ACHE Danish Rock Band Historical Picture Gallery 1981 to 2019Featuring ACHE musicians from 1981 through 2019, presented backwards in time.This web page focuses on the various "periods" and shared music projects of the active ACHE musicians between 1981 and 2019. Picture Galleries 1964-1976, 1975-1981, 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 1981: Finn Olafsson's album "Elements", recorded with 4 ACHE musicians ACHE Rock Band "Pictures from Cyclus 7" LP logo, 1976, designed by Peder Bundgaard, 1945-2024 2019: "BØLGERNE ved BELLEVUE" / "The WAVES at BELLEVUE"
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After the tragic death of Gert Smedegaard on November 30, 2018, his daughter Signe Trylle and son Jacob wrote the lyrics and music for a song
titled "Bølgerne ved Bellevue", "The Waves at Bellevue", in honour and respect for their father.
Bellevue is the name of a beautiful, popular NE. Copenhagen beach area, close to Gert Smedegaard's former home, where he often went to enjoy leisure time together with his three kids: Signe Trylle, Christian and Jacob. During the recordings of their tribute song, Jacob and Signe were accompanied by many of Gert's friends, music colleagues and family members. Among them were also ACHE musicians Steen Toft Andersen, Per Wium, Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson. Jacob Smedegaard engineered, mixed and mastered the studio recording, while Gert's younger son Christian Smedegaard created the CD single cover artwork. |
On November 30, 2018, Danish drummer and percussionist Gert Smedegaard passed away after stubbornly having fought cancer for a long time.
Gert joined ACHE on the drums way back in the Summer of 1975, and he and ACHE guitarist Finn Olafsson were actually planning a new ACHE reunion project when Gert had first fallen ill. For more than 40 years, whenever record producer Finn needed a drummer for a new recording project, Gert was always his first, obvious choice. Gert Smedegaard performed live and recorded with countless Danish bands and solo artists. Prominent among those was, of course, celebrated singer/songwriter C.V. Jørgensen, to whom Gert was his absolutely all time favoured drummer and dedicated music friend. Gert Smedegaard played his very last live concert on his drums with C.V. Jørgensen & his band on the Plænen open air stage in TIVOLI, "Friday Rock Concert" - on September 14, 2018. With ACHE and ACHE musicians, Gert Smedegaard's excellent playing can be respected and enjoyed on Olafssongs phonogram productions a.o. such as, f.i.: "Pictures from Cyclus 7", 1976 - "Majestætens Marionetter", 1976 - Finn Olafsson's "Savannah", 1976 - "Blå som Altid", 1977 - Finn Olafsson's "Elements", 1981 - Steen Toft Andersen's "Bag Murene", 1983 - Per Wium's "Ind i det Blå", 1987 - Anders Roland & Finn Olafsson and singer Jytte Pilloni's "Himlen over Dig", 1989 - ACHE's "De skæve Drømme", 2004 - Steen Toft Andersen's "Travellers' Tales", 2005. Photos left and right: Gert Smedegaard in Easy Sound Studio, Copenhagen, while recording Finn Olafsson's 1981 album "Elements". Photographer: Jan Persson. Center: Photo memory collage. |
US rap artist Travi$ Scott included a sampled Finn Olafsson guitar riff from ACHE's 1976 "Expectation" track in the backing for his "Rodeo" album's opening track titled "Pornography".
According to Wikipedia, the "Rodeo" album has passed sales of more than 1 million "units", while the "Pornography" track, itself, has passed more than at least 8 million views on Youtube. |
In 2011, Finn Olafsson recorded his instrumental acoustic guitar album "Music From North Sealand", accompanied by one other ACHE musician,
namely Torsten Olafsson on acoustic bass guitar, percussion and Japanese shakuhachi flute.
Also, featured on the CD on keyboards are Michael Vogelius Larsen and on percussion Jacob Andersen. In late September of 2013, Finn, Michael and Torsten performed the complete "Music From North Sealand" suite at the Frederiksborg Castle Chapel in Hillerød, published on live concert DVD in that same year. In 2019, followed the printed music book subtitled "13 Acoustic Guitar Pieces" with all the guitar tracks transcribed in the smallest detail by Torsten Olafsson and Finn Olafsson in close tandem and presented in Western staff notation with full tablature system, produced and published by Olafssongs. |
Composer, singer, guitarist and entertainer Tony Vejslev, 1926-2013, created melodies for more than thirty of his close high school friend Frank Jæger's, 1926-1977,
finest poems.
