JANE BIRKIN AND SERGE GAINSBOURG/JE T'AIME SRF 67610 (-69) US

Apart from the 1968 Johnny Bode's "Bordellmammas Visor", which only had some spread limited to northern Europe (see earlier post), this must be counted as the first actual erotic album. While the Bode LP came out very raw and direct, using the whole array of four letter words, this is very French and very elegant and though picturing intercourse and other sexual practice it does in a way that only the most rigid PC police would have objected against at the time. And though the LP itself never was a top seller internationally, the "Je T'aime" 45 became a world wide hit. Musically the album offers typical contemporary French jazzy pop, smooth and melodic. I'm not very conversant in the French language, so my direct understanding of the lyrics is very limited, but taking part of some translations it seems most of it deals with erotica in some form. And even if I can't fully enjoy all the lyrics, the gist is made perfectly clear by Birkin's titillating vocals...and you don't have to be litterate to understand the title song's mouning message. As a whole the album has a timeless quality and could fit perfectly even for modern love meetings or close mingling. Favorite track - "Jane B" taking Chopin to the next level. The audio on this US press is top-notch - big and clear, providing very good listening. Issued and reissued on vinyl and CD all over the world through the years, also 8-track and cassette. Premiere French as "Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg" (Fontana 885 545 MY), UK (Fontana STL 5493). French 2003 CD on Fontana (548 428-2) came with one bonus track. First US had label as shown here in a glossy cover. (YZÄ*) (GZÅ*) (ÄXÅH*) (FÄV*)

TJEJERNAS FULA VISOR BUM 505 (-78) SWEDEN

After the unexpected domestic success for Swedish artist/songwriter Johnny Bode's "genital schlager" albums, issued 1968-73, many others tried to repeat the concept and cash in on songs describing more or less odd sexual activities by using an array of four letter words. I've already posted trials from The Moolighters singer Lasse Holm and the more disturbing attempt made by Tom Zacharias and his blues/rock band Levande Livet (for more on all those check this link - https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=+(%C3%84X%C3%85H*) . Problem was they did showel lots of dirty stuff over the listener, but lacked both the songwriting skill and sincere puerile humor of Bode's songs. He'd been in the music business since the twenties and sure knew how get through, while most imitations just came out filthy without anything to back it up. Here's the concept all over again, this time from a female perspective (eng. title "The Chick's Naughty Songs"). Most of the cuts have traditional melodies re-worked with lyrics by Malin Rask (of which I know nothing else) and Peter Himmelstrand (one of the most successful Swedish songwriters in the sixties and seventies), who also produced. Vocals by danceband singer Rosa Gröning, pop artist Gilla Rydén and Liza Öhman, who apart from having a pop singer carreer also worked with ABBA in studio and on tours. In comparison to the others this was rather cute...or as cute it could be with titles like (my translations) - "When the C*ck and C*nt Played Ball", The D*ck is great", "F*ck is a Beautiful Word", "The P*ssy and Me", "Come and Watch the Pr*ck" and "The C*ck Played the Tuba". Probably a good plan to begin with, but to my ears it didn't work out. Most of it sounding like more or less cheeky ideas that could have lead to something striking, but then not fully realized and leaving very little impact. Maybe there was someone out there who got off by hearing women singing dirty words, but then again both Lillemor Dahlquist and Lena Junoff did that a lot more convincing on the Bode albums. I admit such stuff still can make me smile if done with quality, but the work here sounds too unfinished for my taste. This was the only issue. It came with label as shown here and thin glossy cover. (ÄXÅH*) (FÄV*) (CCÖ*) (SCÄ*)

