An unofficial box of news about the singer / songwriter Helena Josefsson, her work with Sandy Mouche and Per Gessle's Solo Band ... and other related projects
(Between 1997 and 2010) - by a fan.
If you need further information, go to the official websites
Helena Josefsson in Malmö - Picture by Sofia Josefsson, June 2009
I am not sure what the other Sandy Mouche band members do now, but myself I am having a vacation with my boys visiting cottages, combined with preparing music videos that I will do with the help from my friends. The first one I will do with my friend Cilihili (Cecilia Nordlund) whose music you can find on the internet, by the way. And I am preparing a show together with another friend, Malin Nilsson. Just trying to have fun in other words!
Unfortunately I have to finish the work with the videos and release of my soloalbum before I can move into the new Sandy Mouche album. I wasn´t prepared of that much more creative work with my solo album. It is great fun but I can´t do it at the same time as Sandy Mouche, because I want to use all of my capacity when doing something like that. So I just hope and pray that the Sandy Mouche guys will wait for me.
Helena Josefsson in Malmö - Picture by Sofia Josefsson, June 2009
According to Helena Josefsson's words, there is no clear near future for Sandy Mouche. Meanwhile, Per Blomgren, the drummer of Sandy Mouche, has recorded a new Swedish EP in his own garage studio of Malmö. You can listen to it in myspace: Per Blomgren's myspace
Per Blomgren - Slätten (EP) 1. 190 (2:21) 2. Precis som nu ... (3:19) 3. Falla leva (3:15) 4. Vikten av ett liv (3:12) 5. Ge mig mod (4:09)
Hej Just nu lyssnar ni på Slätten, en EP som jag skrivit och spelat in under våren 2009. mvh Per Hi! You are listening to Slätten, an EP that I produced and played during the spring 2009.
According to Sydsvenskan’s article and web report, Christoffer Lundqvist, the man behind Per Gessle’s latest albums, is currently working on a new CD with Östra Torns Montessoriförskola kindergarten’s children’s choir from Lund in Scania, Sweden. All lyrics were written by children themselves and the album will be released just before Christmas. All profits will be transferred to help “Sponsor a child” organisation in Peru. By the way, the Swedish rapper Timbuktu was born and raised in Östra Torn, the eastern district in the town of Lund.
Per Gessle's latest solo album "Party Crasher" finally sees the light of day in the UK today. The UK edition will be the standard 12 track album. However, it would appear that the album is not being sold in shops. As far as The Daily Roxette has heard you can only order from online sites.
Per Gessle has revealed on Twitter that his forthcoming live album will be titled "Gessle Over Europe," resembling Paul McCartney's tour name from 1972, "Wings Over America." There are "no further comparisons," says Per in his tweet. Per's live album will be released as a double-LP as well as a CD included with the DVD. Per seems to be very excited about it. "I received the album masters the other day and they sound terrific" Per says.
Per has also written on Twitter that the live recordings included on the album are from Cologne, London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Stockholm (day 2), Warsaw, Halmstad and Munich concerts. The LP will contain three, possibly four, bonus tracks, while the DVD will contain the full Stockholm #1 concert. EMI is working full time to get the material done before the vacations start and Per mentions the albums preliminary will be released early September.
UIT Magazine, a local Dutch lifestyle and entertainment magazine publishes an exclusive interview with Roxette in their June issue. The full page article deals with Roxette’s comeback and performance as headliner at the Night of the Proms concert later this year. Marie mentions that during the Christmas tour in Sweden she discovered she felt great again on stage. She loved being on stage again and decided it was time to continue with Roxette. Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist will play again with the band. It seems Helena Josefsson won't be with them this time.
Per and Marie are reuniting and will perform again as Roxette in Latva this summer. The duo is set to perform for the opening of New Wave 2009 on July 28 in Jurmala. Sirius XM has put up two videos with Per Gessle being interviewed on Nordic Rox on YouTube. One where he talks about the Roxette reunion and one where he talks about the concert with Marie Fredriksson in Amsterdam.
When Marie indicated she was completely ready, we could start talking about a reunion. A lot has happened in seven years; we both have changed. Roxette used to be a part of the music industry, trying to be successful. That’s not our goal anymore, we now focus on the things that satisfy us. We will enter the studio this summer. We will not record an entire album, but we will release something new. I hope we can release this to the public before the end of the year. Btw, I have been in NYC in May. Found some great 80's shoes!! And bought a donut and a hat! And "In search of the lost chord" on vinyl. Moody Blues, anyone?
