Harpo started his career in the late 1960s as an actor in children's theatre. While touring around Sweden, he started to write songs. In 1972, he signed a recording contract with Stig Anderson at Polar Music. Anderson assigned him to in-house record producers, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
The plan was that Andersson and Ulvaeus would work with Harpo on an album of his children's songs in Swedish. The collaboration did not work out and Anderson released Harpo from his contract. Harpo then signed with EMI and formed a successful creative partnership with producer Bengt Palmers.
Harpo released his first two singles in 1973 - "Honolulu" and "Sayonara". Both were hits and reached the Top Ten on the Tio-i-topp chart. "Sayonara" held the number one spot for five consecutive weeks between January and February 1974.
On 27 February 1975, Harpo recorded the song for which he would become most famous - "Moviestar". One of the backing vocalists on that day was Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) from ABBA. It has sometimes been reported that Agnetha Fältskog also sang on the song but this is incorrect. The second female singer is Lena Ericsson. Frida also provided backing vocals on the song "Pin Up Girl" on Harpo's second album, Harpo & Bananaband.
"Moviestar" went on to become a huge hit. It reached number 1 in Sweden and Germany, number 2 in Australia and number 24 in the UK. A Swedish language version was also released in Sweden which went to number 1 on the Svensktoppen radio chart. He made many radio and TV appearances around Europe.
Harpo released a number of follow up singles, notably "Motorcycle Mama" (number 9 in Germany) and "Horoscope" (number 1 in Denmark).
In 1977, Harpo travelled to Los Angeles, U.S. with his wife and producer Bengt Palmers. The result was the album The Hollywood Tapes which spawned the hit single "Television". Also, in 1977, Harpo made the news when he refused to take part in the Swedish Military Service. As a result, he went to prison for one month.
In 1978, Harpo revisited the songs he was originally going to work on with Andersson and Ulvaeus in 1972. The result was the children's album Jan Banan och hans flygande matta. He followed this with an album of his favourite rock and roll songs. Both these projects were in the Swedish language.
In 1980, Harpo was ready to get back into mainstream pop music. He signed to Mickie Most's label, RAK and released one single, "She Loves It Too". In fact, Harpo had the chance to be on RAK as far back as 1973. He met with Most in London, but decided not to move to London at that time.
Harpo had an accident in August 1980. As well as being a musician, he is also a horse trainer and one of his horses, Starter, suddenly lashed out and kicked Harpo in the face several times. The injuries were so severe that Harpo lost his sense of smell and the sight in one eye. To show there were no hard feelings, Harpo dedicated his next album to his horse, Starter.
Harpo continued to record throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. During 1985, he produced several Swedish groups including Shanghai, Suzzies Orkester and +1. In 1987, he set up his own record company, Igloo Records.
After his 1992 album, things were quiet on the recording front. He released a single, "Sounds Like Love", in Germany only in 1994. In 1997, Harpo contributed two new songs to a greatest hits compilation album, Harpo Hits!
Harpo released his latest album of new material, Jan Harpo Svensson 05 in April 2005. He had an extensive tour of Germany in 2007.
2) Harpo US AOR band, was formed in 1974 by founding members Bill Kerstetter and John “Lloyd” Kistner.
Members: Bill Kerstetter, Brian Perry, Chris Silvagni, George Zerbe, Jack Pyers, Jeff Johnson, John Hahn, John Lloyd Kistner, Rich Smith, Shmoulik Avigal.
Bianca
Harpo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With eyes electrifying.
A place have forgotten, a rain in the park
And night so mystifying.
Like a shadow in an alley,
Like a fox on the run,
You are gone with the light of a rising sun.
Something's wrong, Bianca.
Hey, won't you tell me your name?
What's your game, Bianca?
Your name says you all will be dressed up in white,
But black is your colour and sad is your smile.
Bianca, won't you sing me your song?
I met you and asked you the questions I had,
Your answers were just confusion.
I left you and wonder if all that I've seen
Was just one revolution.
Like the dream I was dreaming
Only moments away,
You are gone with the light of a new born day.
