TØSEDRENGENE 1982 - on the way to the top: From the left: Anne Dorte Michelsen, Henrik Stanley Møller, Michael Bruun, Klaus Kjellerup, Jan Sivertsen, Maria Bramsen & Aage Hagen.

Tøsedrengene went in a different direction in the 80-ies. As the first danish band, they took hold of reggae music and combined it with danish texts. All of DK sang along with such hits as "Sig du ka li mig", "Indianer" & "Ud under åben himmel". From the start in the uncles childhood hometown, Hørsholm in the middle of the 70-ies - towards the disbandment in 1985, they sold about 1 mill records. Their original albums did not just put finger prints, but the whole palm of the hand on danish pop music. Though it required a well known fan to convince Universal Music to publish them on CD - the musician Tim Christensen, who in 2006 bellyached about the fact that Tøsedrengene had never been published on CD. That happened with the 2006-publishing of the original albums: Boxen, KOMPLET

The first official promo photo of Tøsedrengene - from the release of the first akbum in 1979, "Det går fremad". "Tøsedrengene" was established by Klaus Kjellerup and Stanley in 1978 - the idea being to play reggae in Danish. It was first when the girls joined the band that the career stepped forward - and that happened during the production of the groups second record in 1980, "Tiden står stille" ( The one with "Sig du ka li' mig" ). The group first expanded with Anne Dorte Michelsen and Gitte Naur, and in 1981 Gitte Naur was replaced by Maria Bramsen.  "Tøsedrengene" first serious breakthrough came with "Sig du ka li' mig", written by Klaus Kjellerup and Anne Dorte Michelsen. The group hit the public with a great force because of their strong simple refrain, with reggae influenced rhythms and danish romantic lyrics with substance. Something relatively unheard of in 1980, where the danish pop-lyrics, mainly consisted either of political manifestos or school english.

Tøsedrengene 1979 - before the girls entered:  Aage Hagen, Jan Sivertsen, Klaus Kjellerup, Michael Bruun & Henrik Stanley Møller

The group was characterised by the fact that it contained so unusually many strong personalities, that their collected talents could bring them right to the top of the pop charts and deep into the danish awareness - which in the future did become evident. The most outstanding members of the group were the composers Michael Bruun and Klaus Kjellerup, who delivered hit after hit in the period 1981-85 - and the singer/lyricist Anne Dorte Michelsen, whose lyrics and high sonorous voice gave the orchestra's appearance an altogether honest and innocent character.

The remaining members Aage Hagen, Henrik Stanley, Jan Sivertsen and Maria Bramsen contributed each their special abilities and personalities to fill the picture of a large well functioning collective, where there was room for everyone. And like this, everything went well, for as long as it did... The problem appeared in the meantime, when all seven needed to agree - in that there wasn't a leader of the group. No one had the last word. That lead to many roaring arguments in dressing rooms across Denmark - and the first major work related crisis in the orchestra, in the autumn 1983 lead to Klaus Kjellerup's (voluntary) departure from the group. (Tøsedrengene at that time were so news worthy, that this break-up was on the front pages of every newspapers in the country - and even on the midday radio news.)

The remaining "Tøsedrenge" continued in the meantime - ( first with Rene Szczyrbak, later with Lars Danielsson to replace Klaus Kjellerup ) - and made a further two records, where the first of them, "Tiden er Klog", rounded up a record number of sales, - ( the one with "Indianer" and "Så gik der tid med det" ). The group split up in 1985, shortly after the release of the last "Tøsedrenge" record, "I sikre Hænder", which was not able to live up to the previous - at least not in the commercial sense.

The orchestra members continued there after in several connections: Lejrbåls, Ray-dee-ohh, among others. Anne Dorte Michelsen continued solo, and later with "Venter på Far". Klaus Kjellerup continued solo, and later with "Danser med Drenge".

Today - 16 years after the dismantling of "Tøsedrengene" - all the members still work within the music industry - nearly. Klaus Kjellerup and Stanley play as is known, in "Danser med Drenge", and their good friend, Aage Hagen, is an administrator at "Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium" in København. Michael Bruun is today a music teacher at a teachers college, after a glorious career as a music producer for the biggest danish pop stars. Jan Sivertsen is today a successful freelance producer and still one of DK's best drummers. Anne Dorte Michelsen has long since securely established her name as a soloist and lyricist - while Maria Bramsen, after having collaborated on many records with music for children, today is the only one to step outside the music industry and has become a graphic designer. 

There are many people that have attempted to convince "Tøsedrengene" to get together again - just for a single little concert, or two. For the sake of the good old days. But this until further, has not been possible. It did happen on one single occasion at a private arrangement in 1990 - being at Klaus Kjellerup's wedding - but unfortunately two of the gents in the orchestra ended up discussing (let us just say fight about) a couple of musical details in the song "Vi var engang så tæt" ("We were once so close") ... so - considering that this happened a few years ago, it will probably be a few years still, before the old boys and girls can meet altogether behind the instruments again ... perhaps when they reach the age of pensioners, one can hope. On the other hand .... one never knows.

- And then it did happen ...  during the “Tøsedrengene” 25th anniversary in 2004: Nearly all of Tøsedrengene actually joined together with DmD during two concerts in Pumpehuset in 2004 - on the occasion of the 25th year of Tøsedrengene debut. The same thing happened during the Skanderborg Festival 2004 - a fantastic concert, which was immortalised on DmD’s DVD: Hallo hvor det koger - furthermore all of the original Tøsedrenge played two of the old songs from the Tøsedrenge repertoire at the same festival on the occasion of the Skanderborg Festival’s 25th anniversary. 

[translated from Danish by Hans K. Rasmussen  - Sydney, Australia]