Swedish Soul Funk Grooves - Patriks Soul/Funk Music
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Swedish soul funk grooves - Patriks soul/funk music http://www.soulfunkmusic.com/swedish.htm Swedish soul and funk 1979-2005 Sweden is best known for Abba that conquered the world in the late 70s with catchy disco influenced melodies. Even though the melodies are "eternal" in many respects Sweden got more to offer. In this introduction to Swedish soul and funk and jazz from 1979 to 1990, with a brief overview of the 90s as well, I will give you a short history and most of all my recommendations to you of the best rare Swedish soul and funk grooves! Music history Sweden got a rather limited amount of more prominent composers during the history. The most well known names during the period 1700-1800 are baroque composer Johan Helmich Roman and the troubadour Carl Michael Bellman. Between 1800 and 1900 Sweden had many names but no one reached higher levels of recognition outside Sweden. From 1900 until 1945 completely new genres got a foothold on Swedish soil and jazz became one of the most important ones. After the end of the second world war the jazz influences from USA got even stronger and during the following decades after 1945. Sweden have since the 50s produced outstanding jazz impressionists and vocalists that achieved much attention both in Sweden and on the American scene with names like vocalist Alice Babs, clarinetist Åke Hasselgård, that was one of the first to play bop, pianist Bengt Hallberg and altoist Arne Domnerus. Many of these played or sang with the greatest names in America. Most of the productions were traditional jazz but during the 60s and 70s more experimental productions with new musical constellations were made and such prominent producers as Quincy Jones was frequently in Stockholm recording. Jones later married a Swede. During the 70s Abba made disco something big in Sweden both also very much outside Sweden. They were Sweden's first international hit band. They were also the pioneers in the very polished but also highly well produced Swedish pop that combined the elements of jazz, blues, soul and a bit of funk. The Swedish pop has been the most important player in the Swedish export of music since the 70s a trend that increased dramatically during the 90s. 1 av 15 2012-02-18 13.39 Swedish soul funk grooves - Patriks soul/funk music http://www.soulfunkmusic.com/swedish.htm The first years of Swedish soul and funk Even though Swedish jazz and pop are prominent areas in Swedish music outside its borders the more refined soul, funk, disco and even jazzfunk productions weren't that much represented in Sweden and literally unknown outside the country. Compared to the big European countries in soul and funk music like the UK, Italy, France and Holland Sweden is just a dwarf. The development of Swedish soul and funk to a broader audience came also many years after the hot peak in US during the 70s and early 80s. It was indeed a rare occasion to hear a Swedish track with fat grooves including a crazy synth, big bass guitars and steamy horns that we all love here o PSFS! At the end of the 70s Abba still took almost all the attention and it was more or less underground bands that actually created more soul funk inspired tracks. Today literally all of them are totally forgotten and almost impossible to get. But a few are going to be described here. 1979-1984 SAD MOTION/FREESTYLE One major breakthrough for this kind of music came in 1979 when two community radio frequencies started in Stockholm on 88 MHz and 91.1 MHz on the FM dial. Soon popular radio stations like SBC, Disco 91 and MRS (still around today; www.mrs.se) were established even though the economical circumstances and the technical quality of the broadcasts were very limited. The revolutionary thing about it was that the Swedes for the first time got to know this music that as a result opened up small import shops in down town Stockholm but also gave more inspiration to them who wanted to create their own stuff. In 1979 the band Sad motion released their first single, the bouncy disco stomper "Jag vill ha dig ikväll" (I want you tonight) that was followed up by their probably one-and-only self-titled album in 1980 after a good deal with CBS. None of the two tracks on the 7" released on the small CBS owned Dark records were available on the album though. Two other single releases on CBS in 1980, the classic boogie style tunes of "Windsurfing" and "Den där festen" (That party) made it to the album though and even reached a smaller amount of success. Except a few more boogie tracks of the same style and quality the album included the very touching ballad "Längtan" (Longing), one of the best ballad's I ever heard with lyrics that are seldom heard, and well-crafted reggae track "Ragnar". In 1981 at least one 7" was released called "Du är stark" (You are strong) on Moon records. Both tracks 2 av 15 2012-02-18 13.39 Swedish soul funk grooves - Patriks soul/funk music http://www.soulfunkmusic.com/swedish.htm on the single were poor and didn't reach the same level as before. Nothing more was ever heard from the band after that though and Sad motion most likely disappeared. Despite the name their music were anything else than sad. It featured a joyous and well balanced boogie entirely performed in Swedish with powerful and vivid vocals, catchy melodies, a strong and well-used horn section and snappy guitar riffs. In 1981 six curious people of this music formed the band Freestyle (right) that turned out to be the finest Swedish disco inspired creation besides Abba. The band was also commercially one of the most successful ones ever and was behind classic hits like "Vill ha dig" (I want you) and "Fantasi" (Fantasy), all very catchy and easy listening bubble gum tracks. The lyrics were not impressive though with superficial and teenage care-free fantasies. The big thing here is the music, nothing more. At the same time they also dropped an English version of the album called "Fantasy". Freestyle was somewhat Sweden's answer to Shalamar even though not close to the amazing hits they produced. Later on they changed the name to just Style something that ironically also changed their music to the worse. The most important member from a musical point of view was Christer Sandelin and Tommy Ekman. Sandelin launched after Style a quite successful solo career. But it is as producer and songwriter they reached their highest ground. Sandelin produce (in conjunction with Tommy Ekman) the extremely rare Swedish soul funk track "Kool katt" with Stop (below). ELECTRIC BANANA BAND The rather different project Electric banana band (left) was created as a spin off of a well-known Swedish children's TV program "Trazan och Banarne". The program it self was created in 1977 and is one of Sweden's biggest successes. At the same time they released songs taken from the program. But it was in 1981 that the actual band was created. It included the famous comedian Lasse Åberg, well-used drumer Per Lindvall (that also participated as drummer on Shine's LP below) and the world known guitarist Janne Schaffer on guitar among others. Schaffer, 3 av 15 2012-02-18 13.39 Swedish soul funk grooves - Patriks soul/funk music http://www.soulfunkmusic.com/swedish.htm one of Sweden's best session musicians, had earlier played with such great acts like Abba and Bob Marley. The style of Electric banana band was a mix of pop, funk and samba with nice melodies and with the distinctive guitar play by Schaffer on many tracks. The lyrics were often funny and even hilarious but sometimes also of a social nature penetrating questions about ethics and morale. In 1982 the joyous popfunk track "Banankontakt av tredje graden" (Banana contact of the third grade) was released that still today is one of the best grooves ever in Sweden with over 150 000 sold copies. Despite, or perhaps thanks to the heritage from the children's program the lyrics were a serious appeal to all humans to change their wrong behaviors. Lasse Åberg's sings about a spaceship that reach the earth and when the "Banana commando" steps out they see all the destruction that war, environmental pollution etc. creates and asks: "When is a change gonna come!?" I wonder the same... Besides the highly recommended "Banankontakt" the groovy "Zvampen" (The mushroom) from 1983 is definitely worth having. Schaffer's guitar glows on this and creates a powerful party feeling with an unusually catchy groove. I guarantee that you can't sit still when this disc moves! Today Shaffer still playes guitar in various projects and lives in the same suburb as I do. The former comedian Lasse Åberg later became a popular designer and painting artist best known for his obsession with Mickey mouse. One of his latest work is the design of the cover of the seats on the Stockholm subway trains. Other artist did have soul and funk influences too, but it was most often only on one or two tracks like Gyllene tider and Tomas Ledin. 1983 - A busy year STOP In 1983 something happen that for me changed my perception of Swedish soul and funk when the band Stop (right) released their debut single "Kool katt" (Cool cat) on the small Swedish label "Hawk records".