- History - |
||
|
1956 - 1998 |
||
| The '60s | ||
| 1960 | ||
| The Frazers make their first recordings Home on the range, My old Kentucky home, Ghostriders in the sky and The old
spinning wheel on a Tandberg tape recorder in a studio
in a factory in Gothenburg. They later also record Ol’ man river and Swing Low Sweet Chariot.
|
Bo Winberg lead guitar Bo Starander rhythm guitar and vocal Björn Thelin bass Ove Johansson drums |
|
| 1961 | ||
| Roland Ferneborg becomes the group’s manager after a concert in Stockholm. | ||
| The group name is changed by
Roland Ferneborg from The Frazers to The
Spotnicks. At the same time Bo Starander is given the
stage-name Bob Lander. They sign a contract with the record company Karusell and the members turn professional. |
Bo Winberg lead guitar
Bob Lander rhythm guitar and vocal Björn Thelin bass Ove Johansson drums |
|
| The Spotnicks make a long session at Casa Leon in Berlin. They also perform in France and Spain. | ||
| They record Orange Blossom Special, The Spotnicks Theme, Galloping Guitars, The Rocket Man, Endless Walk, Old Clock At Home, Highflying Scotsman, Thundernest, Johnny Guitar and Moonshot. | ||
| This year, the first records by The Spotnicks
are released.
|
||
| 1962 | ||
| This year I here The Spotnicks for the first time. Radio Luxemburg broadcast a song which I immediately like. The performance and the sound is something completely new for me. The song is called Moonshot and it’s still one of my favourites. From this time on I’m a fan. | ||
| The band records more new tracks: Hava Nagila, Midnight Special, My Bonny, Hey Good Looking and What Did I Say. | ||
| The Spotnicks do a tour in England. As a gimmick they wear space-suits while on stage. In the autumn The Spotnicks record their first LP in London, The Spotnicks in London Out-a-space. The whole album was recorded in 17 hours! Single releases from this LP reach quite high spots in the English chart. | ||
| Later The Spotnicks record Just Listen To My Heart, Pony Express, Trambone and Western Guitar, once again in an English studio. From this session new recordings of Midnight Special, Hey Good Looking, Hava Nagila and The Old Spinning Wheel were made, though these weren’t available for record buyers until they were released as bonus tracks on the re-releases of the albums on CD, which SweDisc made in 1989. | ||
| A single with the tracks Telstar and Carry me back
is released by The Shy Ones, a name which Bo Winberg uses as a pseudonym when he makes
recordings on his own.
|
||
| 1963 | ||
| They do many long tours in foreign countries this year, and among other places they visit Spain, England and France. | ||
| The Spotnicks reach high spots in charts of France, England and the USA. Amapola stays in the Swedish chart ‘Tio i topp’ for 8 weeks and is later followed by Just listen to my heart and Spanish Gypsy Dance. | ||
| The single Hava Nagila reaches an honorably high spot in the English chart and the LP too reaches high in the LP chart of New Musical Express. | ||
| The Spotnicks take place in the music movie Just for fun and they also perform in several TV and radio shows. | ||
| The Spotnicks also take place in the show Musicorama on the famous stage of Olympia in Paris. During the rehersals the transmitter on Bo Winbergs guitar comes through on the Paris police radio, which causes great confusion. | ||
| In France they record the rest of the songs for their second LP The Spotnicks in Paris. Other songs recorded are Buttons and Bows and a new version of Johnny Guitar. | ||
| The LP Devenez Soliste Des Spotnicks and the single Devenez Chanteur Des Spotnicks are released in France. The vocal and lead guitar have been excluded on these records, so that the fans can sing and play themselves to the accompaniment of The Spotnicks. | ||
| These records include different versions of Galloping Guitars, The Spotnicks Theme and Blue, Blue Day. | ||
| At home in Sweden they do a tour of amusement parks and dance halls. In Västra Gymnastiksalen (Western Gymnasium) in Karlsborg (my childhood hometown), I visit a concert with The Spotnicks for the first time, an unforgettable night for me! | ||
| The group will frequently return to Karlsborg during their career. | ||
| Loads of records by The Spotnicks are this year being released all over the world. | ||
| Orange blossom special reaches number one in the Australian chart! | ||
| The Spotnicks change record company from Karusell to SweDisc. | ||
| During the summer Ove Johansson
is replaced by the Englishman Derek Skinner on drums. The first recording with Derek Skinner is Dave Brubecks Take Five, a song with 5/4-beat. This is being followed by Git It, Spanish Gypsy Dance, Deep In The Heart Of Texas, She, She Little Sheila, Be Bop A Lula and Habanera. |
Bo Winberg lead guitar
Bob Lander rhythm guitar and vocal Björn Thelin bass Derek Skinner drums |
|
| Together with Peter Winsnes, Bo Winberg records Kontiki, Theme From Leningrad, Ajomies (Karelia) and Two Guitars for the Finnish label Philips. The songs are released under the name The Feenades. Peter plays the drums, Bo does the remainder. | ||
| More own recordings are released on an EP as The Shy Ones. The songs are La Route, Bye Bye Birdie, Swedish Polka Pig and Susanna. | ||
| The Spotnicks record their third LP The Spotnicks in Spain, which is released
in many countries. They also record Lovesick
Blues, Space Creatures, Merry Elephant, Pense A Moi
and Doctor Feelgood.
