Europe is a Swedish
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band formed in
Upplands Väsby
Upplands Väsby () is a locality and the seat of Upplands Väsby Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 149,463 inhabitants in 2020.
History
The municipality has a long history with clear traces of settlements from the pre-Christian times ...
in 1979,
by frontman
Joey Tempest
Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson (born 19 August 1963), known professionally as Joey Tempest, is a Swedish singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Europe. He has written the band's great hits such as " The Final Countdown", " Rock the ...
, guitarist
John Norum
John Norum (born 23 February 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist.
Biography
As an infant, Norum moved with his p ...
, bassist Peter Olsson, and drummer
Tony Reno
Tony Niemistö (born 10 February 1963 in Danderyd, Stockholm County) is a semi-retired Swedish musician, best known as Tony Reno, the original drummer in the rock band Europe He played on Europe's first two albums, ''Europe'' and ''Wings of Tomo ...
. They obtained a major breakthrough in Sweden in 1982 by winning the televised competition "''Rock-SM''" (Swedish Rock Championships): it was the first time this competition was held, and Europe became a larger success than the competition itself.
Since their formation, Europe has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, three compilations and twenty-four music videos. Europe's current lineup comprises Tempest, Norum, bassist
John Levén
John Gunnar Levén (born 25 October 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish bassist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Levén and vocalist Joey Tempest are the only band members who have performed on all of Europe's studio albums.
Career
When Lev ...
, keyboardist
Mic Michaeli
Gunnar Mathias "Mic" Michaeli (born 11 November 1962) is a Swedish musician best known as the keyboardist for the rock band Europe. Like many of the other Europe members he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby. He joined the band for thei ...
, and drummer
Ian Haugland
Jan-Håkan "Ian" Haugland (born 13 August 1964) is the drummer in the Swedish rock band Europe. When he was eight months old, he and his family moved to the Stockholm suburb of Märsta, Sweden. He joined Europe in the summer of 1984, replacing ...
.
Europe rose to international fame in the 1980s with their third album, 1986's ''
The Final Countdown''. Europe has sold 10 million albums worldwide.
The band has had two top 20 albums on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart (''The Final Countdown'' and ''
Out of This World'')
and three top 30 singles on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart ("
The Final Countdown", "
Rock the Night" and "
Carrie", which reached number 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100).
Europe went on hiatus in 1992, reunited temporarily for a one-off performance in
Stockholm on New Year's Eve 1999 and announced an official reunion in 2003. Since then the band has released six albums, ''
Start from the Dark
''Start from the Dark'' is the sixth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 22 September 2004 by Sanctuary Records. It was the band's first release since reforming in 2003, the first original album of all-new material s ...
'' (2004), ''
Secret Society'' (2006), ''
Last Look at Eden
A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by Shoemaking, shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cas ...
'' (2009), ''
Bag of Bones
''Bag of Bones'' is a 1998 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife. It won the 1999 Bram Stoker Awar ...
'' (2012), ''
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six-issue limited series was published between March '' (2015) and ''
Walk the Earth
''Walk the Earth'' is the eleventh studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 20 October 2017. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Background
The album was recorded in Abbey Ro ...
'' (2017).
Europe gained new attention in the US after being featured in a
GEICO cable television commercial campaign during 2015–2016.
The band is mainly influenced by
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own en ...
,
Deep Purple,
Rainbow
A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or som ...
,
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
and
Michael Schenker Group
The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Sche ...
.
History
''Europe'' and ''Wings of Tomorrow'' (1979–1984)
The first incarnation of the band was named ''Force'' and came together in 1979, in
Upplands Väsby
Upplands Väsby () is a locality and the seat of Upplands Väsby Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 149,463 inhabitants in 2020.
History
The municipality has a long history with clear traces of settlements from the pre-Christian times ...
,
Stockholm, and was integrated by vocalist
Joey Tempest
Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson (born 19 August 1963), known professionally as Joey Tempest, is a Swedish singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Europe. He has written the band's great hits such as " The Final Countdown", " Rock the ...
, guitarist
John Norum
John Norum (born 23 February 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist.
Biography
As an infant, Norum moved with his p ...
, bass guitarist Peter Olsson, and drummer
Tony Reno
Tony Niemistö (born 10 February 1963 in Danderyd, Stockholm County) is a semi-retired Swedish musician, best known as Tony Reno, the original drummer in the rock band Europe He played on Europe's first two albums, ''Europe'' and ''Wings of Tomo ...
.
"I remember when we started the band Force we were playing covers in the rehearsal room, because we just wanted to learn our instruments, like all bands," Tempest said, "Then one day I said maybe we should do our own stuff. Nobody had any ideas, so I brought mine into the rehearsal room, and that is when we started writing our own stuff."
The band sent several
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
s to
record companies
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
, but were told that in order to be published they had to cut their hair and sing in Swedish. Two years later, Olsson left the band and was replaced by
John Levén
John Gunnar Levén (born 25 October 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish bassist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Levén and vocalist Joey Tempest are the only band members who have performed on all of Europe's studio albums.
Career
When Lev ...
.
Just a couple of months later, Levén joined
Yngwie Malmsteen's band Rising Force, and Malmsteen's former bassist,
Marcel Jacob
Marcel Karl Jacob (30 January 1964 – 21 July 2009), professionally known as Marcel Jacob, was a Swedish musician, best known as the founder, chief songwriter, and bassist of the hard rock band Talisman. For a brief period, he also played in th ...
, joined Force. This only lasted for three months, though; Levén apparently had issues with Malmsteen, so he and Jacob traded places again.
![Joey Tempest by Enrico Dal Boni](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Joey_Tempest_by_Enrico_Dal_Boni.jpg)
In 1982, Tempest's girlfriend entered Force in the Swedish rock talent contest ''Rock-SM''. Competing against 4000 bands, they won the contest thanks to two songs, "In the Future to Come" and "The King Will Return". The reward was a record deal with ''Hot Records''. Tempest won the individual award for ''Best Lead Singer'', and Norum won the award for ''Best Guitarist''.
Just before the contest, Force changed their name to Europe. Tempest got the name from the ''
Made in Europe
''Made in Europe'' is a live album released by Deep Purple, recorded on the final dates in April 1975 before Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple. It was released in October 1976, after the group had broken up.
Recording
''Made in Europe'' feat ...
'' album by Deep Purple.
The
self-titled debut album was released the following year, and sold well both in Sweden and Japan. The album charted at number 8 in the band's home country and the single "
Seven Doors Hotel" became a Top 10 hit in Japan.
The second album ''
Wings of Tomorrow
''Wings of Tomorrow'' is the second studio album by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was released on 24 February 1984, by Hot Records. ''Wings of Tomorrow'' is the last album to feature drummer Tony Reno.
The song "Scream of Anger" w ...
'' was released one year later. The album got interest from
CBS Records CBS Records may refer to:
* CBS Records or CBS/Sony, former name of Sony Music, a global record company
* CBS Records International, label for Columbia Records recordings released outside North America from 1962 to 1990
* CBS Records (2006), founde ...
who offered them an international contract in 1985.
"I think one of the most important albums for the band was ''Wings of Tomorrow''," Tempest said, "We were learning how to write songs and John started playing some really cool stuff on the guitar. We became a better band and that was a good period for the band."
Keyboardist
Mic Michaeli
Gunnar Mathias "Mic" Michaeli (born 11 November 1962) is a Swedish musician best known as the keyboardist for the rock band Europe. Like many of the other Europe members he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby. He joined the band for thei ...
was soon recruited to play in live concerts, and became an official member of the band shortly after.
At the same time, Tony Reno was fired because of his lack of motivation and alleged slacking off on rehearsals. Bassist Peter Olsson also claims that Reno was replaced on the albums by a drum machine. His replacement was
Ian Haugland
Jan-Håkan "Ian" Haugland (born 13 August 1964) is the drummer in the Swedish rock band Europe. When he was eight months old, he and his family moved to the Stockholm suburb of Märsta, Sweden. He joined Europe in the summer of 1984, replacing ...
.
''The Final Countdown'' (1985–1987)
In 1985 Europe recorded the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
for the film ''
On the Loose'', which gave them the hit "
Rock the Night".
Several months later Joey Tempest was asked to write a song for the charity project ''
Swedish Metal Aid''. He wrote "Give a Helping Hand", which would feature the biggest stars of Swedish rock and metal. The income from the sales of the single, which was produced by
Easy Action guitarist
Kee Marcello
Kee Marcello (born Kjell Hilding Lövbom, 20 February 1960 in Ludvika, Sweden) is a Swedish guitarist/vocalist, best known as the former guitarist in the hard rock bands Europe and Easy Action. He is currently pursuing his solo career.
Caree ...
, was donated to the starving people of Ethiopia.
In September 1985, Europe was approached by an executive from Epic Records. They helped Europe start the recording of its next album with
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
producer Kevin Elson. The result was ''
The Final Countdown''. Released on 26 May 1986, the album gave the band its international breakthrough, was certified Triple Platinum in the USA
and reached number 8 on the
Billboard 200 chart
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
.
The
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
, which was based on a keyboard riff composed by Tempest as early as 1981-82,
was released as the first single and became a worldwide success, peaking at number 1 in 25 countries,
such as the UK,
France,
Spain, and Germany.
The hit "
Rock the Night" was in the top 10 charts in European countries. The power ballad "
Carrie" peaked at number 3 on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
" was the other single released.
Not satisfied with the album's keyboard-dominated production nor the band's commercialized image, John Norum decided to leave Europe in November 1986 to pursue a solo career.
"I didn't really like the direction the band was going in," Norum said, "We became this teeny-bopper, bubblegum band and I hated that whole image, the spandex, poodle-rock type of thing. I was more into the heavier, guitar-oriented stuff and it seemed like the keyboards were taking over more and more, and we were becoming more commercial. So I decided to leave. I just wanted to move on and do something else."
Kee Marcello was asked to replace him, and after some consideration, he decided to join the band.
Marcello joined the band at its commercial peak, no less than three singles from ''
The Final Countdown'' reaching the US Top 30.
The following year included successful tours through Europe and the USA.
''Out of This World'' and ''Prisoners in Paradise'' (1988–1992)
The follow-up to ''The Final Countdown'' was entitled ''
Out of This World'' and was released in 1988. The biggest hit from the album was "
Superstitious" which peaked at number 31 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 9 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. "Superstitious" would be the last Europe song to chart in the USA.
The album was certified platinum in the States and peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart.
More touring followed, including an American tour with
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...
and a festival gig at the
National Bowl
The National Bowl (originally the Milton Keynes Bowl) is an entertainment venue located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The site was a former clay pit (for brick-making), filled in and raised to form an amphitheatre using sub-soil ex ...
in
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
, England with
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...
,
Skid Row
A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people " on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...
and
Vixen
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
.
![Europe hamburg1994](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Europe_hamburg1994.jpg)
In September 1989, Europe did a gig at the
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boule ...
club in
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...
, under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
''Le Baron Boys''.
That name would later be used as a title for a much-circulated Europe
bootleg
Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to:
* Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially
* Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence:
** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...
, which contained demo recordings from 1989-90. Two years later, the album ''
Prisoners in Paradise
''Prisoners in Paradise'' is the fifth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 23 September 1991 by Epic Records and spawned hits such as the title track, "Prisoners in Paradise" and "I'll Cry for You". The album did ...
'' was released, but received limited media attention due to the "boom" of the
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
movement, started by
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
,
Soundgarden
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...
