The American Breed "Bend Me, Shape Me" (1967) (single)

Bend Me, Shape Me, 7'' single

udgivet: 1967

format: vinyl (KSS 6)

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Bill Traut

selskab: Stateside - nationalitet: USA

Numre: A) "Bend Me, Shape Me" (4 / 5) (alt. mix) - - B) "Mindrocker"

Single med The American Breed taget fra det bandets kommende andet album Bend Me, Shape Me (feb. 1968). B-siden optræder også på samme album. Selvom titelsangen blev et internationalt hit takket være denne version, er nummeret oprindeligt en sang af den amerikanske sangskriverduo Scott English og Larry Weiss. Omkring et år tidligere blev sangen udgivet første gang af et andet amerikansk band: The Outsiders, og deres version af sangen findes på bandets tredje album In (udgivet feb. 1967 / indspillet i '66). Indimellem disse to udgaver, lavede et andet band den første coverudgave af sangen, og det var pigegruppen The Models med deres eneste (single) udgivelse i 1966 [The Models' version] (udgivet før The Outsiders' album, men indspillet efter). Det er en særpræget oplevelse at lytte til disse tre vidt forskellige versioner af den samme sang, som alle blev udgivet inden for et år. Set i bakspejlet er det mit indtryk, at versionen med The Models fremstår som den mest vovede udgave med sin syrede, psykedeliske og Phil Spector-agtige produktion. I den henseende er The Outsiders' version mere skrabet og en mere ligefrem sang, men det er også den, der fremstår som den reneste rock-udgave holdt i en typisk garage-rock-stil. Og så kom The American Breed og gjorde nummeret til et internationalt hit med en dristigere mainstream-appel. Når man lytter til de to tidligere versioner, virker det til, at The American Breed har lånt noget fra arrangementerne fra begge tidligere indspilninger, omend The American Breed står bag den mest polerede version af de tre. Sangen er senere blevet fortolket af diverse andre kunstnere, men gennem årene er det The American Breed, der er gået over i musikhistorien med den mest udbredte udgave af denne fine sang.

Lige netop denne single var en af mine favoritter, da jeg var 10-14 år gammel. Jeg går ud fra, at min bror må have købt den på et tidligt tidspunkt, før han kastede sig over 70’ernes britiske syrerock.

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Dette opslag er en del af MyMusicJourney, som lister de vigtigste udgivelser, der har formet min musiksmag gennem min opvækst og frem til 14-årsalderen. De fleste af disse udgivelser stammer fra mine forældres og / eller min storebrors samling.

Tommy Steele "Singing the Blues" (1957) (ep)

Singing the Blues, 7'' EP

udgivet: feb. 1957

format: vinyl (DFE 6389) (1957 genoptryk)

[vurdering: 3,5 / 5] [3,45]

producer: ?

selskab: Decca - nationalitet: Engalnd, UK

Numre: A) 1. "Singing the Blues" - 2. "Rebel Rock" - - B) 1. "Knee Deep in the Blues" - 2. "Elevator Rock"

EP-udgivelse af Tommy Steele - på bagsiden af coveret og på selve vinyl-etiketterne er EP'en krediteret 'Tommy Steele and the Steelmen'. Numrene #A1 og #B1 er krediteret den amerikanske sangskriver Melvin Endsley, mens både #A2 og #B2 er sange skrevet af Tommy Steele selv. Endsleys titelsang var et stort hit i USA for Guy Mitchell og blev udgivet næsten samtidig med Steele's version; sidstnævnte blev til gengæld et britisk nummer 1-hit og et ret stort hit over hele Europa. Ganske finurligt skiftedes Mitchell's og Steele's versioner til at indtage førstepladsen på singlehitlisterne i adskillige lande.

Dette specifikke genoptryk stammer fra mine forældres pladesamling. Jeg husker tydeligt at have spillet den i 7-12-årsalderen, og den var en tidlig favorit på et tidspunkt, hvor jeg mest lyttede til The Beatles, til country, beat og rock & roll. Jeg husker også sangen "A Handful of Songs" (fra soundtrack The Tommy Steele Story fra maj 1957) som sandsynligvis den mest populære Steele-sang i mine barndomsår. De tidlige sceneoptrædener, hvor Steele mimede til sine mest populære sange, præsenterede ham som en mere velfriseret Bill Haley- eller Elvis Presley-klon. Det gjorde formentlig rock & roll mere acceptabelt for dem, der ellers forbandt genren med uopdragne og uregerlige unge mennesker. Tommy Steele er gået over i historien som den første britiske rock & roll-stjerne, men han blev hurtigt efterfulgt af Cliff Richard, der i længden viste sig som en mere holdbar popstjerne.

Set i bakspejlet er denne EP et vigtigt dokument over den tidlige rock & roll-historie, men den placerer også Steele i en kategori for sig selv som en kunstner, der ihærdigt forsøgte at kopiere amerikanske ikoner uden egentlig at have ret meget selvstændigt at byde på. Jo, han hjalp med at transformere rock & roll til noget mere letfordøjeligt, og han eksemplificerede en ny type rock-and-roller, men han leverede primært gennem sine covernumre. På denne EP lyder Steele's egne to bidrag kraftigt inspireret, eller måske endda som kopier af Bill Haley og Chuck Berry, og hans andet album - soundtracket til filmen 'The Tommy Steele Story' - vidner om en prioritering af form over indhold med kun lille relevans for, men også lille forståelse for, hvordan musik bliver til legende. Når det er sagt, har Steele bestemt en plads i historiebøgerne angående, hvordan rock & roll blev et internationalt fænomen, og han spiller en væsentlig rolle i populærmusikkens stilmæssige udvikling.

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Dette opslag er en del af MyMusicJourney, som lister de vigtigste udgivelser, der har formet min musiksmag gennem min opvækst og frem til 14-årsalderen. De fleste af disse udgivelser stammer fra mine forældres og / eller min storebrors samling.

Barry Ryan "We Did It Together" (1970) (single)

We Did It Together, 7'' single

udgivet: 1970

format: vinyl

[vurdering: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]

producer: Paul Ryan

selskab: Polydor - nationalitet: England, UK

Numre: A) "We Did It Together" - - B) "Lay Down"

Singleudgivelse af den engelske sangskriver og fotograf Barry Ryan (Sapherson, også kendt som Barry Davison) fra tvillingebroder-duoen Paul & Barry Ryan. Denne single ser ud til at stamme fra en tid, hvor Barry koncentrerede sig om en solokarriere, mens tvillingebroderen Paul havde trukket sig tilbage fra rampelyset for at hjælpe Barry med sangskrivning og produktion. Titelnummeret her fungerer på sin vis som en passende beskrivelse af, hvordan de to brødre fandt deres vej i showbizz.

Denne specifikke danske udgave stammer sandsynligvis fra min storebrors pladesamling. Jeg kan huske, at jeg spillede den i 7-12-årsalderen, men den fangede aldrig rigtig min interesse. Stilistisk lyder den inspireret af The Walker Brothers og deres kærlighed for tunge, orkestrerede arrangementer. Barry og Paul oplevede en del succes, efter Barry gik solo – for eksempel med hit-singlen "Eloise" (1968), som et årti senere også blev et singlehit for punkrockbandet The Damned.

~ ~ ~

Dette opslag er en del af MyMusicJourney, som lister de vigtigste udgivelser, der har formet min musiksmag gennem min opvækst og frem til 14-årsalderen. De fleste af disse udgivelser stammer fra mine forældres og / eller min storebrors samling.

The Walker Brothers "Living Above Your Head" (1966) (single)

Living Above Your Head, 7'' single

release date: 1966

format: vinyl

[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]

producer: John Franz

label: Philips - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "Living Above Your Head" - - B) "Young Man Cried"

Single release by US pop trio The Walker Brothers consisting of John Walker (aka John Maus), Scott Walker (aka Noel Scott Engel), and Gary Walker (aka Gary Leeds) none of which were related. The single is a Spanish, Dutch, and Danish only release with the title track taken from the trio's second album Portrait (1966). The title track is a cover by US pop group Jay & The Americans taken [original] from the album Living Above Your Head (1966) - the B-side is credited Scott Walker and producer John Franz.

This particular Danish print comes from my parents' record collection. I recall playing this at 7-12 years of age, and remember finding it one of my prefered singles. Stylewise, it's vocal harmony-based baroque pop.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Anita Lindblom "Sån't är livet" (1961) (single)

Sån't är livet, 7'' single

release date: 1961

format: vinyl (271 201 TF)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]

producer: ?

label: Fontana - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: A) "Sån't är livet" (5 / 5) (fan video) - - B) "Det är nå't mysko"

Single release by Anita Lindblom is a cover of a Roy Hamilton 1961 song "You Can Have Her" written by Bill Cook. The Swedish version has lyrics by Stig Rossner (aka Stikkan Anderson), and Lindblom's version was a major hit in all of Scandinavia.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, it's a song I vividly remember from my childhood as a song I have always loved. Not only was the song played on our turntable, but it was and it has been a stable song on national radio ever since the 1960s. It may not be played that often nowadays, but it has status as one of the most played and a highly loved modern standard.

Hamilton's version of the song is fine and strong, and he is one of the many forgotten stars who experienced lesser careers all because Elvis found inspiration in their performances and vocal styles, and he rightfully deserves more recognition. That said, Lindblom's version outshines the original. Her powerful vocal is up there among the greatest, although, she didn't exclusively choose a singing career, but this song more than proves her worth.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Jan & Kjeld "Banjo Boy" (1959) (single)

Banjo Boy, 7'' single

release date: 1959

format: vinyl (1960) (TD 45 49)

[single rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,66]

producer: ?

label: Triola - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "Banjo Boy" - - B) "Mach doch nicht so viel Wind"

Single release by Danish duo Jan & Kjeld, who had an international hit with this song, especially in Germany, where they had started performing in the late 1950s with German schlagers, and also in The Netherlands where the single was released in '59. The Danish release came out in 1960 alongside a full-length album with the same title. The two siblings Jan and Kjeld Lennart Wennick first played on national TV in '57 after which they were promoted as musical 'wonderkids'. They had a few more hit singles in Germany, and they stayed to their style of playing popular covers of standards and schlagers. Their heydays were a ten-year period from their breakthrough and up around 1966 after which they kept touring for another decade before ending their engagements [ Danish wiki ].

This copy was part of my parents' record collection, and it was a single I used to play on a portable turntable at 6-8 years of age. It never was a single I found particular good - it was more of an obscurity, I think. 'Yes, they were kids and yeah, they knew how to play and sing, Okay. But it's not really that great'.

This is one of my very first music memories that wasn't purely children's songs, although, in this case: played by children.

👉 Another one from that earliest stage.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Shocking Blue "Send Me a Postcard" (1968) (single)

l-r.: Cor van der Beek, Mariska Veres
Klaasje van der Wal, Robbie van Leeuwen

Send Me a Postcard, 7'' single

release date: Dec. 14, 1968

format: vinyl (IMA 1002) (1970 issue)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Shocking Blue

label: I. M. A. Records - nationality: The Netherlands

Tracklist: A) "Send Me a Postcard" (4,5 / 5) - - B) "Harley Davidson"

Single release by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue originally released on Pink Elephant in '68 and released for the Scandinavian market with this issue in 1970. The single appears to be the band's only third single and it's one of three consecutive non-album single releases following the band's album debut Shocking Blue (Nov. 1967). The band was formed in '67 and went through changing line-ups with a different output starting with music influenced by The Beatles and a folk pop style as expressed by American quartet Brothers Four, but from '68 when Mariska Veres became the band's lead vocalist after founding member Fred de Wilde left, the band changed style to a bolder psychedelic rock founded in American West Coast blues rock. For this single, the band consists of new member vocalist Marika Veres, and the three founding members: lead guitarist and main songwriter Robbie van Leeuwen, bassist Klaasje van der Wal, and drummer Cor (Cornelis) van der Beek. Both tracks are credited van Leeuwen, and the single became an international hit, which was perceived as a fine attempt with a mix of styles exemplified by Jefferson Airplane and The Doors.

The band continued up until 1974 when songwriter and composer van Leeuwen left to concentrate on his newly formed band Galaxy-Lin, and Shocking Blue then released its final album Good Times (1974) after which Mariska Veres left to pursue a solo career and the band split. Shocking Blue reformed in 1980 in their classic line-up and stayed together until '97 when van Leeuwen now left for good, and from hereon and up until 2006 the band was continued around Veres and new lead guitarist André van Geldorp with a changing line-up. The band was put to an abrupt end Dec. 2006 as Mariska Veres died from newly detected cancer.

Shocking Blue was much more than just a few single hits, and among them definitely Send Me a Postcard - they showed an alternative to American and British psychedelic rock, which isn't just covers and copy, and together with Danish band Savage Rose, they stand as a strong European contribution to the vast pool of rock and to the formation and the development of psychedelic rock of the 1970s.

This Swedish issue of the single, released three months after the band's third album Scorpio's Dance (Sep. 1970), was part of my older brother's record collection, and it's a single I vividly recall from age 10-14 years of age - and at that time, it was one of my absolute favourite rock songs.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

l-r.: Robbie, Cornelis, Mariska, Klaasje

John Travolta / Olivia Newton-John "You're the One That I Want" (1978) (single)

You're the One That I Want, 7'' single

release date: Mar. 1978

format: vinyl

[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: John Farrar

label: RSO - nationality: Australia / USA

Tracklist: A) "You're the One That I Want" - - B) "Alone at a Drive-in Movie (instrumental)"

Single release taken from the 1978 musical film "Grease" by Randal Kleiser. I think I may have purchased this particular item myself at the age of 14, probably after watching the film. I can't say that I was a fan of neither Newton-John nor of Travolta, but I do recall liking the film and the energy of the title track.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Electric Light Orchestra "Out of the Blue" (1977)

Out of the Blue

release date: Oct. 1977

format: digital

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]

producer: Jeff Lynne

label: Jet Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Turn to Stone" - 3. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" - 13. "Mr. Blue Sky"

7th studio album by Electric Light Orchestra following one year after the breakthrough album A New World Record and like that produced by primary songwriter and leader of the band, lead vocalist Jeff Lynne. The band has gone through various line-ups but maintained a quite numerous members list, and here they count seven (three of which exclusively play violin and cello). The band has evolved from playing primarily experimental progressive rock with bonds to symphonic rock and hard rock and through a stage with baroque pop to eventually play progressive pop with bold use of elements from funk and disco - and needless say: with a much more evident mainstream appeal.

I recall this very album from when it wasn't all brand new and they still hadn't released the successor Discovery (May 1979). In Feb. 1979 (at age 13) I happened to be in London with our class, and several mates from class both purchased the predecessor together with this one that I only knew little about. I recall from some teen club evenings at the local church (!) they played this quite a bit. From our journey to London, I remember buying albums with The Police (Outlandos d'amour and Regatta de blanc), Pink Floyd (The Wall) and Dire Straits (the debut) and a few others that I have now forgotten about - alongside a handful of releases for my older brother (I brought a handwritten list of titles to purchase for him). Unfortunately, I didn't yet know anything to the existence of punk rock or new wave at this point - that only came to my attention upon my return later that year, so I was more into music that I already knew of, and especially heavily inspired by my brother's music taste (except The Police, which he didn't play). But what I soon learned was that I didn't like Electric Light Orchestra - not one bit! In fact, I loathed the disco and progressive pop harmonies that my class mates soon praised as the new big thing alongside music by Patrick Hernandez, Kelly Marie, and / or Bee Gees.

The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" as the only by ELO, as they were commonly known. Out of the Blue is the band's second consecutive Platinum-selling studio release, which eventually was surpassed in sales numbers by Discovery and Time (1981). The only reason I have put it here is that I wanted to revisit an album I really never understood. And still don't, it turns out! From the aforementioned book: "Released at the height of disco, Out Of The Blue was seen by some as a futuristic fish out of water." As much as I relate to that picture, it's probably not in the most positive of ways. To me, this is awkwardly over-arranged. Waaaay too much funk and disco, and not just that but with so many synths and strings that it should belong in space. And it makes me think of a musical wedding cake: Mostly impressive and nice to look at, but who really wants to consume that?! In my ears it doesn't fall far from the ABBA and Olivia Newton John melody structures that I disliked then as I still do to some minor degree nowadays. I have definitely grown much milder when it comes to polished pop of the 80s and 70s, and I do understand the qualities of a lot of music that I didn't like at a younger age, but ELO from '76 and onwards still doesn't do much for me. "Mr. Blue Sky" was a hit but would never have seen the light of day without The Beatles and The Moody Blues. "Turn to Stone" was another major hit back then - at least in Europe - but to me that was, and still is, a pastiche - a conglomerate of songs by artists suchs as Giorgio Moroder, Hot Chocolate, Earth, Wind & Fire merged with some Stevie Wonder-arrangements and equal parts of 10cc smoothness - all artists I'd rather listen to than this fine musical mish-mash that remains far from distinctive original.

