Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Hooked On a Feeling
Company: EMI
Catalog: ST-11286
Year: 1973
Country/State: Sweden
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4435
Price: $5.00
Cost: $66.00
Having caught a snippet of 'Hooked On a Feeling' on a commercial, the song sounded so good I went rummaging for my copy of the parent album. Geez, talk about a group I haven't thought about in decades ...
Well, I do know that they were actually Swedish. The group apparently started out as a studio entity; the brainchild of singer Bjorn Skifs and producer/writer Bengt (Ben) Palmers. While their 1973 debut "Blue Swede" won't change your life, it's fascinating for it's diversity and scope - these guys give new meaning to the description musical chameleons. Propelled by Skifs' blue-eyed soul vocals, the title track is a classic slice of top-40 radio fodder - the ooga chukka chorus is simply hysterical. 'Pinewood Rally'' and 'Something's Burning' are great slices of top-40 pop. The goofy 'Silly Mily' is as good as anything Sweet ever did. Elsewhere 'Gotta Have Your Love' sounds like a Swedish stab at Gamble and Huff. Probably because it's so different from the rest of the LP, the standout track is the original ballad 'Lonely Sunday Afternoon'. Still, it's all quite pleasant in a weird way. Well worth owning if you're a power pop fan.
"Hooked On a Feeling" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Hooked On a Feeling (Mark James) - 2:52
2.) Pinewood Rally (Bengt Palmers - Bjorn Skifs) - 2:53
3.) Silly Mily (Bruhn - Moock) - 2:53
4.) Lonely Sunday Afternoon (Bengt Palmers - Bjorn Skifs) - 3:12
5.) Gotta Have Your Love (Bengt Palmers - Bjorn Skifs) - 3:26
(side 2)
1.) Destiny (Jose Feliciano) - 2:31
2.) Something's Burning (Mac Davis) - 3:42
3.) Working In the Coal Mine (Allen Toussaint) - 2:33
4.) Never My Love (Don Adrissi - Dick Addrissi) - 2:27
5.) (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 3:39