28 Mar 2008

2008 World According to P, C & C (IV): Florian Horwath, You Got Me Wrong - PG finds another demo - Will HJ be in the Roxette band in the future?

2008.03 Florian Horwath 1

Per Gessle is working in 2008 version of TWATG. Meanwhile, Chris Lundquist and "the junkies" are not bored.

Florian Horwath, the "German Cat Stevens" (although he is not German and he is no cat), began recording his new album in November 2006 in the AGM studio with a great band.

  • Florian Horwath - vocals
  • Jens Jansson ("Mom") - drums
  • David Birde ("Dad") - guitar
  • Magnus Sveningsson ("Righteous Boy") - bass
  • Peter von Poehl - guitar
  • Christoffer Lundquist ("Chris") - ? ... what's needed
Finally, the record is ready. The track Baby You Got Me Wrong with Nina Persson (The Cardigans, A camp) will be digitally released on March 28. You can listen to it in Florian Horwath Myspace. The brand new video is now online in the "Video" Section of Florian Horwath Website. It was shot during the recording session of the duet in Sweden in January.




Jeezus - no order in the bedroom! This morning I found a very early demo of "Wish you the best" called "Drum", which we just have to use on new The world according to Gessle-release!!! So… WYTB is left out in the cold… the album release is set for early May. That's the most recent whisper in the EMI corridors…

You should know it by now but… movies are in my blood! There's a brand new track of mine included in the brand new excellent (trust me, I've seen it!!!) Swedish movie LÅT DEN RÄTTE KOMMA IN [Let Me In], based on the book of the same name. Opening in the autumn but it has already won 2 heavy awards. My song is called KVAR I MIN BIL [Left in My Car] and is featured 3 times in the movie (including a short whistling version…). It was recorded during the En händig man-sessions and is a somewhat bluesy ditty with a great snappy guitar-hook. And it's under 3 minutes!
Per Gessle




One of the most popular topics in The Daily Roxette this week has this title: Will Helena Joseffsson be in the Roxette band in the future? You can read it here.

Emil from Bulgaria thinks that "her way of singing is not good for powerful Roxette songs." Mariana “Txiqui” Gumuzio, from Spain, "don’t think Helena’s voice fits Roxette songs at all. I can’t imagine her voice beside Maries voice. I guess that if they both sing together we wouldn’t be able to listen to Helena’s voice clearly 'cos Marie’s voice is so much stronger and poweful that wouldn’t let Helenas voice come out".

According to Jorge Ojeda (a fan from Argentina), "We‘re disscussing if Helena is the best person to make the backing vocals in the Roxette band in the future!! (maybe for a little tour?) Nobody said that she´s going to replace Marie in Roxette! Maybe they should call to Vicky Benckert again, in my opinion, she was the best in backing vacals for The Roxette band... ever".

Auryte Cekuolyte, from Lithuania, "would really like to see Vicky back with Roxette! She’s great :) I agree with those who said that Helena’s voice doesn’t fit Roxette songs. She is really good in singing all those “nanana’s” and hmm hmm hmm’s” in the background. Roxette songs demand more power :) And I doubt that Marie’s and Helena’s voices would make a good match."

Regn ask himself: "Why not? It’s a fact that Rox songs MUST change to fit Marie’s nowdays voice, the labor of a backing vocal is Help and Helena did well on Gessle’s solo proyect... Anyway I think the best backing vocals on Roxette were made by Mia Lindgren on LS! Tour."

The moderator Judith Seuma thinks that "Helena should concentrate in her solo stuff".

LJdM also found some very irritating comments there. Some people simply say: "Hopefully not". Keti from Georgia says that "Helena can sing alone, unless she would always stand under Maries shadow". Taschi considers that "Helena does not deserve to sing backing vocals or anything else for Roxette. To be honest, I do not like her very much. I also do not know what’s Per liking at her at all... Possibly he just wanted a complete opposite of Marie for his albums. She is simply the worst I ever heard... But what shall we discuss here, Per rules and he decides... Please call Vicky again!!!!". FGOTM wants "no Helena in Roxette!!!Rox songs would sound ridiculous with her. I think Gessle is clever enough not to allow this. Save her voice for Gessle’s solo projects, though what he has found in her voice is a mystery to me. Glad I’m not the only one. Bringing back Vicki would be great idea indeed, she is simply superb."

7-Twenty-7 asks: "Has anybody noticed Vicki’s voice? She did some backing vocals for songs included on ’Joyride’ and ’Tourism’, but I never managed to hear her voice. Even in the live recordings, she’s not noticeable. I don’t really miss her... Some Roxette songs (like ’One Wish’ or ’Make Me Head Go Pop’) sound ridiculous, even if Helena was not involved. No need to blame her, Roxette can be ridiculous by themselves when they want, with no ’help’ from the outside."

