Alex Naumik

Alex or Alexandra Naumik (earlier Alexandra Sandøy) (born 12 August 1951) is a Norwegian-Polish rock and pop icon and artist who rose to fame in the late 1970s.

Alexandra Naumik was born to Polish parents in Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR. During the Stalinist era she was deported to Siberia together with her family and only arrived in Poland 6 years later. With her 4 and a half octave voice Alex won several competitions and prizes while still a teenager and recorded records with renowned artists such as Agnieszka Osiecka and Adam Slawinski. Having graduated from the Pedagogy Institute in Łódź in 1969 she came to Norway in 1970 after having married film director Haakon Sandoy. Her debut in 1977 launched funk-rock in Norway while her album received both critical acclaim and the Norwegian equivalent for the Grammy Awards as well as silver and gold records for sales. Alex also became renowned as a trend-setter in several areas ("Alex-hair" was a common expression) and she became the first female artist in Norway to take full control over her music, her personal and public image at a time when a female control was unusual. She was also the first woman to sign international recording contracts in 1977 with PolyGram International ( now Universal Music Group) and in 1978 RCA Records, USA working with artists such as David Foster, Andrae Crouch, Andy Summers and Glen Matlock. Alex was also given her own television special in the German Musikladen program which was viewed by 20 million people in over 18 countries worldwide. An honour bestowed on the likes of The Ramones, Stevie Wonder and Roxy Music. As she was also a pioneer in co-operation between the music and commercial sector and became a spokesperson for Helen Curtis Shampoos, BASF, Levi's and Ford Motor Company amongst others.

Alex has over a long period been working in the United States and Japan as a songwriter and producer and she has most recently had success with her work with Swedish-born artist Leana's album Faith who reached number one on the Billboard charts in June 2006 and January 2007. Alex contributed on Leana's album as a writer and producer together with her daughter Naomi Naumik and her collaborator for 25 years, Grammy winner Atle Bakken

Alex has received several international prizes and distinctions in addition to national ones. These have included the "Nordring" prize in Helsinki (1981), Spellemansprisen, the Norwegian Grammy (1977), for two albums, and being voted "Female Artist of the Year" by the readers of Det Nye magazine in 1980

Alex' first band

Her first band, also named "Alex", was formed in 1976 together with Bjørn Christiansen, Svein Gundersen (from the earlier noted Rock group Aunt Mary), Brynjulf Blix and Per Ivar Johansen. Johansen died September 19. 1980 in a bus accident while touring with the band. Brake failure were the cause of the fatalities.

Other

The artist's name itself was created and given by Norwegian and internationally known writer Jens Bjørneboe , and dedicated on his novel "Powderhouse" (Kruttårnet in Norw.) - «To little Alex from old Jens».
Alex® was granted her artist's name as a copyrighted trademark in 1992. This also gained attention as the media in Scandinavia at this point in time did not take copyright laws seriously on the artist's side.

Discography

Solo albums

Alex (Mercury, 1977)
Handle With Care (Mercury, 1977)
Hello, I Love You (Mercury, 1979)
Daddy’s Child (Polydor, 1980)
Alex’ beste (Polydor, 1981) samleplate
Always (CBS, 1983)
Almost (Ventura Records, 1991)
Living In Color (MTG, 1993)

Singles

«Heartbreak Queen» Mercury 1977
«Heartbreak Queen» AU utgivelse - Mercury 1977
«Heartbreak Queen» / «Heartbreak Queen» US-utgivelse - Freeflight 1977
«Heartbreak Queen» / «Only You Can Make Me Stronger» US-utgivelse - Freeflight 1977
«Flying High» / «Listen To The Music» Storbritannia-utgivelse - Mercury 1978
«Listen To The Music» Tyskland-utgivelse - Metronome 1978
«Listen To The Music» / «I Won't Hold You Down» Frankrike-utgivelse - Mercury 1979
«Rock Machine» Storbritannia-utgivelse - Mercury 1979
«Hello I love you» / «Rock Machine» Mercury 1979
«Rock Machine» / «Hello I love you» Tyskland-utgivelse - Mercury 1980
«Univers» / «Slike drømmer om hus» Mercury 1981
«Rock'n'roller» / «Instrumental» Mercury 1981
«Flying High» / «Listen To The Music» Mercury 1982
«I love Warszawa» / «Dreamboy» CBS 1982
«Dreamboy» / «I love Warszawa» Storbritannia-utgivelse - CBS 9184
«Don't break down My Heart» / «Stop All The Trains» Øst–Europa-utgivelse Polski Nagranie med flere 1984
«Almost» / «Can't get next to you» / «Ventura» 1991

Other releases

Listy Spiewajace (compilation) Vocal (1966)
Songfestival Opole (samlealbum) Låtbidrag Vokal (1967)
K.M. Myrland Isbål (1976)
Heksedans med Jan Eggum (1977)
I can't stop loving you med Per Elvis Granberg (1977)
Lion and the Lamb (1978)
Soloflight med Svein Finjarn (1978)
Melodi Grand Prix 1979 (1979)
Songwriters for the stars med David Foster (1982)
Norsk Rock (samlealbum) (1983)
Sylfest Strutle På Reisefot (1983)
Sammen for livet Forente artister (1985)
Melodi Grand Prix 1986 (1986)
Hockeyfeber (soundtrack 1979)
Norske Filmklassikere Soundtrack 1993)
Songwriters for the stars (Samle dobbelt-CD) Låtbidrag (1994)
Crazy Japan-release (1997)
Lucky Star Japan-release (1997)
Dancemania7 Japan-release (1997)
DancemaniaDeluxe2 Japan-release (1998)
Sacred Place med Emmanuel USA-release (1999)
FrodoCpu USA-release (1999)
There Is Hope med Emmanuel USA-release (2000)
Look At The Shape I'm In med Maje USA-release (2004)
Faith med Leana USA- og Europa-release Leana (2006)

Film music – soundtracks

Lasse & Geir Wam & Vennerød (1977)
Julia Julia Wam & Vennerød (1982)
Hockeyfeber Oddvar Bull Tuhus (1983)
Norske filmklassikere (1993)
Serving In Silence CBS (1996)

DVD

Best Of Musikladen (Vol. 1 - 10) Radio Bremen, Germany (2002)

Eurovision Song Contest

Univers (1980) (3.)
Rock'n Roller (1981) (5.)
Perfekte Engel (1982) (4.)
Fri (1986) (9.)

Literature

Bratteli, Randi (1978). The Way They Went. Tiden Forlag, Oslo. ISBN 82-10-01671-7

External links ,

Alex's Official Homepage

Sources

Miclex' article about Alex