Five Great Beat Bands From 60s Sweden

Considering the size of Sweden, there was a surprisingly large number of strong beat groups in the 60s: Beachers, Beathovens, Beatmen, Shakers, Shakemakers, Shamrocks and many more. There were only eight million Swedes then, and half of them must have owned a guitar. Among the more notable names were Tages and Hep Stars, the group that gave us Benny Andersson from ABBA. Both of these bands had UK releases, but given the level of competition, it should come as no surprise that they went unnoticed at the time.

Let's remember the creativity of the five beat teams from this northern country.

1. Tages

In August 64th, Tages signed up for the West Coast Beatles competition, which required it to sound and look as similar as possible to The Beatles. The prize was a free recording. Tages consisted of five members, but just sent the vocalist to London for two weeks to improve his English and performed as a quartet. They won the competition with 600 votes from an audience of 1,300 viewers.

In the fall of 1964, they recorded their own single, Sleep Little Girl, which immediately became a hit.

Between 65 and 67, the band released five landmark albums for Swedish popular music.

Tages - Tages, 1964-68! 

01. Tages - Sleep Little Girl 

02. Tages - I Should Be Glad 

03. Tages - Don't Turn Your Back 

04. Tages - Forget Him 

05. Tages - The One For You 

06. Tages - Bloodhound 

07. Tages - So Many Girls 

08. Tages - I'm Mad 

09. Tages - I'll Be Doggone 

10. Tages - In My Dreams 

11. Tages - Crazy 'bout My Baby 

12. Tages - Leaving Here 

13. Tages - Guess Who 

14. Tages - Jealous Girl 

15. Tages - The Man You'll Be Looking For 

16. Tages - Miss Mcbaren 

17. Tages - Every Raindrop Means A Lot 

18. Tages - My Home Town 

19. Tages - I'm Going Out 

20. Tages - Sister's Got A Boy Friend 

21. Tages - Wanting 

22. Tages - She's Having A Baby Now 

23. Tages - Treat Her Like A Lady 

24. Tages - Have You Seen Your Brother Lately 

25. Tages - It's My Life 

26. Tages - Like A Woman 

27. Tages - Seeing With Love 

28. Tages - There's A Blind Man Playing Fiddle In The Street 

29. Tages - Fantasy Island 

30. Tages - I Read You Like An Open Book 

31. Tages - Halcyon Days 

32. Tages - I Wake Up And Call 

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2. Mascots

The boys were attending a music school when they attended a Beatles concert in Stockholm in October 1963. Inspired, they decided to play on their own, and in 1964, when they were all around 16 years old, they got a contract with the prestigious English studio Decca, where the Stones were recording. Their very first singles I Like My Bike, Baby Baby and A Sad Boy hit the national charts, followed by two bouncy albums with songs in the spirit of Zombies and Kinks.

Mascots, 1964-68!

01. Mascots - I Like My Bike 

02. Mascots - Lyckan 

03. Mascots - Baby Baby 

04. Mascots - Call Me Your Love 

05. Mascots - A Sad Boy 

06. Mascots - When I Return 

07. Mascots - Stones Fell 

08. Mascots - Goodbye 

09. Mascots - For Him 

10. Mascots - Walking With My Angel 

11. Mascots - Tip Of The Tongue 

12. Mascots - My Very Best 

13. Mascots - Words Enough To Tell You 

14. Mascots - Woman 

15. Mascots - Nobody 

16. Mascots - We Should Realize 

17. Mascots - I Don't Like You 

18. Mascots - I Want To Live 

19. Mascots - This Proud Crowd 

20. Mascots - I Close Your Eyes 

21. Mascots - The Girl That You Are 

22. Mascots - Did You Ever Think 

23. Mascots - That's You 

24. Mascots - Since You Broke My Heart 

25. Mascots - Stewball 

26. Mascots - You Could Be My Friend 

27. Mascots - Tell Me Lady 

28. Mascots - Moreen 

29. Mascots - Baby, You're So Wrong 

30. Mascots - Black And White 

31. Mascots - You're Never Gonna Find Me 

32. Mascots - A Life Like That 

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3. Shamrocks

The group met in 1962. For some reason, they did not receive much recognition in their homeland, but they were insanely popular outside its borders: Germany, France, Holland, Japan and other countries. She has many singles and two albums in her piggy bank.