Jiri Vlcek (aka abysmo, from Czech Republic) says: "Helena is completely different singer than Marie, every attemps to arrange her into Roxette as a singer must failed because everybody will compare her with Marie. Roxette is Per’ s music and Marie’ s voice. I’ m sure that Per have the same attitude. I like Helena’ s sweet voice, but not as a part of Roxette music. This will be same like replacing Per with Mikael. As I said, I like Helena and Mikael Bolyos, but H. on SOAP and Dynamo and M. on A Familly Affair or Marie’ s solo albums."

We can also read the comments by some active Helena Josefsson's fans (Alberto, Rachel and Ángela)

LJdM

Comments by fans:

IMHO, Roxette are Per + Marie. I don’t need Helena’s voice in Roxette (although I love it). I am a big fan of Helena and I like her work in her solo album (Dynamo), with her band Sandy Mouche and with Son of a Plumber (SOAP). But I think Gessle is not thinking about a “Roxette project” that could include Helena. SOAP is a very different project.

Btw, Helena is recording her second solo album and a new album of Sandy Mouche: obviously she is not thinking about being the substitute of Marie at all. Why should we write about this silly idea?

Everytime Helena is brought into conversation in TDR or R2R forums, some people speak about an unreal war (“Marie versus Helena” or “Helena versus Marie”??) using disproportionate words. Yes, I am too susceptible. Helena has worked with Magnus Sveningsson (Righteous Boy) and nobody thinks she is going to replace Nina Persson in The Cardigans. I will try to answer the question.

Helena as backgroundsinger of Roxette? She has worked with The Ark, Righteous Boy, Gyllene Tider, Andreas Johnson, Doug Wyatt, Justin Winokur, Junior Senior, Swan Lee ... Helena’s voice can fit different bands and very different styles. But she is now concentrated in her solo stuff, in Sandy Mouche and in Son of a Plumber.

And although I am a fan of Helena, I agree: Marie and Vicki Benckert could make a better match into a “Rox Pop Hit” but Marie and Helena’s voice would match better into a “Rox Ballad Hit”. By the way, you’d have to find Vicki (where is she?)





I’d love it if she did wind up in the touring band, it’d be a test of people’s so-called devotion. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s not her you’d be paying to see, is it? I don’t know if she’d ruin Rox songs by backing. There is only one way of finding out though...

Rachel (aka whateveriam), from Norfolk, U.K.
The_cute_suit - La conasse


Wooooowo!!!! The Helena anti-fanclub is back again!!!!! Any excuse is good for some people to atack her. And no, I don’t see Helena doing back vocals for Roxette or for any other band on tour. I agree 100% with Judith. She should concentrate in her solo career or in Sandy Mouche and give more good music for those who can appreciate it. For those who cannot.... you’ll miss it!!! :p

P.S. Lantartida, take it easy man, you know this is quite useless :)

23 Mar 2008

Helena is recording her second solo album (IV): birthday and interview in Sydsvenskan

A new interview is published today in Sydsvenskan, it's a really nice one and it seems to be in honour of her birthday. You can read it here: Sydsvenskan- Helena Josefsson's article (in Swedish)

Lars Brundin took some photos for this article: IBL - Helena Josefsson Press Photos by Lars Brundin

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


2008.03 Lars Brundin Photos



In the interview, Helena speaks to
Åsa Hagenblad about herself. Helena was born in Kalmar and lived one year in Öland, an island in the Baltic Sea. Then she moved to Malmö, Gröndal (South Stockholm) and back to Skäne (in Kulladal). Helena lived with her mother and sisters in a small village, Björnstorp, near Lund. She's got four sisters: Charlotta, Sofia, Hanna and Carolina.

Systrarna Josefsson:
Carolina ('Cina'), Hanna, Sofia ('Fia'), Helena ('Hella') and Charlotta ('Lotta')

Helena studied at Katedralskolan in Lund. She went to dance, piano and choral lessons. In High School, she used to play in 5 different bands and dance 5 days a week. During a choral competition in Italy, she she met Martin Nilsson, a boy from the small locality of Löddeköpinge who also studied at Katedralskolan. They married in 2003 and lived together in Kobjer, Lund. Martin is a graphic designer at an advertising agency. Helena has been working in a clothes shop in Triangeln, a big shopping centre in Malmö, but stopped working recently to record her second album. In August 2007, the couple moved to an rented apartment close to Malmö's Folkets Park.

Helena's hobbies are theater, yoga, watching films and dancing flamenco. She will be 30 yo on Sunday and will celebrate it with her family (and next weekend with friends).

