P, C & C become Party Crashers (IV): Party crasher, the album

"Party Crasher", the new album by Per Gessle, has been released today in Sweden.

These are the credits of the album:

* Produced by Clarence Öfwerman, Christoffer Lundquist & Per Gessle
* Recorded at Aerosol Grey Machine, Vallarum, Sweden, between January & September 2008
* Engineer: Christoffer Lundquist; assistant engineer Lennart Haglund
* Mixed at Kingside, Stockholm, by Ronni Lahti in August-September 2008
* Track 4 mixed at Aerosol Grey Machine by Christoffer Lundquist in September 2008
* Words & music by Per Gessle, published by Jimmy Fun Music
* Played & sung by Per Gessle, Christoffer Lundquist, Clarence Öfwerman & Helena Josefsson
* Cover design by Pär Wickholm & Per Gessle
* Photos by Important Pete, Woody (Åsa Nordin-Gessle) & private
* Mastered by Henke at Masters of Audio, Stockholm
* Management: Marie Dimberg/D&D Management, Stockholm

We want to review the album, with the help of Per Gessle, TDR and Anders Nunstedt from Expressen. Helena Josefsson has received very good reviews. Even TDR's writer, Judith Seuma, who usually "hates" Helena's voice, says: "Helena is great on this one. "Perfect excuse," "Hey I Died," "Sing Along." Hats off!". Her partner at TDR, Colin, writes: "Helena sings more, and with excellent results! I really like their voices together and can't wait to see this stuff live on stage".


1. "Silly Really" — 3:40
A. Nunstedt: "Relentless keyboard riffs dominate the album's absolute feel good-hit, which consists of 87 % hair mousse and 13 % disco."
TDR: "The first track and single shows the new direction of Per. Gone is the back-to-basics pop-rock of "Mazarin," "En händig man," and "Son of a Plumber," now it's time for computers and dance beats. "Silly Really" stands out on the album. I'm not sure if it's entirely a good thing. It feels a bit more polished, more "produced," if you will, than the other songs. It's hard to say if the other songs have the same hit potential. This song certainly has. And it's going all Michael Jackson-Thriller in the end. A perfect album opener, and you just gotta love the video"

2. "The Party Pleaser" — 3:39
A. Nunstedt: "Hard-as-a-nail pop song with tons of oh la la's, hey-hey's and yeah yeah's. It sounds like two Roxette robots mangle P!nk with a gigantic steam roller."
TDR: "The bubblegum pop Per knows inside out. Nothing spectacular, but goes on like a rocket to a club on the Moon. I wouldn't have put this song next to "Silly Really." Now it feels like a sequel. It may have had a better place between the ballads later on the album. A fine song, anyway. The fastest track of the album? Let's party… or let's go on partying! I really love the verse and the way it builds up to the chorus, we're still on the dance floor!"

3. "Stuck Here With Me" — 3:20
A. Nunstedt: "Per Gessle goes Justin (!). An r'n'b ballad (!) which is more exciting than Gyllene Tider's "Upphetsad" ("Excited")! As if the title starts with "F" instead of "St"…"
TDR: "Helena is awesome in this song and I totally digg this vibe! Timbaland can leave the building. What, Per goes r'n'b?! This certainly isn't my cuppa either, but I do enjoy the massively heavy bass on this song, and it kind of sticks in my head. R'n'b á la Justin (or anyone) makes me cringe, but if nothing else, C&C prove they can match it with the best out there. Great production on this one!"

4. "Sing Along" — 4:00
A. Nunstedt: "Helena Josefsson, who sang like a British nightingale from the '60s on "Plumber" takes a lot of space. Power ballad á la "Joyride"."
TDR: "Ballad with lots of Helena singing. Would sound great live, with acoustic piano only. I was actually thinking to myself "How the hell will they be able to play this album live?" "Sing Along," which used to be named "Sing-A-Long," is a cutie. Helena's voice is so nice on this album and this song is no exception."

5. "Gut Feeling" — 3:34
A. Nunstedt: "Per buys a ticket to a T-Rex dream and sounds about the same as the latest Swedish solo album. Great rock song."
TDR: "The only song on the album that is more rock, with a reference to T. Rex. Rolls on nicely and has a certain Gyllene Tider sound in the synth. It should be Göran and his Farfisa! This is definitely GT on speed! Lots of guitar, at least to be this album. I just can't figure out where the riff is borrowed from. The first time I heard it I was almost sure it was a cover. One of the last songs to be recorded."

