Hyldemor -

Hyldemor was a Danish psych-rock band behind the 1978 CBS album Glem det Hele. They evolved from the folksier Hyldemors Grønsaligheder, which issued the 1975 cassette-album Lysene Tændes on Studie 14.

Members: Hans Vinding (guitar, vocals), Steen Claësson (violin), Jens Breum (drums), John Teglgaard (guitar), Thor Mathisen (bass)

Background

Hyldemor originated in Copenhagen in 1973 when singer-guitarist Hans Vinding and violinist Helle Vibeke Riiskjær Steffensen formed Hyldemors Grønsaligheder (Elder Mother’s Green Delights) from the remnants of Furekåben.

Vinding previously sang and played guitar in Furekåben, which emerged from a commune at the Nivaagaard estate north of Copenhagen, which made the 1970/71 albums Prinsesseværelset and Furekåben. The new ensemble included bassist Tommy “Bas” Pedersen, guitarist Jens Thorning Hansen, and violinist Steen Claësson. Hansen and Claësson also came from Furekåben; Pedersen played in the Copenhagen beat group Matadorene.

Hyldemors Grønsaligheder performed around Christiania and appeared in 1974 at Clemens Bro in Aarhus. Vinding and Steffensen also toured Scotland as a guitar-and-violin duo. In 1975, the group recorded Lysene Tændes in northern Jutland and issued the album on cassette in a limited edition of 200 copies. Claësson and Pedersen helped arrange the Vinding songs. The musicians also recorded live material at Copenhagen venue Saltlageret.

The group adopted the shortened name Hyldemor by 1976, when it performed at Thylejren and contributed “Ud af Mørket” to the CBS compilation Christiania. Vinding subsequently assembled an electric lineup with bassist Tor Mathiesen, drummer Jens Breum, guitarist John Teglgaard, and violinist Claësson. Mathiesen previously played in the Norwegian group The Zodiacs, while Breum came from Alrune Rod. Teglgaard, a native of Horsens, studied sitar in India and formed the jazz-rock group Masala Dosa. The quintet entered Sweet Silence Studios with producer Michael Ritto to record its 1978 CBS debut, Glem det Hele.

Discography:

Glem det Hele (1978)

References and notes

Live i aften: Varme vintage vibes fra Christiania. Torben Holleufer, February 15, 2014. Extensive history of Furekåben and Hyldemor, with firsthand testimony from Helle Vibeke Riiskjær Steffensen concerning the formation, original personnel, and 1975 recording sessions. Includes information on Mathiesen and Teglgaard. (GAFFA)
Plakat Hyldemors Grønsaligheder. Danmarks Rockmuseum archival description of a 1974 promotional poster. Identifies six early members and the Aarhus street performance photographed for the poster. (Danmarks Rockmuseum / Flickr)
Lysene Tændes. Danish national library catalogue of the 1975 cassette and its 2014 reissue. Identifies the Saltlageret recordings and original material. (Bibliotek.dk)
Sjældent og legendarisk kassettebånd fra 70’er-bandet Hyldemor genudsendes. History of the 1975 cassette, its 200-copy pressing, and the transition from Furekåben to Hyldemors Grønsaligheder. Also identifies a January 1976 MM interview reproduced with the reissue. (Bibzoom)
Koncertplakater. Danish concert-poster archive listing Hyldemors Grønsaligheder in 1974 and Hyldemor performances at Thylejren on June 20 and July 19, 1976. (Koncertplakater.dk)
Christiania. Discographical entry for the 1976 CBS compilation, including the Hyldemor recording “Ud af Mørket.” (RecordPusher)
Hyldest til Hyldemor – Historien om en af de helt store originaler i dansk rock. Jan Eriksen, December 23, 2023. Interview-based history with guitarist John Teglgaard covering his Horsens background, sitar studies in India, Masala Dosa, and the Christiania rehearsal community. (POV International)
Dansk klassiker udkommer som cd. Lisa Amtoft Jensen, December 18, 2012. Confirms the 1978 CBS-era album sessions at Sweet Silence Studios, producer Michael Ritto, and additional participating musicians. (GAFFA)