About Blue Swede
Hometown
Stockholm, Sweden
Formed
1973
Genre
Pop
The glam-rock band Blue Swede existed for just a few years in the mid-’70s, but that was long enough to score a No. 1 US hit in 1974 with their cover of “Hooked on a Feeling,” a staple of college parties for decades to come.
• Popular Swedish singer Björn Skifs put the band together in 1973 to back him in concert. Skifs had previously fronted the band Slam Creepers, whose name was an English play on words for a Swedish style of shoe.
• Their version of “Hooked On a Feeling”—written by Mark James in 1968 for the singer BJ Thomas—was Blue Swede’s breakthrough. The song was also the title track on the group’s debut album.
• The “ooga-chaka-ooga-ooga” vocals weren’t original to Blue Swede’s version of “Hooked on a Feeling.” They’re also present in Jonathan King’s 1971 rendition.
• Blue Swede notched one more Top 10 US hit when their 1974 cover of The Association’s “Never My Love” reached No 7.
• After releasing a second album, Out of the Blue, in 1975, Blue Swede broke up as Skifs turned his attention to a solo career.
Members of Blue Swede include, or have included, Björn Skifs, Bengt Palmers, Thomas Berglund and more.
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