Norell, who together with Håkansson wrote most of the band's compositions, nevertheless remained in the shadow of his comrades, not appearing with them on the covers of Secret Service albums. The first single of the young ensemble “Oh Susie” became a hit in Sweden as well as in some countries in Europe and South America (#9 Germany, #2 Sweden). The 1979 self-titled album, which included another hit, "Ten O'Clock Postman" (#5 Germany), went gold in Scandinavia.
The second disc of the group the following year, Ye Si Ca (1980), like its predecessor, was in a dance-pop vein and sold worse than its predecessor, but also contained the hits “Ye Si Ca” (#9 Germany) “L.A. Goodbye” (#23 Germany ). The third work followed after a year's lull. Cutting Corners (1982) turned out to be very hip and contained electro-pop compositions, among which was perhaps their most popular synth-pop single, "Flash in the Night", which topped the charts throughout continental Europe.
By the mid-'80s, Norell and Håkansson began writing and producing songs for other artists. Performed as a duet with former soloist ABBA Agnetha Fältskog's single "The Way You Are", included on the band's next LP, went gold in Sweden.
In 1987, Håkansson, Norell and Wahlberg recorded Aux Deux Magots, last album Secret Service. Multi-instrumentalist Anders Hansson and bassist Mats A. Lindberg also participated in the work. Recorded, as always, in a Euro-pop vein, it became a worthy conclusion to the almost ten-year career of Secret Service.
Subsequently, Alexander Bard, composer and producer, creator of the groups Army of Lovers and Vacuum, joined the creative union of Håkansson and Norell. This is how the megatrio Norell Oson Bard appeared - the Swedish answer to the English songwriters Stock-Aitken-Waterman. In 1992, they founded the Swedish branch of PolyGram, called Stockholm Records, which produced such famous bands as Army of Lovers, the Cardigans, etc.
N.v.
Secret Service Secret Service"Secret Service"(With English - “Secret Service”) - one of the most famous musical groups Sweden in the genre popular music in the 80s.
Story
It all started in the early 60s. A little-known young performer, Ola Håkansson, joined The Janglers as a soloist in 1963. Ola immediately took a leading position there, so soon the name of this group sounded like Ola & The Janglers. In addition to Ola, the group included four more members, among whom we can note the famous Swedish musician Claes Af Geijerstam (he was the author of most of the songs of Ola & The Janglers) and Leif Johansson, who later also joined the Secret Service group. The work of Ola & The Janglers was quite popular both in Sweden and abroad. Having started the repertoire with cover versions of compositions by The Kinks and Rolling Stones, in their homeland the group recorded more than 20 singles. And their song “Let's Dance” in May 1969 even got into the American Billboard Top 100. Ola & The Janglers also appeared as movie stars: in 1967, two films appeared with the participation of musicians: “Drra pa - Kul grej pa vag till Gotet "and the more famous "Ola & Julia", where Ola Håkansson even played the main role. The soundtrack to "Ola & Julia" was composed by Claes Af Geijerstam, and included the song "Juliet", also released as a single.
With the beginning of the 70s, the activity of Ola & The Janglers began to fade. The group's last single and album were released in 1976 - five years after their previous releases.
Ola Håkansson's early work was not limited to his participation in Ola & The Janglers: he also had his own solo recordings (in Swedish). The first album appeared in 1972 new group, whose leader was also Hakansson. The group was called Ola, Frukt och Flingor. Having released several albums and singles in Swedish, the group ceased to exist at the end of the 70s. Interestingly, (judging by the few photographs) the line-up of Ola, Frukt & Flingor was almost identical to the future Secret Service: Ola Hakansson, Ulf Wahlberg, Leif Johansson, Tonny Lindberg and (most likely) Leif Paulsen. No reliable information has been found regarding the participation of one of the leading Secret Service musicians, Tim Norell, in Ola, Frukt & Flingor, although this is not excluded. In the 70s, Ola Hakansson was also known as the manager of one of the largest recording studios Sweden - Sonet Grammofon.
In the late 70s, the future makings of Secret Service finally appeared: keyboardist Ulf Wahlberg and the now famous Swedish composer Tim Norell became Ola Håkansson's main creative partners. Both had education as music teachers, and Norell had previously generally gravitated towards the classics. The result of their work was the Ola+3 project. The name of the group can be roughly understood as "Ula Håkansson plus three musicians" - they were Ulf Wahlberg, Leif Johansson and Tonny Lindberg. Tim Norell himself is not present on the covers. In 1979, the musicians presented their composition Det Kanns Som Jag Vandrar Fram in Swedish song competition Melodifestivalen. Although the song was not among the winners, Håkansson and his colleagues were not disappointed, and the team decided to continue working together.
And finally, in the same 1979, the new star on the European stage - Secret Service. In addition to Hakansson, Norell and Wahlberg, the group included musicians familiar from Ola Hakansson's previous projects - Tonny Lindberg, Leif Johansson and Leif Paulsen. Their debut single“Oh Susie” did not go unnoticed and won high ratings both in Europe and beyond. The next single - "Ten O'Clock Postman" - only strengthened the popularity of Secret Service, hitting the top lines of the charts in Germany and even Japan. Sonet Grammofon AB opens a special sublabel SEC, which subsequently released all Secret Service maxi-singles. And soon the group’s first album, “Oh Susie,” appeared, backed by already popular hits and also having great success.