,
Alice In Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...
and
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
. Although the sales were low compared to previous albums, the single "
I'll Cry for You
"I'll Cry for You" is a 1991 single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was the second single from the band's album ''Prisoners in Paradise'', and charted at number 28 in the United Kingdom. The song was co-written by Europe voca ...
" managed to hit number 28 on the UK charts.
On
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
1991, Europe kicked off a new tour with a show at the
Tokyo Dome
is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
, in which
Tesla,
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
and
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
also performed. The show was called "Final Countdown '91".
After ten years of living, recording, and touring together, Europe decided to take a break at the end of the 1992 tour.
"I remember in the tour bus afterwards we were talking about where the whole thing was going and I think at the time the consensus of the band was we really felt ready for a break," Tempest said, "We felt that it was time to put some roots down and I was really into the idea of making my own solo album."
In that time, Tempest, Norum and Marcello released solo albums whilst the other members participated in several different projects and bands. In return, Europe was dropped from
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
.
Reunion and ''Start from the Dark'' (2003–2005)
The band members started to discuss the possibility of a Europe reunion in 1998.
"Mic and Ian came over to see me in Ireland," Tempest said, "Then whilst we were there, John Norum called from LA, and we were like 'Yes, maybe now is the right time to get things started again'."
For the 2000 millennium celebrations, Europe was asked to do a concert in Stockholm on New Year's Eve 1999. That would be Europe's first and, to date, only concert with both of their lead guitarists, since both John Norum and Kee Marcello had accepted the offer to play that evening with the rest of the group. They played "Rock the Night" and "The Final Countdown".
![John Norum by Enrico Dal Boni](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/John_Norum_by_Enrico_Dal_Boni.jpg)
Over the years, there were several reunion rumors, and on 2 October 2003 it was made official: Europe announced plans for a new album and world tour.
The band then switched back to ''The Final Countdown'' line-up, with John Norum as the only lead guitarist.
"There was no doubt that we wanted John back, and John wanted to get back," Tempest said, "For me it was important to get that spark going again that we had before."
Kee Marcello claimed that he was too busy with his own projects. "I told them I didn't want to participate in a
ewstudio album because musically, I want to go in a different kind of direction than the music Europe stands for," Marcello said, "Then we talked for a while about doing a six-piece tour – it didn't turn out that way because of different reasons."
The songwriting for a new album, ''
Start from the Dark
''Start from the Dark'' is the sixth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 22 September 2004 by Sanctuary Records. It was the band's first release since reforming in 2003, the first original album of all-new material s ...
'', began early in 2003.
"It was just a matter of moving forward and writing songs for the new album," Tempest said, "That was always our intention. We thought that if we were gonna make a comeback, we wanted to do it properly, and that meant we wanted to write and record some new songs, a new album."
For the recording of ''Start from the Dark'', the band decided to work with producer Kevin Elson, who had also produced ''The Final Countdown''.
"We could either go with a younger producer, or we could go with someone that we knew, someone experienced who is on the same wavelength as the band," Tempest said, "So in the end we decided that Kevin would be the perfect choice."
In the summer of 2004, Europe went on a festival tour through the European continent.
The concert setlists included the old hits, but also introduced the title track from ''Start from the Dark''.
The album was released on 22 September 2004, the same day that John Norum became a father. ''Start from the Dark'' featured a more modern sound compared to Europe's previous albums. "We wanted to be doing something at least that was a little bit relevant now; bit of a dry mix, detuned a bit," Tempest said, "So we felt like we didn't want to do an 1980s album per se, we just wanted to start like a fresh band really."
Eventually, the album sold in excess of 600,000 copies worldwide.
''Secret Society'' and ''Last Look at Eden'' (2006–2010)
Europe released its seventh album, ''
Secret Society'' on 26 October 2006. "We think it's one of the strongest albums that Europe has ever done," Tempest said, "There is definitely some more melodic stuff on this one. ''Start from the Dark'' was very raw and made a statement, which is cool but for us it felt like a debut album in a way, so we wanted to branch out a bit on this one and take it to new levels."
On 26 January 2008, Europe did a semi-acoustic live concert at Nalen in Stockholm, calling the event ''
Almost Unplugged
''Almost Unplugged'' is a live album by the Swedish hard rock band Europe. It was released on CD on 17 September 2008 and on DVD on 19 August 2009.
The album was recorded at Nalen, a venue in Stockholm on 26 January 2008. The band was accompani ...
''. The band was accompanied by a string quartet and played reworked versions of its own songs, as well as cover versions of songs by bands that have influenced Europe's sound throughout the years –
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
,
UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
and
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or som ...
. The show was broadcast live over the Internet on Europe's official website.
It was released on CD on 17 September 2008
and on DVD on 19 August 2009.
On 23 July 2008, Europe did a co-headlining concert with
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own en ...
in
Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
, Italy. During Whitesnake's performance of their encore "
Still of the Night", Joey Tempest joined
David Coverdale
David Coverdale (born 22 September 1951) is an English singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of Whitesnake, a hard rock band he founded in 1978. Before Whitesnake, Coverdale was the lead singer of Deep Purple from 1973 to 1976, after wh ...
on stage for the last chorus.
In August 2008 Europe was the opening act for
Deep Purple for two concerts in Sweden, in
Linköping
Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...
on 8 August and
Ystad
Ystad (; older da, Ysted) is a town and the seat of Ystad Municipality, in Scania County, Sweden. Ystad had 18,350 inhabitants in 2010. The settlement dates from the 11th century and has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre, a ...
on 9 August.
John Norum joined Deep Purple on stage in Ystad for a performance of "
Smoke on the Water
"Smoke on the Water" is a song by English rock band Deep Purple, first released from the band's sixth studio album ''Machine Head'' (1972), which chronicles the 1971 fire at Montreux Casino.
In a 2004 publication by ''Rolling Stone'' magaz ...
".
On 21 July 2009, bass guitarist and former member of Force, Marcel Jacob, committed suicide. He was 45 years old.
![Europe in Sofia - 11](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Europe_in_Sofia_-_11.jpg)
Europe's eighth studio album, ''
Last Look at Eden
A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by Shoemaking, shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cas ...
'', was released on 9 September 2009.
The
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
was released as a single in June.
The band has described it as a modern retro rock album.
"This time, we're taking some new directions with our songs, and we're exploring different styles," they stated, "There is a definite classic rock vibe on some of the tracks... a tip of the hat to groovin', funkin' 1970s rock songs - but ones we have bought into the here and now."
The second single, "
New Love in Town
"New Love in Town" is a hard rock ballad, that was the second single released from the Swedish heavy metal band Europe's eighth studio album, ''Last Look at Eden''. The single was released as a digital download on 3 September 2009. It was writ ...
", was released as a digital download on 3 September 2009.
''Bag of Bones'' and ''War of Kings'' (2011–2016)
On 6 August 2011, Europe headlined the closing ceremonies of the
22nd World Scout Jamboree
The 22nd World Scout Jamboree (Swedish: ''22:a världsjamboreen'') took place in Rinkaby, Kristianstad, Scania in southern Sweden from 27 July to 7 August 2011. The theme was ''Simply Scouting''. 40,061 Scouts, leaders and adult volunteers parti ...
in
Rinkaby
Rinkaby is a locality situated in Kristianstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 745 inhabitants in 2010. It is close to Lake Hammarsjön and 12 kilometres from Kristianstad. The village has a pre-school and primary school which is housed ...
, Sweden before an audience of 40,061 Scouts and Guides which included King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973.
He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, D ...
and
Queen Silvia of Sweden
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...
.