They first worked together - receiving wide national appraisal and succes - since the late 1940s till the end of the 1950's, or so, when work and geography came to distance them. Then, in 1983, Tony made a fine come-back with an LP album with new melodies that he had written more recently, thus making it "possible to also sing" those poems that he admired. Among his chosen poems were not only additional ones by Frank Jæger, but other celebrated Danish poets were included, such as then contemporary writers like Ole Sarvig and Thorkild Bjørnvig, and favoured ones representing the more "classical" early 1900s' period: Emil Aarestrup, Sophus Claussen and Johannes V. Jensen. The 1983 album titled "Tony Vejslev Synger ... ", "Tony Vejslev Sings ... ", was produced, arranged and orchestrated by Finn Olafsson who also contributed with his acoustic guitar playing. That album marks the start of a 4 decades long co-operation between Tony, the composer, and Finn, in his capacity as music publisher at Olafssongs Music publishing and music director. When, in 2008, Tom together with the two ACHE musicians Finn and Torsten had experienced their succes with Tom's "Synger/Sangskriver" album, the idea soon caught them that they could well create, record and live perform their own personal arrangements of selected Vejslev/Jæger songs. That idea crystallized with the CD album "Hyldest til Tony Vejslev & Frank Jæger", "A Tribute to Tony Vejslev & Frank Jæger", that was recorded in Olafssongs Studio and released in 2010, followed by a live concert DVD in 2011. Since then, the trio has given more than 80 concerts and concert lectures, added new songs of their own and published a number of well viewer rated YouTube music videos. |
In 2006, singer, guitarist & songwriter Tom Frederiksen, asked Finn Olafsson to produce and publish an album of his with songs he had been writing over a period of time. The resulting album was recorded in 2007 in Olafssongs Studio in North Sealand. As session musicians were invited Tobias Folting on drums, ACHE muscian Torsten Olafsson on bass together with selected other fine Danish professional instrument players and singers. After the release, the CD titled "Synger/Sangskriver" - a mixed pop, rock and folk music work - was nominated for the Danish Music Awards in 2008 in the categori Danish "Songs". Quite astonishingly, the song "Søster Solskin", "Sister Sunshine", was tested for and entered the Danish language Top of the Pops charts. The song succeeded in staying there succesfully for all the maximum 15 weeks while enjoying 3 weeks of Number #1 hit list fame status as well as enjoying several other fine chart positions throughout the period. |
Steen Toft Andersen: "Travellers' Tales - Featuring the Ukulele", 2005
The ACHE musicians featured on this remarkable solo album by Steen Toft Andersen are: Finn Olafsson on guitars, Gert Smedegaard on drums, Torsten Olafsson on el. bass, and Steen Toft Andersen, himself, on the ukulele. Also, Finn and Torsten's Royal Danish Music Conservatory classically trained grand cousin Henrik Olafsson contributed on double bass. In early 1979, Steen Toft Andersen made up his mind to leave Denmark for unique globetrotter adventures all over the globe. On his numerous travels to far away worlds, Steen brought with him his ukulele to play and compose tunes, and the many sentiments and ideas were eventually collected, arranged and recorded on the instrumental music album of his titled "Travellers' Tales - Featuring the Ukulele". |
Left: On Kasper Søborg's CD album "GuitarSpheres", released by Olafssongs in 2005, ACHE musicians Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson
played acoustic guitar & shaker, tablas & shakuhachi, respectively.
Center: Portrait of Kasper Søborg on his printed music book "Realization", engraved by Torsten Olafsson, and published by Olafssongs in 2005. Right: Cover front of Kasper Søborg's Olafssongs CD "Cosmic Juggling", 2016, partly recorded by Finn Olafsson, with cover art work created by Torsten Olafsson. |
When, in 2004 to 2005, double bass player and composer Henrik Olafsson recorded his solo album "Acoustic Lines" in Olafssongs Studio,
he was backed by his two "grand uncles" Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson. Trumpet parts were played by renowned Danish trumpet soloist Karl Husum.
Finn as the producer/sound engineer and acoustic guitarist while Torsten played percussion and the Japanese bamboo flute 'shakuhachi' - Finn and Torsten both original ACHE musicians. |
Finn Olafsson's second solo album, "Acoustic Guitar", first came out in 1980 on vinyl LP on the Danish Metronome phonogram company label.
