Nice days for P, C & C new team (IX): Roxette's Salvation and Lundquist's 30th birthday

There are not many news from Per Gessle and Roxette since last summer. They have had some promo performances in Europe, backed up by musicians Christopher Lundquist, Clarence Öfwerman and Per Pelle Alsing.

Last 29th November, Salvation, the last single outtaken from Have a Nice Day, was released, but there has been no promotion. I adore See me, an old song sung by Marie in 1993 and the second song in this single.

The same day in November, a special edition of Roxette's latest album was released in most Spanish speaking territories and in some other countries (e.g. The Netherlands and Germany). This limited edition includes the following Spanish recordings: Quisiera volar (Wish I could fly), Alguien (Anyone) and Lo siento (Salvation).

In September, Per Gessle confirmed it once more: there wouldn't be a Roxette tour coming up in the next months. According to Olle Berggren and Martina Karlsson, from Roxette Service, late on little Christmas eve, Per Gessle sat with Clarence Öfverman in the now legendary Tits&Ass studio outside Halmstad and thought about the future with Roxette.

On January 16, 2000, Christoffer Lundquist will be 30 years old. We can read some of his words about his childhood.

LJdM

It's been a too much ballads during Roxette's career and the latest album, Have a Nice Day, had almost only ballad singles. I think I underestimated our absence when we took a break. There has happened a lot within the music industry while we were gone. This time it will be more up-tempo songs, more pop and more guitars. Dangerous if it gets too much like Celine Dion I recently thought about bands that have come in our footsteps, like Savage Garden. They are totally stuck with ballads. Think it's time to break that trend now. If you want to keep up with things in my age you need younger help from the outside (Chris Lundquist from Brainpool, Jimmy from April Tears, ...). A positive pop bomb. That's the thing I'm best at.

It's good to be back home. Home is where I wanna beeeeeee. I have been on the road so long. In January 2000, we'll continue the studio sessions and, hopefully, that's what's gonna take most of our time in the next 6-8 months or so. We'd love to have a new album out for Christmas 2000, and finally get a tour together. If everything goes well with the new records we're planning a tour with start in the beginning of January 2001. But if now the USA would wake up and we get a good record company where they maybe wants us to be available for radio and TV during that period, in that case we'll delay the tour a bit more.

Per Gessle

My parents got me and my sister when I was 6 years old to play violin. And I hated that. I hated every second of it, and I never practiced, never did anything, was horrible, but I sort of discovered it was nice to play notes and find them for yourself, and make up little tunes, so when I was maybe 10 or 11 I skipped the violin and finally dared to tell my parents I didn’t want to do that anymore, and I got an old guitar from my aunt, who also introduced me to the Beatles. I probably started to compose at the age of 10, when I got the guitar. That’s the reason for playing for me, to try to make your own music or play your own stuff. I didn’t study music. Never, the three years of violin when I was 6 to 10 is all my music education. From then on I’ve done nothing but playing, try to write arrangements, I am a totally single-minded person, that’s the only thing I do.

I actually only play guitar and bass, you know, reasonably well, the rest is sort of just cheating, but since I buy so many instruments, I have the possibility to practice with them. I play a bit of decent flute, half-decent saxophone, clarinet, I got an oboe, that was fun for a year and then it was too hard, so I skipped that. I have so many different instruments in my studio, but they are all kind of keyboard instruments.

Christoffer Lundquist

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (XII): No more ewing.1?

We have no news and it seems ewing.1 has disappeared.

We have heard that Magnus Tingsek has formed his own band Great 78 (remember that ewing.1 members were born in 1978 in Lund). Magnus Tingsek could tour with his brother Anders' band Loosegoats (photo), that released her new album, Plains, Plateaus and Mountains. Rivers, Lakes and Seas, last March 1999.

Loosegoats

Jens Hellgren (guitar) is working with Mathias Olden and Mattias Friberg in their band Logh (photo), and Mattias Jeppson could have joined Logh too.