Out of the Blue is still a cornerstone in the discography of Electric Light Orchestra no matter what I think of it, but I'm not in a position where I feel that I should actually recommend it. If asked back then, I would most likely have handed it 1 or max 2 stars - basically, suggesting it was crap, so in that respect I have come (much) closer in accepting it as genuine acceptable music. It's still over-produced, over-arranged and it didn't do much good for music, imho. But hey, wasn't I into punk?! And punk rock was in many ways a response to exactly this kind of music, and I still do understand the reaction and need to change music as it was back in the mid-70s.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone, The Guardian 3 / 5 stars ]

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Kraftwerk "Autobahn" (1974)

2009 cover

Autobahn

release date: Nov. 1, 1974

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI Records - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Autobahn" (5 / 5) - 3. "Kometenmelodie 2" - 5. "Morgenspaziergang"

4th studio album from by German band Kraftwerk as follow-up to Ralf und Florian (Oct. '73) is by many considered the start of the band's success story - a group which originally, and partly still here, is a duo with Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. 'Partly' because Kraftwerk is at this point both a functioning duo-project and an artist collective at the same time. Although, not yet an official member during these recording, percussionist Wolfgang Flür plays on the album - and he will be a stable member from the release and up until '86. On the other hand, both guitarist Klaus Röder and songwriter Emil Schult (who is also credited the front cover) appear together with Hütter and Schneider inserted in what should look like a rear-view mirror on the front cover, where a picture of Flür has been inserted onto the dashboard of the car, as illustration of the band's five official members - however, Röder already left the band by the time of the album's release. On some later vinyl releases, Schult is not mentioned as a member... And on other releases, the rearview mirror image and dashboard have both been retouched. However, there is no doubt that the two musical driving forces are the founders of the band: Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider.

Autobahn with its five tracks has a total running time of approx. 42 minutes, and it has achieved iconic status in music history as a groundbreaking avant-garde album with a colossal significance for the beginning of synthpop, ambience and the entire electronic genre, and an album that has inspired contemporary and later artists across genres, and it's not only the title track, which has given the album this extraordinary status. On the band's previous albums, it was mainly or partially unmistakable krautrock and musique concrete which characterised Kraftwerk's music, but with this very album, the band marks the start of a predominantly electronic approach with the inclusion of elements from musique concrete. On the vinyl edition, the track "Autobahn" - credited Hütter, Schneider and the poet Emil Schult (who often co-wrote the songs) - with its nearly 23 minutes running time fills the entire A-side, and the song has become a modern evergreen. A song like "Kometenmelodie 2" has significant similarities with some music by Jean-Michel Jarre, while inspiration especially from this and from the final track "Morgenspaziergang" may be heard on several compositions by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who have shown great admiration throughout the band's career on multiple occasions via album and song titles, in compositions, as well as on covers. David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Brian Eno are also indebted to the music by Kraftwerk.

Personally, I didn't give the band much importance until they made "Das model", or rather: not until the song was re-released with an accompanying video in '81, and then I didn't even know that the track featured on the album Die Mensch-Maschine ( 1978). The band and its music was always in the periphery of what I found interesting, without understanding that much of the British synthpop that I was particularly excited about in the early '80s owed huge debt to Kraftwerk. I do however, reacll the title song from some airplay on the national radio back in the lat 70s, and it was a tune that stood out. One of the great Danish bands from the 80s was the new wave band Kliché, and their two acclaimed studio albums Supertanker (1980) and Okay Okay Boys (1982) are nearly unimaginable without Kraftwerk and especially this very album.

The album peaked at No. #4 on the UK albums chart, as No. #5 on the US Billboard 200, and as No. #7 in Germany. The title track released as a single went to No. #9 on the national chart list, No. #11 in the UK, and made a 25th place in the US. Still, the track has achieved iconic status.

Autobahn is a piece of music history on par with the best works of the greatest artists. And it's not just huge because it's original, but because it anticipates and forms new styles and helps creating a whole new genre. The album is naturally included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". The band has reissued this album and most other albums in 2009 in remastered editions, however, it's worth noting that the first three albums by Kraftwerk have never been officially reissued in any format. This rejection is also seen on the 8-disc box set Der Katalog (2009), where they enlists all their studio albums from 1-8 on the back cover starting with Autobahn, thus completely omitting the first three albums, just as Hütter says that with that collection they have collected all of their previous albums. On a later occasion he said that they have plans to release a second box set containing the earliest recordings, although, this has not yet materialised.

Essential.

[ allmusic.com, Uncut 5 / 5, Drowned in Sound, Spin 4,5 / 5, Mojo, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

original cover

detail from cover

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This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Carpenters "The Singles 1969-1973" (1973)

The Singles 1969-1973 (compilation)
release date: Nov. 9, 1973
format: vinyl (1991 reissue) / cd (2014 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Richard Carpenter
label: A&M Records - nationality: USA

Compilation of 12 singles by the brother-sister duo the Carpenters - older sister Karen (1950 - 83) and Richard (born 1946) - released over a four year period is an amazing quality collection of baroque pop songs. The album was released after the duo had issued 5 studio albums of a total of 11. Five yearsfollowing this one, a compilation sequel was issued titled The Singles 1974-1978 (Nov. 1978), which is another nice to have album.
I vividly recall listening to the Carpenters in my pre-teen years. They were among the most frequently played international artists on national radio alongside Sinatra, The Beatles, and Elvis Presley. I didn't know of any of their full albums but many of these songs were part of a preferred musical selection from very early on and just listening to Karen's singing voice makes me remember the house of my childhood.
I also recall how the duo in a way divided people. Everyone would acknowledge the qualities of their original sound and yet, somehow they sort of represented anything else than contemporary trends and still didn't belong to a classic line-up with the aforementioned stars, and although the Carpenters started out later than The Beatles, the American duo appealed more to an older generation. There was something innocent and safe about the Carpenters that put them on the same pop scene with Simon & Garfunkel, Dusty Springfield, Bee Gees, The Osmonds, and John Denver, and all of that wasn't part of the fast evolving rock-scene that grew in various directions, appealing more to younger generations; however, music by the Carpenters had a distinct and unquestionable quality stamp to whatever they produced. The duo didn't start at the top - in fact its debut album was basically unnoticed - but they quickly became a household name, and already the second album out Close to You (Aug. 1971) made it to number #2 on the Billboard 200 in the US (number #1 in Canada). Then followed three albums that all made it to top-5, securing a spot as one of the best known American acts. The duo's sixth album Horizon (Jun. 1975) 'only' peaked at number #13, still sellling Platinum but with the seventh studio album A Kind of Hush (Jun. 1976), which peaked at number #33, the duo experienced its first dissapointing sales numbers and a decline from top of the business was slowly initiated. Their final four albums all performed outside top-40, and the 11th album Voice of the Heart (Oct. 1983) was released after the death of Karen Carpenter - and although two more studio albums were released, the last in 1989, the '83-album stands as the formal finale (Richard released another Christmas album in 1984 and the '89-album based on outtakes and alternate recordings).
After having purchased The Singles 1969-1973 I have come across all of the duo's many studio releases, and what really strikes me is how persistent the high musical quality is listening to the debut from 1969 and all through to the '83 album. Richard's arrangements, not forgetting he's a fine vocalist, actually, are in the league of Burt Bacharach but the super-natural and utmost remarkable quality of the duo are Karen's vocal performances. And then people typically forget that she was often credited as drummer on their albums. But that voice. She sang with such ease and original colour and it lifted any song - be it cheerful and happy-go-lucky ones, or ballads, melancholic, sad ones and even vocal jazz standards were enriched with delicacy. It was something... unfathomable.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Not this particular album as such, but the Carpenters plays a big part of my earliest music memories that wasn't purely children's songs.

👉 Another one from that earliest stage.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Trille "Altid har jeg længsel" (1979)

Altid har jeg længsel

release date: 1979

format: vinyl (EXL 30.008 - gatefold)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]

producer: Trille & Anders Koppel

label: Exlibris - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: A) 1. "Trækfuglen" - 2. "Sig noget" - 3. "Altid har jeg længsel" - - B) 2. "Gi' lidt mere tid" - 4. "Under den høje himmel"

Studio album by Danish singer / songwriter Trille is with its bolder jazz rock-arrangements a more uptempo pop-version than her stripped-down tunes found on Hej søster from 1976. Trille is credited all songs but she is here accompanied by a handful of great musicians, which count guitarist Ole Fick (Burnin Red Ivanhoe), keyboardist Anders Koppel (Savage Rose, Bazaar), bassist Jens Rugsted (Savage Rose, Rugsted/Kreutzfeldt), bassist Hugo Rasmussen, and drummer Alex Riel (Alex Riel Trio, Ben Webster Quartet, Savage Rose...), in other words: a more than ordinarily solid backing band.

The album shows a much more complex Trille than her reputation allows. This is all held in a jazz rock sphere with elements from traditional rock, from a singer / songwriter and folk tradition but also from more contemporary pop / rock at times mixed with blues, with funk, or undefineable world music.

