Denmark

1968. 

The Grateful Dead released Anthem of the Sun. Canned Heat did Living the Blues & Boogie with Canned Heat. Big Brother & the Holding Company were having Cheap Thrills. There was The Notorious Byrd Brothers & Sweetheart of the Rodeo by The Byrds. Creedence. Traffic. Neil Young. The Beatles White Album. The Stones Beggars Banquet. Hendrix was on an Axis: Bold as Love & Electric Ladyland. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. The list is too long for me to go on, but you get the idea. 

1968 was a hella year for Rawk’n’Roll.

This is also one of the great rock albums from 1968. & this one comes from Denmark’s The Savage Rose.

The band was formed in 1967 by songwriters Thomas & Anders Koppel who both played keyboards, piano & harpsichord, who both sang, along with drummer Alex Riel. Their sound was obviously organ/keyboard dominated but guitarist Flemming Ostermann lent a helping hand with some wonderful jazz influenced guitar licks. This stunning debut appeared a year later featuring 11 strong tracks straight from the streets of Demark. 

Famed rock critic Lester Bangs ranted & raved over The Savage Rose, particularly lead singer Annisette Hansen’s stunning vocal approach. He once described the frightening, powerhouse lead singer as: “Grace Slick at 78 RPM”; & “Minnie Mouse on a belladonna jag”.

People have referred to this music as psychedelic that is not very accurate. Here you’ll find no trippy studio sound effects, no heavily-phased vocals, & no raga guitar solos. What you will find are songs strongly influenced by European folk, jazz, classical & soul music. The most psychedelic sounds come from the organ, that occasionally delves into some druggy underwater soundscapes. 

The Savage Rose has gone through many changes during in its more than 45 year history. By the 90s, the band was basically the core unit of Thomas & Annisette (Hansen) Koppel. Thomas Koppel died on February 25, 2006 in Puerto Rico, where he & Annisette were living at the time. After five years, Annisette & Company released the latest The Savage Rose album, Love & Freedom in September 2012.

On their self-titled first album, The Savage Rose are: Annisette Hansen - lead vocals; Flemming Ostermann – guitar; Thomas Koppel – piano & vocals; Anders Koppel – organ & vocals; Ilse Maria Koppel – harpsichord & piano; Jens Rugsted – bass; & Alex Riel – drums.

 The Savage Rose –The Savage Rose, Polydor 184 144, 1968.

decryption code in comments 

Side 1

Your Sign/My Sign

Open Air Shop

You be Free

Oh Baby Where Have You Gone?

A Girl I Knew

Side 2
Everybody Must Know

Savage Rose

Her Story

White Swans' Marriage Clothes

Sleep

You'll be Alright

Enjoy,

NØ