P, C & C order room service (VIII): Imagine no September 11, 2001

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Song: Imagine; Lyrics: John Lennon
Image: Someone leaping from a window,
World Trade Center
Feelings, thoughts, ...: ??????

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PS: Today it is not important at all, but it is something different to think about. The Roxette Room Service Tour begins next week. It was supposed to be a World Tour, but the concerts out of Europe (for example, in South Africa) have been cancelled after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Per and Marie write on their Official Website:

“The prospect of going long flights with families under the current circumstances does not feel comfortable and the decision had to be made now”

PS2: It is a good day to remember other songs. Now I remember that Per said 'The Only Living Boy In New York', by Simon and Garfunkel, is always in his car. Loneliness ...

Tom, get your plane right on time.
I know your part'll go fine.
Fly down to Mexico.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da-da and here I am,
The only living boy in New York.
I get the news I need on the weather report.
I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.
Hey, Ive got nothing to do today but smile.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da here I am
The only living boy in New York.

Half of the time were gone but we dont know where,
And we dont know here.

Tom, get your plane right on time.
I know youve been eager to fly now.
Hey let your honesty shine, shine, shine
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da
Like it shines on me
The only living boy in New York.
The only living boy in New York.

LJdM

P, C & C wanna be Ramones' boyfriends (I): Goodbye, Joey

Per Gessle, Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lunquist have been recording a Ramones song for an upcoming Swedish tribute album to Joey Ramone who died last spring of cancer. Per will sing the ballad “I wanna be your boyfriend”, one of the songs from the punk band’s debut album.

Joey Ramone (1951-2001), born as Jeffry Ross Hyman, was a vocalist and songwriter best known for his work in the punk rock group the Ramones. He and bandmate Johnny Ramone (né John Cummongs) were the only two original members who stayed with the band until their retirement in 1996. Hyman stood at 6 ft. 6 in (1.98 metres) tall as a consequence of Marfan syndrome. He had a long shock of black hair that almost completely obscured his face. Few photographs exist of him without his well-known attributes. He suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Joey Ramone died of lymphoma at New York Presbyterian Hospital on april 15, 2001. Countless memorials, both by fans and the rockers he influenced, followed. He was listening to the song In a Little While by U2 when he died. This was during U2's Elevation Tour, and from that point on during shows Bono introduces the song as a tune that was originally about a lovestruck hangover but that Joey turned it into a gospel song.

Per Gessle is a real fan of The Ramones. His first band, Grape Rock (1976), played many covers of this band. I wanna be your boyfriend was released by The Ramones in 1976.

To record this cover song, Per Gessle has been at Polar Studios, Stockholm, this July 2001, with his P,C&C team (Per, Clarence Öfwerman, Chris Lundquist) and with Brainpool's drummer Jens Jansson. It seems the band that joined in some songs of The World According to Gessle Album in 1997 is together again for years later.

• Producers: Per Gessle and Clarence Öfwerman.
• Mixer: Ronny Lahti.
• Vocals: Per Gessle.
• Backing vocals: Christoffer Lundquist.
• Acoustic guitar: Per Gessle and Mats MP Persson.
• Bass guitar: Christoffer Lundquist.
• Drums, tambourine and maracas: Jens Jansson.
• E-bow: Per Gessle.
• Electric guitar: Per Gessle and Mats MP Persson.
• Glockenspiel: Clarence Öfwerman.

We have also good news from the USA. Magnus Börjeson has been working with Brainpool's members since the last years but he did not expect that Internet would revive his old band, Beagle.

In 1991, Magnus Börjeson, Calle Håkansson, Anders Mildner, Benjamin Peetre, Jakob Peetre and Daniel Sandström, from Lund, Sweden, formed the indie pop band BEAGLE. They signed a record contract with Polar in Stockholm and released 2 albums in all Europe and Japan.

• Beagle's SOUND ON SOUND (1992) - Singles: A different Sunday (1991), The things that we say (1992), Turn your head around (1992), This time (1992)
• Beagle's WITHIN (1993) - Singles: Nine out of ten (1993), When I speak your name (1993), One layer down (1993).
  

In 1992, Beagle was nominated for best new popband in Swedish Grammies and The things that we say became a hit in Sweden. They have many gigs in 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, Beagle transformed into Favorita (Magnus Börjeson and Benajmin Peetre from Beagle, plus Fredrik Blank and Conny Stade) and starts recording. Although they signed a contract, recorded an album and toured with the band Pulp, Favorita disappeared in 1997 after their only single, Seven Comforts. Many problems and no future.

But Internet revived the old band, Beagle, last month. Many fans wanted to listen to the lost band in the United States. According to Magnus:

There is a powerpop-crowd in LA. For a couple of years I've been getting emails from different people who would like me to come and play in the USA. I guess they got tired of waiting, because suddenly they called and said they wanted me at a popfestival, The International Pop Overthrow in LA.

Beagle played last July in The Trobadour, Los Angeles, and Magnus is now thinking about recording a new Beagle's album with Christoffer Lundquist at the Aerosol Grey Machine Studio. But it seems more a solo project than a real revival of Beagle. Magnus could make good use of the fame of the lost band Beagle.

Actually, the Beagle band this time has been quite different. Magnus has played in L.A. with Olof Wallberg (guitarist in Fight Family, another band from Lund) and Brian Kassan (keyboards, from Chewy Marble), between others.

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (XVI): The Good Mornings - Live

The Good Mornings, the Swedish band leaded by Dan Bornemark and Helena Josefsson, have had some gigs this year after releasing their first album in late 2000.

Video by Mauricio Picasso

They played in the Stockholm Live Day 2001, on 13th May. The band included:

• Helena Josefsson: lead vocals
• Dan Bornemark - keyboards, vocals, music
• Jens Ståhlstierna - gitarr, vocals
• Rasmus Kihlberg - drums
• Mauricio Picasso - bass

Other former members of "The Good Mornings" include:

• Figge von Wachenfeldt - keyboards, vocals
• Bosse Håkansson - percussion
• Björn Gustavsson - bass
  

LJdM

P, C & C order room service (VII): Chris Lundquist with Roxette in Finland

Per and Marie have been in Helsinki, Finland, today to promote their new album, Room Service.

Marie and Per have been backed by Clarence Öfwerman on keyboards, Pelle Alsing on drums and Christoffer Lundquist on the bass. Per has played the guitar. They also have had a Finnish string section of four people. They played “The Centre Of The Heart” (twice), “Milk And Toast And Honey”, “Wish I Could Fly” and “Real Sugar”.

Maybe the forthcoming Room Service Tour band could include:

Per Pelle Alsing (drums). Jonas Isacsson (electric guitars). Christoffer Lundquist (bass). Clarence Öfwerman (keyboards).

Christoffer Lundquist has been interviewed by The Daily Roxette and also aswered some quick questions to the Swedish band The April Tears. The April Tears will release a new album in January 2002, produced by Christoffer Lundquist.

Chris is an all-around musician on Roxette’s two latest albums and in the band Brainpool (“discovered” by Per’s company Jimmy Fun Music). He speaks about Roxette and Brainpool. Brainpool's last album, “You Are Here” (1999), was their first without Janne Kask, who left the band’s lead singer position in 1997. The album was a flop, but Brainpool are working in a new project.

LJdM

I have enjoyed working with Per and Marie. They are really nice people. It doesn’t bother me that Per and Marie grab all the attention of fans. I have been able to walk out from the studios without being surrounded by autograph hunters. That’s the way it is. The decision to mount another major Tour has already been reached. Per and Marie want to have a proper tour, and I’m in the band.

And Brainpool is working on a new album. It’s a rock opera and it will sound something like our previous album. Kask back in the band? We don't want to work with him anymore.

