Blond

Blond grew out of the Swedish band Tages, arguably the finest Swedish '60s rock group. After lead singer Tommy Blom left in the late '60s, they changed their name to Blond, the chief creative force being bassist/songwriter Goran Lagerberg (who had also sang some lead in Tages). Blond's 1969 album The Lilac Years was recorded in London and released in both Europe and the United States (where it was simply called Blond). Similar to the later recordings of Tages, and perhaps a bit more Anglo-pop-oriented than Tages, the album was a respectable though unexceptional effort with echoes of the Hollies, the Beatles, the Easybeats, and the like. At times it got into moody, almost early art rock-like textures, particularly on the lengthy title track, though the general mood was upbeat cheery pop/rock. They could have easily passed for a British (or even American) group, but never made significant inroads into the English-speaking market. Two new members replaced a couple of the ex-Tages, lead guitarist Anders Topel and rhythm guitarist Danne Larsson, after the album was recorded (but before it was released). Blond disbanded in 1970. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi