Tappi Tíkarrass
Encyclopedia
Tappi Tíkarrass was a famous Iceland
ic punk
/pop
band which added elements of funk, disco and jazz to their music, marking a difference from other traditional bands at that time. The band is also considered the first serious music project of now renowned singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir
.
, and drummer Oddur F. Sigurbjarnason. In 1980 she left the band with Oddur and joined bassist Jakob Smári Magnússon and guitarist Eyjólfur Jóhannsson to form a band called Jam-80 because they were meant to play for just one gig, although they continued playing for a while.
They performed a mixture of pop and punk music and never released any official record, but recorded a cassette demo during a gig at Hólabrekkuskóli which contained the following tracks: two songs by Janis Ian
: “Run too Fast, Fly too High” and “The Other Side of the Sun”; two songs by Deep Purple
: “Highball Shooter” and “Demon’s Eyes”; other tracks were “13-16” by Utangarðsmenn, “Boureé” by Jethro Tull
, “Funky Town”, and two instrumental songs (untitled).
This band came to an end when decided to create a punk band with more serious music. That is how Tappi Tíkarrass came into being by September 1981 with vocalist Eyþór Arnalds, who was replaced a few months later by Björk and a year later, Oddur was replaced in drums by Guðmundur Þór Gunnarsson.
The name Tappi Tíkarrass, which in Icelandic means “Cork the Bitch’s Ass” was given after Jakob’s father claimed that the band’s music “fitted like a cork in a bitch’s ass”.
Tappi Tíkarrass combined elements of punk and pop music to create an exotic post punk with references to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the first stage of The Cure
.
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They started to record in August 1982 and released an EP
titled Bítið Fast í Vítið
which went out through label Spor. This 12” vinyl was formed of 5 tracks performed by Björk, who replaced the original vocals by Eyþór. The only song in English was “London”.
They followed up in 1983 with the release of their first album titled Miranda, which was released by Gramm
. This record consisted of 13 tracks and even though Tappi Tíkarrass was the less experimenting project of singer Björk, this album outstands with songs like “Kríó” which feature pop melodies, and “Tjet”, a song that renders a mellow start and ends with disco references.
, a TV documentary directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
. Tappi Tíkarrass was one of the 19 bands featured in the film and collaborated with two songs: “Hrollur” and “Dúkkulísur”, both of them sung by Björk and Eyþór with Oddur replacing Guðmundur in drums.
In 1983 they appeared on Nýtt Líf
, a comedy directed by Þráinn Bertelsson
. The film was shot in the Westman Islands and Tappi Tíkarrass played on stage two songs “Sperglar” and “Kukl” (better known as “Seiður”), under the supervision of Megas
.
Despite the rising interest in this band as Björk developed into an international music artist, the discography of Tappi Tíkarrass has never been reissued and all the original releases are widely unavailable.
The band has appeared only in two Icelandic compilations, Satt 3 which was released in 1984 and featured two live B-sides: “Sperglar” and “Seiður”. Finally, by 1998 record label Spor released Nælur, another compilation which contained the songs “Iltí Ební” and “London”, both of them taken from Bítið Fast í Vítið.
’s singer Einar Örn Benediktsson
, Þeyr
’s guitarist Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson
and drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson
, with Medúsa
’s keyboardist Einar Arnaldur Melax, and finally Birgir Mogensen bassist from Spilafífl. Together they formed a goth
-oriented and more experimental band called KUKL.
Jakob Magnússon and Guðmundur joined Bubbi Morthens
to play in Das Kapital until 1985, then Jakob followed up with Bubbi & MX-21, and worked as a session player for several artists. In 2003 he released his first solo album, Bassajól. After playing in Das Kapital, Guðmundur withdrew from the music scene.
After leaving the band, Eyþór Arnalds studied cello and continued with the band Todmobile and later joined singer Móa Julíusdóttir to form a band called Bong which achieved relative success in Iceland and England. He has released a few solo albums and then collaborated with Móa’s debut album Universal in 1998 and has worked in the Icelandic music industry as sound engineer. More recently, he got involved in politics, getting elected as mayor in the town of Árborg
.
Eyjólfur Jóhannsson continued playing with bands like Dá, The Wunderfoolzs, and in 2002 joined S.S.Sól. Oddur joined a heavy metal
band called Foringjarnir, and he became an electrician. More recently he followed up with another band called Santiago
releasing an album in 2002.
The last performance of Tappi Tíkarrass took place in 1987 when the band reunited to play at a night club called Safari.
Album:
Featuring:
Films:
Note: This article features Icelandic characters. For more information see Icelandic language
.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic 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...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band which added elements of funk, disco and jazz to their music, marking a difference from other traditional bands at that time. The band is also considered the first serious music project of now renowned singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
.
Origins
In 1979 Björk was singing in a band called Exodus with guitarists Ásgeir Sæmundsson and Þorvaldur Bjarni Þorvaldsson, bassist Skúli SverrissonSkúli Sverrisson
Skúli Sverrisson is an Icelandic composer and bassist residing in New York City.Over the past two decades, bass guitarist-composer Skuli Sverrisson has worked with a veritable who’s who of the experimental world, from free jazz legends to music icons Skúli Sverrisson (born 23 October 1966) is an...
, and drummer Oddur F. Sigurbjarnason. In 1980 she left the band with Oddur and joined bassist Jakob Smári Magnússon and guitarist Eyjólfur Jóhannsson to form a band called Jam-80 because they were meant to play for just one gig, although they continued playing for a while.
They performed a mixture of pop and punk music and never released any official record, but recorded a cassette demo during a gig at Hólabrekkuskóli which contained the following tracks: two songs by Janis Ian
Janis Ian
Janis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
: “Run too Fast, Fly too High” and “The Other Side of the Sun”; two songs by Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
: “Highball Shooter” and “Demon’s Eyes”; other tracks were “13-16” by Utangarðsmenn, “Boureé” by Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, “Funky Town”, and two instrumental songs (untitled).
This band came to an end when decided to create a punk band with more serious music. That is how Tappi Tíkarrass came into being by September 1981 with vocalist Eyþór Arnalds, who was replaced a few months later by Björk and a year later, Oddur was replaced in drums by Guðmundur Þór Gunnarsson.
The name Tappi Tíkarrass, which in Icelandic means “Cork the Bitch’s Ass” was given after Jakob’s father claimed that the band’s music “fitted like a cork in a bitch’s ass”.
Tappi Tíkarrass combined elements of punk and pop music to create an exotic post punk with references to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the first stage of The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
.
Releases: Bítið Fast í Vítið and Miranda
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled Bítið Fast í Vítið
Bítið Fast í Vítið
Bítið Fast í Vítið, which in Icelandic could be translated as ,"Biting hard into the know" or"Biting hard into knowledge", was an EP released in 1982 by Tappi Tíkarrass, an Icelandic punk/pop group led by vocalists Björk and Eyþór Arnalds....
which went out through label Spor. This 12” vinyl was formed of 5 tracks performed by Björk, who replaced the original vocals by Eyþór. The only song in English was “London”.
They followed up in 1983 with the release of their first album titled Miranda, which was released by Gramm
Gramm
Gramm was an Icelandic record label created by Ásmundur Jónsson and Einar Örn Benediktsson in 1981.Located in Reykjavík, Gramm’s first release was a 10-track 7" vinyl titled Tilf by Purrkur Pillnikk, a punk group led by Einar Örn....
. This record consisted of 13 tracks and even though Tappi Tíkarrass was the less experimenting project of singer Björk, this album outstands with songs like “Kríó” which feature pop melodies, and “Tjet”, a song that renders a mellow start and ends with disco references.
Featuring and appearances on film
Tappi Tíkarrass appeared on Rokk í ReykjavíkRokk í Reykjavík
Rokk í Reykjavík was a documentary directed by Icelandic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during the Icelandic winter of 1981-1982 and released for the local television the same year....
, a TV documentary directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
. Tappi Tíkarrass was one of the 19 bands featured in the film and collaborated with two songs: “Hrollur” and “Dúkkulísur”, both of them sung by Björk and Eyþór with Oddur replacing Guðmundur in drums.
In 1983 they appeared on Nýtt Líf
Nýtt Líf
Nýtt Líf is a film directed by Þráinn Bertelsson and released in 1983. The film is a comedy shot in the Westman Islands and stars Eggert Þorleifsson and Karl Ágúst Úlfsson, among others. The music features several musicians including the band Tappi Tíkarrass , which contributed the songs...
, a comedy directed by Þráinn Bertelsson
Þráinn Bertelsson
Þráinn Bertelsson is an Icelandic film director, writer, politician, journalist and newspaper editor. He moved into politics in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008, and was elected a member of the Althing in 2009, initially for the Citizens' Movement...
. The film was shot in the Westman Islands and Tappi Tíkarrass played on stage two songs “Sperglar” and “Kukl” (better known as “Seiður”), under the supervision of Megas
Megas
Megas , is a rock and roll singer, songwriter and writer who is well-known in his native country of Iceland.-Interest in music:...
.
Despite the rising interest in this band as Björk developed into an international music artist, the discography of Tappi Tíkarrass has never been reissued and all the original releases are widely unavailable.
The band has appeared only in two Icelandic compilations, Satt 3 which was released in 1984 and featured two live B-sides: “Sperglar” and “Seiður”. Finally, by 1998 record label Spor released Nælur, another compilation which contained the songs “Iltí Ební” and “London”, both of them taken from Bítið Fast í Vítið.
Tappi Tíkarrass split up and the fate of its members
By July 1983 the band split up when Björk joined Purrkur PillnikkPurrkur Pillnikk
Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs...
’s singer Einar Örn Benediktsson
Einar Örn Benediktsson
Einar Örn Benediktsson is a popular music singer and trumpet player who has worked with Björk and The Sugarcubes. Since the 2010 elections he is a member of the city council of Reykjavík....
, Þeyr
Þeyr
Þeyr was a renowned Icelandic New Wave band from the early 1980s. Shrouded under a veil of mystery, their three-year existence was characterized by a deep interest in ancient wisdom...
’s guitarist Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson
Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson
Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson , guitar player and engineer. He is a mathematician, an inventor, a practising polytechnic engineer, lecturer and the author of several scientific papers....
and drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson
Sigtryggur Baldursson
Sigtryggur Baldursson is an Icelandic drummer and singer.Sigtryggur was born in Norway to Icelandic parents. He was a founding member of the Sugarcubes and has been a longtime fixture on the Icelandic punk and alternative music scene. Other bands he has played in have included Þeyr, KUKL,...
, with Medúsa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
’s keyboardist Einar Arnaldur Melax, and finally Birgir Mogensen bassist from Spilafífl. Together they formed a goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
-oriented and more experimental band called KUKL.
Jakob Magnússon and Guðmundur joined Bubbi Morthens
Bubbi Morthens
Bubbi Morthens , is a singer and songwriter from Iceland. His name of birth is Ásbjörn Kristinsson Morthens, Bubbi being the affectionate form of Ásbjörn.- History :...
to play in Das Kapital until 1985, then Jakob followed up with Bubbi & MX-21, and worked as a session player for several artists. In 2003 he released his first solo album, Bassajól. After playing in Das Kapital, Guðmundur withdrew from the music scene.
After leaving the band, Eyþór Arnalds studied cello and continued with the band Todmobile and later joined singer Móa Julíusdóttir to form a band called Bong which achieved relative success in Iceland and England. He has released a few solo albums and then collaborated with Móa’s debut album Universal in 1998 and has worked in the Icelandic music industry as sound engineer. More recently, he got involved in politics, getting elected as mayor in the town of Árborg
Árborg
Árborg is the biggest municipality in southern Iceland.It was formed in 1998. The population of Árborg was 7,827 . The biggest town in the municipality is Selfoss, with a population of 6,512...
.
