Sidewalk Cindy

TIME: January 1990 PLACE: LJUNGBY, Sweden Anders Nordin, a 19 year old student at the local polytechnic school "real" synthesizer and starts working on songs. The years he spent working chords out on his organ now help him master the eloborate machinery and its potential hit-making-keys. For want of a singing voice to go with the music, Anders turns to one of his friends, 23 old Göran Bergström, who had been writing a great deal of lyrics for other local bands and who had a go or two with the mic - handling business. Tired of a local scene, consisting of a wide range of cover-band-constellations - and that alone! - Anders and Göran decided to go for orginality and visuality. And to move fast! Within a few months a C-46 MC entitled Lonely hearts and backbeats was brought to completion. This seminal effort of creativity featured 11 original compositions plus a faithful rendetion of New Order's Subculture. The style of the self-penned songs ranged from vintage electropop ditties to contemporary clubby-type-music. The EBM-ish Easy come, easy go also introduced Roger Almén -19 year old friend to the duo, on vocals. Roger also provided the lyrics, and was later to join the group on stage for a one-off gig. Towards autumn of that year, Sidewalk Cindy had developed into a visually effective pop-outfit. Roger left his part-time membership, and a female vocalist named Sussi Bern came along to join the duo for their second release of 1990. Painfully trendy. The MC offered a new set of poppy and hook rich tunes of largely the same "feel" as those appearing on their debut; however, Sussie's voice and songwriting contributions Hillstreet No 7 and Alone without you added a somewhat more "continental" disco tinge to the group's sound. The casette also includes a cover of Little Richard's classic rock anthem Lucille, a song that proved to be a very popular part of SWC's live performances throughout the year. 1991 proved to be the year when what was supposed to happen did not happen i.e. a major breakthrough. Sussi left the band early in the year, and the boys went on writing songs for yet another MC. Moving further away from their original pop sound , SWC now where exploring dance territory. Depeche mode's See you was taken into techno-club-land, as where the greatest part of the new material eg. The 808 drum machine sound was all over the place and SWC's was too - gigging and recording, rehearsing and just about every other thing that popstar wannabees do was being done now. But alas! the record companies turned their four song down, and things were beginning to not happen a wee bit too much for the lads. By contributing the song A hundered things to say to the Limur Records' electro compilation Faces and images (1991), SWC did at least manage to draw some attention to their material. However, more was needed to keep them going. 1992, Anders gor himself a job and soon left the hometown in quest of other challenges than musical ones. Göran left for university. In the autumn, however, they got together to record the Mc Underwear. which sported some old and some freshly written songs - to sort of round things up a bit. There has never been any talk of calling things a day, and even though the duo has been inactive for the last few years it is by no means all over yet. On the contrary, rumour now has it (1998!) that Anders is currently engaged in writing new material. And Göran is probably out there sharpening his lyrical pencil once more. /ARNOLD DOMINI (the waiting man)