The Hounds discography

The Hounds discography
The Hounds in 1968
Studio albums2
Compilation albums2
Singles10
B-sides10

The Hounds were a Swedish pop rock band from Stockholm formed in 1965 by vocalist Jan Ahlén, rhythm guitarist Henrik Salander, lead guitarist Lasse Wallander, bass guitarist Jan Bråthe and drummer Janne Önnerud.[1][2] During the band's original tenure between 1965 and 1968, they released two studio albums, two extended plays and ten singles in Sweden.[1] Between November 1966 and April 1968, the Hounds were considered one of the most popular bands in Sweden,[3] with six of their singles reaching the top-10 of national record chart Tio i Topp.[4][5] Their 1967 cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" reached number one on both Tio i Topp and sales chart Kvällstoppen for most of that summer, and has such been labelled the Swedish summer hit of that year.[6][7] Their two studio albums, The Lion Sleeps Tonight and From the Hounds with Love (both 1967) featured "topical songs" such as The Times They Are a-Changin'" or freakbeat in "Hi Ho Silver Lining",[8] the former of which was a charting album in Finland.[9] By the summer of 1968, the members raised speculation about dissolving the band,[10] and they performed their final gig in September 1968 after which they pursued separate personal interests.[11][12]

Being a fledling and unexperienced pop band, the Hounds started their career by recording cover versions of contemporary pop songs which were released on a string of low-budget compilation extended plays.[1] These covers included "Till the End of the Day" (the Kinks) and "Sloop John B" (the Beach Boys).[1] The group were signed to Telefunken for their debut single "Very Last Day",[13] which was their first recording to receive any attention.[2] After recording an experimental EP against their will for the Jet label,[2][2] the Hounds signed with Sonet sub-label Gazell, who released nine singles by the band alongside their two studio albums.[4] The Hounds final Gazell single was recorded and released in 1972 after a brief reunion.[1] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, tracks by the group appeared on several compilation albums of music by Swedish pop artists,[14] before their work were collected on the compilations Hounds by Sonet in 1991, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight: The Best of the Hounds by Universal Music in 2003.[15][16]

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums with selected chart positions
Year Title Album details Peak chart positions
Swedish release[A] FIN

[9]

1967 The Lion Sleeps Tonight
  • Released: 7 April 1967[18]
  • Label: Gazell (GMG-1207)
7
From the Hounds with Love
  • Released: 4 December 1967[19]
  • Label: Gazel (GMG-1209)
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Notes

  1. ^ Neither of the Hounds two studio albums charted as Kvällstoppen was largely aimed at single releases during the mid-1960s.[17]

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums
Year Title Album details
1991 Hounds
2002 The Lion Sleeps Tonight: The Best of the Hounds[A]

Notes

  1. ^ Contains different tracklisting to their studio album of the same name.[20]
  2. ^ Released as part of the Universal Music re-issue series Pop of the 60s, which also included compilation albums by the Lee Kings and the Deejays.

EPs

List of Swedish EPs with selected chart positions
Year Title EP details Peak chart positions
SWE (Kvällstoppen)[21]
1966 Now!
  • Released: 17 June 1966[22]
  • Label: Jet (EP 01)
Exodus 11[A]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Notes

  1. ^ The EP's lead single "Exodus" reached number 11 on Kvällstoppen.[21]

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
Year Single details Peak chart positions Album or EP
SWE

(Kvällstoppen)
[24]

SWE (Tio i Topp)
[4]
FIN
[9]
DEN
[25]
1966 "Very Last Day"
b/w "The Same Again"
x x non-album single
"Exodus"
b/w "Sloop John B"
  • Released: 14 July 1966 (SE)[26]
  • Label: Gazell (C-185)
x x non-album single[A]
"Exodus"
b/w "A Car, A Boat, A House, A Girl Like You"
  • Released: 6 October 1966 (SE)[26]
  • Label: Gazell (C-189)
11 3 x x non-album single[B]
1967 "Sealed with a Kiss"
b/w "My World Fell Down" (from The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
  • Released: 24 March 1967 (SE)[27]
  • Label: Gazell (C-193)
4 2 x x The Lion Sleeps Tonight
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
b/w "I Like The Rhythm" (from The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
  • Released: 31 May 1967 (SE)[28]
  • Label: Gazell (C-199)
1 1 7 8
"A Summer Song"
b/w "Never Try to Catch the Sun" (from From the Hounds with Love)
  • Released: 23 August 1967 (SE)[29]
  • Label: Gazell (C-201)
18 6 x x non-album single[C]
"I'll Take You Where The Music's Playing"
b/w "The Office Girl" (from From the Hounds with Love)
  • Released: 5 November 1967 (SE)[30]
  • Label: Gazell (C-207)
19 4 x x From the Hounds with Love
1968
"The Gipsy Cried"
b/w "Old Man in New York" (from From the Hounds with Love)
  • Released: 7 January 1968 (SE)[31]
  • Label: Gazell (C-209)
17 4 x x
"Portrait of My Love"
b/w "Summertown"
  • Released: 21 March 1968 (SE)[32]
  • Label: Gazell (C-216)
x x non-album single
1972
"Dum-De-Da"
b/w "En värld av fantasi" (from From the Hounds with Love)
  • Released: 1972 (SE)[1]
  • Label: Gazell (C-263)
x x non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. "x" denotes single not released in that territory.

Notes

  1. ^ "Exodus" was later included on the album The Lion Sleeps Tonight.[1]
  2. ^ Both sides of the single were later included on the album The Lion Sleeps Tonight.[1]
  3. ^ Both sides of the single were later included on the album From the Hounds With Love.[5]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Olofsson 1995, p. 54.
  2. ^ a b c d Hultman 2002, p. 1.
  3. ^ Hagberg, Gunnar (20 October 2018). "Nu står pophjältarna på samma scen" [Now the Pop Heroes Stand on the Same Stage]. Norrköpings Tidningar (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Hallberg & Henningsson 2012, p. 370.
  5. ^ a b Sidén 1991, insert.
  6. ^ Henning, Annika (15 June 2008). "De kan ha gjort årets sommarplåga" [They May Have Made This Year's Summer Hit]. Expressen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  7. ^ Zazi, Elias (29 May 2018). "57 år av sommarplågor – vi har hela listan: Vilka minnen väcker de hos dig?" [57 Years of Summer Hits – we Have the Full List: What Memories do They Bring Back for You?]. Gefle Dagblad (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  8. ^ Eder, Bruce. "The Hounds Biography by Bruce Eder". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Nyman 2005.
  10. ^ Hultman 2002, p. 2.
  11. ^ Hallberg & Henningsson 2012, p. 181.
  12. ^ Jonsson, Lars (25 December 1968). "Sverige 1968". Bildjournalen (in Swedish). No. 52. p. 12. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2025 – via Blaskoteket.
  13. ^ a b "The Hounds - Very Last Day (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  14. ^ Olofsson 1995, pp. 230–232.
  15. ^ a b "Hounds" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  16. ^ a b "The lion sleeps tonight : best of the Hounds / The Hounds" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  17. ^ Hallberg 1993, p. 12.
  18. ^ Anon. (11 April 1967). "Hounds LP-debuterar" [Hounds LP-debut]. Arbetet (in Swedish). p. 8. Retrieved 20 October 2025 – via National Library of Sweden.
  19. ^ Anon. (8 December 1967). "Poppen imponerar inte" [The Pop Does Not Impress]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 14. Retrieved 20 October 2025 – via National Library of Sweden.
  20. ^ Hultman 2003, Back cover.
  21. ^ a b Hallberg 1993, p. 176.
  22. ^ "The Hounds - Now!". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  23. ^ "Exodus / The Hounds" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  24. ^ Hallberg 1993, p. 252.
  25. ^ "The Hounds - Hitlisteplaceringar". Danske Hitlister (in Danish). Danmarks Radio. Archived from the original on 14 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  26. ^ a b "The Hounds - Exodus (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  27. ^ "The Hounds - Sealed with a Kiss (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  28. ^ "The Hounds - The Lion Sleeps Tonight (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  29. ^ "The Hounds - A Summer Song (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  30. ^ "The Hounds - I'll Take You Where The Music's Playing (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  31. ^ "The Hounds - The Gipsy Cried (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  32. ^ "The Hounds - Portrait of My Love (song)". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.

Sources

  • Hallberg, Eric (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P3 [Eric Hallberg Presents Kvällstoppen on P3] (1st ed.). Stockholm: Drift. ISBN 9-789-16-302-14-04. OCLC 186244613.
  • Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (2012). Tio i Topp - med de utslagna "på försök" 1961–74 [Tio I Topp With The Eliminated "On Try" 1961–1974] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Premium. ISBN 978-91-89136-89-2. OCLC 939611828.
  • Hultman, Robert (2003). The Lion Sleeps Tonight (CD) (in Swedish). Sweden: Universal. 018 337-2.
  • Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-31-2503-5.
  • Olofsson, Hans (1995). Stora Popboken - Svensk Rock & Pop 1954 - 1969 [The Big Pop Book - Swedish Rock & Pop 1954 - 1969] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Premium. ISBN 919-71-894-48. OCLC 940840927.
  • Sidén, Hans (1991). Spotlight (CD) (in Swedish). Sweden: Sonet. SPCD-56.