Eyjólfur Jóhannsson continued playing with bands like Dá, The Wunderfoolzs, and in 2002 joined S.S.Sól. Oddur joined a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band called Foringjarnir, and he became an electrician. More recently he followed up with another band called Santiago
Santiago (band)
Santiago is an indie/punk band from Santa Rosa, California that formed in 2002 and has released three full-length albums. Though generally more sophisticated musically, the band claims a staunch punk rock aesthetic to their approach.- Biography :...
releasing an album in 2002.
The last performance of Tappi Tíkarrass took place in 1987 when the band reunited to play at a night club called Safari.
Performances
Tappi Tíkarrass had several gigs throughout Iceland. Here there are listed some of the known performances.| Date | Place - Tour/Concert | Other bands |
|---|---|---|
| ??? | ??? | ??? |
| ???, 1982 | Ársel Community Centre | - |
| July 2, 1982 | Félagsstofnun Stúdenta | Vonbrigði, Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... and Sjálfsfróun. |
| July 22, 1982 | Hótel Borg | Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... and Sjálfsfróun. |
| ??? | ??? | ??? |
| ???, 1987 | Safari | - |
Discography
EP:- 1982 - Bítið Fast í VítiðBítið Fast í VítiðBítið Fast í Vítið, which in Icelandic could be translated as ,"Biting hard into the know" or"Biting hard into knowledge", was an EP released in 1982 by Tappi Tíkarrass, an Icelandic punk/pop group led by vocalists Björk and Eyþór Arnalds....
(Spor)
Album:
- 1983 - MirandaMiranda (Tappi Tíkarrass)Miranda was an album released in December 1983 by Icelandic band Tappi Tíkarrass, which was led by singer Björk.With Miranda the band switched their music style to disco music, pop melodies and mellow songs counteracting their previous punkish EP, Bítið Fast í Vítið in 1982...
(Gramm)
Featuring:
- 1982 - Rokk í ReykjavíkRokk í Reykjavík (soundtrack)Rokk í Reykjavík was the soundtrack to the Icelandic TV documentary directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during 1981-82 winter and released in 1982....
(Hugrenningur), soundtrack to the documentary directed by Friðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
. - 1984 - Satt 3 (Satt), Icelandic compilation.
- 1998 - Nælur (Spor), Icelandic compilation.
Films:
- 1982 - Rokk í ReykjavíkRokk í ReykjavíkRokk í Reykjavík was a documentary directed by Icelandic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during the Icelandic winter of 1981-1982 and released for the local television the same year....
(Íslenska kvikmyndasamsteypan), documentary directed by F. Þ. Friðriksson. - 1983 - Nýtt LífNýtt LífNýtt Líf is a film directed by Þráinn Bertelsson and released in 1983. The film is a comedy shot in the Westman Islands and stars Eggert Þorleifsson and Karl Ágúst Úlfsson, among others. The music features several musicians including the band Tappi Tíkarrass , which contributed the songs...
(Nýtt Líf ehf.), film directed by Þráinn BertelssonÞráinn BertelssonÞráinn Bertelsson is an Icelandic film director, writer, politician, journalist and newspaper editor. He moved into politics in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008, and was elected a member of the Althing in 2009, initially for the Citizens' Movement...
. - 2003 - Inside BjörkInside BjörkInside Björk is an official DVD released by Björk on August 23, 2003. The DVD contains a 2002 documentary outlining the career of Björk, from her early work in Icelandic bands, to joining The Sugarcubes to her solo work up to 2002. The documentary gives viewers a personal view into her private...
(One Little Indian), a retrospective documentary of singer Björk.
Related bibliography
- Rokksaga Íslands, by Gestur Guðmundsson. Forlagið (1990).
- Björk, Colección Imágenes de Rock, N°82, by Jordi Bianciotto. Editorial La Máscara (1997).
- Alternative Rock : Third Ear - The Essential Listening Companion, by Dave Thimpson. Backbeat Books (2000).
- Lobster or Fame, by Ólafur Jóhann Engilbertsson. Bad Taste (2000).
External links
Note: This article features Icelandic characters. For more information see Icelandic language
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
.