260 px, Bubbi Morthens, Laugardalsvöllur, Iceland (2007) Bubbi Morthens (full name ''Ásbjörn Kristinsson Morthens''; born 6 June 1956) is an Icelandic-Danish-Norwegian singer and songwriter. Aside from a lengthy solo career, he has been a member of such Icelandic bands as

Utangarðsmenn Utangarðsmenn (literally Outsiders in Icelandic) was an Icelandic punk band formed in 1979 and was most active in the early 1980s, becoming one of the most popular bands in the country for that period. The band was composed Bubbi Morthens, Mick ...

and

Egó Egó was a musical band founded in Reykjavík, Iceland), in the fall of 1981 by Bubbi Morthens with his younger brother and guitarist Bergþór Morthens and their friend, bassist Þorleifur Guðjónsson. Egó's first drummer was Jóhann Ridar ...

Personal life

Bubbi was born in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

to a Danish mother and a half-Norwegian, half-Icelandic father. Bubbi is a common nickname for Ásbjörn. He developed a strong

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

and

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

in his youth, later in life he became an advocate for

sobriety Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels or effects from alcohol or drugs. Sobriety is also considered to be the natural state of a human being at birth. A person in a state of sobriety is considered sober. Organizations o ...

and addiction prevention. In 2018 he published the poetry book ''Rof'' about the

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

he was a victim of as a child. In 1973 (at the age of 17), Bubbi became a

migrant worker A migrant worker is a person who Human migration, migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have the intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant worker ...

. In 2004, the documentary ''Blindsker'' about the life of Bubbi was released''.'' In 2020, a musical based on the life of Bubbi, named ("Nine Lives") was shown in

Reykjavík City Theatre The Reykjavík City Theatre (RCT) ( is, Borgarleikhúsið ) is a theatre in Reykjavík, Iceland. History In 1989, after ninety years of performing in a small wooden building in the city centre, the company inaugurated a new theatre building ad ...

Career

Bubbi recorded his first solo album in 1979, a blend of rock, blues and reggae, and published it the following year as ''

Ísbjarnarblús ''Ísbjarnarblús'' (English: "Polar Bear Blues") was the debut solo record released by Icelandic songwriter Bubbi Morthens 260 px, Bubbi Morthens, Laugardalsvöllur, Iceland (2007) Bubbi Morthens (full name ''Ásbjörn Kristinsson Morthens' ...

''. ;In Utangarðsmenn His first important band was

(The Outsiders), a

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band that led the new wave movement in Iceland. The band was formed with Michael D. Pollock (Mickey Dean), Daniel Pollock (Dirty Dan), drummer Magnús Stefánsson and bassist Rúnar Erlingsson. Utangarðsmenn gained renown in Iceland by means of extensive press coverage and several gigs, including three at Laugardalshöll, Iceland's biggest sports arena, where one of the gigs they performed was as supporting band for

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

. Bubbi left the band after the second album, ''Í Upphafi Skyldi Endinn Skoða'' in 1981, and the others continued the band with the new name "Bodies". ;In Egó At that time, Bubbi and his brother, Bergþór, were joined by bassist Þorleifur Guðjónsson, and formed the band

. The band had their first tour in

when Magnús Stefánsson and Tómas Magnús Tómasson replaced departing original band members. The band's debut album, ''Breyttir Tímar'', released 1 April 1982, became one of the best-selling albums in Icelandic music history, climbing to second place on the Icelandic album chart, and staying in the top ten for 19 weeks. During the promotional tour for the album in Iceland, Þorleifur left the band and was replaced by Rúnar Erlingsson. Egó followed up with ''Í Mynd'' the same year and it was considered better than the previous album. With this release, Egó toured

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

, where Magnús decided to leave the band and was replaced by Jökull Úlfsson, and the band was extended once more with the addition of Gunnar Rafnsson on keyboards. Internal conflicts led the band to break up but, having signed a contract under which they were obliged to release another album, they did not split up until after releasing their final work in 1984. Bubbi left Iceland and the musicians continued along different paths. In 2001, Egó reunited to release a compilation under the title of ''Frá upphafi til enda''. ;In Das Kapital Later in 1984, Bubbi returned to Iceland and formed a

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

band called Das Kapital and released an album called ''Lili Marlene''; the band broke up afterwards. ;Solo In 1985, he signed with

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

record label Mistlur, and released ''Frelsi til Sölu'' (''Freedom for Sale'') which brought further commercial success. ''

Dögun Dawn, officially Dawn – The Organization of Justice, Fairness and Democracy ( is, Dögun – stjórnmálasamtök um réttlæti, sanngirni og lýðræði) is an Icelandic political organization founded 18 March 2012 to participate in the 2013 p ...

