AORWEBSITE 2000
By Andrew Paul

TOMMY DENANDER (RAINMAKER)
 
Congratulations on the Rainmaker album, the best of it's kind for some time. Elements of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, even Kansas come to mind- is that the area you were aiming for?

"Thanks. From the start I had this idea of doing a combination of heavy songs but with moodier parts in the Pink Floyd vein. Just the name "Rainmaker" inspires to write you know! In my mind the end result feels like if you through Giant, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Toto, Metallica, Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy into a blender and then spice the drink with my, Geir's and Tony's styles.
But I guess all musicians and song writers are a product of all of his or her influences and i sure listened to Kansas, Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy when I grew up so it's no surprise that you hear traces in the album."

The press release seems to suggest a rather cold-blooded, dilberate approach, but the album comes across as steeped in passion. Is that because you are doing something you've always wanted to do?

"I always put my heart and soul into all albums i'm involved in, i just can't fake it and i see no reason to spend months on working with an album you don't like or believe in.
But you raise an interesting point in your question and i definently feel very special about the Rainmaker album and i've dreamt about making an album like this for a long time.
I'm also very excited about doing another one cause now we really know what the Rainmaker "sound" is...or should be!!!
We'll have one or two more big names on the next album as well."

How does Prisoner fit into the scheme of things now? Will both outfits run in parallel?

"We're working on the new Prisoner album right now, it will be much more of an AOR album closer to Journey's "Raised On Radio" and Toto's "Isolation".
We'll make more use of Pierre on it eventhough Geir will of course do his share as well.
We want to take it far from the Rainmaker sound. Both bands will keep going like they are but the sound will be very different between them.
The plan seems to be that we're doing a Prisoner album early in the year and a Rainmaker album in the fall...might be kind of cool since we're selling good and the fans will get more music!"

What was your response when the prospect of Tony Franklin contributing to the album was first raised? Would you be happy for him to be involved again?

"Well...i was already in contact with Tony cause he's doing a guest spot on my Radioactive album so it was my idea to bring him on. I've been a fan of his work for a long time and i couldn't be happier that we got him to do this.
He's a brillant musician with a unique sound and a very nice guy so i very much hope he'll be apart of the next album."

We know Geir Ronning from Prisoner, but what has he done prior to these albums? What made you choose him, and is the story of him turning down Toto true?

"First of all i have to say from the bottom of my heart that i hold Geir as the finest vocalist in the world together with Bobby Kimball. He's from Norway and has among other things released a solo album around 94-95 in his native launge, written songs for several known artists in Norway and has been working with the Toto guys for almost 10 years.
David Paich and Toto's right hand guy John "JJ" Jessel has produced many demos with Geir for a solo album but nothing has come out of it. Geir and i started working a couple of years ago thanks to my partner Ricky B Delin who knew Geir and we've really become like brothers.
It's true that he turned Toto down which might sound like a stupid idea at first to people but when you think about it it hasn't really been easy for the ex-singers of that band to get their own careers going!!!
I think Geir just didn't wanna end up on that side later on. People all over the world are finding out who he is now and his reputation is spreading like wild fire...and it should cause singers like him don't come around too often!"

Which song on the album on the album sums all you were aiming for and why?

"Well...it's hard to say but maybe "King Of Fools" cause it's got a heavy riff in the Metallica vein, a verse with a Hendrix feeling, a vocal end part that smells a little Queen and a end solo that sounds like Gary Moore playing with Pink Floyd!!!
Diversity is the key word for this album i guess:-))) "

How did you hook up with Mark Alger and Z Records? Did it make things awkward in view of the release of your Radioactive project being released on MTM?

"I knew Mark since right before he started Z Records. He was the first guy to come back to us with interest of signing Prisoner and it just felt so right that we didn't even wait for any other offers. He's done such a great job for us and we couldn't be happier. He works like no other label boss i know cause he takes a personal interest in everybody involved in the company.
He understands the value of what the artists and bands do for him.
He was of course interested in my Radioactive album and it would have been easier to keep it in the same "family" but i just felt that the album is so much more AOR than the regualr cast of Z bands and i've known Magnus at MTM for years and he's shown interest in signing it so over the years so...i think it's the perfect home for Radioactive.
Both Mark and Magnus have been very kind to me about the fact that i'm signed to two labels.
Of course there's not gonna be another Radioactive album after this and i will keep doing albums for Z records so it's not hard to understand where i belong."

So, which is more likely to hit the road-Prisoner or Rainmaker?

"Neither at the moment cause i've been ill for a long time and can't tour yet but once i'm strong enough i guess it's all a matter of which band has a new album out or what offers we will get!"

Who were the artists that inspired you to pick up a guitar in the first place? And who are you listening to at the moment?

"I started to play guitar in 1973 when i was five years old. My first influences were Carlos Santana and Ace Frehley in Kiss, i was a huge Kiss fan.
Then in 1978 i heard the first Toto and Van Halen records in the same day...and i quit playing!!!
3 weeks later i started thinking that it might be a better idea to really start practicing like 10 hours a day.
On my 10th birthday i told my parents that "i'm gonna be a musician, i'm gonna work hard on this for 10 years and hopefully i'll be good enough to make an album...it took me 4 years to get signed to Polygram/Vertigo when i was 14! So during my teens i listened a lot to Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather plus great players like Michael Landau, Dann Huff, Steve Stevens, Gary Moore, Larry Carlton and many of the other session cats in LA and Nashville.
I do admire the "speed" kings of the 80's like Yngwie and his followers but it was never my style of playing.
I've also always been more interested in playing rhythm guitar and writing plus producing music.
A good groove is a good song but an amazing solo is only understood by 5% of the listeners!!!
The only guitarists i listen to now are from the older school...like Landau and Carlton."

And finally, how do you see things developing for both yourself and the rock scene in general over the next couple of years?

"I have so many good projects lined up for this and next year so i think that eventhough i've done this full time for about 18 years now the best is still to come.
As for the rock scene it will come back in one form or another cause all trends come and go. How big it will become all depends on the quality of albums to come and if some new or old band start selling so much that all labels want rock bands again!
Let's keep our fingers crossed!!!
Thanks bro"
Tommy