The early years
Janne was born in 1963. He became inspired by his mother playing acoustic guitar and quite early on started playing around with it. He became interested in music quite early on, with his first real favorite song being rock n roll number “Let’s Dance” by Ola & The Janglers. Later on his cousin Percy introduced him to The Sweet, which soon became his favorite band. Around 1974 he was introduced to heavier bands like Montrose, Deep Purple, Rush and Black Sabbath. Around the age of 9 he bought an old Hofner bass from a friend and started playing around with it. After having seen BB King on TV, play a classic two-finger power chord, a whole new world opened! He wanted to take guitar lessons, but to play guitar you first had to play the recorder to learn how to read music. After 3-4 weeks Janne was bored to death, quit playing the recorded and bought a guitar course on cassette. He learned some basic cords and then went straight to the finale: “Guitar Boogie”. He started learning from playing to records by his favorite bands, such as The Sweet, Slade, Montrose, Nazareth, Black Sabbath, UFO, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy etc.
The first bands
He started playing with a couple of friends and the band was called “Sgt Pepper’s One And Only Lonely Hearts Club Band”, short and sweet. Just like their one-gig career. His best friend, Pellle Thuresson, also bought a guitar and started playing. The two formed their first band: Blue Marlin, which became Flash, now featuring Janne on guitar (a Sakai Les Paul copy), Pelle on vocals and guitar, Ola Persson (now Calle Engelmarc) on bass and vocals and Janne Gummesson on drums. They played covers of Scorpions, Budgie, Sex Pistols etc. After a few gigs under the name Flash early 1978, they went for the heavier sounding TNT, now doing covers by bands like Budgie, Moxy and Sex Pistols (yes, the punk had a certain effect as well). The band was reinforced by keyboardist Magnus Petersson, and in January 1978 they recorded a demo. After some changes the band transformed into Paradize in December 1979, a band more influenced by melodic bands like Styx, REO Speedwagon, New England, Marsseille, Magnum etc. In 1980, they released their first (and only) vinyl single, released by the band themselves in 250 copies. In 1980 Janne and Ocean drummer Kenta Svensson forms Overdrive.
Timeline 1980 – now
1980-1985 Overdrive
1985-1992 Overheat
1990 Starts writing for Backstage magazine
1991 Finalist in “Guitar heroes of Sweden” (Malmö)
1992 Finalist in “Guitar heroes of Sweden” (Stockholm). Overdrive reforms with a new line-up. Starts writing for Kool Kat Magazine
1993 Starts working for Sweden Rock Festival (at the time known as Karlshamn Rock Festival). Starts writing for Metal Zone magazine.
1995 Starts writing for Tat ‘N Roll Magazine
1996 “The Encyclopedia of Swedish Hard Rock And Heavy Metal 1970-1996” is released and Locomotive Breath is formed. Overdrive’s “Metal Attack” and “Swords And Axes” are re-issued on CD for the first time.
1997 Guest on Narnia: “Awakening”. Starts writing for Hard Roxx magazine and Sydöstran, One-off Overdrive re-union, recorded and later released as “Mission of Destruction - Live”. Locomotive Breath is formed.
1999 Locomotive Breath records tracks for tributes (Europe, Captain Beyond). Writes liner notes for CDs by Great King Rat and Neon Rose.
2000 Starts writing for Fuzz magazine and Sweden Rock Magazine.
2001 Overdrive 7” and live CD released
2002 Locomotive Breath “Heavy Machinery” released.
2003 Locomotive Breath “Train Of New Events” released, guest on releases by Spearfish, VII Gates and Faith. Overdrive’s “Reflexions”, “Metal Attack” and “Swords And Axes” re-issued on CD.
2004 Starts writing for Blekinge Läns Tidning. Records guitars and does artwork for Zello “First Chapter, Second Verse”, starts working for MTM and does artwork for Axia, R.A.W, Have Mercy, plus “The Sweet According To Sweden”, where Locomotive Breath also appears.
2005 Locomotive Breath “Change of Track” is released. Writes liner notes for Axewitch CD releases, guest solo for Audiovision. Starts working with John Garner and they form John Garner’s Sir Lord Baltimore.
2006 Overdrive “Resurrected” is released. Mountain of Power “Volume One” is released. Planet Alliance is released. Starts writing for Metal Central. Does artwork for Neon Rose re-issues.
2007 Records an (still unreleased) album with Teenage Rampage, where some songs appeared on compilations. Guest spots for Chris Catena. Mörrum’s Own and The Kaars released. Song by John Garner’s Sir Lord Baltimore appear on compilation.
2008 Overdrive “Let The Metal Do The Talking” released. BALLS “Chameleon” released. Lyrics for a track on Pavic “Unconditioned”. Guest spots for Thalamus and M.O.B. Leaves Sweden Rock Festival and Sweden Rock Magazine.
2009 Constancia “Lost And Gone” is released. Appears on “Shredding Across The World Vol 2”. Guest spots with Alyson Avenue and Grand Design.
2010 Mountain of Power “Volume Two” is released. Guest spots with Audisovision and Ruined Soul.
2011 Overdrive and Locomotive Breath records each a track for a benefit CD for Japan. Guest spot for Grand Design. Overdrive “Angelmaker” and “The Angelmaker’s Daughter” are released.
2012 Mastering Mother Misery LP. Working with Zoom Club.
2013 Janne joins Grand Design and “Baby It’s You” is released. Guest spots with Thomas Bergsten’s Fantasy and Peter Hermansson. Overdrive plays in Japan. Overdrive “Let The Metal Do The Talking” is released on vinyl.
2014 Grand Design “Thrill Of The Night” is released. Guest spots on release by Rocka Rollas.
2015 Constancia “Final Curtain” is released. Mountain of Power “Volume Three” is released. Guest spot with Osukaru. Merryweather Stark starts taking shape.
2016 Records lead guitars for Assassin’s Blade “Agents Of Mystification” and Il Rovescio Della Medaglia “Tribal Domestic”. Grand Design “Time Elevation (Re-Elevated)” is released (guitars + artwork). Overdrive “Metal Attack” re-issued on LP. Mastering jobs for Magnolia, Mother Misery, The Re-Stoned. Starts working with Cult Metal Classics, digitizing of Twilight Project demos. Starts working with Sonic Age/Cult Metal Classics. Digitizing and pre-mastering of Twilight Project.
2017 Mastering Magnolia, The Re-Stoned and Grand Design. Guest on releases by Marc Quee, Peter Hermansson. Digitizing of Rising “Inside The Universe” and (TBR) Onyx "Karon". Merryweather Stark debut to be released. New Grand Design album recorded. Gigs with Falling Hazard, Overdrive and Mountain of Power. Worked on the Neptune release for Cult Metal Classics.
2018 Artwork and guest guitars for Heartwind. Merryweather Stark vinyl released. Grand Design "Viva La Paradise" released. Overheat "Fight To The Finish" released on Cult Metal Classics. Overdrive "Metal Attack" and "Swords And Axes" re-issued by Hellion Records in Brazil, plus previously unreleased album "The Battle Of Rock".. Grand Design "Viva La Paradise - Special Mission" released in December. Played in Chicago + tour of Spain with Grand Design. Recorded guest guitars for Peter Hermansson. Lots of Falling Hazard gigs (started working on original material!). Digitizing material for Cult Metal Classics releases.
2019 Workin on the Budgie tribute album, Mountain of Power Volume 4, Merryweather Stark Vol 2, releasing the first Falling Hazard 7" single, guest guitars for Lightspeed, Peter Hermansson, working on re-issues for Cult Metal Classics, artwork, mastering Re-Stoned, Prime Creation, Falling Hazard. Shows with Grand Design and Falling Hazard. Working on "The History of Swedish Hard Rock and Heavy Metal" and doing layout for the official Pretty Maids biography (by Ozzie Adenborg).
Various cool moments
In 2004 Janne and the boys in Locomotive Breath played a show together with former Samson singer Nicky Moore, as a tribute to Paul Samson.
In 2006 A Sweden Rock All Stars band was put together, featuring Janne, Udo Dirkschneider, Ryan Roxie, Oscar Dronjak, Mia Coldheart, Ian Haugland and Nalle Påhlsson. They performed songs by Accept, UDO, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper.
In 2007 A 2nd Sweden Rock Allstars band was put together, this time featuring Janne, Uli Jon Roth, Ule Ritgen, Mats Leven, Marc Boals, Thomas Broman, Ken Hensley and Liz Vandall. This time playing songs by Scorpions, Electric Sun and Deep Purple.
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(2015)
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