The Daily Roxette - Exclusive

Roxette live in Kazan: the set list

tevensso — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:11:29 +0200

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With the first concert of the tour now completed in Kazan, here is the full set list: 1. Dressed For Success2. Sleeping In My Car3. Opportunity Nox4. The Big L.5. Wish I Could Fly6. Only When I Dream7. She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)8. Perfect Day9. Things Will Never Be the Same10. It Must Have Been Love11. 7Twenty712. Fading Like A Flower13. Silver Blue14. How Do You Do!15. DangerousBand presentation (with Kalinka Malinka)16. JoyrideFirst Encore (Extras) 17. Watercolours In the Rain18. Spending My Time19. The LookSecond Encore (Extra extras), and Marie is now wearing the official sweater of Kazan hockey club Ak Bars.20. Way Out21. Listen To Your Heart22. Church Of Your Heart Additional reporting by Joyrider2000

Location: KAZAN, Russia

Updated: No

Roxette's Charm School World Tour is underway... with extension planned!

Lars-Erik_Olson — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 04:47:45 +0200

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Fans have been hopeful in recent years that with Marie's recovery from brain cancer, that Per and Marie would reactivate Roxette: take the stage again… perhaps tour… and if all that wasn't possible, at least get into a recording studio and release new material. We've known for months now that all of these wishes are coming true, and today marks another milestone in the duo's career with Roxette.Per, Marie, and the band – along with a very small entourage – boarded what Per has dubbed the "Roxjet" late yesterday morning and flew to Kazan, Russia where, tonight, the first in a long series of concerts will take place in the large basketball arena there.After a handful of successful concerts that Roxette performed this past summer (the results of which are an impressive addition to the deluxe edition of their new Charm School album), they've now set out on a full-fledged world tour that is expected to span at least five continents during the year (see below). By all accounts, both Per and Marie are returning to the world stage full of renewed enthusiasm. While Roxette toured the U.S. in 2000 (Greatest Hits) and Europe in 2001 (Room Service), their last real world tour took place in 1994-95 in conjunction with the “Crash! Boom! Bang!” album.“If you’d asked me a couple of years ago, if there would ever be a new Roxette tour I would have very quickly said 'No!',” says Per. “Knowing what Marie had to go through in recovering from her severe illness, this is not only unbelievable, it seems almost magical to me. It will be wonderful to meet all our audience on Planet Earth again.”Band member Christoffer Lundquist, speaking to The Daily Roxette after having arrived in Kazan, said “Roxette are back and it really feels like the world wants to hear Roxette again. Everyone really feels the difference compared to the last tour – 2001. There's so much more enthusiasm and demand and curiousity about Roxette and it really affects all of us. And of course the obvious... I mean Marie's amazing comeback. It's really a miraculous recovery. And also, her personal strength... the way she has been fighting for this and not giving up. The whole thing is mind-blowing to me.”About the tour, he says “We're playing really, really great songs and singing and playing live... with as much energy as we can possibly muster!” MORE GOOD NEWS TO COME!Additional concert dates, beyond those that are confirmed and appear on our concert calendar, are expected... both within the current time frame, and beyond it. Per, in an interview with German radio station NDR 2 for which readers of TDR were invited to submit questions, revealed that plans are underway to extend the tour into the fall with about 25 more shows. While he mentioned that some would be in Germany, it is expected that other dates will include stops in some of the countries that seem to be obvious omissions from the tour including, perhaps, a North American segment. There has been speculation that that is why the Mexico City date was replaced with Montevideo, Uruguay. HAPPENING IN KAZAN TDR's reporter in Kazan, Svetlana Kulalaeva, has let us know that it should be possible to view the scheduled press conference over the internet (link below), and that the Mayor of Kazan (who by some accounts is a Roxette fan himself) is expected to officially welcome Per and Marie. Coverage of Roxette's arrival in Kazan (photos and video) [KP.ru] | Press Conference (with LiveNation's Thomas Johansson)Additional reporting by Michi1506 in Germany. The photo of the Roxjet is an artist's rendition of the actual plane (which LiveNation has leased from a company in Finland – thus the "OH"), with the addition of a Roxette livery.