Hey, won't you sing me your song?
Something's wrong, Bianca.
Hey, won't you tell me your name?
What's your game, Bianca?
When white is the name that was given to you
And how come you always looking so blue.
Bianca, won't you sing me your song?
Hey, won't you sing me your song?
Something's wrong, Bianca.
Hey, won't you tell me your name?
What's your game, Bianca?
Your name says you all will be dressed up in white,
But black is your colour and sad is your smile.
Bianca, won't you sing me your song?
Hey, won't you sing me your song?
Something's wrong, Bianca.
Hey, won't you tell me your name?
What's your game, Bianca?
Hey, won't you sing me your song, Bianca?
Hey, won't you tell me your name, Bianca?
The song "Bianca" by Harpo is a ballad that tells a story of a mysterious woman who captivates the attention of the singer. The song is full of symbolism and vivid imagery that paints a picture of a woman who is both alluring and enigmatic. The opening lines "A smile in the crowd and a face in the dark, with eyes electrifying" suggest that the woman is not easy to spot, but she draws attention with her striking features. The singer describes her mood as "sad" which renders her even more intriguing.
The chorus is the singer's attempt to get closer to Bianca, to understand her and her story. He is searching for answers and is puzzled by her name which means "white" but her demeanor is in stark contrast, "black is your colour and sad is your smile." The second verse also expresses his confusion as he questions whether what he experienced with Bianca was real or just a dream. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus suggesting he still has not found the answers to his questions, and Bianca remains an enigma.
One possible interpretation of Bianca is that she symbolizes a deep and unattainable desire that we all have. The sadness and mystery that surround her are representative of the uncertainty and longing that we experience in our lives. Through the song, the singer is attempting to connect with that desire and to make sense of it. Ultimately, Bianca represents an ideal that is unattainable but is nonetheless something that can motivate and inspire us.
Line by Line Meaning
A smile in the crowd and a face in the dark
You are someone who stands out despite being surrounded by others or lurking in the shadows.
With eyes electrifying.
Your gaze is intense and captivating.
A place have forgotten, a rain in the park
You bring memories of a forgotten place and a melancholy atmosphere.
And night so mystifying.
The night seems enigmatic and full of mystery around you.
Like a shadow in an alley,
You move and blend in like a shadow in a dark alley.
Like a fox on the run,
You are elusive and swift like a fox running away.
You are gone with the light of a rising sun.
You disappear as quickly as the night turns into day.
Hey, won't you sing me your song?
I want to hear your story, your thoughts, your emotions.
Something's wrong, Bianca.
I sense that something is troubling you, Bianca.
Hey, won't you tell me your name?
I want to know the name that identifies you.
What's your game, Bianca?
I wonder what your intentions are, Bianca.
Your name says you all will be dressed up in white,
Your name implies that you should have a pure and innocent image.
But black is your colour and sad is your smile.
Your true mood seems to be gloomy and sorrowful, contradicting your name.
I met you and asked you the questions I had,
I tried to get to know you by asking you what I wanted to know.
Your answers were just confusion.
Your replies only made things more unclear and puzzling.
I left you and wonder if all that I've seen
After I parted with you, I question if everything I witnessed was real.
Was just one revolution.
Maybe it was all just a dizzying and meaningless cycle.
Like the dream I was dreaming
Like a dream that felt so real and vivid.
Only moments away,
But it only lasted a brief moment before fading away.
When white is the name that was given to you
Your given name carries the connotation of being pure and light.
And how come you always looking so blue.
Yet, you always appear to be sad and depressed.
Hey, won't you sing me your song?
I still want to hear your melody, whatever it may be.
Bianca, won't you sing me your song?
I address you directly, Bianca, imploring you to share your story.
Hey, won't you sing me your song, Bianca?
Once again, I ask you to sing your song, this time by calling you by your name.
Hey, won't you tell me your name, Bianca?
I still want to know who you are, Bianca.
Writer(s): harpo
Contributed by Anna H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ting Ting Zhang
on Jessica
like it very much....