6. "Perfect Excuse" — 3:11
Per Gessle: "This ballad is great. I sing it really quiet and it makes my voice sound very different. I feel like I've found a new way to sing."
A. Nunstedt: "The pop magician transforms magically in this nice ballad: he changes and sounds like - abra cadabra - Michael Jackson!"
TDR: "Oh, this is the "Michael Jackson" song! When I heard this the first time I almost cried, and not from happiness! But after say 10 spins I had this at the top of my list. Very nice ballad, sung in a totally non-Per way. Lot's of Helena in it too. Per lists this as one of his best songs ever. This reminds me of the Plumber album. Helena's voice really fits Per's - a match made in heaven! This song sucks you in and before you know you're on a tropical island, whistling in the sun …"

7. "Breathe Life Into Me" — 3:41
A. Nunstedt: "Gessle has already done the best whistle solo thru times ("Här kommer alla känslorna"). Now he's laying back in his soul chair and whistles a nice reggae."
TDR: "Ahh, time to relax! This song is extremely contagious. You just want to lay back and start whistling yourself, preferably sipping on some good old Jamaican rum."

8. "Hey, I Died And Went to Heaven" — 4:00
A. Nunstedt: "A Timbaland-remix of "Wish I Could Fly"? A typical Gessle ballad, as romantically airy as the title suggests."
TDR: "Lovely ballad with Per singing verses and Helena singing the chorus. The chorus really gets stuck on you."

9. "Kissing Is The Key" — 3:08
A. Nunstedt: ""Kissing is the key/to an everlasting love". And the music settles it. This is Eurythmics in "Tommy's Pop Show" circa '83."
TDR: "Hard to describe it, it's (almost) a mid-tempo song that has for instance a "ray gun" in the background, also kissing noises and a groovy "chica-chi-chica-chi" in the beginning. Funny lyrics and a nice beat. They could've left that kissing sound out, though!"

10. "Thai With A Twist" — 2:41
A. Nunstedt: "Per rhymes "womanizer" with "kaiser" and "tranquilizer" before the song disappears in an unexpected saxophone solo drenched in audience sounds. Rather silly."
TDR: "Good to know that "womanizer" rhymes with "tranquilizer"… Power pop with nonsense lyrics. Per knows his business! I don't like the title, though, it sounds like a slogan for frozen food. What is Thai with a twist? Thai food with some lemon juice on? Ha ha! Strange title, great song. Typical "The Look" or "Crush on You" lyrics. I can hear Roxette or Gyllene Tider record this. Don't like the saxophone! Note to C&C: Audience sounds yes, sax no!"

11. "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" — 3:35
A. Nunstedt: "The B-side of "Silly really". Electronic pop reggae with a brilliant synth solo."
TDR: "Have you noticed that the lyrics for all the songs in the world are actually about sex? If the lyrics first sound like they don't, it's only because they use metaphors. Then there are these songs that are saying it very straight out. Let's have sex and let's do it now! This is the B-side of the single "Silly Really," and according to C&C too good to be left out. I agree, even though I didn't enjoy the flute the first time I heard it. What can I say? It grew on me, and I absolutely love the line "By the way, no way she's your kind! (She's not your kind!)" The instrumental part stick around and I find myself whistling it occasionally."

12. "Doesn't Make Sense" — 3:50
A. Nunstedt: "Amazing little synthpop ballad that, how odd it may seem, sounds like an electronic mash-up of Van Morrison and the Pet Shop Boys."
TDR: "Sounds a lot like one of my all-time favorites, the French electro-pop group Air. And with that sound, you can't go wrong. Excellent ending to an excellent album!"

Extra 1. "I'm Glad You Called" (iTunes bonus track)
TDR: "Hmmm, Roxette meets Enya, and with great results! A track that didn't fit the style of the album so it was left off. I can see that as it doesn't fit the style, but the track is way too good to not be released."

Extra 2: "Theme From "Roberta Right"" (Telia bonus track)
Per Gessle: "Gabriel was sitting on the bed in Halmstad humming a melody. I thought it sounded terrific so I grabbed the nearest guitar and put down some chords to it. That’s how it all started. He was singing: “Ro-bot ro-bot robot dans” which of course immediately became “Ro-Ro-Roberta Roberta Right”. Great chorus indeed! It turned out a little bit too bubblegum to be included on this particular album, though, so I kept it away. It will pop up somewhere else."
TDR: "Roberta rocks! And it starts like a Nintendo video game! I mean the music… duh… Why is this song only released as a bonus track? Sounds like a Roxette song from the Room Service-era. "Come along, come alive!" and "Nothing, nothing, NOTHING!!" Helena reaches new levels on this track, and how about that AC/DC inspired riff? I'm going out on a limb here, but this should be single #2 off "Party Crasher"! Did C&C find an old Commodore computer somewhere? Per definately keeps the party going!"

November 17 on Swedish TV4 "Team Gessle" performed the new hit single "Silly Really" at Fotbollsgalan. Playback with Jens Jansson (drums), Magnus Börjeson (bass), Christoffer Lundquist (guitar), Clarence Öfwerman (keys) and Emma Christensen (vox).

Emma substituted Helena Josefsson for a night after Helena's recent maternity.

In a recent interview in Aftonbladet Per speaks about the time and his new projects.

LJdM

I've made many albums in a short period of time so I shouldn't really make another. But the normal tempo of today's artists is three-four year cycles. That doesn't work anymore, the albums have to get out faster. What else to do? I'm always making albums. There's always a project in the air. I think there will be more Roxette and Gyllene Tider, Swedish projects and English ones. I have three damned great Roxette-songs sitting in a drawer, and just as many GT-songs. It's all there. It all depends on what feels right. Gyllene Tider's problem is its greatness. The 2004 tour is hard to beat, so if we are to do something else there has to pass some time to re-energize the guys. Roxette is from obvious reasons at a stand still, but as Marie is out doing "Stjärnklart" now who knows. There may be Roxette. I'm sure Marie has the hunger as well. We've recorded songs for the compilation albums so sure, it will probably happen. The logistics will be different anyway. Just look at Roxette, between '88 and '95 we toured and worked constantly. It was seven years and you only do that once a lifetime. How does a 50-year old feel? I feel great and I think "ageing" has been good to me. I live good life, I'm sound and healthy. In my line of work I get more knowledge and self-assurance all the time. And I think I get better. The only thing I feel I can't get back is the naivety. That love song you write when you're 19 you can't just write when you're 49. Sometimes I think about what happened to Marie and that you can get sick, but I may also get run over by a car on my way home so you can't think that way. You walk a line and I'm not worried about getting older. You have to stop thinking about your look when you get older, but you still do. I don't work out as much as I should. But I want to look good in my videos and at photo sessions. At least as good as I possibly can with what I have. My son Gabriel says he doesn't like my music, but I notice he goes around singing my songs. He likes AC/DC and can play "Paint it Black" by the Stones on the guitar. When I built my house in Halmstad a prerequisite was to have it as a breathing place. Before that it happened I was awakened in my hammock by people wanting autographs. People are nuts.

I have a standing invitation to the Eurovision Song Contest. Honestly, I won't ever accept. There's no upside entering and it all seems so hysterical. Maybe I can write a song for it. But you feel like an outsider when you're not in it. And I like being the underdog!

Per Gessle

Party Crasher album? I liked it the most out of the ones I have participated in. Favourite songs: Doesn´t make sense, and Kissing is the key. Not my favourite: Gut Feeling and Party Pleaser.

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

I remember when we were working on the Party Crasher, we thought it sounded a bit Roxettish.

Helena did a great job in the last album. Well, she opens her mouth and I am happy. But yes, she got more space in this album. And she did a wonderful job. I think it would have been better to call the Party Pleaser album a “Son of a Plumber” record, because that would have made more sense. Would have been a nice step, from the first double album to the more disco sound, could have created an entity. But they decided to release it under Gessle, because people would recognize his name and would be easier to get it through in radio stations. But who knows, all this marketing radio strategy stuff is so difficult to guess. I have no idea.

Christoffer Lundquist

There is one saxo solo on “I was so lucky” which I think is too perfect, not too fond of that one. But on “Thai with a twist” Christoffer Lundquist plays it, that’s better, because he’s a lousy player, so it’s fun. But he is great, he played oboe on “Son of a plumber”, and clarinet on “En händig man”. He just learns how to play these instruments in the morning, you know, before we start to record in the studio. For “I like it like that” we talked about having an oboe, so when we went to the studio the next morning, there he was, making weird noises, practising oboe. After a few hours it was very good. I don’t even get a sound out of these things, it is actually kind of difficult, so he is fantastic.

Working in the studio or touring? Difficult question. Both are fun in different ways. It’s nice to be in the studio and do new songs, but it’s also to play them live, of course, if you don’t tour forever. Work in studio has also changed a lot, even if we got back to the old way of recording with Christoffer Lundquist’s studio, he has tape recorders, for example, there are lots of things we do with the help of computers. And music in general is nowadays done in computers only, you can do anything with the right software yourself, home. But then the quality is not that good, everything sounds the same, there is no difference in the guitar sound or drums. We try the old way a bit, mixing it with the new. “Party crasher” is more modern recording, but we spent enough time to make it good and make it sound unique. I think it sounds good. We always try to reinvent ourselves, try new things. It’s fun and creative. You cannot do the same album over and over, you get bored with yourself. So let’s see what happens with the next one.

The album I am the most proud of? I think from the last ones it must be “Mazarin”. “En händig man” was kind of a follow-up, but wasn’t that good. It’s still fun to listen to “Mazarin”. Once released I just listen to the albums sometimes, but it’s mostly because my kids listen to them. I don’t usually listen to them myself. I am not that fond of the songs on the EP, but there was a reason why they didn’t make it on the album.

