''Björk'' is the only studio album by
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
ic singer
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
as a child singer, released on 18 December 1977 by
Fálkinn. In 1976, Björk appeared on Icelandic
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
singing "
I Love to Love
"I Love to Love" is a song recorded by German Eurodance group La Bouche, released in November 1995 as the fourth and last single of their debut album, '' Sweet Dreams'' (1995). The song achieved a minor success in comparison with " Be My Lover" ...
" through the music school she attended, which led her to a record deal and the release, with the help of stepfather Sævar, of her first solo album in 1977.
The album is reputed to be
juvenilia
Juvenilia are literary, musical or artistic works produced by authors during their youth. Written juvenilia, if published at all, usually appears as a retrospective publication, some time after the author has become well known for later works.
...
work and it is not included in the singer's official solo discography, hence the 1993 release ''
Debut
Debut or début (the first public appearance of a person or thing) may refer to:
* Debut (society), the formal introduction of young upper-class women to society
* Debut novel, an author's first published novel
Film and television
* ''The Debu ...
'' is widely considered to be Björk's first studio album.
Background
The songs were a mixture of
covers translated into Icelandic, like
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' "
The Fool on the Hill
"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album '' Magical Mystery Tour''. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe the ...
" ('Álfur Út Úr Hól'),
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...
's "Alta Mira",
Melanie Safka
Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk (born February 3, 1947), professionally known as Melanie or Melanie Safka, is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for the 1971–72 global hit "Brand New Key", her cover of " Ruby Tuesday", her compositi ...
's "Christopher Robin" ('Bænin') and
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
's song "
Your Kiss Is Sweet" ('Búkolla'), but it also contained some songs written specifically for the album, like the song "Arabadrengurinn" ('The Arab Boy') written by stepfather Sævar, and one instrumental
recorder
Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
-tribute to Icelandic painter
Jóhannes Kjarval, written and performed by 11-year-old Björk.
Björk was offered the chance to do a second album, but she turned it down. With the money she earned she bought herself a piano and started composing new songs of her own.
The album was released in two formats, vinyl and cassette,
in fairly limited edition (at least 7000 copies) and is rare outside of Iceland.
It was recorded at Hljóðriti Studios in
Reykjavík
Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...
. Hildur Hauksdóttir (Björk's mother) designed the cover and the photo was taken at a local Reykjavík studio.
Critical reception
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
critic Joslyn Layne gave the album an overwhelmingly negative review, stating: "Novelty value can only carry an album so far, and even covers of Stevie Wonder's 'Your Kiss Is Sweet', sung in Icelandic, and the Beatles' 'The Fool on the Hill' will probably not be enough to keep you laughing, or interested for the duration."
Track listing
Releases
*Fálkinn FA – 006 – 12" Vinyl
*Fálkinn FA – 006 – 4 – Cassette
References
External links
Artwork from LP & Cassette*
Björk albums
1977 debut albums
Icelandic-language albums
{{1970s-album-stub