Jump to content

The Spotnicks

From Alfawiki
The Spotnicks
Company typeMusical group
IndustryMusic
Founded1961
Headquarters
Gothenburg
,
Sweden
ProductsInstrumental rock music, albums
Websitewww.spotnicks.com

The Spotnicks were a Swedish instrumental rock band established in 1961, distinguished by their signature "space suit" attire and pioneering electronic guitar tones. Over their career, they produced 43 albums.

History

The origins of The Spotnicks trace back to the group "The Rebels," formed in 1956 by Bo Starander (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Björn Thelin (bass guitar). In 1957, lead guitarist Bo Winberg joined, and the ensemble became known as "Rock-Teddy and the Blue Caps" based in Gothenburg. By 1958, with the addition of drummer Ove Johansson, they adopted the name "The Frazers" and performed at local venues. After securing a recording deal in 1961, they rebranded as "The Spotnicks," a name inspired by the Soviet satellite Sputnik, proposed by their manager Roland Ferneborg. Subsequently, Starander adopted the stage name Bob Lander.

They were pioneers among Swedish bands in attaining significant international acclaim, paralleling groups like The Shadows and The Ventures. Their early success included the track "Orange Blossom Special," which entered the UK Top 30 in 1962 via Oriole Records and topped charts in Australia. The group amassed considerable popularity across Japan, Europe, Australia, and Latin America, emerging as primary competitors to The Shadows within the instrumental genre. Their debut album, The Spotnicks in London, Out-a Space, was released in 1962. Additional notable hits comprised "The Rocket Man" and "Hava Nagila," the latter reaching number 13 on UK charts. Bo Winberg also pursued solo projects under the moniker 'The Shy Ones.'

In 1963, their single "Amapola" dominated Swedish charts for eight consecutive weeks. That year they appeared in the movie Just for Fun, embarked on extensive tours, and released their sophomore album The Spotnicks in Paris. Drummer Ove Johansson departed in 1963 and was succeeded by English drummer Derek Skinner. Skinner’s tenure was brief; he was replaced by Jimmie Nicol, who had notably substituted for Ringo Starr during The Beatles' 1964 tour.

Between 1964 and 1965, The Spotnicks broadened their reach into German and Japanese markets, achieving a number one hit in Japan with "Karelia" in 1966. Nevertheless, shifts in musical trends led to diminished global prominence elsewhere. Organist and vocalist Peter Winsnes joined the lineup in 1965; Jimmie Nicol exited in 1967 and was replaced by Tommy Tausis; Björn Thelin left that same year with Magnus Hellsberg stepping in on bass. Winsnes departed in 1968, followed by Goran Samuelsson joining as organist in 1969. Following numerous personnel changes and the release of their fifteenth album The Spotnicks Back in the Race, the band dissolved in 1970 but reassembled under Winberg’s leadership in 1971 due to interest from a Japanese record label.

Winberg continued to lead various incarnations of The Spotnicks with intermittent participation from Lander and Thelin for tours and recording sessions. In 2013, Winberg and Lander declared a farewell tour concluding in May 2014. Their final live performance took place on 30 March 2019 at Musikens Hus in Gothenburg.

Prominent members who have passed away include Ove Johansson (2017), Bo Winberg (2020), Bob Lander (2020), and Tommy Tausis (2022).

Albums

  • The Spotnicks in London, Out-a Space (1962)
  • The Spotnicks on the Air (EP) (1962)
  • The Spotnicks in Paris, Dansons avec les Spotnicks (1963)
  • The Spotnicks in Spain "Bailemos con los Spotnicks" (1963), GER No. 33
  • Devenez soliste des Spotnicks (1963)
  • The Spotnicks (1964), GER No. 45
  • Meet The Spotnicks (1964), GER No. 14
  • The Spotnicks in Stockholm (1964)
  • The Spotnicks in Berlin (1964)
  • The Spotnicks at Home in Gothenburg (1965)
  • The Spotnicks in Tokyo (1966)
  • The Spotnicks Around the World (1966)
  • The Spotnicks in Winterland (1966)
  • The Spotnicks (1967)
  • The Spotnicks Live in Japan (1967)
  • Den Röda Brandbilen (1967)
  • The Spotnicks in Acapulco Mexico (1967)
  • The Spotnicks in the Groove (1968)
  • The Spotnicks By Request (1968)
  • The Spotnicks "Back in the Race" (1970)
  • The Spotnicks "Ame no ballad" (1971)
  • The Spotnicks "Something Like Country" (1972), GER No. 14
  • The Spotnicks in Japan (1973)
  • Bo Winberg & The Spotnicks "Today" (1973)
  • The Spotnicks Plays Great Hits of Japanese Tunes (1973)
  • The Spotnicks Live in Berlin '74 (1974)
  • The Spotnicks "Feelings - 12 Brandnew Songs" (1976)
  • The Spotnicks "Charttoppers Recorded 77" (1977)
  • The Spotnicks "The Great Snowman" (1978), SWE No. 42
  • The Spotnicks "Never Trust Robots" (1978)
  • The Spotnicks "Saturday Night Music" (1979)
  • The Spotnicks "Pink Lady Super Hits" (1979)
  • The Spotnicks "20th Anniversary Album" (1979, 1980)
  • The Spotnicks "We Don't Wanna Play Amapola No More" (1982)
  • The Spotnicks "In the Middle of Universe" (1983)
  • The Spotnicks "Highway Boogie" (1985)
  • The Spotnicks "In Time" (1986)
  • The Spotnicks "Love Is Blue" (1987)
  • The Spotnicks "Happy Guitar" (1987), GER No. 2
  • 'The Spotnicks "16 Golden World Hits"' (1987)
  • 'The Spotnicks "Unlimited"' (1989)
  • 'The Spotnicks/Bo Winberg No. 1' (1993)
  • 'The Spotnicks "Tracks"' (1995)
  • 'The Spotnicks 1997' (1997)
  • 'The Spotnicks Live 1999' (1999)
  • 'The Otherside (Of the Moon)'(2002)
  • 'Back to the Roots'(2003)
  • 'Still on Tour'(2006)
  • 'Bo Winberg / My Own Favorite'(2009)
  • 'The 'Real' Amapola'(2011)

Chart singles

Year Single Chart Rankings
SWE AUS BE
(Fl) 		BE
(W) 		GER JPN NOR UK
1961 "Johnny Guitar" — — 14 13 — — — —
"Galloping Guitars" — — — 12 — — — —
"Spotnick Theme" — — — 12 — — — —
"Orange Blossom Special" — 19 — 12 — — — 29
1962 "Rocket Man" — — — — — — — 38
"Telstar" — — — 6 — — — —
"Amapola" 2 81 9 33 — — — —
"Ol' Man River" 16 — — — — —


External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=The_Spotnicks&oldid=87074"