I remember "Stranded"

This album, first released in 1986, became an instant classic and still is, at least if you're Swedish and was a teenager circa, well, 1986. Usually, I'm the first reviewer on obscure items like this one, but it seems somebody beat me to it this time!

Tone Norum (who is originally from Norway) is the younger sister of John Norum, at the time a member of the popular rock band Europe. Indeed, Europe were heavily involved in the making and promoting of her debut album, and even provided back vocals. Not everyone can just call Sweden's most popular performers and ask them to help kick start your career!

“One of a Kind” became an instant success, the media dubbed Tone the Carola of heavy metal (yes, Carola was Sweden's ever-present pop diva already back then) and two of the songs from the album became major chart hits, “Can't you stay” and “Stranded”. The “Stranded” video clip, despite its crudeness, is still something of a cult hit, just as the song itself. Incidentally, Tone's famous duet with Tommy Nilsson, “My summer with you”, is not included on this album, but was a special single released one year later.

I don't have this little trinket myself, but the song “Stranded” comes back to haunt me on a semi-regular basis, and I sure hope Tone-Carola managed to get off that rock…