Logh

Helena Josefsson has released a new single with Plastic soul in 1999. Anyway, it seems she wants to concentrate on the band The Good Mornings.

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (XI): The Good Mornings, with Dan Bornemark

Helena Josefsson has begun working in a new project of the composer from Malmö Dan Bornemark (photo). The band will be called THE GOOD MORNINGS and also includes the guitarist Jens Ståhlstierna. They are recording some songs. Let truth reveal the Beast, for example, will be a tribute to the band Gentle Giant.

Dan Bornemark has composed symphonic music for children and remastered some Gentle Giant's stuff.

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (X): Plastic soul's gigs and single

The band Plastic soul - Helena Josefsson (singer), Johan Duncanson (guitar), Fredrick Whitling (leadguitar and keyboards), Olof Martinsson (bass) and Per Blomgren (drums) - has had an intense year.

Firstly they have had some Summer gigs. The most important are: Mera Hitlåtar 99 (Handen 1999 - 06 - 05) and Augustibuller Festival (Lindesberg 1999 - 08 - 13), two important Swedish indie Summer festivals. Plastic Soul also played in the Kalas-tour in Ribersborg, Malmö, in the summer, a succesful gig that allows them to be booked to Malmö's Popstad Festival next February 2001.

And they have recorded and released their first single Uneasy (1999). It seems they are going to release an album soon with the company Stockhouse.

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (IX): ewing.1 summer gigs

According to its web, ewing.1 , the band has had some gigs this summer. Two of them have been in Lund (July) and Malmö (August).

* Mejeriet, Lund - 1999 - 07 - 08

* Malmöfestivalen, Malmö, 1999 - 08 - 15

Some members of the band speak about ewing.1.

Magnus Tingsek (vocals) says: “What I like about ewing.1? Everything, I suppose. The energy, everybodys joy of playing, the 100% struggeling towards our goals. And of course the music. My favourite song is Stuck”.

Mattias Jepsson (electric guitar) agrees: Stuck is my all time favorite song. ewing.1 for me is everything. I love the way everyone express their feelings vocaly and musically.

Marten Dahl (bass) favourite song is The Spring: “I think it's got everything. I like the artistic freedom i'm being given and that everybody is participating with the arrangements of a new song. And I'm also very pleased with me, Helena Josefsson and Magnus. When it comes to arranging harmony vocals. That always brings me in a good mood.

Johan Svensson (drums) jokes: “What I like about ewing.1 is that we all have similar goals in life. We're all determined to reach stardom, glamour, riches that we could live from for the rest of our lives, and a cloud right next to God's when we die... and the songs... yeah, I like the songs too... and our beautiful friendship!”

LJdM

Nice days for P, C & C new team (VIII): Roxette, summer stars

On 27th July, it was released Stars, the third single from the last album of Roxette, Have a nice day. The previous single, Anyone, a very good song, got bad sales. They try this time with a dance floor hit with some mixes.

Since January, Roxette has not play live many times.

In Germany, they played Wish I could fly in a gala (Böblingen, Germany, April 23^rd) and Stars in a TV show (Cologne, Germany, July 31^st)

In England, Roxette has had two real concerts. The first one, a mini-concert (100 spectators, March 10^th) by the UK radio station Capital FM in Leicester Square, London, where they played “Wish I could fly”, “Listen to your heart”, “The Look”, “It must have been love” and “Church of your heart”. In the second mini-concert, three songs were in the tracklist: Wish I could fly, Anyone and The Look (Party in the Park, London, July 4^th). This was the most crowded live performance: they played voice-over versions for over 100,000 people in Hyde Park. No real concerts, no real band, no "Have a nice Tour". We miss the "team": Clarence Öfwerman, Christoffer Lundquist, ...

According to Marcus Jurgen, from Roxette Service, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle are thinking of another album before touring, as a tour would be so far after the album release that it wouldn't be fresh anymore. Marcus talk to Per and Marie in Cologne last week and he thinks Roxette will probably experiment a bit with forthcoming recordings, bringing in use the crashing guitars again for some songs.

Last July 15^th, Per Gessle confirmed it: “We have started to write songs for the new album and no, there won’t be any tour this year”

BTW, the song "It will take a long long time", from HAND, is in the film Runaway Bride - cinema premiered on 30 July 1999 -; the director Garry Marshall has re-united with leading lovers Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, from Pretty Woman. But the song by Roxette won't be in the soundtrack because of the problems the band has with their disco label in the United States.

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (VIII): Lund's Harvest includes ewing.1

According to its web, ewing.1 :

Mattias Jeppsson joined the band just in time for ewing.1's second gig at Blekinska Nationen in Lund, a well reputated place for contemporary live music. This particculary night (7th May 1999) has been for, according to Blekingska Nationen, the four best unsigned bands in Sweden at the time.

* Klubb Indigo, Blekinska Nationen, Lund - 1999 - 05 - 07
- Demogala #4: Ambulance, ewing.1, Kingsize, Tribeca

ewing.1's song, This Spring (lyrics by Helena Josefsson; Music by Tingsek), played in Klubb Indigo, has been chosen for Blekingska Nationens promo-CD, 4'th Harvest.

We have thought it is the time to record our second demotape, again with talented Matthias Oldén to help out in the studio. On this demotape the band will show that that we have grown both individually and more importantly together as a band. With this new five-song promo, ewing.1 shows a much more emotionally mature side of themselves and our music. With Magnus constantly writing new songs and their determined struggle to live of what they all love, their music, you can be sure that this isn't the last time you've heard the name ewing.1.

ewing.1 promo-2 (recorded in May 1999) includes these songs:

1. stuck (Tingsek)
2. suicidal highway (Tingsek)
3. always unexpected (Tingsek)
4. breathe (Tingsek/Josefsson)
5. the role of a soldier (Tingsek)

LJdM

Nice days for P, C & C new team (VII): Anyone and HAND reviews

Today Roxette releases the second single of their album Have a Nice Day.

After the successful "Wish I could fly", we can listen to another ballad, "Anyone". The single carries the 60s air, including the demo of "Anyone" and the Abbey Road Version of "You don't understand me" (recorded in the Beatles Studio in London in 1995 by Marie, Per, Clarence and MP). In Japan, there would be a double single: "Pay the Price / Anyone".

The promotion of the album has continued these months. Per and Marie have performed "Wish I could fly" and "Anyone", usually playback, in London (The Radio Café, Leicester Square, March 10th), Lisboa (Coliseu dos Recreios, April 11th), Böglingen (TV, Germany, April 23th) and Aalsmeer (TV, the Netherlands, May 5th). Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist have been with Gessle and Fredriksson in some performances.

Since HAND was released, we have read some reviews about the album, good and bad reviews.

"After a five years' break they still make hit after hit. As never before, Marie Fredriksson's voice is at its best in the ballads like Salvation. However, the theme park techno with childrens choir, Stars, could have been left out. Listen to Anyone instead. Powerpop from Sweden, undestroyable like a Volvo." - TV Movie, Germany

"Anyone" is Gessle at a party with Burt Bacharach and Hal David. As the title says, you are dangerously close to Dionne Warwicks hit 'Anyone Who Had A Heart' from the 1960'S." - Kvällsposten, Sweden

"With less guitars and more keyboards, the new album doesn't sound like Roxette all at once. The opening track is a cool dancefloor track, not typically Roxette" - Allgemeine Post, Germany

"With a few exceptions, the album offers not much of their typical sound. There were e.g. never before there were so little guitars. On the other hand, about half of the songs are ballads with lots of strings, beautiful arrangements, catchy melodies and Marie who has never sung better before. Not completely unexpected, the lyrics reflect two settled people, living with their own families, who seem to feel good. However, the attempts to play with dancable rhythms make it difficult to adapt to Roxette's permanent desire to update, but the desire to an upgrade to 1999 unfortunately overshadows the entity." - Hallandsposten, Sweden

