Stein Groven (born 22 February 1952), better known by his stage name Casino Steel, is a Norwegian-born keyboard player, singer and songwriter.
He has played in several different bands and collaborations within rock, punk rock and country in Norway, United Kingdom and the US, and has released several solo albums. He was inducted into the Norwegian Rockheim Hall of Fame in September 2021.
Background Stein Groven grew up in Trondheim, Norway. From the age of 15 he played in various local bands, including Jane where his friend Geir Waade played drums. A few months before his 18th birthday Stein moved to London where both he and his friend Geir became active in the local music scene.
London years In London, Stein joined the band The Queen, which after an argument with Freddie Mercury was renamed Hollywood Brats. When the band split up he briefly played with his friend Geir Waade in the band London SS before joining The Boys, which are still active. The Boys also released several Christmas themed recordings under the name The Yobs.
Later career The Boys disbanded in 1982 and around this time Stein moved back to Norway where he was later joined by his friend Gary Holton, with whom he released four albums at the start of the 1980s. The collaboration was very successful in Norway but went unnoticed in other countries.
In 1983 he started a collaboration with Norwegian artists Claudia Scott and Ottar "Big Hand" Johansen in the country trio Claudia / Big Hand / Casino. The trio released three records. They received the Norwegian music award Spellemannprisen in 1985 in the category roots & country for the album Oh Yeah! and was nominated for the Spellemannprisen in 1984 in the category country and western for Fools Never Learn.
The collaboration with Claudia Scott continued beyond the 1980s, first as a duo and then in the band CCCP where Carlene Carter and John Payne were also members. In 1990, he released his first solo album, which was named Casino Steel. The following year he started the record company Revolution Records. In 2007, he started The Last Rock 'N' Roll Band together with, among others, Honest John Plain from The Boys.
Stein Groven received the veteran award at the Norwegian Gammleng Award in 2019 and was nominated for the Rockheim Hall of Fame in 2018 and 2019 before being inducted in 2021.
In 2002, he was sentenced to 120 days in prison for fraud in the Norwegian recording artist organisation GramArt where Stein Groven was the chairman of the board. The case received a lot of attention in the Norwegian media, as a number of well-known Norwegian musicians participated as witnesses.
In February 2022 Casino Steel was joined by many of his past bandmates and others he has worked with for a concert held in Olavshallen in his home town of Trondheim to celebrate his 70th birthday.
The Boys reunion In 1999 Stein Groven and most of the original members of The Boys reformed the band and they have remained active since then, mainly playing small shows in various locations in Europe and the Far East. The band released the album Punk Rock Menopause in 2014 where Stein (Casino Steel) co-composed all the songs. And they released the singles "I'm A Believer" and "Organ Grinder" in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
Discography
Albums Steelworks (1983) Scott & Steel (1988), with Claudia Scott Casino Steel (1990) Casino Steel & The Bandits (1991) The Wonderful World of Mr. Casino Steel (1991) Oh Boy! (1992) Casino Steel With The Hollywood Brats, The Boys, Gary Holton etc. (1992) V.S.O.P. (2001) There's a Tear in My Beer (2005) Past the Point of No Return (2012) "60" (2012)
Singles / EPs This Ain't America/I Ain't Coming Back (1988) Do You Believe In Love/What's the Matter (1988) Little Rebel/Party Crashin (1990) Dance Naked With Me/Blowing the Dust Off the Angels Wings (1990) Heroine/When You Walk In the Room (1991) Røde kort (2002), med Trond Ingebretsen What a Wonderful World (2005) There's a Tear in My Beer (2005) (Lord, Help Me Through) Christmas Day (2009) C'est la vie (You Never Can Tell) (2012) Carmelita (2013), med Claudia Scott I Don't Wanna Talk About It (2018), med Hans Petter Baarli Mary Ellen Jones (2022), med Hard Luck Street
Hollywood Brats Albums Grown Up Wrong (1975) (Norwegian exclusive release), with Andrew Matheson The Hollywood Brats (1980) (international reissue of Grown Up Wrong) Whatever Happened to The Hollywood Brats (1986) Sick on You (2016)
Singles "Then He Kissed Me"/"Sick on You" (1979) "Rough Mixes" (1984) "Little Ol' Wine Drinker Me"/"Suckin' on Suzie" (1986) "Zurich 17"/"Nightmare" (2005)
The Boys Albums The Boys (1977) Alternative Chartbusters (1978) To Hell with The Boys (1979) Boys Only (1981) Live at The Roxy Club, April '77 (1990) To Hell with The Boys – The Original Mix (1990) Odds and Sods (1990) The Boys/Alternative Chartbusters (1991) BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert (1993) To Hell with The Boys/Boys Only (1994) The Best of The Boys (1995) Complete Boys Punk Singles Collection (1996) Power Cut (1997) The BBC Sessions (1999) The Peel Sessions (1999) The Boys In Concert (1999) The Very Best of The Boys (1999) Sick on You (1999) Punk Rock Rarities (1999) To Original Hell With/Odds N Sods (2000) Live and Unplugged: Leads 3 Amps. United 0 (2000, The Yobs) The Worst of The Yobs (2001) The Collection (2003) I Don't Care (The Nems Records Years) (2004) The Punk Rock Anthology (2008) Punk Rock Menopause (2014) Undercover – Live in China (2015) Made In China (2015) Terminal Love (2021)
Singles I Don't Care/Soda Pressing (1977) First Time (1977) Run Rudolph Run/The Worm Song (1977) Brickfield Nights/Teacher's Pet (1978) Silent Night/Stille Nacht (1978) Kamikaze/Bad Day (1979) Rub-a-Dum-Dum/Another Christmas (1979, som The Yobs) You Better Move On/Schoolgirls (1980) Terminal Love/Love Me (1980) Weekend/Cool (1980) Let It Rain/Lucy (1981) Sick On You/Soda Pressing (1999) Svengerland/Only a Game (2002) Jimmy Brown (2008) I'm A Believer (2021) Organ Grinder (2023)
The Yobs Albums The Yobs' Christmas Album (1979) The Yobs' Xmas 11 (1991) The Yobs' Leads 3 Amps Utd 0 (1995) The Yobs' The Worst of the Yobs (2001)
Singles "Run Rudolph Run" / "The Worm Song" (1977) "Silent Night" / "Stille Nacht" (1978) "Rub-A-Dum-Dum" / "Another Christmas" (1979) "Yobs on 45" / "The Ballad of the Warrington" (1981)
With Gary Holton Albums Gary Holton and Casino Steel (1981) Part II (1982) III Edition (1982) Best of Gary Holton and Casino Steel (1984) No. 4 (1984) We Did It Our Way (1986) The Best (1989) Ruby – The Very Best of Gary Holton & Casino Steel (1995) Anthology (2010)
Singles Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town/Good Ol' Gary (1981) No Reply/What Looks Best on You (1982) She's Got Balls/On the Rig (1982) Blackberry Way/Candy (1982) Thinking of You/Good Ol' Gary (1982) Baby I Love You/I Wish I Was an Angel (1984) Baby I Love You/Blue Eyed Blonde (1984) People In Love/Pick Me Up (1986) Runaway/She's No Angel (1989) Ruby (Don't Take Your Love to Town) (2010)
Claudia/Big Hand/Casino Albums Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1983) Fools Never Learn (1984) Oh Yeah! (1985) Honky Tonk Night – The Best of Claudia/Big Hand/Casino (2009)
Singles Honky Tonk Night/Barroom Roses (1985)
CCCP Albums Let's Spend the Night Together! (1986)
1st Revolution Orchestra Albums 1st Revolution Orchestra (1991)
The Last Rock'N'Roll Band Albums The Last Rock'N'Roll Band (2007)
The Mattless Boys Albums The Mattless Boys (2010)
Appearances and Collaborations 1977–2010 (2010), with Stiffs, Boss Martians, Arctic Depression RCA Victor: Punk Collection (1977) RCA Victor: English Waves! (1978) Jem Records: Teenage Party (1978) Futura: Pop på pulsen (1979) Polydor Records: 20 of Another Kind (1979) Music for Pleasure: We Do'em Our Way (1980) Pete Stride & John Plain: Laugh at Me/Jimmy Brown (1980) Pete Stride & John Plain: New Guitars In Town (1980) The Kids: Norske jenter (1980) Gary Holton: Ruby (Don't Take Your Love to Town)/Listen/Love Is Young (1980) The Young Lords: The Young Lords EP (1980) VG: På gang 1 (1981) The Kids: Svenska tjejer/Cool (1981) New Noise Records: Big Voice of New Noise (1981) Saturday Cowboys: Human Cut-Out/Move It Over (1981) Home's Musikk: Gullkassetten 81 (1981) Det Nye: Hett fett & svett (1981) Saturday Cowboys: We Like to Watch (1981) X Records: An X-tra for X-Perts (1981) The Kids: Hon är förälskad i lärar'n (1981) VG: På gang 3 (1981) Det Nye: Rock'n Disco 1 (1981) Mariann Records: Alle menn vol. 4 (1981) Philips: Power Pop 82/1 (1982) VG: På gang 5 (1982) Cherry Red: Burning Ambitions: A History of Punk (1982) K-Tel: Double Hits (1982) Det Nye: Hett, fett & svett 2 (1982) VG: På gang 8 (1982) Philips: En enda lysere idé fra Philips (1983) Marith Endresen: Good Girl Gone Bad (1983) Se og Hør: Se og Hør: Country Show (1983) Postsparebanken: Hallo i luren (1983) VG: På gang 11 (1983) Trygg Trafikk: Helikopter Jon (1984) Tiedemanns: De gamle løver rører på seg... (1984) Mariann Records: Momarkedet Vol. 2 (1984) VG: På gang 14 (1984) Big Hand Records: The New Outlaws (1984) Reader's Digest: One For the Road (1984) Cherry Red: Give Me Some Cherry (1984) NÅ: NÅ Meloditoppen 4 (1984) Reader's Digest: Mer "køntri" (1984) A/S Grappa: Mesterhuskassetten (1984) Reader's Digest: Det beste fra norsk country (1985) Cambra: Viva la Revolution! (1985) Family 5: Stein des Anstoßes (1985) Big Hand Records: Countryfestival Skjåk '85 (1985) Forente artister: Sammen for livet/Ikke gråt, Afrika (1985) Forente artister: Sammen for livet (1985) Bahama Records: Norsktopper 1985: Originale norske artister! (1985) VG: På gang 20: Jubileumskassetten (1985) Claudia Scott: Rock'n Roll Band (1986) Melodi Grand Prix 1986: Norsk Grand Prix '86 (1986) Gary Holton: People In Love/Angel (1986) VG: På gang 23 (1986) Gary Holton: Gary Holton (1986) The Grønne Glitrende 3 og Dag: Grønne Glitrende 3 & Dag (1986) VG: På gang 24 (1986) MBC Records: Punk: A World History (1987) Ottar «Big Hand» Johansen: I'm Still Your Fool/Rough Norwegian Roads (1987) The Coast: Nine to Four/Mr. Tambourine Man (1987) Ottar «Big Hand» Johansen: Big Hand (1987) VG: På gang 31 (1988) Stephen Ackles: Stephen Ackles and The Memphis News (1988) Castle Communications: The Best of 20 of Another Kind (1989) Amnesty International: Time to Take a Stand (1989) Totenschlager: Jørgen Engum A/S (1990) White Canyon: White Canyon (1990) FINA: Opaas Trafikkskole (1990) NMK: NMK Vikedalkassetten (1990) Pojat: Pojat (1990) Polarvox: Rocksuosikit soimaan 1 (1990) Receiver Records: Nice Enough to Eat (1991) Ottar "Big Hand" Johansen: The 16 Very Best (1991) Music Club: Punk (1991) Frank Aleksandersen: Rundt i ring (1991) VIF Fotball: Vålerenga Vål'enga 91 (1991) Totenschlager: Borettslag Oslo (1991) Streetlink: The Great British Punk Rock Explosion (1991) Plateselskapet: På vei te Ullevål (1991) Pojat: Pasi virtanen/B-5 (1991) Henning Kvitnes: Songs People Play (1991) Connoisseur Collection: The Indie Scene '77: The Story of British Independent Music (1991) Die Toten Hosen: Learning English, Lesson One (1991) Pojat: Irti (1992) Totenschlager: Bodø Taxisentral (1992) Streetlink: The Great British Punk Rock Explosion Volume 2 (1992) See for Miles Records: Your Starter For Ten... The See For Miles 10th Anniversary Sampler (1992) MG Records: Punk Compilation Vol. 1 (1992) Backstreet Girls: Let's Have It (1992) Die Toten Hosen: Demos and Outtakes (1992) Rhino Records: DIY: Teenage Kicks – UK Pop I (1976–79) (1993) Stephen Ackles: Rarities vol. 1 (1993) Anagram Records: Burning Ambitions – A History of Punk Vol. 2 (1993) Trøste & Bære: To på topp (1993) Revolution Records: Completely Rock'n'Roll Vol. 1 (1994) Music Club: Punk Vol. 1: Loud and Angry (1994) Sony Music Entertainment/PolyGram: Norske hits 1980–1989 – 38 pop & rock klassikere (1994)