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The story of BLIND ALLEY starts
- like so many others - with a break-up of a band. This time
it was FORTUNE, a Swedish act in the early 90’s who reached
local fame and released a couple of records on their own label.
Magnus Olsson
and Hans Dimberg had then come a long way since they
first started to play: “The story about how we became musical
partners is rather funny”, says Magnus. “Hans
started out as a drummer in the band, and was quite average.
We then got a better drummer, I fired him. About 6 months later,
I heard that he was actually a very good singer”, continues
Magnus, “At that time our lead singer had quit, so I called
Hans up and asked if he wanted to join the band as a singer
instead.... Thankfully, he answered yes.”
After the break-up with FORTUNE they tried to form a new band
– SHADOW PLAY -, and that’s where they met Pierre Glans
– former member of BAD BREATH, FAR OUT and STARGAZER.
Though they never really managed to form a new line-up, the
three of them discovered one common interest that would keep
them working together; the love and passion for good vocals.
Apart from the band, Magnus
had started to build a studio where he could work with ideas:
“I was tired of the music I always had done and wanted to try
to make something different. The project was called BLIND ALLEY
– because at that time it was what it felt like – a blind alley…”
But slowly the songs were emerging and Hans and Pierre were
involved in the project. The first song – “Walk on Water” -
was recorded in 1996, followed by “Internal affairs” and “In
your hand” in 1997.
The work ended up in a debut album called “On
the way” that was released on mp3.com in 2001. The album was
received very well, and songs like “In your hand” went high
up in the local charts, but musically it had a lack of focus
and it spread over many musical styles.
“Though focusing on strong melodies, we searched
for different musical styles that perhaps would suite us”, Pierre
says. “But after finishing it, we all felt that what we REALLY
wanted to do was a more rock oriented AOR record.”
In March 2001 the work on
the new album started, and the focus was clear: “Let’s make
this a classic rock album!” In late August 2003 the result was
finally ready, and the band decided to send it to some reviewers
and a record label to see the reactions.
“The 11th of September 2003
was a VERY strange day that I always will remember”, Magnus
says. “On my way to Stockholm I heard about the dreadful
murder of our foreign minister, and later that day I got a call
from Mr Georg Siegl at AOR Heaven that he likes our material
and wants to release it. It was highs and lows that day…”
Discography:
-
On The way (mp3.com, 2001)
-
Infinity Ends
(AOR Heaven, 2004)
Website:
http://listen.to/blindalley
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