Heroes and Villains
Encyclopedia
"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys
, co-written by the group's leader Brian Wilson
and lyricist Van Dyke Parks
. Originally intended by Wilson to be the centerpiece of the ambitious but shelved album Smile
, a re-recorded version of the song was released on Smiley Smile
(1967). This version was also released as a single, with "You're Welcome" on the B-side, which charted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
In 2004 Wilson released a new version of "Heroes and Villains" on his solo album Smile
, and in 2011 the original version of the song appeared on the belated release of The Beach Boys' The Smile Sessions
.
.
Like most of the Smile songs, "Heroes and Villains" is based around a deceptively simple three-chord pattern. It encapsulates Wilson's musical approach for the project, which was to create songs that were (for the most part) structurally simple, but overlaid with extremely complex and often highly chromatic
vocal and instrumental arrangements, and capped by Parks' lyrics.
The lyrics for "Heroes and Villains" exemplify the allusive and playful nature of Parks' writing for Smile, evidently combining the experiences, feelings and preoccupations of both Wilson and Parks. Along with "Surf's Up
" and "Cabinessence
", it is lyrically among the most complex and ambiguous of all Beach Boys recordings. "Heroes and Villains" is generally thought to have been the first song written specifically for Smile, although "Barnyard" and "I'm in Great Shape" might have been written at about the same time.
The song went through a number of transformations and at least one segment, the so-called "Cantina scene" was removed from the released versions. Carl Wilson often sang during live shows, a variation of "Do You Like Worms?" featured in the song the lyrics, "Bicycle rider, see, see what you've done" to give homage to some of the unreleased songs off Smile.
The song underwent many changes during its production, and several important elements, including the so-called "Cantina scene" and the segment commonly known as "Bicycle Rider", were taken out of the finished single and album versions, although they were retained in other (unreleased) mixes. A single version of the song was released in mid-1967, but rumors persist of a far longer edit, and it is known that several alternate versions were put together. Both Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys frequently included "Bicycle Rider" when performing the song in concert.
Al Jardine
believes that Brian underproduced the song for the Smiley Smile album. As he explains "We recorded a pale facsimile of 'Heroes And Villains', replete with discordant transitions...Brian re-invented the song for this record...He purposefully under-produced the song". However, this version was good enough to place at number 12 on the US Billboard charts, number eight in the United Kingdom, number five in Canada, number six in New Zealand, number 10 in Italy and Sweden. It also charted at number 11 in Australia, number 24 in Germany, number 30 in France, number eight in Holland, Switzerland and Malaysia, according to contemporary national charts sourced and sited by Billboard in fall 1967.
". When the single failed to significantly replicate the success of "Good Vibrations", it destroyed his self-imposed competitive rivalry to The Beatles. According to Jack Rieley
, Wilson would often recount in "agonizing detail" about how "Heroes and Villains" was suppose to lift The Beach Boys' public image from "surfing/car songs" to being on "creative par with The Beatles". Wilson interpreted the failure of "Heroes and Villains" as an ultimate rejection by the public to his musical growth and artistry. Mike Love would go on to call "Heroes" as "the last dynamic Brian moment".
In late 1967, during sessions for the unreleased album Lei'd In Hawaii, The Beach Boys recorded a stripped down live-in-the-studio version of "Heroes and Villains". Later, Mike Love and Brian Wilson would overdub this version with a self-deprecating monologue satirizing the song, with Love calling "Heroes and Villains" a "nuclear disaster" and that "being basically masochists, [The Beach Boys] kind of enjoyed having this record bomb". Love also assures the listener that "it's all in fun", and presumably, all within Wilson's approval as he laughs in the background, despite it harshly criticizing his musical ability and commercial shortcomings.
Although the track was meant to be taken lightheartedly, it can be interpreted as a reflection of Wilson's extremely low self-confidence as a musician at the time.
