Saint Thomas Hansen R.I.P.
1976-2007

It's sad when the too young dies. Like Thomas Hansen. A lot has been written after the news broke this week. Troubled life, etc. Enough said. You'd better check out some of the musical documents he left behind.

Thomas Hansen a.k.a. St Thomas / Saint Thomas was highly productive through his short and intense career. 6 albums (a 7th were in the making), plus a handful of EPs. From the debut album Mysterious Walks, via I'm Coming Home, Hey Harmony, Let's Grow Together - The Comeback Of St. Thomas and Children Of The New Brigade. His last album (which I haven't heard yet), There's Only One of Me sort of sums things up: There was only one Saint Thomas around.

As I said about his Children Of The New Brigade album: "As always Saint Thomas' lyrics are small stories of the twisted and bent. Just like his voice is. Sometimes rather grey and even utterly annoying, others dead charming and highly amusing. I guess he's an artist you either love or hate. Or love to hate. Or would like to love. I'm quite pleased with some doses of Saint Thomas, as long as he knows his own limits. Because he's not having a Midas' touch, but he sure can make some rocks sparkle for a while."

From this moment the only St. Thomas left is one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. A sunny spot. Quite an opposite to the Norwegian Saint Thomas.

Copyright © 2007 Håvard Oppøyen

Copyright © 2007 Ilse Lazaroms (photo)