Ulf Lundell

Biography

Ulf Gerhard Lundell (born 20 November 1949) is a Swedish writer, poet, songwriter, composer, musician and artist.
He made his debut in 1975 with the LP Vargmåne×Vargmåne3 September 1975 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Stockholms City4:02A2Då kommer jag och värmer dej3:06A3Sniglar och krut3:34A4Sextisju, sextisju5:09A5När duellen är över3:07B1Jag går på promenaden3:20B2Bente5:14B3Jesse James möter kärleken5:53B4Nu har jag förpackat min längtan3:35 and was immediately hailed as "Sweden's Bob Dylan". In 1976 his first novel, the partly autobiographical Jack was published by Wahlström & Widstrand. Lundell was influenced by musicians such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and writers such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and other Beats. Ulf Lundell is one of the central figures in Swedish rock music and almost since his debut he has been one of the most important influences on rock musicians writing and singing in Swedish. Lundell is also somewhat controversial and has argued with everyone from neo-nazis, feminists and communists to colleagues and music journalists.
Lundell was known as a heavy drinker in the 1980s, but pulled out of overdrinking after serious bouts with alcoholism in 1985–87; he gave a vivid report of this time, his recovery and his struggle with the rocker myth in the autobiographical novel En varg söker sin flock (1989; "A Wolf in Search of his Pack")
"Öppna landskap" (Open landscapes) from 1982, one of his most famous songs, has been playfully proposed as Sweden's new national anthem.

Origins and musical beginnings

Ulf Lundell's father was Gerhard Lundell a blacksmith worker and mother Ingrid (née Lindström) worked among other things as school meal assistant and seamstress. The family first lived in Stockholm in 1958 but moved to Saltsjö-Boo, east of Stockholm. At the age of ten he got his first guitar. Lundell has an older sister named Inger, whose boyfriend taught him his first chords. During the years 1967–75 Ulf Lundell had a variety of jobs, including postman. During these years he wrote songs and poems which he sent to record labels and publishers.
He sent a demo to MNW which they declined, telling him "the material was not strong enough". Later he sent two demos to Silence, which were also rejected. When he sent a demo to EMI in October 1974 they wanted to record an LP with him. In 1975 he made his debut with the album Vargmåne×Vargmåne3 September 1975 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Stockholms City4:02A2Då kommer jag och värmer dej3:06A3Sniglar och krut3:34A4Sextisju, sextisju5:09A5När duellen är över3:07B1Jag går på promenaden3:20B2Bente5:14B3Jesse James möter kärleken5:53B4Nu har jag förpackat min längtan3:35 (Wolf Moon). The following year, 1976, came his first novel, Jack, with which he made his breakthrough. The novel is about rebellion against "Medelsvensson" (Average Joes) circumscribed life in the aftermath of the political uprising at the end of the 1960s. The book had an initial print run of 2,000 copies but ultimately sold 200,000 copies. Meanwhile, when his first work was released, he had already started recording the sequel to Vargmåne. The second album would be called Törst×Törst9 June 1976 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Törst6:37A2Jag vill ha ett lejon4:27A3Mitt i nattens djungel ställd5:07A4Birgitta hon dansar5:27B1USA4:09B2Och går en stund på jorden3:35B3Cobra Rax3:53B4Våren närmar sej city4:28B5Söndag4:07 (Thirst) and released just three months after Jack. After that floated on the writing of books and two more were released during the 1970s. Törst was followed by the live album Natten hade varit mild och öm×Natten hade varit mild och öm20 April 1977 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Stockholms City4:402Som en syster2:583Lismare4:414Om vi vill och törs3:065Sextisju, sextisju5:176Lilla Anette5:107Route 662:578Jonny Gitarr4:279Yellow Tango / My Generation4:4610Och gott öl kom5:12 (The night was mild and tender) with Nature as backing band for years. The album Nådens år×Nådens år18 April 1978 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Nådens år2:47A2Snön faller och vi med den4:35A3Höga hästar5:08A4Natten har sitt sätt2:56A5Den lille landstrykaren3:04A6Kärlekens hundar2:48B1Warum All This Black Stuff?4:38B2Prärien igen6:52B3Sonjas vals3:12B4Kitsch5:12B5Vit flagg4:10 (Year of Grace) in 1978 year would become his third studio album including a duet with Agnetha Fältskog, "Snön faller och vi med den" ("Snow Falls And We With It"). In 1979 Lundell released his fourth studio album Ripp rapp×Ripp Rapp4 September 1979 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1På fri fot4:44A2Håll mej!... åh, ingenting5:01A3Rom i regnet4:06A4Du tog mej4:33A5Hav utan hamnar6:23B1(Oh la la) Jag vill ha dej4:38B2Taxi8:49B3Den unge barbaren3:53B4Ute på tippen5:12B5Stjärnorna4:38 with songs like "Rom i regnet" and "(Oh la la) Jag vill ha dej×(Oh la la) Jag vill ha dej1979 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1(Oh la la) Jag vill ha dej4:352Barn2:55". Ripp rapp was more rock than his previous albums.

1980s

In the fall of 1980 Lundell released the album Längre inåt landet×Längre inåt landet12 September 1980 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Glad igen3:39A2Främlingar3:39A3Odysseus5:49A4Ingens kvinna5:38B1Pulver4:01B2Så mycket äldre6:44B3Bara en fråga om när3:46B4Hem till mina rötter igen4:52Disc 2C1Bättre tider3:20C2Ryggen fri6:10C3Under askan6:49C4Längre inåt landet8:07D1Posörerna3:57D2Stackars Jack4:31D3Distraherad9:53D4Som en syster6:02, which was recorded in England. The album includes songs like "Glad igen" ("Happy Again") and "Stackars Jack" ("Poor Jack"). The latter was a comment on the criticism Lundell got from his debut novel Jack. Two years later, in 1982, he released the album "Kär och galen×Kär och galen1982 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Kär och galen5:29A2Öppna landskap4:42A3Herrarna2:42A4Aldrig nånsin din clown3:22A5I kvinnors ögon3:26A6Laglös4:42B1I dina slutna rum6:00B2Lycklig, lycklig4:27B3När jag kysser havet5:12B4Vid din grind igen6:24" (In love and crazy) that contained his most famous work, the song "Öppna landskap" ("Open landscapes"). It made him one of the biggest artists, and sold four times platinum. Other songs that became popular from Kär och galen was the title track "Kär och galen" and "När jag kysser havet" ("When I kiss the sea").
While waiting for a proper sequel to Kär och galen Lundell released two records, one in which he interpreted the English songs with Swedish lyrics (Sweethearts) and a completely acoustic album (12 sånger×12 sånger21 November 1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Tuff match3:30A2Ljusstrålen under färd3:58A3Vind4:15A4Dylan Thomas4:11A5När du står framför mej3:03A6Stormen6:26B1Innan dom stänger3:56B2En Stockholmstjej igen4:28B3Min älskling2:40B4Ensam4:03B5Tre bröder7:49B6Diamanter3:06). Ulf wrestled with severe alcohol problems during this time, which among other things, led to the postponing of his upcoming album several times. During the summer tour in 1985, he did a real disastrous gig in Borgholm drunk, which put him on some headlines in the newspapers. In the fall Lundell released Den vassa eggen (The Sharp Edge), an album heavily influenced by the divorce Lundell went through at the time of recording. Den vassa eggen was very critically acclaimed and was followed by yet another scandal tour in the fall of that year. In 1987 Lundell released the only book Lundell acknowledged writing intoxicated, Tårpilen and also the album Det ljuva livet (The Good Life).
Lundell alcohol abuse got so bad that he joined Alcoholics Anonymous at this time. 1988 he stated that he had met God and was baptized shortly thereafter in the Ebeneser Church. His newfound Christian faith came to color in the album Evangeline×Evangeline3 October 1988 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1En historia3:34A2När du dansar4:22A3Underbara ting4:25A4Tempel5:02A5En sprucken vas4:17A6Gå upp på klippan4:57B1Evangeline5:45B2Naken nerför gatan4:49B3Backstage4:14B4Så nära6:22B5Inte skyldig4:59Disc 2C1Villig4:52C2Jag är på din sida4:25C3Damaskus5:56C4Stora vägen5:08C5All kärlek du har4:16D1Här kommer hon3:40D2Mysterium4:09D3Bygg upp en himmel3:54D4Ett hjärta av sten6:11D5Allt jag vill4:08D6Lugna vatten4:40, which was released the same year. 1989 he released his autobiography En varg söker sin flock ("A Wolf in Search of his Pack") and the album Utanför murarna×Utanför murarna7 November 1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Utanför murarna4:202Blod svett och tårar3:413Vänner igen3:134Ingen väg hem3:325Gammal Dodge4:336Skjut mej med din lyckopil4:427Cecilia3:428Vilda fåglar4:379En man ifrån norr5:5310Bartender6:4711Den kalla vinden4:2912Utan er5:1313Kärleken förde oss samman3:3114Håll fast vid din dröm4:1315Frisk luft4:0816I en annans famn5:1917Mina sista pengar5:53 (Outside the Walls). He has also been active as a visual artist from 1989.

1990-2005

It took until 1992 for Lundell to release a new book or album with the novel Saknaden. The book came to be the first installment of a trilogy. 1993 he released the album Måne över Haväng×Måne över Haväng4 May 1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Ute på vägen igen5:192Rött4:043Jag gav bort allt4:354Katt i fönstret5:525Älskad och sedd5:116Silver och guld4:517Jag ska bli fri5:458Sjöar6:359Siddharta5:5510Isabella10:0611Dansa nu6:1412Måne över Haväng5:28, which contains songs that include "Rött" and "Isabella". This was the first album that Lundell produced entirely by himself. 1994 he formed his own production company Rockhead Studios AB and its subsidiaries Rockhead Productions and Rockhead Art and secondary name Rockhead Music. That same year he released the acoustic album Xavante×Xavante24 November 1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Halvvägs till havet5:412Xavante5:513Pigor och drängar4:264Bli som du3:165Det jag vill minnas5:516Skuld5:457Rått och romantiskt6:078En dag när du öppnar din dörr6:139Florens5:5810Hård vinter5:2011Gruva7:12. At this time Lundell invested more in music than on writing.
In 1995 Lundell celebrated 20 years as an artist. The following year he released double album På andra sidan drömmarna×På andra sidan drömmarna25 October 1996 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Den natt som aldrig dagas7:192Dagen4:323Gott att leva7:564Upp!6:565Idiot City5:396Skandinavien7:387Maranita4:508Rätt igenom mej6:079Låt dom prata9:3910Paradise Park8:52Disc 21Förlorad värld4:212Två gamla hundar6:363Levande och varm5:004Du har ett jobb5:095Nästan ditt namn6:246Strändernas svall7:207Låt inte ensamheten4:218Folket bygger landet5:389Somliga män5:3010Connemara20:52 and the live album Bosnia×Bosnia23 February 1996 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Stora vägen8:152Chans6:253Jag går på promenaden4:574Snön faller och vi med den5:315Stackars Jack4:466Museum8:137Hav utan hamnar7:288Gränsen7:249För dom som älskar6:4410Rockin' in the Free World5:3211Soldat kommer hem6:18. At this time one can notice that he was inspired more by Neil Young than before Springsteen and Dylan. Especially with the album Fanzine×Fanzine26 May 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Under bordet4:202Om jag hade henne4:503Sthlm C5:184Man igen5:225Fanzine8:346Hon drömmer att hon andas9:547Mustayaluca10:398St Jack6:349Folk5:4810Rom i regnet6:42Disc 21Ärrad & bränd5:252En chans till4:253Annalisa6:154Jenny & Johnny4:575Gammal nog7:426Vägen ut14:067Den natt som aldrig...11:228Laglös5:079Stampa på den4:2910Dom herrelösa hundarnas dag9:59 (1999), which is a disc that is partially recorded in a studio and partly live. 1999 he released his first book in seven years, the sequel to the novel Saknaden, called Friheten.
The album I ett vinterland×I ett vinterland20 November 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Det nakna trädet3:502Vinterland5:113Den här vägen4:554Hennes rygg5:375Lycklig man4:146Atlanten5:037Palatset5:098En ny dag randas5:109Regn6:4810Sommarens sista servitris5:5011Ett stenbord i Toscana6:4512Jag saknar dej6:1713Altaret i Maria5:4414Låt det snöa4:4815Samma land2:03 (2000) became his second best-selling album. The album was followed two years later with the double album Club Zebra×Club Zebra7 October 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 27 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Intro1:062Fem minuter2:303Dick's spitfire4:064Den stora bilden5:175Vackra Anita4:276Senare år8:417Orkney4:368Fria fåglar i ett fritt land4:219Levande igen4:0710Fyra hjul som rullar5:2911Kvar där för gott4:1512Odessa4:4913Hon6:5914Öppet hela natten5:2415Farligt farligt, härligt härligt4:4816Transropa express5:40Disc 21Venus och Jupiter3:592På den andra sidan5:303Röd klänning6:074St Monica5:145Gå ut och var glad5:316Coco7:277Älska med främlingen7:038Ett underbart eko4:599Jag har jobbat för hårt5:2510Vi som är kvar5:5411Club Zebra14:42, an album that was number one in Sweden October 17, 2002. Then followed four studio albums until 2005, the acoustic En eld ikväll×En eld ikväll2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Kom in, kom in5:022Blue Hearts Hotel4:463Honung4:294Nattcafé6:315Malvina3:316En gång om året5:027Om du behöver en man5:408Tanker4:389Dhaulagiri6:2310Vin till vatten6:3811Grannar3:3512En eld ikväll5:5813Fem timmar till landning5:3414Världens mitt6:10 and album trilogy Ok Ok Baby, Högtryck×Högtryck25 May 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Om det här är vintern5:182En bättre värld6:063Vitt regn5:234Kärlek på stan4:265Människa med människa4:436Öppen väg, öppen bil5:027Högtryck11:448Den dummaste djäveln i världen3:579Hatschepsuts tempel5:3310Roadhouse Kischheim6:5111Den stora ensamheten utanför allt5:2512Baby om morgonen7:43 and Lazarus×Lazarus28 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11FOXF4:362Nytt hem5:163Utanför byggnaden4:09410%6:395Hippie4:406Humbucker Blues5:127Hett så hett7:348En man dansar3:229Tom tank4:5110Lazarus12:1311Tyst farväl7:53Disc 21Hungerdepartementet5:232Citizen Kane Blues4:213S:t Kristofer5:584Miraval Blues4:145Graham Greene Blues5:296Den här voodoon5:097Sex5:148Rött vin & whiskey5:199Odyssevs Park Avenue10:0510Blint förälskade igen3:2011Ditt sällskap ikväll7:07. 2005 was a very productive year for Lundell with two albums and the novel Värmen, the last part of a trilogy with Saknaden and Friheten. This was the year he celebrated 30 years as an artist.

2008-present

In the autumn of 2008, Lundell toured for the first time in over two years and also released his first studio album in three years. During the tour premiere of Gävle Lundell told the newspapers he was about to stop touring. The tour continued in 2009 with one in the spring and one in the summer. In connection with these he admits that he lied and will not stop touring. He explains that he is about to take farewell from his artistic career, but it's a long farewell. 2010 Lundell released a new book, En öppen vinter, also containing a CD with 11 new songs.
In the summer of 2010, Lundell embarked on a new tour in which he broke the audience record for a Swedish artist at Gröna Lund on 30 July. The concert was attended by 22,827 people; with that figure, he is only beaten by Bob Marley (32,000) and Lady Gaga (23,000).
A concert tour that Lundell would have embarked on in the spring of 2011 was completely cancelled due to sickness.

Personal life

Lundell was married the first time in 1977 to Barbro Zackrisson. They broke up in 1988. In 1989, Lundell married Fredrika Stjärne, they broke up in 1991. He has three children from his first marriage, including the journalist Sanna Lundell, and one from the other. During the mid-1990s, he was dating the poet Isabella Nerman (whom he also wrote a song about, simply called "Isabella"). During a period in the 2000s he was living with Ulrika Rickfors.