The Ache Rock Band Official Website, Denmark

ACHE Summer 1970:
Seated from the left: Glenn Fischer (dr), Peter Mellin (kb/vc),
Finn Olafsson (gt/vc). Standing: Torsten Olafsson, (bs/vc).
Photo: Jan Persson

Welcome to Danish Rock Band ACHE's Official Homepage.

MARCO ROSSI, UK, on ACHE's "De Homine Urbano",
in the Esoteric Recordings' 2012 CD Booklet

ACHE's 1970 "De Homine Urbano" debut album explained by Marco Rossi, Esoteric Recordings, UK, 2012.

MARCO ROSSI, UK, on ACHE's "Green",
in the Esoteric Recordings' 2012 CD Booklet

ACHE's 1970 "Green Man" 2nd album explained by Marco Rossi, Esoteric Recordings, UK, 2012.

NEWS as of JUNE, 2023:

ACHE 1964-2022 PHOTO GALLERY NOW
DIVIDED into FOUR CHAPTERS

ACHE 1964-1976

ACHE, 1970

ACHE 1975-1981

ACHE, 1976

ACHE 1981-2019

FINN OLAFSSON's "Elements" 1981

ACHE 2019-2022

ACHE, May 2022

ACHE May 2022:
Anne Sabina Holse (v/pc), Torsten Olafsson (bs/v),
Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen (sound master), Jacob Smedegaard (tr/v),
Finn Olafsson (gt/v), August Ussing (lead v/kb) & Peter Mellin (kb/v)
Foto: Klaus Rudbæk

NEWS as of JULY, 2022:

July 10th, 2022:
Original ACHE HAMMOND organ player PETER MELLIN
celebrates his 75th birthday :-)

Congratulations, Peter Mellin!
Photo: Peter Mellin live on stage during ACHE's concert in Stubbekøbing at the "ONLY for CRAZIES" Festival there.
Photo by Mikkel Scharff.

Click here and link to new galleries with photos from ACHE's Spring 2022 concerts in Denmark as well as old historical ACHE photos all way back since the mid-1960s :-)

ACHE's Debut LP Album: "De Homine Urbano", 1969-70, featuring Peter Mellin, Finn Olafsson, Glenn Fischer,
- and Torsten Olafsson

"De Homine Urbano, 1970, 2012 Esoteric Recordings, UK, re-issue

In early 1969, ACHE's Glenn Fischer, Torsten Olafsson, Peter Mellin, and Finn Olafsson, co-composed/co-arranged/recorded the music for Danish Royal Ballet dancer Peter Schaufuss' first "beat ballet", now a.k.a. "the world's first ever genuine rock ballet", titled "DE HOMINE URBANO", or, in other words: "About Urban Man".
The ballet itself, though, when performed in early 1970 at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, its program title was given as "HOMO" ...

First released by PHILIPS in early 1970, in Denmark and France, the "De Homine Urbano" LP album was re-released internationally by PHILIPS in 1976.

Then, in the fall of 2000, Universal Music, Denmark, put out the world's first digitally remastered "De Homine Urbano/Little Things" LP album on CD.

The same digital version of that first, classical ACHE album wwas also included in Universal Music's 2010 multiple CDs box set "Dansk Rock Historie 1965-1978", on CD number 7 in Box number 2, the socalled "Violet Box".

In 2012, British Esoteric Recordings remastered and produced both "De Homine Urbano" and ACHE's second album "Green Man" on two separate CDs with each their own new printed cover art designs, closely echoing the original LP covers.

Come 2017, and 2018, respectively, Universal Music, Denmark, contributed with yet again new remastered vinyl reissues of both the "De Homine Urbano" and "Green Man" symphonic prog rock ACHE music albums.

And, in Spring, 2020, Japanese international vintage rock label "Belle Antique" c/o the Marquee Co. contributed with their own special Japanese language CD versions of both of these classical and historic ACHE symphonic prog rock albums.



"De Homine Urbano", ACHE's very first LP album, 1970
Belle Antique, Japan. Released on March 25, 2020.



"Green Man", ACHE's second LP vinyl album, 1971
Belle Antique, Japan. Released on March 25, 2020.

One quite recent Youtube listener has commented like this:

By Powerplant Planet Universe, around 2018, un-edited quotation:

"One of the best records of the seventies...scandinavian progressive classic rock with soaring organs and guitars...a masterwork !

Its so fucking melodic i get chicken skin,haha ! Is comparable with Rare Bird,but more eclecistic and psychedelic...a little Vanilla Fudge maybe too,but without their pathetic appeal...this really deserves to be known,because its good as the best bands we know,and even a little better !