|
||
| 1964 | ||
| After coming home from a longer tour of France, the group has got plans on doing in the USA, partly during the spring, partly during the summer. Unfortunately this project is cancelled due to bad planning, delayed marketing and problems with the work permits. | ||
| The Spotnicks record their fourth LP The Spotnicks in Stockholm which, with slightly varied contents is, except for Sweden, also released in for example Germany and Japan. Some people claim that Bruce Baxter is the lead guitarist on Cape Kennedy on this LP. In all cases Bruce deputizes for Bo Winberg on some concerts. | Bruce Baxter lead guitar | |
| Later this year the songs for the fifth LP, The Spotnicks in Berlin, are recorded in a studio in Stockholm. Bo Winberg is for some reason not pleased with the result and he adapts and remixes the material himself, which on the Swedish version of this album are released in mono. The German version on the other hand, which is released in 1965, contains parts of the original recordings in stereo plus I Got A Baby and Nahmenlos, together with previously recorded material. I Got A Baby and Nahmenlos are in Sweden released on a Six-P together with Big Boss Man, Great Balls Of Fire, Memphis and Shine. | ||
| The group do a tour of Swedish amusement parks with a lot of concerts and Papa Ooh Mow Mow enters the Swedish chart 'Sommartoppen'. Peter Winsnes joins The Spotnicks on some of these concerts. | ||
| On the 9th of December The Spotnicks take part in the TV-show Drop-In. | ||
| During this year The Spotnicks
visit for example England, Finland and Greece.
|
||
| 1965 | ||
| In May this year Peter Winsnes
becomes a permanent member of The
Spotnicks, who once again do a tour of Sweden. The group’s sixth LP, The Spotnicks At Home In Gothenburg is recorded. |
Bo Winberg lead guitar
Bob Lander rhythm guitar and vocal Peter Winsnes keyboard and vocal Björn Thelin bass Derek Skinner drums |
|
| Renamed Spotlight on The Spotnicks, this album is released for example in Germany and Japan. These versions also include Alabamy Bound and I’ve Lost You, which in Sweden are released on a separate single. | ||
| In Bo Winbergs apartment in Gothenburg The Spotnicks and The Shadows meet for a very famous jam session. | ||
| A single is released under the pseudonym Bo Winberg x 4 + 2, containing Watermelon Man and Sekvens 007. | ||
| Derek Skinner leaves the band
and is replaced by the Englishman Jimmy Nicol, who among other things is known for sitting
in for Ringo Starr in The Beatles during a tour of Australia
in the spring 1964. But Jimmy has also played with other celebrities such as Cliff Richards, Gene Vincent, George Fame and others. Already the day after arriving to Sweden, on the 7th of October, Jimmy plays with The Spotnicks in Oslo and some time later it is time for the first gig in Sweden, in Kungälv where attendance record is beaten. |
Bo Winberg lead guitar
Bob Lander rhythm guitar and vocal Peter Winsnes keyboard and vocal Björn Thelin bass Jimmy Nicol drums |
|
| The Spotnicks rush-release a single, The Spotnicks Introducing Jimmy Nicol, with the songs Husky and Drum Diddley. | ||
| At the same time Karelia starts to climb in the Japanese chart. | ||
| In November The Spotnicks start off a world tour which continues until March 1966. They visit for instance the USA, Mexico and Japan. | ||
| Shortly prior to the departure, they do a highly appreciated performance in Göteborgs Konserthus (The Concert Hall of Gothenburg). | ||
| The group celebrates Christmas
and New Year in Mexico.
