Mecki Mark Men - Running In The Summer Night (1969)

Lead by keyboardist and vocalist Mecki Bodemark, MECKI MARK MEN are considered one of the first big Swedish psychedlic acts. They released an eponymous album in 1968 but soon after, Bodemark went his own way and teemed up with a threesome called the BABY GRANDMOTHERS to form MECKI MARK MEN. In 1968, they were the supporting act for FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION at Stockholm’s Concert House, as well as for JIMI HENDRIX during his Swedish tour. In 1969, they released a second album called “Running in the Summer Night”, made TV appearances and were part of the Swedish cast of the popular musical “Hair”. The following year, they went on a U.S. tour and played at rock festivals headlining The BYRDS, SLY & THE FAMILY STONE and JETHRO TULL among others. However, the tour ended up in chaos. They had stayed there for 3 months yet their visas were only valid for 6 weeks; they were also stuck in a hotel room they couldn’t afford. So they made a deal with their manager, returned home and paid their debts by recording a third album (“Marathon”). They then broke up, with most of the cast soon resurfacing as KEBNEKAISE. They released a fourth album in 1979 under their original name, where Mecki Bodemark features as the only original member.Typical of 60’s psych and R&B, their music resembles that of JIMI HENDRIX, IRON BUTTERFLY and VANILLA FUDGE: trippy, brain melting distorted lead guitar with plenty of fuzz and wah-wah, and lots of wasted, stoned out vocals from Bodemark who, btw, does the same things with his formidable Hammond organ as Hendrix with his guitar. Their better release is perhaps “Running in the Summer Night”, an album of heavy acid space rock where everyone is at his best, particularly Bodemark and guitar wizard Kenny Häkansson. Lise (HIBOU), CANADA

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