FUZZ 2000
By Janne Stark

DENANDER / GAITCH 
Counterpartners
 
Tommy Denander is probably one of Sweden's most underrated guitarists. Despite having played with names like Jeff, Mike and Steve Porcaro, Bill Champlin, Fee Waybill and David Paitch, he has never received his well-deserved break-through. In the 80's he played with hardrockers ATC, who released an album on Vertigo, released one single with Cool For Cats and has produced, mixed and made session-jobs with numerous artists. He even made the background-music for a porn movie (like several other well-known musicians have, but won't admit). His latest release is the blue-album "Tied To The Blues", together with David Book and of course his collaboration with American colleague Bruce Gaitch. Gaitch himself has played on over 500 albums with artists like Barbara Streisand, Tom Jones, Richard Marx, Michael Jackson, Peter Cetera and Lionel Richie. Furthermore he has written songs for well-known names like Madonna ("La Isla Bonita") and Richard Marx ("Don't Mean Nothing"). When Gaitch was in Stockholm to promote his and Tommy's album "Counterparts" and also meet Swedish hit-singer Peter Jöback to discuss his involvement on Peter's new record, I managed to get hold of the two stringsmen.
 
The first question that pops up is of course how two guitarists on two such distant continents find each other. The answer is actually the loved and hated Internet. They had both signed the guest-book on a Japanese AOR-site, after which Tommy sent Bruce an e-mail. They exchanged records and when Bruce was working with former Tubes-singer Fee Waybill he had Tommy in mind.

"Steve Lukather and I were playing all over the record, so when we needed a flashy solo, I immediately came to think of Tommy. I sent him a tape with FedEx and it came in return after three days with an amazing solo. Fee totally freaked out", says Bruce with a laugh.

Bruce and Tommy's next collaboration was a guest-solo from Bruce on Tommy's album "Limited Access". The idea started growing about doing a complete album together and they started swapping tapes.

"First we were supposed to write five songs each and the one who wrote the song would record all the rhythm-parts and leave room for the other's solo. But we realised some songs weren't good enough and we went from there. It was great receiving tapes in the mail with instructions like "Bruce, solo here" and so I also added some rhythms", says Bruce.

"The tape I received from you had no instructions about where I was supposed to solo, you had just written "Go Nuts!" and so I did. I also used a lot of wah-wah", says Tommy with a laugh and Bruce states this was something they had not agreed on and the next time he will throw the wah-wah out the window.
 
An interesting fact is that Tommy and Bruce have never met or even talked on the phone until Bruce's present visit.

"What's so funny, is that people who have heard the record tells me what a great team we make and how well we complete each other. It's something a bit special about not physically record together. We're always on our best behaviour and don't go on each other's nerves. There are no time limits, so you can record whenever you feel like it. I did a lot at night", says Bruce and determines it took about a year to finalise the album.

When the two now have finally met, they immediately started planning a follow-up and some new songs are already half-finished. Tommy himself is finally finishing up the never ending Radioactive-project, that he recorded with the aid of the Porcaro Brothers, Bobby Kimball, David Foster and a row of celebrities. As this was the last session-job Toto did as a band before Jeff Porcaro's sad demise, Tommy has felt he wanted as much as possible out of the recording before releasing it. As the music is more or less timeless, he has been waiting for the right moment. He has also re-recorded the guitars and vocals a zillion times. Now he has some highly rated celebrities handling the lead- and backing-vocals and he feels the production will be properly handled, so finally the time seems to be in. We are waiting with great anticipation. Tommy is currently also finishing up his fourth solo-album "Yeah" and Bruce has just released his third platter "Nightingale". As if this wasn't enough Tommy and Bruce has now formed a band. The name is Cry and the members are, besides Tommy and Bruce, singer Geir Rönning, the young drum-genius Marcus Liljekvist, Bill Champlin on keyboards and George Hawkins on bass. Richard Marx and Fee Waybill will handle the backing-vocals. How's that for backing-vocals!?! This highly impressive line-up will not be a slick westcoast outfit, but according to the two stringsmen it will be a pure pomp-AOR with a classic touch. Definitely something to look forward to, it seems.
 
Gear: Bruce mostly uses a Gretch White Falcon, but also a Schecter Strat and a Guild Artist Award, while Tommy uses Zion and also a Charvel USA prototype. When it comes to amplification Bruce plays through a Mesa Boogie Quad and a Marshall head through a Marshall 4x12" cab, while Tommy is using a fresh Swedish amp, namely a Butcher Tommy Denander Model Preamp. He runs it through a Rivera Knucklehead head, but also a Rocktron Chameleon and a Mesa Boogie Quad. The cabs he uses are a Rivers 4x12" and two Marshall 2x12". Tommy also uses Rocktron Intellifex, TC Electronics M2000, Alesis Compressor and Lexicon ALEX, while Bruce's gear include a TC Electronics 2290, Lexicon PCM70 and a DBX Compressor.
 
© Janne Stark