P, C & C back in the AGM office (IV): From Roxette to Mazarin, from Mazarin to Gyllene Tider

Roxette’s most recent single, “Opportunity Nox,” scored big in Germany. On 20th December, the song came in as #3 on the Jump Radio Charts of the Year. The station is generally considered to be the second largest in Germany. Also this weekend, on the biggest radio station of Germany, SWR3, “Opportunity Nox” also showed up as #3 on their year-end chart. It was on the charts for 12 weeks and made it to #1 nine times.

The third single off “Mazarin”, “Tycker om när du tar på mej”, was released on 10th December. Mazarin is still selling and the chart also confirms that “Mazarin” now has sold four times platinum (240,000 copies).

As widely expected, Aftonbladet published on 16th December that Gyllene Tider has indeed decided to tour Sweden next summer to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Members of the group met over the weekend to make the final decision.

According to The Daily Roxette, it is expected that the tour will be preceded by some new material, perhaps an entire new album. Per and MP Persson will start recording demos after Christmas. Some are already done, Per says in Aftonbladet, where he also answered some questions about the best of 2003.

LJdM

After all, 25 years are really quite a lot, and that has to be celebrated. It’ll be cool to bring Gyllene Tider into the 21st century, and I hope the Summer Swedes would like to join us in our celebration. One summer is enough for god’s sake! Gyllene Tider doesn’t exist anymore, we only put it together again for this project. We live under enormous expectations, but I think we can live up to them.

• Best CD: The Cardigans “Long Gone Before Daylight”. Should’ve been number 1 all over the world… why wasn’t it?
• Best song: Outkast “Hey Ya!” Although one’s getting tired of it now….
• Best concert: The Stones at the Cirkus. Can anyone beat this?
• Best retro: Polanski on DVD. Plus the fact that the 60s more and more seem like, believe it or not, UNDERESTIMATED….. art… literature… music… film….design…. cars…. clothes…. etc., etc., etc.!!!
• Worst: The Britney-Madonna single will probably not be historic. But if you mean something that isn’t really a “musical” experience one can mention that one gets terrified of that Michael Jackson district attorney…..help!
• Best pastry: Muffins are nice too.

Per Gessle

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

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

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

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

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

LJdM

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

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

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

LJdM

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

Per Gessle

Sandy Mouche EP (VII): Autumn 2003 Swedish Tour

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

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

* Sputnikfestivalen, Stockholm 2003 · 10 · 04

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Andreas Wiss

Picture by Andreas Wiss

* Barbacka, Kristianstad 2003 · 10 · 10

* Jane Wikström, Malmö 2003 · 10 · 11

Södra Vallgatan 3, 211 40

* Fridhem folkhögskola, Svalöv 2003 · 10 · 17

* Rookiefestivalen, Hultsfred 2003 · 11 · 01

* Gloria's, Lund 2003 · 11 · 06

St.Petrikyrkogata 9, Lund

* Alcazar, Nalen, Stockholm 2003 · 11 · 12

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

Picture by Christoffer Kjellberg

LJdM

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

Age: 45 years old

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

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

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

LJdM

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

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

Clarence Öfwerman

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

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

LJdM

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

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

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

Christoffer Lundquist
- Junk Musik

Mazarinerna is the band (VIII): Mazarinerna Fan Website

Fan page about Mazarinerna project

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mazarinerna is the band (VII): Mazarin International

Monday Sept. 8th the second single, “På promenad genom stan”, was released to the radio, and it has already entered the Rix FM’s chart “Topp 6 at 6”, at #5. Official release was Sept. 17.

After 11 weeks of being the solid #1 in Sweden, Per Gessle’s album “Mazarin” finally folds for Britain’s heavy metal band Iron Maiden on 12th September.

Due to the success in all Scandinavia, Per Gessle and Mazarinerna have also played in Norway and Finland.

• 23/09/2003 Rockefeller Oslo Norway
• 25/09/2003 Tavastia Helsinki Finland

Why Helsinki? Per says to The Daily Roxette that it felt empty when the tour ended - uncomplete. There were no more places to play in Sweden. “So we thought about Oslo, Helsinki and Copenhagen. Copenhagen didn’t work out, but the other two did.” He also mentions that it’s good for the press coverage and good for the local record company branches. “It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a big place or not. The important thing for me is to play. It will be a little bit like the release party gig [in Halmstad], only longer, and better,” Per adds, smiling.

Per calls this the “shortest world tour ever”. It started in Oslo on Tuesday and now ends in Helsinki. He feels wonderful, he says that if he’d known what kind of impact this album would have had, he may not even have dared recording it, at least not in the way he did record it. “People stop me in the streets just to tell me how much they love the album, it’s weird! And even one of the air hostesses told me she listens to the album everyday. It seems to mean so much to so many. I had no idea that people would be so touched by my thoughts!”

Gessle mentions that after the delightful problem of interlacing the release of “På promenad genom stan” with the previous single “Känslorna”, there will almost certainly be a third single. “’Tycker om’ is such a nice song, most people have that as a their favorite.", he adds.

TDR asked if there are left-overs from “Mazarin”. “Ummm, not really. There’s ’Mannen med gitarr’ which Monia Sjöström got, I have a demo of that. And then there’s this other song… I forget the title right now, but no, not really, a few maybe,” Per says thoughtfully.

“We are about to talk about Gyllene Tider’s 25th anniversary. We haven’t yet. What’s pro this is that it’s an anniversary that doesn’t come back and that it’s very good for me, time wise. I have nothing planned. What’s against this is that, for me, if it will happen then everybody must be very motivated. I mean, Göran [Fritzson, keyboards] doesn’t even play anymore. I don’t even know if he plays at all,” Per tells TDR. He continues: “It has to sound damn terrific, the attitude has to be right. The reason must not be that we want to go on the road again to cash in on our fans. If it’s so then maybe we shouldn’t bother, and do something else instead. It’s a lot about checking the mood among the guys. A follow-up question is: Will we release something new together with a possible tour? A single, an EP, an album? Who will record it? Things like that…” TDR asks how a hypothetical tour will look, an “Återtåget 2” for instance. “No I don’t think so, I don’t know really but maybe a shorter tour with bigger gigs? Maybe sell out the Gothenburg stadium, I mean if Robban [pianist Robert Wells] can do it, why couldn’t we,” Per grins. “What’s the bottom line, it has to be good. But it feels good, the five of us haven’t met in a long time, but the good vibes are in the air!”

LJdM

Mazarinerna is the band (VI): Per Gessle’s pop favorites

In this month’s Premiär magazine (a free magazine) Per gives us the recipe for a perfect pop CD. Many of these songs were featured on the pre-show CDs that were played before the “Sommar-Mazarin” concerts. As you may know it’s usually Per who compiles Roxette’s, Gyllene Tider’s and now his own pre-show CDs. Per does this “…with a few bottles of wine and a stack of CDs…”, according to himself.

• 1. Balloon Farm - A Question of Temperature
• 2. Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy in New York
• 3. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - American Girl
• 4. Brainpool - Bandstarter
• 5. REM - The One I Love
• 6. The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love…
• 7. The Who - Dogs
• 8. Lindsay Buckingham - Trouble
• 9. The Beatles - Cry Baby Cry
• 10. The Troggs - Love is All Around
• 11. Bernt Staf - Familjelycka
• 12. Docent Död - Solglasögon
• 13. Blondie - Hanging on the Telephone
• 14. Ramones - Sheena is a Punk Rocker
• 15. T.Rex - Metal Guru
• 16. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole - Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World
• 17. Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
• 18. Joni Mitchell - Rainy Night House
• 19. ABBA - S.O.S.
• 20. Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man
• 21. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset

Many classics and some new songs. Per also spoke at Finnish TV2 on 4th August about music. Read it below.

LJdM

I don't have any gold records or MTV awards at home. I don't want to get stuck with the past. I want to look forward. It's hard to make good songs, but it helps to love your work. Marie and I love Roxette and the music we make. But it doesn't come easy: I write maybe one good song and fifty bad ones a month. It's hard for me to listen to Top 40 music, the same music I write myself. Start to think about it too technically, like 'this singing is too anemic', 'this echo is strange'. At home I often listen to jazz. John Coltrane, Norah Jones. And I love Alison Krauss' country music. I would love to make film music. There's an almost instrumental song on the new album that would make good film score. People have asked me to write a musical, but I won't. I hate musicals!

Per Gessle

Mazarinerna is the band (V): Mazarin Swedish Summer Tour

The tour was fantastic, but all too short. I hope there will be a follow-up. One of the highlights was the mid-August concert in Stockholm. Over 17,000 wonderful people showed up. Playing in Stockholm has always been tough for a country boy like me, but eventually it was an excellent concert.

Per Gessle

The Mazarin Swedish Summer Tour has finished. Thanks to the fans and The Daily Roxette, we could see some of the pictures and stories about it.

• 29/07/2003 Brottet Halmstad 13,000 spectators.

• 30/07/2003 Sofiero slott Helsingborg 12,000

• 01/08/2003 Boulognersskogen Skövde 8,000

• 02/08/2003 Rockslottet Finspång 8,000

• 03/08/2003 Fästningsrundan Varberg 12,000

• 05/08/2003 Molleplatsen Malmö 10,000

• 06/08/2003 Slottsskogsvallen Gothenburg 22,000

• 08/08/2003 Kalmarsundsparken Kalmar 9,000

• 09/08/2003 Rådhusparken Jönköping 7,000

• 10/08/2003 Sparregården Karlskrona 7,000

• 12/08/2003 Sjöhistoriska muséet Stockholm 17,000

• 14/08/2003 Park Arena Sundsvall 6,000

• 15/08/2003 Sammilsdal Leksand 9,000

• 16/08/2003 Mariebergsskogen Karlstad 7,000

• 17/08/2003 Sundbyholms slott Eskilstuna 10,000

We all hope to see this great band together very soon.

LJdM

This is my first real tour, so everything is new and really exciting. The guys in the band has given me lots of tips on how to pack and things like that. I hope I could learn many things in this tour for the future tours of Sandy Mouche.

Helena Josefsson - H.J.