The Dahlmanns/Tommy and The Rockets - Scandinavian Affair

It's always a great day when I can talk about The Dahlmanns! Scandinavian Affair, according to my most sophisticated calculations, is The Dahlmanns' 17th release. It's a split single that teams up Norway's favorite power (pop) couple with Tommy and the Rockets from Denmark. And it was co-released by a Swedish label! For this project both bands cover a song from the early '80s. The Dahlmanns contribute their version of "Party Girl" off of Rachel Sweet's third LP ...And Then He Kissed Me. On the flip, Tommy offers up his rendition of "You Don't Know What You've Got" from Joan Jett's 1980 debut album.

Superb choice in cover material has always been a strong suit for Andre and Line Dahlmann. They will often take a band and find a song of theirs that's just as great but not quite as known as the "big hits" (their version of Katrina and the Waves' "Do You Want Crying" is one of the most splendid things they've ever recorded!). And that's exactly what they've done here. "Party Girl" was by no means one of Rachel Sweet's highest charting singles, but in my book it's up there with her finest songs. The Dahlmanns manage to remain faithful to the girl group gone new wave style of the original without straight-up copying it. Line, as always, is remarkable on lead vocals. To pull off this song, you really have to convey a genuine tenderness and emotion. Line does just that - again showing that there's no better pure pop singer out there. The playing and production are exactly what you'd expect from a Dahlmanns recording: absolutely flawless. And if this track sends dozens of people in search of Rachel Sweet's old records, that will be a win for everyone (the uninitiated should start with this banger!). I have not checked in with Tommy and the Rockets in a number of years, but I've got to say that Tommy's version of "You Don't Know What You've Got" is really fantastic. He treats the song with his usual Beach Boys worship by way of the Ramones, and overall my impression of this track is that it fits perfectly in tandem with The Dahlmanns. In fact, this Scandinavian affair went so swimmingly that we all ought to demand a sequel! Get the 7" from Beluga Records and Ghost Highway Recordings!



-L.R.

https://belugarecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-dahlmanns-tommy-and-the-rockets-scandinavian-affair
https://tommyandtherockets.bandcamp.com/album/scandinavian-affair
https://www.facebook.com/thedahlmanns/
https://www.facebook.com/punkrecords.se/
https://www.facebook.com/GhostHighwayRecordings/