Gasolin' was a Danish rock band from Christianshavn in Copenhagen formed by Kim Larsen and Franz Beckerlee and Wili Jönsson in 1969. Their first drummer was the late Bjørn Uglebjerg. He was replaced by Søren Berlev in 1971. At the formation the guitar playing of Franz Beckerlee was inspired by Jimi Hendrix and the singing and lyrics of Larsen was inspired by Bob Dylan, while the rhythm playing of Jönsson and Berlev owed much to The Beatles. However, they would soon develop their own musical identity. The pop sensibility of Kim Larsen, the raw avantgarde attitude of Franz Beckerlee and the musical competence of Wili Jönsson would prove to be a recipe for success. Søren Berlev would be the Ringo: The steady and loveable drummer. Our Saviours Church (Vor Frelser Kirke) in the Christianshavn city district, Copenhagen, Denmark. ... Copenhagen (IPA: , rhyming with pagan (the way the Danes themselves pronounce the capitals name when saying it in English), or , with a as in spa; Danish IPA: ) is the capital of Denmark and the countrys largest city (metropolitan population 1,115,035 (2006)), at present made up of... Kim Larsen (born October 23, 1945 in Copenhagen) is a Danish rock musician. ... James Marshall Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist, innovator, and cultural icon. ... Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician and poet. ... The Beatles were an English music group from Liverpool who continue to be held in the highest esteem for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, their groundbreaking role in the history of popular music, and their contributions to popular culture. ...

In 1970 Gasolin' released their first single: "Silky Sally" followed by "Child of Institution" and "Johnny The Jackpot". These three singles were sung in English and flopped. Their debut album and the subsequent albums had Danish lyrics and was a success. Although they would occasionally still sing in English, Danish proved to be the language where they could express themself most eloquently and this was acknowledged and rewarded by the Danish audience and critics.

From 1972 to 1978 Gasolin' was the most popular rock band in Denmark. With producer Roy Thomas Baker they released such classics as "Gasolin' 3", "Gas 5" and "Efter endnu en dag"; albums that sound as fresh and innovative now as they did then. In that respect Gasolin' may be considered as the Danish Beatles: Each album was a landmark and like The Beatles, they broke up at the pinnacle of their success. The reasons for the split was the failure to break the international market and personal differences. Roy Thomas Baker is a English record producer who helped create a number of extremely popular pop and rock records in the 1970s and 1980s. ... The Beatles were an English music group from Liverpool who continue to be held in the highest esteem for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, their groundbreaking role in the history of popular music, and their contributions to popular culture. ...

After the demise Kim Larsen would go on to become a very successful solo artist; his album from 1983, "Midt om natten", is the best selling album in Denmark ever. Wili Jönsson and Søren Berlev would go on playing music as session musicians and in various bands. Franz Beckerlee works as an artist, but occasionally he played with Søren Berlev in Christianhavns Bluesband and in 1979 he released "No Kiddin'". Kim Larsen (born October 23, 1945 in Copenhagen) is a Danish rock musician. ...

The magic and popularity of Gasolin' has never faded. In 1991 the CD compilation, "Rabalderstræde Forever", became a big seller, so did the box set from 2003, "The Black Box". In 2006 a movie called "Gasolin'" directed by Anders Østergaard became the most popular documentary movie in Denmark ever. Despite this, Gasolin' has always refused to reunite.

LP and CD Discography

• Gasolin' (1971)
• Gasolin' 2 (1972)
• Gasolin' 3 (1973)
• Stakkels Jim (1974)
• Gas 5 (1975)
• Live sådan (1976 - live record)
• Efter endnu en dag (1976)
• Gør det noget (1977)
• Killin' Time (DK) (1978)
• Live i Skandinavien (1978 - live record)
• Supermix 1 (1980 - compilation)
• Rabalderstræde Forever (1991 - compilation)
• Derudaf Forever (1993 - live record)
• A Foreign Affair 1 (1997 - compilation)
• Gasolin' Forever (1999 - compilation)
• The Early Years (DK) (2000 - compilation)
• A Foreign Affair 2 (2002 - compilation)
• The Black Box (2003 - box set)

All albums released on CBS or Columbia Records.

Non-album Singles Discography

• Silky Sally/I've Got To Find The Loser (1970 - Spectator Records)
• Child of Institution/The Escape and W.J. (1970 - Sonet)
• Johnny The Jackpot/Get In Touch With Tomorrow (1971 - CBS)
• Holy Jean/Lady Rain (1973 - CBS)
• Fed lykke til alle/I Love You Baby and Truckdriver Blues (1973 - CBS)
• Hva' gør vi nu, lille du/Keep on Knockin' (1976 - CBS)
• Endelig jul igen/Get On The Train (1977 - CBS)
• Where Do We Go Now, Mon Ami/Killin' Time (1978 - CBS)
• Uh-Lu-La-Lu/Killin' Time (1978 - CBS)
• Dejlig er jorden/Endelig jul igen (1979 - CBS)

References

Paul-Jørgen Budtz: Gasolin' (1976)

Peder Bundgaard: Masser af success (1993 and 2003)