Description
Better Late Than Never is the solo debut album by the Swedish singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Per-Erik Hallin, released on the Swedish gospel label Royal Music in 1982, and as well in the UK on Myrrh Records, a division of Word. Also released in the US on Refuge Records the following year, distributed by The Benson Company. The album tracks were recorded in both Sweden (at Park Studio Polyvox in Stockholm) and in the US (at Weddington Studios in North Hollywood, California), recorded by Peter Olsson and Gordon Shryock with Per-Erik Hallin producing and arranging. (Overdubs recorded at Studio Bastun, Supreme Studio, Park Studio and KMH Studios in Sweden, and as well at Weddington Studios.) Mixed by Hallin and Olsson at Studio Bastun in Stockholm, Sweden. All songs written by Per-Erik Hallin.
Featuring Per-Erik Hallin on acoustic piano and various keyboards and synthesizers, backed by US based session musicians like bassist Nathan East and members of Koinonia (Hadley Hockensmith, Bill Maxwell, and Alex Acuña), as well as Swedish studio musicians like Glen Myerscough, Backa Hans Eriksson, Anders Mossberg, and Klas Anderhell (the latter two of Jerusalem fame). Background vocals provided by Edwin Hawkins, Lynette Hawkins Stephens, as well as Frank Ådahl of Edin-Ådahl fame, among others. The album track “Gospel Train” was covered by Little Anthony on his 1980-album Daylight, while “What A World It Would Be” was covered by Howard Smith on his 1985 album, Totally Committed.
Trivia: Per-Erik “Pete” Hallin had been working as a session musician during the 1970s, both in Sweden and the US, and actually sang with and played piano for Elvis Presley during 1973 and 1974 (as the pianist of the group Voice he got to play and record with Elvis at Stax recording studio in Memphis).
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/better-late-than-never/1080803103)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Let It Out” – 3:38
A2. “Gospel Train” – 5:34
A3. “You Put Another Song In My Heart” – 4:15
A4. “Do You Know What You’re Missing” – 4:00
A5. “What A World It Would Be” – 3:24
Side Two
B1. “Better Late Than Never” – 3:34
B2. “Don’t You Put It Off Until Tomorrow” – 4:16
B3. “The Golden Rule Jingle” – 4:10
B4. “Nothing To Fear” – 4:37
B5. “The Summer Is Not Over” – 4:23
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Royal Music. Remastered and re-issued on CD in 1995.
“Gospel Train”, feat. Koinonia (Live in Sweden, 1983)
“I Got A Feelin’ In My Body”, Per-Erik Hallin, Live in 1984
We spent a lot of time together with Elvis privately, after the concerts. Then we were often around a piano, and then he sang just because it was fun. And then it was really evident the tremendous love he felt for the gospel songs. Because he wanted to sing them, and it wasn’t necessarily he who sang, many times he just listened or sang a part, and he especially liked to sing bass. And I think he felt that a lot of what was in the show that he did was quite superficial, but now it was serious in a way, it was obvious that he did this with all his heart. I’ve been thinking a lot about it afterwards, Elvis was exposed, I would almost say, to an idolatry that had no limits at all, it went way out of hand, and still does many times. And in the midst of it all, he was just an ordinary, simple person. And it felt just like this [the gospel singing] became a refuge for him. I also think it’s pretty touching to think that a person being exposed to so much idolatry likes to just be one of the gang and sing songs like «There’s Somebody Bigger Than You And I» and the like. It’s as though everything gets a different perspective in gospel music. In ordinary music you look up to the singer who stands there on stage. But I tend to think that in gospel music, you get to raise your eyes and focus on the one that has given the singer the gift to sing, and then everything gets a more healthy perspective, and I think he felt something of this very strongly. I think I can say without hesitation that gospel was simply the type of music Elvis liked the most. And I think that if anyone of those who knew him well, and perhaps better than I did, would sit next to me, they would nod and agree and say, ‘yes that’s the way it was’. And it has been said many times and I myself have experienced it. It was noticeable in his whole attitude towards it, and with the heart that he suddenly sang with, and the reverence he showed for the music as well.
[Excerpt from an interview with Per-Erik “Pete” Hallin published May 28, 2012, at the website of For Elvis Fans Only – Elvis Presley Official Fan Club]
CREDITS. Produced, arranged and written by Per-Erik Hallin. Tracks recorded at Weddington Studios, North Hollywood, Ca, USA and at Park Studio Polyvox in Stockholm, Sweden. Overdubs recorded at Studio Bastun, Weddington Studios, Supreme Studio, Park Studio and KMH Studio. Mixed at Studio Bastun. Engineered by Gordon Shryock and Peter Olsson. Overdubs engineered by Anders Oredson, Andy Kidd, Boje Lundberg, Christer Lindström, Peter Olsson, and Wally Grant. Mixed by Per-Erik Hallin and Peter Olsson.
Musicians: Per-Erik Hallin (Piano, Yamaha Electric Grand Piano, Fender Rhodes, Organ, Prophet 5 Synthesizer, Prophet 5 Programming, Arp Odyssey Synthesizer, Melodica), Hadley Hockensmith (Guitar), Nathan East (Bass), Bill Maxwell (Drums), Alex Acuña (Drums, Percussion, Vocal Cuica), Peter Lundblad (Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Solo Guitar, Arp Odyssey Programming), Backa Hans Eriksson (Bass, Electric Upright Bass), Anders Mossberg (Bass), Klas Anderhell (Drums), Rolf Alex (Drums, Percussion), Opa (Percussion, Congas). Tommy Koverhult (English Horn), Håkan Nyqvist (French Horn), Glen Myerscough (Saxophone). Strings: Anders Dahl, Gunnar Michols, Håkan Roos, Kjell Bjurling, Bertil Orsin, Claes Nilsson, Olle Gustavsson. Backing Vocals: Edwin Hawkins, Lynette Hawkins Stephens, Frank Ådahl, Agneta Gilstig, Agneta Olsson, Backa Hans Eriksson, Kathy Hazzard, Palle Bjurström, Per-Erik Hallin, Peter Olsson, UllaCarin Holmberg, Yvonne Larsson.
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