01	Welcome To The Greenest Forest						06:37
	02	Lady Of The Lake						02:58
	03	The Hero Of Chivalry						04:11
	04	Fearful Heart						04:18
	05	Never Land						04:30
	06	Lina						02:48
	07	Affinity						08:40
	08	Guiding Light						03:36
	09	Celestial Heavens						03:13
	10	Linger A Bit Longer						06:56
	11	Days Past						02:24
	12	Joie De Vivre						10:11
	13	A Final Greeting						06:34

"Art of Complex Simplicity"

CD: Musea FGBG 4219.AR (1997)

This fourth album was initially intended to be a solo project of Harald's. After the third album, "A Journey on the Inside", the band had taken a pause, too long to Harald's taste, so he could not keep himself from composing.
All he needed was someone to write the lyrics to his melodies. He asked Jostein, and he suggested that the album could be released in the name of Kerrs Pink. After all, these two guys had been playing in the band since 1975, and they were by 1996 the only survivors since then. In addition, Harald had by far been the most prolific composer in the band from 1976 onwards.
As Kerrs Pink at that time in fact was in limbo, former members were asked to contribute along with friends and other reputated musicians. The album was released by Musea in the spring of 1997.

All tracks were analogously recorded and digitally mastered at Flexy Studio, Tromborg, Norway, during 1996 and winter 1997. They were engineered and produced by Harald Lytomt.


Credits:
Music: Harald Lytomt
Lyrics: Jostein Hansen

Harald Lytomt: acoustic and electric guitars, bass, flute, vocals, keyboards
Jan Haakon Skarpsno: drums, keyboards, arrangements on track 1,7,12
Thor Einar Wiik: drums
Jonny Klemmetsrud: drums
Knut Ragnar Lie: drums, vocals
Jostein Hansen: bass
Per Oeyvind Nordberg: keyboards
Freddy Ruud: keyboards
Bjoern Teig: Hammond C3 organ
Fritz Hunstad: Hammond C3 organ
Toore Johansen: tin-whistles
Erik Hageler: vocals
Geir Morgan Jahren: vocals
Heidi Drengsrud Jahren: vocals
Cecilie Ljunggren: vocals
Tormod Gangfloet: viola
Liv Frengstad: cello





1. Welcome to the greenest forest (Lytomt) 6:23

-Instrumental-

The opening track of the album. We enter into the musical landscape, greeted by singing birds. With soaring guitar and driving rhythm this appetizer is verylush and dynamic. At the end we're back where we started.

Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards)
Jan Haakon Skarpsno (drums, keyboards, arr)
Bjorn Teig (C3 organ)

2. Lady of the Lake (Lytomt / Hansen) 2:52



All the pleasures you bring to me
Never tired of life though it sometimes makes you flee
Never far off though you're not near
Ever loving girl, you know I'd have you here

Let us never be apart
It's like I knew
Searching you from the start
Eternal depths so true

Fearing old crusts bursting ablaze
Joining remedies to widen your embrace

Endless days I'll share with you
Life itself, my dear
Deliverance is in view
Beckoning to your ear

Rest awhile I sing my most
All may be at stake
To you I propose a toast
Ever Lady of the Lake





Harald Lytomt (acoustic guitars, bass)
Bjorn Teig (C3 organ)
Erik Hageler (vocals)
Here Kerrs Pink sounds something like a blend of old Strawbs and Dylan!
At that time, this was a personal tribute to a girl friend. There are always undercurrents in personal relationsships, and this is an indirect way of describing them.

3. The Hero of the Chivalry (Lytomt) 4:03

-Instrumental-
This tune brings imagery of knights and chivalry of the Middle Ages, some heavy licks coupled with hints of Norwegian folklore.




The Hero of Chivalry 4:03
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars, bass)
Thor Einar Wiik (drums)
Per Oyvind Nordberg (keyboards)
Tormod Gangfoet (viola)
Heidi Drengsrud Jahren and
Cecilie Ljunggren (vocals)
Knut Lie (vocals)

4. Fearful Heart (Lytomt / Hansen) 4:09



Days are dragging on
Leaving only their fading marks
Still we're hanging on
To find a reason for it all

-Is this just a whim of mine
-Trusting a new dawn?

Far from view and out of sight
I lock my door, turn off the light
Head for bed to ease my pain
To find my true self once again

That's when I need someone
To turn to and honestly pray
That life should be different tomorrow
Than it was today

Keeping up these days
Demands all my thoughts and toil
Searching my own face
In rivers long since dry

-Is this just a whim of mine
-Trusting a new dawn?

