ACHE Danish Rock Band Historical Picture Gallery 1975 to 1981Featuring ACHE musicians from 1975 through 1981, presented backwards in time.This web page focuses on the various "periods" and shared music projects of the active ACHE musicians between 1975 and 1981. Picture Galleries 1964-1976, 1981-2019, 2019-2022 and 2023 till the present are also available - see links at page bottom. ACHE Gallery first publicized in Summer, 2022. Narratives, scannings, photo editing & HTML coding by Torsten Olafsson. LINKS: ACHE's Official Website - ACHE Danish Rock Band at FaceBook - ACHE at Olafssongs Music Publishers Finn Olafsson's Website - Torsten Olafsson's Website ![]() ACHE Rock Band "Pictures from Cyclus 7" Band. Photo: Mikkel Scharff ![]() ACHE Rock Band "Pictures from Cyclus 7" LP logo, 1976, designed by Peder Bundgaard, 1945-2024 1981: FINN OLAFSSON's 3rd SOLO ALBUM "ELEMENTS"![]() ![]() Finn Olafsson in the Copenhagen studio Easy Sound, Copenhagen, recording his 3rd solo album "Elements", Spring 1981. Left: Sound engineer Dave Rideau with Finn Olafsson at the mixing console. Photos by Jan Persson. ![]() ![]() Finn Olafsson on the front of the CD "Elements" & Torsten Olafsson ![]() ![]() ![]() Per Wium, Gert Smedegaard & Steen Toft Andersen Photos by Jan Persson ![]() ![]()
1980: FINN OLAFSSON's 2nd Solo Album "ACOUSTIC GUITAR"![]() ![]()
![]() ![]() On "Acoustic Guitar", Finn was accompanied by brother Torsten on his tabla drums. Drawings by Marianne Olafsson ![]() ![]()
LATE 1970s: 1980 and The LAST 1970s ACHE CONCERT![]() ![]() ACHE on March 22, 1980 - from the left: Per Wium, Johnnie Gellett, Finn Olafsson, Torsten Olafsson, Gert Smedegaard. Right: ACHE road manager Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen, then active 1978-1980, later again from 2019 and onwards. ![]() ![]() ![]() Left, Finn Olafsson & Torsten Olafsson - center, Gert Smedegaard - right, Per Wium ACHE live on stage at the C. Copenhagen venue Saltlageret - "The Salt Warehouse" - on September 27, 1980 - ACHE's last concert for a number of years to come ![]() ![]() ![]() 1980, September 27, Saltlageret, Copenhagen: Left & right: Johnnie Gellett - Center: Finn Olafsson & Johnnie Gellett Johnnie Gellett was ACHE's lead & chorus singer live, on the ACHE albums "Pictures from Cyclus 7" (1976) and "Blå som altid" (1977), and on many ACHE single tracks, including "Majestætens marionetter" (celebrating the "Haven" Christiania, 1976), and "De skæve drømme (again: celebrating Christiania, 2004). Johnnie also played both Fender Telecaster guitar and percussion instruments. And, not to forget: Johnnie Gellett joined the team in Summer, 1976, in the role as lead vocalist and chorus singer when ACHE guitarist Finn Olafsson recorded his first solo album, titled "Savannah". 1979-1980: THORSTEIN THOMSEN & PER WIUM - TWO ALBUMS![]() ![]()
SUMMER 1979: ACHE with GOOD FRIENDS & Their DEAR BAND BUS "Mrs. LARSEN"![]() 1979, Spring? From the left: Holger, Lars, Steen, Gert, Finn, Kirsten, Per - and, squatting: Torsten. Photo: Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen, sound engineer/road manager. 1979: The NIS P. JØRGENSEN ALBUM "NIS P. 7-9-13" with TWO ACHE MUSICANS![]() ![]()
1979: The PIA RAUG ALBUM "SAGA", FINN OLAFSSON and The ACHE MUSICIANS![]() ![]() ![]()
![]() Pia Raug, left, with Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson in Spring, 1979. Pia and Finn recorded Pia's 2nd solo album "SAGA" in Sweet Silence Studios with Flemming Rasmussen as eminent sound engineer. Contributing ACHE musicians: Per Wium on keyboards, Gert Smedegaard on drums, Torsten Olafsson on percussion and shakuhachi. Photo by Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen, Spring, 1979. LATE 1970s: Late 1978 through EARLY 1979![]() Steen Toft Andersen, Gert Smedegaard, Finn Olafsson, Per Wium, Torsten Olafsson - Press photo ![]() Torsten Olafsson and Steen Toft Andersen on stage at the venue "Den Grå Hal", "The Gray Hall", Christiania, Copenhagen, in early 1979. Photos by Mikkel Scharff. ![]() ACHE resting in their band bus named "Mrs. Larsen" - 'cause the driver's (also sound engineer's) name was "Lars". From the left: Torsten, Finn, Lars, Steen, Eskild, Per, NN? - Winter, quite early 1979 ![]() ![]() ![]() Steen Toft Andersen, Lars Mellin, Torsten Olafsson live on stage at the venue Musikcaféen in Copenhagen, Winter, 1978-79 ![]() ![]() ![]() Finn Olafsson, Gert Smedegaard, Per Wium Come Summer, 1978, Torsten Olafsson had re-patriated after 18 months of inspiring music and language studies in Kyōto, Japan. Not long afterwards, he was invited to play the bass with ACHE, one more time ... Photos from Musikcaféen by Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen. LATE 1970s - Early to mid-1978![]() ACHE and their beloved band bus Fru Larsen, "Mrs. Larsen", in 1978 - from the left: Johnnie Gellett, Gert Smedegaard, Finn Olafsson, Steen Toft Andersen, Per Wium Photo: Mikkel Scharff ![]() ![]()
