Cadillac Madness - The Hep Stars (with Bonus CD)

DEN OTROLIGA BERÄTTELSEN OM THE HEP STARS

by Dan-Eric Landén & Carl-Magnus Palm

ABOUT THE BOOK

On March 23, 1965, five long-haired young men caused a sensation on the Swedish television screens. Running back and forth across the stage, and jumping up and down on the speakers, they performed a song called ‘Cadillac’. After this legendary performance, lead singer Svenne Hedlund became Sweden’s biggest teen idol, and organ player Benny Andersson took the first steps in a career that would later bring him worldwide fame.

This is the first book ever written about the band that swept through the Swedish pop landscape. It is a gripping and entertaining story about the rise and fall of a pop band: the road to success, the chaotic tours, the hysterical fans, the record-breaking record sales, the African movie adventure, the financial disasters, the conflicts within the group, the inevitable end…

All the former members of The Hep Stars – Svenne Hedlund, Benny Andersson, Lelle Hegland, Chrille Pettersson and Janne Frisk – have been interviewed for the book, along with their many associates: managers, roadies, sound engineers and many more. Cadillac Madness is richly illustrated with hundreds of photographs from the group’s career, many of which are previously unpublished.

The book also comes with a discography, detailing every Hep Stars record issued in Sweden and abroad during the group’s glory years. The discography is fully illustrated in colour, and details the many variations between different pressings. There is also a price guide, which helps the reader determine which records are the most sought-after on the collector’s market.

BONUS CD

A sensational bonus CD is included with the first edition of the book. Entitled Someday Someone, it features four previously unreleased studio recordings by The Hep Stars, all of which were made during the golden years of 1966 and 1967! The title track is a Benny Andersson & Svenne Hedlund song, which is featured in two different versions – one which contains echoes of the future ABBA sound, and one “spinet version” in the classic style of Sunny Girl. The CD also contains a version of Rag Doll, plus a psychedelic adventure entitled Massa’s Mess.