The Shamrocks - Smoke Rings Around The Cadillac (1964-68 sweden, stunning r 'n' b with garage drops)

The Shamrocks, not to be mixed up with The Swiss Shamrocks or the UK band. 

Sweden 1962, Bjorn and Jan joined together with Bernt and Goran and formed a band, calling themselves The Shamrocks. At the time, their music was inspired by The Shadows. They did their first performance as an instrumental group. Some months later, a singer named Dick Emretzon joined. 

After their military service, they started an intense search for new members, which resulted in a very successful constellation, featuring Jimmy Lindskog on guitar and Dieter Feichtinger on bass. At Kingside Club in Stockholm they won a talent competition which resulted in a recording contract with Karusell Records. They adopted the Renegades song "Cadillac" and were called "The Scandinavian Beatles". Karusell then was bought by the big German record company Polydor, which had an international repertoire. 

The Shamrocks were transferred to Polydor as one of the label’s international star groups. The Shamrocks now touring through Europe. In 1966 they did their first performances in Paris, France. ”Cadillac” had reached the charts, and they performed at famous places like Top Ten and Moulin Rouge. Later in the year, The Shamrocks did their first tour in England, appearing on the same stages as The Hollies, The Moody Blues, The Mindbenders, Paul & Barry Ryan, Georgie Fame, Marianne Faithfull and others. 

Finally they did a concert at the famous Olympia, one of the most prominent music halls in the world. This time they appeared with the King of Rock’n’Roll himself: Jerry Lee Lewis. After Jan Granaht left the group in 1967, Bjorn, Dieter and Kent decided to go on as a trio. A new image was disussed, trying out more visual effects. Together with a ”fireworks artist”, a tremendous firework show was put together: water-falls, smokescreens, Bengal fires, showers of sparks – you name it... 

The group returned to Germany for a farewell concert at the Beethovenhalle in Bonn. And then Kent remained in Bonn after this last gig. After a while Bjorn and Dieter decided to make one last ”thanks and farewell”-tour in Germany.

by Martin Lundstrom

Tracks
1. We Gonna Make It (Lindskog, Feichtinger) - 2:55
2. A Lonely Man (Lindskog, Calstrom) - 2 10
3. Skinny Minny (Haley, Keefer, Grabler, Dafra) - 3 00
4. A Mountain Of Silver (Feichtmqar, Weiss) - 1:55
5. Cadillac (Brown, Gibson, Johnson, Maller) - 2:45
6. Easy Rider (Arr:Sone, Collier) - 1:50
7. And I Need You (Lindskog) - 2.22
8. Zip A Dee Doo-Dah (Wrubel, Reuter and Reuter Frol) - 2:15
9. La La La (Paul) - 2:31
10.Things Will Turn Out Right Tomorrow (Brown, Gibson, Johnson, Mallet) - 2:00
11.Ballaballa (Lippock) - 2:08
12.Oxford Street 43 (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:38
13.Don't Say (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:53
14.Nobody Cares About Me (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:20
15.Days (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:33
16.Smokerings (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 3:18
17.See Me Coming (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:00
18.I'm On The Outside Loocking In (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2.50
19.Please Don't Cry (For Me) (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:43
20.Gipsy Lullaby At 10:30 (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 248
21.Missconception (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:58
22.I'm Ready For The Show (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2 24
23.Cadillac (Paris Version) (Brown, Gibson, Johnson, Maller) - 2:45
24.How The Time Flies (Feichtinger, Granhat, Rinsberg, Wrangert) - 2:28
25.Travelin'man (Wells, Miller) - 3:03
26.The Smiling Kind (Hazzard) - 2:08
27.Don’t You Know She's Mine(Carter, Keen, Show) - 2:25
28.Daytime Nighttime (Hugg) - 2:50
29.Rich Life (Chamhers, Pawson) - 2:20

The Shamrocks
*Dick Emretzon - Vocals (1962-64)
*Jan Granaht - Guitar (1962-67)
*Bjorn Wrangert - Drums
*Bernt Ek - Bass (1962-64) replaced by
*Dieter Feichtinger - Bass (1964-present)
*Goran Andersson - Guitar (1962-63) replaced by
*Kent Risberg - Guitar (1965-present)
*Jimmy Lindskog - Guitar and Vocals (1963-65) replaced by
*Curt Nylen - Guitar and Vocals (2007-present)

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