In 1979, Linus (Karl Gebhardt) was living in Malmö when he formed the first incarnation of Linus & The Losers – a name they felt certain no one would steal, since who would want to be seen as a loser? Unlike Linus And His Band, this (the first) lineup featured an entirely new set of musicians: Jojo Kempe (bass), Mikael Widell (drums), Pål Wikén (guitar), and Mårten Micro (guitar).