#19 Svensk – Dream Magazine (1967)

Roger Hopkins and Jason Paul of Svensk, (very glamorously compared to most bands), met through Roger’s career as a fashion photographer and Jason’s role as an in-demand model. (I kid you not). Hopkins was also a music journalist, and became acquainted with many of the 1960s rock stars, which provided him with very useful musical and management contacts, and plenty of encouragement.  Formed in Bournemouth in 1967, as part of the town’s burgeoning underground music scene, Svensk, (meaning “Swedish” in Swedish. Erm…) wrote a clutch of songs, but got their big break when they played this song, Dream Magazine, to Hopkins’ long time friend, the legendary Roy Orbison, (I told you he had good contacts), who lined them up with record boss and Troggs creator, Larry Page, at Page One Records. He signed them immediately. The song was recorded within days. One other song followed in the same year with Page One, (You / All I have to Do is Dream), before they seemed to have called it a day. The song is a psychedelic cult classic, in the vein of The Troggs or early Pink Floyd.