''Björk'' is the only studio album by

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

ic singer

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

as a child singer, released in December 1977 by

Fálkinn Fálkinn (, ) was an Icelandic record label. The label's only well known original release was Björk's 1977 eponymous juvenile album ''Björk''. The record led to national success and recognition for Björk, acting as the starting point for her ...

. In 1976, Björk appeared on Icelandic

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

singing " I Love to Love" through the music school she attended, which led her to a record deal and the release, with the help of stepfather Sævar, of her first solo album in 1977. The album is reputed to be

juvenilia Juvenilia are literary, musical or artistic works produced by authors during their youth. Written juvenilia, if published at all, usually appear as retrospective publications, some time after the author has become well known for later works. Bac ...

work and it is not included in the singer's official solo discography, hence the 1993 release '' Debut'' is widely considered to be Björk's first studio album.

Background

The songs were a mixture of covers translated into Icelandic, like

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

' "

The Fool on the Hill "The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album '' Magical Mystery Tour''. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe a s ...

" ('Álfur Út Úr Hól'),

Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American multi-instrumentalist, working as a vocalist along with playing keyboards, saxophone, and percussion. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group and their pop ...

's "Alta Mira",

Melanie Safka Melanie Anne Safka Schekeryk (February 3, 1947 – January 23, 2024), professionally known as Melanie or Melanie Safka, was an American singer-songwriter. Melanie is widely known for the 1971–72 global hit " Brand New Key", her 1970 version o ...

's "Christopher Robin" ('Bænin') and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

's song " Your Kiss Is Sweet" ('Búkolla'), but it also contained some songs written specifically for the album, like the song "Arabadrengurinn" ('The Arab Boy') written by stepfather Sævar, and one instrumental recorder-tribute to Icelandic painter Jóhannes Kjarval, written and performed by 11-year-old Björk. Björk was offered the chance to do a second album, but she turned it down. With the money she earned she bought herself a piano and started composing new songs of her own. The album was released in two formats, vinyl and cassette, in fairly limited edition (at least 7000 copies) and is rare outside of Iceland. It was recorded at Hljóðriti Studios in

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

. Hildur Hauksdóttir (Björk's mother) designed the cover and the photo was taken at a local Reykjavík studio.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic Joslyn Layne gave the album an overwhelmingly negative review, stating: "Novelty value can only carry an album so far, and even covers of Stevie Wonder's 'Your Kiss Is Sweet', sung in Icelandic, and the Beatles' 'The Fool on the Hill' will probably not be enough to keep you laughing, or interested for the duration."

Track listing

Releases

*Fálkinn FA – 006 – 12" Vinyl *Fálkinn FA – 006 – 4 – Cassette

References

External links

Artwork from LP & Cassette
* Björk albums 1977 debut albums Icelandic-language albums {{1970s-album-stub