The Savage Rose -

The Savage Rose are a Danish rock band from København, formed in 1967 and fronted by Annisette Koppel. Between 1968 and 1973, they released six English-language albums and a soundtrack on Polydor.

They combined folk rock and psychedelia on the 1968–69 albums The Savage Rose, In the Plain, and Travelin’, then embraced soul, cabaret, and art rock on the 1970–73 titles Your Daily Gift, Refugee, and Wild Child. In 1978, they returned with Solen var også din, their first of eight Danish-language albums.

Members: Annisette (vocals), Anders Koppel (organ, 1967-75, 1990-92), Thomas Koppel (keyboards, 1967-2006), Flemming Ostermann (guitar, 1967-68), Jens Rugsted (bass, 1967-71), Alex Riel (drums, 1967-71), Ilse Maria Koppel (harpsichord, piano, 1967-69), Nils Tuxen (guitar, 1968-71), John Uribe (guitar, 1971), Rudolph Hansen (bass, 1972-?), Peer Frost (guitar, 1973-74, 1977-80, 1989-2006), Ken Gudman (drums, 1973-?), John Ravn (drums, 1978-91), Naja Rosa (backing vocals, vocals, 1992-present), Moussa Diallo (bass, 1995, 2004-06), Palle Hjorth (piano, organ, 2006-?), Anders Christensen (bass, double bass, 2006-?), Rune Kjeldsen (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 2006-present), Frank Hasselstrøm (piano, trumpet, trombone, 2012-present), Anders Holm (drums, 2012-present)

Background

The Savage Rose formed in 1967 as the backing band on a Copenhagen television show. The members each had backgrounds on the Danish music scene.

Keyboardist and songwriter Thomas Koppel (1944–2006) wrote the theme for the 1965 opera Historien om en Moder, adapted from The Story of a Mother by Hans Christian Andersen. Thomas and his organist brother Anders Koppel (b. 1947) were the sons of classical pianist/composer Herman D. Koppel (1908–1998). Pianist and harpsichord player Ilse Maria Koppel was married to Thomas at the time.

Drummer Alex Riel (b. 1940) played in a series of jazz combos since the late 1950s, including Rågeleje Jazz, Stuff Smith Quartet, and the Alex Riel Trio. During the mid-’60s, he played on two albums by American saxophonist Ben Webster.

The Dandy Swingers

Guitarist Flemming Ostermann and bassist Jens Rugsted (b. 1947) hailed from The Dandy Swingers, a Danish beat group formed in 1963 and signed with His Master’s Voice for their debut single: the March 1965 release “Google Eye,” a Nashville Teens cover backed with “Sea of Heartbreak,” a song by American country singer Don Gibson, covered recently by The Searchers and local beat rivals The Matadors.

By December 1965, the Dandy Swingers linked with the newly launched Oktav label for their second single: “He’s a Loser,” a New Christy Minstrels cover backed with “All the Things,” credited to Ole Halfdan of unrecorded local hopefuls Les Corridos.

In 1966, the Dandy Swingers merged with fellow Oktav signee Annisette Hansen (b. August 29, 1948), a former child singer for Mascot Records. As a quintet, they cut the Oktav single “You Were On My Mind,” an Ian & Sylvia song popularized by We Five; backed with “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane,” a folk traditional traced to 1880s minstrel performer James A. Bland.

Annisette and the Dandy Swingers (spelled ‘Anisette’ Og Dandy Swingers) signed with Polydor for their 1968 second covers single: “Stay With Me Baby,” the 1966 emotional belter by Lorraine Ellison; backed with “River Deep, Mountain High,” the rousing 1966 Phil Spector production performed by Ike & Tina Turner. Both songs were becoming benchmarks for aspiring soul-rock vocalists. By the time of this single, Annisette, Ostermann, and Rugsted formed Savage Rose with Riel, the Koppel brothers and Ilse Marie.

In May 1968, Savage Rose made their official debut as a rock band at the Plænen in Tivoli in Copenhagen.

Savage Rose

The Savage Rose released their self-titled debut album in July 1968 on Polydor.

The album contains eleven songs composed by pianist Thomas Koppel with words by organist Anders, including “Open Air Shop,” “Her Story,” “White Swans Marriage Clothes,” and the band’s first single, “A Girl I Knew.”

On this and the subsequent two albums, Annisette fronts a septet lineup with a rock power-trio — guitarist Flemming Ostermann, bassist Jens Rugsted, drummer Alex Riel — and third keyboardist Ilse Maria Koppel, whose harpsichord complements the Koppel brothers with Baroque flavor.

A1. “Your Sign/My Sign” (3:10)
A2. “Open Air Shop” (5:40)
A3. “You Be Free” (1:25)
A4. “Oh Baby Where Have You Gone” (2:10)
A5. “A Girl I Knew” (4:40)
B1. “Everybody Must Know” (3:56)
B2. “Savage Rose” (2:40)
B3. “Her Story” (4:37)
B4. “White Swans Marriage Clothes” (2:25)
B5. “Sleep” (1:57)
B6. “You’ll Be Alright” (3:18)

Sessions took place with producer/entertainer Johnny Reimar, the onetime guitarist of early Danish rockers The Cliffters. Veteran Metronome soundman Birger Svan engineered The Savage Rose in sequence with Danish beat titles by The Matadors, The Moderations, The Money Makers, and Keld & The Donkeys.

The Savage Rose appeared in an orange sleeve with a spherically enclosed monochrome photo of the seven garden-seated members. The back cover displays Annisette’s profile, overlaid with member bios. Abroad, the album appeared with a blue-framed pink photo (France), a dark live pic (Japan), and a duplicate of Polydor’s European design, sans sphere (Canada). A later German issue shows the band hippie-clad in a dark jungle setting.

Polydor lifted “A Girl I Knew” as the first Savage Rose single (b/w “You’ll Be All Right”). It reached No. 8 on the Danish singles chart.

Between the first and second album, Ostermann cleared for guitarist Nils Tuxen (b. 1949), the son of big-band leader/conductor Erik Tuxen (1902-1957). Ostermann surfaced a decade later with folksters Oktober and jazz-rockers Cox Orange.

In the Plain

The Savage Rose released their second album, In the Plain, in December 1968 on Polydor.

The album contains eight songs by the Koppel brothers, including “A Trial In Our Native Town,” “Ride My Mountain (Jade),” “The Shepherd & Sally,” and the singles “Evenings Child” and “Long Before I Was Born.”

Thomas shares piano parts with his wife, harpsichordist Ilse, credited here as Maria.

In the Plain was their first of three albums with guitarist Nils Tuxen in the band’s rock section with bassist Jens Rusted and drummer Alex Riel.

A1. “Long Before I Was Born” (3:19)
A2. “I’m Walking Through the Door” (4:28)
A3. “Let’s See Her” (3:52)
A4. “Ride My Mountain (Jade)” (5:38)
B1. “The Shepherd & Sally” (5:18)
B2. “His Own Happiness / Gods Little Hand” (4:19)
B3. “Evenings Child” (3:25)
B4. “A Trial in Our Native Town” (7:08)

The Savage Rose teamed once again with producer Johnny Reimar and engineer Birger Svan, who both handled In the Plain amid sessions with Lollipops and Bjørn & Okay.

In the Plain appeared in a sepia sleeve with another grass-set photo. It captured Annisette (foreground), the couple (nearby right), and the others (standing far back) from an upward angle. The back photo shows the same setting from a different angle, revealing Annisette’s off-shoulder shawl.

US copies use a colored photo from the same shoot, surrounded with black-framed psychedelic pink letters of the band’s name. This cover reveals Annisette’s purple gown. The back cover contains a publicist blurb and a floor-seated monochrome group pic with an infrared blowup of the same image. A later US issue (Monarch) pictures the hippie-attired septet in a greenhouse on a gatefold with a thirteen-paragraph write-up on the band.

“Evening’s Child” appeared in September 1968 as an advance single (b/w “Ride My Mountain”). It reached No. 8 on the Danish singles chart. Polydor lifted “Long Before I Was Born” in tandem with the album’s release (b/w “Let’s See Her”).

“Long Before I Was Born” became their first Top 5 Danish single. In April 1969, Polydor issued the song in France (b/w “Evening’s Child”).

