In 1975 came what must be considered a legendary compilation album of Norwegian rock. Audun Tylden’s project, which was released on Phonogram, brought together all things rock. We’ve taken an extra deep dive into that release for those of you who really love details.
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The group Fresh Air (Finn John Andresen, Leif Hemmingsen, Svein Finjarn and Tore Syvertsen) opened the album. The latter had a hand in much of the work when Jahn Teigen, who sang on track two, launched his solo career. Svein Finjarn is probably better known from The Beatniks (in which Syvertsen also played), The Vanguards and New Jordal Swingers. Leif Hemmingsen also came from The Vanguards. Finn John Andresen also played in The Beatniks, and later in the New Jordal Swingers until he died in 1982 in a car accident. The song was “See the Light.”
The Enemies had the song “I Think We’ll Finish Now.” Jahn Teigen & The Enemies, as it says on the cover, was a group from Tønsberg, which was Teigen’s first and disbanded when the bassist and vocalist – Teigen – left the band. The song included here was written together with keyboardist John Erik Holtan (who also played briefly in The Pussycats). The other members were Jan Arild Hermansen on guitar, Freddy Lepsøe on guitar and Freddy Peterson/Per Einar Goldeng on drums.
Song number three is “Got to Know You” with Saft before it’s Little Earl & The Sapphires who come as the fourth track with “Out Of Sight”. Little Earl is Earl Wilson, who was originally from New York. He lived in Norway from 1964, and the group The Sapphires was a fixture at Club 7 in Oslo. Members were Arild Wickstrøm, Carl Magnus Neumann, Hans Knudsen, Knut Riisnes, Nils Bjørness, Svein Hansen, Tom Karlsen and Tommy Merg.
Jonas Fjeld Band had track 5, but this article will return to that group. Number six, and the penultimate track on the A-side of the first record was “Tony & The Swing Blues.” The Stavanger group from Madla consisted of Bernt Sverre “Villa” Kvam, Alf “Calle” Karlsen and Dag Øverland. The song they participated in was “Madman.”
Arman Sumpe (dur express) finished the first side of the album, and the composition “Steelgrass” by Jahn Teigen and Pete Knutsen is one side of their only single. The group became Popol Vuh, later Popul Ace. The group’s members were the two aforementioned, together with Terje Methi, Thor Andreassen, Fred W. Alvad, Steinar Kristiansen, Pjokken Eide and Reidar Arman Myhre. Arne Shulze came in as guitarist on the single.
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The Vikings were the first band out
The Trønders in the band were originally Åge Haugan, Per Haugan, Jens Fjelseth, Håkon Renanger and Astor Olsen. The group won Arbeiderbladet’s music competition in 1963, ahead of the Vanguards, among others. The prize was a record contract, and they recorded several albums under recording manager Rolv Wesenlund’s control. The song featured here was “Teen Scene,” written by Teddy Randazzo.
Arne Løvlien, Eigil Berg, Nils Bjarne Kvam, Ole Jacob Edna, Per Bråten and Tom Paulsen in The Morgans followed with the song “Eilas.” The group had released their first single in 1967, and after a lot of work, “Eilas” came as a follow-up single in 1968. The group kept going until 1969.
The Beatniks participated with “Good Times,” and the group had first been started as a Shadows band in 1961 by Svein Finjarn, Truls Lorck, Stein Jordbrånen and bassist Carsten Debertiz. Kåre Haugen was with the band from 1962, and became a member in 1964. The group has had several vocalists and compositions with, among others, Kjell Jørung from 1994 to 2014 as vocalist. The song they play was written by Vanda/Young, who are known as Easybeats from Australia. George Young is also the older brother of Angus and Malcolm Young.
Track number four on side 2 is Oriental Sunshine with the song “Mother Nature.” The group consisted of Nina Johansen, Rune Walle and Satnam Singh. The group’s debut was this song, from 1969. Hans Jørgen Høines wrote the song that gave the breakthrough in the TV program Talent 69, which they won. (You can see the program here).
The Mills Brothers Band took track number five with the song “Mustard and Onions.” The song was written by Jensen/Knutsen/Bjelland. These are the same songwriters who were supposedly behind a humorous gift that was released in 1973, and sent out to Norwegian music journalists as a song from “Bjarte G. Bjelland og Brødrende Mills.” Surely that single was supposed to hide members from Popol Vuh. That single made it onto Norsktoppen in September 1973. This is the English version of that song.