Hasty hours without a pause
Shuffling 'round to find a cause
Too much thought means less to make
Too much worry for my own sake

Far from view and out of sight
I lock my door, turn off the light
Head for bed to ease my pain
To find my true self once again

And I miss the times when
Give and take took an equal part
When joy seemed much closer
And not far from a fearful heart





Fearful Heart 4:09
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars)
Erik Hageler (lead vocals)
Per Oyvind Nordberg (keyboards)
Tormod Gangfoet (viola)
Heidi Drengsrud Jahren and
Cecilie Ljunggren (choir)
If you're constantly depressed and having nowhere to turn, you'll go through these experiences depicted here.


5. Never Land (Lytomt) 4:20



-Instrumental-
Majestically soaring, just like an eagle in flight. That's the reason for this instrumental name. Heidi does some inspiring vocals on this track.




Never Land 4:20
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars)
Knut R. Lie (drums)
Jostein Hansen (bass)
Freddy Ruud (keyboards)
Heidi Drengsrud Jahren (vocals)

6. Lina (Lytomt) 2:36



-Instrumental-
This is a beautiful tune which came
to Harald's sensitive and creative
mind when he first got to see a
picture of his and his wife's adopted
child, Lina. This was in August 1993,
three weeks before they flew to Colombia
to take her with them home to Norway.



Lina 2:36
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars, bass, flute)
Bjorn Teig (C3 organ)
Per Oyvind Nordberg (keyboards)

7. Affinity (Lytomt / Hansen) 8:33



So I set out again
Sailing my stormy seas
And in time
I'll write a perfect rhyme
Affinity

Calm down and have a rest
Surely, I'll pass the test
'Cause in time
I'll write a perfect rhyme
Affinity

Foggy sky and shallow reefs
Either gale or lack of breeze

Why do I long to be
Part of a destiny
Too far ahead of me?

Wrecked on my final shore
By some indifferent law
In the end
I'd like to comprehend
Affinity

By and by again
It seems a riddle
Why should life approve
Of all leaking vessels?


Even you my friend
Must seek the answer
How can you reach your goal
When your ship is sinking down?







Affinity 8:33
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars)
Jan Haakon Skarpsno (drums, keyboards, arr)
Geir Jahren (lead vocals)
Heidi Drengsrud Jahren and
Cecilie Ljunggren (backing vocals)
No matter how hard and long you try to reach a goal you know that in the end you'll be defeated by life itself, it seems that the destructive forces are always the strongest. We're all sinking vessels.

8. Guiding Light (Lytomt) 3:30



-Instrumental-
An instrumental inspired by Celtic folkmusic. Here Tore Johansen delivers the real thing on tin whistle! Kerrs Pink former drummer Jonny Klemmetsrud finally made his debut on a Kerrs Pink record. The chorus is contagious and invites you to hum along with Erik Hageler.




Guiding Light 3:30
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars, bass, flute)
Jonny Klemmetsrud (drums)
Bjorn Teig (C3 organ)
Erik Hageler (vocals)
Tore Johansen (tin whistle)

9. Celestial Heavens (Lytomt) 3:03



-Instrumental-
This track features cello, and this is a new instrument in the music of Kerrs Pink. The county of Oestfold only has one professional cello player and that is Liv Frengstad, who kindly brought with her the more than 100-year-oldin the winter cold to get to Flexy Studio.Conveyed here is some kind of atmosphere seldom heard from any prog band. Chamber rock would perhaps be a description that would give you a clue.



Celestial Heavens 3:03
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars)
Per Oyvind Nordberg (keyboards)
Liv Frengstad (cello)
Tormod Gangfloet (viola)
Heidi Drengsrud Jahren (vocal)

10. Linger a bit longer (Lytomt / Hansen) 6:46



Won't you linger a bit longer
Let me see your precious smile
Lock me into sweet embraces
Let our time stand still a while

Don't let go until
Darkness gives way to sunrise
Till I've touched your soft skin
Till I've drowned in your eyes

Don't let go until
We've found ourselves anew
Till I've found all the words
To take me closer to you

There was a time when
Searching for you
Seemed to claim all my might
But now it's different
Please linger here by me
Through the night

You're the glowing sign of evening
Close to sink beneath the sea
Won't you linger a bit longer
Before the dark will swallow me



Linger a Bit Longer 6:46
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars, flute)
Knut Lie (drums)
Jostein Hansen (bass)
Freddy Ruud (el-piano)
Fritz Hunstad (C3 organ)
Geir Jahren (lead vocals)
There will always be a time for separation, a fear of letting go. This is about the experience of trying to avoid finding yourself lonesome, even when having a strong relationship with one you love...

11. Days Past (Lytomt) 2:15



-Instrumental-
A cute naivistic tune that has the air of melancholy to bring associations of early childhood. Harald plays the guitars, and no other instrument is added. Here, for the second time, Harald is left alone to perform a track. His first solo performance was on the "A Journey on the Inside" album, the tune "Time for Thought".




