Eirik Wangberg (b. 1944)
Alias:
Eirik the Norweigan
Born:
January 19, 1944
Eirik Wangberg, born in 1944 in England and raised in Oslo, is a Norwegian sound engineer, producer, and musician who has had a significant impact on international pop and rock music. Wangberg began his musical career as the bassist in the Norwegian rock band The Cool Cats, which recorded a demo at Abbey Road Studios in London as early as 1960 — two years before The Beatles did the same. At the age of 16, he was already a pioneer in Norwegian rock history. After building his own electric bass in Sweden, he formed the band The Noisemen and released music through Polar Music. In 1964, Wangberg moved to California to study but was quickly drawn into the music industry. He worked as a sound engineer, mixer, and producer in Los Angeles and was involved in recordings with artists such as The Turtles, Scott McKenzie, The Beach Boys, and The Mamas & the Papas. He also worked with The Beatles and Paul McCartney during the recording of "Hey Jude" and Ram. McCartney nicknamed him “The Norwegian.” He also collaborated with Swedish artists like Ted Gärdestad, including producing his English-language album Blue Virgin Isles. In 1980, Wangberg returned to Norway and continued his work as a producer. He was awarded the Spellemannprisen in 1983 in the category “Producer/Composer/Arranger” for his work on the album Always. Wangberg has written an autobiography, Mitt liv blant stjerner ("My Life Among Stars"), in which he shares his experiences from the music world. The book includes anecdotes about his work with famous artists and his personal journey through the music industry.