![]() ACHE in their newly purchased "Mrs. Larsen" band bus: Finn, Gert, Steen, Johnnie, Per, early 1978. ![]() ![]() ![]() Left: Steen Toft Andersen & Johnnie Gellett. Center: Finn Olafsson with road manager Palle Steen Nygaard in the back, to the left. Right: Johnnie Gellet, Per Wium & road manager Palle Steen Nygaard in the front. ![]() Steen Toft Andersen, Finn Olafsson & Johnnie Gellett live on stage with ACHE in mid-1978. 1977-1978: The "TANDROCK", "TOOTH ROCK", YOUTH ROCK MUSICAL PROJECT![]()
1976-1978: The "BLÅ SOM ALTID" ALBUM PERIOD![]() ![]() ACHE in 1977 - from top left: Finn Olafsson, Gert Smedegaard, Per Wium, Steen Toft Andersen, Johnnie Gellett Photos by Steen Møller Rasmussen Right: Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen, ACHE road manager during the years 1977-1980, and again in 2022 ![]() Finn Olafsson live on stage with ACHE. Photo by Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen, road manager ![]() When, in 1977, the album "Blå som altid", "Blue as Always", was recorded, the musician line-up was as follows: Finn Olafsson - at that time the only original ACHE band member left - on guitars/vocals Gert Smedegaard on drums Per Wium on keyboards, vocals Steen Toft Andersen on bass, vocals Johnnie Gellett on lead vocal, backing guitar & percussion Contrasting with previous ACHE and ACHE-related albums, song lyrics were now written in the band's native, Danish language. The "Blå som altid" album has not yet been digitally re-released because of master rights restrictions. ![]() ![]() Left: Sound engineer Lars Mellin & stage lights designer Gunnar Hovgaard, 1977. Right: Drummer Gert Smedegaard & road manager/percussion player Palle Steen Nygaard, 1977. Right photo by Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen. 1977: SONGWWITER THORSTEIN THOMSEN & CHARLATAN GRUPPEN
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ACHE musicians have very often contributed as sidemen with other artists and music groups, like for example in 1977, when bassist Steen Toft Andersen and drummer Gert Smedegaard - assisted by Finn Olafsson on guitar - acted as the steady rhythm group for the duo Andrew John & Lissa on their album "Old Friends, New Friends". |
After Peter Mellin had recorded the ACHE album "Pictures from Cyclus 7" in early 1976 and his composition "Majestætens Marionetter",
"The Majesty's Puppets", for the "free city" "Christiania" support album in early Summer, 1976, he then made up his his mind to leave ACHE
to start primary school teacher studies - to become and practice as a specialized music teacher as his professional life career.
Replacing Peter Mellin on the Hammond organ and keyboards now entered Per Wium, till then a routined member of C.V. Jørgensen's band. Together, the five ACHE musicians now started extensive live concert activities while preparing for the next ACHE release, titled "Blå som altid", "Blue as Always", that was eventually released in 1977. |
When, in the Summer of 1976, Finn Olafsson succeded in realizing his desire to create
a music album "entirely of his own making", the stage was set in the brand new ROC Studios
on the South Copenhagen island of Amager where Finn grew up since his birth in 1953.
Finn engaged a handful of his good ACHE musician friends who had previously that same year recorded the ACHE album "Pictures from Cyclus 7" with music composed by Peter Mellin and lyrics in English by the Danish poet/writer Bo Lillesøe: Johnnie Gellett, vocals, Gert Smedegaard, drums, and Steen Toft Andersen, bass. Besides, Finn was also joined by Nis P. Jørgensen on various flutes, as well as his older brother, Torsten Olafsson - ACHE's original bass player - on the vibraphone, tabla, percussion and backing vocals. Torsten was otherwise well on his way to soon moving to Kyōto in Japan to study Japanese culture, language, philosophy and shakuhachi flute music there. |
In mid-1976, ACHE was commissioned to contribute with a song to an LP album, titled "Christiania", that was produced in support of the alternative, "free" city of that same name.
"Majestætens Marionetter", "The Majesty's Puppets", represents the very first publicized ACHE recording with lyrics written in the Danish language, words composed by then ACHE bass player Steen Toft Andersen. |
Composer and keyboardist Peter Mellin & lyricist Bo Lillesøe's "Pictures from Cyclus 7" concept LP album,
recorded in early 1976 at the Rosenberg Studios in Copenhagen.
Nils Henriksen acted as the producer in charge, Freddy Hansson as the engineer, while Finn Olafsson contributed as organizer, musical co-arranger & executive producer. Two original ACHE musicians participated in this project, namely: Finn Olafsson & Peter Mellin. First released in Spring 1976, the album was re-released on CD by Green Tree Records in Germany in 2004. Again, in 2016, SONY Music Denmark re-released "Pictures from Cyclus 7", digitally remastered, on the internet. |