On 12 July 2011, Europe confirmed that
Kevin Shirley
Kevin Shirley (born 29 June 1960), also known as The Caveman, is a South African music producer, engineer and mixer for many artists,Spencer et al, (2007Shirley, Kevinentry. Retrieved 4 February 2010. such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, ...
would produce their ninth studio album. The recording sessions started on 3 October 2011.
On 24 January 2012 the band announced the album title, ''
Bag of Bones
''Bag of Bones'' is a 1998 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife. It won the 1999 Bram Stoker Awar ...
''.
The album was released on 18 April 2012 in Japan by
Victor Entertainment
, also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ent ...
and on 25 April in Sweden by Gain Music Entertainment.
"Bag of Bones" debuted at number 2 on the Swedish album chart on 4 May 2012
2and was certified Gold in Sweden on 12 July 2012.
2
The band played at the
Sweden Rock Festival in 2013, with their performance recorded for a 30th anniversary double CD, DVD and
Blu-ray Disc
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...
, which was released in October 2013.
In 2014, Europe celebrated the 30th anniversary of
their second studio album "Wings Of Tomorrow". They performed the entire "Wings Of Tomorrow" album on several shows.
Europe's tenth studio album, ''
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six-issue limited series was published between March '' was released on 2 March 2015 by UDR Records.
It was produced by Dave Cobb, producer for bands such as
Rival Sons
Rival Sons is an American rock band formed in Long Beach, California, in 2009. The band consists of Jay Buchanan (lead vocals), Scott Holiday (guitar), Dave Beste (bass guitar) and Michael Miley (drums). They are joined by keyboard player To ...
.
This was followed in March 2015 by a 14-date tour of the UK co-headlining with
Black Star Riders
Black Star Riders is a hard rock band formed in December 2012. The band began when members of the most recent line-up of Thin Lizzy decided to record new material, but chose not to release it under the Thin Lizzy name. While Thin Lizzy continues ...
, supported by
The Amorettes
The Amorettes were a hard rock band formed in Scotland in 2009. They performed in support of Black Star Riders, Europe, W.A.S.P., Ash, The Dead Daisies, Black Stone Cherry, Gun and Thunder among others, and toured across the UK, and performed ...
.
Europe participated in a major cable television
GEICO advertising campaign which started airing September 2015 in the US; in a television commercial, they are featured singing "The Final Countdown" to the background of an office break room, as a microwave oven cooks a burrito.
Europe released the War Of Kings Special Edition together with Live Performance From Wacken Open Air Festival which was performed on 29 July 2015. The digital version was released on 27 November 2015 by UDR Records and the Blu-ray & DVD version released in early 2016.
In November 2016, Europe announced the 30th Final Countdown Anniversary Tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their top selling album "The Final Countdown". In this tour, they performed the entire "The Final Countdown" album and the entire "War Of Kings" album in every concert. They also filmed the concert performed in Roundhouse, London on 12 November 2016 and released it on 21 July 2017 via Blu-ray, DVD & iTunes Digital Download.
''Walk the Earth'' (2017–present)
In mid-2017, Europe announced their eleventh studio album, titled ''
Walk the Earth
''Walk the Earth'' is the eleventh studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 20 October 2017. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Background
The album was recorded in Abbey Ro ...
''. The album was released on 20 October via CD with bonus DVD and digital download.
Band members
Current members
*
Joey Tempest
Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson (born 19 August 1963), known professionally as Joey Tempest, is a Swedish singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Europe. He has written the band's great hits such as " The Final Countdown", " Rock the ...
– lead vocals, occasional guitars, keyboards and piano
(1979–1992, 1999, 2003–present)
*
John Norum
John Norum (born 23 February 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist.
Biography
As an infant, Norum moved with his p ...
– guitars, backing vocals
(1979–1986, 1999, 2003–present)
*
John Levén
John Gunnar Levén (born 25 October 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish bassist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Levén and vocalist Joey Tempest are the only band members who have performed on all of Europe's studio albums.
Career
When Lev ...