P.J. PROBY/I AM P.J. PROBY LBY 1235 (-64) UK MONO

American singer, songwriter and actor - born James Marcus Smith in Houston 1938. After releasing a few unsuccessful 45:s in US early sixties he moved to Britain and got a breakthrough there, managing five top ten singles and a couple of big-selling EP:s 1964-65. But his controversial live show, including him splitting his tight pants on stage, scandalized the British press and public and following media bans lowered the sales considerably. However the English reacted, pants-split wasn't a problem in Scandinavia where he stayed on the lists and toured through the sixties and in to the seventies. While there he also dated the outrageous Swedish female vocalist Lena Junoff (thought I'd mention that since I've posted her story earlier - check Johnny Bode's album "Bordellmammas Dotter"). It's fun to think this debute LP was released at the same time as the British invasion, where UK artists flooded US with the UK version of American pop, rock and blues. This guy went the opposite direction, recorded an album in contemporary American pop/rock style for the English market and it became quite successful, managing top 20 and some on the list. A cover album blending rock'n'roll with slow movers - from James Brown to Doris Day - mixing peeled-off with orchestrated. Even if backing and arrangements are typical for its time and not very exciting, it's the vocals that spice things up and make it raise above average. Unlike most other anglo-saxon male pop singers at the time his voice is far from fastidious, instead unbridled in a good way showing a wide range - from falsetto to sincerely dark - and big heart on his sleeve. He's working hard to get it out which makes it personal. So even if the genre as such may be considered dated today there's enough feeling revealed to make it worth while. Favorite tracks "Whatever Will Be Will Be" (Que Sera Sera), "I'll Go Crazy" and "Just Call And I'll Be There". This release was UK only and never reissued, also on reel-to-reel (TA-LBY 1235). The US 1965 version "Somewhere" with alternate sleeve design (Liberty LRP 3406/LST 7406) had six cuts in common and was reissued all over the world - including England (Sunset SLS 50404) - in the seventies and eighties on vinyl. 1994 EU CD on C-Five Records (C5HCD 605) coupled this with his second eponymous album. Premiere UK had label as shown here with "Recording First Published 1964" and laminated flip-back cover with "rice-paper" Emitex inner. (MÖRS*) (XLÄ*)

THE MOONLIGHTERS/SOUND OF POP SWELPC 62 (-67) SWEDEN

For many Swedish rock/pop groups in the sixties the small domestic market went sour after a while and one way to survive was by converting into a dance band, as those were always in demand throughout the land. Known exemples - Sten & Stanley, Sven-Ingvars, Shanes and Jackpots. Moolighters instead started as a dance orchestra with a pop/rock repertoire, first recording in English but soon changing to an all Swedish songbook. After hearing and liking this debute LP I went to see them playing Savoy Hotel in Luleå 1968. It was a big disappoinment. A couple of neat lads doing slow dance covers for a posh audience, nothing even remotely rocking. Not that the music on the record is especially hard or breathtaking, but well done pop and rock with lots of fine organ and pleasant vocals. "Lucille" done slowly and screamy with fat hammond, "Mohair Sam" borderline jazzy and "Yesterday" an instrumental with flutes. Most of the rest in white soul style with some resemblance to Alan Price or Georgie Fame. As a whole a totally ok album, blending light soul and pop without being too easy listening. Vocalist Lars-Erik Holm, here under pseudonym "Larry Moon", quit the band 1975 and became one of the leading figures in Swedish show-biz as singer, songwriter, producer and TV host. He was also one of the men behind the two ill-reputed erotic "Bordellmammas Julvisor"  (Brothel Madam's Christmas Carols) and "Gammeltjo Med Bordellmamma"  (Old Time Whoopee With The Brothel Madam) LP:s  https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=kondom   , trying to cash in on the Johnny Bode trademark  https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=johnny+bode   . This was released in Sweden only. Reissued 1969 on Interdisc (ILPS 124). First had label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (CCÖ*)

P.J. PROBY LBY 1280 (-65) MONO DENMARK/SWEDEN

American singer, songwriter and actor - born James Marcus Smith in Houston 1938. After releasing a few unsuccessful 45:s in US early sixties he moved to Britain and got a breakthrough there, managing five top ten singles and a couple of big-selling EP:s 1964-65. But his controversial live show, including him splitting his tight pants on stage, scandalized the British press and public and following media bans lowered the sales considerably. However the English reacted, pants-split wasn't a problem in Scandinavia where he stayed on the lists and toured through the sixties and in to the seventies. While here he also dated the outrageous Swedish female vocalist Lena Junoff (thought I'd mention that since I've posted her story earlier - check Johnny Bode's album "Bordellmammas Dotter"). This Scandinavian only issue (Danish vinyl/Swedish sleeve) is a compilation of previous UK non-LP single and EP cuts, recorded 1964-65. Some of the production and song choices are common mid-sixties male vocal, reminding of Tom Jones or Elvis, while others sound contemporary British pop-band like Dave Clark Five or Swinging Blue Jeans. Listening from a modern point of view he may have lacked some of the deepest vocal emotions, but compensated that with partly almost unbridled energy. Surprising for such early recordings is the appearence of psych guitar on three of the tracks - "Answer Me", "Together" and "Stagger Lee" - as I understand played by studio musician Jimmy Page. Further the version here of the Lennon/McCartney song "That Means A Lot, given to him by Brian Epstein, was arranged by George Martin. So either way you look at this album - rare tracks, people involved or music history - it's interesting and you get some really exciting listening too. This was the only vinyl issue, but all tracks have shown up later on various CD compilations. First had label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SWÄU*) (CCÖ*) (MÖRS*)