That album has ever since then earned for itself an undisputed reputation as a true classic in the realm of Danish acoustic guitar music, masterly played with fingerpicking "claws" on finely tuned acoustic guitar steel strings. Many, many years later, in 2004, the "Acoustic Guitar" album was then re-released on CD by Olafssongs. In that same year then, that of 2004, Finn Olafsson also - better late than never, you may say - followed up with his "Acoustic Guitar 2" album, this time on CD, though that was still recorded "analogously", on a fine Otari tape recording machine, in the Olafssongs Studio. Then, yet again, in 2018, the "Acoustic Guitar 3" also became a published reality. As of now, as well, Finn Olafsson's solo guitar music from all the three "Acoustic Guitar" albums has also been published in print in Western staff notation with complete tablature, precisely transcribed and presented by Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson, together in close co-operation: |
In preparations for a potential new album, singer, guitarist & songwriter B-Joe
had previously recorded the "Eyes of a Child" track in Olafssongs Studio in North Sealand.
Beside producer Finn Olafsson, also on guitars, two other ACHE musicians had joined in, namely Gert Smedegaard on drums, and Torsten Olafsson on his Fender fine old Precision electric bass guitar. "Eyes of a Child" was released on CD single and also included on a Danish PR CD sampler titled "Discover Denmark" produced for the annual international MIDEM music fair in Cannes, 2003. |
After, in 1988, Finn's brother Torsten was invited to play the tabla and the Japanese bamboo flute 'shakuhachi' on the duo's 3rd album "Globetrotter",
that track, titled "Himmeltegn", "Airy Signs", was later included, when Anders and Finn reunited in 2002 and released the "greatest hits" album "Tilbage til nutiden".
Torsten also contributed with his shakuhachi sound on the English version of that album, namely "Back to the Present", on a new composition for that album, titled "El Hadji". |
In Autumn, 2000, Universal Music, Denmark, who had then purchased the master tape rights for ACHE's "De Homine Urbano" and "Green Man" recordings,
released the first re-mastered, digital versions of those two classical ACHE albums, squeezed down on to but just one single CD disc.
Also, the record company Free Records, was granted license to release the digital ACHE music files on CD in Germany in that same year. Interestingly, and noteworthily, indeed: At the time when Universal Music, Denmark, digitalized "De Homine Urbano" and "Little Things" from one of the Philips 1976 re-released "De Homine Urbano" album vinyl LP, no one at the company realized - nor even appear to have cared? - that the labels for the two record sides had, accidentally, been swapped back in 1976! That kind of "pretty embarrassing" mistake was only made up for when, in 2012, Esoteric Recordings in England re-issued both two albums on separate CDs. At that time, fortunately, ACHE musicians Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson had been properly involved and engaged in the whole production process. |
The song "Himlen over dig", was composed by Finn Olafsson & Anders Roland for a short TV series
produced by the National Danish Broadcasting Co., titled "Johansens Sidste Ugudelige Dage",
"Johansen's Last Ungodly Days". Lyrics written by Sten Kålø.
For the recording, producer Finn Olafsson again - like so often before and after - chose ACHE drummer Gert Smedegaard for the backing drum work. |
From 1986 through 1988, Finn Olafsson sided, recorded and performed with famous Danish singer-songwriter Anne Linnet.
In Mid-Summer, 1988, the ANNE LINNET BAND appeared live in concert on the annual Elsinore Kronborg Castle "Shakespeare Hamlet" performance stage. Left: Finn Olafsson - center: Sanne Salomonsen, Anne Linnet, Finn Olafsson - right: Finn Olafsson. Photos by Torsten Olafsson. |
Three amazing fingerpicked steel-string acoustic guitar albums by ANDERS ROLAND & FINN OLAFSSON:
"Sight-seeing", 1984, "Feriedage" ("Holidays"), 1986, and "Globetrotter", 1988, all produced by Finn Olafsson, together with internationally renowned Sweet Silence Studio sound engineer Flemming Rasmussen. Btw., do not be mistaken: Both Anders and Finn came with powerful talents and inspirations from both classical music, folk rock: HVALSØSPILLEMÆNDENE, and symphonic prog rock: ACHE. Among the musicians on the two last albums, you also find Torsten Olafsson, this time contributing on the Japanese bamboo flute 'shakuhachi' and percussion. |
Per Wium's solo album "Ind i det blå", "Into the Blue", 1987
On this album, ACHE keyboard player and composer Per Wium was - among others - backed by three fellow ACHE musician colleagues, namely Finn Olafsson, guitars, Gert Smedegaard, drums, and Stig Kreutzfeldt, vocals. |
Again - just like in 1977-1978 - creative, songwriting Ballerup school dentist Bjarne Nørtov, had - in 1983 -
come up with a collection of songs meant to inspire school children not to take up smoking tobacco.