June 15: I love the nu Jonas Akerlund-video. Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi. www.raf.se is where it’s at. Don’t know what’s happening but I like the song too. And “Goin’ back”, by The Byrds.
June 14:Sunshine on the westcoast! BBQ and old Jethro Tull. The Sounds new album sounds very good.
June 13:Saturday in the park. Chicago. Ha ha ha ha ……
June 12: Playing “Hold me” from Russell Smith’s first solo album (on vinyl!!!). Produced by Barry Beckett & Co. Brilliant! Barry Beckett dies. Such a shame. Extraordinary musician. Muscle Shoals. Check out, f i, Paul Simon’s There goes rhymin’ Simon. A treat. The Friday Take-Off: Believe I’ve found/Soundtrack Of Our Lives. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Reading a most fab book: “Bob Dylan – The songs he didn’t write”. About the covers he’s recorded & performed. A thrill.
June 11: Can’thelpbutthinkin that Basse Wickman’s Son of Cathy’s Clown is the best Swedish single ever! Such a great voice (nevermindtheKnopflergtr) Anders F. Rönnblom “Jag kysste henne våldsamt”. Pump up the volume!!!!
June 10: “Walking out on love” Paul Collins’ Beat + “Supersonic” Oasis. It’s one of those mornings…
June 9: Just like a woman. Bob Dylan. Live 1966 Royal Albert Hall. Some of the most beautiful music ever made.
June 8: Song of the afternoon: Harley-Davidson, sung with love & affection by Brigitte B. Cry baby cry from The White Album. I never quite got over the fact that the Beatles broke up.
June 7:Never gonna give you up – Rick Astley. The 80’s are underrated!
June 6:BOHEMIAN LIKE YOU The Dandy Warhols. Should be played every Saturday morning!
June 5: “Dizzy” Tommy Roe. Makes you wanna dance with the cornflakes.
June 4: Just came back from Sthlm Stadion. Bruce sounded terrific, he even played Who’ll stop the rain but Gabriel & me were freezing our asses off! “Feel like makin’ love”. Roberta Flack. Awesome.
June 3: Someone is playing “Broken down angel” by Nazareth. Haven’t heard that one for years. Must be this crazy neighbourhood…. Ain’t it strange/Patti Smith Group. Fantastic. Can you believe Gyllene Tider played this -78? I made a Swedish translation. And we played John Cale’s “Helen of Troy”. “Flicka av guld” was the Swedish title if I remember it right… Got it on cassette somewhere..
June 2: “Snow angel” by Ron Sexsmith. Just what we need for summer!
June 1: Peter Bruntnell’s version of “Waterloo sunset”. Just dandy!
May 31: Additonal suggestion: Whatever happened to my rock’n roll. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Makes you wake up. Mothers’ Day. Song of the day: Take your mama for a ride. Lulu. 1976. Swell.
May 30: “Dreams are ten a penny” by Kincade. Great production, great song!
May 29: I just listened to Washington County by Arlo Guthrie. i loved that album as a kid, it still sounds like I remember it. Great sleeve too! Almost song of the day: Dick Mixon’s wonderful remix of “Silly really”. He’s so talented, folks, you wouldn’t believe it! “Everybody’s got to learn sometime” by the Korgis. Beautiful.
May 28: Bo Diddley on the iPod. Oh yea. Forgot about how overwhelming and ass-kicking Bowies’ Ziggy Stardust is! Oh man, play it again, please!
May 27: More Steve M! Check this out & get blown away: http://bit.ly/10KsPJ OUTSTANDING!!!!
May 26: No, haven’t seen Madonna since Paris 200?. However, got tcts to the Gbg show! She was at our gig at the Beacon, NYC 1992!
May 25: Checking out Small Faces on youtube. “Tin soldier” is on my Top 10 best-song- ever-list. There will never be another Steve Marriott!! Mama said by Nick Lowe is from “E.P.” Pretty hard to find these days. Good luck with it. B-fast in the sun, Josh Rouse & Little Richard on the iPod, great Indy race last nite. Awopbopaloo.
May 22: Meetings are up. Headin’ for New Jersey and Springsteen’s hometown-show. Sean Penn in the hotel lobby. We all love him. Brooze in New Jersey last nite was a mesmerizing experience. I like Radio Nowhere for some reason. The crowd was the best I’ve seen. I like Brooze when he’s showing off his pop side. Cover me, Hungry heart, Wauting on a sunny day, I don’t like Rosalita & Jungleland. Sorry.