Helena is supposed to release a new single in June and finish a full album in August. She has written 24 new songs, mainly sad songs according to her own words. What will it sound like? Less instruments and more voice, says Helena.

LJdM


Happy birthday 30

Comments by fans:
Well, our favorite singer from Skåne is turning 30 today, and although I have no idea if she actually visits the forum, I thought we could wish her a happy birthday.

Helena, I hope you have a great birthday, and may you enjoy many more surrounded by your wonderful music and the magic it evokes. Many congratulations and happy wishes from your fans in Latin America! Grattis Födelsedagen!



GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN! Hoppas du får en jäääättebra dag. :)




Dear Helena!! Happy BirthDay!!!!! Wish you strong health and good luck ion everything you do! For all the flowers of the world blossom for you on this bright and shining day!! All the kind regards, from Israel..)

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


Jag ha
r redan sagt/skrivit grattis till henne, lite tidigare:P men, GRATTIS TILL HENNE IGEN! :D




GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN!

Have a wonderful day Helena ;)



Happy birthday! :-) I hope you have a great day, all the best! Hugs,


Kära Helena!
Jag gratulerar dig på din födelsedag! Mer blommor, mer lycka, mer kärlek – allt för dig! Hoppas att lyssna din nya skiva på Svenska och att traffas i Malmö snart!


Hon e så söt, grattis till henne =)



Idag åkte vi hem till Helena på 30-årskalas:D väldigt mysigt.


Happy Birthday and a lot of inspirations for your music. A big big hug from Berlin.
Yours dom


Aw, hon börjar bli stor :')




Happy birthday, Helena! Thank you for the marvelous world of magic feelings you include in all your songs.Best wishes from Spain!



Hej Prinsessan! Visste det ju innan,men din mamma påminde mig i går om din födelsedag,så: GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN

Må all världens lycka regna över dig! Kramisar


Happy Birthday Helena. I hope you had a great day.
Big hugs from Wales XX



GRATULERAR :)



En dag för sent men inte mindre menad; Grattis på födelsedagen snälla söta Helena!!! Hoppas du hade en jättebra dag igår & att det blir en riktigt fin fest nästa helgen! :D Kramar från Holland!


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


En fågel viskade i mitt öra att Helena Josefsson fyller hela 30 år idag.
GRATTIS, GRATTIS!

Terese Alwinder (aka Torras), from Uppsala, SE
- gessle.blogg.se


Helena for President? I would suggest a queen, heh. Sounds more romantic - and also, in her case, more realistic, hehe :)))

Anna Jiřičková (aka dakisek), Czech Rep.


Hej Helena, a little late, but happy b-day, how does it feel to turn **? Not looking forward to it myself :) Cyaz,


Ann de Vos (a.k.a. spyboo),
from Kapellen, Belgium

I want to send you a big hug! Thank you for remembering my birthday! It feels great to be an adult. Now I know even more that it is up to me how childish I want to be! I hope you also get great birthdays, I wish I knew when they are but I congratulate you in advance now :o)

19 Mar 2008

2008 World According to P, C & C (III): Junk Musik web, deleted? - The World gets updated

In the spring of 2005, a new records company was created in Sweden. The members of the project were well-known by LJdM: Christoffer Lundquist, David Birde, Jens Jansson (Brainpool), Magnus Börjeson and Anders Mildner (Beagle). Junk Musik released digital music for 2 years with at least some success. We also enjoyed the blog of Anders (with some articles from the others).

Exactly one year ago (on March 19th, 2007), Anders Mildner gave up the blog and the company. Le Journal des Mouches decided to compilate many articles from this marvelous blog. One year later, the blog and almost all the Junk Musik website have been deleted.

What about Brainpool? Metro Jets? Mom & Dad? AGM? We have no news about the "Junkies" but we missed them every day.

Meanwhile, Per Gessle has been working in the new edition of The World according to Gessle, the first album with the P, C & C team (Per, Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist. Read about it.


Just came home from a swell mastering afternoon at Cutting Room. To my surprise EMI have managed to locate the rejected Battery studios-mixes, made by Michael Ilbert in London in December 1996. Can hardly remember this…. but… I recall that Michael was very ill with a bad stomach throughout the week and I thought the studio was way too far away from my hotel in the posh areas so I didn't pay attention that much….. anyway… as you might know we only used the "There is my baby"-mix on the record. However, listening to the Battery mixes today both Clarence and I found them superior to the Mono Studio-mixes (made in January 1997) that we did use on the album… so…. we decided to change for this re-release. Which means you'll get "new" mixes on three tracks; "Elvis in Germany", "I'll be alright" & "T-t-t-take it!". Surprise.