At this point of her career, I think Trille may have hoped for a better reception - it seems she was caught in a certain role as protest singer - not a pop / rock artist, and despite its obvious qualities, Altid har jeg længsel is a bit of a forgotten / neglected album, which showcase Trille as an artist with something to offer.

Trille "Hej søster" (1976)

Hej søster

release date: 1976

format: vinyl (EXL 20005)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Philip Foss

label: Exlibris - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: A) 1. "Kom og løft mig op" - 2. "Min lille sol" - 5. "Mors lange cykeltur" - - B) 1. "Hej søster" - 2. "Der hvor lyset findes" - 3. "Sang sidst på vinteren" - 4. "Sangen om Brit"

Studio album by Danish folk artist and singer / songwriter Trille (aka Bodil Gudrun Nielsen). All songs are credited Trille except #B4 written by Kedda Madsen with music by Trille.

Trille was an often played artist throughout the 1970s. She was also famous for her music for children, but her contributions as an original songwriter is well-documented in her long discography as a soloist. She often portrayed quiet and ordinary people struggling with everyday life, as parents, as workers, and as quiet individuals. As a contemporary artist Trille was often regarded as a stable voice among the left-winged protesters calling for civil rights and defending equality for women but her legacy is undoubtedly much more varied than just that with her revivalist tone to traditional folklore. She released albums over two decades, from her debut in 1966 and up until 1986 where she released the acclaimed Indeni / udenpå after which she appeared to have put her song career to rest. I think, her stripped-down content of folk-based political and social awareness was seen as a bit of a dead-end street when first punk rock, new wave and the the whole new romantic era unfolded and showed other ways to attract attention via music in the early 80s, and Trille had no intentions in finding a new audience, which perhaps made her music stand out as out of touch with the younger generation. She did release a final album with music for children in '88, and then she sort of closed the door to a role in the spotlight. She appears to have worked for the national radio channel Danmarks Radio as producer until it was publically known that she had died in late 2016 at age 71.

Personally, her music resonates with much warmth and empathy, and first and foremost I don't think of her music as narrow-minded or as one-dimensional. It's more the fact that people lost interest but also simply that the public and critics forgot what a strong artst she actually was. Trille had an impact on my interest for music from earliest on, and I remember her various parts in TV shows for children and her music was nearly played on a daily basis when I was 6-12 years old.

Hej søster is one of her best reviewed albums, and unintentional and much to her own surprise, the album became a cornerstone in the movement of womens' rights and Trille was put in a central role as a strong protest singer.

Ike & Tina Turner "Nutbush City Limits" (1973) (single)

Nutbush City Limits, 7'' single

release date: Aug. 1973

format: vinyl

[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: Ike Turner

label: United Artists Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "Nutbush City Limits" (4 / 5) - - B) "Help Him"

Single release by Ike & Tina Turner taken from the forthcoming studio album of the same name from November that same year. The song is credited Tina Turner and is one of the duo's final hit songs.

The single appears to have various front covers depending on national imprints. This particular Danish print comes from my parents' record collection. I do recall playing this at 7-12 years of age and found it one the better singles in my parents' collecion.

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This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

New world "Tom Tom Turnaround" (1971) (single)

Tom Tom Turnaround, 7'' single

release date: 1971

format: vinyl (RAK 117)

[single rate: 3 / 5] [3,14]

producer: Mike Hurst

label: Columbia - nationality: Australia

Tracklist: A) "Tom Tom Turnaround" - - B) "Lay Me Down"

Single release by Australian Brisbane-located folk pop band New World taken from its second album titled New World (1971) following its debut The New World (1969) when their band name was The New World.

This single appears to have various front covers depending on national imprints. This particular Danish print most probably comes from my older brother's record collection. I do recall playing this as 7-12 years of age but never was a big fan of it.

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This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Creedence Clearwater Revival "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" (single)

Have You Ever Seen the Rain / Hey Tonight, 7'' single

release date: Dec. 29, 1970

format: vinyl (LBF 15440)

[single rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,58]

producer: John Fogerty

label: Liberty - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" - - B) "Hey Tonight"

Single release by Creedence Clearwater Revival with two songs taken from the album Pendulum (Dec.1970). Like all tracks on the album, these two songs were written, arranged and produced by John Fogerty. Some issues have flipped A and B-sides (British, French, Italian, Spanish, and some German issues).

I got the single from the older brother who had purchased it in the early 70s.

