Joey Tempest from EUROPE

From: Starlet - No. 22, 1986         Translated by: Stein-Vidar

Swedish rock music's latest push towards international fame is called EUROPE, and their vocalist is Joey Tempest. With the new LP "The Final Countdown", the countdown to blast-off to stardom has started - and if they succeed, young Joey will undoubtedly get much of the honor for it. The band was formed in Stockholm in 1980, and with two Norwegians included, it goes without saying that EUROPE have also got a flying start in Norway. The two are guitarist John Norum and drummer Ian Haugland.

But it's Joey Tempest who has got the fans' attention - the 23 year old who also writes the band's songs. In the winter 1985 / 86 it was touch and go with EUROPE's future. Joey got problems with his voice, and for a couple of months he was barely allowed to speak. At that time EUROPE were supposed to start their international release campaign and record a new LP - but everything was postponed for an indefinite period.

Fortunately it went well. As everybody can hear, his voice works perfectly fine on the LP "The Final Countdown", and the fans ensured EUROPE a gold record on basis of the advance ordering alone (50 000 copies). Melodious hard rock is the description we want to use for EUROPE, and it's an impressively well-made LP. This summer they came to Norway, in association with their big Swedish tour, and it was success from the first note.

If - or should we say when - EUROPE get their big international breakthrough, we Norwegians are ready to receive our part of the honor. When one thinks about how we behaved with a fourth of ABBA (Anne-Frid Lyngstad) - it will hardly be any better with two fifths of EUROPE.

After their tour triumph in Scandinavia, the LP has been released in the USA, and it's there EUROPE are going to aim at first. In the fall the promotion machine is going to be busy - and things are looking good for EUROPE. Just imagine: EUROPE - the Scandinavian rock band including two members from a-ha's homeland!