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The Spotnicks - Johnny Guitar (1963)
Uploaded by pomesuadapted from Russian folk song, Polyushko Polye or The Cossack Patrol.Long before Abba was said to be the first Swedish band to chart in the UK these guys made it. They were a sort of 'Swedish Shadows'.In 1961, the group changed its name from The Frazers to The Spotnicks and they signed a contract with Karusell Records. The Spotnicks spent a lot of time at Casa Leon in Berlin and they also performed in France and Spain.
In 1962, The Spotnicks began to get airplay on the influential Radio Luxembourg. The Spotnicks toured England. As a gimmick they wore space-suits while on stage. In the Autumn The Spotnicks recorded 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 reached quite high spots in the English charts.
In 1963 The Spotnicks reached high positions in the charts in France, England and the USA. 'Amapola' stayed in the Swedish chart 'Tio i topp' for eight weeks and was later followed by 'Just listen to my heart' and 'Spanish Gypsy Dance'. The single 'Hava Nagila' reached a creditably high spot in the English charts and the LP got into the upper echelons of the LP chart in The New Musical Express. The Spotnicks appeared in the music movie 'Just for fun' and they also performed on several TV and radio shows. The Spotnicks also performed in the show 'Musicorama' on the famous stage of The Olympia in Paris. During the rehearsals the transmitter on Bo Winbergs guitar came through on the Paris police radio, which caused great confusion!
Over the next few years, The Spotnicks recorded several more LPs, charted in Japan, jammed with The Shadows , and even made it to Mexico! Although largely forgotten by the general public now, The Spotnicks were Sweden's first musical export, and in their day they were a major international act.
While in France, they recorded the rest of the songs for their second LP 'The Spotnicks in Paris'. 'Orange blossom special' reached number one in the Australian chart! The Spotnicks recorded their third LP 'The Spotnicks in Spain', which was released in many countries.
The Spotnicks are an instrumental rock group from Sweden, formed in 1961. They were famous for wearing "space suits" on stage, and for their innovative electronic guitar sound. They have since released 42 albums, selling over 18 million records, and still tour.
The Spotnicks originated from "Rock-Teddy and The Blue Caps", a group formed in 1957 in Gothenburg by guitarist Bo Winberg (b. March 27, 1939), with Bo Starander (b. March 11, 1942) (rhythm guitar), and Björn Thelin (b June 27, 1942) (bass). In 1958 they added Ove Johansson (drums), changed their name to "The Frazers", and began playing regularly in local clubs. They won a recording contract in 1961, and changed their name to "The Spotnicks", a name taken from the Russian satellite Sputnik and suggested by their manager. Starander was later known as Bob Lander.
They soon became the first Swedish group to have significant international success, in a similar style to The Shadows and The Ventures. They toured Europe, and one of their early records, "Orange Blossom Special", became their first big international hit, making the top 30 in the UK in 1962 and reaching # 1 in Australia. Around this time they began wearing their trademark "space suits" on stage, and recorded their first LP, The Spotnicks in London - Out-a-space, in 1962. Further hits included "Rocket Man" (no relation to the Elton John song), and "Hava Nagila" (their biggest UK hit, where it made # 13). Winberg also recorded solo, credited as "The Shy Ones".
In 1963, the single "Amapola" became one of their most successful in their home country, staying at # 1 in Sweden for eight weeks. They appeared in the movie Just For Fun, continued to tour widely, and recorded their second album, The Spotnicks in Paris. That year, drummer Ove Johansson left and was replaced by Englishman Derek Skinner. Two years later, Skinner himself was replaced briefly by Jimmy Nicol, who had previously toured with The Beatles while Ringo Starr was getting his tonsils removed.
In 1964 and 1965, The Spotnicks expanded their popularity in Germany and Japan, reaching # 1 in Japan in 1966 with "Karelia". Elsewhere, however, they became less successful as new styles of music took over. The group - having undergone many personnel changes - split up in 1969, but reformed under Winberg's control in 1972 as a result of pressure from Japanese fans.
Winberg has continued to lead versions of The Spotnicks, occasionally including Lander and/or Thelin, on tour and in recordings since then.