Description
FLYING NORWEGIANS – HERE'S TO YOU 1974-1996 – 6CD
Country rock band from Bergen, formed in January 1974. The band was the first full-fledged country rock band in Norway. It ended its career in the early 80s playing new wave in Norwegian, but when the band reunited in the 90s, country rock was back on the menu. Guitarist Rune Walle and drummer Gunnar Bergstrøm had both played with Hole In The Wall. They had just served with Saft when they teamed up with Cato Sanden (vocals, guitar), Johannes Torkelsen (bass) and Jarle Zimmerman (vocals, keyboards) to create Norway's answer to American groups like the Eagles, Poco and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
The quintet moved to Denmark, where they lived in a collective in the countryside and created songs for their first LP, recorded in Oslo with Hallvard Kvåle as producer. The album New Day (1974) attracted attention both for its strong music – especially the title track, with its dramatic ending sequence – and its cover, which showed an airship soaring above a dense cloud cover. The sequel Wounded Bird (1976) was even better. Nils Bjarne Kvam produced what many consider to be one of the best Norwegian rock albums of the 70s. At least it was strong enough that the company A&M Records considered releasing it in the US for a long time. The reason this never happened may have been that the album did not receive the Spellemannprisen. It was not even nominated, because no one had remembered to submit it for consideration. Even now, many years later, the album stands as a pillar, thanks to a bunch of good songs – including “Crazy Eyes Go Blind”, “Evening Prayer” and the title track – and outstanding guitar playing from Rune Walle. He was in a class of his own in the 70s, something the Americans also noticed.
The original Flying Norwegians disbanded when Walle joined the American band Ozark Mountain Daredevils in June 1976. A final concert on January 10, 1977 (with Jan Ove Hommel on bass) was released on record the same year; Flying Norwegians Live . The band had already made a name for themselves as studio musicians for Teddy Nelson under the name Flyvende Nordmenn, including on "Diggy Liggy", and they continued to do so even without Walle. Among the many artists they worked for were Johannes Kleppevik and Lentil Hansen. In 1978 Sanden, Zimmerman and Bergstrøm formed a new line-up, now with Ronald Jensen (bass), Egil Skjelnes (steel guitar) and Jan Ove Hommel (guitar, accordion). Walle was the producer for this line-up's only LP, This Time Around . A reorganization of the band took place in 1981 when Zimmerman and Bergstrøm brought in Bjørn Tore "Bucky" Aasheim (guitar) and Atle Mjørlaug (bass). The new quartet steered the music away from country rock and towards aggressive rock, clearly inspired by new wave, and the lyrics were now in Norwegian. The LP You are standing in the way. can be considered in retrospect to be as much Zimmerman's first solo project as the last album from Flying Norwegians. The group disbanded not long afterwards.
The box is released as a collaboration between C+C Records and Apollon Records.
The 6CD box set contains the albums:
1 New Day (Sonnet, 1974)
2 Wounded Bird (Sonnet, 1976)
3 Live (Sonet, 1977) – first time on CD
4 This Time Around (Sonet, 1979) - first time on CD
5 You're in the Way! (Sonet, 1981) - first time on CD
6 Still Riding (Norwegian Gram, 1996)