THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
The Namelosers — “Susie Q “— Straight Outta Malmö (Sweden)
The Namelosers — “Susie Q”
This ’65 B-side all the way from Malmö, Sweden is a “[r]aw, mean and dirty” (Dr. Rayman) cover of “Susie Q” that is a “FUZZ MONSTER” (Glendoras//DJ Mean Mojo Mathias) and even better than its acclaimed A-side — “Land of 1,000 Dances.”
Glendoras//DJ Mean Mojo Mathias says:
[The single is a f]antastic 45 from one of the best bands from Sweden. It’s a great two-sider with absolute fabulous fuzz guitar on both sides! This was their last 45. When it failed to chart the band gave up and disbanded.”
Richie Unterberger says the Namelosers “were among the rowdier Swedish mid-‘60s bands, heavily influenced by the British Invasion sounds of the Rolling Stones, Who, and Beatles.”
And Olle Berggren adds (courtesy of Google Translate) that:
[They] were the prettiest, cockiest and loudest. One of the few Swedish bands from this time that is still mentioned with respect to this day. . . . [They] forever put Malmö on the rock map. The tough port and working-class city. . . . Like Hamburg and Liverpool. . . . The clothes were bought at Ohlssons at Stortorget, where Åke Arenhill made sure to bring in the latest from Kings Road, Carnaby Street and Savile Row in London.”
Expressen tells us more (courtesy of Google Translate):
This group was perhaps the most popular of the Malmö bands in the 60s. It consisted of pop stars living like pop stars. The Namelosers started out as Tony Lee & The Fenders and mostly played songs associated with Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley. The group’s breakthrough came in the summer of 1964 in Pildammsparken. The highlight was supposed to be guest soloist Gunnar “Siljabloo” Nilsson, but when Namelosers started the crowd went wild. In the audience was Urban Lasson, who immediately realized the group’s potential and booked studio time for it in Copenhagen. Lasson then went to Stockholm and visited record company after record company. EMI pounced and with the song “New Orleans” Namelosers ended up in the Top Ten. There were several years of touring around Sweden, but there were no new hits in the Top Ten. “Land of a 1,000 dances” everyone believed — but no. It ended up off the list. The disappointment was so great that Namelosers lost their desire . . . and soon the group disbanded.
As does Graham Reid:
Johnny Andersson and Tommy Hansson met in 1962 in Malmo and talked about getting a band together. They became Tony Lee and the Fenders who played covers of Elvis and Cliff Richard songs. When their bassist and drummer quit to get real jobs they found the lanky Christer Nilsson who had long Beatle-style hair and a Hofner bass. Andersson and Hansson adopted the Beatle mop-top look, pulled in drummer Anders Lagerlof and named themselves the Beachers, an amalgamation of the Beatles and the Searchers. They became very popular in Malmo for their live covers of songs popularised by the Beatles such as Twist and Shout and Roll Over Beethoven. They recorded an EP New Orleans and title track got to number 12 on the Swedish charts . . . . [T]hen a rival group from Gothenburg demanded they change their name. Improbably, they too were the Beachers. A local radio station ran a competition for a new name for the band and the winner was . . . the Namelosers. And suddenly it was all on: a tour of Denmark with the Kinks and the Honeycombs; around Sweden with the Dave Clark Five and Cliff and the Shadows; TV appearances; more recording; a holiday in London for Andersson and Nilsson where they caught the Who at the Marquee and came back with new and more rowdy influences . . . . They recorded Land of 1000 Dances which was critically acclaimed so they expected to top the charts but it only got to 11 and they became depressed. The band broke up in August 1966 after a hectic few years, the highpoint being opening for the Stones in ’65 and partying with them afterwards. They jammed with Jagger in a rehearsal hall in Malmo.
If only they moved like Jagger!
Finally (from Google Translate, of course):
See my website at bracefortheosbscure60srock.com.
Here is the trailer:
