THE PLAYMATES - THE MEN WITH THE MAGIC TOUCH

The Playmates were in London, in January, to ink a deal with What Goes On Records who are to release their debut album "Long Sweet Dreams" (Goes On 3T) in March. Remembering the band's excellent debut single, a prime example of exhuberant guitar laden pop, released on Sweden's Tracks On Wax label in mid 1984 1 arranged, through the good offices of What Goes On, an interview with bassist Ake Unger and guitarist/vocalist Jorgen Holmberg (the other members of the Playmates are Michael Karlstrom: vocls; Richard Stenlund: rhythm guitar, vocals and Bjorn Elkstrom: drums). During a very pleasant couple of hours in a pub in Notting Hill Gate the following conversation ensued:

B.O.B: So, tell me the story of the Playmates?
A.U.: We formed in February 1982, me and Michael, because we had nothing else to do and we were bored with the scene in Stockholm which was all hard-core punk or commercial stuff, Abba pop. But there were bands like Problem... Yes, all of us went to see them and Wilmer X started out about that time, so there were a few bands but no one from Stockholm then. We used to play mainly cover versions of Stones, Small Faces and Stooges songs.

B.O.B: You and Michael were friends before forming the Playmates?
A.U.: We went to the same high school. To start with we were five school mates in the band but then the drummer left and we found another, Magnus -Magnusson, who played with us until May '84. We recorded a demo tape in 1982 which was of original songs.
J.H.: We weren't too good at that time. We had all played in punk bands before, I was in one band with Jerry Erickson the ex-bass player of the Wayward Souls.
A.U.: All of the Playmates and the Wayward Souls had been playing together in punk bands in many different combinations.

B.O.B: Could you get many gigs in those early days?
A.U.: No, it was very hard.. ...
J.H.: As it is now!

B.O.B: Did you originally play in punk bands because it was easier to get gigs?
A.U.: No, we were into it (at the time), the Ramones are still my heroes. Punk made me listen to music. I liked the Stooges, MCS, Pistols and the Boys. After Magnus left we got a new drummer, Bjorn Ekstrom, after a couple of months and he's still with us.

B.O.B: Had you recorded anything before the Tracks On Wax single that came out in summer 1984?
A.U.: We had done another demo. The tracks on that single were only demos as well. We sent it to Tracks on Wax and they thought they were great pop songs and wanted to release it. 'Days Of Tomorrow', the A-side was written in 1983. Then Jorgen replaced Patric as lead guitarist when he left to form the Wayward Souls. Our other guitarist left to form Easy Action, a glam rock band 'cos he was fed up with the 60's pop thing and the garage stuff.

B.O.B: Who writes most of your material?
A.U.: Richard does, or he finishes them..... You give him the chords and he puts melodies to them.

B.O.B: When was your new album recorded?
A.U.: In May 1985 at Pharda Studios, it was produced by Nicke Liljekvist (who also produced the Wayward Souls 'Painted Dreams' LP). We were pleased with it then but after it was remixed by Rob Younger and Alan Thorne, in Australia, I'm not so sure (about the original production) .

B.O.B: What difference do you think Rob Younger and Alan Thorne made?
J.H.: The sound-stage is like this now (Stretches his arms wide) he separated the sounds, before it was too compressed.
A.U.: It's more punchy and dynamic now. On one track we had six guitars, but now there are only three but it sounds like there are even more than before, I don't know how he did it but it's amazing.

B.O.B: The album was recorded by your current line-up?
A.U.: Yes, there's one guy from the Wayward Souls playing piano and organ as well. We're going to record a new album, for What Goes On, in May for release in September. I like the What Goes On label, it feels like you're at home, I prefer being on a smaller label. The bigger ones just don't care, you're just there to make money for them and if you don't do that they kick you out in the street.

B.O.B: Tell me about some of the songs on the debut album?
A.U.: I particularly like 'Wasted Years' which will be the A-side of the single as well. Richard, rather than Michael, sings on that track and another called 'Need Somebody'.

B.O.B: Has your music changed since the first single?
J.H.: Basically it's pop, it's always going to be pop for us.
A.U.: The album is more aggressive pop, more guitarwork with more room for it. I don't want it to be laid back, I'd like to sound like a poppier version of the Stooges! The best pop band ever is the Ramones. There's another track that I really like called 'Remember'. The album is called 'Long Sweet Dreams' and there are eight tracks so it's a 25 minute mini-album. The single will be 'Wasted Years' and will have a non album B-side 'Scared To Tell You' which is one of our earliest songs with this line-up.

B.O.B: Are all the songs originals?
A.U.: Yes. We do a couple of covers live: 'Try And Stop Me' the Creation song and 'I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better'(the Byrds) and 'For What It's Worth' by Buffalo Springfield.

B.O.B: Are there any good new bands in Sweden?
A.U.: There's a lot of bands practicing but there's nowhere to play. Many people, from outside, think that Sweden is paradise for garage style but it's not, no way!

J.H.: It's my dream to play abroad!

B.O.B: Do you think Rob Younger may produce your recent LP?
A.U.: That would be great! I always loved Radio Birdman and to have Alan Thorne as well!

B.O.B: Have any of your ex-members been doing anything musically?
A.U.: Magnus Magnusson is forming a new band with two of the Wayward Souls who got kicked out a few months ago (Patric Svensson and Jerry Erickson), hopefully they'll make it.

B.O.B: The scene in so close knit, do other bands feel jealous that the Nomads alone have managed to tour outside Sweden?
A.U.: I think it's great, for all Swedish bands,
that the Nomads made it abroad. They deserve it because they worked very hard, perhaps it will work for us and other Swedish bands?

B.O.B: Which other Swedish bands do you like?
A.U.: The Watermelon Men are perhaps the best live band......
J.H.: Wilmer X are much better live, outstanding so tight... ..the Pushtwangers are the best band in Stockholm and the best musicians as well.

B.O.B: Have you ever played outside Sweden?
A.U.: Yes, once in Gloucester?

B.O.B: Gloucester! (A west of England provincial town)
A.U.: We were there to visit a friend and they arranged a gig for us there. We also recorded a demo down there as well as playing the gig which was packed, it was great fun! That was late summer '82. That's the only gig outside Sweden! !

I hope it won't be long before the Playmates are adding some other towns to their list of conquests! For my money, Rob Younger and Alan Thorne have done an excellent job on the "Long Sweet Dreams" LP- but then they did have first rate raw material to work on- and the Playmates have every reason to be proud of it. If the Nomads are Solna's Sonics then the Playmates are Stockholm's Plimsouls! Songs like "White On White", "Shall We (Face The Light)" and "Remember" could have been lifted off the Plimsouls "Everywhere At Once" classic, majestically chiming guitars fill every nook and cranny and the vocals are judged to perfection. Great performance, great production. The Playmates henceforth take their place in the growing list of top-notch Swedish bands of the '80s. In addition to the LP there is a 45 release coupling "Wasted Years" and a non-album B-side "Scared To Tell You", check out both releases pronto!

Jon Storey.

Originally appeared in Bucketfull of Brains, Issue 15. Copyright © Bucketfull of Brains