Tages (EP)
1965 EP by Tages
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Tages (commonly referred to as Don't Turn Your Back) is the first seven-inch extended play by Swedish rock group Tages, a release which features four songs, two of which showcase the early songwriting talent of the band. It was initially released on 4 June 1965 in 1000 copies on Platina Records.[1]
Background and release
During the spring of 1965, Tages had become one of the biggest groups in Sweden, having released two singles that both reached the top-five on Kvällstoppen and Tio i Topp.[2][3] However, the group had received criticism for these releases; the first of which "Sleep Little Girl", was negatively received while the other one "I Should Be Glad" was considered too lightweight.[4] Additionally, the group's label Platina Records did not have a designated studio, instead, these singles had been recorded at a youth center and at Metronome Studios respectively.[5] These facilities were not equipped with the necessary equipment for proper recording, which, combined with the fact that the group never used a producer who they liked resulted in an inferior sound than they were looking for.[4]
This changed around April 1965 however. Platina signed a contract with EMI Records which lent them their studio on Sandhamnsgatan in Gärdet, Stockholm.[4] This led to Tages booking studio time during their first tour in Stockholm in early May 1965.[6] They had been working on several compositions, while also starting experimenting with other instruments. Rhythm guitarist Danne Larsson had been learning the piano and as a result, he was played the organ on a few of the EP's tracks.[7] The group entered the studio on 4 May to record "Forget Him", while the following session held during the night between 5–6 May produced such songs as "Don't Turn Your Back", "Donna" and "Hound Dog".[8] Two of these tracks, "Forget Him" and "Don't Turn Your Back" were original compositions, while the other two were covers.[8]
The first songs released from these sessions came in the form of a single, where the songs "Don't Turn Your Back" and "Hound Dog" were used as an A- and B-side respectively. This, their third single, was released around a week after recording on 14 May,[8] reaching number two on both Kvällstoppen and Tio i Topp.[2][3] The popularity of the group was now a sealed fact and the group had begun to process requests for summer performances,[9] becoming the most requested band during that summer.[10] To capitalize this success and to tease the public on about what was going to happen during the summer, Platina Records decided to release the EP on 4 June 1965.[4] It proved to be the final release by the band produced by Rune Wallebom; they met Anders Henriksson during their summer tour, upon which he would produce the rest of their material.[4] The EP features lead vocals from four members of the group.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Turn Your Back" | 2:08 | ||
| 2. | "Forget Him" | Tommy Blom | Tommy Blom | 2:59 |
| Total length: | 5:07 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Donna" | Ritchie Valens | Töpel | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Hound Dog" |
| Lagerberg | 1:47 |
| Total length: | 5:10 | |||
Personnel
- Tages
- Tommy Blom – lead and backing vocals, tambourine, harmonica
- Göran Lagerberg – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
- Danne Larsson – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, organ
- Anders Töpel – lead and backing vocals, lead guitar
- Freddie Skantze – drums