Interview: Kenny Håkansson(Kebnekajse)
Interview Kenny Håkansson(Kebnekajse): Baby Grandmothers/Mecki Mark Men/Kebnekajse/Dag Vag/Psychedelic Dream Band. Kenny Håkansson interview May 2004
Discography
 
1971 Resa Mot Okänt Mål

The band recorded their first album 1971, psychedelic rock.
Kenny Håkansson - electric guitar and vocals / Pelle Ekman - drums / Bengt Linnarsson - electric bass / Rolf Scherrer - electric guitar

TrackList:

01. Tänk på livet   [05:00]
02. Frestelser i stan[04:48]
03. Orientens Express [02:07]
04. Resa Mot Okänt Mål [07:15]
05. Jag Älskar Sommaren [10:50]
06. Förberedelser till fest   [03:37]
07. Kommunicera[05:15]

 -What do you think about your debut album, 'Resa Mot Okänt Mål' ?
 'I like it, even though I had to adjust to the circumstances. My home recordings sounded a bit different.'
 - Favourite Song(and why)? 
 'Resa mot okänt mål. It is very intense'
 - Any special memories from the recording sessions? 
 'It was all instrumental to start with, then I wrote words to it as we went along.'
1973 Kebnekajse
Their second album is an album with mostly electrified traditional Swedish folktunes.
Kenny Håkansson - electric guitar and vocals / Pelle Ekman - drums /  Göran Lagerberg - electric bass / Mats Glenngård - fiddle and electric guitar / Pelle Lindström - vocal, harmonica, guitar, fiddle / Ingemar Böcker - electric guitar and others..

TrackList:
01. Rättvikarnas gånglåt [05:07]
02. Horgalåten [06:18]
03. Skänklåt från Rättvik [08:31]
04. Barkbrödslåten [04:36]
05. Commanche Spring [16:01]

 - and your second album, 'Kebnekajse', feelings about it ?
 'We never were able to put on tape recorder the way we really sounded. '
 - Favourite Song(and why)? 
 'Horgalåten – it is a classic.'

1975 Kebnekaise III
On their third album the band continued to play electrified traditional Swedish folktunes.
TrackList:
01. Leksands Brudmarsch
02. Polska Från Härjedalen
03. Eklundapolskan
04. S-t John
05. Skänklåt till Spelman
06. Polska från Bingsjö
07. Balladen Om Björnbär och Nätmelon
08.Mariamá
 - and what about your third album  'Kebnekaise III'?
 'The same as the first one. We sounded a lot better live. '
 - Favourite Song(and why)? 
 'Eklunda polska' – it is a classic.'
All albums with Kebnekajse

 - The best Kebnekajse album in your opinion?
 Probably the first and second.
 - Best Kebnekajse songs? 
 'Resa mot okänt mål, Horgalåten, Barkbrödslåten...

The Concerts, Kebnekajse:

 - First Concert, where/when?
 Could have been Fregatten, Stockholm, -71.
 - Any special memories from your Concerts with Kebnekajse? 
 In the summertime, playing outdoor concerts, if the sun was out, a lot of girls took their top off.

Kebnekajse Live 1972 at Åsö Gymnasium, Sweden
 

Photo by: Svenne "Ping" Johansson
Psychedelic Dream : 19/08/2004 Big Ben Pub ,Stockholm, Sweden
 
Kenny / Kebnekajse Links 
 

Kenny Håkansson Official Site

The Story of Kebnekajse

 
Kenny Håkansson interview May 2004
by Claes Hassel
General Questions:
How did you get into the music business?
   'I started with music then I just slipped on'
Who has been your main influences?
   ' The first one to influence me was Hank B Marvin/the Shadows.'
List five(or more) albums of the bands/artists that you like the most and why!
   'From time to time I have had a lot of “like most” albums.
-Frank Sinatra/”songs for lovers”
-Shadows (their best were on singles)
-American Folk & Blues, 64/65
-Lightnin’ Hopkins 65,
-John Lee Hooker “BoomBoom”65,
-The Beatles “the Beatles”-65
-Hendrix “Ae You Experienced”,
-Mothers of Invention “Freak out”,
and then the next Hendrix, Mothers, Beatles,
Stones “Beggars banquet”, the Who, and so on, and in modern time I had a period of different metal, like i.e. Motorhead “Orgasmatron”, Queens Riche “don’t remember the name”, and a few more.

