What a Lemon
Encyclopedia
What a Lemon is an album by Danish
rock
band Gasolin'
, released 1 August 1976 on Epic Records
in the United States
, some parts of Europe
, Japan
and Australia
. It is the third of four albums with English lyrics that Gasolin' released between 1974 and 1978 in an attempt to break the international music market. The album received good reviews from leading American rock critics
, but lack of airplay and the fact that the record company invested only small efforts in promotion and distribution did that it never earned the band the public acclaim it was striving for.
, issued the previous year, had sold 65.000 copies and earned them a Gold record. But the band had ambitions of international fame, and while re-negotiating their record contract with CBS
they demanded to have an album issued in the United States as part of the deal. A compromise was made that granted them a record contract with Epic Records, a subsidiary of Columbia
, the equivalent to CBS in the States. In cooperation with Englishman Mick Moloney and Danish author Jan Bredsdorf, the band wrote English lyrics to the songs from Gas 5. In March Gasolin' traveled to New York to re-record the lyrics; however upon their arrival, Epic's A&R
chief Lennie Petze intimated that the English lyrics needed further development and assigned the "clean-up" task to Epic employee Dan Beck who had an aspiring talent for poetry.
The resulting album was released internationally on 1 August 1976, but on Gasolin's own request it wasn't initially made available to record buyers in Denmark. Despite this, it entered the Top 20 of the Danish albums chart thanks to the band's popularity in their home country and direct import by a number of record shops. Finally Gasolin' ceased their resistance, and the record was officially released in Denmark as well.
, a wall-painting of an unlucky girl losing her knickers
, surrounded by a white border. She had however already been used for the first English album, so instead a photo of the band members from the gatefold cover of their 1971 eponymous Danish debut album
was chosen as cover for the English edition.
(1975), except that "1975" and "Good Time Charlie" were omitted and replaced by "Rabalderstraede" and "The Last Jim". "Rabalderstraede" is the Danish version of the title song, "What a Lemon". "The Last Jim" is an instrumental taken from the Danish album Stakkels Jim
(1974).
and Rolling Stone
. In the former, Robert Christgau
called it a "wonderfully improbable record" and awarded it the rating A- in his Consumers Guide despite the "translations provided in part by an Epic PR man who deserves a new job." He also positioned it as no. 19 on his end-of-the-year "Dean's List" of his personal favorite albums, counting for the 1976 Pazz & Jop
critic's poll. Rolling Stone reviewer Wayne Robins called the music "American-style rock with finesse and flexibility" but was also not impressed by the English lyrics: "Not only is repeating the same song ["What a Lemon"/"Rabalderstraede"] a bit of featherbedding, but the Danish version is much better; though you don't know what singer Kim Larsen is saying, his salacious delivery makes it clear something ribald is going on." Nevertheless, he concluded the review by stating that "(...) Gasolin' plays and sings convincingly. This is certainly a band worth watching. Next time a blend of English and Danish songs might be novel enough to attract the American audience Gasolin' deserves."
The album eventually sold around 20.000 copies in the United States.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Gasolin'
Gasolin'
Gasolin was a Danish rock band from Christianshavn in Copenhagen formed by Kim Larsen, Franz Beckerlee and Wili Jønsson in 1969. Their first drummer was the late Bjørn Uglebjerg. He was replaced by Søren Berlev in 1971...
, released 1 August 1976 on Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, some parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the third of four albums with English lyrics that Gasolin' released between 1974 and 1978 in an attempt to break the international music market. The album received good reviews from leading American rock critics
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, but lack of airplay and the fact that the record company invested only small efforts in promotion and distribution did that it never earned the band the public acclaim it was striving for.
History
By the start of 1976 Gasolin' was the most popular band in Denmark. Their latest LP Gas 5Gas 5
Gas 5 was Gasolin's fifth album in five years and was released in October 1975. From the humble beginnings of their debut album they had developed into a confident arena rock band with this release...
