Oriental Sunshine - Dedicated To The Bird We Love (1970) (2006)

ORIENTAL SUNSHINE was a late 60's trio from Bergen, Norway, inspired by acid folk and Indian music. They started out as a duo, consisting of Nina JOHANSEN (vocals, guitar) and Rune WALLE (vocals, guitar, sitar), who met at Manger Folk High School in 1968, and quickly found a common interest in British and American folk music inspired rock, amongst others, THE BEATLES, THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND, FAIRPORT CONVENTION, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, Joan BAEZ and Joni MITCHELL, as well as the music of Ravi SHANKAR, and Eastern religions and philosophies.

WALLE and JOHANSEN performed at the school, and later, after graduating, at several clubs in Bergen, before meeting an Indian by the name of Satnam SINGH, at Arts and Crafts School in 1969. He would join the band shortly thereafter (on flute, tablas, sarod and vocals), and so the trio was complete.

JOHANSEN composed most of their material, but it was with a song penned by Hans Jørgen HØINÆS (MOON SPINNERS) the band got their breakthrough. In late 1969 the band entered Talent 69, a talent competition organized by the NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), which they won, with the song "Mother Nature". This resulted in a record deal with Phillips, and the release of two singles, "Mother Nature / Visions" and "Across Your Life / Unless", just before Christmas that year.

In 1970 the trio was joined in studio by Helge GRØSLIE (organ), Espen RUD (drums, percussion), later members of JUNIPHER GREENE / TITANIC and MOOSE LOOSE respectively, and Sture JANSON (bass) to record their only album, "Dedicated to the Bird We Love". The album got noticed outside of Norway, amongst others it was featured in the American music trade publication Billboard. The two original LP releases of the album, from Philips and Fontana, are now considered collectors' items, but it was re-released on CD and vinyl by Pan Records (Norway) in 1991, and Sunbeam Records (UK) in 2006.

Before the album was released however, the band had split up. WALLE moved on to form the country/folk/psychedelic rock band HOLE IN THE WALL, and was later a member of the Norwegian prog rock band SAFT, country rockers FLYING NORWEGIANS (founding member) and the American country rock band THE OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS. JOHANSEN quit the music business and moved back home to Skien to become a teacher, while SINGH did not get a permanent residency in Norway. He moved to Denmark and became a lawyer.

Their music features dreamy expanses of melancholy with quietly introspective female vocals, buzzing sitars and tabla percussions. In the realms of world jazz and psychedelic effervescence. A peaceful and mysteriously intense experience. Another interesting Norwegian release from the 70's. progarchives.com