In September 1994, nine-year-old Ludvig wakes up at home in Borås when his siblings and mother are watching TV. The newscaster tells about a ferry that has sunk on the Baltic Sea, Ludvig’s father Pierre Isacsson worked as a cruise host on the ferry and the family does not yet know if he survived.
In the 70’s, the artist Pierre Isacsson breaks through with thunder and crashes. The song “Then I go down to my basement” becomes a hit and today has cult status. But Pierre Isacsson has a strained relationship with the song, he does not want to play it on a tour and in a clip when he practices before a radio program, he jokingly tears the record with the basement song and says:
– It was Swedish Radio’s last copy of that song.
Pierre Isacsson has previously played with groups such as Country Four and Family Four and had a career as a songwriter, including Ola Håkansson. During the 70’s he releases four solo records but has to constantly pull with his super hit.
When it becomes clear to the Isacsson family that Pierre is one of the dead, a difficult time begins. His son Ludvig inherits a large box of cassettes that contains several demo recordings with songs that Pierre tried to get record companies to release before his death. The songs have much darker lyrics than the basement song. You hear a person who feels very bad and who is in a protracted divorce.
In “In the shadow of the basement song” we get to know another Pierre Isacsson and also his son Ludvig’s process of releasing his father’s demo songs, almost 30 years later. Hear unique clips from Pierre Isacsson’s private collection that have never been broadcast before.
The program was made in 2022 by Peter Gropman on Iris media.
Participants:
Ludvig Isacsson, son of Pierre Isacsson and artist / producer.
Per Wiker, author.
Marie Bergman, artist
Janne Schaffer, artist
Pontus Platin, artist
Source: ICELAND NEWS