Minor Majority
Encyclopedia
The Norwegian pop group Minor Majority was formed by Pål Angelskår and Andreas Berczelly as a studio project in the spring of 2000. The first record, Walking Home From Nicole's
, was released one year later with significant help from singer/songwriter Karen Jo Fields.
In November 2001 the band saw the addition of guitarist Jon Arild Stieng and the duo went on tour for the first time in the spring of 2002. Berczelly left the band and concentrated full-time on producing, which he has done for the band ever since.
The band's next album If I Told You, You Were Beautiful
was recorded in Stieng's house in Oslo
that same summer, and was released in October. For the up coming tour of spring 2003 keyboardist Harald Sommerstad joined, and the band was now a trio.
Prior to the Norwegian
Quart-festivalen
the same year, the band was extended further by drummer Halvor Høgh Winsnes (Fast Winston Doom of Thulsa Doom
) and bassist Henrik Widerøe. The band was complete, and in the late summer "Up For You & I
" was recorded at Sommerstad's cabin near Halden in the south of Norway
. The album was released in January 2004, and was an immediate success, boasting 24 weeks on the official Norwegian albums chart, a gold record and numerous price award nominations for best Norwegian pop album of the year.
After the following tour of more than 100 gigs both nationally and abroad (France
, Switzerland
and Germany
), the band spent the greater part of 2005 in Berczelly's studio, and released their fourth album Reasons To Hang Around
in January 2006. For it, they were awarded the Norwegian Grammy equivalent Spellemannsprisen.
2007 saw the release of their fifth album, Candy Store. After the release of the album, the band embarked on a Norwegian tour in September, followed by tours of Germany, France and Switzerland during the first four months of 2008. The band stated, in 2007, that they intend to have a pause from making music, but that they eventually will make at least one more album. In 2009 they released the album Either Way I Think You Know.
Walking Home From Nicole's
Walking Home from Nicole's is the Norwegian band Minor majority's debut album released in 2001.-Track listing:#Easy And Safe#What I Deserve#Electrolove#Singalongsong#She's A New Yorker#A Kid That Used To Look Like Me#Passion For Property...
, was released one year later with significant help from singer/songwriter Karen Jo Fields.
In November 2001 the band saw the addition of guitarist Jon Arild Stieng and the duo went on tour for the first time in the spring of 2002. Berczelly left the band and concentrated full-time on producing, which he has done for the band ever since.
The band's next album If I Told You, You Were Beautiful
If I Told You, You Were Beautiful
If I Told You, You Were Beautiful is the second album of the Norwegian band Minor majority, released in 2002.-Track listing:#"If I told you, you were beautiful"#"By this time tomorrow"#"Dancing in the backyard"#"She came back for her smile"...
was recorded in Stieng's house in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
that same summer, and was released in October. For the up coming tour of spring 2003 keyboardist Harald Sommerstad joined, and the band was now a trio.
Prior to the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Quart-festivalen
Quart Festival
The Quart Festival was an annual popular music festival that took place in Kristiansand, Norway in the beginning of July. It was the most visited music festival in Norway....
the same year, the band was extended further by drummer Halvor Høgh Winsnes (Fast Winston Doom of Thulsa Doom
Thulsa Doom (band)
Thulsa Doom is a Norwegian stoner rock band. It takes its name from the Robert E. Howard character. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarist Ole Petter Andreassen , under the stage name El Doom...
) and bassist Henrik Widerøe. The band was complete, and in the late summer "Up For You & I
Up For You & I
Up for You & I is the third album of the Norwegian band Minor Majority, released in 2004.-Track listing:#Think I'm up for you and I#Wish you knew#She gave me away#Premature way#I thought I knew#Take it in#A song for Nicole#The dark half...
" was recorded at Sommerstad's cabin near Halden in the south of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The album was released in January 2004, and was an immediate success, boasting 24 weeks on the official Norwegian albums chart, a gold record and numerous price award nominations for best Norwegian pop album of the year.
After the following tour of more than 100 gigs both nationally and abroad (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), the band spent the greater part of 2005 in Berczelly's studio, and released their fourth album Reasons To Hang Around
Reasons To Hang Around
Reasons to Hang Around is the fourth album of the Norwegian band Minor Majority, released in 2006. All the songs on the album are written by Pål Angelskår, except "Don't Say You Love Me" & "Keep Coming Around", written by Pål Angelskår, Hein Goemans, and Jon Arild Stieng, and "There Will Come...
in January 2006. For it, they were awarded the Norwegian Grammy equivalent Spellemannsprisen.
2007 saw the release of their fifth album, Candy Store. After the release of the album, the band embarked on a Norwegian tour in September, followed by tours of Germany, France and Switzerland during the first four months of 2008. The band stated, in 2007, that they intend to have a pause from making music, but that they eventually will make at least one more album. In 2009 they released the album Either Way I Think You Know.
Band members
- Pål Angelskår : vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Jon Arild Stieng : guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, vocal - Harald Sommerstad : keysKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Henrik Harr Widerøe : bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, vocals - Halvor Høgh Winsnes : drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Discography
- 2001: Walking Home From Nicole'sWalking Home From Nicole'sWalking Home from Nicole's is the Norwegian band Minor majority's debut album released in 2001.-Track listing:#Easy And Safe#What I Deserve#Electrolove#Singalongsong#She's A New Yorker#A Kid That Used To Look Like Me#Passion For Property...
- 2002: If I Told You, You Were BeautifulIf I Told You, You Were BeautifulIf I Told You, You Were Beautiful is the second album of the Norwegian band Minor majority, released in 2002.-Track listing:#"If I told you, you were beautiful"#"By this time tomorrow"#"Dancing in the backyard"#"She came back for her smile"...
- 2004: Up for You & IUp For You & IUp for You & I is the third album of the Norwegian band Minor Majority, released in 2004.-Track listing:#Think I'm up for you and I#Wish you knew#She gave me away#Premature way#I thought I knew#Take it in#A song for Nicole#The dark half...
- 2006: Reasons to Hang AroundReasons To Hang AroundReasons to Hang Around is the fourth album of the Norwegian band Minor Majority, released in 2006. All the songs on the album are written by Pål Angelskår, except "Don't Say You Love Me" & "Keep Coming Around", written by Pål Angelskår, Hein Goemans, and Jon Arild Stieng, and "There Will Come...
- 2007: Candy Store
- 2009: Either Way You Think I Know
External links
- Official site
- Minor Majority at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....