, issued the previous year, had sold 65.000 copies and earned them a Gold record. But the band had ambitions of international fame, and while re-negotiating their record contract with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
they demanded to have an album issued in the United States as part of the deal. A compromise was made that granted them a record contract with Epic Records, a subsidiary of Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, the equivalent to CBS in the States. In cooperation with Englishman Mick Moloney and Danish author Jan Bredsdorf, the band wrote English lyrics to the songs from Gas 5. In March Gasolin' traveled to New York to re-record the lyrics; however upon their arrival, Epic's A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
chief Lennie Petze intimated that the English lyrics needed further development and assigned the "clean-up" task to Epic employee Dan Beck who had an aspiring talent for poetry.
The resulting album was released internationally on 1 August 1976, but on Gasolin's own request it wasn't initially made available to record buyers in Denmark. Despite this, it entered the Top 20 of the Danish albums chart thanks to the band's popularity in their home country and direct import by a number of record shops. Finally Gasolin' ceased their resistance, and the record was officially released in Denmark as well.
Title
The album was released in the United States as Gasolin' , but renamed What a Lemon for the rest of the world. The disparity is due to the band releasing previous albums named Gasolin' . All told, Gasolin' released three albums named Gasolin' : Their first Danish album, their first British album and their first American album.Album cover
Most editions of What a Lemon were released with the cover picture from the third Danish album Gasolin' 3Gasolin' 3
Gasolin' 3 was the third album from Danish rock band Gasolin', released in November 1973. It was the band's first album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. Gasolin' 3 was recorded in Rosenberg Studio in Copenhagen with Freddy Hansson as sound engineer....
, a wall-painting of an unlucky girl losing her knickers
Panties
Panties are a form of underwear, usually light and snug-fitting, designed to be worn by women or girls in the area directly below the waist. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genital area , and a pair of leg openings which, like the waistband, are often...
, surrounded by a white border. She had however already been used for the first English album, so instead a photo of the band members from the gatefold cover of their 1971 eponymous Danish debut album
Gasolin' (album)
Gasolin' is the debut studio album by Danish rock band Gasolin'. It was released in November 1971 by CBS Records. Instead of boogie rock and catchy tunes, they relied on creating songs with a moody feel such as "Langebro", "Fra dag til dag" and "Tremastet beton". The latter is recited by the poet...
was chosen as cover for the English edition.
Songs
The track list is nearly identical to the original Danish album Gas 5Gas 5
Gas 5 was Gasolin's fifth album in five years and was released in October 1975. From the humble beginnings of their debut album they had developed into a confident arena rock band with this release...
(1975), except that "1975" and "Good Time Charlie" were omitted and replaced by "Rabalderstraede" and "The Last Jim". "Rabalderstraede" is the Danish version of the title song, "What a Lemon". "The Last Jim" is an instrumental taken from the Danish album Stakkels Jim
Stakkels Jim
Stakkels Jim is a studio album by Gasolin' and was released in November 1974. It was the second album to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker....
(1974).
Reception
What a Lemon received positive reviews from leading American music magazines like The Village VoiceThe Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. In the former, Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
called it a "wonderfully improbable record" and awarded it the rating A- in his Consumers Guide despite the "translations provided in part by an Epic PR man who deserves a new job." He also positioned it as no. 19 on his end-of-the-year "Dean's List" of his personal favorite albums, counting for the 1976 Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
critic's poll. Rolling Stone reviewer Wayne Robins called the music "American-style rock with finesse and flexibility" but was also not impressed by the English lyrics: "Not only is repeating the same song ["What a Lemon"/"Rabalderstraede"] a bit of featherbedding, but the Danish version is much better; though you don't know what singer Kim Larsen is saying, his salacious delivery makes it clear something ribald is going on." Nevertheless, he concluded the review by stating that "(...) Gasolin' plays and sings convincingly. This is certainly a band worth watching. Next time a blend of English and Danish songs might be novel enough to attract the American audience Gasolin' deserves."
The album eventually sold around 20.000 copies in the United States.
Side one
- "What a Lemon" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Skip Malone, Dan Beck, Jan Bredsdorf) – 4:57
- "Fatherless Hill" (Music: Kim LarsenKim Larsenthumb|250px|Kim Larsen, Nibe Festival 2009.Kim Melius Flyvholm Larsen is a Danish rock musician.Inspired by The Beatles and rock and roll, Larsen began as a songwriter and guitarist...
