Vamp

Critically acclaimed Norwegian folk-rock band Vamp made their award-winning album debut in 1993 and hit the uppermost reaches of the national charts with regularity in the years that followed. Founded in 1990 in Haugesund, Norway, the band was originally comprised of Jan Toft (vocals), Torbjørn Økland (guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, trumpet), Øyvind Staveland (violin, viola, accordion, flute), Carl Øyvind Apeland (bass, guitar, keyboards), and Erling Sande (drums). Co-founder Toft was replaced on vocals by Vidar Johnsen in 1998 and then Paul Hansen in 2008. In addition, Sande left the band in 1995 and Odin Staveland (keyboard, drums, guitar, vocals) joined in 2008. Vamp made their commercial recording debut in 1991 with a self-released single. Upon signing a recording deal with the MajorStudio label the following year, Vamp made their album debut in 1993 with Godmorgen, Søster. Now considered a classic, the album features guest vocals by Rita Eriksen on "Tir N'a Noir," perhaps the band's best-known song. Moreover, the album was not only a commercial success, reaching the Top 20 of the Norwegian charts and spawning a series of radio hits, but it was also a critical favorite, winning the band its first of numerous Spellemannprisen awards. While less praised from a critical standpoint, the follow-up album Horisonter (1994) was a greater commercial success, reaching number six on the charts, and with the exception of the live recording Folken (1996), all of the band's subsequent studio albums from the remainder of the decade, namely 13 Humler (1996), Flua På Veggen (1998), and Ei Med Alt (1999), were also Top Ten hits. After the turn of the century, Vamp hit the Top Five of the albums chart a couple times with En Annen Sol (2000) and Månemannen (2002) before hitting number one with Siste Stikk (2005), Vamp I Full Symfoni Med Kringkastingsorkesteret (2006), and St. Mandag (2008). In addition, Vamp hit the uppermost reaches of the singles chart with a new version of "Tir N'a Noir" in 2006. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi