What's New
The Telstars:
The Telstars originally formed as the Aston Swingers
in 1959, but changed their name when the English group the Tornadoes got
their big hit. The Telstars debuted in 1962 with "Telstar," played in the
style of Eddie Calvert, on the Domino label. After this recording they
started playing pigtråd and got rid of the trumpet. During 1963-65
they recorded for Domino, Music Hall, and taped diverse commercial spots
for Coca Cola, Dandy and Christel Shoes. Their musical style changed from
instrumental to Merseybeat, and then to r'n'b. In 1965 they switched
to Teener and debuted with the brilliant "Linin' Tracks," but the special
American garage sound first appeared in their songs when organist Torben
Dahl Jensen returned to the group (he'd been away from the band since 1962).
Even though the Telstars reached the second division
in Danish pigtråd they never received the recognition they deserved
as one of the very best pigtråd groups. The Telstars existed 'till
the mid-seventies, but from 1968 on as a nice pop act.
Personnel on Teener ST 41402, ST 41387 and ST
41399: John Per Hansen (guitar, lead vocals), Torben Dahl Jensen (organ),
Arne Henning Laybourn (drums), and Stig Rosenfelt Sorensen (bass).
The Shadderhands:
The band with this red-skinned name formed in
Rødovre in 1964. After practicing one year they competed with other
bands in "The Kinks of Denmark" and "Champions of Pigtråd" contests
- but without any results. Nevertheless the Shadderhands got a record deal
and debuted as a 5-man band on Teener Records in 1966 with lead singer
Jan Rothoff, though after a while they ended up as a 4-man band. They got
a little publicity in 1966 due to their performances in Indian and Mexican
suits. The Shadderhands broke up and reformed twice before they changed
their name to Safe in 1969 (after they'd once again broken up) and played
entertainment music instead.
Personnel on Teener ST 41405: Peer B. Nielsen
(bass, vocals), Jann Nielsen (rhythm), jann "James" Kvelland (drums), and
Flemming Hansen (lead).
The Mods:
No sixties punk album can exist without "Gloria"
- and we'll make no exceptions. The Mods started in 1963 on Amager as the
Beatnicks. They changed their name in 1964 because so many groups already
had the same name (the change ironically resulted in a squabble with another
Danish band called the Mods). After placing third in the "Rolling Stones
of Denmark" championship at Tivoli's Concert Hall in 1965 the Mods got
gigs all over the country. They recorded this, their only record, in 1966.
After their single The Mods recruited Frede Fub Nordbrink and guitarist
Poul Freiber, and broke up at the end of 1968.
Personnel on Teener ST 41389: Poul Frieber (lead),
Arne Degn (rhythm, vocals), Jorgen Pedersen (drums), Asger Hansen (bass),
and Erik Koch (rhythm).
The Ex-Checkers:
The Ex-Checkers were the nearest thing to a top
group that Teener had. They didn't become one because the Danish foreign
department police didn't like English musicians who took jobs from their
Danish counterparts. The Ex-Checkers consisted of two Englishmen, John
Inglis and Harry Kershaw, who came to Denmark as backing musicians for
British singer Jimmy Justice. When Justice went back the two musicians
stayed in Copenhagen and got together with two Danish musicians from the
Beatnicks (not the band that became the Mods). Niels Kjær of Peter
Belli's Los Rivals replaced original drummer Ejnar Strauss in April 1965.
The Ex-checkers became an overnight sensation when they became a regular
band at the "Hit House," where they became very popular. The Danish audience
wasn't used to a band that sang "real" English or had a guitarist as good
as Inglis. The dream ended suddenly when Inglis and Kershaw were thrown
out of Denmark in November 1965. Kjær teamed up with the Lions and
Bjørn H!
olte with the Rocking Ghosts.
Inglis married Miss Denmark and could then return
to the country. He played with the Scarlets in 1967-68. They recorded two
singles and one LP for Teener - this is the only LP on the label.
Personnel on Teener ST 41364 and ST 41370: John
Inglis (lead vocals, lead guitar), Harry Kershaw (bass), Bjorn Holte Jensen
(rhythm), and Niels Kjaer (drums).
The Strangers:
An old orchestra from Vanløse, 1958. The
original orchestra broke up in 1962 because of military duty. In July 1963
the only original member, Pierre Beauvais, got the band back together again.
The new Strangers were of course inspired by the new Beatles and Hollies
sounds from England. We have chosen the primitive garage rendition of "Jezebel,"
the B-side of their first single, for this record. After four singles for
Teener the Strangers broke up in the summer of 1967. Pierre B. continued
to work as a manager, at first together with Jan Due from the Lions, then
alone for the Rangers, the Ladybirds, etc.
Personnel on Teener ST 41342: Pierre Beauvais
(rhythm, vocals), John Boye Nielsen (lead, vocals), Flemming Hansen (bass,
vocals), and Kaj Petersen (drums).
The Keepers:
The Keepers formed at the end of 1966, a typical
hard-working pigtråd band that performed all over the country without
receiving any kind of fame at all. The group loved American soul, as their
only single shows with the Impression's "Amen" as the A-side, but we chose
the wild version of the Pretty Things' "Rain In My Heart." The members
went to other groups like Ham, Yes Indeed, Kajs Camping and the Scarlets
after the Keepers' break-up in Spring, 1968.
Personnel on Teener ST 41421: Svend Erik "Tommy"
Nielsen (lead vocals), Sten Hansen (rhythm, vocals), Max Leth Jr. (organ),
Ebbe Lauridsen (bass, vocals), and Jorgen Thomsen (drums).
Blue Beats:
The Blue Beats toured a lot, for example performing
in Norway and Germany, but didn't receive any publicity. Although "Sorry
She's Mine" is inspired by the Small Faces, the Blue Beats were mostly
influenced by the Beach Boys and Hollies. After a four-year existence they
broke up in September 1968.
Personnel on Teener ST 41410: Carsten Gardan
(lead guitar, vocals), Henrik Nielsen (drums), John Petersen (lead vocals),
Raymond Edwardsen (bass), and Benny Kristiansen (rhythm).
The Rangers:
Originally formed as the Bellies in Holbæk
in 1963, they won the "Rolling Stones of Denmark" championship in Jutland
in 1965. In 1966 the band moved to Copenhagen where they changed their
name to the Rangers. They debuted on Teener in 1966 with a Danish single
"Åh Susanne," followed by the "Kicks" single. Perhaps inspired by
Paul Revere and the Raiders they also performed in Northwest uniforms during
their early existence. The Rangers broke up in March 1968 and Jakobsen
and Kristensen went to Page One.
Personnel on Teener ST 41409: Mogens Kristensen
(lead guitar, vocals), Arne Kristensen (bass), Svend Erik Griff (lead vocals),
and Claes Pauli Jakobsen (drums).
Melvis and His Gentlemen:
Ivan Haki Haagensen, a.k.a. Melvis, is the grand
old man of Danish rock, and the stories of all of his different bands from
Haki Melvis And His Rock'n'Roll Boys in 1956 'till today could fill entire
books. Anyhow the only real beat record done by him is this "Hippy Hippy
Shake" from 1963. He was from 1952-62 influenced by American rock'n'roll,
and went from there over to jazz-blues-beat in 1965. He went back to his
rock'n'roll roots in the 70's. The members on "Hippy…" often played at
the Starclub in Hamburg during 1962-63, the first Danish band to do so.
The monster version of "Skinny Minny" is also from that same session!
Personnel on Teener ST 41310: Melvis (vocals,
guitar), Jan Linden (lead), Torben Brint (bass), and Preben Devantier (drums).
Baronen:
"Hey Joe" was recorded after an apology: in the
Summer of 1967 all equipment stood ready for the recording session in Vanløse
Cinema - studio musicians, sound engineers, microphones, etc. The only
one who didn't show up was the vocalist (now everyone has forgotten who
he was). The producer, Torben von Eggers, quickly called his little brother,
Preben, to sing instead, and this wonderful version was the result. Preben
von Eggers had earlier been in the Canyons and Group Sixty-Six, and had
thereby earned the name the Pigtråd Baron because of his noble past.
Preben severed all connections with music after this record and a stint
as a folk singer.
Personnel on Teener ST 42273: Baronen (Preben
von Eggers) (vocals, rhythm), Preben Lyngmark (lead), Finn B. "Lux" Nielsen
(bass), and Arne "Age" Lauritsen (drums).
Electro Swingers:
An old band from 1960. The band was one of the
first to play Liverpool-influenced music; the group's leader got the information
before other bands because he subscribed to Melody Maker! The band was
also one of the first to experiment with echo machines and sound filter
machines. When the band was finally signed to a label in 1967 it was right
in the middle of the soul and the big-band boom. Their bassist could also
play the trumpet so with echo and trumpets they couldn't go wrong. They
first heard "See the Crocodile" on the day they recorded it when their
producer whistled it, and as nobody knew who had written the tune it was
published without any credits. It sounds like John Mayalls' "Crocodile
Walk." The group has played the song ever since. The Electro Swingers still
exist [as of 1985], though since 1977 just as a hobby.
Personnel on Teener ST 42268: Ebbe Mollgard (lead),
John Skarup (bass, trumpet), Bent Lyman (vocals), Birger Jensen (drums),
and Bjarne Andersen (organ, rhythm).
The Kids:
A group of children formed in 1965. Got much publicity
because of the members' ages: 15, 11, 9 and 10, which made them Denmark's
youngest pop group. In 1967 they got a record deal after winning a championship
at the Forum. Their studio work was more polished than their live performances
(Who and blue) but "Can't Stop Now" is the best of their records. They
broke up in 1970 and Jørgen and Niels went on to the Olsen Brothers
(Brødrene Olsen). The Thybo's are also active in the jazz-rock milieu.
Personnel on Teener ST 41424: Jorgen Olsen (vocals,
rhythm), Niels "Noller" Olsen (drums), Niels Thybo (bass), and Morten
Thybo (lead).
The Stoneagers:
Was formed in 1965 in Herlev as a Rolling Stones-inspired
rhythm & blues group, but from 1967 they played more melodious pop
in the Bee Gees and Red Squares style. This song is from Paul Revere and
the Raiders' album "Goin' to Memphis". They broke up in 1969. Only Tonny
Nielsen continued a musical career in SLIK in the 80's.
Personnel on Teener ST 41426: Frank Elkjaer
(bass, vocals), Ole Elkjear (rhythm, vocals), Tonny Nielsen (lead, vocals),
and Finn Diamant (drums).