By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio
The Grand Leve’s Göran Hjertstedt was my very special guest on Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation on May 30. This show was, in fact, the second of two, back-to-back episodes broadcast that evening.
Göran, formerly of Pure Pop Radio favorite band Longplayer and now the creative force behind the Grand Leve, has produced yet another marvelous mix of melodic pop and roll, performed by Göran, Ulf Holmberg (ex-Longplayer), and Ian Haugland, the drummer for Swedish rockers Europe.
Grand melodies abound in this new collection, a must for fans of melodic pop music. Göran and I talked about the Grand Leve, and surveyed his musical journey from his time in the hit pop band Visitors to his work with Ian in Brains Beat Beauty and his time with Ulf in Longplayer and, subsequently, the Longplayer Orchestra.
During this hour-plus program, we played songs from Visitors, Brains Beat Beauty, Longplayer, and, of course, the Grand Leve. Göran related the stories behind these terrific numbers (click on the links to listen to samples):
- Visitors | “Do Do Do Do (You Love Her)” | Visitors
- Brains Beat Beauty | “Steinway and Sons and Me” | First Came Moses, Now This…
- Longplayer | “Won’t Let You Down” | Longplayer
- The Grand Leve | “Free” | The Grand Leve
- The Grand Leve | “Yesterday Man” | The Grand Leve
You can, and should, purchase the Grand Leve’s debut album at Amazon.
Listen to my interview with the Grand Leve’s Göran Hjertstedt from the May 30 edition of Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation by clicking the play button on the following player, or click on the Pure Pop Radio button to the left to download (then right click and choose “Save audio as” to save the file to your computer). (This interview is presented in scoped format; the songs have been removed due to copyright concerns.)
Listen to a wide selection of previously-aired Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation interviews by clicking here.
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Pure Pop Radio’s signature shows, Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation (Wednesday, 9 pm ET) and Alan Haber’s Pop Tunes Deejay Show (Thursday, 8 pm ET), air exclusively on Pop that Goes Crunch Radio.
The Quick, which featured Danny Wilde, later of the Rembrandts, as lead vocalist, were shepherded by the legendary Kim Fowley and producer and engineer Earle Mankey, who was a member of Halfnelson, which later became Sparks. The Quick’s one and only album, featuring clever arrangements and harmonies galore, pops and rocks with abandon. Danny and I talk about the origins of the Quick, recording Mondo Deco, and other topics, including how he came to get Rolling Stone Charlie Watts’ drum sticks (hint: Charlie gave them to Danny). Plus, you’ll hear three songs from Mondo Deco, including their mondo-creative cover of the Beatles’ “It Won’t Be Long.”
This Thursday night at 8 pm ET on Pop that Goes Crunch Radio, I’m back with another all-new edition of the Pop Tunes Deejay Show, this time around featuring the Red Button’s latest release, “Ooh Girl,” featuring Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone on lead vocal. You won’t want to miss this one.