Gröna Lund in Stockholm is one of a handful amusement parks in Sweden. It might not be the biggest one, but it is certainly the oldest. Built in 1883, on the seashore overlooking the masses of water that divides Stockholm into something that sometimes is referred to as the Swedish version of Venice. Over exaggerated perhaps, but there is some truth in the claim. I my self have visited the amusement park a couple of times when I was younger, but strangely never when I lived in Stockholm. Isn't it funny how you miss out on certain things when you have them so close by?

The park has changed little over the years, seeing it doesn't have any land to expand on. The rides and various buildings have obviously been updated and changed, but the 19th Century look and feeling still overlooks the park. Gröna Lund does not only offer fun rides, but also restaurants and stages for performing. Musical celebrities such as Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Paul Anka and ABBA have all graced the park over the years. Here are a bunch of historical photographs that depicts the overall look and feel of Gröna Lund in the 1950s and 1960s. Which type of amusement ride is your favorite?

White Christmas from 1954 starring the dynamic duo Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Which is your favorite retro Christmas movie and why? Leave a comment!

Halloween is just a few days away and to kick things off in a ghoulish way, this old piece of 1973 wax will most likely do the trick (...or treat). This record is sure to scare and entertain everyone in the family, especially if used with one speaker hidden in the ceiling for the proper stereo spirit effect. Heck, even I am a bit freaked out by this old time piece which revolves around a haunted seance hosted by our Doctor Druid. The good doctor first plays a couple of mind tricks on the participators around the table and then tries to contact a spirit from beyond the grave, the result? Pure groovyness! Happy Halloween from Ultra Swank.

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Head on over to the Ultra Swank Flickr group for more tasty designs from the past. Why not join our group and contribute with your own retro related images? It's free and very easy. Which is your favorite record to play on late Friday nights?

Images via the Ultra Swank Flickr Pool

Mr. Lucky was a relatively short-lived (34 episodes) 1959-1960 television series. It starred actors John Vivyan as the suave professional gambler, "Mr. Lucky", and Ross Martin as his sidekick, Andamo. Most of the action in this crime drama took place on or around Mr. Lucky’s floating casino/pad called "The Fortuna". Possibly the most memorable thing about the show was the cool, jazzy theme and background music which was composed and conducted by Henry Mancini. The original LP cover looks great framed and hanging in any swank bachelor’s (or bachelorette’s) pad.

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More space age fashion from Germany with beautiful models moving in slow motion and the dreamy moog music of Jean Jacques Perrey. Anyone know from which arena this was filmed? Let us know. (Via)

Imagine the following. Late 1960s, gorgeous models moving in slow motion, cutting edge fashion, the city pulse, pans around various locations in what looks like a European city in either northern Italy or Germany Place de la Concorde in Paris. Everything accompanied to beautiful dreamy strings, do-do vocals and a groovy beat with a phaser effect. The song is Across the Universe performed by Sounds Galactic (John Keating) from the 1971 album An Astromusical Odyssey. Hope this will start off your week in a great way! (Via)

For those of you who have tried downloading Shaft: Shut Your Mouth! lately it seems that the file hasn't been working very well. So today I have uploaded a new copy of it so you can enjoy the compilation again! Also for those who are wondering about future compilations, yes there are two more in the works which will be released very soon. Both of them are actually continuations of two of my ongoing series of cocktail and bachelor pad music. More on that in a future post.