GAMMELTJO MED BORDELLMAMMA KONDOM 2 (-73) SWEDEN

Follow-up to "Bordellmammas Julvisor" (Brothel Madam's Christmas Carols), made by the same gang with similar agenda - to cash in on the not yet faded Johnny Bode hype (title is hard to translate, but "Old Time Whoopee With The Brothel Madam" ought to be close). Another theme album, this time concentrating on styles popular in Sweden during the thirties and forties - hambos, polkas and waltzes with plots about sailors, railway builders, midsummer celebrations and folklore. All melodies includes recognizable traditonal motifs and the lyrics depicts various sexual practices using a vast battery of four letter words. As the former nicely orchestrated and arranged with sometimes clever and funny turns, but lacking the sincerity and tattered genious of Bode's originals. As far as I know never re-issued in any form. It came with label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SCÄ*) (ÄXÅH*) (CCÖ*)

BORDELLMAMMAS JULVISOR KONDOM 1 (-72) SWEDEN

After Johnny Bode's intitial domestic success with the "Brothel Madam" serie others tried to cash in on the hype by issuing albums with sexual content. This is one exemple (eng. "Brothel Madam's Christmas Carols"). From a combo including Lasse Holm - earlier known as "Larry Moon" in Swedish pop band The Moonlighters and later successful writer and performer of schlagers and dance band music - and Billy Gezon - former member of Jerry William's Violents and after this working with ABBA and Gimmicks. Female vocals by actresses from Stockholm City Theatre - remaining anonymous. The melodies are known christmas carols with specially written lyrics including the whole spectra of sexual slurs and humorous descriptions of christmassy sexual practices. It's well orchestrated and some of it clever, but lacking the feeling and ragged genious of Bode's own work. Even if he was at a downslope and something of a dirty old man at the time, forty year experience as composer and artist together with lyrics expressing his own lecherous mind made it an original piece of art. Maybe not the most delicate, but still original. This is just a reproduction of the procedure and since the instigators obviously lacked true connection to the material, so do I. Most amusing thing with it is the label name "Kondom", exisiting for this and one more issue only. It came in a thin, fully laminated cover. (CXÅ*) (SCÄ*) (ÄXÅH*) (CCÖ*)

JOHNNY BODE & LILLEMOR DAHLQUIST/SEX REVYN "STIG PÅ" LPS 401 (-71) SWEDEN

Johnny Bode's third consecutive erotic LP (eng. The Sex Revue "Come In") and also his last for Rodox label. After releasing two albums and four EP:s during a short time period he was clearly running out of fresh ideas. As I understand this is not the result of coherent studio sessions but a kind of compilation including the previously released "sex match" EP and apparent leftovers from the "Styrman Janssons Frestelser" sessions together with a couple of new ones. A patchwork tied together by mimcking a live performance at a porn club with added applauds, laughs and public noise. One highlight is Lillemor Dahlquist doing a classic primadonna number in "Pipp I Kissemissen" (eng. "F*** in the Pussy") There's also one presented as "a very young girl" called "Kjerstin" singing "Ska Vi Pippa" (eng. "Shall we f***?"), but the vocals sounds speeded up and could be a modified Dahlquist hiding behind a "girly" avatar. That is by far his strangest composition - the verse having a partly advanced tonal pattern, but combined with a very simple refrain where the title phrase is repeated over and over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2NAiWt6InQ . I'm thinking that song clearly displays two of Bode's personas at once - verse melody showing the skilled songwriter while the refrain and lyrics exhibits the dirty old man who got a turn on from hearing pretty young women singing sexual slurs (a fetish well known by most of his co-workes at the time). In any case the total result didn't reach up to Bode's earlier work and also became his final collaboration with Lillemor Dahlquist. To my knowledge never reissued on vinyl or CD. It came with label as shown here, fully laminated cover and lyric insert with cover pics of and order form for his previous issues. For more on him and his erotic albums please check  https://monolover.blogspot.com/search?q=%28N%C3%96H*%29    (SCÄ*) (FÄV*) (ÄXÅH*) (CCÖ*) (NÖH*)