Finn Olafsson took charge of the production, the recording of the music, and he engaged these ACHE musicians to assist him, the guitarist, in the studio: Gert Smedegaard, Torsten Olafsson, Johnnie Gellett, Per Wium and Peter Mellin. Additional credited musicians were: Respected vocalists Mona Larsen, Tina Schäfer, Steffen Brandt & Thorstein Thomsen, percussionist Flemming Rasmussen, and Jens Haack Olsen on sax and lyricon. |
In Spring, 1983, Torsten Olafsson recorded the album "Standing Waves - Zen Shakuhachi Meditations" featuring
six selected solo shakuhachi pieces from the Kyōto Myōan Temple ascetic solo shakuhachi Taizan-ha repertory that Torsten had studied
and "internalized" when he studied with that non-dualistic shakuhachi tradition's 'Suizen' teacher Ozawa Seizan in Kyōto, Japan, in 1977-78.
Left: Photo from Daisen-in in Kyōto by Torsten Olafsson. Center: Photo by Mikkel Scharff, 1983. Right: CD art work by TAO Design. Then, in 2001, Torsten partnered with the Danish record label Fønix Musik to make the album available on CD, this time also with a 16 pages booklet. The six tracks were digitally remastered for the CD by Bent Hulsrøj who was also the studio technician when ACHE recorded in Metronome Studio A in 1969 and 1970. Over the years, eventually, LPs, MCs and CDs reached the total sales of more than 5.000 copies, in Denmark as abroad. |
Torsten recorded the album with a Japanese 'shakuhachi' bamboo flute made by his teacher Ozawa Seizan
and given to him as a present in late Spring, 1978, shortly before he returned to Denmark (left).
"Standing Waves" was recorded in Spring, 1983, in the famous recording studio Sweet Silence Studios on the island Amager in S. Copenhagen. The album was produced there by Torsten's brother Finn and engineered by Flemming Rasmussen who enjoys worldwide recognition for his producing/recording the two Metallica albums "Ride the Lightning", 1984, and "Master of Puppets", 1986, in the original Sweet Silence Studios at Strandlodsvej on Amager. Photo of Finn and Flemming (right) was taken many years later, on March 29, 2017, in Flemming's "Sweet Silence North" studio in Elsinore, by Flemming Hjøllund. The "Standing Waves" album was the very first phonogram to be released by the new Olafssongs record label, in Spring 1983: Olafssongs OLP 001/OMC 001. Writing in 2023, independent Olafssongs label record releases is passing the number of 70 albums and more than 40 singles. |
In 1982-1983, guitarist/singer-songwriter Helge Damsbo prepared his 2nd solo album with ACHE guitarist Finn Olafsson as his producer.
Beside Finn Olafsson on guitars, two other ACHE musicians were invited to join in, namely Gert Smedegaard on drums, and Torsten Olafsson on his fine old Fender Precision electric bass guitar. The photo on the right: In 1978, about 5 years prior to the "Alt imens" album, fingerpicking acoustic ACHE guitarist Finn Olafsson backed Helge Damsbo on the debut album of his, titled "Images" - here the two musicians perform together at the renowned acoustic music venue "ViseVersHuset" in Tivoli, Copenhagen, 1977. Finn Olafsson and Gert Smedegaard continued to back up Helge Damsbo on a number of fine Helge Damsbo albums and singles until Gert's death in late 2018. |
Bass player, composer and lyricist Steen Toft Andersen's 1st solo album "Bag murene - Hos de dybt åndsvage",
"Behind the Walls - With the deeply mentally retarded", about Steen's mid-1970s through early 1980 deeply moving experiences in his role
as a caretaker for the institutionalized most seriously mentally retarded human existences
at Ebberødgård Center in mid-North Sealand, which was later renamed "Svaneparken", "The Swan Park".
Drawing by Steen Toft Andersen in the printed music book of his, titled "Bag Murene", 1981. On the "Bag murene" album, Steen was backed by these good ACHE musician friends of his: Gert Smedegaard on drums, Per Wium, kb; Finn Olafsson, gt; and Johnnie Gellett, vc. By the way, among ACHE members, these four of them are sharing significantly mind-blowing and life-changing work experiences from public institutions for the care of the mentally retarded in Denmark: Gert Smedegaard, Johnnie Gellett, Steen Toft Andersen - and Torsten Olafsson, as well. Likewise, ACHE road manager and stage lights engineer in the mid-1970s Gunnar Hovgaard, worked for many years as a caretaker for the mentally retarded at Swan Park (formerly Æbberøgå) in North Sealand. |