We just received the following message from Marie Fredriksson:

Tack till alla som skänkt mig tankar, ord och gåvor i samband med min 50-årsdag. Jag blir så varm och tacksam och glad över att ni finns. Tack också för allt stöd de senaste åren - nu ser jag med tillförsikt framåt!

Soliga hälsningar från Marie

And in English:

Thanks to everybody who has given me thoughts, words and gifts in connection with my 50th birthday. I am happy and grateful for all of you. I would also like to thank you for all your support over the last years - I am looking forward to the future with great excitement.

Sunny regards, Marie

STOCKHOLM - Marie Fredriksson turns 50 May 30. Read her biography here at TDR and join us in celebrating her big big day!

Biography

Facts
Name: Gun-Marie Fredriksson Bolyos

Date of birth: May 30, 1958

Place of birth: Össjö

Starsign: Gemini

Family: Mikael Bolyos (husband), Inez Josefin (daughter), Oscar Mikael (son), Gösta (father, deceased in 1981), Inez (mother, deceased in 1998), Anna-Lisa (sister, deceased in 1966), Ulla-Britt (sister), Tina (sister), Sven-Arne (brother)

Home: Villa in Djursholm, Stockholm and a summerhouse in Haverdal, Halland

Bands: Renat, Strul, MaMas Barn, Marie Fredriksson Band, Spännande Ostar, Roxette

Swedish (solo) Grammy nominations:
“Female pop/rock artist of the year 1987″ (Efter stormen)
“Female pop/rock artist of the year 1992″ (Den ständiga resan)
“Songwriter of the year 1992″ (Den ständiga resan)
“Female pop/rock artist of the year 1996″ (I en tid som vår)

Swedish (solo) Grammy Awards:
“Female pop/rock artist of the year 1988″ (Den flygande holländaren)
“Artist of the year 1992″ (Den ständiga resan)

Please send your greetings to Marie!

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STOCKHOLM - "The World According to Gessle" was released May 2, 1997, it's now back, bigger and better. At least that's what EMI and Per want us to think. Are they right? The Daily Roxette got ourselves a little chat with Per himself regarding the re-release of this, among fans, widely liked album.

So, Per, back in the lime light yet another time, this time with an old album, tell us, what's the point in releasing "The World" again?

"Well, the thing is that it wasn't available at all anymore!," says Per, quite upset. "I happened to notice this by chance at the EMI office in Stockholm and nobody could explain why it had been deleted. So I decided to put it back on the shelves, but of course with added material I know some people are interested in. Like you for instance." Per smiles and points at this reporter.

Yes, and I am very thankful for that! You've added tons and tons of demos on the second CD, and I have to say, nice ones. What made you do that? I doubt it's that common these days.

"Well, first of all I wanted to make the re-release special. So basically I just asked myself what I as a fan, would want from an album like 'The World.' And the most obvious thing to me is 'behind the scenes' -material, like the original demos for instance." explains Per and continues "If you're really into an album it's always interesting to get to know how the working process got started and so on."

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STOCKHOLM (Updated) - Per writes us:

Jeezus - no order in the bedroom! This morning I found a very early demo of "Wish you the best" called "Drum", which we just have to use on new TWATG-release!!! So… WYTB is left out in the cold… the album release is set for early May. that's the most recent whisper in the EMI corridors…

Update:  Release date is May 14. Still no word on where it's being released besides Sweden.

STOCKHOLM - Art is not just short for Arthur it seems after all. In the footsteps of Marie Fredriksson, Per will open an art exhibition of his own in May, coincidentally with the re-release of "The World According to Gessle." We have previously seen Per's drawings in the "Mazarin" album booklet and he even created a painting for an auction in 2003, but this exhibition will be something completely different. It's entitled, "The Art According to Gessle."

"I've always liked the classic Greek statues. Michelangelo's David and all that, you know. I even have a couple of antique statues in my house," Per says to The Daily Roxette. "So I thought, what the heck, why shouldn't I get my hands dirty and try to re-create that magnificient style. It's not that popular these days, but I don't think I need to worry about that, do I?" Per says with a crooked smile.

Per has transformed a room in his house in Halmstad into a studio where he works exclusively with Ferrara marble imported from Italy. Like all the great masters, he actually has an assistant doing much of the actual sculpting. Per provides direct supervision and instruction.

Per will be interviewed about these new works on Kulturnyheterna on SVT2 at 19:00 CET today. The program is also broadcast on SVT Play on the Internet.

