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Roxette World Tour 2011 schedule

Looking Back: Roxette in the US two years ago this week

Written by Lars-Erik_Olson on September 28, 2002 to .

NEW YORK - It was exactly two years ago that Roxette, having signed a record deal with Edel America Records (EAR), were here in the United States on a two-week promotional tour that took them across the country.

  Among other appearances during their time here, the band played the sold-out MixFest outdoor concert in Boston, at Virgin Megastore Times Square in New York, and at the Experience Music Project in Seattle (designed by Frank Gehry, who was also the architect of the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain).

  There was even a new fan club, RoxNorthAmeriFANS, formed with the support of Steven Howlett’s Roxette.net and TDR. The club worked closely with EAR to promote “Wish I Could Fly” on US radio stations.

  While this was supposed to be Roxette’s US comeback, it wasn’t long thereafter, however, that trouble appeared. Encountering financial difficulty, EAR did not release “Room Service” and since then, has gone out of business.

  A glimmer of hope still exists to see Roxette marketed in the US. Their hit songs continue to be played regularly on the radio, and it would make sense to have at least a Greatest Hits album available. TDR has learned that a proposal similar to this is under consideration.

32 comments

zeeshan said on :

I ask all of you a question (specially those from US and UK). Is there “ANY” hope for Roxette to break in the US/UK market again????

Zee

cskendras said on :

i hope so, but i think Marie’s wealth is so much worthier than any us-deals and so on...

steven said on :

Roxette didn’t really break the UK market to begin with. They’ve never enjoyed a number 1 and their other chart positions have hardly been noteworthy.

I work with many young people in their late teens and early twenties, many of who have never heard of Roxette and could not tell you they were a group from Sweden.

Of those that can probably still remember Roxette, they wrongly asume that it is was a blonde singer from the 80’s, often neglecting to mention Per.

I can’t imagine what it must be like for fellow fans in mainland Europe to hear and see Roxette on Radio and TV with such frequency.

Who knows... one day... maybe...

rox74ever said on :

Over here in USA, when i say i like roxette i always get these answers:
- oh, i didnt know you like 80’s songs.
- oh, you mean the blond chick with the black dress?
- arent they the one from pretty woman movie?...(very rare)

So, if thats how americans know roxette, from like 10 years ago... arent they gonna be kinda shocked. “are they still playing?? what the hell!”
well... i dont know if roxette is ever gonna come to USA... maybe its a little too late... but who knows?

BigRoxfan said on :

Steven, is that not a sad state of affairs, if you think ROXETTE played at Wembley in 94, Shepherds Bush in 95(you had to enter a competition to get tickets, and they were all snapped up,,I won Two!!)They have been here to promote HAND, preformed at Party in The Park, appeared onTOTP and the Pepsi Chart show and at the Capital Cafe...oh yeah and then there was Blackpool last year!!! Either people are just forgetful, ir just plain stupid to think that ROXETTE were purely an 80’s band(blonde singer?? are people confused with Blondie perchance??)Where were these people when MTV unplugged happened? I could go on,,,,because after all, I am BIGROXFAN!!1xxxxxto all!!!!!

zeeshan said on :

still waiting for my question to be answered properly :)
Don’t flame me I am not offending anyone but up untill now it goes more like “WHO KNOWS!?”. I think the answer will be “NO”.

Zee

Pascal said on :

Roxette will never top the UK/US charts again.

coyboyusa said on :

out of business ...was that just the usa extension cause edel bought mega records home of ace of base this year didnt they?

BigRoxfan said on :

Dear ZEE!!

With proper promotion...I think they could!
The indifference here from EMI-uk...well .......
I truly believe that with a good marketing strategy, ROXETTE would definitely get into the top of the charts! Many young people that I mix with, when they hear the songs I play, they always ask”but why don’t we hear this??It’s really cool!” And they go on to say they would buy the songs if they could find them!!
Love to all....ROXETTE FOREVER! THE BEST BY FAR!!XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXBigRoxfan

steven said on :

@BigRoxFan:
Yes definately a sad state of affairs... do you know, I have been enjoying Roxette’s music for 8 years and in this time I have only seen one advert in the UK...

...this was back in 1994, on a bus stop, outside Wembley arena (where they were playing) for a single release off C!B!B!.

Since then I have not seen anything. No TV commericals. No radio adverts. Not even an ad in a magazine. Nothing. And yet I’m continually subjected to ads in many formats for other artists.

Somebody, somewhere, simply are not doing their job effectively.

coyboyusa said on :

thats what happens when you stay signed to a worldwide company that spent 3 million dollars to pormot flops like gart brooks chris gaines and mariah carey’s glitter

ditroia said on :

Roxette didn’t do very well in the charts cos the UK has a god awful taste in music, all of their top tens Suck.

Although WICF charted at #11.

EMI UK did do some promotion for Wicf as I Have instore add for WICF.

Dave

LittleSpooky said on :

Zeeshan: I think the reason most folk say “I don’t know” is because they honestly don’t. Since I worked on Roxette’s NorthAmeriFans with Lars and several others, I have kept a little bit closer tabs on what’s popular, at least, here in Utah. And the music market right now is pushing stuff done Post 9-11, and upbeat techno/pop.

Now would be a good time to attempt one more comeback, but I don’t think that will happen. That’s just the way it goes.

BigRoxfan said on :

@Steven

I have been a fean for nearly fourteen years and I feel exactly the same as you!! Sheesh, when are these publicity guys gonna wake up and smell the coffee??

Each day I am hopeful that I will hear ATAY on the radio, but all I heard on Friday night was a slag off of Roxette, after which I sent a rather angry email to the radio station!!!
The thing is, we MUST stand beside Per and Marie, it is the fams that make them strong and positive!!!
Saluti bisoux your BigRoxfan xxxxx

steven said on :

Last evening... I saw an advert on TV for Peter Gaberial’s new album. It was his first new album in over 10 years.

It wasn’t a particularly great advert, but it worked... “Hey everyone! I’m still here making records” - kind of thing.

Why can’t Roxette do that?

BigRoxfan said on :

Because EMI Uk just don’t get it....ATAY is a good song......

I have just played the video to my son of 11 and his freind of 12 and the reception was extremely positive....tot he point of when can we buy ????

So there you hae it....come on UK ROXETE!!!CLAP!CLAP! CLAP!!!
ROXETTE!!!CLAP!CLAP!!CLAP!!!

Saluti
BigRoxfan
xxxxxxxxxxx

zeeshan said on :

Thanks you guys for all the answers. I now know MORE about UK/US market and their conditions. I guess Per and Marie have also lost their “hunger” for fame and glory. I guess because they have achieved a lot. I guess they are doing music only because they like it. They don’t want money (they are freakin’ rich!), they don’t want much fame (atleast people in Sweden “their homeland” know them) and they don’t want #1 They have had soo many of those.

I wish that Roxette will keep on working as long as possible. I hate to read that Per and Marie are touching 45. Don’t know why but whenever I read Marie, 44 and blah blah.. I hate it. I don’t wana even THINK about Roxette aging. But then again, we can’t neglect the fact. It would be like living in a fantasy world.

Peace.
Zee

roxcyn said on :

Well they were in California to tape their first video from Roomservice. Isn’t that ironic? They aren’t popular in US, but they taped their first video from Room service here? *haha,* but I am still surprised at how their song, “Wish I could fly” did terribly, it’s a beautiful song, and I love the entire HAND album :)

Scott

coyboyusa said on :

wicf was marketed incorrectly to sadult contemporary station..edel was a crap label...and zee as for their lack of hunger..they were going at it for nealry 20 years b4 they took a ” BIG BREAK” off to have a LIFE

who are we to chide them for that

Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on :

Actually, there still are about 20 t-shirts remaining. If you’d like one... $15 including shipping... write to me: [email protected]

steven said on :

@anon:

Sorry, I don’t agree ;)

Yes having a Todd Terry remix probably helped, but I think the main reason WICF reached the dizzy heights of #11 was because of the TV appearences they put in.

The appeared on two main programmes at the time.

#1. This Morning
#2. Lucky Numbers (I think thats what it was called)

Two popular shows with several million views. The later show went out at 7pm in the evening, which undoubtedly helped enormously.

steven said on :

Indeed...

If Fatboy slim remixed their next single they would even get airplay on BBC Radio 1...

...probably.

steven said on :

Who cares...?

...Duh, us fans in the US & UK of course.

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