Tages (band)

In the summer of 1963, Tommy Blom and Anders Töpel started a skiffle group, originally named Alberts Skifflegrupp after Blom's middle name. Töpel invited Danne Larsson to join the band, who suggested they also invite Göran Lagerberg to play the washboard.[1] The quartet then renamed themselves Tages Skifflegrupp after Larsson's middle name, Tage, hoping the unusual name would help them stand out.[2][3] The group initially sang mainly sing-along songs.[4] They usually performed at private events, but occasionally were scheduled to play at venues. In October of that year, the group entered a talent show called "Oktobersmällen" ("The October Bang"). The band was flat out panned by the jury, and ended up last place.[5] However, it gave them their first major performance, at Kungälv Folkpark.[5]

By early 1964, Tages Skifflegrupp had changed their name to simply Tages, as they quickly ventured away from skiffle due to the impact of Beatlemania. Lagerberg received a bass guitar as a Christmas present and the other members purchased electric guitars of their own.[6] After recruiting drummer Freddie Skantze, Tages became a beat group.[7][8]

Tages receiving the prize for the West Coast's Beatles competition, 16 August 1964

The group caught their first break during 13–17 August 1964, when they signed up for Göteborgs-Posten's contest "Västkustens Beatles" ("The West Coast's Beatles"). The concept behind this was to sound similarly to the Beatles, with a requirement of four members. The prize was a free recording session to the victor.[9] Tages however, consisted of five members at the time. This problem was solved since Blom was in London at the time, a two-week vacation he took to improve his English skills, while connecting with other people at a Youth Hostel.[4] Without Blom, Lagerberg, Larsson, Töpel and Skantze successfully made Tages into a quartet.[10] They won the contest, garnering 600 votes out of the 1300 voting members of the audience.[10][11]

Blom had by now returned to Sweden, and the band were authorized to record their first single. For this release, they chose to record a song which was written by Blom, "Sleep Little Girl". The first recording of the song was not recorded at a professional studio, but rather at Nylöse Ungdomsgård, where a makeshift studio had been created in the cellar.[4] The group entered the studio on 20 September 1964 to record the song.[12] The song features Blom on lead vocals, while Larsson plays the acoustic guitar. Lagerberg sings backing vocals on the recording. The single was released on 16 October 1964, by independent record label Platina Records. "Sleep Little Girl" became an immediate smash hit. It reached number 3 on Kvällstoppen in December 1964, and topped radio chart Tio i Topp, staying eleven weeks on that chart.[13][14] Due to its massive success, "Sleep Little Girl" was re-issued in January 1965.[15]