LoneGunman said on November 8, 2005 02:32:

@ Roxwriter - I respect your point of view, but I have to disagree with you... I simply LOVE “Jo-Anna Says” exactly because it´s a simple song. Per sung it very well, and even with sad lyrics the atmosphere of the song is happy... I like the beat, the trumpets, Helena´s voice.
For me it´s THE song... PERfect as hell !!!

And please, get real guys, Per Gessle is PER GESSLE, what are you expecting ? Ghotic ? Rumba ?

Per is Pop... nothing else to say !
Go Gessle Go... Jo-Anna Saaaaaysssss

Jackeill said on November 8, 2005 02:41:

i like c’mon 100 times better than joanna says. gessle has written tousands of songs like joanna... i like this one which is more original.

i like joanna, though. it’s a very nice, radio-friendly song.

zeeshan said on November 8, 2005 03:10:

I don’t think that it’s a song i’ll ever go Crazy about. Yes, you are right, it’s hardly a B-Track. It should have NEVER been “the” single. That’s a bad bad choice. C’mon on the other hand, it’s different... very different and well, I think it would have pulled off better than JS.

JS is not REALLY good. I think people are in the hype of the new album launch and everything. The song’s weak and defenitely not what Gessle is capable of. I think C’mon shud have been the prime choice between both these songs. It’s sad but true :(

A_T_ said on November 8, 2005 07:50:

The thing with “Jo-Anna says” is that it’s not good enough to make it, and still not bad enough to simply be skipped. I guess it will be on the radio playlists for quite a while, I guess it will make it quite well in some charts, but non-fans will get bored quite soon and even - God forbid - they’ll quite get to hate it. You know, for people that have nothing to do with per gessle, all songs are heard somehow globally. They can only hear the gessle-cliché in them, as a mark of identification. For being rated as good, a gessle-song should probably contain that “cliché” (in the good sense of the word) but also a certain unexpected something that may surpass the cliché and fight the boredom that may overwhelm a listener that only hears predictible sounds.
For a non-fan, “Jo-Anna says” is even MORE predictible than it is for a fan; an insider has a trained ear, he hears the differences, the twisted parts, gessle’s voice sounds sweet hear, strong there, tender here and there etc. There’s always something unpredictible to hear within the fan area because there’s a certain waiting-behaviour that makes possible the splitting of a song in 10000 of shades. As for outsiders, what would be the meaning of a new label (like SOAP) for singing something that sounds nothing but usual gessle? Where’s the unpredictable?
“Jo-Anna says” is silly in both - good way and bad way. ’60’s inspired? Of course, but not entirely. Actually the song meets two clichés: one rolled in the 60’s (the tune-line reminds me of the Del Shannon’s compositions) and one rolled for years by gessle himself (“my love and beyond”-part, as well as the changing of the chorus-key, the lyrics etc.). Would the meeting of two good clichés spoil a show? Rather not, on the contrary, especially if there’s a good blending. But gessle-cliché as he used in “Jo-anna” is not good enough, not anymore, and esp. not for a single. I think the song could have been loved among others; when listening the whole album, Jo-Anna might have been welcomed, but when she’s trying to make it by herself, she might be found gracious, but boring.
On the other hand, you can almost hear along the song the faith he has put in it, he wanted this song to sound somehow “important” but the means were too poor unfortunatelly. His voice goes more tender, he dares more, he sings it with impetuosity (that’s why the song sounds rather sad) - so the effort is obvious and I wouldn’t send the song on a B-side...
As for the lyrics, they are so ridiculously poor. Non-sensical?? Not even that. Simple? I wish they were simple like Beatles’ “ps I love you” or “girl”, but they’re not. Typical pop lyrics? No! “C’mon” has them, but “Jo-Anna says” doesn’t. I even dare to say they dragged the song down even more, they have something almost unbearably stupid. I wish he could have used a good vital beatles lyrics-cliché (if he did sense his imagination wasn’t reliable enough back then when he wrote the song.

Still, I am wonderig: what if the intention of this double-single was a matter of contrast between “jo-anna” and “c’mon”? something gessle-ish and something son-of-a-plumber-ish. then and now. continuity and discontinuity. It’s not totally impossible for them to have meant the double-single to be listened “as a whole”- Jo-Anna is the character after all...maybe she needs to be followed in both songs in order for us to get a picture of how charming she can be.