Updated: No

Per makes another mixed tape

tevensso — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:54:47 +0200

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As per usual Per Gessle stays up all night with a bottle of wine selecting nothing but the best songs for his audience to hear before the night's concert. The Roxette World Tour 2011, which starts on Monday, is no different. The Daily Roxette is proud to present the Official pre-show mixed tape 2011 by DJ Mr. Gee: (and for those of you who are fortunate enough to have Spotify, here's the list!) Do anything you wanna do - Eddie & the Hot RodsBirds And The Bees - Unkle Bob My girl - MadnessRose garden - Lynn Anderson The model - Kraftwerk

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A sad boy - The Mascots Days - Kirsty MacColl Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes The most beautiful girl - Charlie Rich Longing for lullabies - Kleerup w/Titiyo Sex and candy - Marcy Playground Sugar me - Lynsey de Paul A girl like you - Edwyn Collins * Holiday for girls - Lisa Lindebergh Bette Davis eyes - Kim Carnes Just dropped in... - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition Do you wanna touch me? (oh yeah!) - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Listen to the music - The Doobie Brothers Right here, right now - Jesus Jones War - Edwin Starr Mercy - Duffy Hey Hey Helen - ABBA Big in Japan - Alphaville Yellow river - Christie Shadow dancing - Andy Gibb Baby, I love your way - Big Mountain Willie and the hand jive - Johnny Otis Show Satisfaction - Devo September gurls - Big Star Jerk it out - Caesars Sweet meant to be - Carlene Carter Little bit o'soul - The Music Explosion Human - The Killers Dancing in the street - Jimmy Barnes Dress you up - Madonna Motorbikin' - Chris Spedding * Tiny Penelope - Christoffer Lundquist London calling - The Clash * Eat at home - Paul McCartney I'll be doggone - Marvin Gaye Dance, dance, dance - Crazy Horse Come and stay with me - Ola & The Janglers Rehab - Amy Winehouse Midnight Rider - The Allman Brothers Band The Crying Game - Dave Berry Monday, Monday - The Mamas & The Papas I touch myself - Divinyls Friday I'm in love - The Cure Dreaming - Blondie Girls on film - Duran Duran Casa Dega - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Visions of China - Japan Que sera sera - Doris Day Airport - The Motors Man on the moon - R.E.M. Without love - Nick Lowe Because the night - Patti Smith Dizzy - Tommy Roe * Every little thing - Jeff Lynne Witch queen of New Orleans - Redbone About you - Teenage Fanclub Being boring - Pet Shop Boys I wanna be your boyfriend - Ramones Tired of toein' the line - Rocky Burnette Take it off! - The Donnas Lover of the bayou - Mudcrutch * Love - Robert Wyatt Polk salad Annie - Tony Joe White Urgent - Foreigner Telstar - The Tornados The warrior - Scandal Kiss - Prince Sing - Travis Unbelievable - EMF Jessie's girl - Rick Springfield Go your own way - Fleetwood Mac Dance hall days - Wang Chung She drives me crazy - Fine Young Cannibals Jolene - The White Stripes Johnny and Mary - Robert Palmer The word girl - Scritti Politti Play that funky music - Wild Cherry Senses working overtime - XTC Out of touch - Hall & Oates Our lips are sealed - The Go-Go's Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty My sweet Lord - George Harrison Rescue me - Fontella Bass My baby loves lovin' - White Plains *) not available on Spotify.

Location: STOCKHOLM

Source: DJ Mr. Gee

Updated: No

Plans for Roxette in Canada seem to be coming together

tevensso — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:14:46 +0200

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Radioman and long time Roxette supporter Ian Seggie of Ft. McMurray, Canada has spoken to EMI Canada. According to Ian's sources Roxette will be making an appearance in Canada later this year, so far unclear as of when, but places like Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver have been named. Combining this with Per's hints in German interviews that the tour will be prolonged after August, maybe even into 2012, this surely sounds like good news.