A number of different edits of the song exist; one was released as a single in July 1967 and appeared on their September 1967 LP Smiley Smile
. The original Smile version was eventually released as a bonus track on the Beach Boys Smiley Smile/Wild Honey
two-fer in 1990—this included the Cantina Scene and some additional lines ("At threescore and five, I'm very much alive, I've still got the jive to survive with the heroes and villains"). A 2001 stereo mix appears on the Hawthorne, CA album. On the Endless Harmony Soundtrack
, there is a demo of the song, which also incorporates two other songs: "I'm in Great Shape" and "Barnyard".
There have been persistent rumors of a far longer two-part edit, reputedly running for six, seven or even ten minutes, and that this edit was intended for single release, split across the two sides of a single. However, it is possible that this rumoured long edit (if it exists) may in fact have been part of a trial assembly of the song and related fragments as part of the planned sequencing of the Smile tracks. Regardless, the intended "Heroes And Villains" single was originally assigned as Capitol 5826, issued with a white picture sleeve showing six pictures of the group members. However, Brian Wilson was still experimenting and creating further concepts for the song, thus the Capitol single was never pressed. By the time of the final single mix, The Beach Boys created their own Brother label and issued "Heroes And Villains" as its first single (Brother 1001) with the cartoon picture sleeve. The picture sleeve for the unreleased Capitol single is a rare, highly sought item among Beach Boys collectors.
The Beach Boys have released four different live versions of the song: on The Beach Boys in Concert
; on Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
, as part of a medley with Cotton Fields
; on the Endless Harmony Soundtrack
, and also on the Beach Boys Concert/Live in London twofer, as a bonus track. It is also on Al Jardine's Live in Las Vegas album. While Brian was absent from the touring section of the group, Jardine sang lead on this song. The song was re-recorded in 2004 as part of Brian Wilson's Smile
solo album, with the 'cantina' segment included.
In 2011, The SMiLE Sessions were released, containing several new versions of the song, along with extensive session highlights.
Smile
Smiley Smile
Brian Wilson's Smile
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, co-written by the group's leader Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
and lyricist Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
. Originally intended by Wilson to be the centerpiece of the ambitious but shelved album Smile
Smile (The Beach Boys album)
Smile is a previously unreleased album by The Beach Boys recorded throughout 1966 and 1967. The project was intended by its creator Brian Wilson as the follow-up to Pet Sounds, but was never completed in its original form...
, a re-recorded version of the song was released on Smiley Smile
Smiley Smile
Smiley Smile is the twelfth studio album by The Beach Boys, issued in 1967. Released in the place of the much-touted Smile, Smiley Smile is widely considered to be under-produced, and it was received with indifference and confusion upon its unveiling...
(1967). This version was also released as a single, with "You're Welcome" on the B-side, which charted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
In 2004 Wilson released a new version of "Heroes and Villains" on his solo album Smile
Smile (Brian Wilson album)
Smile, sometimes typeset with the idiosyncratic partial capitalization SMiLE, or referred to as Brian Wilson Presents Smile is a solo album by Brian Wilson, with lyrics by Van Dyke Parks released on September 28, 2004 on CD and two-disc vinyl LP...
, and in 2011 the original version of the song appeared on the belated release of The Beach Boys' The Smile Sessions
Smile (The Beach Boys album)
Smile is a previously unreleased album by The Beach Boys recorded throughout 1966 and 1967. The project was intended by its creator Brian Wilson as the follow-up to Pet Sounds, but was never completed in its original form...
.
Writing
Composed in early 1966, mostly in a large sandbox holding a piano built in Brian Wilson's living room, "Heroes and Villains" was the first collaboration between Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. It is reported that when Wilson first played the melody to him, Parks devised the opening line on the spot. Various musical themes in the song recur in numerous other songs and musical fragments which Wilson recorded for Smile. The song makes heavy use of chromatic scalesChromatic scale
The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone apart. On a modern piano or other equal-tempered instrument, all the half steps are the same size...
.
Like most of the Smile songs, "Heroes and Villains" is based around a deceptively simple three-chord pattern. It encapsulates Wilson's musical approach for the project, which was to create songs that were (for the most part) structurally simple, but overlaid with extremely complex and often highly chromatic
Chromatic scale
The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone apart. On a modern piano or other equal-tempered instrument, all the half steps are the same size...
vocal and instrumental arrangements, and capped by Parks' lyrics.
The lyrics for "Heroes and Villains" exemplify the allusive and playful nature of Parks' writing for Smile, evidently combining the experiences, feelings and preoccupations of both Wilson and Parks. Along with "Surf's Up
Surf's Up (song)
"Surf's Up" is the title of a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. The song was intended as one of the centrepieces for the aborted Beach Boys' album Smile, which was begun in late 1966 but shelved in mid-1967. It was reworked and used as the title track for the twenty-second official...
" and "Cabinessence
Cabinessence
"Cabin Essence" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1969 album 20/20...
", it is lyrically among the most complex and ambiguous of all Beach Boys recordings. "Heroes and Villains" is generally thought to have been the first song written specifically for Smile, although "Barnyard" and "I'm in Great Shape" might have been written at about the same time.
Recording
Despite its early genesis, the recording of the song was a difficult and protracted process. Wilson halted work on the other Smile tracks at the end of 1966 and concentrated on producing a version of "Heroes and Villains" for single release. However, despite holding at least twenty recording sessions for the song over a period of several months and assembling several different edits of the track, he was unable to complete the work to his satisfaction until after the May 1967 announcement that Smile had been shelved.The song went through a number of transformations and at least one segment, the so-called "Cantina scene" was removed from the released versions. Carl Wilson often sang during live shows, a variation of "Do You Like Worms?" featured in the song the lyrics, "Bicycle rider, see, see what you've done" to give homage to some of the unreleased songs off Smile.
The song underwent many changes during its production, and several important elements, including the so-called "Cantina scene" and the segment commonly known as "Bicycle Rider", were taken out of the finished single and album versions, although they were retained in other (unreleased) mixes. A single version of the song was released in mid-1967, but rumors persist of a far longer edit, and it is known that several alternate versions were put together. Both Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys frequently included "Bicycle Rider" when performing the song in concert.
Al Jardine
Al Jardine
Alan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
believes that Brian underproduced the song for the Smiley Smile album. As he explains "We recorded a pale facsimile of 'Heroes And Villains', replete with discordant transitions...Brian re-invented the song for this record...He purposefully under-produced the song". However, this version was good enough to place at number 12 on the US Billboard charts, number eight in the United Kingdom, number five in Canada, number six in New Zealand, number 10 in Italy and Sweden. It also charted at number 11 in Australia, number 24 in Germany, number 30 in France, number eight in Holland, Switzerland and Malaysia, according to contemporary national charts sourced and sited by Billboard in fall 1967.
Effect on Brian Wilson
Wilson is said to have had enormously high hopes for "Heroes and Villains" as the follow-up single to The Beach Boys' previous number 1 hit "Good VibrationsGood Vibrations
"Good Vibrations" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. Composed and produced by Brian Wilson, the song's lyrics were written by Wilson and Mike Love....
". When the single failed to significantly replicate the success of "Good Vibrations", it destroyed his self-imposed competitive rivalry to The Beatles. According to Jack Rieley
Jack Rieley
Jack Rieley is an American record producer. He was the manager of the pop music group the Beach Boys during the early 1970s, and is credited with guiding them back to acclaim. He would also sometimes a co-songwriter with the rest of the band, usually penning lyrics.He also worked with Kool and the...
, Wilson would often recount in "agonizing detail" about how "Heroes and Villains" was suppose to lift The Beach Boys' public image from "surfing/car songs" to being on "creative par with The Beatles". Wilson interpreted the failure of "Heroes and Villains" as an ultimate rejection by the public to his musical growth and artistry. Mike Love would go on to call "Heroes" as "the last dynamic Brian moment".
In late 1967, during sessions for the unreleased album Lei'd In Hawaii, The Beach Boys recorded a stripped down live-in-the-studio version of "Heroes and Villains". Later, Mike Love and Brian Wilson would overdub this version with a self-deprecating monologue satirizing the song, with Love calling "Heroes and Villains" a "nuclear disaster" and that "being basically masochists, [The Beach Boys] kind of enjoyed having this record bomb". Love also assures the listener that "it's all in fun", and presumably, all within Wilson's approval as he laughs in the background, despite it harshly criticizing his musical ability and commercial shortcomings.
- "It topped the charts at about 40, and the next week it just zoomed right off to about, oh well, about 250. Right now, it's lurking at about 10,000 on this year's 'Top 10,000'! ... We've gotta figure on one hit, well, I mean, every six years, you gotta get a little animosity generated somehow ... We want to thank you for coming to show and throwing all these nice objects at us. Really, we'll see you back again next time around."
Although the track was meant to be taken lightheartedly, it can be interpreted as a reflection of Wilson's extremely low self-confidence as a musician at the time.
Releases
Capitol Records had scheduled January 13, 1967 as the release date for the single. Yet, although he was renowned for his efficiency in the studio, Brian Wilson clearly struggled to complete "Heroes and Villains", and despite devoting more than twenty sessions to it between October 1966 and March 1967, he was unable to complete it to his satisfaction.A number of different edits of the song exist; one was released as a single in July 1967 and appeared on their September 1967 LP Smiley Smile
Smiley Smile
Smiley Smile is the twelfth studio album by The Beach Boys, issued in 1967. Released in the place of the much-touted Smile, Smiley Smile is widely considered to be under-produced, and it was received with indifference and confusion upon its unveiling...
. The original Smile version was eventually released as a bonus track on the Beach Boys Smiley Smile/Wild Honey
Wild Honey (album)
-Singles:* "Wild Honey" b/w "Wind Chimes" , 23 October 1967 US #31; UK #29* "Darlin'" b/w "Here Today" , 18 December 1967 US #19; UK #11....
two-fer in 1990—this included the Cantina Scene and some additional lines ("At threescore and five, I'm very much alive, I've still got the jive to survive with the heroes and villains"). A 2001 stereo mix appears on the Hawthorne, CA album. On the Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in August 1998. Named for Bruce Johnston's song on the 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive, it was designed as a tie-in with the band's biographical documentary...
, there is a demo of the song, which also incorporates two other songs: "I'm in Great Shape" and "Barnyard".
There have been persistent rumors of a far longer two-part edit, reputedly running for six, seven or even ten minutes, and that this edit was intended for single release, split across the two sides of a single. However, it is possible that this rumoured long edit (if it exists) may in fact have been part of a trial assembly of the song and related fragments as part of the planned sequencing of the Smile tracks. Regardless, the intended "Heroes And Villains" single was originally assigned as Capitol 5826, issued with a white picture sleeve showing six pictures of the group members. However, Brian Wilson was still experimenting and creating further concepts for the song, thus the Capitol single was never pressed. By the time of the final single mix, The Beach Boys created their own Brother label and issued "Heroes And Villains" as its first single (Brother 1001) with the cartoon picture sleeve. The picture sleeve for the unreleased Capitol single is a rare, highly sought item among Beach Boys collectors.
The Beach Boys have released four different live versions of the song: on The Beach Boys in Concert
The Beach Boys in Concert
The Beach Boys in Concert is the second live album officially released in the U.S. by The Beach Boys, nine years after Beach Boys Concert . Released in late 1973, the set proved to be a healthy seller in the U...
; on Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 is a CD release of a concert performance by The Beach Boys at the aforementioned venue in June 1980...
, as part of a medley with Cotton Fields
Cotton Fields
"Cotton Fields" is a song written by blues musician Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly who made the first recording of the song in 1940.-Early versions:...
; on the Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in August 1998. Named for Bruce Johnston's song on the 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive, it was designed as a tie-in with the band's biographical documentary...
, and also on the Beach Boys Concert/Live in London twofer, as a bonus track. It is also on Al Jardine's Live in Las Vegas album. While Brian was absent from the touring section of the group, Jardine sang lead on this song. The song was re-recorded in 2004 as part of Brian Wilson's Smile
Smile (Brian Wilson album)
Smile, sometimes typeset with the idiosyncratic partial capitalization SMiLE, or referred to as Brian Wilson Presents Smile is a solo album by Brian Wilson, with lyrics by Van Dyke Parks released on September 28, 2004 on CD and two-disc vinyl LP...
solo album, with the 'cantina' segment included.
In 2011, The SMiLE Sessions were released, containing several new versions of the song, along with extensive session highlights.
SmileSmile (The Beach Boys album)Smile is a previously unreleased album by The Beach Boys recorded throughout 1966 and 1967. The project was intended by its creator Brian Wilson as the follow-up to Pet Sounds, but was never completed in its original form...
version (original, released 2011)
- Hal BlaineHal BlaineHal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Carol KayeCarol KayeCarol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Lyle Ritz – string bass
- Don RandiDon RandiDon Randi is an American keyboard player, bandleader and songwriter. He has performed on innumerable recordings, including many as a session musician and member of "The Wrecking Crew", as well as releasing his own jazz records...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Billy StrangeBilly StrangeWilliam E. "Billy" Strange is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor.-Recordings and songwriting:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
– lead vocals, harmonies - Mike Love, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Bruce Johnston – backing vocals, laughter
Smiley SmileSmiley SmileSmiley Smile is the twelfth studio album by The Beach Boys, issued in 1967. Released in the place of the much-touted Smile, Smiley Smile is widely considered to be under-produced, and it was received with indifference and confusion upon its unveiling...
version
- Hal BlaineHal BlaineHal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Al JardineAl JardineAlan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Bruce JohnstonBruce JohnstonBruce Arthur Johnston is a member of The Beach Boys and a songwriter, remembered especially for composing "I Write the Songs". Johnston was not one of the original members of the band...
– vocals - Carol KayeCarol KayeCarol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mike LoveMike LoveMichael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
– vocals - Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
– lead vocal - Carl WilsonCarl WilsonCarl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
– vocals - Dennis WilsonDennis WilsonDennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
– vocals
Brian Wilson's SmileSmile (Brian Wilson album)Smile, sometimes typeset with the idiosyncratic partial capitalization SMiLE, or referred to as Brian Wilson Presents Smile is a solo album by Brian Wilson, with lyrics by Van Dyke Parks released on September 28, 2004 on CD and two-disc vinyl LP...
version
- Brian Wilson – lead Vocals, and keyboards
- Scott Bennett – vocals, keyboards
- Nelson Bragg – vocals, percussion, whistle
- Jeff FoskettJeff FoskettJeffrey Foskett is a guitarist and singer best known for his work with Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.Foskett originally came from San Jose, California, where in the early-1970s his first band was a surf group named "Cherry", after the Willow Glen area street on which he lived. He attended Willow...
– vocals, guitar - Probyn Gregory – vocals, guitar
- Jim Hines – drums
- Bob Lizik – bass
- Paul Mertons – baritone saxophone, harmonica
- Taylor Mills – vocals, percussion
- Darian SahanajaDarian SahanajaDarian Sahanaja is a singer, songwriter, and is currently playing in the Brian Wilson band with The Wondermints. He has also collaborated with numerous other artists in the genre of orchestral/underground pop, including Baby Lemonade, Wonderboy, Aimee Mann, Now People, Lisa Mychols and Donna Summer...
– vocals, keyboards - Nick Walusko – vocals, guitar
- Staffan Findin – bass trombone
- Andreas Forsman – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Erik Holm – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Anna Landberg – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Malin-My Nilsson – violin
- Bjorn Samuelsson – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Victor Sand – saxophone, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... - Markus Sandlund – cello