The Daily Roxette

Roxette World Tour 2011 schedule

“Myth” gets revealed as TDR meets Per in Helsinki

Written by roxeteer on April 8, 2006 to .

HELSINKI - The Daily Roxette meets Per Gessle in the luxurious Hotel Kämp in the center of Helsinki on a sunny April afternoon. Per is full of energy – as always – even though he has already spent a day and a half talking with Finnish reporters and is yet to have his lunch. An iPod with a voice recorder attachment is saving our discussion.

  “Oh, iPod, it’s a fantastic little machine,” says Per. He has a few of them himself. “I tend to have a few. And… I have lost a few, too,” he says laughing. I go on to ask the ever-so-common question about what’s playing on his iPod right now.

  “The best record I’ve had this year is from this English guy called Merz. I don’t know anything about him. I tried to find something about him on the Internet, but couldn’t really find any. I know he made an album eight years ago and then something went wrong and it took him eight years to come up with a follow-up. It’s a beautiful record and I just love it,” Per says. His other purchases lately have been the latest albums from Arctic Monkeys and Rosie Thomas.

  The “Son of a Plumber” album was already promoted in large scale last year, in Sweden. Per doesn’t feel it’s that difficult to get into the right mood for promoting the album again, now in other European countries. “It’s been fascinating. I’ve been travelling to several countries by now and the reception has been fantastic. I never ever get reception from the media in this way. I was just joking that this will probably be my least-selling record and the one I get most media attention for. But that’s fine, because this album was done very much for myself,” he says. “It is a tribute to my record collection, my childhood and my roots. We never talked like ’we have to have three singles’ or anything. I actually let EMI pick the singles because I couldn’t. I was too close to the songs.”

“Mazarin” acted like a door opener for Son of a Plumber



  Because “Son of a Plumber” is such an important album to Per, he feels extra happy and honored that EMI chose the album as a priority album for Europe. “However, I guess the problem which we will meet down the road is how to get the songs on the radio because they’re so old-fashioned.”

  One reason for the good reception in the media Per finds in the fact that the journalists in their 30s and 40s recognize the influences Per had on this album. “This is an album that almost any artist wants to make once in their lives. I guess that shows. The journalists notice that it’s not made for the current radio format, it’s made for other reasons.”

  Roxette’s music is often underestimated by the media because it’s made to be radio friendly. “I always have the same discussion with journalists. They say this music is so different from Roxette. But it isn’t really different. It’s different in that sense that it’s presented another way, it’s produced differently, arranged differently and it sounds different, but it’s just another branch of the same tree,” says Per. “Then you can ask why has it gone this far from the Roxette sound. I think I needed all these years, to dare to do an album like this. It all started with ’Mazarin,’ which was like a door opener for this album.”

  “’Mazarin’ was made in the same studio with basically the same people, but it was much more produced. ’Son of a Plumber’ is much more an ’anything goes’ sort of thing; no demos, trying to surprise each other in every song,” Per explains. He was influenced by the double albums of the ’60s, like The Beatles’ “White Album” and “Blonde on Blonde” by Bob Dylan. “Suddenly there was space for the ’drummer’s song’ and the instrumentals that would’ve been thrown away otherwise. I wanted that vibe to be on ’Son of a Plumber’ as well.”



Per found new working methods for “Plumber”



  “In the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect. When I started recording ’Son of a Plumber’, I only had instrumental music,” says Per. “The first track we recorded was ’I Never Quite Got Over The Fact The Beatles Broke Up’ which was an instrumental song in the beginning.” Per tells that it’s a song that means really much to him. “I was something like 10-11 years old when The Beatles broke up and I was devastated. It was like a divorce and it affected me for a very long time. Things like that can affect you even more than a death of a relative. It’s sad in a way, but that’s how this title came up.”

  “I think it was after the first working day in the studio when I realized that I’m going to be very bored if we only have instrumental music and wrote the lyrics. So the project evolved meanwhile we recorded it,” says Per. “I didn’t want to make demos because I wanted us to be spontaneous. After many years making records you have to find ways to surprise yourself because otherwise you become a machine and make the same records all over again.”

  As fans know, Per usually makes high quality demos of the songs before recording them to the album. This time he had to find new working methods. “If I’m not going to make a demo and just sit down in front of Christoffer [Lundquist] and Clarence [Öfwerman], it’d better be good. If I want them to record it, I can’t just show any song. I had to shape up and only deliver very good strong songs. And they weren’t able to be prepared, to take a demo, listen to it at home and come back next morning with an arrangement.”

  Instead, the song started to evolve right away when the three of them shared ideas. “Clarence and Christoffer have been crucial to the whole project, because I trust them so much.”

  “And actually Clarence was relieved that he wasn’t able to have all these demos,” says Per laughing. “He has always hated with Roxette the already produced demos. For example, ’The Look’ demo sounds almost exactly like ’The Look’ on the album, excluding the guitar intro. It was the same all through Roxette’s career and even ’Mazarin.’ He hated it when I told him that the demo sounded much better and we should go back to it. Suddenly this thing was gone and he was very relieved.”



Promotion continues until May, Roxette to the studio in June



  Per will continue promoting the album in April and May. He says they will have a big promotional campaign in Germany and the Netherlands in a couple of weeks. Next week he will visit Spain for Easter holiday with his family.

  The next single release from the “Son of a Plumber” album, “I Like It Like That,” will be released in Sweden probably sometime in May. Its release depends on the chart success of “Hey Mr DJ.” A new single won’t be released as long as “DJ” is doing this strong on the charts. Per does however reveal that the b-side of the forthcoming single will be another 8-minute compilation of studio outtakes, “Plumber in Progress #2.”

  In June, Marie will join Per in the studio.

  “We will record one song, we haven’t really decided yet. But at least one song,” says Per. The greatest hits album with the new song will be out at the end of the year, maybe in October. The eagerly awaited RoxBox collector’s set will be out then as well.

  “We don’t know yet,” Per discloses when TDR probes for new details on that project. “In the ideal world we would have ’MTV Unplugged,’ but it’s owned by MTV and nothing’s been solved yet. Otherwise it will be a mix of Roxette’s material, excluding the hits,” describes Per. TDR asks if the accompanied demo album will have previously unheard songs. “Most of the demos will be from the well known songs, like ’The Look,’ ’Listen To Your Heart’ and ’It Must Have Been Love.’ Famous songs that Marie is singing, I will be present in the demos. I want all the demos to be enjoyable, and not being there just for the sake of being there.”

  Per does, however, reveal at least one mythical unheard Roxette song that will be included. “’Myth’ will be on the album. It’s a great song, written by Marie [with] my lyrics. Then I hope we can have a couple of unknown tracks by Marie.”

  Per certainly doesn’t have a shortage of demos to choose from. “We did eight, nine demos for the ’Look Sharp!’ album. ’Silver Blue’ was there, ’One Is Such A Lonely Number’ was there. We have a couple of tracks from those sessions that are fantastic, like ’Sleeping Single’ and ’Dance Away.’ And there’s a demo for ’Cry’ which is totally different from the album version. I want to have those demos on the album because they mean so much to me and they are enjoyable to listen to.”

59 comments

Zargo said on :

Interesting :)

Ever chatty, our friend Mr. Gessle.

Rich-UK said on :

Great news. The RoxBox sounds very interesting. Roll on October :-) All the best, Rich

Rich-UK said on :

Just read the article again and noticed that **I Like It Like That** will be the new single. Missed that the first time round. All I can say is Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes !!!!!!!! This track was made to be a single. Gessle at his best. Rich

tcooh said on :

RoxBox sounds more and more promising. Good that Soap get so well reception around Europe. Demos are heaps fun :) Also seems Per is able to relax more, and not controll all the arrangements as he seems to have done before, with the preproduced demos sound, hehe. Finally Myth will come out as more than a myth :) Anyone up for a Monster Hangover also :P hehe

CRIZ said on :

THANX! Nice interview. Funny pix! :) (congrats to the hairdresser!);)

..and when Per and Marie are locked in the studio I hope that they maybe also feel the energy and inspiration to record at least ONE song more..;)

Roxryder-V2002 said on :

Finally the “Myth” is going to be cleared up soon! :)

And YES OH YES!! - I Like It Like That!! I really like it like that when the songs that really deserves it finally becomes singles!!

Wonder is you managed to ask anything on the Marie album...

Great interview you’re getting good at :) setting higher standards each time. Haha now you have to work a lot to be at that level.

What a worthy Sunday morning!!

Keep up the good work!

R.

Edit: ...excluding the hits,” describes Per

Tider12_ said on :

well, only one new song.
Myth in the box??? I hope the song will be great, we’re waiting for too long for this song.

Demos from Look Sharp??? We have almost all the demos songs from Look Sharp!! but, it must have been love demo??? it’ll be interesting.

And more demos form Marie, yesssssss!!!

I think Mtv doesn’t want roxette release the unplugged. Per, put CBB Live!, Live Ism, and Look Sahrp Live in a DVD if you can’t get the unplugged!

Well, october will be great!! I can’t wait!!

PD: dont’ forget demos live The centre of the heart, Stars and Crush on you mixes. And unreleased demos songs, pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee

PD2: excluiding the hits, yesssssssssssssssssssssssss

crashroxer said on :

Cool interview!! Thx.

And “I like it like that” is really the BEST song on the album!!!

PER, promo is everything! Be a guest at germans “WETTEN DASS” as every act has been!!!!

GESSLE FOR PRESIDENT!!!!

rox-kuryliw said on :

id love to hear the demo for TCOTH , or the real sugar demo. It was good when per and marie both did the demos togeather,
And so myth is real, then maybe im worng about monster hangover :-S , SUPRISES SUPRISES HEHE.

mattias said on :

Great news, great pictures!

RobS said on :

Still working on getting Unplugged doesn’t sound very promising :-( If EMI can’t get it, then hopefully MTV will decide to finally release it instead, after all this talk about it.

Otherwise the RoxBox looks to be getting even more interesting.

We’ll finally be able to hear Myth!!! Only 11 yrs after we found out about it!!

ally77 said on :

Makes good reading....

roxgirl_germany said on :

Very good interview, thanks!

I want this MTV Unplugged so MTV had better move their ***.

Looking forward to Myth!

(Sorry, misread earlier that the GH would not include the hits - need new eyes.)

crashroxer said on :

Hej visa, please give us more pics (-;

Pascal said on :

Info on that English guy called Merz :

http://www.merz.co.uk

He made 2 studio albums :
- Merz (october 1999)
- Loveheart (october 2005)

Snippets from Loveheart :

http://www.merz.co.uk/shop/

L00kSharp said on :

I have to register my opinion that “I Like It Like That” is my favorite from SoaP, and should be great single material. Kudos to EMI for figuring that out! :)

Chaghi said on :

Nice interview. I also agree that the RoxBox is getting very intersting as new ideas are revealed... but those are “ideas”, aren’t they? It seems nothing is written in stone yet.
I want live material!. I’d love it to be the MTV Unplugged, but if that’s not possible, then it could be something from the RS and/or C!B!B! tours, properly (proffessionaly...) remastered.

And for the demos and stuff... wouldn’t it be REALLY COOL to finally hear the never released COY remixes ???

IV_ROX said on :

I’m so happy we get to hear Myth finally, and the COY remixes is a good idea, too, if they exist? Maybe Crush On You’06 could also sweep in the charts for a difference:)

Rox On!

http://www.soundclick.com/ivroxx

steven said on :

Am I the only one who’s not terribly excited about the release of the GH and RoxBox?

It seems to be another fan fleecing opportunity for the record company to me.

There’s a great opportunity to fill the RoxBox with some tasty items, but it looks as if we’re going to end up with the same old demos, MTV unplugged (free to download on about a gazillion websites) and Marie’s second grade left overs.

Puh! Why bother? As soon as they are released they’ll be on someones website to download within days.

Great interview though TDR :)

animalkingdom said on :

Wo!
I think the Box seems to get more & more interesting the more you interview Per! ;) I am very much looking forward to the LS demos - - and Marie’s compositions! :D

But don’t you think we’ve gotten a little contradictory info about “Myth”? I thought it was only a ’green fruit’ that you couldn’t even call a recording... :)

animalkingdom said on :

By the way, SOAP performed Hey Mr DJ on “Huuma” in Finland on Saturday night. It was done prior to the live show, of course playback. It’s a terrible program but it certainly has an audience.

crashroxer said on :

@animalkingdom: That’s great to hear!! Did you have a link or some pics?

Arlanda said on :

Great work as always TDR 1000 tack :D

Sascha said on :

Nice interview and cool photos! This autumn won’t be as dark as usual. And Per’s nose is good again! ;-)

abba said on :

I wish they release any concert from the tour in 2001 on a DVD! Is there any chance to it? It would be fantastic........

lonely_girl said on :

Thanx for the interview... Nice and interesting

chrisjankunas said on :

@ Steven - The demos like The Look and Listen To Your heart would be brand new had it not been for the stolen demos featured on the MYTH bootleg.

I’m looking forward to this.

Oh and EXCLUDING the hits :)

tevensso (moderator) said on :

The LTYH demo was played on Swedish radio on Per’s birthday 1989, so that would’ve been known. :)

ImALiar said on :

Being With You, Ghost In The House, Holiday, Loud Clothes, Only When I Dream, Run To Me, Turn Of The Tide, Monster Hangover, Stars demo, TCOTH demo, COY remixes, Capitol Cafe live, brilliant ROOM SERVICE LIVE! That’s what I want and what I need!

Booho said on :

MYTH!!!!!!!
Per, you are my hero number one, you know :))))
All the best to you and ROCK GERMANY when you are here! :D

DaRoxKitten said on :

OH YES!
i can only agree with Tider12 and most others: “i like it like that” is a great choice for a release!
and more importantly: its such a great idea to release liveism, cbb and look sharp concerts on dvd in the roxbox! my videotapes are gettin manky!
great interview i gotta say.

Fernanda-Brasil said on :

Can’t wait to listen all this demos.....it would be fantastic :D
Sometimes I feel sooooo sad to live in the other side of globe....their promote never arrives here :(

Grasi said on :

I hope they incluse those Marie english demos, so we can have them in high quality.

Well my real wish is that they would include “New world” or “Do you wanna go with me” in some Roxette “regular” album. But I guess it won´t never happen... so PLEASE PER, include them in the Roxbox!

As well as the “Look Sharp Live”, “Live in Sweden 88”, “Live-ISM”, “CrashBoomLive” and “RS TOUR” on DVD!
(Yes I do believe they recorded at least some performances of their last tour)

Krischan said on :

@TDR: Thank you guys for a brilliant job!

Of course, downloads exist for both a lot of demos and the Unplugged session, but I’m looking forward to the RoxBox cause it will deliver the material in decent quality!

About the new surplus GH everything has been said. One new song... well... I hadn’t expected to hear a new Rox song at all anymore.

PolicarpoAroca said on :

Let´s face reality: going into the studio for just recording 1 SONG is crap. I guess neither Marie nor Per really like to work...

1 SONG....

1 SONG...

C´mon. It´s been more than 3 years since the last time you recorded a few songs. Ufff...Roxette really has run out of creativity!!!

gyllene_tjej said on :

thanks for this heart-warming interview! And the lovely pix! Gessles hairdo rocks!

And while we’re discussing the demos to be put in the box...why not dust off Svarta glas??? That would be a blast!

Regarding the MTV unplugged... not sure if it’s worth the legal trouble. I mean, how rare is that really? An unseen replacement would work wonders instead!

THANX FOR THE INTERVIEW AGAIN!

tevensso (moderator) said on :

Yes, it’s so BAD of Roxette to not record for three years! BAD BAD Roxette! I’m so disappointed with you...

Yes, I’m being sarcastic.

Txiqui said on :

Great interview!
The mistirious roxbox is getting more and more exciting day by day, I would love to be able listen to those demos.
:-)

PolicarpoAroca said on :

Yes Tevensso. Really really bad bad bad coming back for Roxette. Is it so difficult to stand a different opinion? Ufff, I think soooo...

imazombieinthem... said on :

Funny how Per talks like we havent heard those LS demos :) I know he knows us hardcore fans have them. But they are in poor ’stolen’ quality.

regn said on :

I’m so glad to have 27 this OCTUBRE!!!

ally77 said on :

@ Steven...

I am not excited as well... I really don’t feel it will have anything special in it... I will buy it no doubt but I won’t be hanging around waiting for the postman!

eBay said on :

How can people say that they are disappointed in Per and Marie and that they feel neither Per or Marie like to work etc? Marie just battled a serious illness, still she spoilt us with a solo album and another one is in the works already. Per our workaholic has been releasing A LOT of albums in the last years.. now I think the two of them have been doing REALLY impressive stuff and worked really hard the last years.

GT_85 said on :

Gyllene Tider is not Roxette, SOAP isn´t, mazarin isn´t. We want more than just one new song by Roxette. And it´s quite sad that Tev not accept any other opinions then his own.

tevensso (moderator) said on :

What really is sad is that some people think that Marie is lazy, not my opinion about other people’s opinions.

AURYTE said on :

Fantastic interview and fantastic pictures, they are most probably the best ones this year ;)

People, let’s be optimistic about the Roxbox :) After all, something is happening in the Roxette world!!!

carbon_boy said on :

Some really cool info from Mr G there. So happy “I like it like that” will be the next single. :o)

Regarding those of you who are bitchin bout the the new GH which will only contain one new track: OMG! How dare you? Apart from the fact that it takes a year or so for Roxette to record an album, do you seriously think that Marie has the energy to promote it now? It really pisses me off and I know that if M or P had to read your comments they’d be so dissapointed in your attitudes. Be happy that they’re actually releasing anything this year. If I was them I’d give you the finger and tell you to p*$$ off.

Cheers

PS: Thanx Mr G - cant wait to get my hands on all the new goodies.

PPS: Remember the idea I gave you to involve Mr Akerlund regarding the RS concerts???

pwbbounce (moderator) said on :

I’ve gotta agree with Tev. A few of you are saying that Rox should record more than one new song because you feel like they owe you it (that’s not mentioned here, but I have read that on another thread somewhere). Rox owe us nothing at all.

To get one new song is more than I ever though that we would get really. I thought that the Rox party of Per & Maries career was over. But no there is gonna be at least another song. We knows what will happen in the future. Why would Per say that a tour is “not ruled out”?

I was a little bit dissapointed with the news of another greatest hits, but after thinking about it, it’s not so bad. If you don’t want to buy another copy of IMHBL or Joyride (I haven’t decided yet :-)) than just download the new song(s), obvisouly from a legal site!!

Oh, and we’ve got Per’s album being released around the world, Marie’s new album out sometime in May/June and two Rox releases later on this year. And they’re being lazy........... try and find another artist(s) releasing 4 albums in a year

PolicarpoAroca said on :

7 full studio albums and then 4 Greatest Hits compilations sounds clarifying...

And I´ve always heard the same critic from radio players, even when Per was here in Spain last week: “yet another Greatest Hits, having in mind that this swedish band has only released 7 studio albums and this is going to be their 4 Greatest Hits collection”.

I´m not sad about Roxette comeback. Instead, I´m full of expectation (all in all, there will be new pics, sleeves, and even a new video!!!), but this is not a reason for not critizise the project if I really don´t like it. And GOD, I don´t like the idea!!

Jud (moderator) said on :

yes, bad bad them, Marie should forget her family and her life and her recovery and lock herself in the studio for >4 months, and then of course, 3 months more of promo tour followed by a world tour. AT LEAST. How dares she do less than that!

Some people are too much..

Note: of course I’m being sarcastic.. I’m more than happy with this/these new song/s, which mean/s Marie’s slowly coming back :)

cora said on :

Thanks a lot for the interview and pics!

There’s nothing wrong in having a sound personal opinion on the Rox news. I guess that’s why this forum is online. What bothers me most, and perhaps I’m not the only one here, is how some of you choose to express it. Honestly, after reading some of the comments, one might really fail to notice the tiny bit of happiness that this comeback is bringing you. Criticism is good when done the right way. Otherwise it’s just useless and hurtful. Anyway, I hope that Per still has the energy and wisdom to take your words jokingly. And please keep in mind that P&M are humans and that the creative process is quite long and strenuous!

Btw, nice post there, Paul!

Krischan said on :

@Judith: Nobody is speaking of that. This is ridiculous. I’d like to go further on that, but I guess this will get deleted again.

ThePopHits said on :

“Rox owe any of us nothing at all.”
Oh please! Stop posting that bullshit again and again and again!! No-one said they “OWE” us something!
It´s normal that if you´re a fan you are hoping for some more Rox material in the future. That´s it.

Thats nothing to do with “owe”.

tuvou said on :

Great news! Congrats!

Santi said on :

Oh, so it’s real... I was thinking for many years now that the famous song “Myth” was just a “Myth” :P
But nearly everyone that wants the demos he announces (that is, the fans who have cared for them...) have them already. They were in bootlegs all around. They were in Roxbytes. I think they should release new demos. Just my opinion...

Mari said on :

Here’s two Per pictures. Per was a guest of KissFm afternoonshow. He won tablehockeygame against Annika (of KissFm) 8-1.

http://www.uusikiss.fi/blokit/?area=blokkiiltapaiva&taso=alasivu&sesID=&...

ally77 said on :

I think one song is going to be better than nothing, think behind the song... I think when people hear Per and Marie sing togeather again that might melt a few hearts as I am sure a lot of fans might agree many of us thought back 3 years ago that we might never see or hear that happen again.... to me that’s special whether it be one song or 30!

Leila said on :

Great interview!!!! Please, more songs!!!!!!!!

oukkirox said on :

Have you a name your roxette album,i mean that 20 years album?arond the world, what sounds?

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