Location: FT. McMURRAY

Updated: No

Per tells TDR that he and Marie are "thrilled" with what's to come in 2011

tevensso — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:29:16 +0200

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EDITOR'S NOTE: As the holiday season winds down, The Daily Roxette's News Editor Thomas Evensson was recently afforded the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Per Gessle. As you'll see, with a new single and album out in the very near future – not to mention a World Tour – they had no shortage of things to talk about! —LEOSTOCKHOLM - With a few logs burning in the fireplace, Per offers a glass of glögg (mulled wine) as we sit down in a couple of comfortable chairs by the fireplace. On the table, there's a plate of pepparkakor (traditional Swedish Christmas ginger cookies).The Daily Roxette: So Per… a new album, a brand spanking fresh single, an upcoming world tour. The fans say ‘woohoo’, what say you?Per Gessle: I say ‘Yee-Haa!’. We're very pleased with the new album. We decided early on to try to make a classic Roxette record and I think we succeeded. Also, since Marie is very motivated and up for any challenge these days, a full scale Roxette tour feels just right. We certainly long for these upcoming shows!! You know me, I love playing music with these people. And to have the benefit of the Rox crowds all over the planet you can't help but to shout ‘Yee-Haa!’TDR: Roxette has been on a long, long road from its first attempts of a comeback starting with “One Wish” back in 2006 to this most recent decision to once again step back into the limelight. We saw the TV-shows Per, we saw Night Of The Proms, we saw last summer's concerts, but we also noticed the breaks. How did you and Marie finally find this path back?PG: You have to remember that when Marie fell ill she only had about a five percent chance of surviving. Only one-out-of-twenty survive what she’s gone through! When you think about that it's almost a miracle that we're sitting here discussing a new Rox album and a new Rox tour. You have to keep that in mind. I certainly do. So every step of the way since 2002 has been dictated by what Marie wanted and what she was able to do. Slowly but surely she has built up enough self-confidence and motivation to start thinking in larger terms: concerts, media, blah blah blah… I can see how she improves with every thing she does. After a couple of days in the studio she started to deliver magic like in the past. It’s the same on stage. I'm sure you noticed that if you saw, for instance, Night of the Proms show #2 compared to show #35!!! It feels so good! [One can see Per is very happy about this as his face radiates when speaking about Marie.]TDR: Yes, it is incredible to see the progress in her performance and she obviously enjoys the love she receives from the fans. Yet most of the promo stuff is being done by you. In the old times, the focus was more on Marie, now you're the face in front of the cameras. Do you think your solo career has given you more self-esteem? What will the consequences for the public image of Roxette be next year?[Per frowns.] PG: Well, I don’t agree. I’ve always been the one doing by far the most promo jobs. Basically because Marie always hated it. I didn’t have a problem with it in the past and I still don’t. But it’s pretty natural for the media to focus on Marie since she’s the lead singer and therefore the main character in the band. I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future but I’m pretty sure Marie won’t do that many interviews since she’s really tired of talking about her illness. And that’s what most media people want to discuss. Not my brilliant chord progressions. [He winks.] TDR: That’s hard to understand, those D-E-A progressions... out of this world! And now that the new single “She’s Got Nothing On (But the Radio)” is out any day, which of your own footsteps are you tracing (if any)? Did you have a certain sound in your mind when you planned this album?