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This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Sten & Stanley "Får jag följa dig en bit på vägen" (1967) (single)

Får jag följa dig en bit på vägen, 7'' single

release date: 1967

format: vinyl (F77005)

[single rate: 2 / 5] [2,12]

producer: ?

label: Decca - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: A) "Får jag följa dig en bit på vägen" - - B) "Kapten Kidd"

Single release by Swedish schlager and 'dansband' Sten & Stanley named after two of the founding members Sten Nilsson and Stanley Gransström. The two songs stem from two albums, the title song is taken from Röd var din mund, and the B-side is found on Sten & Stanley's australiska sångbok, both released in 1967.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, and it's a single I knew of at age 6-10 but never really enjoyed - probably because it's styled as schlager music.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Keld & The Donkeys "Det er så skønt" (1967)

Det er så skønt, 7'' single

release date: 1967

format: vinyl (X 9005)

[single rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,44]

producer: ?

label: HMV / EMI - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "Det er så skønt" - - B) "Hvorfor er alt nu forbi"

Single release by Keld & The Donkeys. The A-side is credited 'Ubert-Prod - Keld Heick' and it's a cover of a song by Ubert-Prod (alias for Swedish songwriter Ebbe Nilsson), and the song was originally released as a single by Swedish schlager / pop-group Sten & Stanley as Det är så skönt in 1966 - Sten & Stanley was a quintet consisting of the three brothers Nilsson: Sten, Ebbe, and Per together with Stanley Granström and Bo Carlén.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, and it's a single I knew of at age 6-10 but never really enjoyed - probably because it's styled as schlager music.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Eddie Skoller "En enkel sang om frihed" (1970) (single)

En enkel sang om frihed, 7'' single

release date: 1970

format: vinyl

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,76]

producer: John Friis

label: Philips - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "En enkel sang om frihed" - - B) "Den grå dame" (live in 2006)

Single release by Danish folk pop and entertainer Eddie Skoller (aka Edward Ralf Skoller) from his early career as folk troubadour and singer / songwriter shortly before breaking as musical and comic entertainer. The title track is a song by Bobby Darin titled "Simple Song of Freedom", not issued by Darin until '71, and here with (more or less directly translated) Danish lyrics by Skoller.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, and it's a single I knew of at age 6-10 but never really enjoyed - probably because it's touching on schlager music.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" (1970) (single)

My Sweet Lord, 7'' single

release date: Nov. 23, 1970

format: vinyl (F 2995)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]

producer: George Harrison & Phil Spector

label: Apple Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "My Sweet Lord" (4,5 / 5) - - B) "Isn't It a Pity"

1st single release by George Harrison taken from his solo album debut All Things Must Pass (Nov. 27, 1970). The single was released in the US as a double A-side single and international issues as regular two-sided 7'' singles.

This song is likely to be Harrison's best loved single - being highly valued as a stand-out work from his first album while creating a clash with his mangement as he didn't want to issue any singles from his album. Perhaps, just as importantly, the single is highly treasured because the single mix of the song differs from that found on the album.

During the Winter of 1970/'71, the release became an international number #1 single-hit, and the first to top the singles charts by any of the four ex-Beatles members. The song itself must have been the best possible promotion for the critical acclaim and commercial success of his double album, although, Harrison probably still didn't just see it as a sales stunt.

The copy I own is a first issue pressing from Denmark, which also played a central role as Harrison appears to have written and composed the song while on tour in Copenhagen, Dec. '69.

Back in the 70s I did enjoy this very song but somehow I also felt that I should appreciate it more 'cause I wasn't a huge fan. I think, I found it a bit too melancholic and repetitive - both traits are perhaps the reason I have come to treasure it much more as an adult. Harrison makes it simple and he carries much of a recognisable style from The Beatles without sounding like a tune coming from his former band. The song is both a simple one lyrically and with its bold chorus and yet musically, it's a complex compound of styles. There's a fine balance of psychedelic rock - here it's a conglomerate of folk rock, singer / songwriter, baroque pop, and pop / rock, and you can't really tell which style is the dominant one. It's tempting to stay with notion of 'psychedelic' but it seems too simplistic. All Things Must Pass is an iconic masterpiece, and "My Sweet Lord" is there as a highlight, to stress the fact that Harrison possessed much more than he was given a chance to lay open while being part of a band with two leaders. As much as I enjoy the various periods by The Fab Four, I just feel a more warm-hearted appreciation for Harrison's solo career, which I consider generally underappreciated.

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This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.