Radiofantomene
with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra & P.I.L.S.
It’s ringing, it’s ringing! Who could it be?
The gentlemen Kurt Foss and Reidar Bøe, perhaps best known as the duo Radiofantomene (The Radio Phantoms), were everywhere in Norway in the '50s and '60s. The dynamic pair was behind songs like 'Det ringer, det ringer' (It’s Ringing, It’s Ringing), 'De nære ting' (The Simple Things), and 'Blåveispiken' (The Hepatica Girl), selling an estimated 1.5 million records.
'They were rock stars before the term even existed. Their music is part of our DNA,' says NRK's Bård Ose.
Together with his radio partner Finn Tokvam from P.I.L.S – Populærmusikk Ispedd Litt Sladder (Popular Music Sprinkled with Some Gossip), Ose will host this concert where the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, KORK, will honor Radiofantomene together with a selection of guest artists at Grieghallen.
For Kurt Foss and Reidar Bøe, the journey went from Dragefjellet Public School, via an improvised rehearsal room in a public urinal at Nøstebodskaien, to the stage, recording studios, and NRK broadcasts. Musical comedy, a lighthearted demeanor, and catchy, beautiful melodies—often set to poems by Jakob Sande and Arne Paasche Aasen—made the duo superstars in the post-war period, creating radio and TV history in Norway. Not bad for two street kids who couldn’t read sheet music.
'From the deep musical treasure chest of Kurt Foss and Reidar Bøe, there are connections to the current music scene in Bergen, through the Bergen rock band Radiofantomene, and many other paths. The original Radiofantomene is a significant part of Norway's cultural heritage, which I knew far too little about before moving to Bergen,' says Festival director Lars Petter Hagen.
Video: NRK
The Norwegian Radio Orchestra – KORK
Nick Davies conductor
P.I.LS. – Bård Ose, Finn Tokvam hosts
Bjørn Tomren soloist
Åse Britt Reme Jakobsen soloist
Jonas Lovv soloist
Kjersti Elvik soloist
Sigrid Moldestad soloist, chorus
Kirsten Reme Jakobsen chorus
Einar Sogstad keys, vocal
Hans-Olav Molde drums, dobro, vocal
Tommy Haltbakk guitar, vocal
Anders Bitustøyl bass
Arild Haga (arr. David Hveem)
Vi ikkje nokke vi
Kurt Foss / Reidar Bøe / Arne Paasche Aasen (arr. L. A. Aspesæter)
Blåveispiken
Lionel Neumann / Jakob Sande (arr. D. Hveem)
Du er min los
Reidar Bøe / Kurt Foss / Jakob Sande
Drama i 4 akter
Hans Fritz Beckmann / Mike Andrew / Charly Niessen
No øl, no vin, no dram
Reidar Bøe / Kurt Foss / Jakob Sande
Kallen og katten
Kurt Foss / Reidar Bøe / Kristian Hauger / Arne Paasche Aasen (arr. C. Klouman / L. A. Aspesæter)
Tre yndige små mus
Reidar Bøe / Kurt Foss / Lars Bastiansen (arr. L. A. Aspesæter)
Den nye fjellveivisen
Kurt Foss / Reidar Bøe / Arne Paasche Aasen (R. Nord / L. A. Aspesæter)
Langt borti Tyttebærskauen
Reidar Bøe / Kurt Foss / Jakob Sande
Fabel
Reidar Bøe / Kurt Foss / Erik Diesen (arr. D. Hveem)
Det ringer, det ringer
Willy Schikora (arr. L. E. Gudim)
Når det blomstrer i Hardanger
Reidar Bøe / Kurt Foss / Arne Paasche Aasen ( arr. L. E. Gudim)
De nære ting
by William Kentridge
Fateful music theatre from one of our time's greatest artists.