[Per takes a sip of his glögg and thinks.] PG: Yea, like I said we wanted the songs to get the classic Roxette treatment. However, we didn't use Jonas [Isacsson] or Pelle [Alsing] on the record. We started out with Jens [Jansson] on drums, which felt great. But after the summer break we decided to focus on programming when it came to the backing tracks. We tried to get Anders [Herrlin] onboard to guide us through the manuals but he was so busy with his movies – he’s doing plenty of soundtracks – so he couldn't come by. Next time, maybe? TDR: Yes by all means, bring in ‘The Herrlin’ next time around!PG: Also, most of the guitar parts are played by Chris [Lundquist]. He can play things I hear in my head but can't play myself. Story of my life…TDR: But you have a party in your head, Chris probably doesn’t? Talking about Chris, can we expect another head-banging guitar solo by the born-again hippie this time?PG: Lots of them, I hope. Chris is one of the world’s best players. He’s got that unique talent combining an out-of-this-world musicality with an equally out-of-this-world emotional antenna. That’s very, very rare. Most musicians of Chris’ caliber are just technical virtuosos… brilliant but boring. Chris has that gut feeling, that very generous pop heart that is extremely rewarding to hear beating. When he’s groovin’ together with Clarence [Öfwerman], we’re talking Super League.TDR: Agree. [Per switches topics and begins to talk about the – in TDR’s opinion – rocky, sleeve design… how both he and Marie loves Pär Wickholm’s work.] PG: He’s got a certain attitude which is attractive. I love, for instance, his ‘Party Crasher’ sleeve so we told him to do something special, a collage, starting out with approximately 200 pics he received from Marie and I. He did a great job as expected. He's a charmer. TDR: Yes, the Gessle over Europe sleeve is a masterpiece! Speaking of albums, who came up with the title Charm School? Any subliminal meaning?PG: Well, one of the main songs was called “Charm School.” It was a killer track, possibly strong enough to be the core of the album. But like in most love stories things sometimes go wrong. The production went crazy and ugly. We re-recorded it but lost interest after a couple of days, so it had to go through a very painful and slow death. However, I'm sure it will pop up somewhere else.” [Per gives a mischievous smile.] “Some songs seem to have nine lives, you know…TDR: We do know! There must be dozens of songs that fans have heard of that just disappeared. What is the old saying? ‘Good demos never die; they just go to the drawer and mature?’ Maybe you’ll release it as a B-side? We're happy about everything that turns a CD-single into maxi singles! Have other singles been chosen already?PG: No, not yet. We’re still trying to convince an upcoming partner in the U.S. that we exist so we’re waiting for more feedback. TDR: How were you inspired, if that’s the right word, for writing material for this album? PG: Basically I wrote for Marie. Starting at square one, I think we tried every song with her as the lead singer. But some songs she didn’t feel comfortable with, so I sang those instead. Or we scrapped them. It’s pretty easy going. For me, the whole idea with Roxette is to use Marie's voice as much as possible otherwise it will only become another Per Gessle project. [Per is excited now.] And I love the fact that she's ‘taking over’ the songs, making them her own. For instance, there's a ballad, “No One Makes It On Her Own,” which suddenly gets a whole new meaning and touches you on a totally different level than it did when it was sung by me (on the demo). She’s got that rare power. A great gift.TDR: Amazing! Did you try to get influenced by contemporary music in order to achieve maximum chart success?PG: No, not at all. We never discuss chart success or "we have to have a single" anymore. We're way past that. We're very aware that contemporary radio such as Radio One in the UK or P3 in Sweden won't touch our new material since we're old enough to be the programmers' parents.The main reason for doing a new album after all these years is because we can!!! I still love to write songs, Marie loves to sing them. So I guess in a way Charm School is made to please ourselves. But, of course, we know we have a huge fan base all over the world, our music has touched zillions of people in the past, and still does, so the new stuff is made with love for them as well. We know that a lot of folks are looking forward to this record and have waited for a Rox return for many years. It's a blessing to have those ties with people and we'll never forget that. [Per is as always underestimating himself. This reporter thinks "Radio" sounds pretty young and ready for the charts of this planet.] TDR: Was there no pressure from the record company to follow a certain route? PG: You’re joking! We never play our music for the record company until the project’s closed. We used to do that in the early days… we had to because we spent so much of their money in the studio. I’ve been writing songs professionally for more than 30 years, if they don’t trust me and my ambitions they signed the wrong guy. And I've never really disappointed them, have I?TDR: Well there was this hrrrm Heartland album... just kidding!

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[Charm School is the band’s first real studio album in 10 years. Per spoke about the production process:] PG: Well, first of all we worked in Christoffer's studio down south. That means that the working process was quite similar to what I've been doing the last couple of years. [i.e., he means drinking lots of wine, recording silly movies and occasionally recording songs…]Marie didn't want to hang out too much down there so most of her vocals are recorded in Stockholm. Fine with us. We love to work in the Atlantis studio, too. Production-wise we took the liberty of trying to re-create some of the well-known Roxette sounds. Clarence has his tricks. I've got mine. Some of the songs were written for Roxette many, many years ago and it all made sense to use some of them this time. I tend to write slightly different these days and we both wanted this to sound maximum Roxette!TDR: Maximum Roxette, now there’s the next album name, remember where you saw it first!! What was it like working together after all these years?PG: It went surprisingly easy. The trick was to get Marie 100 percent involved. Clarence, Chris and I have our thing together since many years so it was crucial that she felt she was part of the team. It really helped that we started trying things out during the Night of the Proms tour. We made simple demos of many of the songs to find out where Marie could and would fit in. So when the real recordings started the ball was already rolling. Brilliant. TDR: Now, at least “In My Own Way” and “Only When I Dream” are older songs. How come you decided to use these songs? PG: Because they're great! I made new acoustic demos of the songs, revised the lyrics a bit and presented them to Marie and C&C like they were brand new. They all loved them! And they couldn't remember them from the past!!! The reason they weren’t recorded earlier is that my old demos were terrible. Everybody hated those versions! I’ve learned my lesson, that’s one of the reasons I only do acoustic demos these days.I also mentioned before that I feel I'm writing in a slightly different manner these days so I find it interesting to go back to my 200 years of songwriting and check what's in the vault. [Per did say something similar in a previous interview, and it would be strange if he did write songs the same way still. Imagine writing a new “När Vi Två Blir En” every year…] TDR: Yes, I have heard the old demo of “Only When I Dream” and well... it sounds a bit like ABBA and a bit dated, that’s for sure. It will be interesting to hear the new version.PG: By the way, there is more ‘old’ stuff on the new album. The “Sitting on Top Of the World” chorus I wrote in the early ’80s. “Happy on the Outside” was written a week too late for the Son of a Plumber project. I always loved that song and Marie's singing it like… wow… there is a God… [After some more thinking Per comes up with more songs.]“I'm Glad You Called” was supposed to be one of the main tracks on Party Crasher but the production went totally wrong. I played it for Marie in a hotel room somewhere in Europe last year and she freaked out totally. She loved those lyrics. And it sounded like it was made for her! Maybe it was… in the back of my mind. That's probably my favorite track on the new album.TDR: Hmm, I always liked that song though. Now, Mats MP Persson recorded the demos together with you, as always, in the latest incarnation of the T&A studio. He used to have a big influence on Roxette's sound. How big is his influence nowadays?PG: Oh, MP’s great but his input is almost zero these days ’cuz I only make acoustic demos. Maybe I use just one guitar or a single piano. He’s basically the engineer. I leave all the arrangements and the production-bonanza alone. When I work with C&C I've noticed that it's easier for them to have open minds regarding the songs if I don't give out anything at all except chords/melody lines/lyrics.[Per is still in the acoustic demo mode he’s been in for the last five years apparently.]TDR: As far as The Daily Roxette understands, Marie did not contribute any songs to this album. Has she perhaps retired from writing songs herself?PG: Good question. I don't know. I hope not, she's a great writer. But she wanted me to write this album so I did. She wanted to focus on her singing. TDR: Well, that’s good too! Having read your fab book “Att Vara Per Gessle,” we have to ask you if your personal drive to push the Roxette project forward is still as strong as it was back in the heydays. Or do you get more relaxed with age? You do seem to. PG: Yes, definitely. I don't have to prove anything for myself anymore which is a blessing (knowing me…). I try to enjoy myself, do the things I like to do, work with people I love. In short, I try to lead a lifestyle that makes it easy to get up in the morning. And I'm old enough to appreciate that it can actually be done. You can never take that for granted.TDR: Tell me about it… C&C, or as we prefer to call them sometimes, Chris and Claire, seem to have quite a lot of fun with you. What is it that makes you three old ladies still going strong together? It cannot only be the tons of wine consumed in an abandoned cottage down in Skåne… [Per laughs.]PG: Yea we enjoy each other's company for sure. I don't know, Chris and Clarence are two of my best friends and they bring out good things in me like good friends often do. I like to think I do the same with them. We never compete with each other or have big egos, we just try to fulfill our dreams and share this love affair with pop music and everything that goes with it. I'm very fortunate to have companions like that. It's rare. TDR: Also you mentioned some time ago Chris' cats can be heard on the album. Where??PG: The cats?!? Can't remember, they're everywhere. All the time.TDR: The old T&A door had been scribbled upon all over by fans. Is it calmer at Chris's place?PG: Oh, not even the mailman finds the place! As you might remember, I took Anton Corbijn out there for the photo shoot for Son of a Plumber. He freaked out totally. He had never seen anything like it! It’s certainly in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think it’s on the map. I’m surprised there’s even water.TDR: Or Internet… Have the new songs been written with the forthcoming tour in mind? Do you know yet if you'll be playing any of the new material?PG: Well, basically we're gonna do a Greatest Hits set list. But, of course, we'll try to sneak in a couple of new ones as well. Can't resist that!I would love to have a running order that can be altered a bit so all forty… fifty… sixty… shows don't sound the same. And it can be done since we're not using click tracks or programmed stuff at all. We're 100 percent live!!! TDR: Speaking of “we,” who will come with you on the tour? PG: We’re gonna have different special guests since many shows are festivals. But all of the support acts have been approved by us.TDR: It would be nice to have some changes here and there obviously. You know, it's amazing knowing that Marie has come back after such a serious illness not only to record a new album, but also to go on a huge world tour. Many of the shows are apparently already sold out. Does this mean that 2011 will belong to Roxette? Can we expect a real great spectacle like in the heydays?PG: Yea, I pinch my arm at least once a day! We’re really, REALLY looking forward to this tour. The interest seems to be massive; many shows are already sold out or on the verge of selling out and there is more to come. We’re sooo thrilled!TDR: You are not yet touring the UK, Australia, North America and parts of Europe. Will that change? Are there negotiations underway with these parts of the world? Fans are anxious to find out of course.PG: All the time. There will be more shows for sure. Where and when I don’t know at this point. We’d love to play everywhere but sometimes it’s impossible to do it due to circumstances beyond our control. Could be the dates, the deals, the promoters, etc. We’ll do our utmost to cover the planet, trust me.TDR: What is the message of the Charm School album besides the musical aspect? What are the songs? What musical and lyrical atmosphere prevails?PG: As always, I just write songs, I don’t think too much. I like the idea that people interpret the songs the way they want and make them their own. Some songs are pretty serious and had to be written to get something out of my system, others are made to make you happy and feel good. That’s my sole mission.TDR: You mentioned “Glad You Called,” which other songs are your favorites?PG: Well, it’s a very solid album for me. No hiccups this time... I love “I’m Glad You Called” because I knew it was a superb song and we f#cked it up real bad on Party Crasher. Revenge has come! I love “No One Makes It On Her Own” because Marie makes it into something that could be sung in a church. It was written on a good day. I love “Dream On” because it’s very hard for me to write songs like that. I love “Way Out” because it makes me smile. And the single? I’m a fan!TDR: Yes, speaking of which, "Radio" is said to be the last song written for the album, it's getting to be a habit I guess, tell me how it came about?PG: No, it wasn't. I wrote it in my dressing room on the Night of the Proms tour somewhere. But it was one of the last recordings we did. We did “Radio,” “Speak To Me” and “Big Black Cadillac” at the same time. With this one I knew it basically had to be sung by me because of the lyrics, so the trick was to get Marie in there. I wrote a new middle-8 for her and I actually re-wrote the whole verse in the studio now that you mention it… thank you very much.TDR: Haha, my pleasure. On many an occasion, we have heard of hard times with EMI, weak support and so on. But you're still with them. How come?PG: Well, that’s pretty easy. We have a contract! The music industry has changed so much since we started out. And it’s not reached the end of that very narrow road yet. Most record companies struggle with the current situation, including EMI. However, they are in control of our back catalogue and luckily seem very motivated this time around. Let’s keep our fingers crossed…TDR: What was the response from the individual EMI offices worldwide when it got to them that you will release another full album and go on tour? Some local managers still seem rather reluctant. PG: Like I said earlier, the music industry is in turmoil at the moment. The only thing we can do is try to make sure we get proper marketing and local direction. That’s why the record companies exist in the first place. EMI has failed us before and might do it again. Hope not. Time will tell.TDR: I see parallels in your career with those of bands like a-ha who made a break as well, and them came back to huge success. Did that help you in this youth-oriented business?PG: There are lots of bands and artists that have made comebacks and failed. a-ha did pretty well in some markets, others didn’t work that well for them. Every artist has to fight their own war.TDR: So in New York City last month, you hung around with Keef and Ron from the Rolling Stones. Did the Stones ever influence you in a good way during your career? (Say yes!)PG: Yea, great guys. They look so… hmmmm… cool… or something. I was always a big Stones fan. They did some super albums between ’68 and ’73… and changed the "live" scene in rock forever. And the party scene. And how to wear a scarf. And everything else that matters. Love. TDR: Their long career matters a lot. Hope they told you how to stay fresh!PG: Yep, I got a couple of names of good doctors. [He snickers.]TDR: Haha! Can you tell us something about the new video clip? Who is the director? A brief indication of what we can expect?PG: Well, it’s directed by a Swedish guy named Mats Udd. He’s done very fascinating clips with, for instance, Familjen. He came up with an interesting concept for this song, which I won’t get into here, but there’s lots of nudity and blood and murder. It feels good. It’s always interesting to work with new talent. [With that we say goodbye, leave Per with his fire and glögg, bundle up and head back out into one of the coldest winters in Swedish memory. Until next time, thank you Per.]

Updated: No

Exclusive for TDR's readers, courtesy of Per Gessle

tevensso — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:50:33 +0200

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She’s got nothing on (but the radio)

What she got she got to give it to somebody
What she got she got to give it to someone
It’s not a case of growin’ up or lots of money
It’s just the fundamental twist of the sun

What she got she got to let somebody find it (- “Really?”)
What she got is not for her to keep alone (- “Oh!”)
Nobody’s got a clue if there is such a reason (- “Yea?”)
Why she wanna play it o-on her own

She’s got nothing on but the radio
She’s a passion play
And like the break of day
She takes my breath away

What she got she got to give to some contender
What she got is just like gold dust on a shelf
And no one’s got a clue what’s on her brave agenda
Why she wanna keep it keep it to herself

She’s got nothing on but the radio
It’s a passion play
And like the break of day
She takes my breath away

Who did the painting on my wall?
Who left a poem down the hall?
Oh I don’t understand at all, he-he-hey

- - -
© gessle / jimmy fun music / august 2009

Source: PG

Updated: No

Merry X from Rox

tevensso — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:55:51 +0200

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Is Santa Claus an Eskimo masochist? The q is relevant since it’s sooooo cold in Sweden right now we poor Swedes can hardly breathe. All guitars are out of tune, thank God for the blankets we found in a closet at the Tits & Ass Studio the other day.

Anyway, we just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. 2010 has certainly been a fab year for us. We managed to finish the Charm School-album. I finally got my favorite pasta-dish right. Marie learned how to ski. I cracked the Top 10 on the go-kart track. Marie found her Trash & Vaudeville-pants from 1989 at the dry-cleaners. We did seven super shows in Europe. And there is more to come next year you know that. Plenty.

The new single will officially hit Planet Earth January 7 but knowing you guys you’re probably already tired of it by then... Charm School begins Feb 10.

So... thanks for all your support, we need that from time to time. Yea, we do appreciate your unconditional love now and forever (sounds like a song…).

See y’all somewhere around the globe next year. We promise to do our best to bring a smile to your faces. Have a great X and a most charming new year. Don’t drink and drive.

Love from Per & Marie

Location: The North Pole

Source: Santa

Updated: No

Macca at the Apollo

tevensso — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:16:08 +0200

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Per Gessle was spotted at the Apollo in Harlem, New York City last night at a concert by Sir Paul Macca McCartney. The concert celebrated 20 million Sirius XM subscribers. Per was in good company; Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Jerry Seinfeld, Keith Richards, Steve Buscemi etc. The list is endless. Per says Macca opened with "Magical Mystery Tour" and comments "hard to beat!"

Location: NYC

Updated: No

Russian TV next

tevensso — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 11:51:09 +0200

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Roxette has been in Moscow, Russia doing TV for new year's eve. Unfortunately there will be no "She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)" as Roxette recorded "The Look" and "Sleeping in My Car", and probably not live. Per comments to TDR that it was "great fun with great people" and adds on Twitter that Roxette will see its Russian fans again in March.

Location: MOSCOW

Updated: No

Roxette back with a new album: ”Charm School”!

tevensso — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:19:34 +0200

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On February 11 the unlikely becomes reality. After 25 years as a world-famous act with 70 million albums sold, one of Sweden’s biggest pop groups steps back into the spotlight, a decade after their last studio album “Room Service”.They do it with “Charm School”, a new album with twelve songs in a style that’s best described as “updated classic Roxette”, from the initial power pop fireworks of “Way Out” to the bittersweet closer “Sitting On Top Of The World”.

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First Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle were reunited on stage to perform “It Must Have Been Love” and “The Look” during Per’s “Party Crasher” tour in Amsterdam. And before the fans knew it, Roxette made a full-scale comeback as headliners during the “Night of the Proms” tour in front of more than 600,000 people in Holland, Belgium and Germany. “By then we started to think ahead and plan for the possibility of making a new album – an album that captured everything that’s good about Roxette while still looking ahead,” says Per Gessle. Said and done. During the tour, the band’s hotel rooms were transformed into recording studios where a string of new Roxette songs took shape. Back home in Sweden, the work continued during the spring and autumn of 2010. Just as when the band recorded during their heyday, there were lots of songs to choose from. The sensitive ballad “In My Own Way” for example, is a rediscovered gem from 1984, when the dream of international recognition was still just a dream. The newest song is the extremely infectious groove-master “She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio),” written this autumn. In-between there’s everything that has made Roxette one of the world’s most radio-played pop groups; the clinging melodies, the passionate delivery, the humorous pop sense and the unique mix of Marie Fredriksson’s and Per Gessle’s voices. All wrapped up in a musical package that is unmistakably 2011. “For me the starting point has always been to write songs for Marie’s voice,” Gessle says. “She’s got this ability to make you believe every word she sings, and that’s why she brings the stories to life. As a songwriter that’s an incredible gift to be a part of.” The album was recorded in the south of Sweden and Stockholm with Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundqvist as producers (together with Per and Marie). “Charm School” is a magnificent return to form after ten years of trials and challenges. Or as Marie Fredriksson sings in one of the album’s quintessential tracks: ”No One Makes It On Her Own.” Hear the school bell ring on February 11.

Source: d&d management

Updated: No