I think everything became better when Per Gessle finished recording demos. Like “Son of a plumber” and “Party Crasher”, it’s more fun to just start everything with his guitar, when he presents us the song, and then we just go from there. In the past, specially for “CBB”, Have a nice day, Room service, he did very complete demos with MP, then you are kind of locked into the arrangements you have heard on the demo. Often you don’t get many new ideas, it’s easier if you just have the chords and go on from there, so things can happen. Of course, if he knows exactly what he wants, we stick to it.

Clarence Öfwerman

Helena's second album, waiting to be released (III): Our baby!

2008 11 08, our first child was born! He is starting to get used to us and we just feel amazingly happy!

I want to send a big THANK YOU! for all the love he has received here on the guestbook!

Well, honestly we do not quite know yet who will release my new album or when. But I feel confident and happy because the music and the artwork feels great! It will be very different, in many ways, at least so it feels. The sound is more electronic even though there are some acoustic songs, too. I started making some demos in Garage Band which helped me create a bit different melodies than I used to. Normally I am very locked up to my poor piano playing, I think it is hard to play one rhythm and sing another. But now I could record funny backgrounds and let the melodies grow onto that. The lyrics are a little braver I think than before, sometimes tougher, clearer, more intimate but still more straight forward, they give me more laughs and tears, bring more pictures to my head.

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Comments by fans:

According to www.gessle.com Helena gave birth to a baby boy last week and Gessle is in line to offer flowers and champagne! :) I am pleased for both of them! :)

Alison Lowther
(aka roxerally), from Bolton, UK

I have just read it in gessle.com. Wow! Congratulations, Martin and Helena!

Alberto Fuente (aka Lantartida),
from Madrid, ES

Grattis grattis med lilla pojken Helena & Martinique!!!! Wow...that's what i call BIG news! Hoppas allt går jättebra med den nya lilla familjen :D Kramar från Holland!!!

Saar Plunkett (aka Sarah den Rara),
from Alkmaar, Netherlands

Big congratulations to Helena and Martin on the arrival :) xxx

Louise Rees (aka welshroxer), Wales, UK

- The Helena Josefsson Society

Helena! It's so exciting and amazing you now have a child!Great news! I'm joining to congratulations! I wish you all a very very nice future full of happiness, flowers, peace and love! Best regards to Martinique! WOW! Let's celebrate!!!

Mikhail Cherkasov (aka Mishka),RU

Måste ju titta in och säga grattis! :) Så jättekul verkligen, hoppas ni mår bra på alla sätt. :) Kramar!

Sanna Doolk, from Småland, SE (aka spaceless or Papillon)
HJ Fanclub Portal

Dear Helena! So great to know the news! It must be so exciting get a new life into the family! All the warmest regards to you and Martinique!!! you guys rock! Hugs, Ilya.

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

Hej! I am so glad, happy and wish you, Martin and your little world all the best, peace and love!!!

Dominic Schimmelpfennig, from Berlin

Congratulations Helena and Martin, I didn´t even know that you were pregnant. What a pity. A mystery. Anyway congratulations! Huge hug for three of you!

Kamila Aleksandrowicz,
from Białystok, Poland

hejsan morsan ;) Grattis! önskar er båda all lycka i världen...

Emma Sonesson (aka BiLLY) - HJ Fanclub Portal

Congratulations to Helena and Martinique!!! It´s probably because of the pregnancy that we haven´t heard so much from Helena lately, which is understandable... So, I guess it´ll take some more time before the new album will be released, but I know it is worth the wait! :-)

Christoffer Strandell (aka Johnny Pierce; aka Stoffe),
from Jönkping, SE - The Helena Josefsson Society

P, C & C become Party Crashers (III): TV promo

Today, Tuesday November 4 on SVT 1 at 21:00 CET, Per Gessle has been featured on the series "Dom kallar oss artister" ("They Call Us Artists"). You can watch the recordings of the album and a surprise:

Per Gessle, Christoffer Lundquist, Clarence Öfwerman and Helena Josefsson play live the song Tycker Om När Du Tar På Mej (from the album Mazarin, 2003) in the Aerosol Grey Machine Studios, Vallarum, Skåne län, during 2008.

Per will go on a small signing tour after the "Party Crasher" release:

Thursday November 27 at 16.30
Åhléns City, Stockholm

Friday November 28 at 17.00
Skivlagret, Halmstad, Brogatan 6

Saturday November 29 at
12.00 Rocks, Kungsbacka, Kungsmässan
15.00 Bengans, Gothenburg, Stigbergstorget 1

In a recent interview with Expressen, Per lists the best songs he has ever written and the best singers he has worked with.

LJdM

The best songs I have ever written:

• 1. Tycker om när du tar på mej (Per Gessle: Mazarin, 2003)

One would think writing love songs becomes easier when you get older, but it only gets trickier. Maybe it's because you lack the naïvety that you had when you were young. But this is a real love song, written to my wife, and I'm very proud of it.

• 2. The Look (Roxette: Look Sharp!, 1988)

A fantastic little song, isn't it? It was so easy to write — everything was obvious. I built up a little ZZ Top groove and all the pieces fell into place without effort. It still sounds like a hit.

• 3. Perfect Excuse (Per Gessle: Party Crasher, 2008)

I'm really happy about the new album. This ballad is great. I sing it really quiet and it makes my voice sound very different. I feel like I've found a new way to sing.

• 4. Perfect Day (Roxette: Joyride, 1991)

We found out that Vicki Benckert could play the accordion and we wanted to do something out of it. You can never go wrong with an accordion. And it became a very nice ballad that was written the same way as 'Listen To Your Heart;' I borrowed a chorus that MP had written, made it the verse and wrote a new chorus. Marie sings wonderfully.

• 5. Det hjärta som brinner (Gyllene Tider: Moderna tider, 1981)

If I'm not mistaken, I wrote this in a park… somewhere. I can't think of any direct reason why this song is so good. It just has the pop quality that feels so obvious and it's always great to play live.

The best female singers I have had the pleasure to work with:

1. Marie Fredriksson

It was a revolution when she came into my life. Just like Clarence (Öfwerman), she makes my ideas take off. She made my songs have credibility, as if taken from the Bible. She can sing sexy, softly, expressively. Marie is everything.

2. Helena Josefsson

She is a completely different type of person than Marie. Helena has sung on all my solo albums since 2003 and is a fantastic singer. She is a poetic, spiritual singer who is incredible at improvising. I usually just say 'sing as you wish' and she sings four to six different versions and we choose the one that fits best.

3. Belinda Carlisle

I wrote 'Always Breaking My Heart' and 'Love Doesn't Live Here' for her. The English record company said that she is a mediocre singer and it would be a problem in the studio. She sang perfectly! And in addition, made the songs have her own sound at the very first try. A real professional!

4. Camilla "Milla" Andersson

Eva Dahlgren and Anne-Lie Rydé have also made a nice effort, but Milla from Millas Mirakel has probably meant more to me. She has sung on many, many demos in the Tits & Ass studio and actually has quite a great voice. Hmm… I should write her a hit single soon!

Per Gessle

Tonight at nine o´clock, SVT1: "Dom kallar oss artister"! About the new Per Gessle album, and I am on it!

Ola Blomgren from Sandy Mouche has created the graphic design of the program! On Per Gessle´s album, my favourite song to record was "Thai with a twist" ! I had to put the lights out around me to dare singing and improvising how I felt. Especially the ending is challenging I think. Feel like I am wearing boots waaay over my knees! Then if it sounds that way, I could not tell! But I think there are many many good songs, only I haven´t heard the results yet. I wish you a lovely day!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Comments by fans:

Congratulations, Helena! You have worked wonders in Gesle's Party Crasher. The album wouldn't be so marvelous without you. I have been reading the opinion of many Per's fans. Most of them love the album and they think it is your best work with PG.

Alberto Fuente (aka Lantartida),
from Madrid, ES

Helena's second album, waiting to be released (II): a small sign of life

Hi!! I believe in ghosts, but I hope not to see any even though it´s halloween...!!! :o)

Soooooon I hope my record will be released, too!!

I just want to say hi and let you know that I am still here! No news about the coming album, we are still working a little with it. Maybe one song is missing! We have to find out…!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

P, C & C become Party Crashers (II): Silly really - Christoffer speaks about the new album

Per Gessle's first single "Silly Really" off the forthcoming album "Party Crasher" is released today October 29. The B-Side is "I didn't mean to turn you on", also included in the album. Both songs and the full album were recorded at AGM Studios by Per, Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist, with Helena Josefsson as backing singer.

'Silly really' was premiered in RIX FM MorronZoo on Friday 24th October 2008 (Swedish TV6).

The full tracklist of Per Gessle's forthcoming album "Party Crasher" has been revealed: 01 Silly Really; 02 The Party Pleaser; 03 Stuck Here With Me; 04 Sing Along; 05 Gut Feeling; 06 Perfect Excuse; 07 Breathe Life Into Me; 08 Hey, I Died and Went To Heaven; 09 Kissing Is the Key; 10 Thai With a Twist; 11 I Didn't Mean To Turn You On; 12 Doesn't Make Sense. Album bonus tracks: I'm Glad You Called (iTunes bonus); Theme from 'Roberta Right' (Telia bonus).



"Silly Really" enters the official Swedish singles chart at #1 this week. "Unusual and unexpectedly strong if you ask me!" comments Per to TDR. The video has been directed by Mikael Wikström and produced by Björn Fävremark (STARK Film & Event, Göteborg).

If you want to know more about the upcoming album, you can read an interview with Christoffer Lundquist in roxette.ro, .

LJdM

My 3 big influences while working for "Party crasher":

1. Computer:

I have been in and worked with computers in the studio before, but this time I was at home with my computer and played. For me, it was a whole new way of working, and it was truly inspiring. I had not recorded a single demo when we started to record the new disc.

2. Solo band (Christoffer, Clarence and Helena):

Without them, there had never been a new album. It is funny that they like all the songs this time. Many times in the past, I have been struggling to carry out so ruthlessly commercial ideas - now, the wind was in the sails immediately!

3. iTunes:

It has become like a drug - now when everything is available, sit and download the old songs. I have found Culture Club, Human League, Donna Summer and KC & the Sunshine Band.

Per Gessle

“Party Crasher” is a computer-made album. The rhythms are completely programmed for the first time. There's a lot more synthesizers than usual and less guitars. And Per doesn't play a single note on the album! We built the tracks from zero in the computer instead of playing together trying to find an identity to each track. Per wanted it to feel more polished and more strictly organized than the last albums so that's why we worked like this. It's also meant to be more based on rhythm. On the last couple of albums the drums have been kind of quiet and not so punchy; we have looked for more emphasis on melody and harmony for the emotion. This time we wanted a harder, stricter beat, more focus on the beat. By computer record I mean it was not recorded to analog tape like we normally do. And only the rhythms were programmed, the rest of the instruments are played by Clarence and me. Some synths are programmed but not most of them. Since there is so much keyboards on the album we have blended the synths with different acoustic keyboard instruments to try and get a more unique sound and more organic depth. When you use a lot of synths the sound can end up a bit dead so that's why we worked like that. In modern recording (since the introduction of computers as the recording media) you often have the exact same take of any instrument or maybe backing vocals for every identical part of a song. Meaning that when the second chorus comes you hear the exact same bass, guitar and keyboard takes as you did on the first chorus. This sounds more disciplined, strict and "modern" than playing through a whole song and letting every part be a little different and alive. So with this album we worked like this for the first time, we copied and pasted things to get a little more "mechanical", disciplined feel and sound than we have been striving for before. Similarly everything is done to a click track, meaning that the tempo never strays. This is the first time we did this too. I think it's very important for artists to break new ground and to try to vary the way they work to try to avoid repeating yourself. As an afterthought I maybe think that we should have changed directions sooner, "En Händig Man" is not my favorite album. Probably because we were trying to do something in Swedish that we'd already done in English (SOAP) and you find yourself doing the same thing over again. And then it's bound to be not as good as it was the first time, when those particular ideas were fresh and exciting. So I'm very happy about the new album, it's very fresh and exciting to me. I've certainly never done anything like it before even though Per and Clarence have more experience working in a similar manner from the Roxette days. But this was still very different of course. Since I'm a great great fan of Roxette music it was fun for me to get into to this way of thinking.

What is my favorite song of Per’s on which I have worked? The most difficult question ever! There are soooo many....! "Late, later on" and "Hey, Mr. DJ" off SOAP are big favorites of mine as well as "Vilket Håll Du Än Går" from Mazarin and "Silly Really" from the new album. Right now it's everything from the latest album. The newest one is always the most fun.... And lots more....

Christoffer Lundquist - AGM Studios

P, C & C become Party Crashers (I): the upcoming album

Per Gessle has been recording a new album in English between January and September 2008 at Christoffer Lundquist's AGM studio. Per Gessle also went to BMI awards in London October 7. Per was there together with Mats MP Persson to receive a "Million-Air" award for "Listen to Your Heart" which has been played on US radio over four million times.

Per Gessle's first single "Silly Really" off the forthcoming album "Party Crasher" will be released October 29. The single as well as the album is a step in a new direction for one of Sweden's most successful songwriters and artists.

After two solo albums in Swedish ("Mazarin" in 2003 and "En händig man" 2007), another studio album with Gyllene Tider ("Finn 5 fel!" 2004) and a double album under the name "Son of a Plumber" Per Gessle now shows us a different side of himself.

"Party Crasher" is Per Gessle's first international solo album in his own name since "The World According to Gessle" 1997. The album will be released December 3.

This time, P, C & C have not used real instruments, just synths ... well, and Helena Josefsson's voice. Jens Jansson will not feature in this allbum since no drummer was needed (but you can read an interesting interview with him by roxette.ro, 29.10.2008). Christoffer Lundquist also spoke to the same website about recording with Per Gessle.

LJdM

I don’t really write songs anymore unless there is a purpose. A couple of weeks after the “En händig man-tour” last summer I got into this idea of writing songs based on “grooves” and a steady beat instead of just fooling around on the guitar. I had a field day! Before X-mas I had about 10 new songs.

