Povel Ramel

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"Ramel" redirects here. For the Eastern Pomerania town Rahmel, see Rumia.
Povel Ramel
Birth name Povel Karl Henrik Ramel
Born June 1, 1922(1922-06-01)
Östermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
Died June 5, 2007 (aged 85)
Lidingö, Sweden
Genre(s) Vaudeville
Occupation(s) Singer, musician, writer
Instrument(s) Vocals, piano
Years active 1939–2007
Label(s) Pygmé Musikförlag
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Baron Povel Karl Henrik Ramel (Povel Ramel (help·info)) (June 1, 1922 – June 5, 2007) was a Swedish entertainer. Ramel was a singer, pianist, vaudeville artist, songwriter, author and the greatest Swedish novelty song composer of his age and any age. He wrote over 1,900 songs. His style was characterized by a most imaginative wit, both verbally and musically. He took inspiration from US and UK 'crazy' style humor and created his own personal Swedish version, based on his mentioned wit, unusual combinations of lyrics and music, word play, pastiche and generic unexpectedness. He was regarded as a legend and institution in Swedish entertainment.


Contents

[edit] Early life

Povel Ramel was born at Östermalm, Stockholm into an affluent noble family. His father, Karl Ramel, was a lawyer. His family often went on extensive holiday trips, and on such an occasion, on a beach in Belgium, Povel, at age 2, stepped on a 10 cm (4 inch) nail. With the wound infected, Povel was not expected to survive, but somehow recovered, although with a slight permanent problem. However, some benefits also came thereof. Much later, when called to do his military service, his foot condition made him keep clear of soldier duties, instead getting administrative ones. When thus studying the military code, he learned that most everything was forbidden. But no rules found against Boogie Woogie Walzes, so he dutifully wrote Johanssons boogie-woogie-vals, later to become his first hit.

Already at a young age Povel found a loving audience in the family nurses, maids and cooks, and also support by his parents.

However, school was troubled. He cut classes, often going to Skansen, an open air museum and zoo, favouring their monkey house. Povel got this practice to work by telling his teachers that he had lost his attendance book, thereby getting a new one, while showing his parents the old one, free from absence remarks.

However, one day his father spotted Povel amidst the monkeys. Subsequently, his father tried putting Povel in various schools, but with little success.

At age 15 Povel accompanied his parents on a car trip, when a frontal collision occurred. Ramel's mother, Märta Tesch, died the following day in a hospital. His father died a few months later, after being subjected to suspect medical procedures.

[edit] Career

Thus orphaned, Povel was raised by his paternal aunt, who saw his artistic potential. He went to art school, but the infatuation with painting did not last. But his love for playing the piano and with words took hold, as he became inspired by jazz musicians such as Bing Crosby, Fats Waller, Nat Gonella, Spike Jones and Harry Roy. Entering Aftonbladet's talent hunt, Vi som vill opp 1939, Ramel sang and yawned his own composition, En sömnig serenad (A Sleepy Serenade). Already at this time Ramel was a prolific songwriter. His aunt wrote the lyrics to one of his songs, released on record, En vår utan dig (A Spring Without You).

Ramel's lyrics are noted for their humor and drastic wordplay. Musically he was able to adopt styles from most every field of music in existence and cast them into his own.

His first hit came in 1944 with his song "Johanssons boogie-woogie-vals" (Johansson's Boogie Woogie Waltz). At first it seemed that success would escape it. Due to contractual problems STIM (a musical copyright agency) required the record to have a label banning its airplay. Accordingly, the sales were minimal. Then a friend at the record company sent a copy with the label pulled off to Radiotjänst (The Swedish Broadcasting Corporation), and the sales jumped. Ramel even ended up being hired by Radiotjänst, in 1945, which ushered in a new era of radio entertainment. With several series of innovative shows featuring the crazy style of humor, he became a household name with the Swedish radio listeners.

[edit] Knäppupp

In 1952 Ramel and Felix Alvo started the company Knäppupp AB (Unbutton Inc.). The Knäppupp road-vaudevilles became a huge success and form a beloved part of Swedish entertainment. The first vaudeville was "Akta Huvet" (Mind Your Head). Ramel made his entrance hanging from a cable over the auditorium. The show opened at the Cirkus theatre in Gothenburg in 1952. Knäppupp AB also produced a number of movies (for example, "Ratataa" in 1956). Ramel also put on several pub shows (for example, "Karamelodier"). This word is one of Ramel's typical puns, as the word karamelodier is a combination of the words "karamell" (bon-bon), "Ramel" and "melodier" (melodies).

