Randy Fitzsimmons

The Hives are a fantastic band. Raw energy. Great lyrics (ten dead no pun?). Swank outfits. They rock. But they wouldn’t be where they are today without Randy Fitzsimmons. It’s a great story, often shrouded in mystery. Essentially, Randy Fitzsimmons ‘discovered’ The Hives when they were a bunch of maniac kids in a small town in Sweden playing in little clubs at a mile a minute and professing to the crowds how they were the greatest band on earth. Mr. Fitzsimmons, who some believe was just The Hives themselves, or perhaps their drummer, or their bassist, sent them a mysterious letter each telling them to be at a certain place at a certain time. Once there he told them their destiny (that they truly would be the greatest band on earth, and world domination was to be theirs). He brought them to an isolated place in the middle of Sweden and set them loose to record. Randy Fitzsimmons is not merely a producer though. He manages them, shapes them, helps them write and basically, is the sixth member. That is, if he exists at all. After that album, The Hives disappeared for a while, and they even sparked false rumours that they had died. But really, they were busy writing in isolation, and the album they produced next truly was the greatest album of all time.