Music, how to use a few notes to do magic in peoples senses. It may be tunes that make You happy, sad, wanna be dancing and even makes you cry. Ive already written about my first meeting with Bill Haley, the Comets and their Rock around the clock.
To be followed by Tommy, Elvis and loads of other artist´s, most of them Swedish copies of the US originals. A small country like Ours tend to produce its own artist, mainly caused by the fact that many of the greatest artists never wisited Our country.
Who was the greatest out of Elvis and Tommy? I think they was sharing the first place, just caused by the fact that Tommy Steele coming from the UK came to Sweden a couple of times. Elvis did not!
Every kid at school in Sweden is taught english today, but in the late 50ies and the early 60ies many of our wannabee artist didnt know english at all.
So in order to learn a song they listen to it several times from a record, trying to copy not the words but the sound of the words. When they finally entered the stage with their new song they used some kind of Swedish English SweEng-lish. Possibly impossible for someone from England to understand.
"the Shadows"
One way to solve this language problem was to make instrumental rock´n roll. Groups like the Shadows and Ventures wasnt hard to understand. In Sweden similar groups was formed. The Spotnicks even went to world wide fame. The Violents and loads of similar groups was formed localy.
At bargain prices Hagström sold the KENT guitar with 5 watt amplifier on postal order. Everybody could become a rockstar.
One day Our neighbours 6 year old boy in a happy mood started to sing a funny chorus in Swe-Eng-lish.
"SCHLAVJO JÄ JÄ JÄ" Late that night i tuned in Radio Luxenburg and there it was. The new group Beatles was playing She loves You. In the same moment my whole musicworld was turned over.
A couple of weeks later The Beatles entered the swedish radio chart. As number one that saturday was the Rapiers playing "Father I cant open my coco nut" instrumental. As number 3 the same saturday was suddenly The Beatles to be found.
"the Rapiers"
The following week their singel and later their album was bought and played over and over again on me Philips recordplayer thrue an old radioset.
My short hairwas pulled to become longer and combed down on me forhead. I was dreaming about buying a pair of Beatles boots. To become a Beatles look-look-alike was the way to meet girls! I also was eager to learn how to play the Beatles songs on me guitar.
As a modern country at the time there was popgroups in rehersal in every garage and basement. Everybody wanted to be a part of the new revulotion. When foreign groups didnt come to our country, we did have our owns pop stars.
A year before the Beatles went from Cavern to world fame I had a penfreind in Liverpool. He told me that he was a cousin of Paul Mc cartney and sent me loads of Beatles posters, pics and other Beatles stuff.
In my own pop-band we started to play Beatles tunes, some of em successfully, some not that good. We tried to copy them all. The Beatles was like a music machine, producing album after album. One day the "Rubber Soul album was on sale and I was among those who bought it the very first day.
The very same evening there was at least 30 teenagers gathering in a garage. Well the family who owned the house didnt use it as a garage, rather a space to collect old things. On its floor a big carpet, loads of candles and in the middle of the floor.
A recordplayer with loudspeakers, in fac two of em, they called it stereo!
We all sat on the floor listening to the new album. At first in extreme silence, later as we learned the songs we sang along. As good as we could in some kind of SweEnglish, (we was just in the first stage of learning english and most of the time we tried to copy the sound of the words rather then learn how to pronounce em right).
Played it over and over again. Due to the extreme needle pressure of those old units the record was totaly worn out a couple of hours after midnight. A collection of money made it possible for me to buy a New copy a couple of days later when the album was back in stock of the musicshop.
Time went passed by, the Beatles broke up and wasnt anymore, well they still was very much alive as a group among us lovers of their music.
Natuarly I was sad when John Lennon was killed, but to tell the truth he was never my number one Beatle. No that place on my list was shared by George and Paul.
Making an attemt to become some kind of racecar driver I went racing in Germany a couple of times. Well I didnt do to well, I survied but at both events something for me unusual happened.
Having coffey with a freind of mine a couple of camping chairs and a table (later a Eurosport comentator) in the depot area someone suddenly called His name out loud. A few seconds later a longhaired and beardy man sat in front of us discussing racecars and not music.
George with His JAguar E-type,
to be followed by loads of fast cars.
Cant remember that I did say anything of importance, but at two different gatherings I was having coffey with George at the Nurnburg Ring. He was there with a couple of His own classic racecars and some freinds to drive them.
Already at that first meeting I asked me self why I didnt ask Him for an autograph, I didnt! And the same happened also the last time we met.
Cancer took His life and I felt as a dear freind had died. I do miss him.
But anyway the Beatles is still alive in my Music-World.
John Lennons, RR Phantom
my top ten Beatles tunes:
Norwegian Wood / what a great story telling the fact of love. Also perfect music.
If I fell / exeptional harmonies
Eleonor Rigby / Yet a great story, filled with loads of sad facts of life
Drive my car / hmmm
Ticket to ride / George guitar solo riff, so simple so great.
Faster / George tribute to F1 race driver Ronnie Petersson and others.
at place number 6, comes all the rest of Beatles tunes...
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