'' (''Dawning''), was released in 1987, and became a smash success. Bubbi's popularity was finally established in 1990 with the release of ''Sögur af Landi'', which received good reviews. ;In MX-21 Towards 1987 Bubbi joined guitarist Þorsteinn Magnússon (former member of

Þeyr Þeyr () was an Icelandic New wave music, new wave band from the early 1980s. Origins The origins of Þeyr date back to the late 1970s when singer Magnús Guðmundsson, bassist Hilmar Örn Agnarsson and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (drums and synthesi ...

), Jakob Smári Magnússon (former bassist of

Tappi Tíkarrass Tappi Tíkarrass was an Icelandic punk band which added elements of funk, rock and jazz to their music, marking a difference from other traditional bands at that time. The band is also considered the first serious music project of now renowned sin ...

), drummer Halldór Lárusson and keyboardist Tómas Magnús Tómasson to form a new group called MX-21. The band collaborated with

Megas Magnús Þór Jónsson (born 7 April 1945), better known by the stage name Megas, is a vocalist, songwriter, and writer who is well known in his native Iceland. Interest in music Being an admirer of Elvis Presley, Megas welcomed the arrival of ...

and Sykurmolarnir (later known as

The Sugarcubes The Sugarcubes ( Icelandic: Sykurmolarnir) were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Bened ...

) on '' Skytturnar'', the soundtrack to the film directed by

Friðrik Þór Friðriksson Friðrik Þór Friðriksson (born 12 May 1954; pronounced ), sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director and producer. Biography Fridriksson started his film making career with experimental films and documentar ...

. ;Solo By the early 1990s, Bubbi was planning to record a Spanish-language album; this work was consolidated with the release of ''Von'' (''Hope''), which was recorded in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

with the band

Sierra Maestra The Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. The range falls mainly within the Santiago de Cuba and in Granma Provinces. Some view it a ...

. In 1993, Bubbi moved towards a mellower country music style with the release of ''Lífið er Ljúft'' (''Life is Good''), and in 1994 experimented with

rap music Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

in the album ''3 Heimar'' (''3 Worlds''). ;In G.C.D. In the 1990s, Bubbi joined

Rúnar Júlíusson Guðmundur Rúnar Júlíusson (13 April 1945 – 5 December 2008), alternate names: Rúnar Júlíusson or Rúni Júl, was an Icelandic pop singer, music producer and footballer from Keflavík. Football career Rúnar was a member of Keflavík � ...

to form a rock band called G.C.D. He recorded a tribute album for his beloved crooner uncle, Haukur Morthens, and a spoken word album of original poetry in 1996. In 1998, ''Arfur'' (''Heritage''), an album featuring traditional Icelandic rhymes and ballads, was released.

Discography

With Utangarðsmenn, (1980–1981)

EPs

* 1980 – ''Ha ha ha (Rækjureggae)'' (

Steinar Steinar Baldursson, known by the mononym Steinar (born 1995) is a singer and songwriter. Steinar was born in Grafarvogur, a district of Reykjavík. He released his debut album ''Beginning'' in Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a No ...

) * 1981 – ''45 RPM'' (

)

Albums

* 1980 – ''Geislavirkir'' (

) * 1981 – ''Í Upphafi Skyldi Endinn Skoða'' (

), compilation release * 1994 – ''Utangarðsmenn'' (Japís), Live * 2000 – ''Fuglinn Er Floginn'' ( Skífan), compilation release

Collaborations

* 1981 – ''Flugur'' (

) Icelandic compilation * 1981 – ''Gæðapopp'' (???), Icelandic compilation * 1981 – ''Northern Lights Playhouse'' ( Fálkinn), Icelandic compilation * 1982 – ''Næst á Dagskrá'' (

), Icelandic compilation * 1985 – ''Með Lögum Skal Land Byggja'' (

), Icelandic compilation * 1998 – ''Nælur'' (Spor) compilation

Discography of ''Egó''

Discography of ''

'' (1982–1984, 2001, 2009–present):

Albums

* 1982 – ''Breyttir Tímar'' (

) * 1982 – ''Í Mynd'' (

) * 1984 – ''Egó'' (

) * 2001 – ''Frá upphafi til enda'' ( Skífan), compilation release * 2009 – ''6. október'' (Sena)

Singles

* 2009 – " Kannski Varð Bylting Vorið 2009" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2009 – "

Í Hjarta Mér "Í hjarta mér" ("in my heart") is the second single from Egó Egó was a musical band founded in Reykjavík, Iceland), in the fall of 1981 by Bubbi Morthens with his younger brother and guitarist Bergþór Morthens and their friend, bassist ...

" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2009 – "Fallegi Lúserinn Minn" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2009 – "Ástin Ert Þú Á Litinn" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2009 – "Engill Ræður För" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2014 – "Ég fyrirgef þér allt"

Featuring on film

* 1982 – ''

Rokk í Reykjavík ''Rokk í Reykjavík'' () is a documentary directed by Icelandic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during the Icelandic winter of 1981-1982 and released for the local television in 1982. With this documentary, Friðriksson showcases the alternative m ...

'' (Íslenska kvikmyndasamsteypan), documentary directed by

* 2004 – ''Blindsker''

Discography of Das Kapital

Album

* 1984 – ''Lili Marlene'' ( Gramm)

Featuring

* 1987 – ''Geyser – Anthology of the Icelandic Independent Music Scene of the Eighties'' (

Enigma Records Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. History Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/dis ...

), Icelandic compilation

Discography of MX-21

Singles

* 1987 – ''Skapar Fegurðin Hamingju?'' ( Gramm)

Discography of Bubbi and Megas

Album

* 1988 – ''Bláir Draumar'' ( Gramm)

Discography of G.C.D.

Albums

* 1991 – ''G.C.D.'' (

) * 1993 – ''Svefnvana'' ( Skífan) * 1995 – ''Teika'' ( Skífan) * 2002 – ''Mýrdalssandur'' ( Skífan), compilation release

Discography of Bubbi Morthens and Björn Jr. Friðbjörnsson

Singles

* 2008 – " Ég er kominn heim" (Sena), Only released on the internet

Featuring

* 2008 – ''Pottþétt 46'' (Sena)

Discography of Bubbi Morthens and Björgvin Halldórsson

Singles

* 2013 – "Það er gott að elska" (from the ''Duet 3'' album) Discography of Bubbi Morthens and Dimma • 2015 - Bubbi & Dimma • 2016 - Minnismerki Discography of Bubbi Morthens and Spaðadrottningarnar • 2015 - 18 konur

Bubbi Morthens solo discography

Solo albums

* 1979 – ''

'' ( Bubbi/

Iðunn In Norse mythology, Iðunn is a goddess associated with apples and youth. Iðunn is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century by Snorri St ...

) * 1981 – ''Plágan'' (

) * 1983 – ''Fingraför'' (

) * 1983 – ''Línudans'' (

), compilation release * 1984 – ''Ný Spor'' (Safarí) * 1985 – ''Kona'' ( Gramm) * 1986 – ''Blús fyrir Rikka'' ( Gramm) * 1987 – ''Frelsi til Sölu'' ( Gramm) * 1987 – ''Dögun'' ( Gramm) * 1988 – ''Serbian Flower'' (

Mistlur Mistlur Records is a small record company founded in the 1970s. They are now owned by MNW Music, MNW. Amon the artist published by Mistlur is Trettioåriga Kriget, Mörbyligan, Ebba Grön, Lena Ekman, Travolta Kids, Calcutta Transfer, Torkel Rasmus ...

) * 1989 – '' Nóttin Langa'' (Geisli) * 1990 – ''Fingraför'' (

) * 1990 – ''Sögur af Landi'' (

) * 1991 – ''Ég er'' (

) * 1992 – ''Von'' (

) * 1993 – ''Lífið er Ljúft'' ( Skífan) * 1994 – ''3 Heimar'' ( Skífan) * 1995 – ''Í Skugga Morthens'' ( Skífan) * 1996 – ''Allar Áttir'' ( Skífan) * 1996 – ''Hvíta Hliðin á Svörtu'' (Mál & Menning) * 1997 – ''Trúir Þú á Engla'' ( Skífan) * 1998 – ''Arfur'' ( Skífan) * 1999 – '' Sögur 1980–1990'' (Íslenskir Tónar), compilation release * 2000 – ''Bellman'' ( Skífan) * 2000 – ''Sögur 1990–2000'' (Íslenskir Tónar), compilation release * 2001 – ''Nýbúinn'' ( Skífan) * 2002 – ''Sól að Morgni'' ( Skífan) * 2003 – ''1000 Kossa Nótt'' ( Skífan) * 2004 – ''Blindsker'' ( Skífan), Soundtrack * 2004 – ''Tvíburinn'' ( Skífan) * 2005 – ''Ást'' ( Skífan) * 2005 – ''Í 6 Skrefa Fjarlægð frá Paradís'' ( Skífan) * 2005 – ''Gleðileg Jól'' ( Tolli/