Days Past 2:15
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars)

12. Joie de Vivre (Lytomt) 10:00



-Instrumental-
Traditionally, each Kerrs Pink album has at least one title that is French, or share its spelling with English. The French title means "Joy of Living", and indeed this track offers the most wantonly rhythmic and playful sounds. Accordingly, the critics have reviewed this instrumental as the most progressive track on the CD. Here you will hear folk influences, heavy riffing, symphonic themes, different moods, a lot of time changes and unpredictable turns and bends, quite in the prog field! What more is there to wish for?




Joie de Vivre 10:00
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars, bass, flute)
Jan Haakon Skarpsno (drums, keyboards, arr)

13. A Final Greeting (Lytomt / Hansen) 6:35



As long your heart may ache with sorrow
As long you fret, but trust tomorrow
I will share your fears, disclose your laughter
Believe in life and what comes after

As long my words are clearly spoken
Beyond the reach of any token
This will be my final greeting
"Journeys end in lovers meeting"


A Final Greeting 6:35
Harald Lytomt (electric and acoustic guitars, flute, vocals))
Liv Frengstad (cello)
Tormod Gangfloet (viola)
Heidi Drengsrud Jahren and
Cecilie Ljunggren (vocals)
About the lyrics:
This is a wish for stronger ties and a closer union than reality had it to be.









Kerrs Pink [Norway]
Updated 3/22/02

Discography
Kerrs Pink (80)
Mellom Oss (81)
A Journey on the Inside (93)
Art of Complex Simplicity (97)
Tidings (01, In Preparation)


Norwegian progressives, with a sound that may remind of Camel (circa Mirage) or elements of Pink Floyd (a Gilmour-like guitarist playing moody, spacy stretches), their material is instrumentally dominated, with a lot of interplay between the flute, guitar and two keyboardists. The vocals are excellent when present. Mellom Oss was almost entirely re-recorded for the CD reissue, thus the sound quality is astonishingly good. The 17 minute "Where Time Fades Away" features guest female vocalist. Start with either, both are excellent.

The immediate comparison to be made for this band is to Camel. From the opening notes of their eponymous first album, you will be reminded of Andy Latimer's melodic guitar style. Follow this with flute and the comparison is enhanced. Kerrs Pink, however, is far from a Camel clone despite the obvious influence. If it is possible, they are even more melodic than Camel and more spacious. Additionally, there's a feel thoughout the music that is uniquely Scandanavian, though I can't describe what it is. The few lyrics in the mostly instrumental work are in Norwegian. The solos are mostly guitar, though there a good amount of keyboard work. This is very relaxing and laid back music. -- Mike Taylor

Kerrs Pink fuses progressive rock and Scandinavian folklore just as Grieg married symphonic music and Nordic folk songs. The music also pays homage to bands like Camel and String Driven Thing. Kerrs Pink is Tore Fundingsrud (drums), Jostein Hansen (bass, guitars, and vocals), Harald Lytomt (guitars, flute, keyboards and bass), and Per-Oyvind Nordberg (keyboards). Mellom Oss is a reissue of Kerrs Pink's second album recorded in 1981 plus six previously unreleased bonus tracks. Mellom Oss was originally recorded on an old 4-track recorder. With today's technology and Kerrs Pink's improved studio they decided to rerecord the first six tracks making this CD a pseudo-reissue. Their seventeen minute opus from the LP, Mens Tiden Forgar ("While Time Fades Away"), is a remixed version of the original recording. The CD booklet, as always is true with Musea releases, contains extensive historical notes and English lyrics even though they are sung in Norwegian. Another highly recommended reissue from the European progressive archives.

Norwegian band that borrows ideas from Pink Floyd, Sebastian Hardie and Camel, and meld them into a uniquely Scandinavian style. The band includes flute, two keyboards and three (!) guitars. The use of keyboards (mostly organ and piano) is surprisingly subtle, the layered guitars (acoustic and electric both) give it a sometimes folkish feel. The flute often makes it sound like an instrumental version of Tabula Rasa. Overall very pleasant, while it doesn't blow you away with technical prowess, it eventually wins you over with its gentle melodicism. Mellom Oss adds some Norwegian and apparently Israeli (on "Trostevise") folk themes to arrive at a totally individualistic sound. Also many guest players, on viola, cello and female vocals. This one includes a 17-minute track. Both albums are excellent. -- Mike Ohman

