Bamse's A Salty Dog goes to # 1

His third cover of a classic Procol single !

Niels-Erik Mortensen writes to BtP, October 2001

Eleven days – that was all it took to bring vocalist and bassist Femming 'Bamse' Jørgensen from scratch back to the top of the Danish official charts. His album Always On My Mind came out on 1st October, and by 12th October it peaked right away at No. 1. This means that A Salty Dog at last has reached the top - quite deservedly.

This recommendable record has its own small website. Bamse intends to record two more albums in English. His first one, including A Whiter Shade of Pale, sold 172,000 copies. Any ideas for the next Procol song to be recorded by 'Bamse'?

Niels-Erik Mortensen wrote to BtP, September 2001

Two years ago, Danish singer Flemming "Bamse" Jørgensen led A Whiter Shade of Pale back to the top of the Danish charts, as this famous song was featured on his first entirely English album, Stand By Me.

Now Bamse is back, covering A Salty Dog on the forthcoming CD, Always On My Mind. The album is to be released some time in the immediate future, and Bamse has already published a single taken from the album, Bob Dylan's If Not for You in a version very similar to that of George Harrison's on All Things Must Pass.

Thus, Bamse is the only Danish singer to have covered no fewer than three Procol songs, as he recorded Homburg very early in his career. The Union of Danish Procoholics is very pleased and will not forget Bamse's efforts to keep the Procoholic banner flying.

Bamse's version of A Salty Dog is in the shops from Monday 1st October. When he presented the song on Danish radio for the first time, once again reassuring the listeners of his devotion to Gary Brooker and Procol Harum, he quoted Gary for having pointed to his previous recording of AWSoP as the third best version Brooker had ever heard.

Bamse's own Dog is indeed very loyal to the original, including crying seagulls and a symphony orchestra (the Prague Symphony Orchestra). A new web site presents the CD: pictures and sound / press release