May 17: Someone next door is playing Dr Hook’s version of “Only sixteen”. What a great idea!!! Xllent choice of music, Gabriel! Kim Fowley’s behind B. Bumble & Co! Kool kat indeed! Keith Urban on the iPod? I met him in the gym at the Bev Hills Hotel a couple of weeks ago. Nice guy, b-ful wife!
About the Roxette recordings, I don´t know but I do not believe I will participate there. But it was a great moment to sing with Marie Fredriksson in the live situation during the Party Crasher Tour. Actually, the most stunning thing was to witness the love from the audience, amazing. I took my earplugs out when she entered stage so I could hear it well! It was kind of scary to enter the stage after her performance to sing "Hey Mr Dj", and the band was hesitating backstage, just before, wondering if we should do it. But I just felt like, it is a wonderful song so why not? And I think it went well even though it could be a great down fall to enter after a living miracle like she is, Marie getting well from such a serious condition, being able to sing again.
Martin says hi to you and we wish you a lovely summer!!!
stockfinster is the artistic name of Sebastian Borg (a.k.a. Batti), a producer from Malmö, Sweden. He writes, plays, arranges and mixes everything, sometimes with a little help from his musical friends. Batti was the co-owner of the recording studio Gula Studion in Malmö, but it seems he has gave up the Studio in the last months.
stockfinster unofficially uploaded his first works, Red wood (June 2004) and Sunset (2005), in Bandcamp.com, including some tracks with his friend Helena Josefsson's vocals. He also released his debut album, All becomes music (October, 2005), in Sutemos, an On-line label from Lithuania. After four years of silence, Sebastian has uploaded today his new work, Car Crash, in Bandcamp.com. The album includes eight songs:
This is what Sebastian Borg himself tells about these songs:
"01. 'A crack in time' (from "All becomes music", 2005)
02. In 'Think again' the pad that starts off this track was something I came up with while working on something completely different. The drum loop was created in Fruity Loops – a program I only used for a short while. It is still one of my favourite drum loops. The trumpet is played by Petter Lindgård, an experienced session musician. He actually laid down this trumpet for an old track called ”Homesick” – that originates from the days when stockfinster was still a band – but his part fit perfectly here as well.
03. 'Duel' (from "All becomes music", 2005).
04. In 'Insekt', I came up with this idea when I was working on something completely different and I happened to distort the main output from the soundcard, making the drum loop rather nasty. I nicked the voice sample from a tv show about a couple of girls who were assaulted and raped in their house by a gang. It is a true story, which makes the track even scarier.
05. 'Bystander' (from "All becomes music", 2005).
06. 'All becomes music' (from "All becomes music", 2005).
07. 'Heavy feathers' is probably the only track ever that will feature me on vocals. I do have a lot of acoustic material that I intend to release someday. Some of it is instrumental and some of it is not. I did a version of this track with a melodica part. Ola Strandh – my mastering guy – hated it and convinced me to leave it out.
08. 'In transit' (from "All becomes music", 2005).
Most of recordings were made between 2003 and 2005 in Gula Studion. Helena Josefsson's voice features in track 06, "All becomes music", that was released four years ago with a video.
Marie Fredriksson, as in Amsterdam, sang "It Must Have Been Love" and "The Look" together with Per and the band. According to TDR, the noise when Per introduced Marie must have made an impact on the Richter scale… or, as a reporter for one of the Swedish newspapers put it, it almost blew the roof off the theater. The concert was basically the same as on Saturday, only — so it seemed to this reviewer — much more intense. Christoffer Lundquist started playing "Ljudet av ett annat hjärta" frantically on his golden Gibson/Epiphone, and he also started the intro to "Owner of a Lonely Heart" in "Do You Wanna…"
If you want to remember all the tour, you can watch the Official videos from gessle.com here:
The band cried backstage, and then we felt all empty inside. Roxette's things are in the works soon.
After this astonishing tour, I feel empty!!! It's been the greatest tour ever for me. So intimate, so close with a superb band and a delightful crew, the most pleasant hardcore fans you can ever imagine and a great catalogue of songs to dig into. I've had the time of my life! There will most likely be a package with a CD and a DVD put together. The CD is recorded live all over Europe, the DVD is from Cirkus (day one) in Stockholm and the DVD will also include 100 of the most primitive and hilarious clips from the tour (you've probably seen a few on YouTube already). I'm such a generous guy! No one takes me seriously when I'm behind a camera. It's a fact of life. It's such a shame. And, forchrissakes, there will be a double-LP!!! One comes to the point in one's career when it's time to release a live double-album. Like Kiss, David Bowie, and Peter Frampton. This is the point for me! There will be loads of unreleased versions on Nordic Rox. I'm going to NYC next week to sort things out.
