The Hitmakers was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

rock group established in 1960 in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

with the initiative of Jørgen Wulff Krabbenhøft (vocalist and guitar) and Benny Qvotrup (drummer). By 1961, the band also included Steen Bergstrøm (guitar), Erik Grønfeldt Hansen (bass). The band was considered a pioneer in Danish rock based on the model of

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

and

The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...

and also the Liverpool sound exemplified by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

. The first official release by the band was a cover of The Beatles' "

I Saw Her Standing There "I Saw Her Standing There" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is the opening track on the band's 1963 debut UK album ''Please Please Me'' and their debut US album '' Introducing... The B ...

". Beyond Denmark, the band toured

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

gaining popularity there. They also recorded a cover of

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

's "

Long Tall Sally "Long Tall Sally", also known as "Long Tall Sally (The Thing)", is a rock and roll song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, and Little Richard. Richard recorded it for Specialty Records, which released it as a single in March ...

". In 1963, Benny Qvotrup quit being replaced by drummer Torben Orls Weinholt Sardorf and Erik Grønfeldt Hansen was replaced by bassist Bjarne Hørup Hørman de la Motte who used to play with The Cliffters. The Hitmakers' biggest Danish hit was "Stop the Music" in December 1965 with a performance on the entertainment program Klar i Studiet. Two decades later this single was still considered one of Danish popular music's "high spots from this time of transition." In 1967, the band shifted into music effected by

flower power Flower power was a slogan used during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and nonviolence. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsber ...

folk pop movement and changed its name to The Floor adding Mogens "Django" Petersen on guitar from the band The Cliffters. This new format was not as successful and the band folded in 1968.

Discography

Rate Yoru Music: The Hitmakers page
/ref>

Albums

*1967: ''The Hitmakers'' *1974: ''Pop før'' (The Hitmakers Recordings 1965-1967)

Singles

*1964: "Singing the Blues" / "Tricky Dicky" *1965: "Stop the Music" / "What You Gonna Do About It" *1966: "Træd an ved makronerne" / "Eksercerer" *1966: "

Last Train to Clarksville "Last Train to Clarksville" is a song by American pop rock band the Monkees. It was released as the band's debut single on August 16, 1966, and was later included on the group's self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966.''The Monk ...

" / "Mohair Sam" *1966: "Michelle" / "Who'll Be the Next in Line" *1967: "Where Were You When I Needed You" / "Feelin' Groovy"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hitmakers, The Danish rock music groups