The Spotnicks are remembered by their sound, spatial sound, and their tracks, which mostly came of the Scandinavian music and also Russian folk music. Nowadays the Spacemen keep on playing in the same path, with the spatial sound and a lot of new penned instrumentals in the Scandinavian and Nordic tradition.
The spacemen have been set up in 1987, but their roots go back as far as 1967 when a part of them set up the Sentimentals (see discography) a cd was reissued in 1991 in Japan). They were : Lenny Clerwall on bass guitar and Hans Clerwall on bass with Carl J.Westfeldt, on lead, and Stephan Ekwing on drums.
Lenny Clerwall started to play guitar when he was 13, and recorded his first song in 1964 as he was 17. During the day he was working as a journalist. In the eighties he set up a small record label Rainbow Music. He was greatly influenced by Hank Marvin, that he discovered when he heard Apache in 1962 on 208 Radio Luxembourg.
His favourite guitar is a fender stratocaster 62, his favourite tracks are:Kon Tiki, Peace pipe and apache. He starded by playing bass,Lenny composed a lot of songs more than 1000, of which 250 are instrumentals pieces. In the eighties he played and composed for a Shadowlike band : 1961.
One day a guitarist from Hungarian origin, Sandor Hajosi paid him a visit and showed him that he has got the Spotnicks sound. He proposed to set up a band to play in the Spotnicks tradition. We were in 1987, they have chosen the Spacemen as band’s name.
Lenny even played in 1967 with the Spotnicks as replacement for B.Thelin, but he did not stay because the atmosphere in the band was not so good as he remebers.
As a composer he got a diamond record in sweden for his song there are no flowers which can grow on seaman’s grave”, which sold half a million copies. He furthermore got 25 other gold records for some of his numerous compositions.
Sandor Hajosi found the spoticks by integrating a special box in the guitar. The spotnicks sound comes from this system not from the amps or reverb, they use the usual Roland D5 reverb an a 5 revert kit. Sandor came not alone he had found a drummer Birger Callerholm.Sandor started to play guitar in 1968 as he was 13. His favourite piece is Amapola. His favourite guitar a Fender Stratocaster. Sandor unlike Lenny is not a professional, he manager in building company.
Hans Clerwall the ryhm guitar is a butcher and plays for fun. His favourite guitarist is Bruce Welch.
When Sandor left the Spacemen in 1989, he was replaced on lead by lenny, Lars Haegstrom came on bass. He has been playing for 1962 and is working as an engineer. His reference is Albert Lee, his favourite band the Ventures. He has been now replaced by Tomas Ericsson who is working as PR man. His musical roots are Jimi Hendrix.
On Drums the new drummer since 1996 is P.O.Alm He is working for an american computer company and is a true admirers of Brian Bennett.
The Spacemen were playing in London at the pipeline convention in 1997 where they got a warm reception.
They cut till now 11 album till now(2000) including one in the shadows style under the name of Shazams.(see discography)
They appeared on sky channel in 1988 and from time to time in the Swedish programs.
One can say without a doubt that they are the leading Scandinavian band playing today.
Jean BACHELERIE
Discographie
The Sentimentals (Vavan VMCP 1021 (1991))
Cossack patrol / Troika / Mother Volga / Karinka / The Mighty Elbe river / Aganyok / Song of job / Dark eyes / Midnight in Moscow / Katusha / Stenka Rasin / Russian Diamonds / Cherry Blossom special / Sentimental Boogie / Summer in Kyoto / Reflections in Ginza / Istanbul / Red guitars / Partisans / Tadashi’sdream / Movement in minor / Tears or rain / The golden pavillion / Sayonara Hiroko.
