Euroboys

Originally called Kare & the Cavemen, the Euroboys first gained widespread recognition by serving as the house band for a hit Norwegian television program. Their sets blended early-1960s instrumental pop in the style of the Shadows, surf music, Burt Bacharach-tinged easy listening, and themes drawn from 1960s and 1970s detective and action-film soundtracks. The exposure on the show quickly secured them a contract with Virgin.

The musicians had performed together in various configurations since their school years in Harestua, a modest community just outside Oslo. In 1996 the core trio issued the vinyl single “In the Mood,” which attracted little notice. Once percussionist Anders Møller joined as the fourth member and the group landed the television engagement, their profile rose sharply.

Norwegian critics hailed the debut album Jet Age as a masterwork, and it performed strongly on the charts—an uncommon achievement for an instrumental release at the time. The band also became frequent interview subjects, with leader and guitar hero Knut Schreiner regularly offering grandiose, often arrogant remarks that implied the Euroboys were already major stars. The stance polarized listeners, turning the group into a source of either strong admiration or equally strong disdain.

Following more than a year of near-silence, the band resurfaced in early 1999 with Long Days Flight Til Tomorrow. Although still largely instrumental, the record marked a clear departure from Jet Age: darker in tone, less immediately accessible, and less pop-oriented. The addition of organist Per “The Kid” Øydir contributed to a sound now influenced by acts such as Black Sabbath, and the musicians showed greater readiness to experiment with an expanded instrumental palette. Despite modest commercial results, the album yielded the enduring single “Filadelfia,” the first track to feature vocals by the band itself.

While completing their third album, internal tensions prompted three departures: drummer Kare Pedersen, keyboardist Per Øydir, and bassist Dag F. Gravem exited before the sessions concluded. Knut Schreiner promptly assembled a new lineup and finished the final track, “Come on in, Your Time Is Up,” with the replacements. The band then embarked on an extensive European tour.