“The Schoolteacher Said So”

In April 1969, Savage Rose released a standalone single: “The Schoolteacher Said So” backed with “Birthday Day,” both Koppel brothers originals produced by Georgian-UK music mogul Giorgio Gomelsky.

A. “The Schoolteacher Said So” (4:19)
B. “Birthday Day” (5:10)

Savage Rose recorded the tracks in London with Gomelsky, who produced the single in sequence with titles by Blossom Toes, Gary Farr, John McLaughlin, Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger & Trinity. Gomelsky’s Savage sessions produced a third track, “A Girl I Knew,” re-recorded from the first album with Nils Tuxen on guitar.

“The Schoolteacher Said So” reached No. 4 on the Danish chart. For the French, German, and Italian markets, Polydor chose the re-recorded “A Girl I Knew” as the a-side.

Savage Rose visited the US, where they recorded their third album and appeared at the 1969 Newport Jazz Festival, the first event in the festival’s fifteen-year history with rock and soul acts. The ’69 Newport event also featured sets by legacy performers (Anita O’Day, Buddy Rich) and masters in post-bop (Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis) and free jazz (Roland Kirk, Sun Ra’s Space Arkestra), plus heavyweights of R&B (James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone), blues-rock (John Mayall, Ten Years After), and assorted post-psychedelic styles: from avant-garde (Mothers of Invention) and hard-rock (Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin) to the jazz-rock eclecticism of Blood Sweat and Tears, Jethro Tull, and saxist newcomer Steve Marcus. Savage Rose performed on the evening of July 5, between sets by Art Blakey and the Dave Brubeck Trio (featuring Gerry Mulligan).

Travelin’

The Savage Rose released their third album, Travelin’, in November 1969 on Polydor.

Travelin’ contains eight Koppel brothers originals, including “Your Lifetime’s a Fairy Tale,” “Life’s Other Side,” “Look Out,” and “My Family Was Gay.”

Annisette yields vocals to bassist Jens Rugsted on the title track, the album’s only single. This was their final release as a septet with harpsichordist Marie.

A1. “I’m Satisfied Mr. Captain” (2:37)
A2. “Look Out” (3:33)
A3. “Sailing Away” (4:30)
A4. “Your Lifetime’s a Fairytale” (6:12)

B1. “The Castle” (4:09)
B2. “Travelin'” (2:55)
B3. “Life’s Other Side” (2:28)
B4. “My Family Was Gay” (7:48)

Savage Rose recorded the album in New York City at Mirasound Studios, where staffer Ron Johnsen engineered Travelin’ in sequence with titles by Lighthouse, Miram Makeba, Steel Image, Toad Hall, and Wool. This was their final album with original producer Johnny Reimar, who worked on subsequent post-psych titles by Ache and Aunt Mary.

Travelin’ appeared in a gatefold sleeve designed by photographer Mogens Carrebye, whose visuals grace subsequent sleeves for Pan, Day of Phoenix, and Ache’s De Homine Urbano. The gatefold shows Savage Rose grouped outside a house in colorful urban hippie attire (front) as a red muscle car pulls into frame (back). The inner-gate has an overhead roundtable shot (right) and a lyric-overlaid sepia photo by the Koppel brothers’ father. Reimar wrote the album’s liner notes.

Polydor lifted “Travelin'” as a single (b/w “Life’s Other Side”). It reached No. 10 on the Denmark. Travelin’ reached No. 3 on the Danish Hitlisten and No. 6 on the Norwegian VG-Lista.

Thomas and Ilse Maria divorced around this time. Maria’s departure trimmed Savage Rose to a sextet. Thomas and Annisette soon became husband and wife.

Your Daily Gift

The Savage Rose released their fourth album, Your Daily Gift, in November 1970 on Polydor (Scandinavia) and RCA Victor (abroad). The album contains nine Koppel brothers originals, including “Unfold,” “The Waters Run Deep,” “Speak Softly,” and “Sunday Morning.”

Your Daily Gift hears organist Anders Koppel embrace the accordion and recorder while Thomas accommodates the harpsichord, his ex-wife’s instrument. This was their final album with Nils Tuxen, who plays electric and steel guitar and splits acoustic parts with bassist Jens Rugsted.

A1. “Sunday Morning” (3:46)
A2. “Listen to This Tune From Mexico” (2:07)
A3. “Unfold” (3:08)
A4. “Speak Softly” (5:50)
A5. “The Poorest Man on Earth” (1:48)
B1. “The Waters Run Deep” (6:30)
B2. “Lightly Come, Lightly Go (Song for an Unborn Child – Sara’s Song)” (2:40)
B3. “Tapiola” (7:52)
B4. “Your Daily Gift” (5:52)

Sessions took place in Rome at RCA Italiana Studios, where Savage Rose self-produced Your Daily Gift in the company of staff engineers Franco Finetti, a subsequent soundman for The Trip and Il Rovescio della Medaglia; and Gaetano Ria, whose later credits include Seventies Italian classics by Acqua Fragile, Area, Il Balletto di Bronzo, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, and Premiata Forneria Marconi.

Thomas Koppel painted the front cover: a cartoon depiction of the band, their overseas travels and their touring entourage. In the US, the album appeared in a gatefold on the RCA-affiliate Gregar. The inner-gates feature countryside photos of Savage Rose lounged at a tree and afar in a field: the respective front and back cover on UK and Australian copies.

Polydor lifted “Sunday Morning” as a single (b/w “Lightly Come, Lightly Go”). The single peaked within the Danish Top 20 while Your Daily Gift reached No. 10 in Denmark and No. 18 in Norway.

After Your Daily Gift, Savage Rose lost Nils Tuxen, who reappeared in mid-Seventies jazz-rockers Iron Office and mid-Eighties German synth-rockers Moti Special.

Refugee

The Savage Rose released their fifth album, Refugee, in September 1971 on Polydor (Scandinavia) and RCA Victor (abroad). The album features eight Koppel brothers originals, including “Revival Day,” “Ballad of Gale,” and the single “Walking in the Line.”

The Koppel’s heed lean organ/piano arrangements on Refugee, which features American guest guitarist John Urebe, a concurrent Harry Nilsson sessionist. This was their final album with bassist and co-founder Jens Rugsted.

A1. “Revival Day” (4:15)
A2. “Dear Little Mother” (2:35)
A3. “Granny’s Grave” (5:02)
A4. “Ballad of Gale” (6:10)
B1. “Refugee” (5:18)
B2. “And I Dream” (2:29)
B3. “Dreamland” (6:19)
B4. “Walking In the Line” (3:21)

Sessions occurred in England at Stargroves, a 16th-century Hampshire castle estate purchased recently by Mick Jagger. Savage Rose recorded Refugee with American producer Jimmy Miller, a longtime Rolling Stones soundman who also oversaw 1968–71 titles by Family, Nirvana, Spooky Tooth, and Traffic.

Miller co-produced Refugee with engineer Joe Zagarino, a fellow New Yorker credited on albums by The Band, Demian, Ford Theatre, Silk, and the 1971 Capitol release Jukin’, the first (and only) album by the original Manhattan Transfer.

Urebe took part between the 1971–72 Nilsson albums Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson and the concurrent RCA release Sailor’s Delight by Sky, a pop trio led by (later Knack) guitarist-singer Doug Fieger.

Refugee features a monochrome shot of the now-five-piece band by Morten Bo, a noted Danish documentary photographer. The photo appears in crimson framework with white letters, a scheme repeated on the back and inner-sleeve.

Polydor issued “Walking In the Line” (b/w “And I Dream”) in a solid-red sleeve.

After Refugee, Jens Rugsted entered session work. He played with mid-Seventies Icelandic popsters Pelican and later formed Rugsted/Kreutzfeldt, an Eighties pop duo with former Ache percussionist Stig Kreutzfeldt. Savage Rose hired bassist Rudolf Hansen, formerly of Danish beatsters The Defenders (no relation to Annisette and not to be confused with her sister, former child actress Rudi Hansen).

Dødens triumf

In May 1972, Savage Rose released Dødens triumf, an album of program music for a titlesake ballet by Danish choreographer Flemming Flindt.

Dødens triumf contains nine Danish-titled pieces composed by Thomas Koppel, who plays piano, harmonium, and percussion. Annisette resigns to occasional wordless vocalizing apart from the closing number, “Dear Little Mother,” which features English lyrics by Anders, who plays flute, organ, harmonica, and percussion.

This was their final album with drummer/co-founder Alex Riel and their first with bassist Rudolf Hansen, who also splits guitar parts with guest Ole Molin, a Danish jazz veteran.

A1. “Byen Vågner” (6:32)
A2. “De Unge Elskende” (6:36)
A3. “Borgerens Død” (3:27)
A4. “De to Gamle” (4:10)
B1. “Bruden Pyntes” (4:02)
B2. “Bryllup” (3:26)
B3. “Soldaternes Død” (1:48)
B4. “Den Døde By – Modebutikken Plyndres” (7:14)
B5. “Dear Little Mother” (4:53)

Savage Rose self-produced Dødens triumf in cooperation with Ivar Rosenberg, an engineer on Danish post-psych classics by Burnin Red Ivanhoe, Day of Phoenix, Rainbow Band, T.P. Smoke, and Young Flowers.

Polydor issued Dødens triumf to the Scandinavian market in an illustrated sleeve that shows a kingdom aflame under blue/black sky over reflective water.

Alex Riel left Savage Rose for session work with assorted jazz artists, including multiple mid-Seventies Steeplechase titles by American jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean. In 1976, he appeared on Hip Walk, a Polydor jazz-funk release by the Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass with vocals by former Frumpy/Atlantis frontwoman Inga Rumpf.

Wild Child

The Savage Rose released their seventh album, Wild Child, in 1973 on Polydor.

Wild Child contains seven Koppel brothers originals, including “Madhouse Wedding,” “Screams of Captured Birds,” “Tarantula,” and the lengthy opening title track. Side A includes “A las Cinco de la Tarde,” a short song credited to the entire current lineup, which included Rudolph Hansen’s former Defenders bandmate, drummer Ken Gudmann, a recent member of Culpeper’s Orchard.

Anders Koppel plays accordion, clarinet, and organ on Wild Child, which features former Young Flowers and recent Midnight Sun guitarist Per Frost.

A1. “Wild Child” (6:00)
A2. “Stewball Was So Tired” (3:20)
A3. “A Las Cinco De La Tarde” (2:00)
A4. “Madhouse Wedding” (5:00)
B1. “Ain’t My Baby Beautiful” (5:00)
B2. “Tarantula” (3:10)
B3. “The Shoeshine Boy Is Dead” (5:20)
B4. “Screams of Captured Birds” (5:40)

Savage Rose self-produced Wild Child at Rosenberg Studio, where Ivar engineered the album shortly before his studio upgrade to 24-track, which Danish rockers Gasolin’ used for their subsequent international conquest.

Frost partook between the second and third Sonet titles by Midnight Sun (a Rainbow Band follow-through). He interacted with Gudmann beforehand on the 1970 Philips released Wake Up Your Mind by Peter Thorup With Friends. Gudmann surfaced next in Danish rockers Moirana.

Wild Child depicts a crimson horse against a turquoise backdrop. Morten Bo photographed the now-casual band for the lyrical back-cover.

Solen var også din

Savage Rose returned with their eighth album, Solen var også din, in 1978 on Sonet. Annisette and Thomas Koppel are the only remaining co-founders in the now-four-piece band, which features Wild Child guitarist Per Frost (listed as ‘Peer’) and former Balkan drummer John Ravn.

The album features two English-language songs (“You’ll Know In the Morning,” “Johnny Don’t”) and seven Danish-titled numbers, including “Lille Melankoline,” “Solen var Også Din,” and the postlude “Hvor Er Du?”

The track “Solen Ligger Derude” features veteran Danish contrabassist Hugo Rasmussen and two of Ravn’s ex-Balkan bandmates: accordionist Egon Ågård and bassoonist Peter Bastian.

A1. “Kom Og Varm Dig Ved Min Side” (3:15)
A2. “De Vilde Blomster Gror” (5:02)
A3. “Lille Melankoline” (6:02)
A4. “Solen Var Også Din” (5:15)
B1. “Johnny Don’t” (8:25)
B2. “You’ll Know In The Morning” (5:25)
B3. “Solen Ligger Derude” (1:50)
B4. “Inuit Nunat (Menneskenes Land)” (3:49)
B5. “Hvor Er Du?” (1:38)

Discography: