The Spotnicks • Surfin' In Outer Space CD
Long before ABBA conquered the world, The Spotnicks became Sweden's first internationally successful pop group. Led by the innovative guitarist Bo Winberg, they developed one of the most distinctive sounds of the rock 'n' roll era, combining twanging electric guitars with pioneering studio techniques and futuristic electronic effects. Their space-age image, complete with silver spacesuits, perfectly matched music that sounded unlike anything else being recorded in the early 1960s.
Surfin' In Outer Space brings together everything the group released during 1961 and 1962, including their landmark albums The Spotnicks and Out-A-Space - The Spotnicks In London, together with seven valuable bonus tracks. Among the highlights are the UK hits Orange Blossom Special, The Rocket Man and Hava Nagila, alongside the beautiful Amapola, their biggest Swedish hit. The bonus material includes the rare pseudonymous singles Kontiki, issued as The Feenades, and Telstar, released as The Shy Ones, both making this an especially rewarding collection for long-time fans.
Although often grouped alongside instrumental guitar bands such as The Shadows, The Spotnicks carved out a sound entirely their own. Bo Winberg's fascination with tape manipulation, overdubbing and electronic effects gave the recordings an ethereal quality that proved difficult to reproduce on stage, making the studio itself an essential part of the band's creative process.
Expertly remastered and featuring several recordings unavailable elsewhere on CD, this superb anthology captures one of Europe's most original instrumental groups at the height of their creativity. An essential collection for fans of instrumental Rock 'n' Roll, early Surf guitar and space-age Pop.
