Mikael Rickfors (born 4 December 1948) is a Swedish singer and songwriter. From 1968, he was the lead singer and bass guitarist in
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
band Bamboo. The band released two singles before breaking up in 1970. Rickfors later performed with the British rock group
The Hollies for about two years.
The Hollies: Band Profile – Past Members – Mikael Rickfors
, accessed 24 May 2010 At this period he displayed a wide vocal range and powerful chest voice. In later decades he took on a deliberate, slightly raspy tone. After his time in The Hollies, he started a somewhat successful solo career. The commercial highlight was the 1988 hit "Vingar" in Sweden.
The Hollies
Rickfors joined popular British rock group the Hollies in early 1972, replacing lead singer Allan Clarke who had left to pursue a solo career. Rickfors's richer baritone voice contrasted with Clarke's distinctive, piercing tenor. One of their hits that both performed was " He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". Rickfors performed this ballad with more dramatic tone and a slight vibrato, such as that displayed on '' The Midnight Special'' in 1973. His first single with the group, "The Baby", reached No. 26 in the UK as well as charting in various other territories.
The band followed up by releasing the album '' Romany'', with one song, "Touch", written by Rickfors. Mikael also sang the band's hit "Magic Woman Touch" and the European 45 "Don't Leave The Child Alone" which he also wrote. The group received an unexpected boost when a single extracted from the group's previous album (featuring Clarke's vocals) shot up the American charts. The Hollies undertook their first major US tour without their signature vocalist. The tour was not a commercial success. The band then recorded a second album, ''Out on the Road'' which featured a major songwriting contribution from Rickfors. On both albums and on stage, Rickfors sang and played guitar, bass, conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
s and keyboard. ''Out on the Road'' was originally only released in Germany and Spain, but later was included in the multi-album Hollies box-set ''Changin’ Times'' released in 2015. Clarke rejoined the Hollies in July 1973, and Rickfors left the group.
Solo
In 1975 Rickfors released the first of eleven solo albums. 1988 saw the release of his hugely successful ''Vingar'' album. In 1990, he embarked on his first collaboration as part of the Swedish supergroup Grymlings (named after Rickfors' farm).
Among the artists who have recorded songs Mikael has written, in addition to the Hollies, are: Carlos Santana
Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...
("Daughter of the Night"), Cyndi Lauper ("Yeah Yeah" on her multi-million selling debut album), Percy Sledge ("Blue Night", "Misty Morning", "Shining Through the Rain", "Road of No Return"), Richie Havens
Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk, soul (both of which he frequently covered), and rhythm and blues. He had a rhythmic guitar style ...
, Jim Capaldi, Carla Olson
Carla Olson (born July 3, 1952) is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer and record producer.
Biography
Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Olson moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1978 where she formed the Textones, whose debut album ''M ...
, and Paul Jones (on his 2009 solo album ''Starting All Over Again''). The title track of Chubby Tavares's first solo album, released on 17 July 2012, is the Rickfors song "Jealousy".
Discography
Solo
* ''Mikael Rickfors'' – 1975
* ''The Wheel'' – 1976
* ''Kickin' a Dream'' – 1979
* ''Tender Turns Tuff'' – 1981
* ''Rickfors Live'' – 1981
* ''Skin Is Thin'' – 1982
* ''Blue Fun'' – 1983
* ''Hearthunters'' – 1985
* ''Rickfors'' – 1986
* ''Vingar'' – 1988
* ''Judas River'' – 1991
* ''Happy Man Don't Kill'' – 1997
* ''Greatest Hits'' – 1999
* ''Lush Life'' – 2004
* ''Away Again'' – 2009
With bands
The Hollies
*''Romany'' (1972)
*''Out on the Road'' (1973)
* "Rarities" (1988; includes "If It Wasn't For The Reason That I Love You").
* "The Mikael Rickfors Years" (2000; the ''Out On The Road'' album plus tracks from ''Romany'' and four additional songs).
* ''The Very Best Of The Hollies'' (1992; includes "Magic Woman Touch" and "The Baby").
* ''Changin' Times'' (2015) 5-CD box set featuring both Hollies albums on which Rickfors was the featured lead vocalist, plus the non-LP tracks "Papa Rain", "Witchy Woman", and "If It Wasn't For The Reason That I Love You".
Grymlings
*''Grymlings'' (1990)
*''Grymlings vol. 2'' (1992)
*''Grymlings vol. 3'' (2005)
Mobile Unit
*''Road Songs'' (2008)
References
External links
Mikael Rickfors official homepage
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rickfors, Mikael
1948 births
The Hollies members
Singers from Stockholm
Living people
English-language singers from Sweden
Swedish-language singers
Swedish male singers
Swedish bass guitarists
Melodifestivalen contestants
Male bass guitarists