Åke
Eriksson interview Dec 2004
by Claes Hassel
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| General
Questions:
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| How did
you get into the music business?
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'My first professional gig was with Riksteatern . On a 6 month tour with a
musical . I saved all the wages to be able to play jazz-rock afterwards . '
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| Who has
been your main influences?
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'Beatles and Billy
Cobham' |
| List five
albums of the bands/artists that you like the most and why!
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'Beach Boys - Pet sounds (1966)
Best pop album ever made .
Mahavishnu orchestra -Inner Mounting Flame (1971)
When i heard this on the radio , ( Yes they did play stuff like this on the air
in the 70´s ! ) I´d never heard anything like it before . And the drumming from
mr. Cobham was just too much !
Ramones - Ramones (1976)
The same goes here . It was a completely new sound . And in 1976 , in the
middle of the fusion days , at first i didn´t know what to think of it . It was
so very different . But this album set the scene for all the punk groups that
came after . And the energy level is up there with Mahavishnu .
They´re really not that far from each other i think . But most people doesn´t
seem to understand that point of view . And I was at the first punk concert in
sweden 1976 . At Jarlateatern . The Ramones
on stage !
Billy Cobham - Spectrum (1973)
First solo album from my drum hero . In those days jazz-rock really mixed those
two elements . The rock part is long gone in fusion these days . And there´s
also some very strong themes and melodies . combined with jazz harmony and rock
drive . The ultimate in music !
Freak Scene - Psychedelic psoul (1967)
I have to pick one album from the psychedelic 60´s and there´s so many ! Being
an avid record collector i know ! This one´s great !
...but so is Electric Prunes , Hangmen , Devils
Anvil , Blues Magoos , Byrds and
so on and so on.'
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| What time
was/is the most interesting for the rock music, in your opinion and why - 60s,
70s, 80s, 90s or 00s?
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'To me it´s the 60´s . But that
depends on when you grow up . If i had been 15 years old in 1985 i´d probably
say the 80´s .'
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| Your
dream band(living or dead ;), who would they be, vocal/bass/drums/keyboard/lead
guitar/rythm guitar/producer? |
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Frank Sinatra
, Jaco Pastorious , Billy Cobham , Jan
Hammer , Jeff Beck , Keith Richard
Produced by Mutt Lange . How´s that for a band ?!'
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| Of the
songs that you have composed, which of them are your favourites?
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'I have a soft
spot for " Gentle Waves " from the latest album by Wasa Express
.
But the one everybody knows is " Ooa hela natten " . And that one
certainly was a favourite when Smurfarna did a cover version
and i got the songwriter check !'
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| What kind
of equipment/gear are you using on the road and in the studio?
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'I play anything
. It´s not in the equipment . It´s in what you do with it .
But i have Ludwig , Tama and Gretsch
to chose from . '
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| What
are you doing in your spare time outside of music?
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'Not much ! Movies and record hunting
probably .
I just took a course in web design and I like that too .
You have to keep up with the younger generation .'
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| If you
don't have been in the music business what have you been doing then?
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'Can´t imagine
anything else . That was my goal from the start . And i´m very stubborn !'
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| What are
you currently up to?
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'Working on the
next album that´s going to be in 5.1 surround sound .
That´s the plan anyway but you never know what happens on the way .'
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| Artist/album
related questions:
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The
Beginning
Your first band, name and when did it begun??
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'That´s in the 60´s with psychedelic
names such as " Realistic Fantasy " or " Electric Circus
" .
We wre just kids though . Played some school dance perhaps . nothing more .' |
| The
Music, the sort of music?..Influences?
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'The psychedelic 60´s ! And the 70´s
progg and jazz-rock days .
The first ELP album comes to mind as another favourite . ' |
| Wasa
Express :
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The
Beginning of Wasa Express.
How did you get together? |
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'It started out with me playing with Cary in FREJA.
I knew Hallgren from playing more jazzy stuff , and Häggström
did a few gigs with EGBA ,
The band i was in before WASA . So that´s how we met .
And then it was off to Eskilstuna in a Ford Camarro to our
first gig .'
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The
Concerts with Wasa Express.
First Concert, where/when?
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'Eskilstuna 1976 at a small festival . The first tour took us
up to Kiruna in an old VW van . All the equipment and four
guys in that small vehicle playing for peanuts. That´s enthusiasm .'
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Which song do you like performing live most and why?
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'Being the big egomanic i am . I
always look forward to the 15 minute drumsolo.'
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| Any
anecdotes/special memories from your gigs?
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'Sweden Rock
Festival 2004 was a great gig .
Roskilde festival in 1978 is a memory for life .
And going to the Montreaux jazz festival in 1977 is also a good memory .'
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| Wasa
Express Live 2004 at Big Ben, Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Many
Thanks to Åke "Cobham" Eriksson, Wasa Express for
this interview!
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