There's nothing particulary original on this offering. Stomping beats paving the way for Marie Fredriksson's painful solos, but if their success story to date is anything to go by, expect a wave of chart battering singles and gap toothed wailing on the television for quite a while to come. - FHM, the UK

I myself am mostly surprised of the emotional coldness on the album, despite the technical brilliance. A smaller problem is that there isn't any obvious hit on the album. - Hufvudstadsbladet, Norway

Nice, clever, but totally without excitement. - Passagen.se, Sweden

HAND shows that Roxette did not want to step onto new musical territories at all and that actually everything remained the same. How often can one duplicate one song several times, almost unnoticed?! - RTL, Germany

Good. However, who needs a new Roxette album right now? - Popcorn, Germany

The guitars are left in their boxes. Instead of them, there are all kinds of beats and samples that aren't really up-to-date. No strong rock songs, but no beautiful ballads either. Not really a highlight - Hitkrant, Netherlands

Supergroup Roxette have swapped their usual rousing guitar licks for a Euro dance beat. It has been six years since their last hit and on this form it will be another six before their next one. - The Daily Star, the UK

According to LJdM editor, there are too many goals in this album. They wanted to create a retro and a modern album at the same time. Some songs get it, some songs don't. I like the influence of old bands ... but sometimes it does not fit with the synthetizers or the wearisome string arrangements. Gessle's and Fredriksson's demos sound much better: the simplicity is broken.

LJdM

First time that I played with Roxette, I was very nervous; Marie started to sing “It Must Have Been Love” and than, after a few lyrics the song began. I was bass player and I had to sing a low key note, but I started to panic and I couldn't remember what key I was in so I hit the worst note ever in combination with what she was playing. It took a few weeks to regain confidence in me.

Christoffer Lundquist - AGM Studios

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (VII): ewing.1 promo-1

According to its web, ewing.1 has released its first EP, promo-1, recorded in March 1999.

After our first gig in Lund last January, we felt we were ready to record our first demotape. With our dear friend Matthias Oldén (from The Pang) behind the controls, we have recorded a four-track promo-CD, wich will make our existance known to the record companies all over Sweden. A lot of people loves the fresh and energetic sound of ewing.1.

After this, Jens Hellgren (electric guitar) has decided that he has too many things goin' on at this time, to dedicate himself full-time to ewing.1. So the search began for a new lead guitarist, and after several auditions we have found exactely what we were looking for in the extremely talented guitarist Mattias Jeppsson, who has gladely joined the band this April.

So this is ewing.1 now:

• Magnus Tingsek (from Sideshow Bob) - vocals, acoustic guitars, pedal steel.
• Helena Josefsson (from Plastic Soul) - vocals, tambourine
• Mårten Dahl (from The Pang) - bass guitar, harmony vocals
• Johan Svensson - drums
• Mattias Jeppsson - electric guitars

And these are the songs included in the first EP:

1. this spring (Tingsek/Josefsson)
2. mount yurway (Tingsek)
3. she devil (Tingsek)
4. back home (Tingsek)

LJdM

Nice days for P, C & C new team (VI): Brainpool's new album released today

These are the 12 songs of Brainpool’s new album “You Are Here” and the first single with the same title are in the Swedish shops today.

Tracklisting:

1 Penguin Rock (1:36)
2 Live-Transmission (3:59)
3 You Are Here (3:36)
4 God Bless Free Radio (2:58)
5 Here Comes The Weekend (4:36)
6 Walk On By (3:46)
7 Into The Crowd (2:59)
8 Intercity (3:49)
9 City Of Glass (3:45)
10 Saviour (4:40)
11 Cars (5:37)
12 Reason (1:07)

Brainpool’s bassist-singer Christoffer Lundquist appears on Roxette’s latest album and features as the producer of the album. Jens Jansson's drums were in The World According to Gessle too. David Birde is the lead singer in this new album by the band from Lund, Sweden.

Brainpool thanks Roxette in the booklet of “You Are Here” for “keeping them busy”.

But on the contrary to Roxette, Brainpool boasts in the booklet that “no sequencers, computers or samplers were used”.

