÅSTRÖM – Maskin nr. 1 / PEPS PERSSON – Maskin nr. 2 (Sonet, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The two friends Ronny Åström and Peps Persson on a split single, with the B side being Peps's wellknown track from the ”Spår” album. The sentiment is the same on both tracks, with lyrics addressing the mindless mass production of superfluous things, two statements against the consumerist society. Åström's side is unique to this 45, and it's one of his very best tracks. Set to the monotonous rhythm of a book packing machine, a monophonic synthesizer fill in with a naive, plastic melody behind Åström's gruff voice singing an almost circular melody that could go on forever, just like the sameness of the boring work in a soul-destroying factory. The minimal synth framework makes the point perfectly – beneath the alluring surface of childlike charm, there's a heartfelt critique against the modern, commercialized Western world. 

RIGHT BAND – Keep On Wailing / Natural Vibes (Liphone, 1978)
English vocals
International relevance: **

A not very sought-after single on the long running and increasingly unpredictable West Coast based Liphone label. The band had Per Giöbel on vocals and guitar, and he also wrote ”Keep On Wailing” for the A side. Giöbel is known from Hausswolff and Claes Ekenstam & Sista Bandet, as well as ”Snacka går ju”, one of Motvind's later albums. Pretty far removed from Right Band's 7” which is more in a funk rock style. ”Keep On Wailing” is the better song, revealing some inspiration from Little Feat and late 70s Zappa. Very competent for a local band that only released one single but still not very interesting
.

STETSON CODY GROUP – Eyes / Det var du (SCG, 1979)
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: **

Best known for having guitarist Kjell Lövbom in their line-up years before he became Kee Marcello in multi-million selling hair metal band Europe. Which says nothing about Stetson Cody Group, as everyone who's heard the various artists album ”Jazz & Rock” will know. That particular album featured four Stetson Cody tracks, but this self-financed single was the only outpouring under their own name. The style is similar, a test tube blend of funk rock, jazz fusion and a bit of prog rock. It's competent and tight but not fun to listen to. At all. 

ULF PETTERSSON – Summershores / This Kinda Shit (no label, 1979)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

With a dude looking like the entire Blue Öyster Cult on a bad hair day, one could easily think this would be a hard rock one man band, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is a very rare predominantly electronic DIY effort with hints at sequencer krautrock, Giorgio Moroder and French cosmic disco. ”Summershores” is a relaxed, laidback piece that comes with Pettersson's listening instructions ”Sit down in your favourite armchair and light your pipe”. And as he promises you that ”This Kinda Shit” can help you ”fly away to an alien planet”, you know this is really some guy. The kitsch level is high.

Both tracks were recorded in Mora Träsk's studio in Gävle, and most of the 500 copies were sold at Pettersson's dad's work, a local shipping company! The last remaining copies went in 2024 when there was a sudden outburst of interest in it among DJ's and collectors. Subliminal Sounds reissued it digitally in 2026.

INJECTION – Mountain Side / Mozarts 40:e (Liphone, 1979)

English vocals

International relevance: **

A symphonic band of only one single, released on the aleatoric Liphone label. They try hard but can't live up to their ambitions. The singer sounds strained and flat on ”Mountain Side”, the time changes are underrehearsed and the synth licks have a tremulous glissando that's very irritating. The B side is an adaption of Mozart's Symphony No. 40. With a perky country & western beat and ending with ”I Wanna Be Like You” from ”The Jungle Book”, it's just corny. It might be funny if you think that a drunk Emerson, Lake & Palmer twisting their legs in a serious need of pee is funny. What the hell were Injection thinking?!

MOBILE – Swedish Magazines / Truck (MOB, 1980)
English vocals
International relevance: ***

A rather unusual sounding band (from Kivik in the south) that makes me think of a basement version of British art rockers Cardiacs. Very tight performances which can possibly be explained by the fact that three of the four members were brothers with a tight connection. Dan, Sven and Jörgen Bornemark were sons of Gullan Bornemark who wrote a large number of extremely annoying children's songs in the 60s. I wouldn't say it's a very good single but it's nevertheless interesting as so few Swedish bands actually sounded like this. Worth hearing but perhaps not buying. On the other hand, it's not a very expensive item – it seems to be rather unknown.

LUFTGROUP – Pornografi / Det kostar på... (Musikkällan, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This Värnamo seven-piece had hopes for the future. The short liner notes on the back of the cover read: ”This single is an exclusive amateur release documenting that 1980 musically moved at all air bearings, also on basement level. With the next disc, we'll move into the light.” That never happened – this was the only thing they ever released. Most of the members seem to have disappeared without any further musical traces at all which seems a bit odd as Luftgroup sounded rather good. Especially for being a local underground band. Anti-porn A side ”Pornografi” is rather catchy, a bit like Fiendens Musik although not as hard-edged. ”Det kostar på...” reminds be a bit of ”Knockin' On Heaven's Door” with a rich Hammond organ fleshing out the sound and a fat fuzz guitar in the short solos. It's not a 'lost masterpiece' but I kind of like this 7”. It has some urgency to it, and I'd be interested hearing more of Luftgroup. I suspect they ought to have been a pretty good live band. 

NORRSKENET – Sången om Norrskensflamman / Norrbottenssången (Flame, 1981)
Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: -

This is abysmal even for a political record. Northern communist news magazine Norrskensflamman (today known as Flamman) released this in 1981 celebrating themselves with A side ”Sången om Norrskensflamman”, an incredibly cringy track with a long spoken intro so deadly serious that it turns into full-blown parody. It's so embarrassing that it makes Fria Proteatern sound like a really nifty rock'n'roll combo. And when the choir enters with their local patriotism I just want to sink through the floor never to rise again to the realm of the living. The only good thing I have to say about the equally ”Norrbottenssången” on the second side is that it at least lacks the recital. The singing is debile and the backing music is so twee a teddy bear could be mistaken for Charles Manson in comparison. Bloody amazing really how appalling music can actually be!

ROCKVINDAR – Lys upp mitt mörker / Ann-Louie (Metronome, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Last release from actor Thorsten Flinck's band following two years after their only album. The album wasn't too impressive, and the same goes for the two sides here. Energetic performances but still plain standard rock with mild new wave aspirations and Clarence Clemons styled sax on both tracks. No need to bother.

Ulf Pettersson full single playlist (Bandcamp) 
Injection full single playlist (Spotify)
Gog full single
Rockvindar full single
Ronny Åström / Peps Persson
Maskin nr. 1 (poor sound) / Maskin nr. 2
Dom Smutsiga Hundarna
För din nakenhets skull
Luftgroup 
Det kostar på...  
Norrskenet
Sången om Norrskensflamman / Norrbottenssången

Den Trettionde Februari / Right Band / Stetson Cody Group / Mobile no links found