The Hounds

The Hounds -- also sometimes referred to as "the Hound" -- were a Swedish rock band of the mid-'60s, organized in 1965 by 19-year-old guitarist and singer Henrik Salander and his friend, singer Jan Ahlén. The group -- whose other members included Lars Wallander (guitar), Jan Bråthe (bass/vocals), and Janne Önnerud (drums) -- had a decided orientation toward pop/rock, with an emphasis on harmony vocals and mainstream fare. Their first major hit was a sung version of "Exodus" in 1966, which reached number three in Sweden; they charted the following year with a cover of <a href="spotify:artist:6YROFUbu5zRCHi2xkir5pk">Brian Hyland</a>'s hit "Sealed with a Kiss" at number two, and hit the number one spot the same year with their version of <a href="spotify:artist:1GAJzApRTMmYZ9EjQ91VOy">the Tokens</a>' hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." They later hit number six with their version of the <a href="spotify:artist:2UQwwYBLBvtpGHTMYzTgHi">Chad & Jeremy</a> hit "A Summer Song," and closed out 1967 with a number four placement on "I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing." Their only chart record of 1968 was a number four hit for "The Gipsy Cried." But they also covered topical material such as <a href="spotify:artist:74ASZWbe4lXaubB36ztrGX">Bob Dylan</a>'s "The Times They Are A-Changin'," and seemed to have had more strings to their bow than the soft pop of their singles. Additionally, they did record some excellent originals, mostly written or co-written by Salander. And they even brushed up against the pop side of freakbeat with a crunchy, guitar and brass-driven rendition of "Hi-Ho Silver Lining" that could have easily charted anywhere in the world.

Based on the recorded evidence, the Hounds were at least as solid a group as, say, <a href="spotify:artist:7FZqbNdkNb0UVVze7L8PGp">the Hep Stars</a> or <a href="spotify:artist:3ad93MNniE0byDdOcRNT3Y">the Hootenanny Singers</a>. With their emphasis on covers, they were roughly Sweden's equivalent to <a href="spotify:artist:1tttI1iC4FsS6BM5l38oe5">the Marmalade</a> or <a href="spotify:artist:2VL8sLEJ6lHEwocjc1pN9w">the Tremeloes</a>. But they never pursued music as long as any of those other groups -- as it turned out, the Hounds' key creative member had other, bigger fish to fry. The quintet broke up in 1968 when Henrik Salander decided to pursue higher education full-time, a move that may have cost music some pleasant pop sounds, but otherwise seems to have benefited not only Sweden but the entire world. In the decades since, Salander has pursued a long career in international affairs as a respected diplomat, and among his other activities, he has headed the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Office in the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was the Secretary-General of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. His interest in music didn't desert him, however -- he once delivered a report on nuclear proliferation to the United Nations sung to the <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">Beatles</a> tune "Yesterday." As for the Hounds, they reportedly have reunited on occasion for one-off performances. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi