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 

PEPS PERSSON – Walking By Myself: Live At Fattighuset 1972 (Mellotronen, 2025; rec. 1972)

English vocals
International relevance: **

This is very strange. It was released through streaming sites only in early 2025 with the info that Mellotronen's behind it, but it's an unusually shoddy release coming from them. To begin with, it's short on info. What we know, or at least are told, is that was recorded at Club Fattighuset in Stockholm. But there are no musicians credits (although it sounds like Slim Notini on piano) and the recording year is uncertain. The ”cover” says 1972 (a date also given by long running Swedish blues magazine Jefferson on Facebook shortly before the release) but every streaming platform says it's from 1973. The ”cover” is as unimaginative as it gets and looks more like the work of some kitchen table bootlegger. The sound is in stereo; it's either an execeptionally good audience tape or a B+ soundboard recording. 

Being from the early 70s it's an all blues set but edited down to a six songs of a mere 25 minutes. What's interesting is that it only has songs not on any other Peps album, and being a good performance it's highly interesting to Peps fans. But if someone bothers to release it even in such a disappointing fashion, why cut it down to EP length, and why such careless presentation? Being of musical as well as great historical value, I wish whoever's responsible for this hack job would have paid more respect to the source material and Peps devotees.

Full EP playlist

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

TOTTA'S BLUESBAND – Live At Renströmska (Nacksving, 1981)

English vocals
International relevance: *

Totta's – or Tottas to use the Swedish possessive form – Bluesband began life as a side project to the other two bands Torsten ”Totta” Näslund was part of in the 70's, Nynningen and Nationalteatern. This side project was even called Nynningens och Nationalteaterns Fritidsorkester ("fritidsorkester" meaning something like ”hobby orchestra”), before eventually evolving into Tottas Bluesband with several members from the old Nynningen and Nacksving label coterie. With the blues always close to Totta Näslund's heart, this was a chance for him to fully immerse himself in songs by the likes of J.B. Lenoir, Otis Rush, Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf and Jimmy Rogers. They became a popular outfit during the 80's, and also had a weekly spot every Monday on Näslund's and bassist Nikke Ström's own restaurant C Von in hometown Gothenburg. This particular album, the band's debut, was taped live during two consecutive evenings at the Renströmska jazz club in the late summer of 1981.

A lot of people will disagree with me, but I don't think Totta Näslund was a good blues singer. His voice is dull and and colourless and while I'd never question his love for the blues was serious and honest, Tottas Bluesband still sound just like a band playing pubs to beer burping buddybuddies and the occasional married couple with the husband touching his wife in more appropriate ways the later the hour and the drunker he gets. To me, this simply sounds as any old bores with hats and sunglasses on and think they're ”bloooooze, man”. They go through every well-rehearsed move in the book but they never get the blues down for real. It's all form and very little real content. Put on a proper Howlin' Wolf track and this album will run home crying for mum. And if you want straight pub rock go for the real British stuff instead – any early Dr. Feelgood album with Wilko Johnson grinds this album to tiny shards between the teeth.

An equally uninteresting single coupling ”Ain't Your Business” with ”Too Bad” appeared in 1982, and a few more albums followed sporadically during the rest of the 80's. Totta Näslund later had several solo albums before passing away in 2005. His very last regular album was a tribute album to Bob Dylan together with Mikael Wiehe.

Full album playlist

MIKE CASTLE – Kaliyuga Express (Sonet, 1970)

English vocals
International relevance: *

Chicago born guitarist Mike Castle spent time in Sweden and teamed up with Peps Persson and his then backing band Blues Quality for one album 1970, seemingly the only one Castle ever did. An all-blues effort with the exception of Gordon Lightfoot's ”Early Morning Rain”. Only ”Stockholm Blues” and ”Eagle Blues” are Castle originals, the rest is rather pedestrian cover choices such as ”Sweet Home Chicago”, ”Death Letter Blues” and ”Walkin' Blues” (although the latter is only a digital bonus track). Castle is an adequate but unexceptional acoustic guitarist and an uninspiring singer with a voice better suited for American folk styles than blues. Therefore he sounds best on the Lightfoot track and Mississippi John Hurt's ”Casey Jones” than the gruffer songs of Son House or Robert Johnson. He's learned the moves but fails to infuse much personality into them. Blues Quality appears on two tracks, Peps on six.

Kaliyuga Express full album playlist

ERIC BIBB – Ain't It Grand (MNW, 1972)

English vocals
International relevance **

Eric Bibb is a well-known name these days, hailed for his live performances and numerous albums somewhere between blues and singer/songwriter material. Born in New York City in 1951, he was given his first steel string guitar at the age of seven. Quitting his studies in Russian and psychology, he left for Paris in 1970, assumably as a draft dodger, before settling in Stockholm shortly after. Once there he got in touch with the still relatively new MNW label and MNW co-founder Roger Wallis who took him under his wings and released Bibb's first-ever album ”Ain't It Grand” in 1972. Wallis also provided horn arrangements and piano for the album, joining forces with people like saxophonist Christer Eklund (Grapes Of Wrath, Slim's Blues Gang, Rolf Wikström), bassist Torbjörn Hultcrantz (Bernt Rosengren, Albert Ayler and numerous other jazz luminaries) and Dave Spann (Red White & Blues, Vildkaktus).

”Ain't It Grand” has those sweet characteristics of a good debut album. Bibb was already a skilled player with a keen sense of delivery (and a very pleasant voice), but the music isn't yet fully formed. It has an intimate, stripped-down feel and there's a seeking, trying quality to it, a certain hunger to prove its greatness to the world. Sometimes it reminds me of Terry Callier and Bill Withers, sometimes it's a bit like John Martyn. One track, the lovely ”Tuesday Mornin' Rendezvous” even hints at UK guitar maestros Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. The more laidback tracks are nicely balanced against a couple of songs relying more on groove, such as the album closer ”The Last Time?”. The semi-shuffle ”Lovefire” in turn has some biting electric guitar and gurgling wah-wah faintly like a lighter variant of Pete Cosey's work on Muddy Waters's and Howlin' Wolf's psych blues albums on Cadet Records. The understated aggression of the playing goes well together with the lyrics reflecting Bibb's anti-racist and anti-draft stance.

”Ain't It Grand” is something of a forgotten nugget, especially in the MNW discography. It captures the spirit of the times but doesn't feel the slightest antiquated. For reasons beyond my knowledge, it took him five years to release his second album ”Rainbow People” on the audiophile imprint Opus 3. A more exact and polished effort for sure, but also lacking the imperative and directness of his beautiful debut.

His stint with Opus 3 also hooked him up with folksy singer/songwriter and U.S. expatriate Bert Deivert for a couple of collaborative albums, and as a side note, I'd like to mention Deivert's own 1979 album ”Handcrafted Songs” which might appeal to fans of Bibb's folksier sound, especially that which veers towards the U.K. style perfected by Bert Jansch.

Bibb's vast discography includes further collaborations with artists such as Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Swedish gospel singer Cyndee Peters, and Eric's dad Leon Bibb.

Full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Bygg ett eget musikforum (Upsala Musikforum, 1973) / 018/Tio grupper (Svenska Love Records, 1980)

The music forums were the backbone of the 70's progg movement, not only providing places to play for nationally established acts but for local bands executing their talents (or lack thereof) as well. Many of the music forums (well, some at least) were rather well organized units with plenty of people involved in booking, budget issues etc, all on a non-profit basis where the money earned went back into the independent operations that apart from music in several cases also included other social activities. The two best known and as far as I know also longest running music forums were the one in Uppsala and Gothenburg's Sprängkullen. Uppsala Musikforum was the archetype, the blueprint for other music forums to come. In 1973, Uppsala Musikforum recorded several bands associated with them, and self-released the double album ”Bygg ditt eget musikforum”. 

 Bygg ett eget musikforum (Upsala Musikforum, 1973)

Featured artists: Samla Mammas Manna & Uppsala Kammarorkester / Rio Brazzaville / Simon Simonsson, Kristina Ståhl & Bengt Cedervall / Lön För Mödan / Tom Thomason / King Kinos / Hederskompaniet / Björnligan / Music Inn Big Band

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

Most of the featured acts on ”Bygg ett eget musikforum” remain unknown outside a small circuit of local friends, and it's no wonder as most of them are mediocre at best. The style varies from the Mikael Ramel inspired prog rock of Rio Brazzaville (it sounds a lot better than it actually is); traditional fiddlers Simon Simonsson, Kristina Ståhl and Bengt Cedervall, and Lön För Mödan's political folk pop horribly similar to Fria Proteatern, to the decent but unspectacular acoustic blues of Tom Thomason and the urban sounding electric run-of-the-mill variant of King Kinos, the guitar-driven snooze jazz of Björnligan and Music Inn Big Band that sounds just like you expect from a combo of that name. Hederskompaniet's two tracks would have been OK had they kept their music instrumental, not spoiling it with an incredibly grating singer with a Jesus freak vibe.

That leaves us with the sole track of any real interest. Followers of this blog know I'm not a Samla Mammas Manna fan, but this ten minute version of ”Den återupplivade låten” (its standard incarnation can be found on ”Måltid”) is by far the best selection in this overlong exposé of Uppsala's music scene in the early 70's. Recorded with Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, it's a singular piece in Samla's ouvre with interesting timbres not found elsewhere in their discography. Furthermore, the track has never been reissued why ”Bygg ett eget musikforum” is essential to Samla die-hards – but hardly to anyone else.

 018/Tio grupper (Svenska Love Records, 1980)

Featured artists: The Stain / N-Liners / Rune Strutz / Automania / Rävjunk / Caiza / Olle Morgon / Lepra / Allan Ball / Original Rummies / Lars Garage

Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

As progg waned at the tail end of the decade and punk took over, the surviving music forums changed accordingly. In Gothenburg, punk legends cum blue collar rock band Göteborg Sound became a crucial force to Sprängkullen, while Rävjunk (with one foot in stoned out progg jams and one foot in punk and new wave) played an important part in Uppsala. ”018/Tio grupper” was recorded in its entirety at Rävjunk's head quarters (referred to as ”studio” on the album cover; the quotation marks suggest it's really the band's rehearsal space). It was released by Svenska Love Records in collaboration with Uppsala Musikforum.

The Rävjunk connection is the only thing that make this release vaguely interesting to progg aficionados. It should be mentioned that their only contribution to this album, ”Slå tillbaka”, is along the lines of the punk/new wave dominating ”018/Tio grupper”, i.e. more akin to Rävjunk's 45's and the straight-forward 1-2-3-4! tracks on the ”Uppsala Stadshotell brinner” album. It's only two minutes long, so that should give a hint what it sounds like as well.

A couple of tracks move away from the traditional punk format, most notably Caiza's synth punk number ”Ångestskri” and Dag Vag clones Olle Morgon's ”Se mig”, but obviously none of these do anything to elevate the album's minimal progg credentials. Its value as a punk document cannot be questioned though.

And in case you wonder: The 018 of the album title is the Uppsala area code.

A documentary on Uppsala Musikforum was in the making in the 70's but abandoned. Thanks to one of the forum's driving forces, Anders Folke, the surviving footage is now up on Youtube. Taken for what it's worth – i.e. a time capsule and not a finished piece – it's worth a watch, especially to progg interested Swedes.

Bygg ett eget musikforum no links found
018/Tio grupper full album playlist

BLUESBLOCKET – Bluesblocket (Tredje Tåget, 1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

A blues band founded in Lund in 1980 by Mats Zetterberg, previously of progg/punk outfit Fiendens Musik. Bluesbocket's repertoire originally consisted of several John Mayall numbers translated into Swedish by Zetterberg. The band used two different guitar players, Mårten ”Micro” Tegnestam and Jan Gerfast who played on one side each on ”Bluesblocket”. A plethora of musicians has appeared with the band over the years, including Peps Persson.

Bluesblocket's only album hitherto came in 1981 with appealing tracks like ”Sovit så dåligt”, ”Vad är det för ett liv” and ”Du skriver och frågar”, but it's not in the same league as for instance Slim's Blues Gang and certainly not Peps Persson.

A rare blue vinyl edition of the album also exists.

The projected follow up 1985 album remains unreleased as a whole. A new album was however released in 2019, "Svart blues är ett vitt begrepp".

No links found

SLIM'S BLUES GANG – The Blues Ain't Strange (Sonet, 1971)

English vocals

International relevance: **

Pianist Per 'Slim' Notini was an early flag-bearer of Swedish blues. He was greatly influenced by piano legends Memphis Slim and Fats Domino, and in 1967 he travelled to Chicago to play with Magic Sam on his classic ”West Side Soul” album. He was one of Peps Persson's earliest musical cohorts, and years later, in 1975, they made the album ”Blues på svenska” together. He also appeared with blues guitarist Rolf Wikström. He also co-founded Swedish world renowned reissue label Route 66 with Jonas Bernholm and Bengt Weine in 1976, championing rhythm & blues from the 40's and 50's, thereby bringing new and extremely well deserved attention to a largely forgotten kind of music.

Although founded already in 1962, Slim's Blues Gang didn't make their debut album ”The Blues Ain't Strange” until 1971 which, as it happens, is the gang's only album. Notini may not be a first rate blues vocalist, but he gets the job done. The album is a very credible effort with a tight and solid backing from Rolf Wikström on guitar, Ola Brunkert on drums, Åke Dahlberg on bass, and Christer Eklund and Olle Frankzén on saxes. The reworking of Elmore James's ”Stranger Blues” (”I'm a Stranger Here) has some really fine guitar work from Wikström, ”Break It on Down” moves its hips in a suggestive way, ”Gone Father Blues” rolls and tumbles along nicely, and the devil-may-care ”Tow Away Zone” is a hint at Notini's stint with Magic Sam. Very good!

Slim Notini later left the devil's music behind, became a Born Again Christian and turned to gospel music full time in the 90's.

Full album playlist

ROLF WIKSTRÖM – The 70s albums

To many, Rolf Wikström is the blues king of Sweden. No matter what you think of him, you have to admit his staying power. He has released numerous albums over the years, the most recent one in 2011, and he's appeared on several more as a studio musician, from the disastrous (Löpande Bandet's ”Nån gång måste man landa”) to the brilliant (John Holm's ”Sordin”). His first solo release was a 45 on the Tibet -46 label as Cool Hambone in 1972. His lyrics are sometimes on the political side. 

Sjung svenska folk (Ljudspår, 1975)
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

 Rolf Wikström's full length debut established his style which unfortunately also includes his vocals. While the music is OK blues in the Buddy Guy and Albert King vein, Wikström sings as if he had chewed up three pounds of chalk. His voice is so raspy it almost can't produce a sound other than a toneless screach. It's an exceedingly unpleasant experience listening to him. Would it have been better if was an instrumental album? Nope, because his guitar playing is too much as well.

Jävla måndag (MNW, 1978)

as Rolf Wikström's Hjärtslag

Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

After an LP for the Alternativ label (home of Kjell Höglund with whom Wikström performed on ”Baskervilles hund”), Wikström switched to MNW for ”Jävla måndag”. It's a sometimes funky thing with powerful playing courtesy of his backing band Hjärtslag, and again reminiscent of Albert King. But, again, the album's seriously injured by Wikström's voice that is unbearable. Pity, because this could have been a rather decent album.

Den åttonde dagen (Metronome, 1979)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

What Wikström's voice doesn't ruin on ”Den åttonde dagen”, the limp funk/soul/disco moves do. Give it to someone you hate.

Sjung svenska folk full album playlist
Jävla måndag full album playlist

Den åttonde dagen full album playlist

RONNY ÅSTRÖM – Den ensamma människan (Sonet, 1976) / Hampadängor (Sonet, 1977)

Peps Persson cohort Ronny Åström was involved in board game development for kids in the 60's, and also in children's comics including the Swedish version of Donald Duck. He released only two proper albums, both produced by Peps Persson with Peps Blodsband backing him up. The lyrics are sometimes political but with a humorous twist and sung in Åström's thick Skåne dialect.

Den ensamma människan (Sonet, 1976)

as Ronny Åström med Peps Blodsband

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

”Den ensamma människan” is disarmingly charming but with lyrics of a much greater depth and with far darker serious strains than what the music itself might imply. The album title, ”the lonely human” and track titles such as ”Big Brother is watching you” and ”Why does Noa drink?” give a hint. There's a lot more going on here than what only a slapdash listen reveals. But what would a foreign listener hear? Probably only well played but pedestrian blues and reggae with some old-timey feelgood music in-between. It's the lyrics that really carry it and they're lost on non-Swedes.