This is the story about my record-companies:

I have two publishing companies: JIMMY FUN MUSIC & HIP HAPPY. SHOCK THE MUSIC is a publishing company owned by Marie Fredriksson.

INHOUSE MUSIC was EMI Sweden’s publishing company, nowadays it is merged into the big balloon called EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING.

MUSIC FOR MONEY has never been a publishing company (a publishing company owns the rights to the songs, not to the actual recordings!!!). MUSIC FOR MONEY has changed name and become ELEVATOR ENTERTAINMENT and owns for instance the master tapes (the recordings) of Mazarin and Finn 5 fel! and Son of a Plumber and The World According to... and En händig man and Helena Josefsson’s first solo album etc. etc. EMI has licensed these rights to be able to release the records officially.

GESSLE MUSIC was a publishing company but it doesn’t exist any more. All these songs (for instance Gå & fiska!) are nowadays published by JIMMY FUN.

ROXETTE RECORDINGS, owned jointly by Marie & myself, is a company who controls the rights to Roxette’s master tapes & recordings. EMI (and other record companies) license these rights to release the records and downloads.

FUNDAMENTAL couldn’t be called FUNDAMENTAL because there’s an English record company called just that (I wasn’t aware of this in time for printing the sleeve or creating the sperm logo...). FUNDAMENTAL became GESSLE RECORDS which doesn’t exist anymore. Nowadays these rights belong to ELEVATOR.

ROXETTE PRODUCTIONS is responsible for tours, merchandise etc.

HAPPY ACCIDENT was another publishing company (R.I.P.). Its catalogue is now controlled by the ever glowing JIMMY FUN.
TOM BONE is a publishing company partly owned by me. TB works with other artists, The Sounds etc and is run by small town genius Lars Ewald. Check out their thrilling website.

That’s the deal.

Another day, another record!

Spent the afternoon, sipping coffee and eating English muffins at Cutting Room meanwhile mastering the demo-CD. What does it sound like, someone asked on the bus? Well, it sounds like… hmmm… like a demo-CD!

We’ve managed to squeeze in three additional tracks so now the entire album can be enjoyed in its early glory! This is the final running order:

The Demos according to Gessle

1. There is my baby (June 27, 1994)
2. I’ll be alright (July 16, 1994)
3. June afternoon (July 17, 1994)
4. Writer (July 17, 1994)
5. T-t-t-take it! (Sep 12, 1994)
6. Elvis in Germany (Nov 2, 1994)
7. Every day outside my window (Dec 28, 1995)
8. Love doesn’t live here (Feb 25, 1996)
9. Detective Jones (Feb 29, 1996)
10. Beautiful things, terrible things (Apr 7, 1996)
11. Elvis in Deutschland (Apr 26, 1996)
12. Makin’ love to you (acoustic version) (June 9, 1996)
13. Lay down your arms (June 23, 1996)
14. Do you wanna be my baby? (Aug 12, 1996)
15. B-Any-1-U-Wanna-B (Oct 24, 1996)
16. Stupid (Oct 28, 1996)
17. Saturday (Nov 2, 1996)
18. Wish you the best (Nov 3, 1996)
19. I want you to know (Dec 28, 1996)
20. Kix (Jan 2, 1997)

Cheers, P.

Update: technical issues (the damn record is too long!!!) we have had to delete the kix (lovely pair remix) from the cd… shit happens. you'll have to do the twist to reporter instead!

Per Gessle

8 Mar 2008

Helena is recording her second solo album (III): castañuelas in Jerez


I landed in Madrid and then I flew to Jerez
to the Flamenco Festival!


Belén Cabanes - Castañuelas


There I got to try castaniolas ("castañuelas")
and the teacher Belen Cabanes was wonderful!

Belén Cabanes (flamenco teacher)


Helena Josefsson (Sandy Mouche)


Hej Helena!! So you've been in my hometown Jerez at the flamenco festival, amazing!!, its not usual to find someone who knows where jerez is!!..... i'm not much into flamenco, maybe because i'm fed up of it, its everywhere here, but I hope you had a great time here.

I can't feel my feet right now, I've been dancing flamenco the whole day. I've just arrived from our litle famous FERIA, if you like flamenco i'm sure you will love our feria. I'm sorry for my bad English but I'm a bit drunk I wont deny it, I has been a great surpise to see that Swedes now that Jerez exists!!, well we do have great wine and nice horses but we do not usually see foreign people talking about our small city as they do all go to visit Sevilla or Cádiz instead of coming here.

I hope to see you sometime in the future dancing and joining all of us in any of our special weeks (Feria del caballo).
Take care .

Pilar from Jerez, Spain (May 4th, 2008)