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Some die young
#1
Watched the final episode of a quite popular show here in Sweden this saturday...
The idea with the show is to gather six, known musical artists, and each of them gets their "own" day, where they get to plan the day - pick the activities, meals etc - but the main focus being the other five artists has to perform their own rendition of one of the songs created, sung or in some other way connected to the "artist of the day" - maybe a rip off from some other country but nevertheless it has become really popular here...


And last Saturday the final episode of current season was broadcasted and since all the member had had their day, this day was dedicated one of the most popular musical artist of all time here in Sweden...
His name is Ted Gardestad and represented Sweden in the Eurovision song contest in 1979. He ended up in 17th place and probably most that watched the ESC that year never took notice or have forgotten him...


But his story is so full of interesting things - happy as well as sad ones - so I'd thought I dedicate him a thread here...


I'll start the story with a quiz, I know some of you on this community, as am I, fancy this...


Ted's contribution to 1979 ESC show was called "Satellit" (I guess no translation is needed here)
Listen to the song and then give me the artist and title of an internationally well known song - I'd say a great hit song - that has influenced this song... especially the intro, piano and guitar riffs (I'm not responsible for nether video nor sound quality on this clip)
[video=youtube_share;3yZq3bBjCH4]http://youtu.be/3yZq3bBjCH4[/video]




But now the story of this "wonder boy"


He was born in 1956 in a suburb to Stockholm and at the age of six he was given his first instrument, an accordion. Six month later he had composed his first song...
In parallel to his musical activities he was playing tennis... and at the age of fourteen he was ranked no two in Sweden, and that has to be considered quite good... top ranked was a teenager by the name of Bjorn Borg and they were nearly equally good... but the tennis career was soon to be abandoned due to his club wouldn't let him start playing in the same club as mr Borg did... "Music then..." he said...
He had an eight year older brother that was really good on lyrics and when Ted was fifteen years old he and his brother had composed a demo tape they wanted to give a go... so they picked up a public telephone register, picked the first record studio they found that was geographically close enough... The same day they walked up to the entrance and knocked at the door... A young man opened the door slightly and stared at the two brothers asking them what they wanted... "We want you to listen to our tape, it's really good"... The young man then started to close the door but a foot was in the way... "If you don't listen to it, we'll just let some other record company get the chance..."
"Ok, come on in, you'll get a few minutes", the bearded man said...
Ted & Kenneth walked through the door and in less than one hour later, both Stikkan Andersson and Benny Andersson were convinced - these two brothers did have something...
At this time ABBA hadn't had any major success yet and not even started to use ABBA as their artist name
While Ted was the one composing the melodies with his guitar mostly, his brother was summoned to listen and then add lyrics suiting the melody...
In 1972 the first record was released, "Undringar" ("Wonderings"), and playing the piano on this album was Benny Andersson, guitar was performed by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Janne Schaffer and the backing vocals were taken care of by two beautiful ladies - Agnetha and Anni-Frid...
Six more albums between 1972 and 1994 were produced...
And during the mid seventies the two brothers moved overseas trying to get a break through on the US market but the success was never there... but the Swedish - and Norwegian - audience were still there when they returned...
But one interesting part of their time in the US was that they were quite often backed up by the band which is one part of the answer in the initial quiz...


Ted was a perfectionist, never really satisfied with what he achieved. And at some point he established a relationship with a "semi religious cult!" - Bhagwan, Oregon US - which had him change his name to an Indian one (reminds some of Cat S or perhaps more of mr Lennon, I know)
With this he disappeared This commitment, to a guy whos preaching very much was about monetary gifts from the members (this "sacred" preacher was said to be the owner of more than 25 Rolls Royce's)... this Bhagwan preacher was arrested by FBI in 1985 and dismissed ouit of US, anyone remembering this?
After this he returns to Sweden, living in his parents house to achieve some peace of mind... but in 1986, Olof Palme, current Prime Minister of Sweden, was murdered in the street and an already tormented soul, he had started to show signs of mental illness some years before, fell into total darkness when Ted was
rumours had Ted arrested and interrogated about the murder of our national leader... after this happening he seem to have lost it all, attacking two women with bricks on the street, attempts to strangle his brother questioning his inner voices (Schizophrenia was already a fact) and also totally destroying
his hand with a cheese slicer... his voices had told him that if he did that, he would not be able to create or play music anymore... destructiction was all over him
With gathered strength his brother and parents puts him on medication. Ted and his brother then eventually releases one final album in 1994 - containing one song with lyrics where Ted's brother Kenneth is reaching out for his lost little brother...


On midsummers day, on the 22nd of June 1997, he threw himself in front of a commuter train and... died - or was released from his deamons...




Ted Gardestad is today one of the most appreciated musical artist of all time in our country...
Many of his songs are our definition of different phenomenas such as summer ("Sol, vind och vatten", transl="Sun, wind and water"), weddings ("För kärlekens skull", transl="For the sake of love") and even more...
I can personally certify that he created plenty of tearjerkers, and of course, in this his brother Kennet's lyrics should also played a crucial part.


I have, between the tears cried over his destiny and beautiful music, been thinking about his music...
Sometimes I find similarities with Supertramp, The Carpenters and in some rare moments of... ABBA


To bad he mostly performed in Swedish - I believe he could have achieved an international career had only his songs been written in English...


And two more things...


First, for some reason I can't stop thinking of Randy Vanwarmer - another singer songwriter whose life ended to soon - "Just when I needed you most"... what an emotional explosion that son is... so beautufil... five tears from me Smile


And finally I want to give those who want to compare Ted's music with the artists I relate him to...


The carpenters - listen to "Nar showen ar slut" (Ted's original songs are hard to find on Youtube - and due to this a cover may be posted, but Spotify has it all... go get it): https://youtu.be/lLRTinTSrgc
Supertramp - Chapeau Claque: Did not find any good version of this one on Youtube, for those of you using Spotify - try it: https://youtu.be/3JcySLKV4_s
Supertramp - Eiffeltornet (Eiffel tower - the song is about jumping from the Eiffel tower if he is betrayed by his dearest): http://youtu.be/lDGuR_JOcNU




See you on the other side, Ted...
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#2
Whether or not I can appreciate this artist, I read your piece, and I would just like to say that I think it’s great that you took the trouble to put the whole story together, especially since you’ve done it in something other than your native tongue.

Skål!
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
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#3
"Satellit" reminds me of something but I am not sure what. Maybe "You're My Best Friend" by Queen?
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#4
Thanks for replying...
I do regret somewhat the way I wrote it, had to little time for it... But "skål, Ruby" anyway Smile

For Bob, the guitarist Janne Schaffer - a great such, played on most Abba studio recordings as well as producing a lot - spent some time in the US during mid 70's and got connected to mr Lukather & Co and when he heard them jamming the intro to "Hold the line" he brought some ideas back home...
One thing, at least, I have succeeded with, my sometimes stubborn teenager boys always tell me "Dad, you're to much 80's - that's history..."
A smile always comes to me when Avicii and his equals are quiet for a while and Toto or Queen blasts out at a high volume in their rooms... Just love the way they look when I comment their great taste in music Wink
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