After all these years you’re always looking for NEW spices, NEW angles, NEW chord progressions. So when this idea popped up writing to a steady beat I knew something interesting could happen. Some grooves I made myself on my computer, some grooves I found in existing songs from The Bee Gees, Chic, Donna Summer, The Human League etc. I’ve heard that Björn & Benny wrote “Dancing queen” to the groove of George McCrae’s “Rock Your Baby”. Check those two songs out and compare and you’ll know what I mean. They’re very different but they have the same mother.

Normally I write the melodies first and then we build an arrangement in the studio. This time I've started with a groove and then written the melody from that, just like when I wrote that little ditty 'The Look' once upon a time. It’s really simple power pop, lots of choruses and such. I’m very pleased and Clarence feels it’s the best album I’ve ever made. The songs are written in the '70s '80s era type of dance music. The result is a fun album that is both immediate and in your face, but also brooding and beautiful. My wife says the album sounds like The Bee-Gees meet Gyllene Tider. I don't really agree, but I can see her point. It has a sweet disco feeling all over it. But recognizing Per Gessle over the beats shouldn’t be a problem.

My whole summer was free and easy. We stopped our studio work in May and didn’t continue until late August so I got my fair share of suntan, go-karts, bikinis and belinis. No demos because C&C hate them!!! MP visited the studio once but only to have dinner and some bottles of Chianti. Clarence, Christoffer and myself played all the instruments on this one. And Helena Josefsson has been a frequent guest, of course. We’ve basically worked with old analogue synthesizers like the Mini Moog and Jupiter-6 etc as well as new computerized technology. No big strings this time, no live drums either. But the Syn Drum made a welcome return!!!

I’ve tried to make lyrics psychedelic, sexy and mature (in that order). But sure, when you write songs based on rhythm it is a different thing. I mean, sometimes you write a lyric first and then put music to it. This was never the case here.

I love this album and I love the fact that it sounds really fresh and I adore listening to Helena’s vocal performances. She’s been EXTREMELY good on this one. Wait ‘til you hear it, you’re gonna freak out. People are responding exceptionally so far. Some media people have heard bits and pieces and they’re all quite surprised. But in a positive way. I won’t go into individual tracks at this point for obvious reasons.

I didn’t invent popmusic. Everything I do and listen to have its roots in the music I enjoyed growing up. So, sure, this could have been a SOAP album but then again… the SOAP project is quite different. I preferred this to be a Per Gessle-album. There are a few Nile Rodgers-licks, some Timbaland sub bass, some B-52's jerks and some T. Rex glam and, oh yeah, we listened a lot to the Saturday Night Fever-soundtrack.

The album is made in English to be able to hit internationally but it’s a long way to go, I don’t take anything for granted. It’s not like I’m going to England to sell out Wembley, unfortunately. But at the same time, Roxette's songs are bigger than in a long while, so we’ll see. EMI worldwide is, as I’m writing this, very interested. But that usually doesn’t mean anything ha ha ha… We’ll find out what’s gonna happen in the next month or so. Yes, there will be a standard CD, deluxe CD and a vinyl album. I’ll go as huge as possible!!! I’ll do my best to convince the masters of the universe to do the right thing. I might do a small tour in Europe early next year. If I do I’m sure there will be a few shows in Sweden as well. Time will tell. I take it as it comes. A movie soundtrack could be fun. An acoustic album could be fun. Some more Roxette and Gyllene Tider projects could be fun. I’ve got no plans. And zillions of them in the drawer. As long as C&C are motivated, wear clean shirts and make me a happier person I can’t see any reason replacing them. They are two of the most talented people I’ve ever encountered and a pretty hard act to follow. But you’ll never know. Clarence has promised me to step out of the closet as the next big thing on the dance floor. I’ll sell the tee-shirts… My Rolls-Royce? Oh my God, it’s sooo big!!! But a treat to drive and to have in your garage. I drive it to the local burger stand with Gabriel and his friends watching The Simpsons in the backseat.

2008 music? I like the Sebastian Teller-record. I like the Shelby Lynne-record. I still play Nelly Furtado’s “All good things must come to an end” too much but my most played album this year is a 3-CD box called “Philly sound”, recommended to me by Expressen’s Mats Olsson. A sensational collection of 70’s soul. Mats got such great taste!!!

Per Gessle

Towards the end of a long working day Per Gessle tends to substitute the words he means to say with a totally different word that's got nothing to do with anything. He has a very very quick mind and I think at times his mind is ahead of his mouth and then he can be a bit difficult to understand actually...like calling a "car" a "dog" or a" song" a " car" or whatever. He’s said some hilarious things like that. How many bottles of wine are consumed during the making of an album (for the mood)? It's not that bad really =). We usually work for three days in a row and the first day might get a little heavy in the evening. But then we get so tired the next day we tend to calm down a bit!

Producing Per’s albums is a very organic process and it's difficult to tell afterwards who did what. There are some basic things of course: Per writes all the music, I do all the engineering, recording and technical stuff. Whenever there's something difficult to play on keyboards it's always Clarence Öfwerman who plays it since he's technically really good. Other keyboard parts tend to be split evenly between the two of us; whoever has an idea plays it. We often jam together on two different keyboards to see what we might come up with. I play bass and most of the guitars on the albums, as well as most of the other "different" instruments. Per plays a lot of acoustic guitar, he has a very personal way of playing that is really good. When it comes to ideas for arrangements etc it is, as I said, very organic. We sort of work together like one person a lot of the time. Per always has the final say of course. If he doesn't like something it will not go on the album. It happens that Clarence and I do a lot of work in a certain direction and then Per decides he thinks it's wrong. So then we happily scrap what we've done and start over. At the same time it often happens that that we do something with a song that is totally different from what Per had in mind but he really loves it, he thinks it much better than what he had in mind. he's very open minded about his music but he never does anything that he doesn't really really like and he's very sensitive, it must feel absolutely right to him, otherwise he won't settle for it. He really knows what he likes and what he doesn't. We basically have a lot of fun and it's really intense. After three days together we are totally burned out. Per often "steers" the direction of an album by playing music from his iPod. His knowledge and love of pop music is really unbelievable, I never met anyone who's so totally obsessed with pop music.. When we started the SOAP album he only played really old music, like easy listening from the fifties and totally forgotten bands and artists from the 60's and seventies. He always knows what position any song had on the hit list, who wrote it, produced it, who's in the band and what they did later in their careers etc. I've learned so much from him playing things from his iPod. And I've discovered so much great music thanks to him. When we begun work on "Party Crasher" suddenly he only played either old disco tracks or contemporary stuff by Timbaland and Max Martin and people like that. So he kind of puts us all in a certain state of mind, the atmosphere in which he imagines the album should go. Sometimes we stay in that "mode" and sometimes we abandon it completely when something different pops up. It's very inspirational.

Christoffer Lundquist - AGM Studios

I think it was a friend of mine who suggested that we should take some drum classes when I was a kid. He quit, I stayed. I'm not much of a hobby person. I have a little son and to hang around with him is a great hobby.I have lots of projects coming up. I expect Per Gessle to have even more. I make commercials and play in other bands. Right now I'm playing with a good friend of mine who lives in Paris. Peter Von Poehl is his name and the music is great.

I met Per Gessle in 1995, when we toured with Roxette, with my band Brainpool. I've actually never bought a Roxette album. The only one I've got is the single I played on, One Wish. But, I like lots of their songs. I really liked Joyride when that came out. Roxette’s music has no influences on mine. Maybe the music that they listened to, but not their music. Per is easygoing, productive, funny, Halmstadish. Marie is friendly, caring, happy. I'm meeting Per today but Marie I have no contact with. Recording with Per feels good. He's a very nice man and it's always very relaxing to make music with him.

I've only done two tours with Per Gessle. The first was the "Mazarin" tour and last summer we did the EHM tour. EHM Tour was a great tour. Everyone in the band are really nice people who are really fun to be around. The funniest moment was when we got attacked by a cover band that plays Gyllene Tider songs at a gas station. Nice, but crazy people. I hope to join next Per’s tour, yes.

Jens Jansson - Brainpool

Yes, there has been some secret work in the studio with mr Per, and very much fun, too!

Soon, very soon, the new Per Gessle album Party Crasher will arrive to Swedish stores. I sing in many places there. I am so excited- cause fun things will happen!

I haven´t heard the final results yet. But while we recorded it, I felt like: out of all the Gessle/ Son of A Plumber-albums I have participated on since we started collaborating in 2003, this one is my favourite. Actually, I discovered a lot of new things I didn´t know I could do. I don´t think I have ever felt sexy before in a song, but now I did. Then, maybe it doesn´t SOUND that way, but still! It is exciting to learn how to express new things through the singing and improvisation!

One trick I have when I try to dive into my own self when I record, is to turn the lights off. I always do that. It is like, if noone can see me then I can do whatever I want, I don´t have to be shy or afraid of anything. Then I dare to do new things, that I really don´t master. But if I feel viewed or I feel someone is going to judge what I sing, it is impossible to discover something new from my depths. Before I used to do the same if someone was going to take pictures of Sandy Mouche, or making a video shoot. Then I would take my contacts off, so everyone around turned blurry. If I don´t see them, they can´t see what I do :o) Works for the ostrichts, so why not? :o)

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Comments by fans:

Dear Helena! Haven't heard from you for a long time. Today I've read about Gessle's new album - and understood why were you missing..... Good news, as well as I still hope to see you all guys live on the stage again.... Tack sa mycket!! Have a good and sunny day! PS: Some sunflowers, huh?

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