Hampadängor (Sonet, 1977)

as Ronny Åström och hela Skånes ljudpark

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Åström's second album has a not entirely comfortable calypso influence on several tracks. Much too close to Peps Persson's albums with Pelleperssons Kapell, which means this is mostly a terrible album. But one can meditate on whether ”Mäster Felix göingavisa” is a deliberate tribute to Philemon Arthur & The Dung or not. 

After ”Hampadängor”, Ronny Åström retired from music, and kept working in the comics business. He died from cancer in 2002.

Den ensamma människan full album playlist
Hampadängor full album playlist

PEPS PERSSON – The reggae years 1975-1982

Hög standard (Sonet, 1975)

as Peps Blodsband
Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

1975 saw the release of Peps' collaboration with Slim Notini, ”Blues på svenska”, but also his first fullblown reggae album. ”Hög standard” caused some puzzlement among the blues fans. What was this?
Well, it was Peps Persson having discovered The Wailers' ”Catch a Fire” before most other people had. ”Hög standard” was probably the first time ever a lot of Swedes were exposed to the Jamaican beat, and it was a most amazing introduction. With drummer Bosse Skoglund, Peps pulled off a trick that few have pulled off with such credibility and artistic grandeur.

In an interview for Jefferson blues magazine, Peps said that meeting Skoglund is one of the best things that have ever happened to him, and it was indeed a musical marriage made in heaven. Skoglund is an incredibly versatile player; he doesn't just play, he understands the concepts of beat, rhythm and flow. He's a musician deep within his heart, deep within his soul, and in every molecule of his body. Bosse Skoglund is a perfect drummer, not shying away from any style thrown at him. He made anything he played on cooking and swinging, and that's something sadly missing from too many progg albums – it's as progg sometimes had to be stiff and rigid and boring to be 'authentic' or whatever nonsense. (Then again, it takes some skill to make music physically appealing, and that too is sadly missing from way too many stupid progg albums made by musical analphabets.) So without trying to diminish any other of Peps' musicians, Skoglund was indeed the perfect contributor to whatever Peps set out to do.

In the same Jefferson interview, Peps says that the blues was a dream, while reggae brought him closer to reality. Well, with ”Peps Blodsband” from 1974, it was far more than a dream; the album's certainly true and real to me with its spot-on observations of society. But, ”Hög standard” is too. The title track has become a part of the Swedish musical canon; it's one of those tracks that people immediately recognize and could sing along to for at least a couple of lyric lines criticizing our society fixated with mindnumbing superficial pre-fab 'happiness'. Already the album cover art is a spoof on the glamour depicted on the cover of ABBA's eponymous album, like ”Hög standard” released in 1975.

But the whole album ”Hög standard” is fantastic, with the possible exception of ”Persson ifrån stan”, written by Peps' dad in the 20's. Two other covers appear here, originally on Bob Marley albums and merituously translated by Peps, ”Styr den opp” (”Stir It Up”) and ”Snackelåt” (”Talking Blues”). But exceot for ”Persson ifrån stan”, the entire album consists of first-rate material.>

Droppen urholkar stenen (Sonet, 1976)

as Peps Blodsband
Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

Peps most varied album up to that point, mixing reggae, calypso and blues. Great Swedish versions of Bob Marley's ”Small Axe” (”Liden såg”), Peter Tosh's ”Mark of the Beast” (”Vilddjurets tecken” subtitled ”Snea figurer”) and blues classic ”Going Down Slow” (”Det roliga é slut”). Plus high calibre original material like ”Babylon” and ”Identitet”. Despite lesser tracks like ”Varför blev jag terrorist?” (written by bassist Göran Weihs) and ”Rus”, this is another essential Peps Blodsband album.

In 1976, Peps Blodsband backed up Ronny Åström on his first Peps produced album ”Den ensamma människan”.

Fyra tunnlann bedor om dan... (Oktober, 1977)

as Pelleperssons Kapell
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

At the time a surprising release, made on behalf of SKP (The Communist Party of Sweden) and released on their Oktober imprint. Explains Peps in the Jefferson interview: ”[SKP] were Marxist national romantics campaigning for people to play Swedish music. Their angle was that all American popular music was imperialist propaganda, including black music. They published a pamphlet around that time, called 'You can't conquer to the music of the enemy'. They wanted an album from us with old labour movement songs and songs about strikes, but we soon realized that songs like that would have a longevity of a maximum of six months – so we substituted most of them for songs that were more fun. They didn't like that very much, especially as the musical backing sounded pretty un-Swedish to them. But if you dance with the devil, you have to pay the piper so they put the album out and it sold well.”

