Thanks primarily to the work of Steven Howlett (who happens to be in the U.K.) there is now a site set up to coordinate the efforts of fans to promote Roxette in the United States. A spokesperson at Edel America Records, the U.S. label, says they “welcome the effort.”


Located at www.roxette.net, a URL previously used by Steven for a Roxette news site, the U.S. “RoxAttaq” — as these efforts have become known — will be an ongoing project that is just getting off the ground. The first objective will be to help gain airplay for “Wish I Could Fly”, which is being widely released to U.S. radio stations.


Besides Steven, Judith Seuma from Spain and TDR News Editor Lars-Erik Olson make up the original team of coordinators.


“We’re looking for fans from all over the work to help us, and we’ve tried to make it easy for them to do so,” Judith said.

What could make this an interesting activity is that the coordinators have been planning these internet-based activitites in conjunction with EAR. There will be cooperative efforts between EAR and the site.

• U.S RoxAttaq (launches this week)

Judith and Jenny’s digicam have brought us a very nice set of pictures from yesterday’s Allsång på Skansen. The pictures were taken of an actual TV screen, so they really are “screenshots”.

• Marie at AllsÂng p Skansen

Today’s Expressen praises the duet of Marie Fredriksson and Patrik Isaksson performed during the Allsång på Skansen TV show yesterday. The show, which is extremely popular in Sweden, has it’s target group in middle-aged and older people, but Marie brought in a younger audience as well. On the show, Marie didn’t forget to once again express her feelings about the forthcoming tour:

“I think it’s going to be wonderful and fun to perform for the Swedish public this summer on my tour. This is something what I’ve been longing for,” she said.

• Expressen’s Swedish article

Managing director Per Bengtsson is leaving Hotel Tylöhus, owned by Per Gessle and entrepreneur Björn Nordstrand. According to Bengtsson, there’s no schism between him and the owners. “No, I’ve just given my notice and now I’m looking forward to my first real summer holiday in ten years,” Bengtsson says in Hallandsposten.

Bengtsson worked at Hotel Tylöhus for ten years, five of them under Gessle and Nordstrand. Per didn’t want to comment, but said that “it is sad to hear this”.

• Hallandsposten’s Swedish article

Marie will sing live this evening at “Allsang på Skansen”. Patrik Isaksson will join her on stage to sing “Det Som Var Nu”. The show will be broadcast live at 20.00 on SVT 1 and will be repeated July 2 at 15.00 on the same channel. Skansen is an open-air park/museum just outside of Stockholm.

• AllsÂng p Skansen

Marie’s compilation album “Äntligen [Bästa 1984-2000]” has now been on the Swedish album chart’s Top 10 for 12 weeks. The album has sold double platinum in Sweden and 160,000 copies altogether.

“Unbelievable,” says Marie. “I do still have many of my old fans, so I thought the album would sell well. But double platinum…”

This summer Marie won’t have time to rest. The rehearsals for her summer tour started yesterday, today she’ll be on Allsång and the 19-concert tour will begin on July 12. “It’s going to be exciting. And it’s nice that [the tour] is so intensive, and one can focus on one thing for a short period of time.” (Thanks to efvorna)

• Aftonbladet’s Swedish article

As we reported earlier, Per was asked to write music for the opening of Öresundsbron, the bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark. The inauguration of the bridge will be on Saturday, July 1, and the instrumental track “View From The Bridge”, written by Per with help from Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist, will be performed at the conclusion of the ceremony.

According to Aftobladet, Per’s song will be quite different from the usual verse/chorus-type of music — it will be more like a combination of Brian Wilson’s sling guitar and Ennio Morricone’s pomposity.

Even though Per says that it has been fun to try out in a new genre, he’s not interested in big productions in the future. “Actually, I’m kind of glad when this is over. I am more of a rock’n’roll guy,” he says.

Per himself won’t be performing in the ceremony — the 8-minute musical piece will be performed by the Orchestra of Malmö Music Teather and Denmark Radio Pops Orchestra. “We’ve worked on the composition on computers and I haven’t even heard it performed with real instruments yet,” says Per in Aftonbladet.

The opening ceremony will be broadcasted live on SVT1 and TV4 and via satellite on SVT Europa. (Thanks to norb)

• Aftonbladet’s Swedish article

The Official Roxette Fanclub has contacted Per, because there have been rumors circulating over a new Gyllene Tider release. Here is Per’s reply:

Good morning.

No, it’s not true. However, there will be a “new” GT CD out in mid-July called “Konstpaus - samtliga inspelningar från 90-talet och lite till…”. As you might understand from the title, the album consists of all the material GT recorded in the 90s plus the “Per’s Garage” recordings, freshly squeezed by Michael Ilbert (new mixes). This is the running order:

1. Småstad

2. Gå & fiska!

3. Det är över nu

4. Kung av sand

5. Juni, juli, augusti

6. Jo-anna farväl

7. Om hon visste vad hon ville

8. Vandrande man

9. Det är blommor som har fångat dig

10. Faller ner på knä

11. Ny pojkvän

12. Oh yea oh yea (oh oh)

13. Harplinge

14. Ingen går i ringen

15. Solens vän

 

Nice of you to ask me.

P.

This album has been listed, apparently by mistake, in several online record stores with the name “www.Gyllenetider985.com”. The domain gyllenetider985.com has not been registered.

A group of people from the English-language Roxette mailing list have started a mailing list for all Spanish fans. The list will be a mixture between a mailing list and a Spanish “Roxattaq” (campaign run by fans to promote Roxette). One of the first discussions will be how to get Roxette songs played on the air again.

• RoxSpain

Promotional copies of “Wish I Could Fly” are being sent to U.S. Top 40 and Adult Contemporary radio stations with the target “hit” date of July 18th.


It is uncertain at the moment, however, if Edel America (EAR) will be releasing a commercial version of the single. Their original press release indicated that they would release the Todd Terry remix, and a dance/club single is still being actively considered.


It is possible that EAR plans to wait and see if the song begins to take off on radio, and if it does… will rush a single into production and to retail.


Fans, even outside the United States, have already begun to gear up for what’s become known as a “Roxattaq” to help gain airplay for the song both on radio and TV. Such coordinated campaigns have been successful in many parts of the world, including (to pick a North American example) Toronto, Cananda.