Interview: Conny Bloom
Interview Conny Bloom: Electric Boys/Hanoi Rocks/Roadrats/Rolene/Silverginger 5. Conny Bloom interview April 2005.
 Discography

1989 Electric Boys - Funk-o-metal Carpet Ride

 

TrackList:

01. Psychedelic Eyes
02. All Lips n' Hips
03. Who Are You
04. Electrified
05. Freaky Funksters
06. Hallelujah (I'm on Fire)
07. Cheek To Cheek
08. Get Nasty
09. Party Up
10. Funk-o-Metal Carpet Ride

 
- What do you think about your debut album?
  'It's good. Ahead of it's time.'

- Favourite Song(and why)?
  'Impossible to say.'

- Any anecdotes/special memories from the recording sessions?
  'Can't think of anything special. We were very focused. I had all the arrangements/ overdubs written out on paper to make sure we didn't forget anything. Remember digging some of Prince's & Bootsy Collins productions at the time.'


1990 Electric Boys - Funk-o-metal Carpet Ride(US-Version)

 

TrackList:

01. Psychedelic Eyes
02. All Lips n' Hips
03. The Change
04. If I Had A Car
05. Captain Of My Soul
06. Rags To Riches
07. Cheek To Cheek
08. Electrified
09. Who Are You
10. Into The Woods

 
For the Us-release the band made 5 new songs which replaced 5 old ones.

- Why didn't you release the original record, as it was, in the US?

  'I felt we had moved on, especially lyrically. In hindsight, I think we should have just released that first album as it was & then moved on.'

- Any anecdotes/speciell memories from the recording sessions with Bob Rock?

  'It was pretty hard. I wasn't very good at letting people get involved in my songs at the time. Nowadays, it's quite the opposite; I like the idea of throwing a idea at someone and see what comes back.'


1992 Electric Boys - Groovus Maximus

 
TrackList:

01. Groovus Maximus
02. Knee Deep In You
03. Mary In The Mystery World
04. Fire In The House
05. The Sky Is Crying
06. Bed Of Roses
07. She's Into Something Heavy
08. Dying To Be Loved
09. Bad Mother Funker
10. When Love Explodes
11. Tambourine
12. Tear It Up
13. March Of The Spirits

 
- What do you think about your second album, "Groovus Maximus"?
  'It's got some good songs & cool riffs on it. A bit more straight forward hard rock. We were getting tired of all the bands jumping on the "funk/rock band wagon.'

- Favourite Song(and why)?
  'Maybe the obvious singles "Mary in the mystery world" & "Dying to be loved"? And "Sky is crying".. "Fire in the house"... "Bed of roses".'

- Any anecdotes /special memories from the recording sessions?
  'Loved working in Abbey Road! Lived there during the recording. Had trouble with the mixing though, when we came back to sthlm.. It was terrible. The speakers had been EQ'd all wrong.'


1994 Electric Boys - FreeWheelin'

 

TrackList:

01. Ready To Believe
02. Straight No Chaser
03. Groover
04. Mountains And Sunsets
05. Sad Day
06. Nothing For Nothing
07. Sleeping In The World's Smallest Bed
08. My Knuckles In Your Face
09. Not My Cross To Bear
10. Sharp Shooter


 
- What do you think about your third effort? 
  'It's a good pre-stoner rock album. Good sounding record. Once again, Abbey Road.'

- Favourite Song(and why)? 
  'Maybe "Groover" & "Mountains & sunsets".'

- Any anecdotes /special memories from the recording sessions? 
  'Mixing hell once again. Memories? The taste of english beer & the smell of sweet herbs.'


1996 Titanic Truth - Titanic Truth

 

TrackList:

01. She's So Inventive
02. Walk Away Free
03. Last True Love
04. Spinning Wheel
05. Broadway
06. Flowers Of Evil
07. Good Time Coming
08. Dance
09. Nights In Marrakesh
10. Song For Rory
11. Spirit Child

 
- In general what do you think about the album?

  'There's some cool shit on that. Like my guitar playing & the sounds, using mainly a Japanese Strat, a tele and a Peavey Classic 50w amp.'

- Favourite Songs(and why)?

"Good time coming" is cool. "Dance" & "Last true love" (with Tony singing lead) I like also. Broadway builds up nice to, although I would have done it differently today.'

-Any anecdotes/special memories from the recording sessions?
'Enjoyed playing guitar, but my voice wasn't in it's best shape at the time. Tony nailed the bed tracks with lots of fever.'


1999 Conny Bloom - Psychonaut

 

TrackList:

01. Last Mistake
02. Wickid
03. Dragster
04. Star
05. I'll Be Fine
06. Hook, Line And Sinker
07. Neon Delta Blues
08. Perfect Crime
09. Bury Me Standing
10. Eyes On U
11. (Hidden track)


 
If "Titanic Truth" from 1996 was a sort of debut solo album then "Psychonaut" from 1999 WAS your solo debut album, if you know what I mean.

-In general what do you think about the album?

  'Really good & different at the time. It's a bit distorted production/ mastering wise, but there's some really cool ideas & songs there, I think.'

- Favourite Songs(and why)?

  'Maybe "Neon Delta Blues".. "Perfect Crime" (like the lyrics), "Hook, line & Sinker", "Bury me standing"....'

- Any anecdotes /special memories from the recording sessions? 
  'I was in a terrible state of my life.. I didn't know who I was, had no money & had just had become a father, which confused me even more at the time. I'm forever thankful that Jonas Åkerlund (the video director) convinced me to hold on tight to the family, which I luckily did. Got 2 great kids now.'

2003 Conny Bloom - Been There, Done What? - Live

 

TrackList:

01. Frankenstein
02. Groovus Maximus
03. Neon Delta Blues
04. Mary In The Mystery World
05. Snortin Whiskey
06. Dying To Be Loved
07. Some Kind Of Voodoo
08. Knee Deep In You
09. Walk Away Free
10. Rags To Riches
11. Straight No Chaser
12. Captain Of My Soul
13. Bury Me Standing
14. All Lips & Hips (inc. Spirit Child)
15. I'm Going Home

 
- What about your live album?

  'The idea was to make a "guitar" album.. I often find myself producing, singing, thinking about the other instruments in the studio, and I think some of my best playing has happened live, when there's no turning back. I seem to play good under "jump and see where you land" conditions...'

The concert (record) includes some non Electric Boys songs like EDGAR WINTER's 'Frankenstein', PAT TRAVERS 'Snortin' Whiskey' and TEN YEARS AFTER's 'I'm Going Home`.

- Any other favourites among other artists songs that you like to play?'.

  'I like singing  Beatle's "Don't let me down"'.

- Any anecdotes /special memories from the concert? 
  'We recorded about 5-6 gigs and took the best from them. It wasn't very well recorded from a technical point of view, so Tomas Jansson who mixed it had to work hard.. "I'm going home" was only played 1 night I think, so that's what's on the album. I re-did some vocals due to leakage and stuff but all the playing is just the way it was on the night.'

..and a last question:

- When will we see Electric Boys back on stage?
'We were talking about it last year, me & A.C..
However, I'm not so sure about who else would have been in the band, apart from me & A.C.

When Andy (McCoy) phoned, I felt that this one will be hard to beat. We've got 4 songwriters in the band & 5 characters that knows how to take a big stage. If we can keep this together, I think we're in for a helluva ride.'
 

Conny Bloom Links

  Conny Bloom's Official Site