Love it...if you see this,take it,dont hesitate as i did in the record shop,i still regret,i didnt buyed ! ;)"

Epilogue, the early roots of ACHE:

In February 1967, Torsten Olafsson, who was since 1964 already eagerly playing the drums, was invited to replace Peter Mellin on his Fender P bass in the South Copenhagen, Amager Island band: THE HARLOWS.

Torsten, already knowing the no less than absolutely fabulous HARLOWS drummer Glenn Fischer pretty well on beforehand, did not hesitate:

During all of 1967, Torsten and Glenn developed that tight and really close backing group play that became the very solid rhythmical foundation of ACHE's symphonic prog rock that developed after Glenn and Torsten together with now turned Hammond organ player, in late Summer 1967, Peter Mellin, and guitarist Finn Olafsson during the course of 1968 established their extraordinarily creative music group collective named "ACHE".

With both the albums "De Homine Urbano" and "Green Man" out in the public, eventually, that original, founding ACHE era abruptly ended on June 25th in 1971.

ACHE June 4th, 2022, in Stubbekøbing, "Only for the Crazy" Festival:

Click and link to ACHE Spring 2022 June 4th Live Festival Music Video Recording by LydAndLostRecords, Denmark. Photo by Mikkel Scharff

ACHE May 21, 2022, at Amager Bio, Copenhagen:

"De skæve drømme". Thanks to Bjarne Kell Andersen for the photo

From the left: Finn Olafsson, guitars/v, Jacob Smedegaard, drums/v, Torsten Olafsson, bass/v, Anne Sabina Holse, 1st backing vocals/add. rhythm, Steen Toft Andersen, harmonica, August Ussing, lead vocal/ass. keyboards/rhythm, Peter Mellin, keyboards/v

Click in the photo to see many more historical ACHE pictures
presented by Torsten Olafsson on his personal website



Thanks to Mikkel Scharff for the photo



Psychedelic lights: Frank Hindsberg a.o. Thanks to Hanne Sonja Sørensen for the photo



Sound master: Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen. Thanks to Mette Østerbro for the photo



Stage lights: Jacob Sorensen @ Amager Bio. Photo by Mette Østerbro



Warm thanks to all of the Amager Bio crew & staff. Photo by Søren Lindberg

ACHE 2020 NEWS

August 12, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary for the release of ACHE's single hit "Shadow of a Gipsy" in Denmark

 

In JAPAN:

ACHEs two first vinyl albums "De Homine Urbano" & "Green Man" now released on SHM-CDs in Japan.

On March 25, 2020, the Japanese record company Marquee/Avalon released the two classical ACHE rock albums on the sub label "Belle Antique":

 

Already on March 1, 2020, the Japanese music magazine "Euro Rock Press" published an interview in Japanese with Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson:



Relevant links:

CD Japan: The complete MARQUEE/AVALON BELLE ANTIQUE label catalog

The Japanese "De Homine Urbano" SHM-CD on Discogs.com

The Japanese "Green Man" SHM-CD on Discogs.com

The Japanese "De Homine Urbano" SHM-CD on Amazon, Japan

The Japanese "Green Man" SHM-CD on Amazon, Japan

Euro Rock Press music magazine No. 84 on Amazon, Japan

March 3, 2020:

Glenn Fischer reaches 70 years of age

Foto: Hans Mellin

January 28, 2020:

Torsten Olafsson reaches 70 years of age

Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson at Bartof Station,
Copenhagen, on November 30, 2019
Photo: Sven Lewandovsky for the SIDE33 website

November 30, 2019:

A very warm and friendly memorial concert took place in honour of drummer Gert Smedegaard, 1951-2018 -
For this special occasion a reformed ACHE band played a mini concert, live on stage, at Bartof Station, Cph. -
Also, on that day, Finn Olafsson's 1981 LP album "Elements" was re-released on CD, featuring Gert Smedegaard on the drums -
- more info and links will be added soon ...

October 13, 2019:

REMINDING SONG in HONOUR of ACHE DRUMMER
GERT SMEDEGAARD - 13.10.1951-30.11.2018

On November 30, 2018, renowned, widely beloved and respected Danish drummer Gert Smedegaard passed away, only 67 years old.

In honour of their father, his daughter, singer/songwriter Signe Trylle Smedegaard and his eldest son, drummer/songwriter Jacob Teilmann Smedegaard together created and recorded the song "Bølgerne ved Bellevue" ("The Waves at Bellevue").