It wasn't the only time political organizations and the music movement in general tried to lure Peps over to their side. For some reason, Peps was always acceptable to the movement crowd despite being signed to a so called commercial label, Sonet. But Peps never really responded to their invitations, having too much integrity to join any clubs or cults.

”Fyra tunnlann bedor om dan...” is more than anything a curio. I have a soft spot for opening track ”Auktionsvisa” but the rest of the album really isn't very good. The songs are too silly, but the musicians apparently enjoy playing them. Perhaps it offered a relief from the often dead serious atmosphere of the music movement? And it's a fine line-up including Roland Keijser (who also appears on ”Hög standard” and ”Droppen urholkar stenen”), Per Odeltorp (later of Dag Vag), Bertil Pettersson (later of Blue Fire and Chicago Express), plus the usual Peps Blodsband suspects.

Spår (Sonet, 1978)

as Peps Blodsband
Swedish vocals, English vocals 

Internationl relevance: ***

 

An excellent album blending reggae, rock, calypso touches and African influences. The few bad tracks (”Drängavisa”, ”Moliendo Café” and ”Mors lilla Olle”) can't drag the strong ones down, such as the classic ”Hyreskasern” (Jacob Miller's ”Tenement Yard”), ”Maskin nr. 2”, the two tracks from newly recruited guitar slinger Babatunde Tony Ellis, and percussionist Lester Jackman's excellent ”Games”. The use of multiple singers works in the album's advantage, and ”Spår” stands out as one of the best albums by Peps Blodsband.

Rotrock (Sonet, 1980)

as Peps Persson med Blodsband och Kapell
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

A very uneven album bringing together tracks from the proper Peps Blodsband and a couple of songs by Pelleperssons Kapell that are similar to the inferior ”Fyra tunnlann bedor om dan...”. Great tracks like ”Illa” and ”Rotrock” mix with not so great tracks like ”Då måste detta va' blues” and ”Främmande”, and some terrible ones like ”Motorcykeln”, ”Karna & Ola” and ”Ain sorgeli visa om vauillen pau tinged i Auby”. To put it straight: the album is a frustrating mish-mash with too few real highlights.

Persson sjonger Persson (Sonet, 1982)

Pelleperssons Kapell

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Another full album from Pelleperssons Kapell is not what you need. This time Peps sings songs originally recorded by the infuriatingly jovial Edvard Persson, an actor famous in the 1920's through the 50's, and whose movies appeared on TV well into the 70's like a swarm of wasps in a glass of juice. His music was just as lousy as his movies and it didn't get any better just because you put a reggae or calypso beat to it. Easily Peps Persson's worst album.

Peps Persson kept enjoying an artistically successful career but largely withdrew from music in the 00's due to health issues. He died in 2021.

Hög standard full album playlist

Droppen urholkar stenen full album playlist

Fyra tunnlann bedor om dan full album playlist

Spår full album playlist

Rotrock full album playlist 

Persson sjonger Persson full album playlist

PEPS PERSSON – The blues years 1968-1975

Although his albums aren't uniformly excellent, it's absolutely impossible to overrate Peps Persson. Not only is he a top-notch performer, an excellent lyricist (and translator) and in possession of one of the greatest backing bands ever to come out of Sweden, he's also a highly influential character who more or less single-handedly introduced blues and reggae to Swedish audiences. His first band was rock & roll and instro band Pop Penders Kvartett. In 1966-67 he made a name for himself locally with blues and rhythm & blues band Down Beat Crowd. Around that time, Peps left Hässleholm in Skåne in the south of Sweden and moved to Stockholm where he hung out in the legendary psychedelic underground Club Filips. He released a couple of unimpressive singles for the Olga label before his career took on. His discography is vast and varied, also including production work and collaborations with other artists.

Blues Connection (Gazell, 1968)
as Linkin' Louisiana Peps

English vocals
International relevance: **

After the Olga Records 45's released as Linkin' Louisiana Peps (named so after a misunderstanding; it should have been Limpin', not Linkin'), he made his album debut with this pedestrian set of Chicago blues. Peps was simply too derivative in his early days, the song choices – all covers – are unimaginative in retrospect.