By the way, Christoffer Lundquist will get married in May. Brainpool will have a Swedish promo tour, but it is supposed they won’t have any gigs before the beginning of June.

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (VI): ewing.1 and their music

The members of ewing.1 speak about music and influences.

Magnus Tingsek (vocals):

• His favourite albums are Comes a time (of Neil Young), After the goldrush (Neil Young), White album (The Beatles), Back to the egg (Wings), Frosting on the beater (The Posies) and Songs from northern Britain (Teenage fanclub). It all began in the town of Södra Sandby where me and my brother Anders got access to the cellar at the local library. Here we sang harmonies to Depeche Mode tunes and inhaled every Beatles recording they got get their hands on.

• Great music for him is something you can listen to no matter what. If you wanna party, go to sleep or just chill out. You must be able to locate a feeling that makes you all filled with happiness or sadness In a soulful way.

Helena Josefsson (vocals)

• “I have a lot of different influences even though I´ve understood it can be hard to hear them in the music! The Cure (fell in love with Robert Smith when I was a kid and I saw him in the "Close to me" video!) Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Marie Fredriksson, Monica Zetterlund, Björk, Kate Bush, Cranberries, Michael Jackson (fell in love with him too!), Mary J Blige, Otis Redding, Terence Trent D´arby, Nick Drake, Prince. The soundtracks of Astrid Lindgrens stories, and Peter and The Wolf by Prokofjev mean a great deal to me.

• “The music my mom played at home was a mix of Kate Bush, the '80s David Bowie, The Temptations, Enya, all the soul queens, Bruce [Springsteen] and a record that was on heavy rotation for 15 years was Jane Fonda's aerobics vinyl with everything from The Jacksons' 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' in a disco-soul version and Jane cheering on. It never gets old! I've always sung, if I am to describe my music it sounds like my maternal grandparents were Kate Bush and Michael Jackson, and my paternal grandparents were Madonna and Nick Drake!”

Mattias Jepsson (electric guitar)

• His favourite albums are Confrontation (Bob Marley), Kind of blue (Miles Daves), Bridge of sight (Robyn Trower), Bold as love (Jimi Hendrix), I centrum (Bo Kaspers Orkester), Droppen urholkar stenen (Peps Persson).

• Great music for him is when you can compare the music to a certain feeling and just flow to the rythm and feel great.

Marten Dahl (bass)

• His favourite albums are Songs in the key of love (Stevie Wonder), Grace (Jeff Buckley), Abbey Road (The Beatles), Charlie Mingus classical works (Charlie Mingus), Never Mind (Nirvana), Mrs. Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel). “I saw Sting play in Copenhagen -96 and that was almost too good to be true.”

• Great music for him is ... when a song can fill my mind and soul with great feelings no matter what.

Johan Svensson (drums)

• His favourite albums are Music for the masses (Depeche Mode), The bends (Radiohead), Nevermind (Nirvana), Songs of faith and devotion (Depeche Mode), Atomatic for the people (R.E.M), In the stone (Earth Wind and Fire)

• Great music for him is ... music that touches you in one way or another. Like beautiful music that makes your eyes wet. Music that has a life of it's own, without the pretentions of the songwriter shining through. Music that's sincere and truly natural. (I'm being dead-serious here!)

LJdM

Nice days for P, C & C new team (V): Roxette's Have a Nice Day finally released

The sixth full-length studio album by Roxette, Have a nice day, has been released today in all Europe and it is supposed to be released next month in Asia and next June in Canada. So it will be released nearly worldwide (excluding the USA). The first single, Wish I could fly, published last January, has been one of the bestselling singles ever by Roxette. Anyone and Stars could be next singles.

Roxette has promoted the first single with some playback performances of Wish I could fly:

• 1999/02/06 Tivolis Koncertsal, Dansk Grammy 1999, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1999/02/12 MTV3 Studios Pasila, Miss Finland 1999, Helsinki, Finland
• 1999/02/15 Kungliga Tennishallen, Grammisgalan 1999, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1999/02/20 Sporthalle, Bravo Supershow 1999, Cologne, Germany

In the CD we can read:

Special thanks to Brainpool for letting Christoffer Lundquist play with us. A super special thanks to: Clarence Öfwerman and Michael Ilbert who gave us their time and limitless homegrown talent.'