Moonspinners (Moon Spinners) played the song “I Put My Eyes on You” as the sixth track. The Haugesund group consisted of Hans Jørgen Høines, Ole Johan Sandal, Rolf Iversen, Thorleif Snyen, Sverre Reiersen and Tore Lyngholm who had taken their name from a Disney film from 1964. The group was active from 1965 to 1967. The name of Høines is for otherwise misspelled both on this song, and the song he wrote for Oriental Sunshine on the cover.
The group 1-2-6 closes the B-side with the song “Graveyard Paradise.” The Bodø group consisted of Asbjørn Krogtoft, Gunnar Marken, Oddvar Hansen and Roger Saksenvik. The single had sold over 23,000 copies in Norway. After two albums and six singles, the group disbanded in 1968.
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Aunt Mary opened the third side of the compilation album with “Nocturnal Voice.” The Fredrikstad group disbanded in 1973, but was restarted in 2014 by the original member Bjørn Kristiansen (spelled Christiansen on the cover at the time). The others who were involved in the start-up were Svein Gundersen, Ivan Lauritzen, Jan Groth, Per Ivar Fure with Ketil Stensvik from 1970.
“Flower Girl” with Happie then followed. These were Dag Spantell, Freddy Skibstedt, Paul Karlsen and Terje Ulsten. Paul Karlsen was later central to the Kalvøya festival. Spantell later sang in Torry Enghs. The group disbanded in 1969, but tried again for a short period in 1971 with a new vocalist.
Leif Raanes, Stein Wangsmo, Thor Egil Larsen and Tom Hovde were The Shirrows from Trøndelag. The group was active from 1962 to 1966. The song was “Jenny Jenny.”
Dream with “Green Things” followed as track 4. The group consisted of Christian Reim, Hans-Marius Stormoen, Tom Karlsen and Terje Rypdal. The super group later included Jon Christensen for Tom Karlsen, and Jan Garbarek. The group released only one album, in 1967.
Helge & Rune & The Stringers with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” were Helge Nilsen and Rune Larsen. The Stringers were Jan Foss, Svein Arne Amundsen and Trond Bjarke.
2nd Evolution came from Oslo, and only released one single. It is included on this compilation album, with Freddy Skibstedt as the central figure. The group played at Club 7, and among the members were Lasse Nilsen (Høst) and Bjørn Jensen (Vinskvetten).
The ending on page 3 was “Death is coming” with The Pussycats. The Tromsø band consisted of Trond Graff, Sverre Kjelsberg, Janne Løseth (who had written the song that was on the compilation album), Friedel Brandt and Ottar Aasegg.
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It was Taboo that was the first group out on the last album page. This was a group where Asbjørn Krogtoft from 1-2-6 joined Arne Schulze, Sverre Kjelsberg, Sverre Fagerli, Nils Ole Steinbakk and released two singles in 1968. “Vampire Tango” was one.
The jazz musicians in “Public Enemies” tried their hand at rock from the Club 7 scene in Oslo, and “Green Onions” is from their 1968 album (“From Public Enemies Without Love”). The second part of the Club 7 band became Little Earl & The Sapphires. The group consisted of Arild Boman, Bjørn Johansen, Hans Marius Stormoen, Jan Lie, Petter Holm and Thomas Berg Monsen.
The Beatmakers from Oslo released two singles in 1966 and 1967. “Sunday will never be the same” was their second single. The members were Arvid Selsing, Einar Gislesen, Lars Espen Aukrust, Lars Petter Røed and Raymond Jovum.
The Vanguards were started in 1961 by Terje Rypdal, Knut Mikalsen, Hans Helander and Martin Gulliksen. The group has had many more members, and Leif Hemmingsen and Johnny Sareussen were on “Roll Over Beethoven”, which came in 1963. The group is regarded as one of the leading rock bands in Norway of all time.
“Ballad of a Broken Heart” sang Difference. Trønders Arne Jacobsen, Ivar Gafseth, Ivar Fjøseide and Knut Solem started the group and were in the group’s first edition. Later, Erling Mylius and Snorre Tømmerås joined. This single came in 1968. Gafseth, Mylius and Tore Johansen who came in 1967 later started Travellin’ Strawberries.
Mojo Blues were Per Abrahamsen, Arne Johanessen, Bjørn Berg & Tom Horvei from Oslo. This single came in 1966. Per Arild Abrahamsen founded Electrocompaniet in 1972.
The last track on the compilation album is with Junipher Greene, and the song “Easy Flying.” It was Geir Bøhren, Bent Åserud and Øivind Vibo who started the group at Sandaker School in Oslo. Their album “Friendship” is considered one of the world’s best prog rock albums.
