20 Dec 2002

Small town, big feelings (I): Best wishes for Marie

We have news about the work of P, C & C team but we want to begin with best wishes for Marie Fredriksson because a lot of things - unfortunately not all of them good - happened tduring the last months in the year 2002, according to Visa Kopu, from The Daily Roxette. These are Visa's words, I could not explain it better.

"We were shocked by the events of September 11th - and by a strange twist of fate, on the exact same date this year, Marie Fredriksson fainted after returning home from jogging. She sustained a contussion and while being treated for that, tests revealed that Marie had a brain tumor. The tumor was later removed successfully, but it still left Marie in pain and she is being treated with chemotherapy. “It’s up and down, she has good days and not so good days. On a scale, she is pretty bad … but she’s a strong and tuff gal so she will be back!” said Per Gessle in an interview with Halmstad’s radio station recently.

Marie’s illness also changed Roxette’s plans for the autumn. They were supposed to participate in a unique tour, performing as the headline act of the “Night of the Proms” concert series. They did not, however, change their plans to release a ballad hit compilation in October, The Ballad Hits.” The ballad album featured two new songs, “A Thing About You” - which was also released as a single - and “Breathe”. In Radio Halland interview, PG concludes: “The only thing that we canceled was the tour. I’m sure [Marie’s illness] in itself won’t affect Roxette’s being or not being. It may affect how we work in the future though".

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The new songs, A thing about you (ATAY) and Breathe, were recorded by Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson in June 2002 at Polar Studios Stockholm with the following musicians:
  • Per Gessle: vocals and acoustic guitar.
  • Marie Fredriksson: lead vocals (Breathe) and backing vocals (ATAY)
  • Clarence Öfwerman: Producer, mixer and programmer
  • Christoffer Lundquist: acoustic guitar (Breathe), bass (ATAY) and backing vocals
  • Jonas Isaacson: electric guitar
  • MP Persson: Acoustic guitars (ATAY, from T&A Studio)
  • Ronny Lahti: mixer
  • Shooting Star: programmer
  • Milla Andersson: backing vocals (ATAY, from T&A Studio)

During the promotion of the Ballad Hits in Europe, between October and December 2002, Per has talked about Marie and about new projects after the Pop Hits. As Judith Seuma, from TDR, tell us in August, before Marie's illness, Per continues thinking about a Swedish album. He has recently been in the countryside, in the South of Sweden, close to Malmö, where Christoffer Lundquist owns a music studio.

On 29th November, in Brussels, Belgium, Per said: “A Gyllene Tider reunion is definitely possible,he continued.It might be a tour next year, but we’ll see what happens. I’m also going into the studios to record some of my solo-work. I’m gathering a band to do that. Of course”, he smiled, “I don’t have a record deal yet.

In an interview in the Swedish Railway System Review, Per said: “It’s damned fun to work with Marie, she is one of my best friends, like a sister. We have a history together, a song book people like. Now I feel ready for something in Swedish. I have so many songs that knock and want to come out… don’t know if it will be me solo or Gyllene Tider. I’m not inclined to either. I’m not used working in a band anymore though. In Roxette it’s me and Marie that rule all,” he laughs.
By the way, according to Magnus Börjeson, Beagle and Favorita Web, the Norwegian singer Vibeke Saugestad is working at AGM Studio in her second album, Overdrive, that will be released in 2003. The album is produced by Christoffer Lundquist and the musicians are David Birde (Brainpool), Magnus Börjeson (Beagle), Morten Henriksen and Tomas Dahl (Yum Yums). David and Magnus are the songwriters of most of the songs.

Magnus Börjeson's band, Beagle, is on NotLame's Bubblegum tribute album, Right to chews, released on 13th November 2002. Magnus Börjeson has recorded Edison Lighthouse's 1970 hit Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) in the AGM Studio. The bubblegum songs of the late '60s and early '70s were (mostly) commercially produced singles, written by professionals and recorded by attractive young acts for the maximum commercial appeal. Much like the teen pop movements of the late '80s or late '90s, this produced a mountain of dreck, but also like those teen pop movements, there were some moments of greatness. "I've always been a big fan of bubblegum and when I heard that NotLame was putting together a tribute I knew I had to be on it", says Magnus. Also appearing on the track is another bubblegum fan. Ola Främby (ex-The Girls), singer and songwriter from the same town as Magnus, Lund. You can listen to a snippet of the song (and an extra one) in Magnus' web:



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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Some years later, we have the better news. Per, Marie, Clarence and Christoffer are playing in "Night of the Proms" gigs in Europe right now. Wow! Hope has a place in Marie's fans.