Public Enemies was a Norwegian
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed p ...
band from
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, known for its performances at
Club 7
Club 7 was a cultural club in Oslo, Norway, active from 1963 to 1985. It was regarded a centre for counterculture in Norway in the 1960s through the 1970s. There was a wide tolerance for alternative lifestyles, including homosexuality.
History
Clu ...
and later work with
Karin Krog
Karin Krog (born 15 May 1937) is a Norwegian jazz singer.
Life and career
Krog began singing jazz as a teenager and attracted attention while performing in jam sessions in Oslo. In 1955, she was hired by the pianist Kjell Karlsen to sing i ...
.
They released a notable version of ''Sunny and Watermelon Man'' with Karin Krog. The group toured Northern Europe, sharing stages with, among others,
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his distin ...
from
Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
.
Band members
The members of Public Enemies were Hans Petter Holm (vocals, guitar, bass), Bjørn Johansen (guitar, vocals), Thomas Berg Monsen (harmonica, vocals), Arild Boman (organ),
Hans Marius Stormoen
Hans Marius Stormoen (February 7, 1943 – June 1, 2006) was a Norwegian bass player, philologist, and actor. He was the son of the actor Hans Stormoen and the actress Lill Egede-Nissen.
Stormoen's interest in bass was aroused in Denmark, wher ...
(bass) and Jan Lie (drums, vocals).
Success

Public Enemies was voted the most popular band in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
in 1966, with a good margin down to
The Pussycats
The Pussycats were a Norwegian rock band from Tromsø. Their members from 1963 to 1967 were bassist and vocalist Sverre Kjelsberg, guitarist and vocalist Trond Graff, drummer Kaare Larsen, lead guitarist Ottar Aasegg, and keyboardist and vocal ...
. They featured in the Norwegian film ''Hurra for Andersens'', performing their hit single "Shotgun". Later that year "Shotgun" reached #7 on
Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg).
The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
Top 20, making Public Enemies the first Norwegian band with success on international hit lists. Their 1967 album ''From Public Enemies Without Love'', simply titled ''Public Enemies'', was released also in Italy with a different cover on the Thunder label.
Dissolution
In 1967 Christian Reim (organ) joined Public Enemies. The band was dissolved the same year when Hans Marius Stormoen and Reim went on to form Dream with
Terje Rypdal
Terje Rypdal (born 23 August 1947) is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. He has been an important member in the Norwegian jazz community, and has also given show concerts with guitarists Ronni Le Tekrø and Mads Eriksen as "N3".
Career
Rypdal ...
. Bjørn Johansen and Jan Lie later formed the band The Prophets.
Discography
*''I Call It Pretty Music'' (
EP, 1965)
*''Elevate Me'' (
EP,
Volt
The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference ( voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827).
D ...
, 1965)
*''Believe Me'' (
EP, Thunder, 1966)
*''Shotgun'' (
EP, Triola, 1966)
*''Familien Andersen'' (
EP, 1966)
*''Sunny/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'' (
EP,
Sonet
Synchronous optical networking (SONET) and synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) are standardized protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams synchronously over optical fiber using lasers or highly coherent light from light-emitting dio ...
, featuring
Karin Krog
Karin Krog (born 15 May 1937) is a Norwegian jazz singer.
Life and career
Krog began singing jazz as a teenager and attracted attention while performing in jam sessions in Oslo. In 1955, she was hired by the pianist Kjell Karlsen to sing i ...
, 1966)
*''From Public Enemies Without Love'' (
LP,
Sonet
Synchronous optical networking (SONET) and synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) are standardized protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams synchronously over optical fiber using lasers or highly coherent light from light-emitting dio ...
, 1966)
*''Public Enemies'' (
LP, Thunder, 1966)
References
External links
Hurra for Andersens��IMDB.
{{Authority control
Norwegian rhythm and blues musical groups
Musical groups established in 1965
1965 establishments in Norway
Musical groups disestablished in 1967
1967 disestablishments in Norway
Musical groups from Oslo