OWE THÖRNQVST/14 X OWE THÖRNQVIST MLP 15033 (-59) MONO SWEDEN

 A record probably most important to Scandinavian lovers of fifties rock'n'roll or those into his later domestic hits. But it is an oddity and therefore I think well worth a post. Owe Thörnkvist, born 1929 in Uppsala, started his musical carreer 1953 and is still active today at age 95 (2024). After early in life combining law studies and boxing he released his first 78rpm "Diverse Julboogie" (Diverse Christmas Boogie) 1955, a rock number issued a year before Bill Haley's and Elvis Presley's US breakthroughs. Other early rock numbers were "Varm Korv Boogie" (Hot Dog Boogie) and "Rotmos Rock" (Turnip Mash Rock). Through the years he's written and performed songs in a variety of genres, apart from rock also latino, country, ballads and children songs, mostly with humorous lyrics, sometimes reflecting his teen years in Uppsala, among them about two girls he was in love with - "Gun Från Dragarbrunn" and "Svartbäckens Rödaste Ros". This LP is a collection of cuts recorded 1956-59, among others containing a couple of the aforementioned songs. Unfortunately missing "Diverse Julboogie" and "Rotmos Rock", but there are other cuts that can be percieved as rock'n'roll, or at least rock-ish. Like "Anna Kaffepanna" (Anna Coffee Pot), "Hjälp!" (Help!) and "Dagny". Many of the tracks on here were re-shaped and re-recorded in the sixties and seventies and became popular domestic hits, but here they are all pure garage, very simple with lots of feelings shining through. Though I kind of like the re-recordings it's these original versions that really gets to me. Seemingly recorded live in the studio without any further meddling it sounds a little unbablanced at parts, yet 100% honest, conveyed through a warm fifties audio. To my knowledge this was the only issue.  It had label as shown here on heavy unflexible vinyl in a fully laminated flip/back cover. I only had the ability to download one original version from YouTube, but here's also a link to "Dagny" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2ROP444h9E  and one to "Varm Korv Boogie"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VihR4CtrTrs   . (SCÄ*)  (CCÖ*)