This may be interesting for collectors of songs written by Per Gessle. He once co-wrote “Kärleken är evig”, which was performed by Lena Philipsson at the Melodifestivalen 1986. The song finished second at the Melodifestivalen and reached number 3 in the Swedish single charts.
This song has now been covered by E-Type during the TV4 programme “Så mycket bättre – season 2”, a Swedish reality TV show where seven artists spend eight days together at a hotel in Gotland and each of them do their own versions of the other artists’ songs. The artists that participated in this season are Tomas Ledin, E-Type, Lena Philipsson, Laleh, Timbuktu, Mikael Wiehe and Eva Dahlgren.
You can watch the performance on TV4play.se, listen to the track on Spotify or buy it at iTunes. All of it if you are resident in Sweden.
Roxette.se published this message from Marie and Per. What can we say. This year has also been amazing for many of us. I will personally never forget it. Thank you!!
Oh yeah!
2011 turned out to be something very special indeed. We don’t really know where to start! The ”She’s Got Nothing On”-single that made it all the way to the-4th-most-played-song-in-the-world for a couple of weeks? The Charm School album that felt like the perfect comeback for this young couple? Or The World Tour that kicked off in February? Oh yeah, let’s start there!
No one expected this kind of reception we got from you guys, we couldn’t even dream of filling huge arenas again. Almost 800,000 people came to the shows this year. That’s an awful lot of tickets!
And you know, we say it again and again, nothing would have been possible without the support, friendship, love + affection we get on a daily basis from YOU; The Rox Aficionados all over the world!!! You make things so much easier.
We certainly hope we’ll meet all of you again in 2012. Looks like this tour will have another 65 shows to go before the finale in October. New cities + new countries are in the can as well as some jolly returns to favourite places.
And, hey, as we’re writing this… we’re just wrapping up the recordings of the new T2 – Tourism 2-album. It feels like we’re having a splendid one coming up, recorded while touring, filled with the positive energy from you + from the superb bunch of musicians we’re blessed to work with.
We la-la-la-la-love it! Have a feeling you’re gonna love it too!
So, folks…..have a wonderful xmas + a mighty 2012.
European dates are very slowly showing up (would be nice to get them at once…soon!). According to the Norwegian newspapers Nytt i Uka and Sunnmørsposten, Roxette will be one of the artists to perform at the Jugendfest festival, which will take place in Ålesund’s Color Line Stadium from 16th to 18th of August 2012. “It’s the biggest band we have booked for the Jugendfest for a long time. They have produced big hits during the past 30 years and a lot of people can really relate to them,” says Ante Giskeødegård, the booking manager at Momentium, the company which organises this festival among others to the free newspaper Nytt i Uka.
Other artists which are also confirmed for this festival are the Swedish band Kent, which recently announced a new album and tour for 2012 as well.
Update a few hours later: It looks like Roxette will also be in Norway in July. According to ticketmaster.nl and Billetservice.no a concert is planned on July 14 in Fredriksten Festning in Halden. Tickets go on sale on Friday 16th of December via Billettservice.no.
Update 15 Dec.: And a third date for Norway: 13th of July in Odderøya Live Festival, Kristiansand.
As you know Dea Norberg is going to join the Roxette World Tour 2012 as the new backing vocals singer. Many of you have asked “and who is she?”
We have asked Dea to answer some questions for us. Enjoy!
RXB – Judith – We would like to know a bit more about you and your career, when did you start to sing?
Dea: I started to sing when I was a little kid, sitting next to my grandmother who played the piano. Later I started to play the piano myself and singing made me feel alive! I studied music and dance since I was 7 years old until I was around 20.
I grew up on a farm in the south of Sweden and singing and horse jumping was my thing until I was 16. Then I had to make the big choice: do I stay and continue with horses or do I move to Växjö to study music more seriously?
I know I made the right choice, since then music has been such an amazing inspiration and it’s taking me around the world for many years now!
I studied two years in Växjö, after that I moved to Skåne. There I got in to the amazing Fridhems Folkhögskola and studied singing, jazz improvisation and piano. I heard rumours when I went there that Marie Fredriksson went there as well? I will have to ask her when I see her!
I studied there for two years and after that at Kulturama in Stockholm for two more years. Afterwards I studied dance for one year at University College of Dance also in Stockholm.
And then I started my journey as a freelancing singer, artist and backup singer.
RXB: I read that you have sang backing vocals at Melodifestivalen, Eurovision Song Contest, Cirque du Soleil and also have been in various bands and released some albums and singles… Could you tell us about your career so far?
Dea: My career has been amazing so far and I’ve done more than I would ever dream of doing when I first started! I’ve sung back ups to many Swedish artist and did a lot of TV , tours, shows, concerts, galas, studiowork, bands…
Among others, I have sung for the soldiers in Bosnia and Croatia in 1996. Then I was in the choir when Sweden won the Eurovision Song contest in Jerusalem in 1999. For the next couple of years I was a member of the Melodifestival-choir and was in charge of arranging the back ups for one year. It was stressful but a great experience! All in all I did back ups for Sweden and Malta for the Eurovision Song Contest 8 times.
I released a duet with Patrik Isaksson in Sweden called “Innan klockan slår” and one with with Niclas Wahlgren “En kväll i augusti”.
And then I have also done the album “Charlotte & Dea” with my friend Charlotte Berg. I think it was 1998, … time flies.
RXB: With which bands have you toured?
Dea: I toured with many Swedish artist around Sweden but also abroad, to name some: Lena Philipsson, Orup, Patrik Isaksson, E-type, Dilba, Thomas Di Leva, Uno Svenningsson, Jill Johnsson, Andreas Johnsson, ABBA the original orchestra, Dr Alban, Charlotte Perrelli, Jessica Folcker, Sarah Dawn Finer, Charlotte Berg, Carola, Markoolio.
Here and there I also worked with Robyn, Helen Sjöholm, Peter Jöback, Lisa Nilsson, Lutrichia Mc Neal.
And last but not least, I had the honour to do back ups when international artists came to do promo in Sweden, for example for Howard Jones, Phil Collins and Craig David.
RXB: I also read something about a show in Las Vegas, could you tell us more about it?
Dea: In 2008 I joined Cirque Du Soleil as a singer for the arena tour “Delirium”. And since 2009 I’ve been part of their steady show in las Vegas “Viva Elvis” where I also had the honour to record “Love me tender” with Elvis Presley’s real voice, a duet released by SONY.
RXB: And what about your favourite artists, artists who inspire you? What styles do you like?
Dea: I grew up with soul like Marvin Gaye , Stevie Wonder , Prince and also Michael Jackson. Now I listen a lot to Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Bon Iver, Other Lives, Kings of Leon, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead and so many more…
I listen to music from when I wake up in the morning until I go to bed at night!
RXB: What do you like to do besides singing and music?
Dea: I love nature and adventures like hiking, climbing, riding, camping. I also love to draw cartoons and old houses and old furniture. I think they have got soul, I enjoy going to antique markets and thrift stores. And I love cats and dogs and flowers and healthy food and movies and coffee 🙂
RXB: Let’s move on to the Roxette Tour 2012, how did you get the job for the Roxette Tour 2012?
Dea: I got a call and after that me and Per had some conversations via e-mail.
RXB: You have worked with many Swedish artists, have you worked with Per or Marie before?
Dea:No I have not.. looking forward to it! They seem really nice!
RXB: What do you expect from this tour? And what can we expect from you?
Dea: I expect to meet a big audience that loves Roxette and I will give all I have to them… And when we give.. we recieve back!
I’m also looking forward to travel with this group of people, as I worked and toured with some guys from the crew before. And it will be great to be able to see more of this world is exciting!
RXB: Have you seen the videos that Per uploads to Facebook? As you can see, lots of crazy stuff going on backstage and front-row…
Dea: I’ve seen some ! The audience is amazing!
RXB: When will you start rehearsing with the band?
Dea: We will probably meet in January – then I’m hopefully ready for the stage in February.
RXB: Is there any Roxette song you really look forward to sing to?
Dea: I’m happy to rehearse this material, I feel the songs fit my voice range and I’m happy to listen to Helena Josefsson’s take on the harmonies. She is great! I’m looking forward to sing “It must have been love”!
Wish me luck and see you out there!
Of course, we wish Dea all the best for the tour start and 2012. We in Europe will have to wait a little bit so it’s your turn in Australia, Asia and South America to make her feel at home and welcome! 🙂
Marie Fredriksson appeared shortly on the Danish TV show “Her er dit liv” (Here’s your life, DR) greeting Sanne and wishing her a fantastic night and ending the message saying she misses her so much! Sanne gets very emotional and talks a bit about what Marie has been through in the last 10 years, as well as herself and how they have both fought their way back to life.