An interesting fact is that all Secret Service albums, with the exception of the last one, additionally existed in some Spanish-language versions. Records for Spain, Venezuela and Argentina were published with Spanish song titles. Unfortunately, little is known about these releases, and it is not entirely clear whether all the compositions on these albums were actually performed on Spanish, or there was a simple translation of the titles on the covers. Although, the second Spanish single “Ye Si Ca” (“Carnaby MO 2045”) clearly supports the version about the existence of espacol versions of at least some Secret Service songs.
This was followed by several more successful singles - “L.A. Goodbye" and "Ye Si Ca", the latter of which gained considerable popularity in South America. In 1981, the second album “Ye Si Ca” was released, an equally interesting and successful release. It can be noted that the author of the song “Angelica & Ramone” was the above-mentioned musician from Ola & The Janglers - Claes Af Geijerstam.
The vast majority of Secret Service's songs were written by Tim Norell (music) and Bjorn Hakanson (lyrics). Some of the lyrics were written by Ola Hakansson under the pseudonym Oson, taken due to its similarity with the surname of the main poet Bjorn Hakanson. It is interesting that Tim Norell, being the author of almost all the melodies of Secret Service songs, for some reason was never photographed with the group, did not appear at various shows and concerts, and he is not on the covers of Secret Service records! What caused such mystery on Tim's part is unknown.
By the early 1980s, more and more performers were interested in the possibilities electronic instruments, which became more accessible and widespread. Secret Service also could not stay away from these trends, which is clearly demonstrated by their third album, “Cutting Corners” (1982). The band's sound has undergone some changes. The synthesizer now dominates over other instruments, the drums do not sound as natural as in the first two albums: the indescribable drive of the first songs has partially disappeared. Secret Service have developed a slightly different, more melodic, calm and modern style, who, however, still stood out from the mass of numerous European performers. It is on “Cutting Corners” that you can hear one of the “ business cards» Secret Service - the legendary “Flash In The Night”.
In 1984, Secret Service recorded their next album, Jupiter Sign. The song “Sign of Jupiter” differs from other compositions with its mysterious, stylish sound, combining both electric sound and live instruments, such as a violin. Next year was marked by the release of the next, fifth Secret Service record - “When The Night Closes In” (“When Night Comes”).
By 1987, the band's lineup had thinned out considerably - both Leif and Tonny Lindberg, as well as the main lyricist Bjorn Hakanson, left. But their place was taken by newcomers - Anders Hansson (keyboards, programming) and Mats Lindberg (bass). With this line-up, Secret Service recorded the album “Aux Deux Magots”. The record has a slightly changed sound, which is not surprising - the appearance of new people is immediately felt - Anders Hansson added many interesting effects to the band's music. Ola Hakansson became the main lyricist; Among the songwriters of “Aux Deux Magots” you can see Alexander Bard, leader of the Army of Lovers. He subsequently worked closely with Hakansson and Norell, co-authoring both a few of the later Secret Service compositions and many other projects. In general, by the end of the 80s, Secret Service members spent less and less time on their own creativity, focusing more on promising young performers. Hakansson, Norell and Hansson even created creative team, dubbed The Megatrio in the Swedish press, working to create hits for new stars from Scandinavia. The Megatrio became a kind of Swedish equivalent to the English Stock-Aitken-Waterman. The album “Aux Deux Magots” also includes an extended-version of the composition “The Way You Are” - a joint duet of Ola Hakansson and famous singer Agnetha Faltskog from ABBA. The song was recorded in 1986, and, according to some information, was featured in one of the films dedicated to the upcoming 1992 Olympics.
Aux Deux Magots was Secret Service's last full-length album. Apparently, work on other projects got the better of the musicians, and own creativity there was no time left. Only occasionally did various collections of hits appear, although in 1990 an interesting Megamix release was released, released on 7" and 12" records. Also in 1992, Secret Service recorded the song "Bring Heaven Down" for the Swedish film "Ha Ett Underbart Liv", which for a long time remained one of the band's most obscure songs.
In 1992 Ola Håkansson founded own company Stockholm Records (at the end of 2004, Ekf left its leadership, settling in a new place - the production label TEN Productions). Stockholm Records, part of the Universal Music Sweden group of companies, still exists successfully, having become the “native” studio for many artists from Scandinavia (A-Teens, The Cardigans, Stakka Bo, Army of Lovers, etc.).
A client of Stockholm Records is also the fairly well-known techno group Antiloop, which in 1997 delighted all Secret Service fans with the interesting return of the hits “Flash In The Night” and “Oh Susie” in new “Antiloop Reconstruction” versions.
After the release of the single with "Antiloop remakes", there were rumors for a long time that Secret Service had reunited and were working on new records, but there was no clear confirmation of this fact. However, in 2000, the rumors became reality - Stockholm Records released the most interesting collection “Top Secret Greatest Hits”, the main surprise of which was not the remastered hits of the group from past years, but truly new songs - “The Sound of The Rain” and “Destiny of Love." And there were quite a few other pleasant gifts on the disc - just look at the remixes of “The Dancer” and “Rainy Day Memories”! But the sudden appearance of new Secret Service songs did not at all mean their reunion. However, Secret Service appears in public from time to time - for example, on December 16, 2006, the group updated composition, took part in the “Legends of Retro FM” festival.
In 2007, the musicians of the Secret Service group began recording a musical called “Flash in the night.” The musical takes place in Russia, but is all based on the tunes of Secret Service. This is a drama that took place in Leningrad in the early 80s, telling about love, hatred, grief and happiness. It includes all the hits of the group “Secret Service”. The musical is written in three languages at once: Swedish, English and Russian.
Released June 12, 2012 new album group - “The Lost Box”, which included only previously unknown, old compositions, which, according to the authors, were accidentally found and previously unpublished.