The song was released as online single on October 13, 2019, Gert Smedegaard's very birthday. In the song, ACHE guitarist Finn Olafsson appears on acoustic steelstring guitar and backing vocals.

Other participating ACHE musicians:
Steen Toft Andersen, ukulele, harmonica & backing vocals -
Per Wium, keyboards & backing vocals -
Torsten Olafsson, backing vocals.

Click here and hear "Bølgerne ved Bellevue" on Youtube

Click here and read more about Signe Trylle and the reminding song
(Olafssongs website in Danish)

"Bølgerne ved Bellevue" was released on label Olafssongs: OSCD 038.

R.I.P. GERT SMEDEGAARD 13.10.1951-30.11.2018

Gert Smedegaard


Gert Smedegaard on Facebook


Gert Smedegaard took up drumming already in 1964 - just like his older brother Carsten Smedegaard.

Gert joined ACHE in 1975 as the band's new drummer, when ACHE reformed and the recording of the 3rd album, "Pictures from Cyclus 7", was planned to be recorded. He performed with ACHE in all concerts and on all recordings until ACHE disbanded in late September, 1980.

Since then, Gert has backed numerous Danish bands and solo artists, among others Finn Olafsson, Thorstein Thomsen/Per Wium Duo, Per Wium Band, Peter Viskinde's Doraz, På Slaget 12, Helge Damsbo Band - and not least C.V. Jørgensen. Gert sat behind the drums on C.V.'s extensive Denmark Tour in mid-2018.
Sadly so, those gigs should be his last.

In 2003, Gert of course also played the drums on on ACHE's hymn single to Christiania: "De skæve drømme" (The Skewed Dreams).

Gert passed away in his home in Taarbæk north of Copenhagen on Friday evening November 30rd, 2018.
He will be deeply missed.

2018 Record Store Day, April 21:

ACHE's second LP album "Green Man", recorded in July/November 1970, released in June 1971, re-released for the 6th time - now on vinyl LP by Universal Music Denmark.

"Green Man", ACHE's second LP vinyl album, 1971

Buy the album online here:
Sound by Accord record shop, Copenhagen, Denmark
Record Pusher, Odense, Denmark

NYHEDER 2017

ZAP NILES reviews ACHE's "Green Man" album (1971)

August 4, 2017

"4 out of 5 Stars!

To me, this long-forgotten band from Denmark sounds like what might have happened had Uriah Heep released its debut album, only instead of including Dave Byron, Jim Morrison from The Doors was the lead singer.
- - -
On this release, the band includes a splendid reworking of The Beatles “We Can Work It Out,” which alone was worth the album price."

Black Friday, November 24:

ACHE's first LP album "De Homine Urbano", recorded in 1969, released in 1970, re-released for the 6th time - now on vinyl LP by Universal Music Denmark.

"De Homine Urbano", ACHE's first LP vinyl album, 1970

Buy the album online here:
Sound by Accord record shop, Copenhagen, Denmark
Record Pusher, Odense, Denmark

July 10: PETER MELLIN celebrates his 70 years' birthday

ACHE's legendary hammond organ player since 1968: Peter Mellin

January 2017:

FINN OLAFSSON's SAVANNAH
CD and digital re-release

"Finn Olafsson's Savannah" - CD and digital re-release

FINN OLAFSSON's first solo album "FINN OLAFSSON's SAVANNAH" from 1977 is now re-released in superb high quality remastered CD version - with impressive fine digipack cover art work.

Buy "Finn Olafsson's Savannah" in Olafssongs' webshop

Click and read about Savannah here (PDF)

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NYHEDER 2016

Pictures from Cyclus 7 - Digital rerelease
      (Digital/Sony Music Denmark)


Sony Music Denmark releases a remastered digital edition of the 1976 album on the internet.

Link to the album on Apple Music/iTunes: ACHE: Pictures from Cyclus 7"

ACHE's hit "Shadow of a Gipsy"
to be heard in the movie
"The Day Will Come"/"Der kommer en dag"
- now seen by way beyond 250.000 cinema guests in Denmark, alone!

"The Day Will Come"/"Der kommer en dag" received the impressive total of 6 Robert Film Awards in January 2017, the finest of those being "Danish Movie of the Year 2016".

April 25, 2016:

The movie "Der kommer en dag" - starring internationally famed Sofie Gråbøl and Lars Mikkelsen a.o. - was officially premiered in all of Denmark on Thursday April 21, 2016.