I also was much into the jazz-rock scene for a while, with i.e. John McLaughlin, Miles Davies, and so on.
There are, as I sad, a lot of favourite albums in my way. And I haven’t mentioned them all, the list would be too long. '
What time was/is the most interesting for the rock music, in your opinion and why - 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or 00s?
   ' Hard to say, as you can understand from reading the answer to Q 3. All the decades has its moments of super music. I almost forgot to mention Prince, who also is one of the great once. '
Your dream band(living or dead ;), who would they be, vocal/bass/drums/keyboard/lead guitar/rythm guitar/producer?
   'Impossible for me to put together, I have too many favourites, and they are so different in styles.'
What kind of equipment/gear are you using on the road and in the studio?
   'Nowadays mostly MusicMan 120, with four 10” Jensen 25W speakers, Fender Strat 78, or Guild Starfire 6?, Lexicon 1 rev., VooDoo dist, Morley Wha/Vol, and with a few addings or subbings.'
You have composed many songs, which of them are your favourites?
   'I don’t have any favourite of my own songs. It’s a little like having a favourite amongst your children. Every song has its shiny little spot that made me put it together. '
What are you doing in your spare time outside of music?
   'Spending a lot of time with my wife. Doing a lot of work on my house, and every now and then a little golfing. My life is mostly music. '
If you have'nt been in the music business what have you been doing then?
   'Probably been stuck as a technician in the telephone company, where I worked before I made the choice of devoting my life to music. '
What are you currently up to?
   'Working on music, to put on a CD which I plan to sell through internet.
My site is www.kennyhakansson.se and there I have some albums for sale, as a little information for anyone interested. '
Artist/album related questions:
The Beginning
    Your first band, name and when did it begun??
   'My absolutely first band, was a band with my brother, Tommy, on bass, and a friend from our brassband, Janne, on drums. The name was “The Agents”.'
    Sort of music? ...Influences?
   'Only instrumental, in the style of The Shadows, and also a lot of songs from them. We played at scenes in “youth gardens” around Stockholm, and this was in –63/64. ' 
Baby Grandmothers:
The Beginning of Baby Grandmothers, how did you get together??
   'We met at club Filips, Stockholm –67.'
Favourite Songs(and why)?
  

”Being is more than life”, it is a beautiful and simple melody.'

Any anecdotes/speciell memories with Baby Grandmothers?
  

'All our equipment were stolen at the end of –67, and some of it were returned to us by the police a few weeks later.'

Mecki Mark Men:
The Beginning of Mecki Mark Men, how did you get together??
   'We spent a lot of time at Filips, and Mecki lost his bandmembers, and we decided to get together. '
The Recordings:
  

1969 Running in the Summer Night
- In general what do you think about the album?
'I like it mucho, good songs and very free spirited minds.
- Favourite Songs(and why)?
'The title song is something else. The first part is in 7/8, and the second part in 4/4, which makes the song fun and interesting to me. '
- Any anecdotes/speciell memories from the recording sessions?
'It was recorded in EuropaFilm studios in Sundbyberg, and engineer was Gert Palmcrantz. Every song was first take, and it was live as live can be.'

The Concerts, Mecki Mark Men:
   - First Concert, where/when?
'Finland –68, don’t remember the exact spot. '
- Which songs do/did you like performing live most and why?
'Sweet Swede girl was a nice one. I remember liking the chords.'
- Any anecdotes/speciell memories from your Concerts with Mecki Mark Men?
'Playing in Finland 1968 looking the way we did. We thought they were shouting to encourage us. Later we learned they were shouting, “pull the monkeys off stage”'
Dag Vag:
How did you get together??
   'Zilverzurfer called me and asked if I wanted to join them'
The Recordings:
  

1979 Scenbuddism
- In general what do you think about the album?
'It is a good one, and as live it isn’t perfect. But that is OK.'
- Favourite Songs(and why)?
'"Fattiga o rika ", it is still valid.'
- Any anecdotes/speciell memories from the recording sessions?
'No, I can’t remember where it was'

Psychedelic Dream Band:
How did you get together??
   'By accident. Our singer from Bills Boogie Band couldn’t come to an important gig, and therefore I had to take care of the mike. That event happened to be the birth of PsD. It was a wedding, and we couldn’t back out.'
The Music:
  

- Favourite Songs(and why)?
'No one particular. I like them all. '
- Any anecdotes/speciell memories from the recording sessions?
'All nites at Lilla Maria were special.'

Many Thanks to Kenny Håkanssonfor spending time on this interview AND sharing it with us!