Artist: EUROPE
Album: "SECRET SOCIETY (CD)"

Year: 2006
Media type: CD

Without doubt Sweden's most successful Hard Rock export. EUROPE achieved global recognition courtesy of one huge hit single 'The Final Countdown', but would struggle to follow up, eventually disbanding despite the high quality of subsequent album releases. The band was originally known as FORCE and formed in Upplands Vasby by JOEY TEMPEST (a.k.a. Joakim Larsson), Norum and Leven with drummer Tony Reno (real name Tony Nemisto). Leven jumped ship for a short spell with an early incarnation of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN's band and Malmsteen's ex-bassist and former POWER man Marcel Jacob plugged the gap until Levйn eventually returned to the fold.

The group changed from FORCE to EUROPE upon being entered to a domestic Rock band contest in 1982 by Tempest's then girlfriend, a competition they duly won and led to a recording deal with Hot Records. EUROPE's eponymously titled debut album, released in March 1983, reached number 8 in the Swedish charts and prompted interest from overseas when copies began reaching the likes of Britain on import. A highly collectable single, 'Lyin' Eyes', was issued in December but immediately withdrawn as a decision to put out 'Stormwind' in its stead was taken.

EUROPE's second album, 'Wings Of Tomorrow', appeared in June 1984 and was followed by the recruitment for live work of ex-AVALON and UNIVERSE keyboard player Mic Michaeli, although drummer Tony Nemisto was asked to leave following the album's release. In came former TRILOGY drummer Hеkan 'Ian' Haugland whilst Nemisto would wind up playing in the Danish based GEISHA and Y in subsequent years.

until 1986, previously achieved reasonable success at home, EUROPE seemingly came out of nowhere with the enormous global success of their third album 'The Final Countdown', an album that marked their liaison with the mighty CBS empire through the Epic imprint.

Inexplicably guitarist JOHN NORUM quit to undertake solo projects just as 'The Final Countdown' album began to break big. Thus, new guitarist Kee Marcello, a scene veteran of EASY ACTION, STETSON CODY and D'ACCORD, joined EUROPE in time for the 'Final Countdown' world tour.

The album sold in excess of quarter of a million in Sweden alone and six million copies world-wide. Its phenomenal success forced the band to leave Sweden's harsh tax legislations behind to relocate in the West Indies as Epic also re-issued the previous two albums on a global basis. The single title track, dominated by a distinctive choral keyboard riff, powered the band onto radio and TV screens globally as it his hit no. 1 in the UK, Sweden and Germany. In North America the track gained a top ten placing. Its success coincided with the breakthrough of another "Hair Rock" band - BON JOVI - and these two acts would, for a short period, vie for contention as the genre leaders. EUROPE’s targeting of North America brought further results as the subsequent ballad ‘Carrie’ scored a no. 3 placing on the Billboard charts.

EUROPE's anticipated follow up release, 'Out Of This World', produced by Ron Nevison, continued the momentum and moved the Swedish outfit into a harder, rockier direction giving them another platinum album in America. In Sweden the lead song, ‘Superstitious’, gained a no. 1 spot on the charts but this would prove to be the pinnacle of achievement for the record as successive singles failed to repeat past glories.

Concentrating on translating their European success to the American market EUROPE opened for DEF LEPPARD during their 1988 American tour. This successful touring liaison was scuppered when the band were invited by the headliners to perform another three months worth of American dates but inexplicably EUROPE's management declined the offer. EUROPE returned to headline dates and promotion work in Japan and Europe after which they terminated dealings with their management signing to former JOURNEY manager Herbie Herbert. By this point 'Out Of This world' had racked up sales exceeding 2 million but was generally viewed as somewhat of a failure when cast in the shadow of its immediate predecessor.

Another projected tour of North America was cancelled and the band set to work on songs for a new album. This time EUROPE opted to use the production skills of Beau Hill, noted for his work with RATT, after he had seen EUROPE performing under the nom de plume of LE BARON BOYS in a Los Angeles club. The band's fifth album was delayed, according to rumours, by the record company who felt that initial recordings did not have enough hit material. This apparently prompting EUROPE to begin co-writing songs with the likes of Jim Vallance (BRYAN ADAMS), MR. BIG vocalist ERIC MARTIN and Nick Graham who had written CHEAP TRICK's number 1 single 'The Flame'.

The resulting album, 'Prisoners In Paradise', reached the number 2 position in their native Sweden gaining the band a platinum award for 100'000 sales, although it was not a big success elsewhere. Originally released in October 1991, at a time when competition was stiff from other big selling albums, it was re-promoted by the record company in early 1992. EUROPE kicked off the new year by playing the aptly named 'Final Countdown' festival in Tokyo headlined by METALLICA, but once all touring had completed EUROPE was effectively put on ice whilst the individual group members chose to pursue solo projects.

Marcello set to work on an instrumental album with Jazz fusion player Ulf Wakenius as well as an AOR album of his own, entitled 'Shine On', which emerged on the French CNR Music label and wound up playing with the Stockholm based RED FUN. Haugland recorded with former band TRILOGY and would team up with John Leven and Mic Michaeli in GLENN HUGHES' touring band in 1994.

EUROPE's once lion maned frontman JOEY TEMPEST chose to finally return to action in the summer of 1995 with an exceedingly laid back debut solo release, entitled 'A Place To Call Home', through Polydor, the newly shorn Tempest appearing live at the annual Water Festival in Stockholm during August. A second Tempest solo offering, 'Azalea Place', would emerge two years later, although would not be a particularly successful release.

EUROPE re-united with the classic line-up on New Year's Eve 1999 to perform just two songs, 'Rock The Night' and 'The Final Countdown', in Stockholm as part of a live television extravaganza sponsored by Sweden's largest media company Kinnevik. The band was reportedly paid a staggering 21 million Krona for this appearance.

Tempest teamed up with Swedish Pop star and ex-DAMAGE DONE member Patrik Isaksson to record a cover version of Pugh Rogefeldt's old hit 'Hдr Kommer Natten'. The man would also gain a songwriting credit for the track 'Change' on the 2002 'Moving Swiftly Along' album from the British erstwhile THUNDER duo of BOWES & MORLEY. The singer issued the 'Forgiven' single in September as a taster for his eponymous third solo album.

By late 2002 renewed rumours of a EUROPE reformation where gathering pace. For the Rockklassiker 106.7 Christmas show on December 13th three-fifths of the classic line up of guitarist John Norum, bassist John Levйn and drummer Ian Haugland reunited on stage at the Stockholm Hard Rock Cafй to perform EUROPE's 'Rock The Night'. As December closed major Swedish newspapers were reporting a full blown EUROPE reunion was set for 2003. Meantime, EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland scored an unexpected success as lead vocalist for a band entitled TEN 67 on a cover of the KISS track 'Rock n' Roll Allright', a collaboration with guitarist Lars Chriss of LION'S SHARE and DJ's from the 106.7 Rockklassiker station. Another EUROPE related project emerged with LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM, a union of John Levйn, Ian Haugland and Michael Michaeli with vocalist MIKAEL ERLANDSSON and the S.A.D.O. and FAIR WARNING credited German guitarist Andy Malecek. This unit cut an eponymous album for Japanese release.

EUROPE finally made their official reunion announcement in October of 2003, scheduling a headline appearance at the Solvesborg 'Sweden Rock' festival in June of 2004. The compilation 'Rock The Night', released to coincide with the reformation, included all of the band's signature tunes alongside previously unreleased material such as 'Mr. Government Man' and 'Here Comes The Night', both outtakes from the 'Prisoners In Paradise' album sessions. Swedish headline dates were scheduled for October.

A brand new album, billed as 'Start From The Dark', would witness a further reunion as Kevin Elson would be back in the production chair. Released in September by Sanctuary Records, the album would be preceded by the single and promotional video for 'Got To Have Faith'. Japanese versions of the album included live versions of 'Seven Doors Hotel' and 'Wings Of Tomorrow', recorded during the band's headlining appearance the 2004 'Sweden Rock' festival in June. The bands 15th November gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England would be filmed for a concert DVD. The band also recorded three shows on their Japanese dates for a live album.

In 2005 JOHN NORUM contributed his interpretation of 'Stay With Me' to a FRANK MARINO tribute album though WildMess Records entitled 'Secondhand Smoke'.

EUROPE, working with engineer Lennart Ostlund, commenced work on a new album in June 2006 at Kingside Studios in Stockholm. Scandinavian dates were announced for October to coincide with 'Secret Society's release.

TRACKLIST:

01 Secret Society
02 Always The Pretenders
03 The Getaway Plan
04 Wish I Could Believe
05 Let The Children Play
06 Human After All
07 Love Is Not The Enemy
08 A Mother's Son
09 Forever Travelling
10 Brave & Beautiful Soul
11 Devil Sings The Blues

LINE-UP:

Joey Tempest (vocals)
John Norum (guitar)
Mic Michaeli (keyboards)
John Leven (bass)
Ian Haugland (drums)