I didn't expect anything from this tour at all. I did it basically for me, myself and I. I consider it to be a nice 50th anniversary present from myself. So I am, of course, flabbergasted when it comes to the reception from the fans and the media. I couldn't ask for more. Thank you.
It felt great performing the Rox tunes. I knew I could handle them. At the same time I wanted them to be different from the Rox-versions. My ambition has never been to "replace" Marie. I just wanted to play and sing these songs because they are dear to me. After all, I wrote them.
The Party Crasher-album is pretty tough to play live. Unless, of course, you want to bring the click-trax and computers in. Which I didn't want at all this time around. I wanted the set to be guitar-based, straight forward power-pop with great vocal harmonies and silly power-chords here and there. The PC-album is totally different. Too early to say about how the PC album is doing in Europe, it's out in Germany while the UK is releasing in June. There is some positive response from the radio here and there but I guess it won't outsell Joyride. Next week I have new meetings regarding a US-release since I'm in New York.
We did a cover, "Steppin' Stone", great fun indeed. I might do a punk rock cover album one of these years.
All of the gigs have been terrific. I guess the band felt that Cologne, Copenhagen and London were triple AAA's. But to me all of them were memorable and gifts sent from god (or John L.)
This band is a splendid mix of Roxette and the "En händig man" people. I love them all dearly. On the stage, in the dressing room, in the bar. Can't wait to hit the road with them again. As long as I'm enjoying what I do I can't slow down. This is in my blood. This is what I do. This is what I love. We promised each other in the dressing room in Stockholm that this should be the start of a neverending tour so I don't have a choice anymore, do I?
Per Gessle has changed a lot. He developed a new side of him a lot since the Mazarin tour when he had to be the single male performer for the first time, he really grew I think. And last spring I think it was amazing. But that’s a big step. It’s a personality thing to be that open. It might be difficult… you have to feel like that..you can’t do that as concept and pretend, you have to be like that. Otherwise it wouldn’t be good.
I’m glad to hear that some fans liked the new arrangements I did during the Party Crasher tour. That was sort of the idea, to bring the songs back to where they came from, without using the 80ies production. Which I think is great, but we wanted to sound different. So I am happy to hear this, because it’s very difficult for us, you know, when you love a band and they come with the old songs in a completely new way, it’s likely that you are not going to like it “uh, I want to hear the songs as they should be”. It was also fun to play during Party Crasher Tour. Per did that little survey online and asked the fans what they want to listen to. He got a lot of requests for the rocking stuff. The songs we didn’t play where those we didn’t manage to play that well. But we had all the songs we liked in the set list. We tried lots of songs and skipped those which sort of resisted. For example, during Per solo tours in Sweden we tried some older songs from the 80ies, but we only kept a few. We tried Speedo once, but then it disappeared from the set list. During the En händig man tour we put more emphasis on Gyllene Tider songs.
For us Party Crasher Tour was a very special one. I know Per says that all the time about every tour but this time it’s actually true. I hope we can do more of that some time in the future. When I sat down listening and choosing versions from the different cities for the CD I was really surprised to hear that it was a lot different. It was really different. Normally they’re not. You feel the difference when you play it, but when you listen to it it’s normally same same same same..but not this time. It is really good, I think. It was a fantastic moment when Marie came on stage the second Party Crasher show in Stockholm. It was a magic moment. I was standing in the corner crying. Yeah, it was very emotional, really. And for Marie it’s fantastic, of course, to get all that feedback again.
Home again after the European tour with Per Gessle. Feels good to be home and my little baby-boy might think so too- sleeping in his own bed, his parents soon not so tired anymore. But I do think he misses his new friends: a bunch of fully grown men with stubble and beards, smelling of red wine, talking baby language, and smiling faces all around (the band and the crew). Especially Åsa licking his feet in Per´s dressing-room saying "Piiii katten!"
I just want to say THANK YOU to you all who I´ve met while singing on this tour. Without you, there wouldn´t be much. I wonder if you can understand how much your support helps.
I already miss you, and I hope to see you musiclovers soon in any way!