JOHNNY BODE & LILLEMOR DAHLQUIST/STYRMAN JANSSONS FRESTELSER S 301 (-69) SWEDEN

My original plan was to only post first and last of the four erotic albums Bode issued 1968-73 and at the same time tell the story about this talanted and deeply disturbed man. But since both those are getting a lot more veiws than I expected I'm also adding the remaining two. For background check the previous entries on the first - "Bordellmammas Visor" - and the fourth - "Bordellmammas Dotter". The unexpected domestic success of the debute threw Bode into a state of manic production. Within a year he released four non-LP EP:s - one each with lesbian and gay motives, one picturing an imaginary sex match between Sweden and Finland and another about having sex on trains and boats. Since this second album (Eng. "Boatsman Jansson's Temptations) showed up during the same hectic period you'd expect it to be a scribble made to cash in while the heat was on, but it seems more elaborated than the first. You get the same mix of odd and regular sexual practices and the same frequent use of four letter words, this time tied together by a sailors theme allowing the hero to visit women in different milieus all over the world. Even if some of the lyrics appear to have been written hastily, the backing - including strings and brass - and arrangements are executed with such skill the main impression remains positive. Melodies and styles are tied to the separate cultures pictured by each lyric, or a least Bode's perception of them. IMO not as good as the first, still the blend of well written classic schlager and puerile sexual poetry makes it very funny and unique even today. As before the male and female parts are shared by Bode and Lillemor Dahlquist. Reissued on CD 2003 with same tracking (Rondex CD 301). First vinyl had label as shown here, fully laminated cover and lyric/ad insert including cover pics of and order form for the non-LP '45:s. (SCÄ*) (FÄV*) (ÄXÅH*) (CCÖ*) (NÖH*)

JOHNNY BODE & LENA JUNOFF/BORDELLMAMMAS DOTTER PLP 102 (-73) SWEDEN

(Part 2 of the Johnny Bode story. For part 1 check   https://monolover.blogspot.com/2014/06/johnny-bode-lillemor-dahlquist.html  ). After the unexpected success with "Bordellmammas Visor" Bode progressed into a hyper active state, in short time releasing two more erotic albums - "Styrman Janssons Frestelser" (Boatsman Jansson's Temptations) and "Sex-Revyn" - plus a couple of non-LP 45:s, whereof one with gay motive and one lesbian (sung by Lillemor Dahlquist). However he couldn't keep up the quality and with the "sexual revolution" going on in Sweden, partly a result of the government abolishing all kinds of censorship for sex in the early seventies, he became old news. Collaboration with Lillemor Dahlquist ended, financiers left, money was soon spent and he vanished for a while. But as always he bounced back, this time sponsored by hard-core porn magazine Prince and with a new companion for the female parts - Lena Junoff, here performing as "Gilda". (Her story is almost as intriguing as Bode's - following is a very compressed version.) She was a rising Swedish star in the sixties - a pretty girl with an amazing voice, reaching over five octaves. Launched in England under the name Margret Lee and spotted by Duke Ellington who brought her to America as vocalist for his band. For some reason it didn't work out and she left after just a few months. I've seen theories it failed either because of her reputedly hot temper, drug abuse or the fact that she participated in porn movies, but in any case the chance for international breakthrough ended and at time for this recording she was at a downslope. For earlier albums Bode had used a shock effect by being uninhibited and outspoken. By 1973 it was impossible to shock Swedes with any kind of erotic expression so he adapted to the new zeitgeist with a more mature, everyday approach. Although it's the same descriptions of impertinent sex practices and same frequent use of "four letter words", the long overdue teen spirit is gone and what you get here is a grown man reflecting over sexual circumstances. Title track "Brothel Madam's Daughter" pictures a prostitute pondering about modern times, how the brothels changed names to "massage parlours" and she's being retitled "love-life consultant", having to pay tax. In "I Min Barndoms Gamla Ängder" (In The Old Meadows Of My Childhood) he's reminiscing sexual experiences from his teens. "Spanska Flugan" (Spanish Fly) is about Swedish housewifes enjoying young Spanish meat on their holidays. There's also songs about car-sex (while driving), a girl complaining her nightly companion didn't stay until the morning and a very cute and tender one on oral practice. Favorite track - "När Atombomben Kommer" (When The Atom Bomb Comes), a catchy march about how to best entertain yourself during a nuclear war. To my taste it's the best he did. As with "Bordellmammas Visor" the melodies are memorable, it's nicely performed and the arrangements on the spot. In spite of all the sassy stuff described there's also warmth and good humor. Sadly it didn't sell and became his last recording. Sleeve design of the vinyl pressings varies a little by font style. Don't know which was absolutely first, but they're all early with label as shown here, thick vinyl and thin, glossy cover. There aren't many pics of Junoff from that period, but last one below is probably taken close to the recordings. (SCÄ*)(FÄV*) (ÄXÅH*)(CCÖ*) (NÖH*)