• Born: January 16, 1970
• Lives: In the countryside in southern Sweden.
• Favourite April Tears songs: All Good Things, Hong Kong and Model, Actress, Whatever.
• Favourite Songs: Beach Boys - Surf's Up, Scott Walker - No Regrets, The Who - Getting In Tune, Yes - Awaken, Van Der Graaf Generator - Man-Erg (including Cog), The Beatles - Rain, Genesis - In The Cage, George Harrison - I'd Have You Anytime
• Favourite cities: None. I don't like cities.
• Favourite Drink: Guinness
• Favourite Food: At the moment pancakes with strawberry jam.
• Christoffer's favourite link: http://brianwilson.cjb.net

Christoffer Lundquist
- Junk Musik

P, C & C order room service (VI): RS is out and it's time for promo

These weeks, the new album of Roxette, Room Service, is being released nearly worldwide (excluding the USA). The album has 13 songs and was recorded last year at Atlantis Studio and at Polar Studios, both in Stockholm.

The production, recording and mixing were made by Per, Marie, Clarence Öfwerman (keyboards) and Ronny Lahti. Christoffer Lundquist, backing vocals, also played the bass, Per, MP Persson, Micke Syd Andersson and Jonas Isaacson the guitars, Christer Jansson the percussion and Mats Holmquist the string arrangements. The "newbies" in the team are the programmer Jimmy Monell (aka Shooting Star, from The April Tears) and the guitarist David Birde (from Brainpool). We can see the presence of two members of Brainpool (Lunquist and Birde) with Per and Clarence in a new challenge for this "team".



Per Gessle speaks about the album below. Since February, Roxette has performed in Promo Gigs around Europe:

• Sweden: Malmö (Feb.23), Stockholm (Mar.22 and 23, April 1)
• Germany: Cologne (Mar.26)
• Spain: Barcelona (Mar.27) - A marvelous live show in Sala Bikini.

This time, many of the gigs have been performed live and it seems the band is ready for the Room Service Tour (next automn).

LJdM

Well, when you start out as a young musician, everything is very romantic, y'Know, the whole industry, going into a studio, whatever., of course, things change after a while and there'S... nothing that... romantic left (laughs) in the music industry for us and so, of course, it turns out to be a professional thing in the end. But still it's important to maintain the love affair you have with music, I mean you have to be interested in music. You have to be interested in what you do. In that sense I don't want to be a professional, I still want to be a fan. and that approach is crucial, actually, to having success in the end. I mean you can always go to the 'How to Write a Hit Song' book and have a hit, but at the end of the day, it won't last. To have a career that goes on for a couple of decades, I mean, you have to be true to yourself. So... We just sat down and wanted to make something that was... classic Roxette, what we're really good at, doing pop. A pop record. It's disco but still fresh... The album has got 12 songs, all of them quite short... There are some really fab songs which I consider to be some of our best... Marie is in top shape and myself... I even managed to sing a ballad this time.

'It feel fucking great that both the single and the album have been received so well. Each time you release a record it's waiting on how it will be received. and I really think that this one is the best and greatest album we've done. Abroad we've received fantastic review, so the bad reviews in Sweden are a truly local phenomenon.

Per Gessle

All the bad records I’ve heard, or those which didn’t turn out that great, are the ones where someone had a real fix plan. “This is like it’s going to sound like”. This prevents creative things from happening. So for me my only idea about producing is just being open to whatever might happen. If something feels good, that’s it. Be it a synth or a drum kit or retro sounds, more modern. What feels right at that moment, that’s what you must do, go for. That’s the only way to make good music.

We had a bit more a restrained idea in “Have a nice day” and “Room Service”. For me, when I listen to those records now, they aren’t as good as they could have been. There are some really nice songs, but the records could have been better. “Beautiful Things” is one of the simplest songs on the album, without many things going on in it. I wasn’t much involved with “Room Service”, except for playing bass, some guitar and backing vocals with Marie. But I might guess the reason is it wasn’t as much fun as it used to be. I guess that’s what you hear. I think that’s more important than which instruments you are using. You should have fun when recording an album, then it’s surely going to be good.

Christoffer Lundquist

Helena Josefsson, backing singer at Tambourine Studios and Gula Studion (II): The Ark - Joy Surrender

The Ark, the Swedish glam rock band from Malmö, has unleashed a new single from their first album, "We are The Ark" (2000), "Joy Surrender".

Recorded by Marco Manieri at Gula Studion in Malmö, Helena Josefsson (Plastic Soul) and Sara Svensson feature as background singers in two songs of the single: Joy Surrender and Topsy Kaiser.

LJdM