Helena, thanks for some great times over the past few weeks... you made us equally happy with your antics on stage, your an amazing artist and we all had fun watching you chase balloons around! ;) I think we all fell for Martin as well... we are all going to miss those evenings of music and laughter but enjoy the rest, it's much deserved!
The second show in Stockholm was the best show on the whole tour for me. I felt relaxed and everything just felt right. Great audience that gave me nice energy to work with. I could really feel that this was the last night of the tour and it was special.
I had two friends on the guest list this evening and them being there also made this night special to me.
Backstage:
On stage:
The big fans:
Thank you all for visiting this blog. It´s been fun posting for you and getting such support from you throughout the whole tour. Without you readers and show visitors this tour wouldn´t have been as fun as it was. Per´s fans, you are incredible fans I must say and it was a joy talking to some of you.
This is my final post on this blog but I will not disappear. You will find me on my myspace site www.myspace.com/martiniquejosefsson and of course the Sandy Mouche site www.sandymouche.com. We have new stuff going on with Sandy so stay tuned. We are at home resting and Helena and Mr X says hi.
Bye for now…………………–But Mr Bear!??…….–Shut up! Can´t you see i´m watching tv!!
I don’t wanna say bye at all, so I’ll say you “see you very soon again!” and of course thank you for the incredible show you created with the other band members!))))) All the warmest and most kind regards to Helena and Mr. X! Rox on!)
Thank you for the blog. For all the fans that could not go to any gig, your blog has been an interesting way to follow the tour. Good luck in all your projects. Kind regards to your family!
Spring is certainly in the air as the fans start lining up outside Cirkus in Stockholm. According to TDR, Per Gessle's and Helena Josefsson's "super fan" Erik Johansson has been there since the night before and is first in line — again. He feels it's his duty. There are Brazilians, Argentinians, Brits, Russians, Germans, Scots… and a few Swedes. Per Gessle steps on stage a little after 8 pm, and the crowd goes wild. Per is all smiles for the whole hour and a half. The band is in absolutely top shape, and "you can hear this is a band that is having fun", says Thomas Evensson from TDR. No changes in the setlist this evening; even though the band jokes and starts playing Gyllene Tider's old hit "Sommartider" after Per yelling "Did I hear 'Sommartider'??" Chris also falls into The Knack's "My Sharona" in the intro of "Do You Wanna be My Baby?"
SET LIST:
1. Dressed for Success 2. Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts About Her 3. Stupid 4. Party Pleaser 5. Wish I Could Fly 6. She Doesn´t Live Here Anymore 7. 7twenty7 8. I Have A Party In My head 9. Late, Later On 10. Listen to Your Heart 11. Do You Wanna Be My Baby? 12. Opportunity Nox 13. Doesn't Make Sense 14. Church of your Heart 15. Dangerous 16. Joyride
Encore
1. C'mon 2. Are You an Old Hippie, Sir? 3. The Look 4. It Must Have Been Love
2nd Encore
1. Hey Mr. DJ 2. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone 3. Sleeping in My Car 4. Queen of Rain
Yes sir - back in Stockholm! And what a Saturday night it turned out to be. The beautiful venue Cirkus, a very relaxed band and crowd-pleasing setlist and... of course... a mind-blowing audience that makes life so easy for us!!! You guys & gals in the front row you're the best, sweatin' it out, groovin' along our mood of the day, without you it would be very much harder to do what we wanna do! Thanx! And everything got captured on film, it's gonna be a sensational DVD. See ya tomorrow, same place, same time.
I remember on the Party Crasher tour seeing the guys every night, I asked one – I forgot who I asked – isn’t it boring to see the same thing every night? And the answer was great. “Well, is it boring to play the same things every night and do the same stupid moves?” And I was: Ooops. And I sort of got it. Music is communication. It’s not a performer and an audience. You are doing something together. If you can listen to a song so many times throughout your life why only see one concert?
'Le Journal des Mouches' is an unofficial compilation of news made by fans for fans.
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Editor and Publisher: Alberto Fuente, aka Lantartida (from Madrid, Spain - now living in London, UK).
The blog includes articles and opinions of musicians (Helena Josefsson, Martinique, Gessle ...) and interesting words by some fans (thank you all) written in other websites and forums.
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Editor's note: I didn't use others words to win anything. I just wanted to compilate information about my favourite artists. If you find any information or photos that shouldn't be here, don't hesitate to tell me.
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If you wanna be the new LJdM's editor, join or write an article here with your signature, just knock on the door: lantartida (at) yahoo(dot)es. Without help, this blog will be empty.
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