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

TOM ZACHARIAS – Belinda (SB, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

The curious Tom Zacharias is said to have attended the same private school at the same time as Sweden's future monarch Carl XVI Gustav. He was predicted a future in tennis but wanted to become an actor. Instead he turned into a stand up comedian, a career that ended when he at one point peed on the audience... Zacharias then tried his luck as a pin-up boy (he didn't quite have the looks for it) and actually did some acting before scoring a record deal with MNW for one 45, released on their Green Light imprint. The single was a massive flop. Reputedly only a handful of copies were sold. MNW didn't renew the deal. Zacharias then had an album out on Grammofonverket in 1973, ”Är du ärlig – är du härlig”.

Trying hard to make it in the entertainment business and haphazardly taking whatever showbiz job he could get, Zacharias jumped at the chance when shady businessman and inventor Stefan Brydolf one day contacted him. He suggested Zacharias should write a book and record two albums with triple X rated content. Zacharias came up with the BDSM themed book ”Rebecka” in three weeks, released to no success and soon forgotten altogether. The material for the first of the two albums was written during the same intensive period, and then quickly recorded by an exhausted Zacharias together with session drummer Rolf Alex, bassist Lars Bergstrom (ex-Levande Livet) and guitarist Tommy Broman. For the female vocals, Esther Nordenbring (previously involved in the Tillsammans project) and Suzie Heine (whoappeared in the Swedish stage version of ”Hair”) were recruited, appearing on the album as Vera Fräsch and Helen Bed. The album's cover star is Tommy Broman's girlfriend at the time, Karin.

The first album was named ”Belinda” and sold anonymously in porn shops and through ads in porno mags. It's probably the most infamous Swedish album of the 70's, perhaps even of all time (and that includes Johnny Bode's scandalous ”Bordellmammans visor” which gave Stefan Brydolf the idea for the ”Belinda” albums to begin with). The lyrics certainly are hardcore, I assume way too coarse for the average listener – sadism, incest and enema are ingredients in this bizarre stew.

The story behind "Belinda" and the myth surrounding Zacharias are much better than the music itself. Yes, it's a bit more accomplished than one would suspect from the nature of the album and the circumstances under which it was recorded, but that has more to do with the session players than the songs. Some of them are OK, some pedestrian, some just bad. You could say ”Belinda” sounds like a technically more talented Erik Aschan album.

The follow-up album ”Belindas döttrar” was recorded three months later, and selections from both volumes were chosen for a projected album in English. New vocals were overdubbed but the English album went unreleased until Subliminal Sounds unearthed the recordings in 2004 and released them as a CD with bonus tracks from the Swedish versions. They also reissued it on double vinyl in 2011.

Tom Zacharias had another album out in 1975, ”Horar gör vi alla”, and a children's album (!) followed in 1979, ”Vi barn” that was awarded with the Swedish 'children's album of the year' Grammy (!!!). He also acted in children's TV series ”Katitzi” the same year, appearing alongside actor/drummer Janne Carlsson (i.e. the half of Hansson & Karlsson that's not Hansson). In 1984 he released ”Till frukost” on his own label, featuring 50 people including Turid Lundqvist whispering profanities. He continued looking for a breakthrough and participated in various strange projects over the years before passing away in 2010.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks