EMI Svenska has revealed the track listing for the “Real Sugar” single and maxi-single. The single won’t be released in early May as previously stated, but on June 18th.

 

Single (8793642)

1. Real Sugar
   
2. It Will Take A Long Long Time (Modern Rock Version)
   

Maxi single (8793650)

1. Real Sugar
   
2. It Will Take A Long Long Time (Modern Rock Version)
   
3. I Was So Lucky (The Golden Blow)
   
4. Enhanced video The Centre Of The Heart
   

The video for “Real Sugar” has already been shot and was directed by Jesper Hiro.

  Both Per and Marie were interviewed by quick-witted journalist Patricia Godes for the May, Spanish edition of the legendary rock magazine Rolling Stone. As this monthly publication does not have a website yet (although it has been around for 19 months already!), Roxette fans outside Spain will be pleased to read this translation of the interview:

  “They sell millions of records and earn millions of dollars, but they don’t have terrible pasts, emotional dramas or problems with drugs to speak of. Per and Marie, the members of the megapopular Roxette, spend most of their spare time sleeping instead of throwing TV sets through the window, experimenting with drugs or beating sexual prowess world records, as all big stars should do.

  Anyway, as we just can’t absorb the fact that some people don’t take advantage of their fame to indulge in the sort of debauchery we’d love to, we just maliciously try to make them talk.
Read more…

NEW YORK - Somewhat ironically, the talk of a possible return by Roxette to the American music scene comes almost exactly ten years after the group scored with its highest-ranking US album - “Joyride.” The album peaked on Billboard’s Album chart at #12 on May 4, 1991 while the “Joyride” single hit #1 during this same month.

  Now, a decade later, Roxette’s name can still be found in the current issue of the magazine, on the Euro (#3) and Scandinavian charts.

A little six-year-old boy will imitate Per Gessle as a solo artist on the TV4 show “Småtjärnorna” (“Small Stars”). Oscar Berander, complete with long blond hair, will compete with the song “Kix.”

  Geared for children 5-12 years old, the show features kids imitating famous musicians and dressing like there favorite stars. The winners of these contests will advance to the final round later this Spring.

  The show airs Friday at 8 pm (20:00 CET).

• TV4 (Search [sˆk] for “smÂstj‰rnorna”)

The days of unrestricted Rox-MP3-sharing over the internet appear to be over. In fact, if you run a search for “Roxette” on Napster, the result will be “No matches found.”

  Napster has stated its intention to filter out all copyrighted material – without regard to artist or record company – from their servers so that users will not be able to view, search or share copyrighted material.

  Some Napster alternatives have already begun to install similar filters while others appear to be on the road to closure.
Read more…

MTV3 will broadcast a special documentary on Roxette next Sunday, May 6th. The 35-minute program will feature clips from Roxette’s recent visit to Helsinki as well as from older interviews. Roxette recorded a live performance when they were in Helsinki and that material will also be used in the documentary. The program starts at 15.05 EET (UTC+2).

Per Gessle has, together with Niklas Strömstedt and Meja, written a song for the dance band BlackJack, reported the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet today.

  “This is our best song we’ve ever recorded,” said lead singer Tony Ljungström.

  The song is called “Sundown” and it will be found on Black Jack’s upcoming album. It is composed by Gessle and Strömstedt. Meja has contributed the Swedish lyrics.

• BlackJack’s website (In Swedish - with RealAudio and MP3 clips)

The planned merger of EMI, the world’s third largest music company, and Bertelsmann’s BMG has been scrapped. The deal was scuttled today in London after it became clear that regulatory hurdles were too high to clear. The merger would have created the world’s largest music company.

  EMI, whose artists include Roxette, Mariah Carey and the Beatles, reportedly would have had to shed various portions of their company before being allowed to acquire BMG. BMG’s artists include David Bowie and Whitney Houston. Read more…

In a lengthy interview published in Saturday’s Dagens Industri, Per Öqvist asked the following question of Tomas Johansson, who heads EMA Telstar (worldwide booking agents for Roxette):

  Roxette has had three #1’s and a #2 on the American Billboard list. How can you get them to hit in the USA one more time?

  “I’m going to talk with my owners that have 1,200 radio stations across the USA and ask them to play the new record,” Johansson replied. “It’s absolutely good enough to hit in the USA, it only depends on the right launch.”

  Tomas Johansson, who was called the “rock watchman” in the story’s headline, is talking about Clear Channel Communications. Clear Channel, headquarted in Texas, acquired New York-based SFX Entertainment last year, the world’s largest promoter and producer of live entertainment events, including concerts, theatre and sporting events. SFX, in turn, had recently purchased EMA Telstar in Sweden.

  SFX owns 120 live entertainment venues in 31 of the top 50 worldwide markets, including 16 owned and operated amphitheaters in the top 10 markets.

  The opportunities for synergies among all these Clear Channel divisions are just beginning to be exploited, and Johansson intends to use this leverage on behalf of Roxette. He described himself in the article as being stubborn, goal-oriented and quick.

  Reaching over 110 million listeners in the U.S. every week, Clear Channel has stations taking to the airwaves in all 50 states including 47 of top 50 markets.

Photo ©2001 Dagens Industri. Used with permission.

• Dagens Industri article (In Swedish)
• EMA Telstar (In Swedish)
• Clear Channel Communications

The Daily Roxette has already reported that plans for a tour are underway. Further confirmation came over the weekend.

  “I can reveal that we’re negotiating a European tour, since their album is doing really well on the Continent and sits at number one, two or three in several countries,” said Tomas Johansson, head of EMA Telstar, in an interview published Satuday in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri.

• Dagens Industri article (In Swedish, with photos of artists Johansson has worked with.)