Björk "Björk 1977"

Track-list: "Litli arabadrengurinn", "Bukolla", "Alta mira", "Johannes Kjarval", "Fusi hreindyr", "Himnaför", "Oliver", "Alfur ut ur holl", "Musastiginn", "Baenin"

One day when Björk was 10 years old there was an "open-house-day" at her school. All the childrens' parents were invited and all the children had to do some individual performances, like singing or reading poems. Björk sang a song named "I love to love", which reached number 1 in the Icelandic charts in 1976. The Icelandic radio did a special feauture about the event and a man who worked for Iceland's leading record-company Falkinn (today a bicycle-manufacture) heard Björk sing and was surprised by the maturity in her voice. He asked the 10-year-old singer to make a record and the result was this hippie-/disco-oriented children's album, which made Björk to a domestic Icelandic child-star. The very young Björk sings and plays the flute assisted by hippie-musicians and members from her step-father Saevar's band The Pops, which was one of Iceland's most popular rock-bands at the time. Saevar wrote the cachy Arabic-influenced disco-song "Litli arabadrengurinn" (title can be translated as "Little Arabian boy"), which became a massive hit in Iceland. The young chanteuse herself wrote a cute folk-oriented, semi-classical piece named after the famous Icelandic landscape-painter Johannes Kjarval. 

The record contains a beautiful Icelandic version of The Beatles' classical  "The fool on the hill" ("Alfur ut ur holl") and a dreadful reggea-version of Stevie Wonder's "Your kiss is sweet" (titled "Bukolla" after an Icelandic cow). The remaining songs are 70s pop- and disco-versions of traditional Icelandic folk-tunes and children's songs. "Baenin" is a nice, laid-back, somewhat Elgar Sisters-remiscent closing-piece but otherwise it isn't possible to trace any hints of Björk's adult career. I'm quite impressed by the powerful expressions and the maturity in the 11-year-old Björk's voice, though it's naturally way below the levels of the adult Björk.

"Björk" sold 5000 copies, which is gold on Iceland, but it's extremely hard to get an original LP-copy of it today. The adult Björk hasn't allowed any re-releases, which is quite understable, because of the dated hippi-esque arrangements, but there is quite a big selection of bootleged CD-versions around. Of course it's a must-have for Björk-fanatics and completists, not only because of the couriosity but also for the meldoic sweetness of "Litle arabadrengurinn" and "Johannes Kjarval".