Helena Josefsson, backing singer at Tambourine Studios and Gula Studion (VII): The Margarets in Malmö

After their first album, What kept you (2002), The Margarets are now at Tambourine Studios, Malmö, recording their second album. They have been for two weeks of November at this Swedish studio with the producer Rune Berg and the engineer Herman Söderström (Tambourine Studios). Helena Josefsson takes part as background singer in some songs.

The recordings will continue at three different studios: Athletic Sound (Halden, Norway - December 2003 - January 2004, with Kai Ø. Andersen), Lydlab (Oslo, Norway, March 2004, with Ulf Holand) and Quad Recording Studios (New York, USA, September 2004, with Michael H. Brauer).

The Margarets is a Norwegian pop-group inspired by the Beatles. They're from Giske (a tiny island in the west coast of Norway) and play guitar-pop. They also have the musical influence of The Cure, Nick Drake, The Sundays, The Holllies, Led Zeppelin, Los Lobos, Astroburger and The Smiths.

The Margarets are:
* Alex Rinde - vocals
* Ante Giskeødegård - guitar
* Lars Berg - bass
* Rune Berg - guitar
* Ronnie Larsen - percussion

LJdM

P, C & C back in the AGM office (III): Per's painting ... and 2004 projects

According to The Daily Roxette, Per is in the process of writing new material. Per Gessle visited the morning show “Nyhetsmorgon” (News Morning) on Swedish TV4 today. After showing a full song (Sommartider), Per’s interview revealed not so much new.

Otherwise, he has also painted a painting for Art Against AIDS. The new Roxette DVD called “Ballad & Pop Hits - The Complete Video Collection” will be out on 18th November.

LJdM

Roxette will not do anything actively during 2004, we’ll wait to see how Marie feels. Gyllene Tider’s possible tour will be decided during December. What speaks against a tour is that ’Återtåget’ still is the biggest tour in Sweden ever, so it’s a big fall for us…. I very much would like to tour with GT, there won't be another solo tour next year at any rate.

Per Gessle

Sandy Mouche EP (VII): Autumn 2003 Swedish Tour

Autumn 2003 Swedish Tour:
Malmö-Stockholm-Kristianstad-Svalöv-Hultsfred-Lund

* Malmö Högskola,
Universitetssjukhuset MAS, Malmö 2003 · 09 · 19

* Sputnikfestivalen, Stockholm 2003 · 10 · 04

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Andreas Wiss

Picture by Andreas Wiss

* Barbacka, Kristianstad 2003 · 10 · 10

* Jane Wikström, Malmö 2003 · 10 · 11

Södra Vallgatan 3, 211 40

* Fridhem folkhögskola, Svalöv 2003 · 10 · 17

* Rookiefestivalen, Hultsfred 2003 · 11 · 01

* Gloria's, Lund 2003 · 11 · 06

St.Petrikyrkogata 9, Lund

* Alcazar, Nalen, Stockholm 2003 · 11 · 12

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

LJdM

P, C & C back in the AGM office (II): Clarence Öfwerman's Christmas

Age: 45 years old

Family: Wife and two children.
Last movie he has watched: ”Sköna Sussie” , it was Ok.
Last book he has readed: Sture Dahlströms ”Den superb blondinen”.
Musical influences: When I was younger I liked the synphonic rock, for example Genesis, Yes and Gentle Giant.
Roxettes best songs: ”It must have been love” and ”The look”.

According to Nacka Värmdöposten article and The Daily Roxette, the long-time producer Clarence Öfwerman, who has worked with Roxette since the very first single , has written the music for this year’s Swedish Christmas calendar TV series. TV’s Christmas calendar is an old annual tradition for children and has a different theme or story each year. This year the series’ name is “Håkan Bråkan” and it will be broadcast every day from December 1 until Christmas Eve on SVT.

Making music for TV has been a new world for Clarence. Now it’s two weeks to the premiere and Clarence has all the music ready, at least for the first 16-17 episodes.

LJdM

“Julkalendern” is a program which runs daily for 24 days, from first of December, and it’s about about 15 minutes long. I enjoy making music and film and TV.

In the last episode there will come an aunt from space in a sleigh. I don’t know what music there should be, but I still have a couple of weeks to make up my mind. I’ve just started to realize how many people and how much technology is involved. It was also unbelievably cool to be able to go to Berwaldhallen and play with 40 strings from the Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Clarence Öfwerman

P, C & C back in the AGM office (I): Lundquist, the Producer

According to Kristianstadsbladet and The Daily Roxette, multi-talented musician and producer Christoffer Lundquist has found himself yet another project. This time he is producing an album for Loserville, a band from Hässleholm, a town in southern Sweden. Lundquist became well-known as a member of the band Brainpool and has since worked with Roxette and co-produced Per’s “Mazarin” album. The Loserville album Lundquist has been working on is the band’s second and will be released in December. Lundquist speaks to TDR about The Loserville, how he doesn’t like the way the music business works these days and about the "rock opera" the guys from Brainpool has been composing for years and is finally nearing completion.

