Ebba Grön
Encyclopedia
Ebba Grön was a Swedish
punk
band formed in Stockholm
in 1977. Ebba Grön consisted of Joakim Thåström
(lead vocals, guitar), Gunnar Ljungstedt
(drums) and Lennart Eriksson (bass guitar, backing vocals). After the release of their second album in 1981, they were joined by a fourth member, Anders Sjöholm
, also known as Stry Terrarie, on keyboard. The group disbanded in 1983.
One of the most famous songs they recorded is a cover version of "Den ena handen vet vad den andra gör" by the Swedish progg
band, Blå Tåget
. Renamed "Staten och kapitalet", the song expresses an anti-capitalist
sentiment about how the government (staten) and the privately owned corporations (kapitalet) control and enslave the working classes.
, a working-class suburb of Stockholm
, in December 1977, Thåström, Gurra and Fjodor formed a band called The Haters. A few days later they changed the name to Ebba Grön after the codeword used by the police in Operation Leo
.
One of the first songs performed by Ebba Grön was the controversial Skjut en snut (Shoot a cop), which was never officially recorded. They released their first single Antirock on April 21, 1978. The band bought all the 500 copies themselves and sold them in the streets. After a concert at Långholmsparken, which was recorded by the national radio, they were contacted by Mistlur record label, and offered a contract and to re-release the single.
Ebba Grön started a hectic period of touring all over Sweden, during which they also released two more singles. In 1978, the time had come for their album debut We're Only In It For The Drugs
, with songs about the tough, yet boring lives of young people in the working-class suburbs. The anarchist
lyrics were seen as very controversial at the time, and the lyrics of one song, Beväpna er, (Take up arms) about taking up arms against the government, the bourgeoisie
and the Swedish royal family, could not be printed on the cover. The band also started to get a reputation of having troublesome gigs, with vandalism and fights. At one gig when the band was attacked by Neo-Nazis, Fjodor used his bass to fight them off.
Ebba Grön also covered "White Riot
" by The Clash
and "Born to Be Wild
" by Steppenwolf
(which also was recorded in studio) at some of their gigs.
In 1980, Ebba Grön released a single that would become their most famous song, a cover of Blå Tåget
's Den ena handen vet vad den andra gör, re-named Staten och kapitalet, with very anti-capitalist
political lyrics. Their second album Kärlek & Uppror
(Love and Rebellion) was released next year, with the focus of the music shifting slightly away from punk. The catchy melodies and Ebba Grön's image as young rebels appealed to both the punk crowd and a wider audience, and the album was a big success.
Later that same year the keyboard player Stry was recruited and brought with him new influences. The single Scheisse was released in 1981 parallel with this: Thåström, Gurra, and Stry released a single with the new project Rymdimperiet (The Space Empire), which would later become Imperiet
(The Empire).
During the recording of their second album and the tour that followed, the band was followed by film maker Johan Donner who was making a documentary about the band. The film, Ebba the Movie
was released for the big screen in 1982.
Their third album, simply named Ebba Grön
, was released in 1982, and the new tendencies and influence by Stry were even more obvious. The band later said they attempted to make a "Rolling Stones-Album", and at the same time, a cover of the Stones’ Happy was recorded but not included on the album. The album had keyboards and horns, and was more melodic than its predecessors. This was a step away from punk.
When Fjodor ended up in jail for four months for refusing to do his military service; it was the beginning of the end for Ebba Grön. But without Fjodor, the band lived on as Rymdimperiet and released their first album in 1983, now under the name Imperiet
. Musically this album continued the development away from punk rock, but Rasera (Destroy), the first Imperiet album is sometimes considered being the last Ebba Grön album. Imperiet got a good start and would be the leading band of the Swedish rock scene throughout the '80s.
In 2003, short after the death of The Clash member Joe Strummer
, Mick Jones
(guitarist of The Clash) travelled to Sweden to join with Ebba Grön to play a tribute for the recently deceased musician.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band formed in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1977. Ebba Grön consisted of Joakim Thåström
Joakim Thåström
Sven Joachim Eriksson Thåström , as an artist known as Thåström, is one of Sweden's best known rock musicians, he is mostly known for the bands Ebba Grön and Imperiet...
(lead vocals, guitar), Gunnar Ljungstedt
Gunnar Ljungstedt
Gunnar Ljungstedt, was the drummer in the Swedish punk rock band Ebba Grön and later in Imperiet. He was approx. 5 years older than the other members of the band, and a friend of Thåström’s big brother.- References :...
(drums) and Lennart Eriksson (bass guitar, backing vocals). After the release of their second album in 1981, they were joined by a fourth member, Anders Sjöholm
Anders Sjöholm
Anders Sjöholm , with the stage nameStry Terrarie, Stry Kanarie or simply Stry,is a Swedish musician from Skåne. He has been a member of many bands , usually as the lead singer.Stry was born in Ängelholm and grew up in southern Sweden...
, also known as Stry Terrarie, on keyboard. The group disbanded in 1983.
One of the most famous songs they recorded is a cover version of "Den ena handen vet vad den andra gör" by the Swedish progg
Progg
Progg, a contraction of the Swedish word for "progressive music" was a left-wing and anti-commercial musical movement in Sweden that had its roots in the late 1960s, and its golden age in the 1970s. It should not be confused with the English expression progressive music or progressive rock. Progg...
band, Blå Tåget
Blå Tåget
Blå Tåget is a Swedish progg-band, that used to go under the name Gunder Hägg, the name of a legendary Swedish runner, but after name conflicts occurred they changed name to Blå Tåget in 1972.Their lyrics cover a wide range, frommarxist analysis and...
. Renamed "Staten och kapitalet", the song expresses an anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
sentiment about how the government (staten) and the privately owned corporations (kapitalet) control and enslave the working classes.
History
During a party in RågsvedRågsved
Rågsved is a working-class suburb in the south of Stockholm, Sweden. It was built in the 1950–1970s and has had big problems with unemployment, criminality and drug abuse...
, a working-class suburb of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, in December 1977, Thåström, Gurra and Fjodor formed a band called The Haters. A few days later they changed the name to Ebba Grön after the codeword used by the police in Operation Leo
Operation Leo
Operation Leo was a plan to kidnap the Swedish Minister for Immigration Anna-Greta Leijon in 1976. The plan was devised by the second generation of the German Red Army Faction...
.
One of the first songs performed by Ebba Grön was the controversial Skjut en snut (Shoot a cop), which was never officially recorded. They released their first single Antirock on April 21, 1978. The band bought all the 500 copies themselves and sold them in the streets. After a concert at Långholmsparken, which was recorded by the national radio, they were contacted by Mistlur record label, and offered a contract and to re-release the single.
Ebba Grön started a hectic period of touring all over Sweden, during which they also released two more singles. In 1978, the time had come for their album debut We're Only In It For The Drugs
We're Only In It For The Drugs
We're Only In It For The Drugs is the title of the Swedish punk band Ebba Grön's debut album, first released in 1979.The title is a play on the 1968 Frank Zappa album We're Only in It for the Money.-Track listing:#We’re Only In It for the Drugs No...
, with songs about the tough, yet boring lives of young people in the working-class suburbs. The anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
lyrics were seen as very controversial at the time, and the lyrics of one song, Beväpna er, (Take up arms) about taking up arms against the government, the bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
and the Swedish royal family, could not be printed on the cover. The band also started to get a reputation of having troublesome gigs, with vandalism and fights. At one gig when the band was attacked by Neo-Nazis, Fjodor used his bass to fight them off.
Ebba Grön also covered "White Riot
White Riot
"White Riot" is a song by English punk rock band The Clash, released as the band's first single in 1977 and also featured on their debut album. There are two versions: the single version , and a different version on the UK album...
" by The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and "Born to Be Wild
Born to Be Wild
"Born to Be Wild" is a rock song written by Mars Bonfire and made famous by the Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf. It is often used in popular culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude...
" by Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
(which also was recorded in studio) at some of their gigs.
In 1980, Ebba Grön released a single that would become their most famous song, a cover of Blå Tåget
Blå Tåget
Blå Tåget is a Swedish progg-band, that used to go under the name Gunder Hägg, the name of a legendary Swedish runner, but after name conflicts occurred they changed name to Blå Tåget in 1972.Their lyrics cover a wide range, frommarxist analysis and...
's Den ena handen vet vad den andra gör, re-named Staten och kapitalet, with very anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
political lyrics. Their second album Kärlek & Uppror
Kärlek & Uppror
Kärlek & uppror is the second album by Swedish punk band Ebba Grön, first released in 1981. Aftonbladet rewarded this album with Rockbjörnen 1980.-Track listing:All song written by Ebba Grön except where noted# 800°C...
(Love and Rebellion) was released next year, with the focus of the music shifting slightly away from punk. The catchy melodies and Ebba Grön's image as young rebels appealed to both the punk crowd and a wider audience, and the album was a big success.
Later that same year the keyboard player Stry was recruited and brought with him new influences. The single Scheisse was released in 1981 parallel with this: Thåström, Gurra, and Stry released a single with the new project Rymdimperiet (The Space Empire), which would later become Imperiet
Imperiet
' were a Swedish 1980s rock band from Stockholm, that existed from 1983 to 1988. They were arguably the most influential band in Sweden of the period, but definitely dominated the new wave scene, which at the time was seen as the same as the punk rock scene....
(The Empire).
During the recording of their second album and the tour that followed, the band was followed by film maker Johan Donner who was making a documentary about the band. The film, Ebba the Movie
Ebba the Movie
Ebba The Movie is a documentary film of Swedish punk band Ebba Grön from 1982, by director and writer Johan Donner.The film includes a lot of live music and interviews with the band’s members...
was released for the big screen in 1982.
Their third album, simply named Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön (album)
Ebba Grön is the title of the Swedish punkband Ebba Grön's third and last album, first released 1982. The album includes the popular song Die Mauer, which is about two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall.-Track listing:All song written by Ebba Grön...
, was released in 1982, and the new tendencies and influence by Stry were even more obvious. The band later said they attempted to make a "Rolling Stones-Album", and at the same time, a cover of the Stones’ Happy was recorded but not included on the album. The album had keyboards and horns, and was more melodic than its predecessors. This was a step away from punk.
When Fjodor ended up in jail for four months for refusing to do his military service; it was the beginning of the end for Ebba Grön. But without Fjodor, the band lived on as Rymdimperiet and released their first album in 1983, now under the name Imperiet
Imperiet
' were a Swedish 1980s rock band from Stockholm, that existed from 1983 to 1988. They were arguably the most influential band in Sweden of the period, but definitely dominated the new wave scene, which at the time was seen as the same as the punk rock scene....
. Musically this album continued the development away from punk rock, but Rasera (Destroy), the first Imperiet album is sometimes considered being the last Ebba Grön album. Imperiet got a good start and would be the leading band of the Swedish rock scene throughout the '80s.
In 2003, short after the death of The Clash member Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
, Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
(guitarist of The Clash) travelled to Sweden to join with Ebba Grön to play a tribute for the recently deceased musician.
LPs
- We're Only in It for the DrugsWe're Only In It For The DrugsWe're Only In It For The Drugs is the title of the Swedish punk band Ebba Grön's debut album, first released in 1979.The title is a play on the 1968 Frank Zappa album We're Only in It for the Money.-Track listing:#We’re Only In It for the Drugs No...
(1979) #21 (SWE) - Kärlek & upprorKärlek & UpprorKärlek & uppror is the second album by Swedish punk band Ebba Grön, first released in 1981. Aftonbladet rewarded this album with Rockbjörnen 1980.-Track listing:All song written by Ebba Grön except where noted# 800°C...
(1981) #5 (SWE) - Ebba GrönEbba Grön (album)Ebba Grön is the title of the Swedish punkband Ebba Grön's third and last album, first released 1982. The album includes the popular song Die Mauer, which is about two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall.-Track listing:All song written by Ebba Grön...
(1982) #1 (SWE)
EPs/singles
- Antirock (Profit/Ung & Sänkt) (1978)
- Prorock (Tyst För Fan/Mona Tumbas Slim Club) (1978)
- Total-Pop (Vad Ska Du Bli?/Häng Gud) (1979) #18 (SWE)
- Ung & Kåt/Staten & Kapitalet (1980) #11 (SWE)
- Scheisse/Tyna bort (1981) #3 (SWE)
Compilations
- Samlade singlar (1983) #17 (SWE)
- Ebba Grön 1978-1982Ebba Grön 1978-1982Ebba Grön 1978-1982 is the title of the Swedish punk band Ebba Grön's compilation of their biggest hits, released as a farewell album for their fans, and is one of the all-time best selling records in Sweden...
(1993) #17 (SWE) - Ebba Grön Live (1998) #4 (SWE)
- BoxenBoxen (Ebba Grön)Boxen is a box set that was released on 1998 by the punk band Ebba Grön. It contains four CDs and booklet with the story of the band. The first three discs are extended versions of their three studio albums, We're Only In It For The Drugs, Kärlek & Uppror, and Ebba Grön...
(1998) - 4 CDs with the complete works - Ebba Grön samlingen (2005) - Double CD #14 (SWE)
External links
- Thåström official internet page
- notfound.se - Pictures of Ebba Grön from 1979/1980
- bildrulle.nu - Pictures of Dag Vag and Ebba Grön from October 20, 1980
- bildrulle.nu - Pictures of Ebba Grön and Raketerna from March, 1981