Editor's Note: As many of you guessed from the Dateline… this was indeed our April Fool's joke. Thanks to Jastrow for the photo!  – LEO

STOCKHOLM -

you should know it by now but… movies are in my blood! there's a brand new track of mine included in the brand new excellent (trust me, i've seen it!!!) swedish movie LÅT DEN RÄTTE KOMMA IN [Let Me In], based on the book of the same name. opening in the autumn but it has already won 2 heavy awards. my song is called KVAR I MIN BIL [Left in My Car] and is featured 3 times in the movie (including a short whistling version…). it was recorded during the en händig man-sessions and is a somewhat bluesy ditty with a great snappy guitar-hook. and it's under 3 minutes!

STOCKHOLM - It seems Marie Fredriksson is working on a new site. Where her old site used to be is now an autograph and a message saying that a new site is in the works. There are logos of MaryJane Music, d&d management and T/R (TransmitReceive). T/R being the company that manages Per Gessle's sites.

On a side note: SCM is offering at their merchandise-shop.se Marie's new art book "Ett bord i solen" for 345 SEK (36.50 EUR, not including postage) as well as Marie's previous art book "After the Change" for 295 SEK (31.20 EUR, not including postage).

Thanks Mikael Bolyos for the book tip!

STOCKHOLM (Updated) - Per Gessle seems to be in a great mood lately, here's another note from The Man:

Another day, another record!

Spent the afternoon, sipping coffee and eating English muffins at Cutting Room meanwhile mastering the demo-CD. What does it sound like, someone asked on the bus? Well, it sounds like… hmmm… like a demo-CD!

We’ve managed to squeeze in three additional tracks so now the entire album can be enjoyed in its early glory! This is the final running order:

The Demos according to Gessle

1. There is my baby (June 27, 1994)
2. I’ll be alright (July 16, 1994)
3. June afternoon (July 17, 1994)
4. Writer (July 17, 1994)
5. T-t-t-take it! (Sep 12, 1994)
6. Elvis in Germany (Nov 2, 1994)
7. Every day outside my window (Dec 28, 1995)
8. Love doesn’t live here (Feb 25, 1996)
9. Detective Jones (Feb 29, 1996)
10. Beautiful things, terrible things (Apr 7, 1996)
11. Elvis in Deutschland (Apr 26, 1996)
12. Makin’ love to you (acoustic version) (June 9, 1996)
13. Lay down your arms (June 23, 1996)
14. Do you wanna be my baby? (Aug 12, 1996)
15. B-Any-1-U-Wanna-B (Oct 24, 1996)
16. Stupid (Oct 28, 1996)
17. Saturday (Nov 2, 1996)
18. Wish you the best (Nov 3, 1996)
19. I want you to know (Dec 28, 1996)
20. Kix (Jan 2, 1997)

Cheers, P.

Update: technical issues (the damn record is too long!!!) we have had to delete the kix (lovely pair remix) from the cd… shit happens. you'll have to do the twist to reporter instead!
p

STOCKHOLM - The Daily Roxette received a message from a guy who spoke of The World around 11 years ago:

Just came home from a swell mastering afternoon at Cutting Room. To my surprise EMI have managed to locate the rejected Battery studios-mixes, made by Michael Ilbert in London in December 1996. Can hardly remember this…. but… I recall that Michael was very ill with a bad stomach throughout the week and I thought the studio was way too far away from my hotel in the posh areas so I didn't pay attention that much….. anyway… as you might know we only used the "There is my baby"-mix on the record. However, listening to the Battery mixes today both Clarence and I found them superior to the Mono Studio-mixes (made in January 1997) that we did use on the album… so…. we decided to change for this re-release. Which means you'll get "new" mixes on three tracks; "Elvis in Germany", "I'll be alright" & "T-t-t-take it!". Surprise.

P.

STOCKHOLM (Updated) - Per Gessle's 1997 album "The World According to Gessle" will be re-released on EMI/Elevator Entertainment in a "super duper extra turbo deluxe with cheese on it" edition come May! The album is now a double with tons of nice bonuses and a new extended sleeve with an interview added. The videos, you ask? They will not be included on the album, but will be available on various Gessle-sites.

Bonus trax CD 1:

Kix-Cha-Cha "ghost track"
Love Doesn't Live Here outtake from album + B-side Kix
Always Breaking My Heart (30 May 1995) B-side Do You Wanna…
I Wanna Be With You (2 Nov 1994) B-side Do You Wanna…
Blue Umbrella (15 June 1993) B-side I Want You to Know
Jupiter Calling (3 Aug 1995) B-side I Want You to Know
Let’s Party! (14 July 1988) B-side I Want You to Know
Kix (Lovely Pair Mix) B-side Kix

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