The Wannadies
Formed in 1988 by Pr Wiksten (vocals/guitar), Fredrik Schnfeldt (bass) and brother Stefan Schnfeldt (guitar), Christina Bergmark (vocals, keyboards) and Gunnar Karlsson (drums), Sweden's Wannadies came from mixed vocations - Wiksten and Fredrik worked as gravediggers, while Stefan played semi-professional football (for MBSK Skellefte). The band was signed to the Swedish label Snap Records and enjoyed domestic success with their first two albums before bursting onto the international scene. Their 1995 releases garnered lavish praise in the UK - particularly the single "You & Me Song". This was described by the New Musical Express as "the best single of the entire summer", while Melody Maker took hyperbole further still in its praise: "(the Wannadies are) the best band in the whole world ever". A second single, the appropriately titled "Might Be Stars", followed in November, accompanied by cover versions of the Go-Betweens' "Lee Remick" and Depeche Mode's "New Life", two handy pop references for the band's uncomplicated, emotionally direct music. Afterwards they returned to Sweden to concentrate on writing the material for Bagsy Me, an album that confirmed the Wannadies as a reliable if somewhat passionless indie-rock band. A US-only album compiling the best tracks from Be A Girl and Bagsy Me was also released to cash in on the successful inclusion of "You & Me Song" on the soundtrack to William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet. Karlsson was replaced by Erik Dahlgren as the band set about recording tracks with Ric Ocasek for their fifth album. After protacted legal wrangles with their international distributor, RCA Records, the band finally released Yeah in October 1999.
Listen to The Wannadies
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Albums
- (1997) The Wannadies
Top Tracks
- You and Me Song
- Might Be Stars
- Hit
- Friends
- Shorty
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