The Refreshments

When The Refreshments started out in 1989, very few bands played the mix of rock’n’roll, pop and country they loved. 80´s synth pop was still the flavour of the day, not 50’s rock’n’roll or 70’s inspired pub rock. The Refreshments didn’t seem to care, however. Championing their musical heroes Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Rockpile and Mickey Jupp, they entered the stage and locked themselves into a groove that soon would become their trademark.
They knew that they loved their music and they sensed there was an audience out there. In between were only two words: hard work. Seventeen years later, few can challenge The Refreshments for the title “the hardest working rock’n’roll band in Sweden”. They’ve played more than 3 000 gigs on practically every stage with an electric socket and room for an audience, effortlessly bridging the gap between the rock and the traditional “dance band” cultures in the process. Seven gold records and one platinum album say it all. The Refreshments was the band many were waiting for.
“Former Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremner called me and asked for a meeting in the autumn of 1994”, the band’s A&R manager Hans Larsson remembers. “He was really enthusiastic about an unknown band from Gävle and wanted to produce them. I was a Rockpile freak, so I listened to The Refreshments demo, thought they sounded great and decided to make an album. “
The band’s debut album ”Both Rock’n’ Roll” was released in 1995, sporting guest artist Mickey Jupp and long time collaborator Geraint Watkins. The album wasn’t a huge seller initially, but it marked the band’s unique territory and gave them a solid platform for the next successful phase. In the autumn of 1996 Bremner replaced guitarist Tord Eriksson. “It felt like a dream-team. Bremner provided his twangy Telecaster and characteristic voice, bass player Joakim Arnell wrote great songs and sang exceptionally well, Micke Finell’s honking sax rocked like nothing else and Mats Forsberg’s drums made it impossible not to tap your feet”, Hans Larsson says.
With Bremner on-board the group recorded the increasingly popular albums ”Trouble Boys” (1997) and first gold record ”Are You Ready?” (1999), the latter featuring new drummer Niklas Aspholm and including the group’s first hit single ”Miss You Miss Belinda”. During 1999 Billy Bremner also managed to tempt his former Rockpile colleague Dave Edmunds to come to Sweden for a tour with The Refreshments as his backing band. To Edmunds’ amazement the band knew all his songs by heart – even suggesting that he should include the old warhorse “Sabre Dance” from his days with Love Sculpture. “Well”, a reluctant Edmunds said, “it’s not easy to get that song right”. “Try us”, The Refreshments said cheerily, easily running through the complicated patterns of this extremely fast piece of ballet music. An impressed Edmunds nodded his approval and the magic was eventually caught on the acclaimed live album "A Pile Of Rock - Live".
After living with The Refreshments’ dreaded 200 gig a year schedule, Billy Bremner finally got off the bus in the spring of 1999. This lead to a few changes in the group. Robin Olsson became the band’s new master of the Telecaster, boogie piano maestro Johan Blohm expanded the group’s sound as its fifth member and Joakim Arnell took over Bremner’s production duties. “If there were any worries among fans how the band would hold up without Bremner, I think the two consecutive albums ”Musical Fun For Everyone” (2000) and "Real Songs On Real Instruments" (2001) was proof enough that band actually was in better shape than ever”, Hans Larsson says. Both albums continued the gold selling streak and strengthened the band’s reputation further, the latter including their biggest radio hit to date, "One Dance, One Rose, One Kiss". This paved the way for the 2001 hits collection ”Here We Are - Best Of The Refreshments” which also featured some new songs with original drummer Mats Forsberg rejoining the band.
In 2003 the band managed to make two new albums – the sixth studio recording ”On The Rocks” and the Christmas album ”Rock’n’Roll X-mas”, which topped the charts in December 2003 and gave the band members their first platinum record. Chuck Berry’s legendary pianist Johnnie Johnson made one of his last appearances in the video to “On The Rocks” track “We Just Can’t Win”, which became a fitting homage to a true rock’n’roll hero. The success was soon followed by albums ”Easy To Pick Up, Hard To Put Down” (2004) and ”24/7” (2006). And in the summers of 2005 and 2006, The Refreshments managed to break one attendance record after another on tours with Status Quo and Smokie.
Which brings us up to date, the new CD, It´s Gotta Be Both Rock´n´Roll – Best Of The Refreshments - seventeen years of hard rock’n’roll work, compressed into a 20-song collection of the band’s best moments and a live album which finally captures The Refreshments playing favourite tracks like “Rocket In My Pocket”, “Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee O-Dee” and “Seven Nights To Rock”. And although the band already in the early 90’s stated that “it’s gotta be both rock’n’roll”, they still mean it. They might have slowed down their touring schedule to the somewhat more human 100 gigs a year, but they still go out there, playing their hearts out night after night.