Nordic Sounds – music from the Norwegian Folque
In 1972, singer and guitar player Morten Bing travels to South Norway, together with string musician Eilif Amundsen, to play their acoustic folk, bluegrass and country music. There they meet like-minded musician Jørn Jensen and, together with Lars Helljesen and Espen Løvstad, they head for London and get into British folk-rock, which was in vogue at that time.
Back in Norway, they start a band with singer Lisa Helljesen. They play traditional Norwegian songs, translate English folk songs into Norwegian and add guitars, banjo, mandolin and dulcimer. The band is complete when bass player Trond Øverland and violinist Trond Villa join and they change the name to Folque.
The first Norwegian folk-rock band was born, when they traded the acoustic guitar for an electric guitar. They created the first Norwegian folk-rock album (untitled), assisted by a studio drummer. Seven more albums would follow; it is said that the second one, Kjempene pa dovrefjell, is the best one, but we chose the debut album for this episode. This covers a mix of Anglo-Saxon, Celtic songs (translated into Norwegian), together with original Norwegian ballads.
The many changes in band members that followed had a negative impact on the group and, with their primary focus on Norway, there came no international breakthrough. After a while, the fire was just gone and the once celebrated Folque became a pop & rock band with short, uninteresting songs (written by themselves). They pulled the plug in 1984, when almost no original band member was left. Twenty years later, the first reunion took place, to be repeated in 2014.
Folque – Folque – Philips 6317 025
1. Ravnene (trad, Svend Grundtvig) 2:32
2. Harpa (trad, Folque) 4:51
3. Sjugur Og Trollsbrura (trad) 2:38
4. Steffa Går Til Selfjord (trad) 3:50
Folque – Kjempene pa dovrefjell – Philips 6317 034
5. Stev (trad) 0:45
6. Eg vil ingjen spelemann ha (trad, Trond Øverland) 2:20
7. Herr Verner i fangetårnet (trad, Morten Bing) 2:24
8. Den gode grønne skogen (trad, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Eilif Amundsen, Morten Bing) 3:45
Folque – Vardoger – Philips 6317 046
9. No Ha Jonsoknatta Kome (trad, Morten Bing) 2:41
10. Rei’ar Med Buttulen (trad) 2:01
11. Heming Og Gyvri (trad) 6:33
Folque – Dans, Dans Olav Liljekrans – Plateselskapet MAI 7802
12. Dans, Dans Olav Liljekrans () 3:11
13. Blind-Fredriks Vise (trad) 2:46
Folque – Fredløs – Plateselskapet MAI 8001
14. Aleina (A Hanssen, K Larsen) 1:12
15. Tel Dæ (trad, Jenn Mortensen) 2:21
16. Sidsel & Monas Vals (trad) 0:59
Folque – Landet ditt – Talent TLS 4046
17. Min Sjel, Min Sjel (Hans Kugelmann) 2:22
18. Heks (C. Tol, J. Tuijp, Th. Tol, Hege Duckert) 3:03
Folque – Sort messe – Strawberry Records SRLP11
19. Stjerneskipet ( Lars Helljesen, Morten Bing) 3:13
Folque – Stormkast – Briskeby Records BY11
20. Gamle Eriks Drum (trad) 2:33