I haven't actually heard the earlier 80's material but this 1993 double LP [A Journey on the Inside] did not impress. I don't rate Jostein Hansen's vocals at all. European inflections on English words is a minefield area in Euro-prog and here, just doesn't come off at all. Add to this fact, the awful lyrics and well it really is a shame. A shame because Kerrs Pink can obviously play great music. The acoustic guitar playing is skillful but the songwriting is below par to my mind. I was looking forward to the 10 minuter, "Rubicon" but the verses reminded me of The Scorpions for some reason and the playing was simply "average". The track, "Sorcerer" sounds like Bryan Adams has gone prog and joined an irish folk band in his spare time!! Oh dear! The track "The Prisoner" starts of like Dire Straits!!!! and even worse, actually finishes like Dire Straits. Had I also mentioned that the middle bit of this song sounds a little like ... Dire Straits!!!! HELP!!!! The little 2 minute musical interludes that cover the album just annoy the listener really, apart from some minute segments, i.e the last 30 seconds of track 12 "Time for thought" which is very erm ... "nice" I think is the expression. Hmmm ... time for thought indeed! and mine is that there are many poor neo-prog acts around and while Kerrs Pink aren't the worst (that honour must go to Dutch band Voyage) they inhabit the area clearly marked "average" on this '93 LP. I'd like to hear some of the earlier stuff as from various descriptions it seems to be a hell of a lot better!! -- David Abel

Links
Click here (http://www.kerrspink.com/) for Kerr's Pink's official web site




I (KB) have loved music, and more particularly, progressive music for well over twenty-five years. In all that time it was never enough for me to like the "mainstream" groups. Sure I liked bands like ELP, Yes, Genesis and the like, but I was always searching for something more, some group that not a whole lot of people had heard of. In those twenty-five plus years, I have tried many different bands and I have struck gold on a number of occasions. Musicians like Family in the early '70s, Wigwam and Pekka Pohjola later in the '70s, Camel, J.P. Boffo and others, as well. Sometimes I struck fool's gold (I won't mention any names here). And there is the time I struck the mother lode: a band that continues to amaze me not only with their music but also with their idealism and humanity. That band is Kerrs Pink.

The first slice

In 1972 Jostein Hansen (then only sixteen years old) got together with a few friends to form a band in Tromborg, Norway a small farming community about 42 miles southeast of Oslo. Tromborg is so small that I could not even locate it on an atlas. The lineup was: Tommy Knudson on drums, Frank Johnsen on bass, Leif Hansen on lead guitar (a cousin of Jostein's) and Jostein Hansen on guitar and vocals. At this time these self taught musicians, aged 15 to 17, played cover versions of hits from that time. I recently asked Jostein who his musical influences were in 1972: "They were a lot! Pink Floyd, Creedence, Uriah Heep, Yes and Steppenwolf." The band went through some personnel changes and a name change. What started out as Memories became Cash Pink. Cash Pink was chosen as the band's name with humor on two different levels. The idea came from Jostein "...alluding to a variety of potatoes, Kerrs Pink, grown in Norway. But deliberately, he spelt the name incorrectly thus making it a satire of all the groups using the word pink as part of their name". (How many can you name?)

In the twenty-five year existence of Kerrs Pink there have been more than twenty different lineups and twenty-one members, so the line-up of the band at any point in time can be difficult to unravel. You may ask, "Why all the personnel changes?" That is just what I asked Jostein. He replied, "We have only played for the fun and enthusiasm. We have always been real amateurs. When former members have felt musically empty or have been too busy involved in other matters, preferring their family, or have moved away from our area, they have left the group in a peaceful and friendly way. It could also be the feeling of playing at a near professional level, qualitatively speaking, being non-professionals, playing music as a personal hobby, not getting financial outcome according to what it takes, but this reason has never been upfront."



In 1975, these personnel changes took place leading to the arrival of Harald Lytomt in the group on guitar. Harald brought with him his compositional skills and energy and determination. Harald's arrival also led Jostein to switch from guitar to bass. In March 1976, Jostein left the group to fulfill his military service obligation. This was a temporary departure; as it happens, Lytomt and Hansen would become the nucleus of Cash -- and later Kerrs -- Pink, and they remain so to this day. While Jostein was away, Cash Pink performed their first true concerts in April; prior to this they had only performed in dance halls. In May they recorded the song "Hverdag" ("Workingday") and sent a cassette to the Swedish national radio, which gave the song exposure nation-wide. Jostein rejoined the group and they now concentrated on playing their own compositions in concert. It was also at this time that they changed their name to Kerrs Pink. "This name conveyed the association of being between the underground and folk styles, a reference to the roots being to the people's basic article of food and yet linked to Norwegian folk tradition," explains Jostein in the liner notes for the reissue of the first LP on CD.



Kerrs Pink garnered many favorable reviews. The song "Velkomst" ("Welcome") got radio airplay and it even reached the top ten in June of 1981. This song, like most of the album, is instrumental and features a twin lead guitar sound indicating the influence of Wishbone Ash. Other highlights from the album are "Sett Dem Bare Ned" (Please, Be Seated) and "Sang fra Skogen" (Song From The Wilderness), both written by Halvard Haugerud, and "Parringsstevet" (Copulation Theme) by Jostein Hansen. "Sett Dem Bare Ned" begins with lovely acoustic guitar and fluid overed a chorus of mellotron voices. The vocals are introduced by a haunting melodic line played with two guitars. "Sang fra Skogen" is another slow, dark vocal number over acoustic guitar with a contrasting guitar solo played with warm, rounded tones. Hansen's "Parringsstevet" is a fun, uptempo tune that highlights the intertwined, melodic leads that are Kerrs Pink's hallmark.

These two bonus tracks (the band's first single) give the listener the opportunity to witness the incredible growth of the group in just one short year. While the tracks from the single are quite good, the listener will definitely see the progression of the group in their compositional and musical skills. There is also an interesting cover photograph by Jan Sigurd Fuglestvedt, described in the liner notes this way: "The photo on the cover represents the weak beams from the wintry sun penetrating the naked branches of trees, symbolizing the positive and reproductive forces, able of transcending man facing his depressing environment. This image refers to the music of Kerrs Pink, consisting of the same virtues and conveying the same force and vitality." I asked Jostein about that statement: "We thought that our music had a positive spirit, that we would like to protect humanity by writing positive music. There were so much music that had evil spirits or conveyed such an image."

The Second Album

Although Kerrs Pink produced an excellent debut album, more personnel changes were just around the corner. Tore Johansen left because he felt that "he had used up his resources and needed a break. Terje Solaas was offered a job that required him to move away from the area. Tore Fundingsrud came into the band on drums and shortly thereafter Kerrs Pink decided to record another album. They wanted to "record a second album to display the development in their music and the new ideas expressed in their latest compositions." Always conscious of the cost of recording in a professional studio, they decided to build their own studio in Harald Lytomt's barn in Tromborg. They named it "Flexy Studio" and it was here that they recorded Mellom Oss (more will be said about this album below). The new studio was a good idea but not being able to afford the best recording equipment (it was equipped with a four track tape recorded), the quality of the sound did not meet expectations. The recording sessions took place between September 26, 1981 and November 29, 1981. Trond Bohn only worked on two tracks and he then left the band to be with his family. After the release of the second album, the band started to break up. Harald Lytomt and Tore Fundingsrud left Kerrs Pink to form the band Mantra. In 1984 Harald joined Scandinavia which later had a name change to Foxtrot and the CD "A Shadow of The Past" was released. (As a personal footnote, I have a copy of Foxtrot CD In fact I had this CD before I ever owned a Kerrs Pink CD or even heard of Kerrs Pink.) Jostein Hansen and Halvard Haugerud continued on with Kerrs Pink. They recruited some former members, but their musical direction changed. They now played music influence by the Police and popular music from the Sixties. They even drifted into new wave music. Clearly, the band was losing its momentum and the end seemed to be in sight.

Jostein was contacted by Musea in 1989 about reissuing the first two albums. This offer seemed to reenergize Jostein and he decided to try to reform the band and go back to playing the old kind of Kerrs Pink music. Former members, Harald Lytomt, Tore Johansen and Tore Fundingsrud came back on board and they also invited Per-Oyvind Nordberg who had played with Harald in Mantra to join on keyboards and vocals. I asked Jostein if it was difficult to get the group back together again. He replied, "No, I only asked people that still cared for the old Kerrs Pink style. Only Per-Oyvind Nordberg was asked to join with no former membership. Harald wanted him to join." Notable by his absence was Halvard Haugerud who had had such an influence on the first two albums. Halvard is an artist (he painted the cover to Mellom Oss) and he paints professionally receiving critical acclaim for his artistic exhibitions.


The Second Album Revisited

With the band now reformed plans were made to record a new album but first they did something extraordinary; they decided to rerecord Mellom Oss. Jostein explained it this way when asked why they would take the time and go to all the trouble of rerecording a ten year old album: "Because we would not like to rerelease the original recordings, the sound quality was too poor, and we wanted the CD release to give a better impression of what it was meant to sound like. Purely serious perfection." Not only were the original seven songs from the original recording included, six bonus tracks were also added. Of the original seven, only "While Time Fades Away" was not rerecorded, but it was remixed. Of the six bonus tracks, "Parademarsj for Jubilanter" was a special contribution to Kerrs Pink's twentieth anniversary festivities. "Fredsmarsjen" was originally recorded in 1981 in honor of a peace march from Copenhagen to Paris. It was part of a compilation album of local Norwegian artists. It was rerecorded for the reissue of Mellom Oss.

It is interesting to note here that the cover painting for Mellom Oss was done by Halvard Haugerud. The liner notes to the CD explain the painting in this way: "Halvard's front cover design illustrated the phrase, which means "Between Us" in English. It alludes to the interventions and intrusions between an artist's vision and his expression of it to the world. This difficulty, this conflict also expresses itself in love, represented here by the design of a kiss, in which the exchange of emotion between two people is underpinned by a lack of absolute certainty as to what the 'other' is feeling."
Mellom Oss has many highlights among which are the title track, composed by Harald Lytomt, "East of Words" written by both Lytomt and Haugerud and the seventeen minute song "While Time Fades Away" written by Jostein Hansen. This song is about the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve and their fall and has many instrumental highlights most notably the final section entitled "Aftermath" with wonderful guitar work by Harald. But really the high point of the song are the lyrics. Let me quote part of the song here:


ADAM'S SONG
Do Youremember how it was
From the beginning on
Do Youremember plants that
Never bore withered blades
Do Youremember the lion
That loved the lamb
Do Youremember death's fruit
Do Youremember that you bade me to eat
Eve, Eve

Oh we could discern good from evil
Know hate with knowledge that we took
Oh we were free, free from doing good
And our children kill each other still
Yes, our children kill each other still

EVE'S SONG
There's no was back, Adam
The earth was our paradise
That we made into a battlefield
you and I
There's no way back, Adam
But we are promised a new earth
Of grace, Adam
you and I

I asked Jostein what made him write this song and in what way this may have been be influenced by his religious beliefs. "At that time I was seeking for a creed," he answered, "and I met some people from 'The Way International,' and I went to their Christian fellowship, called 'TWIG'. I realized the opportunity I had to witness my Christian belief in my songs, and went for it! I still have my Christian belief, but I'm no religious fanatic!" Just from the way the words are written, you could see that there was something there other than a simple retelling of the Adam and Eve story. It is as if Jostein could feel what Adam and Eve may have felt after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden; their sorrow over what they had done and what had come about as a result of their actions.
Mellom Oss was released in 1992 by Musea and it has since sold about three thousand copies. This is not a large sales figure for such an excellent piece of work but I tend to think that this does notbother Kerrs Pink. In fact Harald Lytomt once said, "The day we should against all odds hit the big seller lists, there's something wrong with our music or attitude." In a day when it seems that everything in the recording industry is measured in gold and platinum records, this is truly a breath of fresh air. At the same time that the band was rerecording Mellom Oss they were also involved in recording their third album: A Journey On The Inside. It was during the recording sessions for these two albums that Kerrs Pink also recorded the song "Monday" for the 7 Days of a Life concept album for their label Musea. It was written by Harald Lytomt and Per-Oyvind Nordberg. "Monday" foreshadows their new style that would be featured on A Journey on the Inside. The song still reflects Kerrs Pink's melodic sense and incorporates the native Norwegian music influences. The dual guitars, however, have a more aggressive and heavier edge, balancing the melodic vocals.



Reflections of a Personal Journey
A Journey on the Inside is a special piece ofmusic. From the opening notes of "Prologue" to the final notes of "Epilogue," this CD shines in all areas. Musically it is light years beyond Mellom Oss, the sound quality is also way beyond anything Kerrs Pink had done before and to round it all off, lyrically the band exhibited a new growing maturity. Part of the credit must go to the newest member of the band Per-Oyvind Nordberg. The original story for A Journey on the Inside came from Nordberg as well as many of the songs and the lyrics as well. To quote from the group's web site about the story: "The theme is the individual fight for regaining one's integrity and the suppression of evil forces within one's mind." While the previous releases had always featured the guitar with keyboards, this new CD had a much stronger keyboard presence courtesy of Nordberg. He also became the lead vocalist. And there was one more important change. For the first time the songs were sung in English. The previous CD's were sung in Norwegian and the liner notes had the lyrics translated into English. I asked Jostein Hansen what them switch from your native language to English? "We had expanded our distribution, and Norwegian was no obvious language for us any longer," he replied. "Because of Musea being an international record company. We wanted people to understand our lyrics, and English is the best tool." Was there any pressure from Musea to do this? "No pressure at all." Were you worried about losing some of your old fans with this switch? "People in Norway are used to English, we were not worried about this. Being now distributed by Musea made it more obvious to switch language." Was it a conscious attempt to widen your fan base? "Yes, we wanted to get more listeners." How difficult was it to record A Journey on the Inside? As a band you had a layoff of tens years; did you all just fit back in together again? "It was not difficult, every member playing on the albums loved that kind of music we played. Only Per-Oyvind had not played in Kerrs Pink before. Not all former Kerrs Pink members would fit in, only those who took a strong liking to our first album, and still cared for prog/symphonic rock."
The lineup for A Journey on the Inside was the strongest one yet. In addition to Jostein Hansen on bass, 12-string acoustic guitar and vocals, Harald Lytomt on guitar and flute, there was Tore Johansen on guitar and tin whistles, Per-Oyvind Nordberg on lead vocals, keyboards and bass and Tore Fundingsrud on drums. Of the five members of the band, four contributed songs to the CD and the newest member, Per-Oyvind, was the main composer, along with Harald Lytomt on the album. Four different song writers, new members coming in and contributing not only songs but themes to the album, these are just a couple of reasons why Kerrs Pink stays so fresh and continues to grow and mature.



Kerrs Pink


From The Origins To The First Album

The origins of the band go back to May 1972 when Jostein Hansen (born 1956) decided to form a band with some friends, raised, as he was, in Tromborg, a parish of Eidsberg county. Tromborg is a farming district surrounded by forests some 70 km South-East of Oslo, Norway.

The line-up included Jostein Hansen on guitar and vocals (later also on bass), drummer Tommy Knudsen (born 1955), lead guitarist Leif Hansen (born 1955 and a cousin of Jostein's) and on bass Frank Johnsen (born 1957).

Tommy, a Dane who had just moved to Tromborg, supplied the group with rehearsal room in his own house where they could play and practice whenever they wanted without disturbing anyone. Soon they required instruments and a more powerful PA system which would generate more power for and impact on their still somewhat amateur and imitative music. Self-taught, being between 15 and 17 years old, the musicians sought their musical direction, while building a repertoire made of cover versions of hits from that period (C.C.R., Frijid Pink, etc.)



However, by the end of 1972, Leif, bored with the rehearsals and lack of musical direction without real results, decided to leave the group. A short time later, Frank Johnsen was forced, for professional reasons, to leave Tromborg.

In January '73, the two survivors recruited as lead guitarist/singer Kay-Gunnar Lodengen (born '58 and another cousin of Jostein's) and as a keyboard player - a friend of Kay-Gunnar's, Kjell-Arild Austad (born '58). The group took on the name Memories and appeared for the first time on stage in February '73 at a Tromborg school without a bass player; Jostein played rhythm guitar, but with a bass-like sound. Some months later, bass player Odd Frydenlund (born '52) reinforced the group which now began to play local dance halls. Their ambition, however, was limited to pleasing the local crowds and improving technically. The group changed its name at this point into Cash Pink, named so by Jostein, alluding to a variety of potatoes, Kerrs Pink, grown in Norway. But deliberately, he spelt the name incorrectly, thus making it a satire of all the groups using the word 'pink' as part of their name (something that was very fashionable at that time, by the way).

Nevertheless, in the Autumn of '74, Jostein and Tommy were left alone to pursue their musical careers, Kjell-Arild was the first to leave due to a musical disagreement. In spite of this departure, Cash Pink thought it could play without an organist. Then, however, Kay-Gunnar and Odd left the group for other activities.



Despite these defections, Jostein and Tommy never gave up, and in February 1975, they reformed the group with Tore Johansen (born '57), joined a month later by his sister Torild (born '59) on guitar and vocals.

A new and promising guitarist/flutist, Harald Lytomt (born '58), reinforced the group, playing in unison and complementary harmonies with Tore and Torild, while Jostein switched from guitar to bass. If the musical direction and choice of repertoire were determined by the whole group, Jostein and Harald, with their energy and determination, pushed the band forward, stimulating it to move towards music dominated by the sound of guitars.

During this period, Cash Pink worked enthusiastically to compose a personal repertoire, mainly made of Harald's compositions, at the same time continuing to play cover versions of the Shadows, Blue and Wishbone Ash. The musical direction was consolidated by Jostein, Tore and Harald. Harald imposed his ideas and musical style, and a very inventive guitar sound. As a talented composer, his inspiration expressed itself through romantic themes and sophisticated melodies. The development of the themes was a common effort, starting with a melody, brought by one of the musicians, and then modified, improved and polished by the ideas of everybody. The arrangements were a result of collective work which sometimes gave birth spontaneously to certain titles.



In March '76, Jostein left Cash Pink to perform his military duty, and, in order to replace him during this period, the group summoned bass player/singer Tom Lunde (born '57). Tommy was forced to leave Cash Pink in order to finish his studies in another town. Jonny Klemmetsrud (born '60) replaced him on drums. Now it was Tore's turn to leave, and Per Frydenlund (born '60), Odd's brother, replaced him, thus carrying on the experimentation of the formula of three guitarists, already tested out with Tore, elaborating on personal compositions built around the harmonies divided by two or three lead guitarists.

The first concert appearance of the new line-up took place on 27th April 1976 in the town Rakkestad close to their home base. The local press present at their concert gave their performance good reviews. The public especially appreciated their own compositions. These enthusiastic reactions strengthened Cash Pink's belief in their music. In May, the group mailed a tape recorded during a rehearsal to the National Swedish Radio. This cassette included the title "Hverdag"/"Workingday", a tune composed by Harald and lyrics - written by his elder brother Ole-Johan and sung by Torild. The tune was played in a programme called Bandet Gar, and for the first time their music was on the air. This inspired the group to develop its talents as composers.

