:: RANDOM PLAY members were Laurent Capron guitars Christer Fridhammar vocals Vanja Fridhammar keyboards/background vocals Peter Mohlin drums Lars Petersen bass/some guitars/background vocals.
So those guys recorded the "Jukebox" CD: all original material from Christer's pen. The band itself was a bastard child of two other Gothenburg bands of more of a "blues cover band" persuasion:
:: SIX & A HALF
:: SWEET 'N' SOUR
who both played at birthday parties, wedding fests & Harley Davidson clubs but also publicly at OK places like Restaurant Trivas in Linnégatan and Restaurant Minus at Masthuggstorget. Trivas changed their name later on, and Minus was torn down. Totally erased. Not the fault of these two bands I might add. R.I.P.
Influences
Christer's (vocalist/songwriter) personal influences were untouchable masters like Chris Isaak, Tony Joe White, Delbert McClinton, Amazing Rhythm Aces, Hank Wangford, Tom T Hall, Neil Young and many more. I am not worthy.
Sounds Like
... Christer desperatly needs some singing lessons, right? I know. I actually HAD a few. Apart from that obvious comment: Sounds like a weird jukebox on random play, probably. Writing anything else would be pretentious. "Pretentious, moi?"
:: Above GÖTEBORG BLUES PARTY 2008 @ Göteborg, Sweden captured in June 2008 by Vanja's Nikon
:: THE FIDDLEWORMS (AND FRIENDS): Band above is one of my faves from Muscle Shoals Alabama, captured in Aug. 2008 @ 'The Boondocks', Guntersville, Alabama by Vanja's Nikon
:: PAT HUGGINS with backup from THE FIDDLEWORMS and friends: Alabama musicians captured in Aug. 2008 @ 'The Boondocks', Guntersville, Alabama by Angi Nutts video camera.
:: CHRISTER
FRIDHAMMAR: Well, it's me I guess - a guy living in Göteborg (a.k.a.
Gothenburg) on the west coast of Sweden. A harbour city, an industrial city - a blue collar city. A Blues Bar City, come to think of it.
Nevertheless I have gone honky
tonkin' far outside Gothenburg too, making frequent trips from the late 60's onwards: travels to
the U.S., to Canada and to the U.K., visiting friends, gaining new friends and always
checking up on the local music scenes. Rollin' on, always rollin' on: in a Greyhound bus or in a Cadillac convertible from "Rent A Cab" in L.A. In a gunmetal blue Camaro or aboard a crowded Big Bird Boeing. Going from Austin TX to Muscle Shoals AL, from San Francisco CA to Portland
OR, from Vancouver BC to Halifax NS. Or somewhat closer to home, from Dulwich College to Camden
Town. "The Road Goes On Forever But The Party Never Ends." Did I get it right, Mr. Keen?
Back in Gothenburg I have been
heavily involved in the local blues & roots scene for a long time. Writing quite a few magazine articles on
the subject certainly, but my main ambition has always been maintaining
my own extensive Music Web: very much a nonprofit venture, brim full of subjective
scribblings and hard info on local music and musicians. Reviews, news, CD's, musician portraits. Plus the real 'centerpiece' of it all: the extremely popular day-by-day Gig Calendar for the Gothenburg blues & roots scene.
Everything amply illustrated by my darling wife Vanja's roving Nikon
eye.
::
FRIDHAMMAR MUSIC was born on Nov. 20 2006 as an almost inevitable result of all my evenings listening to ladies & gents with talent to spare but not enough distribution. A small but ambitious CD Mail Order website, definitely here to stay. Entirely focused on bluesy & rootsy & soulful musicians from (mainly) Scandinavia
who valiantly issue their own stuff on small indie labels or on their own makeshift ones. This Mail Order will always be + 100% 'non corporate' + 100% true to the idea of 'small is beautiful' + 100% based on my own standards, values and judgements. And positively peppered with my subjective scribblings on artists and CD's and snazzily decorated by Vanja's photographs.
So come and visit! And always rest assured (as the purty little gal said in the movie "Oh Brother,
Where Art Thou"): We're bona fide!
::
PAT HUGGINS is a close friend of mine - and a singer/songwriter
and airline pilot from Sweet Home, Alabama. He has issued three excellent CD's on his own
label Flyin' Willie
Records. Pat records in Muscle Shoals, in his own studio in Sweet Home,
but also here in Göteborg, Sweden, where he regularly plays and records
with a group of musicians he has affectionately named A Damn Good Band. Back
in the U.S. Pat has opened shows for blues superstars Little Milton and Bobby
Rush and country cult hero David Allan Coe. He has wide open ears and
listens to all kinds of music all the time, plus he knows a lot of awesome local musicians all over Alabama. Needless to say: A vital part of Fridhammar Music. Not only because of owning the snazzy Cadillac in our logo.:: RANDOM PLAY
was not so much a working band as a collective of friends, trying
to record a few of Christer Fridhammar's songwriting efforts "for
posterity", for "songwriter's demo" purposes and just for fun! Sadly, this motley crew never came around
to do any live gigs under the specific "Random Play" moniker,
yet gained the honour of having their "Jukebox" CD picked out as the Swedish Radio P4
channel's "demo record of the week" in early 2000. Our 5 minutes of fame! Featured
musicians are today busy with other (musical & non musical) efforts,
but Christer still indulges in lyrics writing and enjoys being a 'pen
for hire'.
hemma och lycklig, trött, lycklig, lycklig.... och vad bra vi ALLA - publik, artister, bel parc, vakter, BLUESJOBBARNA + att NI var där, christer & vanja - gjorde detta party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! kraaaaaaaaaaaaam // annika
Igång igen efter ett tyst halvår, med ny energi och nyare musikdator. Har tjuvstartat med att ta mig friheter med en Håkan Hellström-låt. Kom gärna och lyssna.
Tjena Christer! Ja de va en trevlig bekantskap detta =) Alltid trevligt me folk som har koll på landet "over threre". Kolla gärna in de första tre banden i min vän-lista, det e dom jag pratade om igår. Ha de gött / Johan
We are The Chuckies from Göteborg, Sweden & we..re proud to get to know you!
The debut album from THE CHUCKIES "The Chuckies" is now available on limited edition LP from www.myspace.com/tornadoriderecords. Digital Downloads are available all over the place. www.iTunes.com etc.
Get a taste of the sound by downloading the free 4-track E.P "Evil Empire Vampire" at www.myspace.com/thechuckies
:: CHRISTER
FRIDHAMMAR:
Plus the real 'centerpiece' of it all: the extremely popular day-by-day Gig Calendar for the Gothenburg blues & roots scene.
Everything amply illustrated by my darling wife Vanja's roving Nikon
eye. 
::
:: RANDOM PLAY
was not so much a working band as a collective of friends, trying
to record a few of Christer Fridhammar's songwriting efforts "for
posterity", for "songwriter's demo" purposes and just for fun! Sadly, this motley crew never came around
to do any live gigs under the specific "Random Play" moniker,
yet gained the honour of having their "Jukebox" CD picked out as the Swedish Radio P4
channel's "demo record of the week" in early 2000. Our 5 minutes of fame! Featured
musicians are today busy with other (musical & non musical) efforts,
but Christer still indulges in lyrics writing and enjoys being a 'pen
for hire'.
Det var ett kul gig på ett mysigt ställe med trevlig publik. /G/Rag Bag
Var en trevlig o rolig spelning, stämmer bra, vi repade inget ihop innan, snabbt inhopp bara. Men gick ju bra..