Already by the end of the following weekend more than 200.000 cinema guests had seen it, in sincere sympathy.
In the movie, ACHE's "Shadow of a Gipsy" is performed in a new arrangement by the movie's composer, Sune Martin.
The song fits very well in the movie's time frame, and not least Torsten Olafsson's lyrics relate to the film plot in the best possible manner.

Click here to read more, in English.

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NYHEDER 2015

November 2015:

Danish rock guitar riff goes No. 1
on the American Hip Hop Artists' Chart

Photo: Bjarne Eskildsen

FINN OLAFSSON's electric guitar riff from the ACHE single "Expectation" sampled by American rap artist Travi$ Scott

CLICK HERE to READ NEWSLETTER in ENGLISH (PDF)



Foto: Mikkel Scharff

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NYHEDER 2012

"De Homine Urbano" & "Green Man" reissued internationally

September, 2012:

ACHE's two first albums
"DE HOMINE URBANO" & "GREEN MAN"
reissued internationally by Esoteric Recordings, England

PRESS RELEASE
On September 24, 2012, UK based record company Esoteric Recordings reissued the Danish progressive rock band ACHE's two first albums "De Homine Urbano" from 1970 and "Green Man" from 1971.
"Green Man" includes the single hit "Shadow of a Gipsy" which was released in 1970 as a forerunner for the album.

ACHE was formed in 1968 by Finn Olafsson (guitars, vocals), Peter Mellin, (Hammond organ, piano, vocals), Torsten Olafsson (bass, vocals), and Glenn Fischer (drums, percussion).

This is the 6th rerelease of those two legendary ACHE albums for Philips hailed by Julian Cope in his on-line Danskrocksampler page and now considered Psych / Prog classics par excellence.
The Esoteric Recordings reissues have been newly remastered and feature booklets that fully restore all original album artwork with a new essay and an interview with Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson authored by Record Collector magazine journalist Marco Rossi.

The two CDs have been remastered by Ben Wiseman, The Audio Archiving Company, London.
"De Homine Urbano" and "Green Man" can be purchased online with Cherry Red Records in England:
Cherry Red Records' Webshop
and in Olafssongs' webshop:
www.shop.olafssongs.dk

Read more on Esoteric Recordings' website (scroll down):
Esoteric Recordings: Latest News (September, 2012)

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Reviews of "De Homine Urbano" & "Green Man"

Click here to open the web page
Reviews of "De Homine Urbano" & "Green Man"

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News

May 2013

Interview with Finn Olafsson in the magazine Blackmoon

 

About ACHE:
In late 2012 Finn Olafsson was interviewed by the Norwegian rock&prog magazine BLACKMOON, about ACHE and the Esoteric Recordings UK reissue of the two albums "De Homine Urbano" og "Green Man". Part 1 was featured in the Blackmoon February 2013 issue, Part 2 in Blackmoon 2013-2, May.
 
Click here and read the interview, Part 1 & Part 2. Ib n Norwegian.

January 5, 2013

Interview with Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson

About ACHE:
On the website of PROFIL, La radio progressive à Québec, you'll find a brand new exclusive, elaborate interview with Finn Olafsson and Torsten Olafsson about progressive rockband ACHE.
Here is a link to the English version:
Interview with Finn & Torsten Olafsson (ACHE)

November 22, 2012:

FINN OLAFSSON - new CD single: "Hamlet's Castle"

North of Copenhagen - on the point overlooking Øresund - you will find 'Hamlet's Castle', Kronborg. The castle set the scene for William Shakespeare's 'The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'.
This hymn to the legendary renaissance castle is taken from Finn Olafsson's recent CD-album 'Music from North Sealand'.
Read more, hear the single og order here:
www.finnolafsson.com

January 2012:

Finn Olafsson releases new acoustic/electric guitar CD featuring Torsten Olafsson on ac. bass guitar, tablas & shakuhachi, a.o.:

Click to read and listen at www.finnolafsson.com

June 2010:

Finn Olafsson el. & ac. guitarist on new prog-rock CD

ACHE-guitarist Finn Olafsson is featured on 5 out of 7 tracks on the Taylor's Universe 2009 album "Artificial Joy" (MOBCD 020).
Read more about the CD here:
www.progressor.net/robin-taylor

Order the CD at Olafssongs' webshop, Denmark:
www.shop.olafssongs.dk

May 2010:

Live video with ACHE anno 1969

A rare concert video from Dagmar Cinema in Autumn '69 - here 4 U on YouTube:
ACHE: 'Acheron' - Midnight Session in Dagmar Cinema, Copenhagen