With “C’mon” is a whole different story. The falsetto is amazing. It’s everything but Velvet Underground, still, somehow John Cale-ish because it contains a bit of a paradox: glamour, a bit of a parody and a bit of originality, it also has a vague erotical shade and a bit of a (unintended? or subtle?) avangarde, but it’s also straight, it’s also disco and also Prince-like and totally Ian Whitcomb’s “You turn me on” .
Gessle-cliché in it? Yes, of course, but so damn well-drained! The “beep” part is probably inspired by Beatles’ “Drive my car”, but it fits soap’s song better; he made a good point with it, so to speak.

Still, the radio stations avoided to give “C’mon” some airplay. Why? I guess they prefer gessle’s “naked” cliché...Dj’s nowadays don’t like subtleties (or undertones); they won’t risk the rating of their show with a 70’s falsetto...They won’t even bother to see gessle in another light; why? because gessle = “Jo-anna says”. People are so convinced that a high-pitched gessle voice will ruin everything that they fail to hear how catchy this song actually is!! And they, of course, fail to see that gessle didn’t contradict himself or his good old clichés AT ALL when writing this song!!

I wonder how much time will it take for people to see that “C’mon” is NOT A SCANDAL!!!?????!

roxtexanet said on November 8, 2005 14:35:

Sorry, can’t agree with any of these opinions at all. I will say that “Jo-anna Says” probably won’t be a big chart hit in Sweden (partly because it’s in English, partly because it doesn’t fit the teenybopper or adult contemporary format needed for that kind of airplay), and I don’t think it would get airplay outside of Sweden at all. Nevertheless, I think the song is fantastic, it’s pure sunny pop, the way Per has always done it - without apology. Pop is fun again!! It doesn’t have to be all Arcade Fire and Coldplay, nor does it have to be Britney and Westlife! So personally, I’m thrilled with the song. You’ll have it in your head for weeks whether you want to or not... (-:

sommartider said on November 8, 2005 15:43:

I agree with substitute, that the song is in english doesn’t mean that all the world around will like it.
I think that Jo-anna has a “Mazarin atmosphere“, that sounds great for swedish and rox fans that are accustomed to Mr. G, but I guess it won’t worth worldwide.
Maybe another song is choosed for the international launch.

Room_service said on November 8, 2005 18:45:

I think Jo-anna is not strong enough. It funny, but weak. It sounds like a circus number. Sometimes fans are a little blind and can’t face the reality. I know, it’s Per, we love him. But we also have a brain between the ears. We can’t deny this song is NOT great.

The problem here is Per has been stucked in the 60’s for decades. I know he loves that era, and he has loads of memories, but I think we had enough. I need some more “contemporary”, I’m tired of those 60’s tunes and pointless lyrics. Per should grow-up! We are not in the 60’s anymore! Sometimes I wonder if he’s able to write more mature and deep lyrics or not. I’m expecting that, I hope he’s able. If not, I will be very disappointed. He should show more versatily, I believe he has enough skills to write better lyrics than this “Jo-anna”, outside the “cliché” frame.

I don’t wanna admit one of the singers I admire is just able to write something like THIS! :o(

Starrox said on November 8, 2005 19:43:

“Jo-Anna Says is the best song Pers done in english for years..”

Yeah, well, with only little more than 20 songs in English released in the past five years that’s not that difficult, is it? ;-)

tevensso (moderator) said on November 8, 2005 21:24:

I love them both, and quite frankly, I don’t really care if it does well in the world or not. I will be happy if it does, but if it doesn’t I will be happy I’ve heard them.

Roxrider_USA said on November 8, 2005 22:10:

As Lonegunman said, although JS has a sad story to it, the intself has a lifting and happy tone to it.

I believe that if we all could, we would love to give our sad life moments a happy melody. That’s exactly what Mr. Gessle has done with this song.

Can anyone of you actualy listen to this song and feel sad or have a feeling of emptiness even though the lyrics tell a sad story? I just can’t! You know, JS actually makes my head and feet move. I smile!!

Take care guys!
Carlos E., New York.

tinytim said on November 9, 2005 00:26:

easy to analize, hard to predict...i think that since all of us here in this forum started to make it grow 5 years back (as I remember I first logged in here) and claimed for roxette’s deserved position in the world charts, I never felt such urgent yell for roxette before. i mean, i’ve seen topics about it here and is true...people are missing roxette, and I think jo-anna says is indeed quite per-ish and roxette-ish.

and do you know what? what’s the damn problem with that? I mean, that’s exactly what I feel people want to hear and if Per does too, why not releasing it as a first (but not only of course) single?

the ’hype’ as it was mentioned here didn’t affect us in the way many are thinking. this album is receiving a huge and nice attention from emi, with a quite nice site, nice promotion so far (i guess) and etc...not to mention the whole ’inspiration’ behind it - Per’s 60’s and 70’s influence...of course many here are waiting for something explosively creative and different...and that’s ’c’mon’...

but hey: my father, 55, who bought a roxette ’joyride’ tape in 1991, and when he heard ’Jo-Anna Says’ he said: ’well those guys (roxette) are long missing now’. did u see? instant recognition! I think that per is working now almost like a ’lancet’ for roxette, opening space in the music market of the world again. why trying something weirdly different or not too easy to recognize? if people use to think that Savage G.’s, ’I want you’ is actually a roxette song, I guess you got my point.

if per released ’c’mon instead (which I indeed, REALLY consider to have world potential) people could go ’uh?’ in other countries, where they barely know Per’s name or even it’s pronounce! they don’t even know who ’Peer Geysle’ is (the way a radio guy said his name in those SIMC sue news) and that he has a solo career, and awesome albums. and if u stop to think, ’c’mon’s beginning gives u the straight and clear idea that’s marie singing...well, but not at the same time! it’s too strange to release it now, initially, as a part of Roxette’s Per Gessle-guy project...understand? he made it very clear in the QA section he wants it to be worldwide, so...

who knows, if the next single could be ’c’mon...i bet it will be, it sounds perfect to. however, joanna says by now is quite a sunny, happy song with the clear sign of Per on it.

I agree with AT...people expect ’gessle-ism’ (non-fans) with something different. but with that huge expectation of a roxette comeback - which is something we can all feel - if he tried something different, he could spoil it. if roxette released something now, a new album, it would be such a comeback as it was in 99 with HAND - the confuse HAND, with so many ’almost gessle-ish’ things, got me? so...all things have it’s proper time. let’s wait people say ’wow, that’s roxette, per, etc...back! so good!’ with joanna says and then, the other, expected kind of ’wow’ for c’mon.

about silly lyrix...i’m satisfied with them...they’re entirely catchy, not only the choruses...i only hate per about his short bridges...that guitar is wonderful! ir remindes me mccartney’s at his best!! he could make it a little longer.

and let’s face it...I’d rather go for ’my looooove and beyond’ than those stupid gothic, rap, nu-metal, dance and other trashy songs lately...blaaaargh...

except for tragedy’s ’eo’...great song! it’s embarassing to admit, but it’s true!!!

roxtexanet said on November 9, 2005 01:07:

There simply is no objective rule for what makes a song good or not, so to say “the groundbreaking masterpiece everyone has touted this song to be it ain’t” is no more of a factual statement than “this is the best song written by anyone, ever.” The fact of the matter is that some people love jangly pop that recalls a time when every song on the radio was a corny, sunny love song about nothing and some people hate it. Roxette got famous all over the world for putting out exactly that: trivial pop songs about nothing that make you smile.

For the record, I’ve only heard the clip but I think “C’mon” is bizarre (great percussion though!) and that “Jo-anna Says” is - by comparison - a far stronger choice for lead single.

LoneGunman said on November 9, 2005 01:32:

@ Starrox - Perfect words... that´s exactly what I was going to say about Roxwriter.

Roxwriter... again, I respect your opinion, but your not the owner of the true... and if you ask me, I think you don´t understand anything about Per Gessle´s music. You have the right to say you don´t like the song, but don´t come saying the song is bad like you knows everything. Slow down.

“Jo-Anna Says” is bad ? Yeah right... good is “Cmon”.... a song with vocals sounding like Per received a kick in the nuts.

Peace.

Santi said on November 9, 2005 03:25:

I like it. :)

That’s my truth :P

Jud (moderator) said on November 9, 2005 06:58:

well I consider myself adult enough to know what I like and what I like not. Many people know I’ve been critic with Per in the past, so no “I love all he does”, I didn’t like Mazarin and I still don’t like it ;)

Rox1_4ever said on November 9, 2005 19:19:

I love both Jo-anna Says and C’mon but I don’t think I would love SOAP in that way I love Mazarin becuse Mazarin is a very, very special album for me.. anyway I think Jo-anna Says and C’mon is GREAT!! I like Jo-anna says becuse its typical Gessle and I like C’mon becuse its diffrent.

And today I talked to one of my friends and she almost hate Per Gessles music and she always says that he’s songs is sooo bad, but she said that she thinks Jo-anna says was ok and everyone else I have talked to said that Jo-anna says is really good...so it seems that people like it here...

mbatalla said on November 9, 2005 22:46:

well... First of all, I like Mazarin ;-)

I think that C’mon is a brilliant song, in a very catchy style and with Per at his best. Sometimes I wonder why Roxette doesnt work in this way... But that is another story

In the other hand, I like Joanna says, but I think is a most typical gessle three chords song. That’s why I like it!

If I have to choose, C’mon is my favourite!

tinytim said on November 10, 2005 02:27:

i still think Jo-Anna says purpose as a first single is to re-present per to the world i could say...i garantee really few people know/respect him as a solo artist outside europe (mostly scandinavia).

if it works, it will work folks...

girl7twenty7 said on November 10, 2005 10:19:

It’s pure Per and that’s why I really like it. Honestly it’s not the best song of his but it’s SO catchy and makes you move! Let’s see what will happen with my attitude after a coulpe of days and more listenings.

shannyn77 said on November 11, 2005 00:28:

Does it matter about the ’seriousness’ of his tracks. The truth is we are fans of Per, we know what he is about and what we expect and I don’t see any reason to be disappointed. Obviously the two songs are different and some will like one, others will like the other - it’s kinda just the way life is - I think JS is great!!!!

Max-Tob said on November 11, 2005 20:37:

I liked at least two critics from this topic. Keep the good work guys, per should be proud of all his fans - liking or not liking his new singles. really.

Sparvogamarie said on November 11, 2005 22:41:

I dl’d it so I could hear what the fuss was about. I have to admit...I rather liked it. I’m a sucker for those damn catchy choruses that make you bop along and stick in your head for days! That said, I can’t see this being a big hit unless Per gets in a time machine and releases this in 1965. So I agree with Roxwriter that it’s a poor single choice, given that singles are released to promote the album and hopefully become hits. But the song itself is fun!

chrisjankunas said on November 11, 2005 23:52:

I like them both - didnt like c’mon so much at first but have got into it now. Helena is cute and has a nice voice - different to marie. I like the musical arrangement in both tracks - that usually creates the baseline for whether I like a song or not. The high pitched vocal seems normal after a while.

girl7twenty7 said on November 12, 2005 16:54:

Now, after a few days of listening to the songs, I can say I like them both. Also love that “beatles” atmosphere! To my great surprise I really like Helena’s singing. Some people said here the 1st single choice wasn’t the best. Well, there’s no sence to talk about it now, until we hear the whole album. Per says SOAP is a cousin to Mazarin. But imho, judging by JS and C’mon, it seems to be a cocktail of TWATG and Mazarin with adding of The Lonely Boys. I’d say the main Mazarin influence is the “light” sound. By the way, interesting observation: for some reason only Per’s solos in Swedish look mature, as soon as he meets guys from GT or writes in English his songs lose seriousness.

Jo-Anna Says. Simple but nice classical Gessle 3-chord catchy piece of pop. I missed a lot such a kind of Per’s English songs. In some way it is similar to Tuffa Tider, both have happier music than meaning. I have to admit there’s good a proof that it’s not a bad song: even some of Marie fans do like it! ;-)

C’mon. I can repeat it once again: a very cool song. Has loads of fun in everything. Becomes better and better with every listening. The ending part with the piano, many singing voices and the final beat is especially great!

PS Very curious: why Jo-Anna and not Teena or Chrissie or some new girl? Why had Per decided to come back to this charachter?...

Fernanda-Brasil said on November 13, 2005 15:25:

I think Jo-Anna says is a great song. I really think it could be a international hit and yes I care about it.
I’m crossing my fingers to be an international hit. First because I like Per’s solo stuff and I think he deserve it. Second because if it happens all world Gessle fans will be able to puts their hands on this album.
Can’t wait to listen all SOAP album!
Fernanda

Roxette-atic said on November 19, 2005 17:52:

I really try to get excited about Jo-anna and Cmon ( or the whole SOAP-project) but I cant really. When Roxette releases stuff I count the minutes, but now its like..new Gessle record..Nice...