Sweet Mary Jane (Sonet, 1969)

as Peps & Blues Quality
English vocals

International relevance: ***

 

Peps teamed up with Örebro band Blues Quality for one album. (They later evolved into Nature.) ”Sweet Mary Jane” is much more interesting than his debut but it's pretty fuzzy around the edges. Even magnificent drummer and long-time Peps cohort Bosse Skoglund plays surprisingly sloppy, and I suspect that the band had gotten a bit too friendly with the Mary Jane of the album title and Sture Johannesson's cover art... (The 70's reissue was housed in a less controversial cover, see below.)

After "Sweet Mary Jane", Peps returned down south to Skåne.

The Week Peps Came to Chicago (Sonet, 1972)

English vocals
International relevance: **

Any non-American Chicago blues singer would have been extremely delighted by a trip to Windy City to play with some of the city's top blues names including guitarist Mighty Joe Young and pianist Sunnyland Slim. So was Peps, but ”The Week Peps Came to Chicago” proved to have an entirely different long term effect on him. He realized it was a bit silly coming from Sweden to the U.S. to play the blues to the people who were basically born into the genre. Peps realized he wasn't adding anything original singing the blues in English. He had to do it in his native tongue. While Peps had developed into a very good singer at this point, the album is indeed redundant compared the the sound of the original artists. ”The Week Peps Came to Chicago” was the end of an era, and the beginning of another.

Peps Blodsband (Sonet, 1974)

as Peps Blodsband

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Ranked #10 on the blog's Top 25

Suddenly, everything fell into place. With Peps switching to Swedish lyrics, his music became so much more powerful. It's still blues in the classic urban style, but now Peps step inside the words and music in a much more credible way. The two translated covers (Don Nix penned ”It's the Same Old Blues” and Elmore James' ”The Sky Is Crying”) fit in seamlessly with Peps' original material, and everything's delivered with so much conviction and prowess that the results are absolutely irrefutable. The lyrics are often political but descriptive, never proselytizing. Peps shares his brilliant observations of the capitalist society but trusts the listener with his/her own conclusions. With not one single inferior track, ”Peps Blodsband” is a 24 carat masterpiece, still as relevant as when originally released. And so it will remain as long as greed and egotism run the world.

Blues på svenska (Sonet, 1975)
as Peps och Slim
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

An album split with pianist Per 'Slim' Notini; five tracks by each, all translated covers of blues standards by the likes of Muddy Waters, Eddie Boyd, Elmore James, Willie Dixon, and Lowell Fulson. Although Peps' contributions are fine enough, the LP's a bit disappointing following the perfect ”Peps Blodsband”. Slim Notini's also better with his Blues Gang on the 1971 album ”The Blues Ain't Strange”. In short, a little too mediocre to be fully recommendable.

"Progglådan" features a 1973 Tonkraft recording with Peps and Blues Set.

from Blues Connection

"Shake Your Moneymaker"

"Rooster Blues"

"Dimples"
"Dust My Blues"
"Five Long Years"

Sweet Mary Jane full album playlist
The Week Peps Came To Chicago full album playlist with bonus tracks
Peps Blodsband full album playlist
Tonkraft 1973 full album playlist

Blues på svenska full album playlist

TOMAS ERNVIK / VATTEN – Albums 1972-1980

With rise of the Swedish Jesus people movement in the late 60's and 70's, several Christian bands and artists rose to fame, some even reaching outside the religious circuits. Some albums sold exceptionally well in Sweden such as Jesus crooner Pelle Karlsson, (formerly of New Creation responsible for the marvellous ”He Is There”) who scored a surprise hit in 1973 with ”Han är min sång och min glädje” (a translation of Elvis Presley's ”There Goes My Everything” with a hard Jesus twist). Heavy rock outfit Jerusalem, semi-funky Salt and piano man/singer Per-Erik Hallin were also well known Christian artists at the time, and many of them were TV and radio regulars. Less known to most at the time was Tomas Ernvik's band Vatten.

Ernvik was born in Kristinehamn but later relocated to Gothenburg (and later still, to Stockholm). His debut came in 1971 with album ”Små låtar av och med Tomas Ernvik”, followed by his 'rock oratory' ”Brinnande” in 1972 with lyrics by Gert Gustaffson.

TOMAS ERNVIK & GERT GUSTAFFSON

Rockoratoriet Brinnande (Prophone, 1972)

Swedish lyrics

International relevance: *

From the Swedish liner notes: ”'Brinnande' was born at Easter '71 when we discussed different musical interpretations of the life and history of Jesus. It occured to us that a lot of focus was on Easter and that it was harder to find any musical adaptions of Pentecost.

The story begins right after the Crucifixion of Christ, and continues up until what happened on the day of Pentecost, which we consider very important.

The music is multifaceted and you can trace influences from hard rocking blues and pop as well as High Baroque. The music is performed entirely by amateurs.”

Using the oratory format, the music wasn't intended to be performed on stage, but it nevertheless very much sounds like a musical. ”Rockoratoriet Brinnande” does indeed span several genres but it's still obvious that the music is subordinated to the plot. ”Petrus predikan” is a blues with plenty of Ernvik's guitar soloing, and thus the track here that most clearly points towards his future Vatten albums. Sometimes hyped but not recommended.

VATTEN - Tungt vatten (Prophone, 1975)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

The best three tracks here are ”Jag är trött” (also included on the ”Pregnant Rainbows For Colourblind Dreamers” 4CD comp), ”Du kämpar”, and the freakout feast ”Glädjesprutan” with Tomas Ernvik's imaginative guitar work to the fore. These are the kind of tracks that earned Vatten their reputation as a good power trio with an appeal far beyond the Christian circuits. November leaps to mind, but Vatten has a less prominent Cream vibe and, of course, Jesus lyrics. Mood track ”När du...” might appeal to psych heads also, with an otherwordly atmosphere and Leslie vocals. But it should be noted that while ”Tungt vatten” has its share of enjoyable moments, it is an uneven effort. A couple of songs drag the album down, such as the tardy blues track ”Egoismen”, instrumental piano piece ”Tempora Mutantur” and Latin flavoured ”Förtröstan”.

VATTEN - Plain Water (Gutta, 1980)

English vocals

International relevance: **

It took Vatten five years to return with a full length album adter ”Tungt vatten”. In the meantime, Ernvik did some production work for other Christian bands like Absolut and Tillsammans (not the Greg FitzPatrick led band), and did session work for Södertälje band Friskt Vatten (that had nothing to do with Vatten despite a similar band name). A pilot single from ”Plain Water” was released in 1979 on Ernvik's own Gutta label, ”The Hunter” backed with ”Rely Back”. As suggested by the two titles, Ernvik had switched to English lyrics for ”Plain Water”. Unfortunately, the album doesn't fulfill the promises made by ”Tungt vatten”. It's a more cohesive album for sure, but the production is lacklustre and the songs just aren't very good, with too many standard blues rock and AOR moves, and even strains of funk fusion in ”Irving” and formulaic jazz in ”Rely Back”. ”Tungt vatten” wasn't perfect, but ”Plain Water” is disappointing.

TOMAS ERNVIK & AGNETA GILSTIG

När regnet dragit förbi... (Gutta, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Agneta Gilstig was a singer often hired as a backing vocalist for a plethora of artists, both from the Christian and the secular scene. She made a 45 in 1971 with Per-Erik Hallin, but ”När regnet dragit förbi...” was her first album. Ernvik was deeply involved in it (hence the co-credit) – he wrote the songs (with others providing lyrics), sangs and played several instruments. Still it's really Gilstig's album. She takes the vocal lead on all tracks which isn't a very good idea, unless you happen to like her non-descript soprano and the equally lame songs. ”Tåglåten” is pretty cool though.

VATTEN - Smältvatten (Gutta, 1981)

International relevance: **

Swedish vocals

”Smältvatten” is a little bit more inspired than its predecessor and so, marginally better – that's marginally. Still too much stiff blues rock, with some anemic funk and a horrendous reggae track to really ruin it.

Vatten did another album in 1984, ”Vattendrag”, and one futher in 1992, ”Diggin' the Roots” with several covers of classic blues songs. Ernvik died on New Year's Eve 2016.

från Rockoratoriet Brinnande

"Konfrontationsblues"

"Jesu slutord I & II"

"Pingstdagen" 

Tungt vatten full album playlist
Plain Water full album playlist

Smältvatten full album

När regnet dragit förbi no links found