Description

The self-titled debut album by the Swedish hard rock band Jerusalem was released on the Swedish gospel label Prim in 1978. (An English version of the album was released in the US on Lamb & Lion Records in 1980, and as well on Word in the UK.) The album was recorded by Boje Lundberg at Supreme Studio in Stockholm, Sweden; with Swante Bengtsson producing. All songs written by guitarist and lead singer Ulf Christiansson except track B2 written by keyboardist Dan Tibell and track B5 written by bassist Bertil Sörensson. During the first six months the record sold 20,000 copies in Sweden.

On the debut album Jerusalem featured Ulf Christiansson on guitar and lead vocals, Dan Tibell on keyboards, Bertil Sörensson on bass, and Danne Gansmoe of Vatten and Salt fame on drums.

The ballad “Kom till mej” was covered by Christian Liljegren of Narnia fame on his solo album Kraft released in 2015.

These are the original Swedish pressings of Jerusalem’s first two albums with all lyrics sung in Swedish. If there’s any difference in the instrumental backing from the US releases it didn’t stand out to me. Still the boys seem to sound much more at home in their native tongue. «Jesus Is The Most Fantastic» is «Jesus Ar Det Underbaraste», «Daddy Who Has Made» is «Pappa Vern Har Gjort», «High Tide» is «Hog Tid». The debut includes an extra track that didn’t make it on the US Volume I release: a harmonica boogie rocker called «Fangsang». Cover is the more or less the same as the Lamb & Lion version, right down to that inner sleeve pic of Ulf screaming his head off. Volym 2 also has the same front pic as the US version, but the Prim issue comes in a superior gate-fold cover. Track these babies down and experience your Jerusalem closer to the source. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/jerusalem-vol-1/1225668250)

LP tracklist (original Swedish release):

Side One
A1. “Tänk om Jesus har rätt” – 3:34
A2. “Noa” – 3:30
A3. “Kanske” – 4:22
A4. “Pappa, vem har gjort” – 3:50
A5. “Mr. Ego” – 3:22
A6. “Kom till mej” – 3:40

Side Two
B1. “Om du lyssnar” – 4:08
B2. “Dagarna går” – 4:54
B3. “Jesus är det underbaraste” – 2:23
B4. “Hög tid” – 5:26
B5. “Fångsång” – 2:48
B6. “Neutral” – 2:42

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Prim. Re-issued on CD as a part of Jerusalem Classics 1. The Swedish editions of the band’s first three albums were remastered and re-issued as a Digipak 3CD compilation on Fruit Records in April 2014.