In January '77, Jostein rejoined the group and filled the gap left by Torild, then Tore was also reintegrated into the group. Cash Pink decided with this changed line-up to stop playing local dance halls and concentrate instead solely on giving concerts, focusing mainly on band's original compositions. At this stage, they'd changed their name to Kerrs Pink, pronounced as before, but now spelt like the potato brand name. This name conveyed the association of being between the underground and folk styles, a reference to the roots being to the people's basic article of food and yet linked to the Norwegian folk tradition.

In the Spring of 1977, Tore left to do his military service and the group looked in vain for a keyboard player to enrich and modify its style. Finally, Tore was replaced in June by guitarist Per Kvaerner (born '54). The tradition of being a guitar group was once again strengthened.

However, in the beginning of 1978, Kerrs Pink was able to satisfy its desire for musical change when Halvard Haugerud (born '57) joined the group on keyboards and vocals. This outfit was enabled to blend its folk-orientated rock with more sophisticated and airy music, coloured by the veils and chords of Halvard's multiple keyboards. He asserted himself as a perfectionist and an inspired composer, creator of intimate and delicate themes. He also accentuated their symphonic inclination by using mellotron, organ and other keyboards.

In concert, in the large assembly halls, the group used slides and other light effects, even projecting a film made by Halvard showing a sunset which visually illustrated their music. In smaller halls, they abandoned the projectors for the effect of candlelight, more adapted to the intimacy of the venue.

The band was beginning to build a certain reputation, and this was reinforced when it organized an alternative free festival with local artists in Tromborg in 1977. It continued to run this festival for five successive years. This had great impact on local musical life. In 1978, the National Norwegian Radio broadcast parts of the festival, emphasizing the contributions from Kerrs Pink, thus giving it a certain national recognition. Later that year, former professional drummer Terje Solas (born '51) replaced Jonny. The new line-up played at Fredrikstad's festival on 28th January 1979, in front of an audience of 500 people.

During the Summer of 1979, Kerrs Pink decided that the time was ripe to record their music and settled for a self-produced single, not searching for a record company contract, thus attaining freedom and musical independence. At this time, the group founded its own label, giving it the name of Pottittskiver, meaning potato-slices, since "skiver" in Norwegian means both slices and records. The single was recorded on 9th July at Roxy Studio, Fredrikstad, by sound engineer and co-producer Svein Ronning, former member of the heavy rock group Host, the first one of its kind to sing in Norwegian. Svein generously gave them all technical guidance and helped them out with his own experience at this delicate stage of recording for the first time. The single, reference number POS01, includes two instrumental tracks: "Kong Edvardt", and "Feberlaten". On this record, the group presented some original music through blending Norwegian and Swedish folk music and symphonic rock.

An issue of 1000 copies of the single was released on 13th December '79 and was soon sold out, distributed directly by the group itself and by the intermediary independent record company Mai from Oslo. Curiously, only 40 copies of the record had a cover hand-designed (silk-screened) personally by Halvard - in 3 different versions!

With this single, Kerrs Pink tested the reaction of the public and got the much-needed feedback. The acceptance of the public encouraged them to continue their musical quest.

The personality of the group had became more established and sophisticated at this stage, and Kerrs Pink decided to record an album. However, Per Kvaerner and Per Frydenlund left the band and were replaced by multi-instrumentalist Trond Bohn (born '57) on keyboards and guitars, and Tore Johansen, who once again rejoined the group. Tore, a respected musician, much-sought by local groups, chose to leave and return intermittently as he was at those other groups' disposal.

The group recorded their first album, once again self-produced, between June and August '80 at Roxy Studio, under the supervision of the same sound engineer and co-producer. The album includes ten titles, of which "Velkomst", composed by Tore Johansen, gained some success in Norway, even entering the national Top 10 in June '81. On this album, Kerrs Pink were helped by singer Steinar Straumdal, and they utilised their range and musical palette to the fullest. Unlike on the single, the group featured few vocals. They chose to record the most recent titles and consequently the most homogeneous ones in their repertoire.

The photo on the cover represents the weak beams from a wintry sun penetrating the naked branches of trees, symbolizing the positive and reproductive forces, able of transcending man facing his depressing environment. This image refers to the music of Kerrs Pink, consisting of the same virtues and conveying the same force and vitality.
The album was officially released on 19th January '81 on the group's own label, with the catalogue number POT02, and was distributed by the group and Polygram in Norway. With only 1,000 copies having been pressed, the album received favourable reviews from the national press and some radio airplay.