January 2007: Danish-Swedish symphonic-folk-speed-prog-metal & rock'n'roll band WUTHERING HEIGHTS has recorded their own, unique version of ACHE's 1970's hit in France, "Shadow of a Gipsy"!
The song is included as bonus-track on the Japanese version of the band's 4th album, "The Shadow Cabinet", released in Japan in early October 2006.
Only 3 weeks after the release the album had already sold more than 3.300 copies.
Read more here:
www.wuthering-heights.dk

August 2006: Much too many people seem to have forgotten all about the fantastic lightshows which accompanied - and illuminated - the prog-rock concerts during the late 60's and early 70's.
Here you can now read the fascinating story about the most awesome of all Danish psychedelic light groups ever -
TEZCATLIPOCA LIGHTS!:
The Tezcatlipoca Light Show of Denmark

June 2006: Finn Olafsson has opened his own, personal homepage: www.finnolafsson.com.
There you can now hear music clips from his two solo CDs "Acoustic Guitar" and "Acoustic Guitar 2", as well as most of his recordings
with Anders Roland.
Link to the site: www.finnolafsson.com.

March 2006: Karma Music has released the DVD "Going Underground Volume 1: 1969-1976". ACHE is here represented with a TV-recording of their mid-70's track "Kilometerstenen".
Read more at: www.karmamusic.dk.

     

Spring 2005: ACHE bassist Steen Toft Andersen releases his 2. solo album on the Olafssongs label:
"Travellers' Tales - Featuring the Ukulele".
Four ACHE musicians are contributing eminently: Guitarist Finn Olafsson, drummer Gert Smedegård, bassist Torsten Olafsson & Steen Toft Andersen, the Ukulele Maestro himself!
Don't be mistaken: The Ukulele in Steen's hands emits the fullest sounds like those of both the harp, the mandolin og the Spanish guitar - and every now and then the backing reminds one of the heaviest, classical prog-rock!


     

October 25, 2004: ACHE guitarist Finn Olafsson releases two solo CDs featuring phenomenal music for acoustic fingerpicked steel-string guitars:
"Acoustic Guitar" & "Acoustic Guitar 2".

Read more about the two albums on this site: www.finnolafsson.com

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In May 2003, after a break of 20 years, the Danish rock band ACHE re-united, having committed themselves to creating a new song in support of the world-famous, however still politician-threatened alternative city "CHRISTIANIA" - or "Freetown" - in the heart of Copenhagen, the capital in Denmark. Finally, in mid-April 2004, ACHE's Christiania song "De skæve drømme" was released on CD single in Denmark (English trsl.: "The Alternative Dreams"). Lyrics by Steen Toft Andersen. Music by Peter Mellin. Produced by Finn Olafsson at Olafssongs Studios.

ACHE reunited after 20 years
- recording for National Danish Television in April 2004
(photo: Mik Schack, DR-2)
Gert Smedegård - Johnnie Gellett - Torsten Olafsson
Steen Toft Andersen - Peter Mellin - Finn Olafsson

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ACHE in the Bella Center/Electronica '69 TV-studio
- the first Danish rock band to be broadcasted live - in colour!
- in National Danish Television, August 1969 (ACHE archive photo)
Finn Olafsson - Torsten Olafsson - Glenn Fischer - Peter Mellin

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How to pronounce "ACHE"?

The name of the Danish symphonic prog rock band ACHE is to be pronounced as 'eik', like f.i. in 'heartache'.

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Editors' & webmaster's notes

Any comments and possible contributions are welcome!

Heartful thanks to all the photographers and illustrators, known and unknown, including Peder Bundgaard, Bjarne "Eskild" Eskildsen, Steen Møller Rasmussen, Johannes Mølleskov, Jørgen Nielsen, Finn Olafsson, Torsten Olafsson, Jan Persson, Dan Worbs Petersen, Mik Schack, Mikkel Scharff, Steen Toft Andersen & John Wilhelmsen.
Very special thanks to everybody who took part - contributed and supported the band - over the years, "front-stage" as well as "back-stage"
Have fun!
All the best from ACHE & the website editors who are:

Torsten Olafsson & Mikkel Scharff
Finn Olafsson & Per Wium
Spring 2004

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"De skæve drømme" - cover front (photo/layout: Torsten Olafsson)

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Front Page

THE ACHE ROCK BAND OFFICIAL WEBSITE - DENMARK
c/o Olafssongs, Pårupvej 44, DK-3230 Græsted, Denmark
Copyright © ACHE c/o Olafssongs, Denmark.