Bónus Bónus () is an Icelandic no-frills supermarket chain owned by Hagar. Bónus operates 31 stores in Iceland and seven in the Faroe Islands. It follows the no-frills format of limited hours, simple shelves and having a giant fridge instead of chi ...

) * 2006 – ''Bláir'' (Íslenskir Tónar) * 2006 – ''Lögin Mín'' (Sena) * 2006 – ''06.06.06'' (Sena) * 2007 – ''Góð Verk 07'' (Stafræn útgáfa fyrir iPod) (Sena/

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

), compilation release * 2008 – ''Fjórir Naglar'' (Sena/Blindsker) * 2008 – ''Bubbi og Stórsveit Reykjavíkur'' (Sena/Blindsker) * 2010 – ''Sögur Af Ást, Landi og Þjóð 1980–2010'' (Sena), compilation release, 3XCD+DVD * 2011 – ''Ég Trúi Á Þig'' (Sena) * 2012 – ''Þorpið'' (Sena) * 2013 – ''Stormurinn'' (Sena) * 2013 – ''Æsku minnar jól'' (Sena) * 2015 – ''18 konur'' (Tónlist.is) with Spaðadrottningarnar * 2015 – ''Bubbi & Dimma'' (Prime Umboðsskrifstofa) with

Dimma Dimma may refer to: *Dimma (woreda), a woreda in the Gambela Region of Ethiopia *Book of Dimma The Book of Dimma (Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity College, MS.A.IV.23) is an 8th-century Irish art, Irish pocket Gospel Book originally fro ...

, live album * 2016 – ''Minnismerki'' (Prime Umboðsskrifstofa) with

, live album * 2017 – ''Tungumál'' (Prime Umboðsskrifstofa) * 2019 – ''Regnbogans Stræti'' * 2021 – ''Sjálfsmynd''

Solo EPs

* 1988 – ''56'' ( Gramm) * 1989 – ''Hver er Næstur?'' (Geisli) * 1999 – ''Mér Líkar Það'' (Íslenskir Tónar)

Solo singles

* 1988 – "Moon in the Gutter" (Mistlur); taken from the Mistlur LP ''Serbian Flower'' * 2004 – "Nei Nei Nei – Tjáningarfrelsi" ( Skífan) * 2005 – "Þú" ( Skífan); taken from ''Ást''; only released on the internet * 2005 – "Ástin Getur Aldrei Orðið Gömul Frétt", Taken from ''Í 6 Skrefa Fjarlægð Frá Paradís'' ( Skífan); only released on the internet * 2006 – "Grafir Og Bein" (Sena), Taken from ''Lögin Mín''; only released on the internet * 2007 – "Ísbjarnarblús" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2008 – "Ég Er Kominn Heim" with Björn Jr. Friðbjörnsson, (Sena); only released on the internet * 2010 – "Sól" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2011 – "Ísabella" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2011 – "Blik Þinna Augna" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2011 – "Háskaleikur" (Sena); only released on the internet * 2012 – "Þorpið" with

Mugison Örn Elías Guðmundsson, known professionally as Mugison (born 4 September 1976), is an Icelandic musician. Early life In 1977, Guðmundsson and his family moved from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður. In 1982, his family moved from Iceland to C ...

(Sena); only released on the internet * 2013 – "Brosandi börn" * 2013 – "Allt var það krónunni að kenna" * 2013 – "Trúðu á ljósið" * 2013 – "Hátíð í bæ" * 2014 – "Ég fyrirgef þér allt"

Related bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morthens, Bubbi 1956 births Living people

Bubbi Morthens 260 px, Bubbi Morthens, Laugardalsvöllur, Iceland (2007) Bubbi Morthens (full name ''Ásbjörn Kristinsson Morthens''; born 6 June 1956) is an Icelandic-Danish-Norwegian singer and songwriter. Aside from a lengthy solo career, he has been a me ...