, Gasolin' / Lyrics: Larsen) – 4:16 - "Lonesome Avenue" (Music: Larsen / Lyrics: Larsen) – 3:25
- "Rebel Run" (Music: Gasolin', Tommy Petersen / Lyrics: Beck) – 2:58
- "Lots of Success" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Beck) – 3:40
Side two
- "It's All the Same to an American Dane" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Mick Moloney, Beck) – 3:54
- "Lady Oh Lady" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Moloney) – 2:43
- "Sad Song of the Bluebird" (Music: Gasolin' / Lyrics: Gasolin', Moloney) – 4:31
- "Rabalderstraede" (Music: Larsen, Wili JønssonWili JønssonWili Jønsson is a Danish rock musician and member of 1970s band Gasolin'.Born 27 March 1942. Went to the Gerbrandsskolen together with Franz Beckerlee. In 1969 Jønsson got together with childhood friend Franz Beckerlee...
/ Lyrics: Gasolin', Mogens Mogensen) – 4:50 - "The Last Jim" (Larsen, Franz Beckerlee) – 2:55
Gasolin'
- Kim LarsenKim Larsenthumb|250px|Kim Larsen, Nibe Festival 2009.Kim Melius Flyvholm Larsen is a Danish rock musician.Inspired by The Beatles and rock and roll, Larsen began as a songwriter and guitarist...
– 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...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Franz Beckerlee – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, moogMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, vocals - Wili JønssonWili JønssonWili Jønsson is a Danish rock musician and member of 1970s band Gasolin'.Born 27 March 1942. Went to the Gerbrandsskolen together with Franz Beckerlee. In 1969 Jønsson got together with childhood friend Franz Beckerlee...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Søren Berlev – 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 ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocals
Additional musicians
- Wolfgang Käfer – string arrangementsStrings (music)A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
(all tracks except "The Last Jim") - Palle MikkelborgPalle MikkelborgPalle Mikkelborg , is a Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and record producer. He started playing professionally in 1960, and has since been a dominant figure on the Danish and international progressive jazz scene...
– string arrangementsStrings (music)A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
("The Last Jim") - Anne LinnetAnne LinnetAnne Linnet Anne Linnet Anne Linnet (born 30 July 1953 in Århus, Denmark, is a Danish singer, musician and composer. She has released a number of solo albums and has also been a member of several bands, such as Shit & Chanel, Anne Linnet Band, and Marquis de Sade. Anne Linnet is one of a small...
, Lis SørensenLis SørensenLis Sørensen, born 28 May 1955, is a Danish singer. In the 1970s she worked with Anne Linnet in Shit & Chanel and Anne Linnet Band. In 1983 she released her first solo album.-Albums:*Himlen ned på jorden *Lis Sørensen...
– backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
("Fatherless Hill") - Hugo RasmussenHugo RasmussenHugo Rasmussen is a Danish bassist. Rasmussen is best known for his 1978 album Sweets To The Sweet. Sweets To the Sweet was re-released in 2001 on Danish label Music Mecca.-Biography:...
– double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
("Lonesome Avenue")
Production
- Roy Thomas BakerRoy Thomas BakerRoy Thomas Baker is a multiple award-winning Anglo-American music producer, songwriter, arranger and Recording Academy Governor, who has produced Platinum and Gold certified pop and rock records from the 1970s to the present.- Career :Baker began his career at Decca Records in England at the age...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Freddy Hansson – engineer
Release history
| Region | Title | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Gasolin | 1 August 1976 | Epic Records Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
stereo Stereophonic sound The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective... LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
PE 34149 |
| Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
What a Lemon | 1 August 1976 | Epic Records | stereo LP | EPC 81436 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
What a Lemon | 15 November 1976 | Epic Records | stereo LP | ELPS 3781 |
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
What a Lemon | 1976 | Epic Records | stereo LP | 25AP 301 |
| Scandinavia Scandinavia Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,... |
A Foreign Affair IIReissue Reissue A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions.... bundled with The Last Jim The Last Jim The Last Jim is the second album with English lyrics by Danish rock band Gasolin'. It was released in some Western European countries in November 1974 on CBS, simultaneously to its Danish counterpart Stakkels Jim. The songs are identical on the two albums, except for the lyrics... |
2002 | Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
double CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
SM 2965-05 |