Carl Johan Westfedt solo, Hans Clerwall rythmique, Lenny Clerwall basse
et Stephan Ekwing batterie.Space hunter (Vavan VMCP 1022 (1992, album de 1988))
The Spacemen’s theme / Cosmos Riders / Lonely tears / Western express / Rumba balders hage / Humpty Dumpty / Mark of Zorro / Space hunter / Spanishgypsy dance / Cherry Blossoms / Indians / Robin / Gamla Nordjon / Russian dreams.Lost in the wind / Entry of Jupiter (Trila TRCD34 (1996, albums de 1988 et 1989))
Lost in the wind / I wonder Who’s kissing her now / Den Glade Vandraren / Blomsterflickan / Partisans / Gorgonzola / Hava Naguila / Mjölnarens Irene / / jumping girls / Entry of Jupiter / Oh Susanna / Dardanella / El Globo / Där De Milsvilda Skogarna Susa / Kors Pä Idas Grav / Russian diamonds / Pepe / Istanbul / Stainless / dark eyes / Wabash cannonball / Farewell Roy.Magic Planet (Rainbow Music RMCD 2022 (1990))
Magic planet / the Old spinning wheel / Tango d’amore / Smoke signals / Walk right back / Passing Mars / Space Marsch / Seeman / Picolissima serenata /Brooklandsvägen / Bei mir bist du schön / As long as flowers grow / Flickan, Jägaren och priset / Trannel blues / Behind th earth / Kangaroos / The storm / save your heart for me / The phantom of the opera / Sapceflowers / From Russia with love.Shazam (Rainbow Music RMCD 2027)
The Boys / Farewell to Casablanca / Cry of the wilde goose / Just for jerry / Back to the sea / Train / Cindy oh Cindy / Red River Rock / This hammer / Bandido / A place in the sun / Always in May / Manhunt / Romantic time / Ghia / My lonely heart / Bungy jump.
Avec Lenny Clerwall, Hans Clerwall, Nils Rudolfsson, Thomas Ericcson.Cosmic guitars (Rainbow Music RMCD 2028 (1993))
Cosmic guitar / The cruel sea / Laura’stheme / Indian brave / Nightrun / Nature boy / St Michel / Habanera / Midnight in Moscow / Fuyijama / You’re the one I want / Junihitoe / Last stage west / Nice in white satin / Feeling happy / Masakos Marriage / Space drums.In the wild west (Rainbow Music RMCD 2029 (1994))
Wildwood flower / Hang’em high / Adios amigo / Pony express / Dance of the white man / Lonesome cowboy / Smiling Pony / Brave buffalos / Sad is the lonely / Gunfight saloon / North to Alaska / Old faithful / Low man on a totem pole / Country woman / Sitting bull / El Paso / Guitar express / Apache.In a Xmas mood (Rainbow Music RMCD 2030 (1994))
Marche militaire / Son of Bethlehem / Jingle Bells / Russian Xmas / Happy snowflakes / Peace on the earth / Parade of the wooden soldiers / Send me a xmas card / Santa’s back in town / Nu Tändas tusen juleljus / White Xmas / I saw mama kissing Santa Claus / the little drummer boy / Silent night.Back home in Sweden (Rainbow Music RMCD 2033 (1996))
Gärdebylaten / Min Äskling / Nägon Att Hälla I hand / Gotlänsk Sommarnatt / Här Kommer Pippi Längstrump / E Fin Vise / Det Var I Vär Ungdoms Fagraste Vär / Höstdrömmar / Kullerullvisan / Jag Vill…Alltid PäEn Söndag / Rosenkyssar / Slingan / Idas Sommarvisa / Lyckovägen / Idag Och För Alltid / Telefonsvararen / Ett Litet Rött Paket.The Spacemen In London (Rainbow Music RMCD 2034 (1997))
Pomp and circumstance / Big Ben / Winchester Cathedral / A walk in Hyde Park / England swings / The last Farewell / London Bridge is falling down / Mrs Brown you’ve got a lovely daughter / Meet me at Piccadilly / Jazz around the corner / I was kaiser Bill’s batman / Heart / When I’m cleaning windows / Maybe it’s because I ‘m a londoner / You ‘ve got your troubles / At the pub.10 years in space (Rainbow Music RMCD 2035)
Ten years in space / 28 06 04 / Navajo / Love and marriage / Star battle / Rock my blues away / Eldorado / Swing it / Shine / Waiting for the birthday party / El nino / Tell me where are all the friends today ? / Guitar minuet / Bristol express / Still on earth / Hunters corner / Ghosts from space.
Batteur Per Olof Alm.Space hunters in the wild west (Rarity C 192608 (2000))
Space hunter + In the wild west
Dance of the white man / Lonesome cowboy / Smiling Pony / Brave buffalos / Guitar express / Country woman.