|
||
| 1966 | ||
| Karelia with The Spotnicks reaches number one in the Japanese chart in January, beating for example The Feenades recording of Ajomies, that is to say the same song with almost the same group...! | ||
| On their way home from Japan, they stay in Hongkong, Bangkok, Beirut and Rome for TV and radio shows as well as concerts. | ||
| After coming home to Sweden again they do concerts all over the country again. The first gig is held in Karlsborg on the 19th of March and I am there, of course, to enjoy this night when The Spotnicks both play dance-music and do a stage performance. | ||
| In rapid succession the albums The Spotnicks in Tokyo and The Spotnicks Around the World are produced. | ||
| In Germany an LP called The Spotnicks Around the World is released, containing a mixture of songs from these two albums. | ||
| Other songs recorded this year are Manxman Island and Augustine, as well as a new version of Karelia. Augustine is released on tape. Not until 1986 it is included on a record, a double-EP from Triola and 1992 it is released on a CD compilation from King Records. | ||
| Jimmy Nicol releases a single with the pseudonym James George, with the songs Stagger Lee and Cmon Everybody. This, of course, is not a try on making a solo career. The songs are later released as The Spotnicks. | ||
| During the autumn The Spotnicks do a brief tour of Germany. | ||
| Yet another LP is released in Sweden, Japan and Mexico shortly before Christmas, The Spotnicks in Winterland. | ||
| In December The Spotnicks start off yet another world tour during which they visit for example Mexico and Japan. They don’t return to Sweden until the beginning of 1967. | ||
| They now show honour to
Karlsborg by playing their last gig in Sweden before the world tour there on the 26th of
November. This time as well, they both play dance-music and do a stage act.
|
||
| 1967 | ||
| Jimmy Nicol leaves The Spotnicks in February, during the recording of the album The Spotnicks in Acapulco in Mexico. He is rush-replaced by Tommy Tausis, who many people (including myself) consider to be the band’s greatest drummer ever. | Bo Winberg lead guitar
Bob Lander rhythm guitar and vocal Peter Winsnes keyboard and vocal Björn Thelin bass Tommy Tausis drums |
|
| The group’s first live album, The Spotnicks Live in Japan, recorded during the tour of 1966, is released. The Swedish release is somewhat different mixed, compared to the Japanese version, and some superimpotions and edits have also been made. | ||
| The Spotnicks appear in, for example, Gunnebo Slott (Gunnebo Castle) in Mölndal and together with Frank Zappa & Mothers of Invention on Liseberg in Gothenburg. | ||
| During the summer they also starr in the Swedish movie 'Drra på... en kul grej på väg till Götet' together with many other popular bands and artists - a miserable film which has turned popular among fans... In the film they perform, among other songs, What A Fool I Was, which this year only is released on a compilation of different groups called Popligan. | ||
| Magnus Hellsberg replaces Björn
Thelin on bass. This year yet another album of solely own material is recorded. The sound of these tracks are totally different from everything the group has produced earlier. The album is named The Spotnicks in The Groove and is released in 1968. Many die hard fans claim this LP to be The Spotnicks worst ever, but I think that there are many good songs on this odd and underestimated album, such as I’m gonna make you love me, You don’t have to be pretty and Enchanted Elusive. |
Bo Winberg lead guitar
Bob Lander rhythm guitar and vocal Peter Winsnes keyboard and vocal Magnus Hellsberg bass Tommy Tausis drums |
|
| Yet another tour of Sweden is accomplished. On the 7th of October they visit Karlsborg and Västra Gymnastiksalen again. | ||
| In December it is time again for
departure for Japan, Thailand and other countries.
|
||
| 1968 | ||
| During the big tour of Sweden this year, Bo Winberg tries to make a good live recording, but later he decides to record the LP The Spotnicks By Request live in the studio instead. | ||
| The albums consists of the songs that the group has made popular during their performances. | ||
| They visit Karlsborg twice, the 26th of October and the 30th of November. | ||
| Other songs recorded this year
are Tapiola, Jupiter Special, High
Noon, Romance D'Amour and Everybody's Talking At Me.
|
||
| 1969 | ||
| The Spotnicks do many concerts in Sweden this year as well. | ||
| They perform in Karlsborg this year on the 11th of January and on the 8th of February. | ||
| Göran "Sam"
Samuelsson, who worked with the group on The Spotnicks in The Groove and played on The Spotnicks By Request, replaces Peter Winsnes on keyboard, when Peter leaves the group. The Spotnicks record Diamonds, Lumpy Gravy, Gentle On My Mind and I’m Gonna Knock On Your Door, release a couple of singles and begin to work on a new LP. A Swedish version of Gentle on my mind is kept unreleased until 1994! |
Bo Winberg lead guitar
Bob Lander rhythm guitar and vocal Göran Samuelsson keyboard and vocal Magnus Hellsberg bass Tommy Tausis drums |
|
|
Sören Alverfeldt 1998 |
||