The Spotnicks are an instrumental rock group from Sweden, who were formed i… Read Full Bio ↴The Spotnicks are an instrumental rock group from Sweden, who were formed in 1961. They were famous for wearing "space suit" costumes on stage, and for their innovative electronic guitar sound. They have since released 42 albums, selling more than 18 million records, and still tour.

History

The Spotnicks originated from "Rock-Teddy and The Blue Caps", a group formed in 1957 in Gothenburg by guitarist Bo Winberg (born 27 March 1939), with Bo Starander (born 11 March 1942) (rhythm guitar), and Björn Thelin (born 27 June 1942) (bass guitar). In 1958 they added Ove Johansson (drums), changed their name to "The Frazers", and began playing regularly in local clubs. They signed a recording contract in 1961, and changed their name to "The Spotnicks", a play on the Russian satellite Sputnik as suggested by their manager, Roland Ferneborg. Starander was later known as Bob Lander.

They soon became the first Swedish group to have significant international success, in a similar style to The Shadows and The Ventures. They toured Europe, and one of their early records, "Orange Blossom Special", became their first big international hit, making the Top 30 in the UK Singles Chart in 1962 on the Oriole label, and reaching # 1 in Australia. Around this time they began wearing their trademark "space suits" on stage. They recorded their first album, The Spotnicks in London - Out-a-Space, in 1962. Further hits included "Rocket Man" (no relation to the Elton John song), and "Hava Nagila" (their biggest UK hit, where it made # 13). Winberg also recorded solo, credited as "The Shy Ones".

In 1963, "Amapola" became one of their most successful singles in their home country, staying at # 1 in Sweden for eight weeks. They appeared in the movie Just For Fun, continued to tour widely, and recorded their second album, The Spotnicks in Paris. That year, drummer Ove Johansson left and was replaced by an Englishman, Derek Skinner. Two years later, Skinner was replaced briefly by Jimmy Nicol, who had previously toured with The Beatles while Ringo Starr recovered from having his tonsils removed.

In 1964 and 1965, The Spotnicks expanded their popularity in Germany and Japan, reaching # 1 in Japan in 1966 with "Karelia". Elsewhere, however, they became less successful as popular music tastes changed. The group—having undergone many personnel changes—split up in 1970 after releasing their fifteenth album, The Spotnicks Back in The Race. Yet the band was still popular in Japan and it soon reformed under Winberg's control in 1971 at the request of a Japanese record label.[2]

Winberg has continued to lead versions of The Spotnicks, occasionally including Lander and/or Thelin, on tour and in recordings since then.

Hey Good Looking
The Spotnicks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

No verso apaixonado de Orfeu
Reina uma mulher somente sua
Por este amor maior que o envolveu
Enlouqueceu e vagou pela rua
No amor ferido de Aristeu
E o feitiço de Mira
A amante abandonada
A dama negra a ele apareceu

Levando para sempre a sua amada
O morro emudeceu
Explode a dor no peito de Orfeu
E o poeta apaixonado
Canta ao céu desesperado
O grande amor que perdeu

(Oh! Lua)

Lua, oh! Lua
Musa amada, branca e nua
Quero lhe beijar e lhe dizer: Sou seu
E você dizer sou toda sua

Lua, oh! Lua
Musa amada, branca e nua
Quero lhe beijar e lhe dizer: Sou seu
E você dizer sou toda sua

Desceu do morro
Enfeitou sua tristeza
Fez seu reino de beleza
Das mágoas do seu coração
E este menestrel moderno
Procura até no inferno
A voz de sua razão
(E vai)

Vai aos orixás do Candomblé
Demonstrando sua fé

Vai aos orixás do Candomblé
Demonstrando sua fé

Cai na orgia
Porém nada mas fascina
Ao Pierrô sem Colombina
Na sua alucinação

Morreu Orfeu
Vencido pelo mal
Mas há sempre
Um Orfeu no carnaval

Morreu Orfeu
Vencido pelo mal
Mas há sempre
Um Orfeu no carnaval
No verso apaixonado de Orfeu
Reina uma mulher somente sua
Por este amor maior que o envolveu
Enlouqueceu e vagou pela rua
No amor ferido de Aristeu
E o feitiço de Mira
A amante abandonada
A dama negra a ele apareceu
Levando para sempre a sua amada
O morro emudeceu
Explode a dor no peito de Orfeu
E o poeta apaixonado
Canta ao céu desesperado
O grande amor que perdeu
(Oh! Lua)
Lua, oh! Lua
Musa amada, branca e nua

Quero lhe beijar e lhe dizer: Sou seu
E você dizer sou toda sua...

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are a Portuguese version of the song "Hey Good Looking" by The Spotnicks. The first stanza talks about Orfeu, a mythical character known for his music and poetry. He is depicted as being in love with a woman who belongs to him alone, but his love for her drives him mad to the point where he wanders the streets. The next lines mention Aristeu, another mythical character. He is wounded by love and enchanted by a woman named Mira, but is ultimately abandoned by his lover and left to grieve. The chorus of the song features a repeated refrain about the moon, as the singer longs to be its companion and be possessed by it completely.

The second stanza talks about a modern-day troubadour who seeks inspiration and guidance from the gods. He goes to the Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion that originated in Bahia, to show his faith. The troubadour also experiences moments of ecstasy, but ultimately finds no greater happiness than the one he has with the moon. The final lines of the song remind us of the tragic fate of Orfeu, who died defeated, but also suggest that his spirit lives on in the traditions of Carnival.

Overall, the lyrics of the song convey a sense of longing and desperation for love and artistic inspiration. The mythical characters mentioned in the first stanza are meant to represent the larger-than-life struggles and passions that artists experience in their creative processes, while the modern troubadour represents the contemporary struggle to find meaning and purpose in art.

Line by Line Meaning

No verso apaixonado de Orfeu
In the passionate verse of Orfeu

Reina uma mulher somente sua
There reigns a woman solely his own

Por este amor maior que o envolveu
Because of this greater love that involved him

Enlouqueceu e vagou pela rua
He went mad and wandered the streets

No amor ferido de Aristeu
In the wounded love of Aristeu

E o feitiço de Mira
And the spell of Mira

A amante abandonada
The abandoned lover

A dama negra a ele apareceu
The black lady appeared to him

Levando para sempre a sua amada
Taking his beloved away forever

O morro emudeceu
The hill fell silent

Explode a dor no peito de Orfeu
The pain explodes in Orfeu's heart