LJdM

I can’t remember exactly how The Loserville and me got into contact with each other. I suppose someone knew someone… that’s how it usually works. Anyway, there was an email and a demo. So, I read and listened. And liked it. They sound real and strong. They are not stereotyped and they have joy in their performance.

I’ve been in this business for 10-11 years now and I must say that we’re in an all time low right now. The record companies don’t sign new bands. Instead, they are signing concepts and think about advertising campaigns that may suit in some sort of quartal capitalism. It’s sick.

There hasn’t been a real rock opera since The Who made ’Tommy’. We (Brainpool) though it’s about time. It’ll be a stage show and an album. The director will be Anna Novovich, a Swedish woman who has mostly worked in Copenhagen. It still takes some time to get the stage show ready, but because the songs have already been recorded, I believe the album will be in the shops next spring.

Christoffer Lundquist
- Junk Musik

Mazarinerna is the band (VIII): Mazarinerna Fan Website

Fan page about Mazarinerna project

This page tells about the band, called Mazarinerna. They are the people who participated in recording Per Gessle's Swedish solo album 'Mazarin' and also played live with him during the Sommar Mazarin Turné 2003 (SMT).

The Tour:
The very tour began in Sweden on Tuesday, 29 July 2003 in Per's native town Halmstad and ended in Eskilstuna on Sunday, 27 August. Later it was decided to continue the tour and the band travelled to Oslo (23 September, Rockefeller club) and Helsinki (25 September, Tavastia club). The show in Copenhagen was cancelled. More than 175,000 people attended 15 live concerts. They also released live DVD 'En Mazarin, Älskling?' ('A cupcake, dear?') with the record of live show in Göteburg on Wednesday, 6 August 2003.

Per Gessle:
Born: 12 January, 1959. Don't think I should explain you who is Per Gessle. He'd written all the lyrics and all the music for all of 14 tracks to his solo album 'Mazarin'. During the tour, he was on lead vocals and played harmonica, electric and acoustic guitars.

Jonas Isacsson:
Born: 10 June, 1959. Electric guitar during the SMT. Has played electric guitar (almost all the lead parts and also backing and acoustic guitars) on all Roxette albums from the 'Pearls Of Passion' through to 'Room Service'. Featured in Roxette's MTV Unplugged appearance in 1993. It's him, who has written that guitar string in the very beginning of Roxette's song 'The look'. Released his solo album "Evergreen", which features only music, performed by Jonas on electric guitar.

Christoffer Lundquist:
Electric guitar, banjo and backing vocals. The album 'Mazarin' was recorded in his home studio in Skåne (South Sweden). Bass player in Brainpool (signed to Jimmy Fun) he plays with Roxette since 1999, including Room Service Tour 2001.

Jens Jansson:
Drums. Plays in Brainpool. First I saw Jens on some TV-rip playing with Per & Co. when Gessle was performing "I wanna be your boyfriend" cover at BingoLotto in 2001. Also performs with Magnus Sveningsson (from The Cardigans) in a project, called Righteous Boy.

Anders Herrlin:
Born: 17 September, 1961. Bass and backing vocals during the SMT. School friend of Micke "Syd" Andersson and bass player of Gyllene Tider. Went on to become Roxette bass player and has toured constantly with them. Worked closely with his old "partying" friend Marie Fredriksson on her solo album 'Den Standiga Resan'. Featured in Roxette MTV Unplugged apeparance in 1993. Programming genius.

Helena Josefsson:
Born: 23 March, 1978 in Kalmar. Her full name is Helena Marianne Josefsson. Backing vocals - and after hearing her singing live I should say it was damn brilliant! Amazing voice! She also played tambourine and harmonica. While watching the mentioned live DVD's documentaries, one can note, that Helena is left-handed. Helena also plays keyboards and sings in Sandy Mouche, which is produced by Christoffer Lundquist. It was him who's heard Helena's demos and suggested her singing with Per on his "Mazarin" album.

Clarence Öfwerman:
Born: 22 November, 1957. Keyboards and backing vocals during SMT. First produced Roxette's album 'Pearls Of Passion' and has been involved in every Roxette ablum since as producer and keyboards player. Featured in Roxette's MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. Responsible for most of Roxette's string arrangements. Plays in group Passagerarna who released a Gessle-Öfwerman song 'Never say goodbye'. Co-produced Roxette's 'Have A Nice Day' album.

Marie Fredriksson:
Born: 30 May, 1958. May be I shouldn't have written her name in here, but as she participated in recording 'På promenad genom stan' single, which was also included on 'Mazarin' album, she does have the right to be a part of this fantastic band! Though it's a pity she hasn't joined other musicians from the band on the stage, but Marie was like a VIP guest to view the premiere concert in Halmstad. Let's hope to see her in some live show on GT's upcoming tour 2004! :-)

Ilya Volkov
-(a.k.a. Kreecher)- Roxette House