Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.06.2009, Blaðsíða 32

20
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 5 — 2009
The History of Icelandic Rock music: Part 4
Hljómar-mania
Having been the island’s pop super-
stars for a whole year, Hljómar set out
to conquer the rest of the world in the
summer of 1965. This was the first,
but definitely not the last, case of Ice-
landic pop musicians trying to “make
it” abroad.
Reynir Oddsson, a young film di-
rector, offered to make a feature film
about the band’s antics, concentrating
on the Icelandic “country dance” phe-
nomenon. The band was convinced to
foot half of the movie’s bill. Shooting
started in July 1965 and lasted for three
months. All in all, 27 hours of Hljómar
playing at various places out in the
country were captured on film, with
all the hippest dudes and chicks of the
times doing the go-go on the side. The
movie was called Umbarumbamba,
which presumably means some kind of
“South African love declaration.”
At the same time a world-wise
American from the Keflavík naval
base, Dan Stevens, stepped in as the
band’s manager. Now plans for world
domination were put to full effect. An
audition was set up with Parlophone
Records in London: The Beatles’ label,
no less. Hljómar – now calling them-
selves Thor’s Hammer – played stress-
fully for a bunch of stern British “suits”
in a studio where they afterwards re-
corded a bunch of original songs writ-
ten by Gunnar Þórðarson. The audition
proved successful and Thor’s Hammer
scored a record deal.
Hljómar/Thor’s Hammer’s music
had changed a lot since the early in-
nocent beat pop. Guitarist Gunnar had
gotten himself a fuzzbox, one of the
first fuzz boxes to enter the market in
1965, and he used it a lot. The jazzy
drummer took cues from Keith Moon
and the band had changed to English
lyrics. As they boasted: “We’re mostly
concentrating on foreign markets now”
– an explanation often heard from Ice-
landic musicians ever since.
Hljómar had spent lots of money to
finance the film, as they thought of it
as a safe vehicle towards international
fame and fortune. Finally in the spring
of 1966, the movie came to Iceland and
was premiered in the band’s home-
town of Keflavík. Umbarumbamba
the film had been constantly hyped in
the Icelandic media so everybody was
expecting a lot when the lights finally
dimmed.
The movie turned out to be only 15
minutes long and the storyline did not
make any sense whatsoever. The band
was in shock and thought the film was
“extremely corny.” Naturally, the band
wanted their money back – or some of
it, at least – and bitter feuds between
the band and the director ensued. The
movie was only shown for two days in
Keflavík and hasn’t been seen since.
Ever. The director presumably has
it somewhere in his possession, so
there’s still some hope that Icelandic
pop enthusiasts will eventually see this
holy grail of major fuck-up.
The music from the film was no
fuck-up though. The Umbarumbamba
soundtrack, 6 tracks ambitiously pack-
aged on two 7” EPs in a gatefold-sleeve,
came out several weeks after the movie
had vanished. As can be envisioned no-
body had much interest and the record
vanished quickly as well.
It took several decades for the world
to discover the great music that Thor’s
Hammer had committed to vinyl.
The tracks – great, raw garage rock,
drenched in fuzz and manic drum-
ming – are some of the best Icelandic
music of the sixties, and definitely the
most original and powerful. The EP is
famous amongst collectors and sells for
thousands of dollars whenever a copy
surfaces. The music has been released
on CD and you should definitely check
it out.
The lack of world domination – the
constant struggle and disappointment
– was weary and tiring. The band had
lost most of its Icelandic fan base due
to their “difficult” music style and
their tendencies to “jam” the songs
for up to twenty minutes at dances.
The band had lived on music for two
years but now everybody was broke
and feeling down. The old kings were
losing out miserably to more dedicated
beat groups such as Óðmenn, Toxic,
and especially Dátar, the new and ris-
ing princes of pop. Something had to
change. More of that next time.
— DR. GUNNI
By Dr. Gunni, based on his 2000 book Eru ekki
allir í stuði? (Rock in Iceland). A revisited up-
date of the book is forthcoming in 2010.
1. Hljómar – or is it Thor’s Hammer?
First generation of wannabe super-
stars in foreign territories: Erlingur,
Gunnar, Rúnar and Pétur (sitting
down).
1100.- kr
THE FIRST SETTLER
OF THE NEW
WORLD
JÓNAS
KRISTJÁNSSON
A study of the ex-
pedition made by Karls-
efni to Vinland the Good
in circa 1010 AD which
planned to settle there,
but was forced to leave
due to the hostility of the
natives after 3 years.
Based on a new appraisal
of older sources, in particu-
lar the Saga of Eirik the Red, - probably most detailed and most
trustworthy source concerning the voyages the North-America.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F I C E L A N D P R E S S
haskolautgafan.hi.is – hu@hi.is – tel. 525 4003
GAELIC INFLUENCE
IN ICELAND
GÍSLI SIGURÐSSON
Why were the Icelanders
the only Nordic nation in
the Middle Ages to
produce secular heroic
prose narratives in the
vernacular? Is it possible
that the first Icelanders
were under enough cultural
influence from the Gaelic
world to establish an entirely
different tradition of story
telling and poetic talent from
that of their Scandinavian homelands?
It took several decades
for the world to discover
the great music that
Thor’s Hammer had
committed to vinyl.
The tracks – great, raw
garage rock, drenched
in fuzz and manic
drumming – are some
of the best Icelandic
music of the sixties,
and definitely the most
original and powerful.