Tommy Seebach
Encyclopedia
Tommy Seebach born Tommy Seebach Mortensen in Copenhagen
, Denmark
, was a popular Danish singer, composer, organist, pianist and producer. He is best known as front man of Sir Henry and his Butlers
and for numerous contributions to the Danish version of the Eurovision Song contest
, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, which he won three times. He was the father of songwriter/producer Nicolai Seebach
and successful singer/songwriter/producer Rasmus Seebach
.
He gained mainstream popularity in Denmark in 1965, when he became a member of the band Sir Henry And His Butlers, writing many of their most popular hits. He also worked as a recording engineer at the Rosenberg Studio in Copenhagen
and amongst other projects recorded the legendary Icecross album there in 1973.
, where he was involved in projects for artists such as Lecia & Lucienne. It was at this time that he recorded and performed Apache
, which has been featured by 'Sports Guy' Bill Simmons in his column on ESPN's website and has almost 2,000,000 views on YouTube
.
, has ever won the competition three times.
In 1979, his song "Disco Tango", coauthored with Keld Heick, and performed by Seebach, came in as no 1. Finishing 6th at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979
, it became a major hit both in Denmark and other European countries.
In 1980, his song "Bye-Bye", performed by the duo Lecia & Lucienne, came in 7th.
In 1981, he won the competition once again, in a duet with Debbie Cameron
. The song "Krøller eller ej", was also coauthored with Keld Heick. Translated as "Straight or Curly Hair", it finished 11th at Eurovision Song Contest 1981
. Cameron has later alleged that Denmark and Israel had been among countries whose sound checks had been sabotaged in order to bring England's Buck Fizz to the victory.
In 1982, his song "Hip hurra det’ min fødselsdag" (translated, "Hip hip hurray, this is my birthday"), performed by himself, came in second.
In 1984, "Pyjamas for to" (translated, "Pyjamas for two") came in fourth.
In 1985, "Det’ det jeg altid har sagt" (translated, "I always said this") came in second.
In 1987, "Det’ gratis" came in fourth.
In 1993, Seebach won the competition again, performing the song "Under stjernerne på himlen", (translated, "Under the stars of [sic!] heaven") written together with Keld Heick. He had submitted the song several times before, but had been turned down. At the time, the public interest in the Song Contest, deemed cheesy by the cultural élite, was fading, and as an icon of the contest, Seebach's popularity had been on the wane for some time. It has been alleged that Danmarks Radio
had originally turned the song down out of fear that Seebach, who had developed a severe addiction to alcohol, would cause a scandal at the performance. When the song came in as a secure no. 1, his popularity soared for a while, but only to drop dramatically, when the song finished 22nd out of 25 songs at Eurovision Song Contest 1993
, receiving only 9 points. The poor result meant that Denmark did not qualify for the ESC 1994, and Seebach was widely criticized, after experiencing a brief rise in popularity, and never competed again.
He had a big hit in 1989 with the duet "Du skælder mig hele tiden ud" (translated, "You're Always Yelling at Me"), sung with Annette Heick, Keld Heick's daughter. They followed up this success with two more singles and a Christmas album.
, Rasmus Seebach
and Marie. The marriage broke down when Seebach developed a serious addiction to alcohol. His son Rasmus after becoming a pop singer, wrote a song about him called "Den jeg er" (Who I am), stating what a major influence his father had in his life in spite of his addiction.
He died at the age of 53 at the amusement park Bakken
, where he had been head of musical entertainment for several years. Although he had managed to overcome his alcoholism at the time, the cause of his death, a heart attack, was ascribed to his previous addiction.
"Tommy" received four stars out of six by Politiken
, Berlingske Tidende
and Ekstra Bladet
; B.T. awarded it six stars out of six. Dagbladet Information
described it as "... a story of an artist who became a victim of the musical genre which he himself had helped innovate, and who, in stead of gaining the broad recognition he had longed for his entire life, ended up with a status somewhere in between national heritage and kitsch clown..." Politiken called the film "worthy, worth seeing and moving", Ekstra Bladet "a moving portrait of a man caught between the music, his family and the bottle".
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, was a popular Danish singer, composer, organist, pianist and producer. He is best known as front man of Sir Henry and his Butlers
Sir Henry and his Butlers
Sir Henry and his Butlers was a Danish rock/popgroup which was formed during the summer of 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The group is mostly known for its two front figures Ole "Sir Henry" Bredahl and especially Tommy Seebach and also the song Let's Go...
and for numerous contributions to the Danish version of the Eurovision Song contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, which he won three times. He was the father of songwriter/producer Nicolai Seebach
Nicolai Seebach
Nicolai Seebach is a Danish songwriter and music producer.-Career:He is the son of Tommy Seebach, a popular Danish singer, composer, organist, pianist and producer who died of a heart attack as 53-year-old...
and successful singer/songwriter/producer Rasmus Seebach
Rasmus Seebach
Rasmus Seebach is a Danish singer-songwriter and record producer who had his debut with the Danish language single "Engel" in April 2009....
.
Musical beginnings
Seebach began his musical career as an organist in his own group "The Colours" at age 14. In the following years he played in many pop and beat groups. He played the piano with various orchestras and groups, sometimes going under the name of "Boogie-Woogie-Tommy".He gained mainstream popularity in Denmark in 1965, when he became a member of the band Sir Henry And His Butlers, writing many of their most popular hits. He also worked as a recording engineer at the Rosenberg Studio in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and amongst other projects recorded the legendary Icecross album there in 1973.
Solo career
In 1976 he emerged as a successful solo artist. His hit album "Tommygun" was released in 1977. At the same time he was in high demand as a producer at his record company EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, where he was involved in projects for artists such as Lecia & Lucienne. It was at this time that he recorded and performed Apache
Apache (instrumental)
"Apache" is an instrumental written by Jerry Lordan. It has been recorded by many people, but the first released version was recorded by British group The Shadows in June 1960 and released the following month. The song topped the UK singles chart for five weeks...
, which has been featured by 'Sports Guy' Bill Simmons in his column on ESPN's website and has almost 2,000,000 views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Eurovision Song Contest
Seebach competed seven times in the Danish Eurovision Song Contest (in Danish: "Melodi Grandprix"). Only one other act, the Hot EyesHot Eyes
Hot Eyes was the name adopted for international acts by the Danish singing duo known in their home country as Kirsten and Søren. It was formed by Kirsten Siggard and Søren Bundgaard ....
, has ever won the competition three times.
In 1979, his song "Disco Tango", coauthored with Keld Heick, and performed by Seebach, came in as no 1. Finishing 6th at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979
Eurovision Song Contest 1979
The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...
, it became a major hit both in Denmark and other European countries.
In 1980, his song "Bye-Bye", performed by the duo Lecia & Lucienne, came in 7th.
In 1981, he won the competition once again, in a duet with Debbie Cameron
Debbie Cameron
Deborah Cameron is an American singer of Bahamian ethnicity who has had a career in music in Denmark....
. The song "Krøller eller ej", was also coauthored with Keld Heick. Translated as "Straight or Curly Hair", it finished 11th at Eurovision Song Contest 1981
Eurovision Song Contest 1981
The Eurovision Song Contest 1981 was the 26th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 April 1981 at the Simmonscourt Pavilion of the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin. The presenter was Doireann Ní Bhriain...
. Cameron has later alleged that Denmark and Israel had been among countries whose sound checks had been sabotaged in order to bring England's Buck Fizz to the victory.
In 1982, his song "Hip hurra det’ min fødselsdag" (translated, "Hip hip hurray, this is my birthday"), performed by himself, came in second.
In 1984, "Pyjamas for to" (translated, "Pyjamas for two") came in fourth.
In 1985, "Det’ det jeg altid har sagt" (translated, "I always said this") came in second.
In 1987, "Det’ gratis" came in fourth.
In 1993, Seebach won the competition again, performing the song "Under stjernerne på himlen", (translated, "Under the stars of [sic!] heaven") written together with Keld Heick. He had submitted the song several times before, but had been turned down. At the time, the public interest in the Song Contest, deemed cheesy by the cultural élite, was fading, and as an icon of the contest, Seebach's popularity had been on the wane for some time. It has been alleged that Danmarks Radio
Danmarks Radio
DR – officially rendered into English as the Danish Broadcasting Corporation – is Denmark's national broadcasting corporation. Founded in 1925 as a public-service organization, it is today Denmark's oldest and largest electronic media enterprise...
had originally turned the song down out of fear that Seebach, who had developed a severe addiction to alcohol, would cause a scandal at the performance. When the song came in as a secure no. 1, his popularity soared for a while, but only to drop dramatically, when the song finished 22nd out of 25 songs at Eurovision Song Contest 1993
Eurovision Song Contest 1993
The Eurovision Song Contest 1993 was the 38th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 15 May 1993 in Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. The presenter was Fionnuala Sweeney. Niamh Kavanagh was the winner of this Eurovision for Ireland with the song, "In Your Eyes"...
, receiving only 9 points. The poor result meant that Denmark did not qualify for the ESC 1994, and Seebach was widely criticized, after experiencing a brief rise in popularity, and never competed again.
He had a big hit in 1989 with the duet "Du skælder mig hele tiden ud" (translated, "You're Always Yelling at Me"), sung with Annette Heick, Keld Heick's daughter. They followed up this success with two more singles and a Christmas album.
After the Eurovision Song Contest
The 1990s were lean years for him as a performer and recording artist. He had a comeback with the release of a disco-version of "Krøller eller ej" released in 1999, as well as the release of a compilation album. He toured the country's discothèques at that time and found cult interest in his old hits among a new, younger audience.Personal life
Seebach was married for many years to Karen Seebach; they had three children, Nicolai SeebachNicolai Seebach
Nicolai Seebach is a Danish songwriter and music producer.-Career:He is the son of Tommy Seebach, a popular Danish singer, composer, organist, pianist and producer who died of a heart attack as 53-year-old...
, Rasmus Seebach
Rasmus Seebach
Rasmus Seebach is a Danish singer-songwriter and record producer who had his debut with the Danish language single "Engel" in April 2009....
and Marie. The marriage broke down when Seebach developed a serious addiction to alcohol. His son Rasmus after becoming a pop singer, wrote a song about him called "Den jeg er" (Who I am), stating what a major influence his father had in his life in spite of his addiction.
He died at the age of 53 at the amusement park Bakken
Dyrehavsbakken
Dyrehavsbakken , commonly referred to as Bakken , is the world's oldest operating amusement park. It is located near Klampenborg but belongs under Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune, Denmark about 10 km north of Copenhagen...
, where he had been head of musical entertainment for several years. Although he had managed to overcome his alcoholism at the time, the cause of his death, a heart attack, was ascribed to his previous addiction.
The documentary Tommy
2010 saw the launch of Tommy, director Sami Saif's documentary on Seebach's life. Featuring many of Seebach's private videos as well as television clips and interviews with his widow, children and colleagues in the industry, it documents his public performances and private life, focusing both on his successes and his personal demise."Tommy" received four stars out of six by Politiken
Politiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....
, Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske, previously known as Berlingske Tidende , is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen...
and Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet is a Danish tabloid newspaper focusing on sensationalist stories. It gets a share of its income from sex ads. Since 1979 it has always had a partly or completely naked woman on page nine which is referred to as Side 9 Pigen , a Danish equivalent of the English Page Three girl...
; B.T. awarded it six stars out of six. Dagbladet Information
Dagbladet Information
Information , full name: Dagbladet Information , is a Danish newspaper published Monday through Saturday.Originally established and edited by Børge Outze and published during the World War II by the Danish resistance movement. Information was illegal during the war as it was not regulated by the...
described it as "... a story of an artist who became a victim of the musical genre which he himself had helped innovate, and who, in stead of gaining the broad recognition he had longed for his entire life, ended up with a status somewhere in between national heritage and kitsch clown..." Politiken called the film "worthy, worth seeing and moving", Ekstra Bladet "a moving portrait of a man caught between the music, his family and the bottle".