– bass, backing vocals
(1981–1992, 1999, 2003–present)
*
Mic Michaeli
Gunnar Mathias "Mic" Michaeli (born 11 November 1962) is a Swedish musician best known as the keyboardist for the rock band Europe. Like many of the other Europe members he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby. He joined the band for thei ...
– keyboards, piano, keytar, backing vocals, occasional guitars
(1984–1992, 1999, 2003–present)
*
Ian Haugland
Jan-Håkan "Ian" Haugland (born 13 August 1964) is the drummer in the Swedish rock band Europe. When he was eight months old, he and his family moved to the Stockholm suburb of Märsta, Sweden. He joined Europe in the summer of 1984, replacing ...
– drums, percussion, snare drum, backing vocals
(1984–1992, 1999, 2003–present)
Former members
* Peter Olsson – bass, backing vocals
(1979–1981)
*
Tony Reno
Tony Niemistö (born 10 February 1963 in Danderyd, Stockholm County) is a semi-retired Swedish musician, best known as Tony Reno, the original drummer in the rock band Europe He played on Europe's first two albums, ''Europe'' and ''Wings of Tomo ...
– drums, percussion
(1979–1984)
*
Marcel Jacob
Marcel Karl Jacob (30 January 1964 – 21 July 2009), professionally known as Marcel Jacob, was a Swedish musician, best known as the founder, chief songwriter, and bassist of the hard rock band Talisman. For a brief period, he also played in th ...
– bass, backing vocals
(1981, died 2009)
*
Kee Marcello
Kee Marcello (born Kjell Hilding Lövbom, 20 February 1960 in Ludvika, Sweden) is a Swedish guitarist/vocalist, best known as the former guitarist in the hard rock bands Europe and Easy Action. He is currently pursuing his solo career.
Caree ...
– guitars, backing vocals
(1986–1992, 1999)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
'' (1983)
* ''
Wings of Tomorrow
''Wings of Tomorrow'' is the second studio album by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was released on 24 February 1984, by Hot Records. ''Wings of Tomorrow'' is the last album to feature drummer Tony Reno.
The song "Scream of Anger" w ...
'' (1984)
* ''
The Final Countdown'' (1986)
* ''
Out of This World'' (1988)
* ''
Prisoners in Paradise
''Prisoners in Paradise'' is the fifth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 23 September 1991 by Epic Records and spawned hits such as the title track, "Prisoners in Paradise" and "I'll Cry for You". The album did ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Start from the Dark
''Start from the Dark'' is the sixth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 22 September 2004 by Sanctuary Records. It was the band's first release since reforming in 2003, the first original album of all-new material s ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Secret Society'' (2006)
* ''
Last Look at Eden
A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by Shoemaking, shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cas ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Bag of Bones
''Bag of Bones'' is a 1998 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife. It won the 1999 Bram Stoker Awar ...
'' (2012)
* ''
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six-issue limited series was published between March '' (2015)
* ''
Walk the Earth
''Walk the Earth'' is the eleventh studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 20 October 2017. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Background
The album was recorded in Abbey Ro ...
'' (2017)
Accolades
Awards and nominations
Other honors
See also
*
List of glam metal bands and artists
The following list of glam metal bands and artists includes bands and artists that have been described as glam metal or its interchangeable terms, hair metal, hair bands, pop metal and lite metal by professional journalists at some stage in thei ...
*
Culture of Europe
The culture of Europe is rooted in its art, architecture, film, different types of music, economics, literature, and philosophy. European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage".
Definition
T ...
References
External links
*
Europe's official YouTube page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Europe
1979 establishments in Sweden
Swedish blues rock musical groups
English-language singers from Sweden
Musical groups established in 1979
Musical groups disestablished in 1992
Musical groups reestablished in 2003
Musical quintets
Swedish glam metal musical groups
Swedish glam rock musical groups
Swedish hard rock musical groups
Swedish progressive metal musical groups