Clarence Öfwerman and Michael Ilbert feature as producers, mixers and programmers. Clarence also plays the piano and keyboards.

Christoffer Lundquist, from Brainpool, features as bass guitar and backing vocals.

This time, Christer Jansson (neither Mats Persson nor Jens Jansson) is the drummer and percussionist.

There are many songs with string arrangements, by Mats Holmquist and the SNYKO Orchestra.

Reading the booklet, we think the role of the new team (Per Gessle, Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist), that began to play together in The world according to Gessle, is improving.

Some songs are very influenced by the 60s sound from Brainpool and are a new chapter into the sound from Stupid, B-Anyone-You-Wanna-B and Wish you the best (all from TWATG album).

For example, in Anyone (one of the best songs from HAND), Clarence is the mixer, hammond organ and piano; Lundquist the bass guitar, backing vocals, six-string bass guitar, additional snare drums, zyther!!! and tambourines.

Perhaps You can't put your arms around what's already gone, with Per in leading vocals, could have been in the TWATG too.

Some fans say that in HAND the guitars have been crashed: Have a Nice Day is less guitar-based and more hi-tech. But the 60s Beatles air is also there if you forget the synthesizers.

LJdM

Nice days for P, C & C new team (IV): Clarence Öfwerman interviewed

Maria Gahm and Sofia Björk, from the Swedish newspaper Passagen, interviewed Clarence Öfwerman on 10th February. He talks about his life and about music.

Clarence Öfwerman was born 22th November 1959 in Malmö. Clarence's father was jazz musician and he grew up with jazz music (like Frank Zappa) but also listening to The Beatles amongst others. His father teached Clarence how to play piano since he was 7 years old, but it was her mother who educated him when his parents divorced. Clarence went to the local Music School and learned to play piano and guitar.

In the seventies, Öfwerman began playing in the band Andromeda (pop-folk fussion) and then in Uvertyr (synphonic rock). In Uvertyr Clarence played the piano and sang. Other members included: Bengt Lundberg (guitar and vocals), Mats Reiniusson (bass), Mats Ström (vocals) and Hans Alsing (drums). Clarence met Hans' brother, Pelle Alsing, drummer in Dan Hylander's group, Raj Montana Band. Between 1979 and 1984 Clarence played keyboards in Raj Montana Band.

In 1985 Clarence began playing in Passagerarna with Mats "Myrdal" Persson, Micke Jahn, Pelle Alsing and Tommy Cassemar. He also played in tour and in studios with Ulf Lundell, Ratata and Hansson de Wolfe united. In 1986, thanks to Kjell Andersson from EMI, Clarence (keyboards and producer), Tommy Cassemar (bass), Anne-Lie Rydé (backing vocals, from Raj Montana Band), Jonas Isacsson (guitars) and Pelle Alsing (drums) began playing with Roxette. Mats Myrdal would join them in some tours. Passagerarna also recorded in 1988 the song "Never say goodbye", composed by Clarence and Per Gessle.

Clarence says that his preferences are obviously now his wife and his one-year-old daughter. He is listening to music ... and child's shoes (he laughs). Clarence's interests include music, travel and good food (Italian, Japanese, ...).

LJdM

Helena Josefsson is a bandstarter too (V): ewing.1 - First gig in Lund

According to its web, ewing.1 , the new band from Lund, Sweden, has had in January its first gig.

This January 1999, we have got our first gig at the Palladium in Lund, Sweden, beloved hometown. We had then played together as a real band for approximately a month. This, our first gig, has drawn quite a crowd, and has been also a big success. We feel we are ready to record our first demotape.