Compound
Original composition:
- Ola Håkansson - vocals
- Ulf Wahlberg - keyboards
- Tony Lindbergh - guitar
- Leif Johansson - drums
- Leif Paulsen - bass
Lineup 1987:
- Tim Norell - keyboards, backing vocals
- Ola Håkansson - vocals
- Anders Hansson - drums
- Ulf Wahlberg - keyboards
- Mats Lindberg - bass
Modern composition:
- Tim Norell - composer, keyboards
- Ulf Wahlberg - keyboards, guitar
- Mikael Erlandsson - vocals, guitar
- Mats Lindberg - bass
- Jamie Borger - drums
Timeline
Id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:blue legend:Guitar id:keys value:yellow legend:Keyboards id:keyst value:orange legend:Keyboards_(in_studio) id:bass value:green legend:Bass guitar id:drums value:purple legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_albums
Bar:Ola text:"Ola Håkansson" bar:Ulf text:"Ulf Wahlberg" bar:Tim text:"Tim Norell" bar:Tony text:"Tony Lindbergh" bar:Leif1 text:"Leif Johansson" bar:Leif2 text: "Leif Paulsen" bar:Anders text:"Anders Hansson" bar:Mats text:"Mats Lindberg" bar:Mikael text:"Mikael Erlandsson" bar:Borger text:"Jamie Borger"
Width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Ola from:01/01/1979 till:31/03/1988 color:vocals bar:Ola from:01/01/1992 till:21/01/1992 color:vocals bar:Ola from:01/03/2000 till:31/05/2000 color:vocals bar:Ulf from:01/01/1979 till:31/03/1988 color:keys bar:Ulf from:01/01/1992 till:21/01/1992 color:keys bar:Ulf from:01/03/2000 till:31/05/2000 color:keys bar:Ulf from:20/11/2006 till:end color:keys bar:Tim from:01/01/1979 till:31/03/1988 color:keyst bar:Tim from:01/01/1992 till:21/01/1992 color:keys bar:Tim from :01/03/2000 till:31/05/2000 color:keys bar:Tim from:01/12/2006 till:end color:keys bar:Tony from:01/01/1979 till:31/12/1986 color :guitar bar:Leif1 from:01/01/1979 till:31/12/1986 color:bass bar:Leif2 from:01/01/1979 till:31/12/1986 color:drums bar:Anders from:01/01 /1987 till:31/03/1988 color:drums bar:Mats from:01/01/1987 till:31/03/1988 color:bass bar:Mats from:01/12/2006 till:end color:bass bar: Mikael from:01/12/2006 till:end color:vocals bar:Borger from:01/12/2006 till:end color:drums
At:08/09/1979 color:black layer:back at:21/05/1981 color:black layer:back at:27/05/1982 color:black layer:back at:02/06/1984 color:black layer :back at:22/05/1985 color:black layer:back at:04/08/1987 color:black layer:back at:12/06/2012 color:black layer:back
Discography
Studio albums
- - "Oh Susie"
- - "Ye-Si-Ca"
- - "Cutting Corners"
- - "Jupiter Sign"
- - "When the Night Closes In"
- - "Aux Deux Magots"
- - "The Lost Box"
Compilations
- - "Greatest Hits"
- - "Spotlight"
- - "The Very Best Of Secret Service"
- - "Top Secret - Greatest Hits"
- - "En Popklassiker"
Singles
- "Oh Susie"(Sweden-#1, Colombia-#1, Denmark-#1, Finland-#4, Malta-#5, Norway-#7, Germany-#9)
- "Ten O'Clock Postman"(Denmark-#3, Germany-#4, Japan-#4, Austria-#8, Sweden-#18)
- "Ye-Si-Ca"(Colombia-#1, Germany-#5, Sweden-#6, Denmark-#9, Norway-#10, Austria-#11, Switzerland-#17)
- "L.A. Goodbye"(Denmark-#11, Germany-#16)
- "Flash In The Night"(Portugal-#1, Finland-#5, Norway-#6, Switzerland-#9, Denmark-#12, Sweden-#12, Germany-#23, Netherlands-#30)
- "Cry Softly"(Switzerland-#8, Norway-#10, Sweden-#12, Germany-#45)
- "Dancing in Madness"(Denmark-#10, Sweden-#11)
- "Jo-Anne, Jo-Anne"
- "Do It"(Finland-#5, Denmark-#22)
- "How I Want You"
- "Let Us Dance Just A Little Bit More"
- "When The Night Closes In"(Germany-#51)
- "Night City"
- "The Way You Are"
- "Say, Say"
- "I'm So, I'm So, I'm So (I'm So In Love With You)"
- "Don't You Know, Don't You Know"(published only in Sweden)
- Megamix(published only in Sweden)
- "The Dancer"
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An excerpt characterizing Secret Service
Following the letter, one of the Masonic brothers, less respected by him, burst into Pierre's solitude and, bringing the conversation to Pierre's marital relations, in the form of fraternal advice, expressed to him the idea that his severity towards his wife was unfair, and that Pierre was deviating from the first rules of a Freemason , not forgiving the repentant.At the same time, his mother-in-law, the wife of Prince Vasily, sent for him, begging him to visit her for at least a few minutes to negotiate a very important matter. Pierre saw that there was a conspiracy against him, that they wanted to unite him with his wife, and this was not even unpleasant to him in the state in which he was. He didn’t care: Pierre didn’t consider anything in life to be a matter of great importance, and under the influence of the melancholy that now took possession of him, he did not value either his freedom or his persistence in punishing his wife.
“No one is right, no one is to blame, therefore she is not to blame,” he thought. - If Pierre did not immediately express consent to unite with his wife, it was only because in the state of melancholy in which he was, he was not able to do anything. If his wife had come to him, he would not have sent her away now. Compared to what occupied Pierre, wasn’t it all the same whether he lived or not lived with his wife?
Without answering anything to either his wife or his mother-in-law, Pierre got ready for the road late one evening and left for Moscow to see Joseph Alekseevich. This is what Pierre wrote in his diary.
“Moscow, November 17th.
I just arrived from my benefactor, and I hasten to write down everything that I experienced. Joseph Alekseevich lives poorly and has been suffering from a painful bladder disease for three years. No one ever heard a groan or a word of murmur from him. From morning until late at night, with the exception of the hours during which he eats the simplest food, he works on science. He received me graciously and seated me on the bed on which he was lying; I made him a sign of the knights of the East and Jerusalem, he answered me in the same way, and with a gentle smile asked me about what I had learned and acquired in the Prussian and Scottish lodges. I told him everything as best I could, conveying the reasons that I proposed in our St. Petersburg box and informed him about the bad reception given to me and about the break that had occurred between me and the brothers. Joseph Alekseevich, having paused and thought for a while, expressed his view of all this to me, which instantly illuminated for me everything that had happened and the entire future path ahead of me. He surprised me by asking if I remembered what the threefold purpose of the order was: 1) to preserve and learn the sacrament; 2) in purifying and correcting oneself in order to perceive it and 3) in correcting the human race through the desire for such purification. What is the most important and first goal of these three? Of course, your own correction and cleansing. This is the only goal we can always strive for, regardless of all circumstances. But at the same time, this goal requires the most work from us, and therefore, misled by pride, we, missing this goal, either take on the sacrament, which we are unworthy to receive due to our uncleanness, or we take on the correction of the human race, when we ourselves are an example of abomination and depravity. Illuminism is not a pure doctrine precisely because it has become carried away social activities and full of pride. On this basis, Joseph Alekseevich condemned my speech and all my activities. I agreed with him in the depths of my soul. On the occasion of our conversation about my family matters, he said to me: “The main duty of a true Mason, as I told you, is to improve himself.” But often we think that by removing all the difficulties of our life from ourselves, we will more quickly achieve this goal; on the contrary, my lord, he told me, only in the midst of secular unrest can we achieve three main goals: 1) self-knowledge, for a person can know himself only through comparison, 2) improvement, which is achieved only through struggle, and 3) to achieve the main virtue - love of death. Only the vicissitudes of life can show us its futility and can contribute to our innate love of death or rebirth to a new life. These words are all the more remarkable because Joseph Alekseevich, despite his severe physical suffering, is never burdened by life, but loves death, to which he, despite all the purity and height of his inner man, doesn’t feel ready enough yet. Then the benefactor explained to me the full meaning of the great square of the universe and pointed out that the triple and seventh numbers are the basis of everything. He advised me not to distance myself from communication with the St. Petersburg brothers and, occupying only 2nd degree positions in the lodge, try, distracting the brothers from the hobbies of pride, to turn them to the true path of self-knowledge and improvement. In addition, for himself, he personally advised me, first of all, to take care of myself, and for this purpose he gave me a notebook, the same one in which I write and will henceforth write down all my actions.”
“Petersburg, November 23rd.
“I live with my wife again. My mother-in-law came to me in tears and said that Helen was here and that she was begging me to listen to her, that she was innocent, that she was unhappy with my abandonment, and much more. I knew that if I only allowed myself to see her, I would no longer be able to refuse her her desire. In my doubts, I did not know whose help and advice to resort to. If the benefactor was here, he would tell me. I retired to my room, re-read Joseph Alekseevich’s letters, remembered my conversations with him, and from everything I concluded that I should not refuse anyone who asks and should give a helping hand to everyone, especially to a person so connected with me, and I should bear my cross. But if I forgave her for the sake of virtue, then let my union with her have one spiritual goal. So I decided and wrote to Joseph Alekseevich. I told my wife that I ask her to forget everything old, I ask her to forgive me for what I could have been guilty of before her, and that I have nothing to forgive her. I was happy to tell her this. Let her not know how hard it was for me to see her again. Settled in big house in the upper chambers and experience happy feeling updates."
As always, even then, high society, uniting together at court and at large balls, was divided into several circles, each with its own shade. Among them, the most extensive was the French circle, the Napoleonic Alliance - Count Rumyantsev and Caulaincourt. In this circle, Helen took one of the most prominent places as soon as she and her husband settled in St. Petersburg. She had gentlemen from the French embassy and a large number of people known for their intelligence and courtesy, belonging to this direction.
Helen was in Erfurt during the famous meeting of the emperors, and from there she brought these connections with all the Napoleonic sights of Europe. In Erfurt it was a brilliant success. Napoleon himself, noticing her in the theater, said about her: “C"est un superbe animal.” [This is a beautiful animal.] Her success as a beautiful and elegant woman did not surprise Pierre, because over the years she became even more beautiful than before But what surprised him was that during these two years his wife managed to acquire a reputation for herself.
“d"une femme charmante, aussi spirituelle, que belle.” [a charming woman, as smart as she is beautiful.] The famous prince de Ligne [Prince de Ligne] wrote letters to her on eight pages. Bilibin saved his mots [words], in order to say them for the first time in front of Countess Bezukhova. To be received in Countess Bezukhova’s salon was considered a diploma of intelligence; young people read Helen’s books before the evening, so that they would have something to talk about in her salon, and the embassy secretaries, and even envoys, confided diplomatic secrets to her, so Helen had strength in some way. Pierre, who knew that she was very stupid, sometimes attended her evenings and dinners, where politics, poetry and philosophy were discussed, with a strange feeling of bewilderment and fear. At these evenings he experienced a similar feeling. the kind that a magician must experience, expecting every time that his deception will be revealed, but whether it is because stupidity was needed to run such a salon, or because the deceived themselves found pleasure in this deception, the deception was not discovered, and their reputation was lost. "une femme charmante et spirituelle so unshakably established herself in Elena Vasilievna Bezukhova that she could say the most vulgar and stupid things, and yet everyone admired her every word and looked for it deep meaning, which she herself did not even suspect.
Pierre was exactly the husband that this brilliant, secular woman needed. He was that absent-minded eccentric, the husband of a grand seigneur [great gentleman], not bothering anyone and not only not spoiling the general impression of the high tone of the living room, but, with his opposite to the grace and tact of his wife, serving as an advantageous background for her. During these two years, Pierre, as a result of his constant concentrated occupation with immaterial interests and sincere contempt for everything else, acquired for himself in the company of his wife, who was not interested in him, that tone of indifference, carelessness and benevolence towards everyone, which is not acquired artificially and which therefore inspires involuntary respect . He entered his wife’s living room as if he were entering a theatre, he knew everyone, was equally happy with everyone and was equally indifferent to everyone. Sometimes he entered into a conversation that interested him, and then, without consideration of whether les messieurs de l'ambassade [employees at the embassy] were there or not, mumbled his opinions, which were sometimes completely out of tune with the tone of the moment. But the opinion about the eccentric husband de la femme la plus distinguee de Petersbourg [the most remarkable woman in St. Petersburg] was already so established that no one took au serux [seriously] his antics.
Among the many young people who visited Helen’s house every day, Boris Drubetskoy, who was already very successful in the service, was, after Helen’s return from Erfurt, the closest person in the Bezukhovs’ house. Helen called him mon page [my page] and treated him like a child. Her smile towards him was the same as towards everyone else, but sometimes Pierre was unpleasant to see this smile. Boris treated Pierre with special, dignified and sad respect. This shade of respect also worried Pierre. Pierre suffered so painfully three years ago from an insult inflicted on him by his wife that now he saved himself from the possibility of such an insult, firstly by the fact that he was not his wife’s husband, and secondly by the fact that he did not allow himself to suspect.
“No, now having become a bas bleu [bluestocking], she has abandoned her former hobbies forever,” he said to himself. “There was no example of bas bleu having passions of the heart,” he repeated to himself, from nowhere, a rule he had learned, which he undoubtedly believed. But, strangely, the presence of Boris in his wife’s living room (and he was almost constantly) had a physical effect on Pierre: it bound all his limbs, destroyed unconsciousness and freedom of his movements.
“Such a strange antipathy,” thought Pierre, “but before I even really liked him.”
In the eyes of the world, Pierre was a great gentleman, a somewhat blind and funny husband famous wife, a smart eccentric who does nothing, but also does not harm anyone, a nice and kind fellow. During all this time, complex and difficult work was going on in Pierre’s soul. internal development, which revealed a lot to him and led him to many spiritual doubts and joys.
He continued his diary, and this is what he wrote in it during this time:
“November 24 ro.
“I got up at eight o’clock, read the Holy Scripture, then went to office (Pierre, on the advice of a benefactor, entered the service of one of the committees), returned to dinner, dined alone (the Countess has many guests, unpleasant to me), ate and drank in moderation and After lunch I copied plays for my brothers. In the evening I went to the countess and told funny story about B., and only then remembered that this should not have been done, when everyone was already laughing loudly.
“I go to bed with a happy and calm spirit. Great Lord, help me to walk in Your paths, 1) to overcome some of the anger - with quietness, slowness, 2) lust - with abstinence and aversion, 3) to move away from vanity, but not to separate myself from a) public affairs, b) from family concerns , c) from friendly relations and d) economic pursuits.”
“November 27th.
“I got up late and woke up and lay on my bed for a long time, indulging in laziness. My God! help me and strengthen me, that I may walk in Your ways. I read Holy Scripture, but without the proper feeling. Brother Urusov came and talked about the vanities of the world. He talked about the new plans of the sovereign. I began to condemn, but I remembered my rules and the words of our benefactor that a true Freemason must be a diligent worker in the state when his participation is required, and a calm contemplator of what he is not called to. My tongue is my enemy. Brothers G.V. and O. visited me, there was a preparatory conversation for the acceptance of a new brother. They entrust me with the duty of a rhetorician. I feel weak and unworthy. Then they started talking about explaining the seven pillars and steps of the temple. 7 sciences, 7 virtues, 7 vices, 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. Brother O. was very eloquent. In the evening the acceptance took place. The new arrangement of the premises contributed greatly to the splendor of the spectacle. Boris Drubetskoy was accepted. I proposed it, I was the rhetorician. A strange feeling worried me throughout my stay with him in the dark temple. I found in myself a feeling of hatred towards him, which I strive in vain to overcome. And therefore, I would truly like to save him from evil and lead him onto the path of truth, but bad thoughts about him did not leave me. I thought that his purpose in joining the brotherhood was only the desire to get closer to people, to be in favor with those in our lodge. Apart from the grounds that he asked several times whether N. and S. were in our box (to which I could not answer him), except that, according to my observations, he is incapable of feeling respect for our holy Order and is too busy and happy external person In order to desire spiritual improvement, I had no reason to doubt it; but he seemed insincere to me, and all the time when I stood with him eye to eye in the dark temple, it seemed to me that he was smiling contemptuously at my words, and I really wanted to prick his naked chest with the sword that I was holding, pointed at it. . I could not be eloquent and could not sincerely communicate my doubts to the brothers and the great master. Great Architect of Nature, help me find true ways, leading out of the labyrinth of lies."
(Secret Service).
A little-known young performer, Ola Håkansson, joined The Janglers as their lead singer in 1963. Almost immediately, Håkansson took a leading position, and soon the name of this group sounded like “Ola & The Janglers”. In addition to Håkansson, the group included four more members, among whom we can note the famous Swedish musician Klaus Geijerstam (who was the author of most of the songs of “Ola & The Janglers”) and Leif Johansson, who later also joined the group “Secret Service”.
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In the meantime, the Secret Service group performs with wild success with concerts in Russia and the CIS countries, Europe - of course.
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(Secret Service)- one of the most famous Swedish music groups in the genre of popular music of the 80s.
To find out the conditions for inviting the Secret Service group to your event, call the numbers posted on the official website of the concert agent of the Secret Service group. Information about the fee and the concert schedule of the Secret Service group will be given to you so that you can invite the Secret Service group to an event or order a performance by the Secret Service group for an anniversary or party. The official website of the Secret Service group contains video and photo information. At your request, a group rider will be sent. Organizing concerts of the Secret Service group by calling the agent on the website, call to order a performance by the group.
In the winter of 1979, Ulf Wahlberg met Tim Norell, then a music teacher who wrote songs part-time. Wahlberg took him to his friend Ole Håkansson, who worked as a music publisher, and Ola was delighted by the melodicism of Norell's songs.
Håkansson, after his meteoric rise as a singer in the 60s famous group"Ola & The Janglers", was not enthusiastic about proposals for a continuation solo career, but the obvious “chemistry” between his voice and Tim’s melodies did the trick.
After recording the first songs with poet Björn Håkansson, the trio invited some of their musician friends to take part in the recording of the album.
A little-known young performer, Ola Håkansson, joined The Janglers as their lead singer in 1963. Almost immediately, Håkansson took a leading position, and soon the name of this group sounded like “Ola & The Janglers”. In addition to Håkansson, the group included four more members, among whom we can note the famous Swedish musician Klaus Geijerstam (who was the author of most of the songs of “Ola & The Janglers”) and Leif Johansson, who later also joined the group “Secret Service”.
The work of “Ola & The Janglers” was quite popular both in Sweden and abroad. Having started their repertoire with cover versions of “The Kinks” and “Rolling Stones” songs, the group recorded more than 20 singles in their homeland. And their song “Let's Dance” even got into the American Billboard Top 100 in May 1969.
In 1967, two films with the participation of musicians from “Ola & The Janglers” were released on the screens of the country: “Drra pa - Kul grej pa vag till Gotet” and the more famous “Ola & Julia”, where Ola Håkansson played the main role.
The activity of “Ola & The Janglers” began to fade with the beginning of the 70s; the group’s last album was released in 1976, actually 5 years after the group’s breakup.
In 1972, the album of the new group “Ola, Frukt och Flingor” appeared, the leader of which was Håkansson.
Having released several albums and singles in Swedish, the group ceased to exist at the end of the 70s. The composition of this group was almost identical to the future “Secret Service”.
In the 70s, Ola Håkansson became the manager of one of the largest recording studios in Sweden - Sonet Grammofon.
In the late 70s, Håkansson's main creative partners became keyboardist Ulf Wahlberg and the famous Swedish composer Tim Norrell. Both of them were trained music teachers. The result of their work was the Ola+3 project. The name of the group can be roughly understood as "Ola Håkansson plus three musicians" - they were Ulf Wahlberg, Leif Johansson and Tonny Lindberg. The story begins in the early 1980s electronic music, to the musicians its possibilities seemed unlimited.
“Secret Service” could not stay away from this mainstream: the group’s third album, “Cutting Corners” (1982), was entirely in the spirit of the new time. The synthesizer dominates the other instruments, the drums don't sound as natural as in the first two albums, and the style of "Secret Service" has become more melodic and calm.
On this
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Astinka appears one of the “calling cards” of “Secret Service”
- the legendary song “Flash In The Night”. It is this composition that in 2000 will become a symbol of the group’s return.
In 1992, Håkansson opened his own company, Stockholm Records.
After the release of the single with Antiloop remakes, there were rumors for a long time that Secret Service had reunited and were working on new records, but there was no clear confirmation of this fact. However, in 2000, the rumors became reality. Stockholm Records released the collection “Top Secret - Greatest Hits”, the main surprise of which were new songs - “The Sound of The Rain” and “Destiny of Love”, remixes of “The Dancer” " and "Rainy Day Memories".
But the sudden appearance of new Secret Service songs did not at all mean their reunion. Nevertheless, Secret Service appears in public from time to time - for example, on December 16, 2006, the group, with an already updated lineup, took part in the Legends of Retro FM festival.
In 2012, the group is planning to release a new album, “The Lost Box,” which will include both previously unknown and newly rewritten old compositions, released mainly as singles.
In 1979, Ola Hakansson, former lead singer of Ola & the Janglers and then manager of the music label Sonet Records, teamed up with Tim Norell and Ulf Wahlberg under the working name Ola+3 to record several tracks that they performed at the Melody Festival, a popular Swedish music competition show. And although they did not win that time, the collaboration inspired the trio members so much that they decided to continue together under the name Secret Service. In addition to vocalist Hakanson and keyboardists Norell and Wahlberg, the lineup soon included guitarist Tony Lindberg, bassist Leif Paulsen and drummer Leif Johansson.
Norell, who together with Hakanson wrote most of the band's compositions, nevertheless remained in the shadow of his comrades, not appearing with them on the covers of Secret Service albums. The young ensemble's first single, "Oh Susie", became a hit in Sweden as well as in some countries in Europe and South America (#9 Germany, #2 Sweden). The 1979 self-titled album, which included another hit, "Ten O" Clock Postman" (#5 Germany), went gold in Scandinavia.
The group's second disc the following year, Ye Si Ca (1980), like its predecessor, was in a dance-pop vein and sold worse than its predecessor, but also contained the hits "Ye Si Ca" (#9 Germany) "L.A.Goodbye" (#23 Germany ). The third work followed after a year's lull. Cutting Corners (1982) turned out to be very fashionable and contained electro-pop compositions, among which was perhaps their most popular synth-pop single, "Flash in the Night", which broke the charts throughout continental Europe.
By the mid-'80s, Norell and Hakansson began writing and producing songs for other artists. Performed in a duet with former ABBA soloist Agnetha Faltskog, the single "The Way You Are", included in the group's next long-play, went gold in Sweden.
In 1987, Hakanson, Norell and Wahlberg recorded Aux Deux Magots, Secret Service's final album. Multi-instrumentalist Anders Hansson and bassist Mats A. Lindberg also contributed to the production. Recorded, as always, in a Euro-pop vein, it became a worthy conclusion to the almost ten-year career of Secret Service.
Subsequently, Hanson became a partner in the creative union of Hakanson and Norell, known in their homeland as Megatrio - the Swedish equivalent of the English songbooks Stock-Aitken-Waterman. In 1992, they founded the Swedish branch of PolyGram called Stockholm Records, which produced such famous bands as Army of Lovers and the Cardigans, etc.
Discography:
1979 Oh Susie (Sonet)
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Story
It all started in the early 60s. A little-known young performer, Ola Håkansson, joined The Janglers as a lead singer in 1963. Ola immediately took a leading position there, so soon the name of this group sounded like Ola & The Janglers. In addition to Ola, the group included four more members, among whom we can note the famous Swedish musician Claes Af Geijerstam (he was the author of most of the songs of Ola & The Janglers) and Leif Johansson, who later also joined the Secret Service group. The work of Ola & The Janglers was quite popular both in Sweden and abroad. Having started their repertoire with cover versions of songs by The Kinks and Rolling Stones, the group recorded more than 20 singles in their homeland. And their song “Let's Dance” in May 1969 even got into the American Billboard Top 100. Ola & The Janglers also appeared as movie stars: in 1967, two films appeared with the participation of musicians: “Drra pa - Kul grej pa vag till Gotet "and the more famous "Ola & Julia", where Ola Håkansson even played the main role. The soundtrack to "Ola & Julia" was composed by Claes Af Geijerstam, and included the song "Juliet", also released as a single.
With the beginning of the 70s, the activity of Ola & The Janglers began to fade. The group's last single and album were released in 1976 - five years after their previous releases.
Ola Håkansson's early work was not limited to his participation in Ola & The Janglers: he also had his own solo recordings (in Swedish). In 1972, the first album of the new group appeared, the leader of which was also Hakansson. The group was called Ola, Frukt och Flingor. Having released several albums and singles in Swedish, the group ceased to exist at the end of the 70s. Interestingly, (judging by the few photographs) the line-up of Ola, Frukt & Flingor was almost identical to the future Secret Service: Ola Hakansson, Ulf Wahlberg, Leif Johansson, Tonny Lindberg and (most likely) Leif Paulsen. No reliable information has been found regarding the participation of one of the leading Secret Service musicians, Tim Norell, in Ola, Frukt & Flingor, although this is not excluded. In the 70s, Ola Hakansson was also known as the manager of one of the largest recording studios in Sweden - Sonet Grammofon.
In the late 70s, the future makings of Secret Service finally appeared: keyboardist Ulf Wahlberg and the now famous Swedish composer Tim Norell became Ola Håkansson's main creative partners. Both had education as music teachers, and Norell had previously generally gravitated towards the classics. The result of their work was the Ola+3 project. The name of the group can be roughly understood as "Ula Håkansson plus three musicians" - they were Ulf Wahlberg, Leif Johansson and Tonny Lindberg. Tim Norell himself is not present on the covers. In 1979, the musicians presented their composition Det Kanns Som Jag Vandrar Fram at the Swedish song competition Melodifestivalen. Although the song was not among the winners, Håkansson and his colleagues were not disappointed, and the team decided to continue working together.
And finally, in the same 1979, a new star was lit on the European stage - Secret Service. In addition to Hakansson, Norell and Wahlberg, the group included musicians familiar from Ola Hakansson's previous projects - Tonny Lindberg, Leif Johansson and Leif Paulsen. Their debut single “Oh Susie” did not go unnoticed and won high ratings both in Europe and abroad. The next single - "Ten O'Clock Postman" - only strengthened the popularity of Secret Service, hitting the top lines of the charts in Germany and even Japan. Sonet Grammofon AB opens a special sublabel SEC, which subsequently released all Secret Service maxi-singles. And soon the group’s first album, “Oh Susie,” appeared, backed by already popular hits and also having great success.
An interesting fact is that all Secret Service albums, with the exception of the last one, additionally existed in some Spanish-language versions. Records for Spain, Venezuela and Argentina were published with Spanish song titles. Unfortunately, little is known about these releases, and it is not entirely clear whether all the compositions on these albums were actually performed in Spanish, or whether there was a simple translation of the titles on the covers. Although, the second Spanish single “Ye Si Ca” (“Carnaby MO 2045”) clearly supports the version about the existence of espacol versions of at least some Secret Service songs.
This was followed by several more successful singles - “L.A. Goodbye" and "Ye Si Ca", the latter of which gained solid popularity in South America. In 1981, the second album “Ye Si Ca” was released, an equally interesting and successful release. It can be noted that the author of the song “Angelica & Ramone” was the above-mentioned musician from Ola & The Janglers - Claes Af Geijerstam.
The vast majority of Secret Service's songs were written by Tim Norell (music) and Bjorn Hakanson (lyrics). Some of the lyrics were written by Ola Hakansson under the pseudonym Oson, taken due to its similarity with the surname of the main poet Bjorn Hakanson. It is interesting that Tim Norell, being the author of almost all the melodies of Secret Service songs, for some reason was never photographed with the group, did not appear at various shows and concerts, and he is not on the covers of Secret Service records! What caused such mystery on Tim's part is unknown.
By the early 1980s, more and more performers were interested in the capabilities of electronic instruments, which were becoming more accessible and widespread. Secret Service also could not stay away from these trends, which is clearly demonstrated by their third album, “Cutting Corners” (1982). The band's sound has undergone some changes. The synthesizer now dominates over other instruments, the drums do not sound as natural as in the first two albums: the indescribable drive of the first songs has partially disappeared. Secret Service developed a slightly different, more melodic, calm and modern style, which, however, still stood out from the mass of numerous European performers. It is on “Cutting Corners” that you can hear one of the “calling cards” of Secret Service - the legendary “Flash In The Night”.
In 1984, Secret Service recorded their next album, Jupiter Sign. The song “Sign of Jupiter” differs from other compositions with its mysterious, stylish sound, combining both electric sound and live instruments, such as a violin. The next year was marked by the release of the next, fifth Secret Service record - “When The Night Closes In” (“When Night Comes”).
By 1987, the band's lineup had thinned out considerably - both Leif and Tonny Lindberg, as well as the main lyricist Bjorn Hakanson, left. But their place was taken by newcomers - Anders Hansson (keyboards, programming) and Mats Lindberg (bass). With this line-up, Secret Service recorded the album “Aux Deux Magots”. The record has a slightly changed sound, which is not surprising - the appearance of new people is immediately felt - Anders Hansson added many interesting effects to the band's music. Ola Hakansson became the main lyricist; Among the songwriters of “Aux Deux Magots” you can see Alexander Bard, leader of the Army of Lovers. He subsequently worked closely with Hakansson and Norell, co-authoring both a few of the later Secret Service compositions and many other projects. In general, by the end of the 80s, Secret Service members spent less and less time on their own creativity, focusing more on promising young performers. Hakansson, Norell and Hansson even formed a creative team, called The Megatrio in the Swedish press, working to create hits for new stars from Scandinavia. The Megatrio became a kind of Swedish equivalent to the English Stock-Aitken-Waterman. The album “Aux Deux Magots” also includes an extended-version of the composition “The Way You Are” - a joint duet of Ola Hakansson and the famous singer Agnetha Faltskog from the group ABBA. The song was recorded in 1986, and, according to some information, was featured in one of the films dedicated to the upcoming 1992 Olympics.
Aux Deux Magots was Secret Service's last full-length album. Apparently, work on other projects took over the musicians, and there was no time left for their own creativity. Only occasionally did various collections of hits appear, although in 1990 an interesting Megamix release was released, released on 7" and 12" records. Also in 1992, Secret Service recorded the song "Bring Heaven Down" for the Swedish film Ha Ett Underbart Liv, which for a long time remained one of the band's most obscure songs.
In 1992, Ola Håkansson founded his own company, Stockholm Records (at the end of 2004, Ekf left its management, settling in a new place - the production label TEN Productions). Stockholm Records, part of the Universal Music Sweden group of companies, still exists successfully, having become the “native” studio for many artists from Scandinavia (A-Teens, The Cardigans, Stakka Bo, Army of Lovers, etc.).
A client of Stockholm Records is also the fairly well-known techno group Antiloop, which in 1997 delighted all Secret Service fans with the interesting return of the hits “Flash In The Night” and “Oh Susie” in new “Antiloop Reconstruction” versions.
After the release of the single with "Antiloop remakes", there were rumors for a long time that Secret Service had reunited and were working on new records, but there was no clear confirmation of this fact. However, in 2000, the rumors became reality - Stockholm Records released the most interesting collection “Top Secret Greatest Hits”, the main surprise of which was not the remastered hits of the group from past years, but truly new songs - “The Sound of The Rain” and “Destiny of Love." And there were quite a few other pleasant gifts on the disc - just look at the remixes of “The Dancer” and “Rainy Day Memories”! But the sudden appearance of new Secret Service songs did not at all mean their reunion. Nevertheless, Secret Service appears in public from time to time - for example, on December 16, 2006, the group, with an already updated lineup, took part in the “Legends of Retro FM” festival.
In 2015, Tim Norell and his wife Lena Efron began writing a musical called Ten O'Clock Postman. The musical takes place in Russia, but is all based on the tunes of Secret Service. This is a drama that took place in Leningrad in the early 80s, telling about love, hatred, grief and happiness. It includes all the hits of the group “Secret Service”. The musical is written in Swedish and translated into Russian.
On June 12, 2012, the group’s new album, “The Lost Box,” was released, which included only previously unknown, old compositions, which, according to the authors, were accidentally found and previously unpublished.
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