[edit] Some of his most famous songs

  • Johanssons boogie woogie vals (Johansson's Boogie Woogie Waltz)
  • Måste vägen till Curaçao gynga så (Why must the Boat to Curacao sway like this)
Gynga is a broken Swedish version of Gunga (Swing/Sway)
This song was written by Povel on the M/S San Blas, in a storm, and sung at the stage in San Blas later.
  • Släkt-huset (The Family House)
Probably a wordplay on Slakthus (Slaughterhouse)
  • Högt uppe på berget (High up on the Mountain)
Swedish language version of On Top of Old Smoky
  • Far, jag kan inte få upp min kokosnöt (Daddy, I can't Break Open my Coconut)
Swedish language version of I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, featured in My Life as a Dog
  • Skratt (Laughs)
Presented with some "laughing types" as the engineer's laugh "Hoho hooooooooo" (Like a steam whistle), "ping-pong laugh" Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
  • Nya Skrytvalsen (The New Bragging Waltz)
  • Tjo va de va livat i holken i lördags (Whoopee Whatta Bustle in the Nesting Box last Saturday)
  • Naturbarn (Children of Nature)
With the wrong-grammar sentence "Mången kokosnötter sälja far, tapetsera hydda med dollar" (Many coconuts sell father, Use wallpaper in hut that is Dollar).
  • Är det nån som har en våning åt mej? (Anyone got an Apartment for me?)
  • Sorglösa brunn (Sorrowless Spa, a play on the real Ramlösa)
  • Varför är där ingen is till punschen? (Why no Ice with the Punsch?)
  • De sista entusiasterna" (The Last Enthusiasts)
  • Karl Nilsson
Starting with "Goddag på er alla, mitt namn är Karl Nilsson och jag ville sjunga en visa om... mej själv" (Good day to you all, I am Karl Nilsson, I just want to sing you a song about... Myself.
  • Det skulle aldrig delfinerna göra" (That, the Dolphins Would Never do)
A song about that no dolphin would ever become a singer, as they are, (as sang by Ramel), all to smart.
  • Jag diggar dig (I dig you)
Forestalling rap music.
  • He has written at least one song in English, "The Sukiyaki Syndrome", about a visit to a Japanese restaurant.

[edit] References to current events

Few of Ramel's songs refer to current events, although there are some examples:

  • En tillräckligt stor summa pengar (A sum of money big enough) - 2005–2006
  • * In this recent song there are some references, for example: Gamla kapare som Ford och Rockefeller, har seglats om av kapten Gates (But old capers like Ford and Rockefeller, have been sailed past by Captain Gates)
  • The Nej Tack Jump (The No Thanks Jump) (No to Nuclear Power)
  • * He sings: Barsebäck, Forsmark, Ringhals, Oskarshamn, (Swedish nuclear power stations) yes we do like you. But the brooding striped blocks you've build, you should scrap as soon as possible.
  • * * Povel has later explained that he did not state whether he was in favour of nuclear power or not. Many asked him to write this kind of song and he did, without expressing his own opinion.

[edit] Karamelodiktstipendiet

In 1983 Ramel founded Karamelodiktstipendiet, a prize annually awarded to a Swedish entertainer or group of entertainers. It's intended for renewers of the Swedish language or related musical advances. The prize was presented by Ramel in Hagaparken in Stockholm. The name of the prize is a pun similar to the one described above, referring to "karamell" and Ramel; "dikt" means poem and "stipendie" scholarship. Thus the recipient is not only awarded a monetary prize, but also a bag of bon-bons and a poem written by Ramel himself. After the ceremony everyone is offered fried pigeon, which most guests politely abstain from eating. The prize is, according the founder, enough to make the recipient economically independent, at least for the rest of the day (it was 20.000 SEK until 2007 when it was increased to 25.000 SEK).

The 2007 cermony was led by Povel's children Mikael and Lotta, due to their father being confined to his home after heart surgery.

Holders:

[edit] Bibliography

Povel Ramel has written quite a number of books, starting in 1945, but his focus has been on his music. Here is a list of his books (Not including the many lyrics booklets released):

[edit] Från Asar till Wasar

The cover of Från Asar till Wasar

In this book, Povel presents himself as an eternity-human, born in the ice age. And he describes the history of Sweden "as it was" from the old Norse "Asar"-gods to Gustav Wasa. He also has some eternity-friends and an eternity-dog called Missräkningen (The miscalculation).

[edit] Min galna hage

  • (My Looney Pasture), 1957.

Povels pasture is said to have corners. 5 of them. It is a crazy pasture.

This book has sections, called corners. These are:

  • Poetiska hörnet (The poetry corner)
  • * Poems written by a fictional lady called Ewa Sophi Drömmington
  • De smås hörn (The tiny ones' corner)
  • * Some stories about Little Huno and his 36 siblings, for example Lille Päron (Little Pear) whom all the siblings used to hit because he liked it
  • Blandade Hörnet (The mixed corner)
  • * Includes a part from Från Asar till Wasar and some other mixed writings.
  • Makabra Hörnet (The macabre corner)
  • * Among others, a story about a girl who loved the colours black and red, and therefore bit her own family too see red blood.
  • * * Povel wrote here: Don't read this if you already doubt my mental sanity!
  • Helraspiga hörnet (Completely crazy corner)
  • * Stories Den trasiga middagen (The broken dinner), about Det Lilla Polki (The Little Polki) Far och Pappa (Father and Dad) and some other strange ones as Onkel Zebraton från Afrika (Uncle Zebraton from Africa), Farbror Flicka (Uncle Girl) and Bästekock Lortig (Best-cook Dirty), whom after the third time slipped on a ratshell and became lying and stopping potatoes.
  • * * This corner also includes a dictionary with strange explanations of words

[edit] Knäppupplevelser

  • (Knäppupp experiences, the upp is used both for Knäppupp and Upplevelser), 1976

This book is about the time of Knäppupp. It came with the giant vinyl album with the same name, and is really hard to find today

[edit] Lingonben

  • (Lingonberry legs), 1978.

This is a lyric book with some famous (like Naturnbarn, and Johansson's boogie woogie vals) and some more unknows songs of Ramel (As Balladen Om Kung Styggfrid {The Ballad about King Wickedfrid})

[edit] Tänk dej en strut karameller

  • (Imagine a cone of bon-bons), 1981

With sheet music to many of Povel's most popular songs. The title is also the title of one of Povel's songs.

[edit] Min ordkynniga penna

  • (My word-capricious pen), 1987.

This includes some random poems and writings of Ramel, as "How to convince an American businessman"

[edit] Vanliga palsternackan för gottegrisar

  • (The ordinary parsnip for sweet teeth)

Vanliga palsternackan is a play on the famous Swedish almanac, Vanliga Almanackan (The ordinary almanac) It includes some strange ideas such as a list of kings whom died from overeating (With space to keep the list up-to-date) This book is co-written with Hans Alfredsson

[edit] Följ mej bakåt vägen, Povels Livs-stycken del 1

  • (Walk with me back along the road, Povel's "life-parts" part 1), 1992.

This begins with Povel's youth and ends when he married his wife in 1949. He describes many things of his life, such as when he, as a kid, cut big holes in his clothes, too find out what it is like too be poor! Povel choose to not call the book his Memoarer (Memoirs), as that would sound too boring! "Följ mej bakåt vägen" is also a title of one of Ramel's songs.

[edit] Förflerade Lingonben

  • Increased Lingonberry legs), 1992

This is a thicker edition of Lingonben with some more unknown (and famous) songs.

It have been reprinted some times, most recently 1997.

[edit] Som om inget hade hänt, Povels Livs-stycken del 2

  • (As if nothing had happened, Povel's "life-parts" part 2), 1999.

This is Povels life-parts part who, including the Knäppupp years, where a bit from the book Knäppupplevelser is used.

[edit] Djur I Dur

  • (Animals in major key), 2001

This book includes a CD and sheet music to some new and some old songs about animals of Povel. Especially those poor animals who never had a song written to them, as Acke Asgam (Acke Carrion Vulture) , Gary Gråsugga (Gary Isopoda) and Tvigge Tvestjärt (Tvigge Earwig) who crawled far into grannie's ear.

[edit] Upcoming: Povels "life-parts" part 3

Povel is said to be almost finished with this book, but as he has nothing boring to tell, therefore it should be called a Dessert-book.

[edit] The Knäppupps

  • 1952 - Knäppupp 1: Akta Huvet (Has a dual meaning of Watch Out for your head and Mind your head. It was because Povel came in a cable way over the crowd in Circus in Gothenburg, and he screamed: "Watch Out! Here comes Grandfather!")
  • 1953 - Djuprevyn: 2 meter (The deep-vaudeville, 2 metre)
  • 1954 - Knäppupp 2: Denna sida upp (This side up)
  • 1956 - Knäppupp 3: Tillstymmelser (Suggestions)
  • 1958 - Funny Boy
  • 1961 - Alla 4 (All 4) [The summer-version was called Semestersångarna (The vacation singers)]
  • 1962 - Dax igen (It's time again)
  • 1964 - Ryck mej i snöret (Pull me in the string)
  • 1965 - Ta av dej skorna (Take off your shoes)
  • 1966 - På avigan (The wrong way around)
  • 1968 - De sista entusiasterna (The last enthusiasts)

[edit] Other revues

The year of the opening is listed. Normally the revues stayed in production for two years, but, for example, Pratstund med Povel only stayed 1 year.

  • 1969 - The POW-Show I (Pow = Povel och Wenche {Povel and Wenche}
  • 1971 - Vid Pianot P. Ramel (At the Piano P. Ramel)
  • 1972 - Karamellodier (Karamell = Caramel/Candy. Ramel = Ramel. Melodier = Melodies.)
  • 1973 - Povel på Berns (Povel at Berns)
  • 1974 - The POW-Show II, Andra Varvet Runt (The second round around)
  • 1979 - Povel på Maxim (Povel at Maxim)
  • 1981 - Minspiration (Min = My. Inspiration = Inspiration.)
  • 1984 - Povel på Berns 2, The Sukiyaki Syndrome.
  • 1989 - Tingel Tangel på Tyrol (Tinsel and Glitter at Tyrol), with Margaretha Krook and Hans Alfredsson
  • 1991 - Återbesök i Holket (Re-visit in the birdhouse)
  • 1992 - Knäpp Igen (Re-Button or Crazy Again)
  • * Knäpp can mean Crazy or button!
  • 1996 - Kolla Klotet (Look the Earth!) with Tomas von Brömssen
  • 2000 - Som om inget hade hänt (As if nothing had happened), with Wenche Myhre and Putte Wickman
  • 2001 - Ramelodia Lusticana
  • 2003 - Some like it i höet (Höet = the hay) (With Lasse Brandeby, Maria Lundqvist and Lill-Babs)
  • 2004 - Pratstund med Povel (Chat with Povel)
  • 2005 - Förnyad Povelpratstund, nu med musik! (Renewed Povel-chat, now with music!)
  • 2006 and spring 2007 - Povel à la carte

[edit] Filmography - Selected examples

  • I dur och skur (As a play on I ur och skur, meaning In snow and rain, meaning always. Dur means Major key) 1953
  • I rök och dans (In smoke and dance) 1954 (Wordplay on Smoke and Dust)
  • In 1955 he was supposed to make Afrikafilmen (The Africa Movie), and some scenes were recorded, for example one where Povel and Yngve Gamlin is riding a hippopotamus. But the Africans considered Povel to be dangerous, and a small war broke out, so he never made the film.
  • Hoppsan! (Whoops!) 1955
  • Ratataa eller Staffan Stolle Story (Ratataa or Staffan Stolle Story). (Staffan Stalledräng is a famous Swedish Christmas song, "stolle" means fool) 1956.
  • Den store amatören (The big amateur) 1958

[edit] Radio Shows

  • 1946 - Föreningen för flugighetens främjande (The society for promotion of flyism)
  • 1949 - Jakten på Johan Blöth (The hunt for John Wet) - "Blöth" is an older form of the word "blöt", meaning wet
  • 1950 - Herr Hålms öden och Angantyr (Mister Hålms [pronounced Holmes] fate and Angantyr)
  • * Öden och Angantyr is a play on the often used Öden och Äventyr (Fates and Adventures)
  • 1953 - Rameldags (Ramel-Time)
  • * Probably a play on gammaldags, meaning old-fashioned
  • 1955 - När Schlagern dog (When the Schlager died)

[edit] Television

  • 1965 - Ramel I Rutan (Ramel on the Screen)
  • 1977 - Semlons gröna dalar (The green valleys of Semlon)
  • 1986 - Affären Ramel (has the dual meaning of "The Ramel Shop" and "The Ramel Affair")

[edit] Povel Ramel at Allsång på Skansen

At Allsång på Skansen, on June 27th 2006, Povel sang many of his well-known songs to a different melody, of another well-known song. A quite uncommon way of rendering old songs!

Povel Ramel Gräsänklingsblues/Vårt Eget Blue Hawaii (2006) Image:Povel Ramel - Hit men inte längre.ogg

A Short sample of Povels voice
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

The whole song (And some piano-playing of Side by side by Povel first) may be heard at Sveriges Televisions webpage here from minutes and seconds: 09:41

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Persondata
NAME Ramel, Povel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ramel, Povel Karl Henrik
SHORT DESCRIPTION Swedish entertainer
DATE OF BIRTH June 1, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Östermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
DATE OF DEATH June 5, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH Lidingö, Sweden