Pussycats - The Pussycats Story (1965-67)

This Tromsø/Norway act started as The Arctic in spring 1964. They headed to Stockholm/Sweden to pursue a professional career and it was there where they met the businessman Sten Ekroth, who became their manager. Ekroth's idea was to make the band as big as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and it was him who came out with the name "Pussycats". Their first single "Ebb Tide/Cadillac" sold nearly 25,000 copies. Their follow-up "Gonna Send You Back To Georgia/Donna" did not sell nearly as much, but at least it was not a week without the Pussycats was featured in the press. Their career was marked by scandal stories, often arranged by their manager. Their debut-album Pssst! Pssst! was hailed as a masterpiece in the press, and from a historical perspective, the LP is considered to be a milestone. No other Norwegian artists had until 1966 been able to make a rock LP of such convincing quality, both in terms of sound, performance and song material. The album was also one of the '60s greatest successes in Norway and stayed ten weeks on top of the charts, which was a Norwegian record. During a publicity tour in the summer of 1966, the Pussycats' second LP was recorded in Hamburg. Mrrr... Mrrr... was a bold mix of catchy pop songs and more experimental tunes and received ovations in the press and sold well again. Prior to the release of Mrrr... Mrrr... Ekroth quit his job and Totto Johannessen took over the management. More singles followed and they developed now a more polished Pop sound with less success. "Vanya Maria/Death Is Coming" was their last release as The Pussycats and perhaps their only record with hints of Psychedelia. Another 45 "Sjøreisa/Mors Minner" came out under the pseudonym Sailors but didn't make much impression. Soon after the band quit but in 1971 Trond Graff and Sverre Kjelsberg reformed the group with new members. Their only output was the album "Touch Wood" in 1973 which moves towards Progressive and Jazz.

The Pussycats Story (PolyGram 847502-2 / 1990) includes all their singles and the best tracks of their two albums.

Tracklist:
- Ebb Tide
- Cadillac
- Donna
- Gonna Send You Back To Georgia
- Boom Boom
- Gone, Gone, Gone
- Danny
- Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
- The Last Time
- Just A Little Teardrop
- Let Me Stay With You
- Purdy Patsy
- Baby Baby
- Don't Love Me
- Love Me Tonight
- Why Have We To Wait
- Song
- They Say...
- Regrets
- I'm Going Home
- The Craftsman
- True True Lovin'
- Travellin'
- A Night Of Life
- Rain
- Call Me
- Vanja Maria
- Death Is Coming

Personnel:
Trond "Eddy" Graff (lead gtr, vcls, organ) [ABCDEFGHI]
Ottar "Jimmy" Aasegg (rhythm gtr, vcls) [ABCDEFGH]
Sverre "Teddy" Kjelsberg (bs, lead vcls) [ABCDEFGHI]
Ingemar "Reddy" Stjerndahl (keyb'ds, vcls) [AC]
Friedel "Freddy" Brandt (drms) [ABCDEFGH]
Dennis Wilhelmsson (keyb'ds, vcls) [B]
Christian Reim (keyb'ds) [D]
John Erik Holtan (keyb'ds) [E]
(Arild Boman (keyb'ds) [F])
Janne Løseth (lead gtr, vcls) [G]
Per Christian Hansen (gtr) [H]
Bjørn Henriksen (gtr) [I]
Bror Dahl (sax) [I]
Knut T. Johannessen (drms) [I]

Band origin:
Tromsø (Norway)

Discographie:
Albums:
 1. (A) Psst! Psst! Psst! (Polydor Int. 623013) 1966
 2. (A) Mrr... Mrr... (Polydor Int. 623020) 1966
 3. (I) Touch Wood (Polydor 2382033) 1973

45's:
 1. (A) Ebb Tide/Cadillac (Karusell KFF-613) 1965
 2. (A) Gonna Send You Back To Georgia/Donna
    (Karusell KFF-623) 1965
 3. (A) Boom Boom/Gone Gone Gone (Teen Beat TBP 01) 1965
 4. (A) Let Me Stay With You/Purdy Patsy
    (Teen Beat TBP 03) 1966
 5. (A) Just A Little Teardrop/Baby Baby
    (Teen Beat TBP 04) 1966
 6. (A) Why Have We To Wait/Regrets
    (Teen Beat TBP 05) 1966
 7. (E) Smile At Me [Flexi-Disc] (Poppy Sound PS 102) 1966
 8. (A) The Craftsman/Song (Teen Beat TBP 06) 1967
 9. (F) A Night Of Life/Rain (Polydor NH 66800) 1967
10. (G) Vanja Maria/Death Is Coming
    (Polydor NH 66810) 1967
11. (G) Sjøreisa/Mors Minner (Nor-Disc NOR 156) 1967

[11. as Sailors]

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Listen to Why Have We To Wait