The Shamrocks -  Smoke rings around the Cadillac

01. Shamrocks - We Gonna Make It 

02. Shamrocks - A Lonely Man 

03. Shamrocks - Skinny Minny 

04. Shamrocks - A Mountain Of Silver 

05. Shamrocks - Cadillac 

06. Shamrocks - Easy Rider 

07. Shamrocks - And I Need You 

08. Shamrocks - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah 

09. Shamrocks - La La La 

10. Shamrocks - Things Will Turn Out Right Tomorrow 

11. Shamrocks - Balla Balla 

12. Shamrocks - Oxford Sreet 43 

13. Shamrocks - Don't Say 

14. Shamrocks - Nobody Cares About Me 

15. Shamrocks - Days 

16. Shamrocks - Smokerings 

17. Shamrocks - See Me Coming 

18. Shamrocks - I'm On The Outside Looking In 

19. Shamrocks - Please Don't Cry For Me 

20. Shamrocks - Gipsy Lullaby At Ten Thirty 

21. Shamrocks - Misconception 

22. Shamrocks - I'm Ready For The Show 

23. Shamrocks - Cadillac (Paris Version) 

24. Shamrocks - How The Time Flies 

25. Shamrocks - Travelin' Man 

26. Shamrocks - The Smiling Kind 

27. Shamrocks - Don't You Know She's Mine 

28. Shamrocks - Daytime Nighttime 

29. Shamrocks - Rich Life 

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4. Shanes

A group from the north of the country, active in 1963-69. She has played in a variety of styles with British and American influences, including rhythm and blues, mersibit, psychedelia and instrumental pop music. They were successful in their home country (the group's 12 singles hit the top ten on the Swedish charts).

Shanes - The Shanes (Rock in Beat)

LP - Let Me Us (1964)

01. Shanes - Let Me Show You Who I Am 

02. Shanes - Say You Want Me 

03. Shanes - Cathy's Clown 

04. Shanes - Georgia's Back In Town 

05. Shanes - Just Go 

06. Shanes - My Lover Baby 

07. Shanes - Keep A Knockin' 

08. Shanes - I Got A Woman 

09. Shanes - All I Have To Do Is Dream 

10. Shanes - Come On Sally 

11. Shanes - The Shanegang 

12. Shanes - Gunfight Saloon 

LP - The Shanegang (1965)

13. Shanes - Blue Feeling 

14. Shanes - Don't Try To Make A Fool Of Me 

15. Shanes - I Won't Untie You 

16. Shanes - She's Ashamed Of Me 

17. Shanes - If You Live 

18. Shanes - Jenny Jenny 

19. Shanes - If You're Going Up To The City 

20. Shanes - When Will I Be Loved 

21. Shanes - A Young Man 

22. Shanes - Tobacco Road 

23. Shanes - People Don't Like Me 

24. Shanes - Where Can She Be 

Single A & B Sides (1963-1966)

25. Shanes - Oh, Wow 

26. Shanes - Pistoleros 

27. Shanes - Gun Rider 

28. Shanes - I Don't Want Your Love 

29. Shanes - Crazy Country Hop 

30. Shanes - Skinny Minnie 

31. Shanes - It's Allright Babe 

32. Shanes - Marshall Clayton 

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5. Fabulous Four

The group operated in 1964-68 and during this time more than once took first places in its country and in Italy. She released one album and thanks to his success, the musicians began to be called to write soundtracks for movies.

Fabulous Four - Puff The Magic Dragon (1964-68)

01. Fabulous Four - Puff The Magic Dragon 

02. Fabulous Four - Rhytm Of The Rain 

03. Fabulous Four - Island In The Sun 

04. Fabulous Four - Don't Go Out Into The Rain 

05. Fabulous Four - After All 

06. Fabulous Four - Sheila 

07. Fabulous Four - You Were On My Mind 

08. Fabulous Four - Love Minus Zero 

09. Fabulous Four - I Still Love You 

10. Fabulous Four - Rotten Rats 

11. Fabulous Four - Boom Boom 

12. Fabulous Four - This Land Is Your Land 

13. Fabulous Four - Anita, Change Your Mind 

14. Fabulous Four - Extacy 

15. Fabulous Four - Ginny Come Lately 

16. Fabulous Four - Beer Party 

17. Fabulous Four - Uffes Drimm 

18. Fabulous Four - Ain't That Just Like Me - Rockin' Robin 

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Taken from original material

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