The Mascots.

miguel · Post by **miguel** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:12 am

I mentioned The Mascots in another post elsewhere in this Forum, and Glenn, from The Beatcombers, replied that his band were playing THREE covers of this fantastic mid-sixties swedish band. Although I don´t like a lot the reviews of Richie Unterberger when he is writing about not very well-known bands of the mid-sixties (he seems to think that if the band sold records, they were good, and if they didn´t,...), here is what he wrote for 'All Music Guide' about The Mascots:
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" The Mascots were a fairly successful Swedish sixties group, issuing around twenty singles and two LPs between 1964 and 1968, and reaching the Swedish Top Ten with five of their 45s. Although they wrote much of their own material, most of their output was extremely imitative of British Invasion pop, and they (like virtually all Swedish acts of the time) were unknown to the English-speaking world. However, if you're on the hunt for lightweight, but sometimes charming, pseudo-Merseybeat, the Mascots made some pretty enjoyable (and some extremely awkward) tracks along those lines. In particular, the ultra-catchy, close-harmony number "Words Enough to Tell You" is a gem of the genre. As it made #6 in Sweden in 1965 and was included in the best and most widely circulated compilation of Swedish 1960s rock (Searchin' for Shakes), it's the Mascots track non-Swedes are most likely to be familiar with. Alas, none of their other recordings were up to this level, although "A Sad Boy" (another Swedish Top Tenner) and a few other mid-1960s cuts were fair mock Merseybeat. The 1966 single "I Want to Live" was proof that they could get a little tougher and weirder, and has been included on some compilations of rare "freakbeat, " but this direction wasn't explored by the band on other efforts. The Mascots' grasp of English (which they sang in exclusively) was slighter than that of some other Swedish groups, and this—combined with some corny Nordic folk-influenced Merseybeat on some early recordings, and some dull middle-of-the-road pop-folk-rock on their late 1960s releases—makes a compilation of their output erratic and hard to sit through in its entirety."
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To say that 'Words Enough To Tell You' is catchy is not enough. In fact, is ultra - infectious, and could have been a Beatles´song. It was recorded late 1964 - early 1965, and released in 1965 (in Sweden) and it features, in my opinion, a Rickenbacker 12 string, for the rhythm part and for the George Harrison influenced guitar solo. Sure it is not a Vox 12 string (for it sounds very different). Any comments are welcome!

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 3:55 am

Miguel: From the Rhino Store

WORDS ENOUGH TO TELL YOU - The Mascots (Sweden)
(Anders Forsslund/Stefan Ringbom)

PERSONNEL/GUNNAR IDERING: guitar, vocals * STEFAN RINGBOM: guitar, vocals * ANDERS FORSSLUND: bass, vocals * ROLF "BOFFE" ADOLFSSON: drums, vocals
Producer(s) unknown
Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden
Decca single #F-44508 (1966) [Sweden]

These Swedish teens had obviously watched A Hard Day's Night multiple times, because--with the possible exception of a little Lennon vinegar--they seem to have assimilated just about every ingredient of The Beatles' '64 sound, right down to the carefully chimed Rickenbacker melody. The wide-eyed, upbeat harmonies and heart-tugging sentiment are almost impossible to resist on this Mersey-style charmer, which was first released on a Bildjournalen flexidisc in 1965. It later appeared as the group's seventh single in 1966 on Swedish Decca.

They began their recording career in early 1965 with a series of well-executed Beatle homages, but none come close to the magic of "Words Enough To Tell You." They later diversified, recording several strong mod beat tracks, but by the end of the decade they drifted apart and presumably on to new projects.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 5:52 am

Miguel: Certainly you would think that the tours of The Searchers and The Beatles to Sweden in 1963 and 1964 would have had a tremendous influence on the Mascots.

miguel · Post by **miguel** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 7:34 am

Peter: I didn´t know about that quote from the Rhino Store! But this confirms what I said of The Mascots. I was so sure that the guitars were Rickenbackers!

It is well known here in Europe that Sweden was far ahead of the rest of Europe in terms of assimilating the british Beat Sound. There are a lot of fantastic swedish groups (if anyone wants further details, I´ll be pleased to post them here). The Beatles were big in Sweden as soon as 1963, and certainly there was a swedish beatlemania when the Fab Four went there in 1963. I´m sure The Mascots were heavily influenced by The Beatles in particular. All people reading this should try to listen to 'Words Enough To Tell You'. Believe me, it´s so good it will turn a bad day into a beautiful one!

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:12 am

I found a link with a sound bite of "Words enough to tell you" and it does seem to be a pretty cool song....a bit "beatley".

miguel · Post by **miguel** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:41 am

Yes, Chris, is like a lost Beatle recording from mid 1964!

miguel · Post by **miguel** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 12:35 am

I made a copy of the song and placed it in my website. You can listen to 'Words Enough To Tell You' here:

www.popthing.com/mascots.htm

You´ll need Windows Media Player to listen to the song. Hope you all like it.

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:07 am

Well, according to the latest information through the grapevine, Stefan Ringbom (singer and guitarist with the Mascots) maintains that the group did not play Rickenbackers.

I will endeavour to post photos of them as soon as I can arrange it. Our contacts from Sweden are working on it.

beatcomber · Post by **beatcomber** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:53 am

FWIW, the three Mascots songs we perform are "Words Enough to Tell You," "When I Return" (which is an even better tune, IMO), and their unique arrangement of Lennon/McCartney's "Tip Of My Tongue."

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 11:26 am

Definitely has that merseybeat sound

miguel · Post by **miguel** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 12:34 pm

Oh, but they are playing Rickenbackers in 'Words Enough To Tell You'. At least, the lead guitar is a Rickenbacker 12 strings, it must be! Sounds like it! Don´t you think so, Peter, Bob, Glenn? I´m sure it´s an electric 12 strings, and it´s not a 'Vox'. Sounds like a Rickenbacker to me.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:22 am

I don't know Miguel, it didn't seem to have the real Ric chime to me, it is definitely a 12 string though. Some of The searchers stuff has a 12 string in it too, but I don't think it is Ric either. There are better experts here than me on 12 string Rics though. I'm primarly a bass player.
Is very interesting stuff though, I love the stuff from that era.

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:43 am

As far as the Searchers' music goes, from "When You Walk In The Room" on, the 12 strings in the recordings are Rickenbackers.

beatcomber · Post by **beatcomber** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:54 am

I don't know what the Mascots used, but I certainly play a Rick when the Beatcombers perform their songs!

The Searchers had a Rickenbacker 360/12WB as well as a Burns 12-string.

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 11:20 am

Glenn: The Searchers' first Rickenbacker was a Rose-Morris Model 1993.