Remember that ewing.1 are:

• Magnus Tingsek (from Sideshow Bob) - vocals, acoustic guitars, pedal steel.
• Helena Josefsson (from Plastic Soul) - vocals, tambourine
• Mårten Dahl (from The Pang) - bass guitar, harmony vocals
• Johan Svensson - drums
• Jens Hellgren (from Sideshow Bob) - electric guitar

LJdM

Nice days for P, C & C new team (III): Brainpool is here

According to The Daily Roxette, Brainpool has recently released their new single, “You Are Here”, on the Internet.

The new track is sung by Brainpool’s guitarist David Birde. Janne Kask, band’s former lead singer, left the band in the August 1997. He has just got his own solo album to the shops.

When Janne Kask left the band, the other band members were looking for a new lead singer for a while, but they soon gave up.

The band not only decided to stay together after Kask left, but they decided to change their style and their music. The new Brainpool is formed by Christoffer Lundquist (guitars), Jens Jansson (drums) and David Birde (vocals).

Brainpool was found by Per’s record company Jimmy Fun Music in the early 90’s. Brainpool’s bass guitar player Christoffer Lundquist plays also on Roxette’s new album.

LJdM

It didn't take long for us to realize that it would be impossible to let another person join. It would have to be the three of us, or split up. At first we thought about changing our name, but that turned out to be difficult - Sony Music had already paid for the recording of You Are Here and they wanted us to keep the name. We had to choose between ditching the recordings and lose our record deal or go on calling ourselves Brainpool. We cowardly chose the latter.

We have realized our audience is getting younger. We are 26, we were smelly and unshaven and drunk. There were 11 and 12 year old fans who wanted a hug, we have just thought it was so wrong, that's when we realized we had to do something else. It is time for our music to reach the level of maturity that we are at.

David Birde - Junk Musik

Nice days for P, C & C new team (II): Gessle's 40th birthday

To celebrate that Per Gessle turns 40 next Tuesday, 12 january 1999, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has started a special article series about his life called 'From 1 in maths to 1 in the USA', written by Tore Börjesson.

As it is said in the article, Per Gessle was the youngest of three brothers and sisters. He loved reading, painting - and not least - listening to music. His first record was The Kinks' 'Kontroversy', which he bought from his brother for SEK 5,-. That album can nowadays still be found in his record collection. It was the beginning of a lifelong passion: music.

According to Tore Börjesson, it was important for him to peak out, not to be one of the mass. So he painted his hair in weird colors, he dressed so it was noticed who he was. He was a little lonely child, more interested in his lists of hits than in hanging around with other kids. and he knew already then what he would become: a rockstar. He spent hour after hour learning to play guitar. But when he started grammar school, social sciences direction at Kattegattskolan in Halmstad, he didn't choose music, but painting and got the highest note, a five. He also got that for a scription that he made about David Bowie, his biggest hero. English was also one of his better items, but for the rest it was just average, threes for the most except for maths, where got a 1 in. Nobody then thought the he would 'get a 1' in the USA.

It was inevitable that Per in the end would start his own band. From the beginning they called themselves Grape Rock, but soon Gyllene Tider was the name that ruled. all started on a Friday night, 12 May 1978 at cinema Reflex, Getinge, Sweden. The first concert with his band Gyllene Tider attracted only 20 spectators to pay the entrance fee of SEK 10,-. Then EMI Sweden AB got its eyes on the pop band from Halland. At about the same moment Per met Marie Fredriksson for the first time because her band Strul shared a rehearsal room with Gyllene Tider.

Two years later, Per Gessle had become Sweden's hottest pop star and public hysterie around him had begun. Gyllene Tider's first album in 1980 became an enormous success. The year after were Micke Syd Andersson, Mats MP Persson, Per Gessle, Anders Herrlin and Göran Fritzson already megastars. The whole Gyllene Tider hysterie reached its top sin on Valpurgisnight 1981 when three people where trampledto death at a concert. In 1983 Gyllene Tider splitted up. Per tried out a solo career, but his more Lundell-inspired records sold not very well. When his career was going down Per met Åsa Nordin. and though he said it time after time that he was no family type, his son Gabriel Titus changed his life in 1997.

Neverending Love was the song that got him up out of the career depth. This duet with Marie Fredriksson became an enormous hit in Sweden in 1986. With the album Look Sharp! (1988) came the international breakthrough and soon Per had little further one of his dreams, to become one in the USA. 'The Look' showed off on no. 1 in April 1989. 'Listen To Your Heart' did it as a prestation. That list was continued with the massive hit 'It Must Have Been Love' in 1990. The 1991 album Joyride turned to be a worldwide success and got Roxette both a fourth no. 1 in the USA and a mass of Rockbjörnen awards. In 1993 Per married with Åsa Nordin in Västra Strö's church. In Sweden he and Marie were printed on stamps.

Per Gessle also anwered some questions to Aftonbladet. You can read Per Gessle's words below.

The first single of the new album, Have a nice day, will be Wish I could fly and it is now in the radios of almost all Europe, although it will be released on 1st February. This is the first Roxette's single since 1995.

LJdM

When I was a child I was quite lonely. I sat at home and wrote down the topscores in the TV puck and the handballhall Sweden. Then I started writing poems. I lived in my own world, but although that I was life-afraid, I decided to paint my hair and wear the highest platform shoes. I have never been a band human. Picasso is the biggest artist of the 20th century, He put everything else out of the game and made a strong impression on my interest in arts.

Gyllene Tider? We were five pimpy ugly idiots from Halmstads outsides who wanted to become Sweden's Kinks. But we couldn't play instruments. We laughed about Noise and Magnum Bonum and those that couldn't play. I got a paternitypurpose on my neck, completely idiot charges. But I never lived a Keith Moon-life. I also don't look like Keith Richards in my face. Probably he has had more fun than I. Drugs? I have never spit into the glass. But I'm a little too afraid to prove something else. I'm the type who wants to controll. Can be usefull in this business.

1984 85 was an extremely difficult year. I had to withdraw my creditcard and sell my guitars to pay the rent. Not a single idea what would have happened if Marie Fredriksson hadn't showed up and Roxette would not have been formed. Life exists of coincidences. But some way I would had got myself forward, I think.

Suddenly I realised i had missed something in my life. The important thing is that life has a meaning. On that day that you are tired and fulfilled, everything is lost. I'm on my way to that side and tired of the musicbusiness. I feel myself like Pete Sampras, exhausted and unmotivated. I have worked and toured with Roxette almost uninterrupted for seven years, from Look Sharp 1988 until 'Greatest Hits' 1995 and that was a hard pressure on me. Never a break, never time for reflection. I never could afford the luxury to sit down and enjoy what I did. I needed a change, had to get some new energy kick. Everything went over its limits... it was just about forgetting the rockstyle and nightlife. Suddenly I understood that I had missed something in my life. Since Gabriel is born I'm a completely different person. I have got my reward: a family. 'Changing diapers is an overestimated. But the Nobelprice for the one that invented the T-shaped diaper!

Roxette are heading for a new success period with their forthcoming album. This one is fabulous. Marie (Fredriksson) sings better than ever. We've signed a 10-year contract with EMI. We've got much left to offer. The songs on the new album are typical' Per Gessle-songs. Though more fresh. We have a modernised sound with a new adding in the production. It's filled with trash, strikes and other stuff. But since I'm still a pop beast, it will recognise even if our bagpipes would be seen.

We have written 40 songs, recorded 19 and 14 appear on the album. Five of them are strong single candidates. Which one you then choose to release first is always a try. My voice is a disaster. Though I must say I sing really well on the new album. I wouldn't mind to have the voice of John Lennon or Otis Redding.

Biggest Happenings in 40 years? That was when Kjell Anderson of EMI Sweden AB called to offer us a recording contract with Gyllene Tider in January 1979, exactly twenty years ago. Then has Roxette been one long-term project on its own. The best memory is when we played in front of 60,000 people at the football stadium in Saõ Paulo in 1992. And of course the day on which Gabriel was born. An extremely nice day.

Per Gessle