Murray Torkildsen

Murray Torkildsen, son of Dr George Torkildson, the founding father of recreation management,[1] was born in Harlow Essex. Schooled at Burnt Mill Comprehensive, where his contemporaries were future England Manager Glen Hoddle, and comedian John Mann. He was taught the bongos by Felix Cobson,[2] a Ghanain drummer and artist and was influenced by Harlow's regular summer free concerts in Spurrier's Park from 1973 [3] where regular acts included Edddie and the Hot Rods and Dr. Feelgood, he met future Feelgoods guitarist Gypie Mayo.[4] During the 1970s Murray fronted two seminal Harlow independent bands, Ill Bailey and the Vomits and Captain Pelican and the Lost Crusaders of Neasden. His occasional roadie was Bill Rammell, who later became MP for Harlow and minister of state in three government departments. During the 1980s, Murray was a founding member of numerous bands in the Harlow area of Essex, including the popular underground group Real by Real. The band changed line up along the way with Murray always remaining as the core member, until they morphed at the beginning of the 1990s into The Sweeney. Torkildsen also played guitar in John Otway's band.[5][6] Torkildson Way is a street named after his father in Harlow,[7] although it and an adjacent street (Bowhill Way) are coincidentally the surnames of Murray and another early band associate, William Bowhill. He is credited with the introduction to Harlow of 'The Purple Nasty',[8] a drink probably first served at Harlow pub, The Shark,[9] in 1978, as well as promoting the works of Derek and Clive, to Harlow intellectuals.

Murray released one solo album Sex Lies and Videogames.

Having worked his way around North America, Britain and Ireland as a solo act, Murray Torkildsen spent summer 1995 working on new material. He formed a band called The Sweeney with two friends, Adam Batterbee (drums) and Sid (bass).[5] The Sweeney was named after the popular ITV television serial of the same name. Their 1997 song "The Cummings Family Outing" [10] from the Album Bingo, prefigures the Dominic Cummings family 'eye test' outing to Barnard Castle during the 2020 lockdown, that caused much press controversy but does not seem to be an example of time-travel.

The Sweeney's debut single 'Shut Up!' was released in November 1995. Their second single "Why?" earned a regular spot on John Peel's radio show in early 1996, and was voted into number nine on that year's Festive Fifty.[11]

The Sweeney's debut album was Pop Gun. The group returned to the studio to record three further albums, Bingo, The Sweeney and most recently 5 (2005).

Solo: Albums:

• Sex Lies and Videogames (1996)

Tracks:

1. Bedrock:
2. Handsome is as handsome does:
3. Trudy Tuesday:
4. Anything at all:
5. Falling in love:
6. Ignorance is bliss:
7. Choose Lorena:
8. Religion:
9. Beverly Hills 90210:
10. One of our dinosaurs is missing:
11. The paper that supports our boys:
12. Whatever happened to Baby Jane:
13. Stop talking football:
14. My party

With the Sweeney:

Albums:

• Pop Gun! - 1996

Tracks:

1. Shut Up!:
2. This & that:
3. England:
4. Ticket void if scratched:
5. Big red:
6. You belong to me:
7. Why?
8. Easy:
9. On stilts with feathers in you hair:
10. Venus in fake furs:
11. Husbands & wives:
12. Honey forever

• Bingo - 1997

Tracks:

1. The Cummings family outing:
2. Wannabe:
3. Fish face:
4. The zoo keeper:
5. Compos mentis:
6. Nostalgia rise:
7. Rock!:
8. The kazoo song:
9. Batman and Robin:
10. Mrs Symonds' daughter:
11. Twinkle toes:
12. Outside

• The Sweeney - 2000

Tracks:

1. Chocolate and Flowers:
2. Heavy Metal Tattoo:
3. White Trash:
4. Belinda:
5. Weight of Experience:
6. Billy the Human Bomb:
7. Anthony:
8. On and On and On:
9. Salford Quays:
10. Your Dog:
11. The King of Harlow:
12. My Invisible Friend

• 5 - 2005

Singles:

• "Shut Up" - 1995
• "Why?" - 1996
• "Fish Face" - 1997
• "The Kazoo Song" - 1997

• The Sweeney web site