The best singer of them all turns 56 today! The Roxetteblog team wishes Marie Fredriksson a wonderful day with family and friends.
For us, her birthday is reason enough to go back some years. (Photo: Kirsten Ohlwein/Kiwein)
You’ll find more videos on an article we wrote about Marie in June 2013.
Marie in 1982:
Marie in 1983:
Marie in 1984:
Marie in 1988:
Marie in 1993:
Marie in 1995:
Marie in 2001:
Marie in 2009:
Marie in 2013:
Time for a poll again! Thank you for all the votes you submitted for “Pearls of Passion”.
Here is now the poll for “Look Sharp!”. Note that this time we excluded the big hits from this poll. A hits poll will be added at the end of the poll series.
You can again choose 2 songs – and the poll will run until next Thursday, June 5th.
[yop_poll id=”5″]
The top 3 interim results:
Pearls of Passion:
#1 – Neverending Love (247 votes)
#2 – So Far Away (222 votes)
#3 – Secrets That She Keeps (217 votes)
We already mentioned in an earlier article that Per’s 2 books will be launched at the Gothenburg Book Fair in September. However, it was quite predictable, we didn’t know it for sure back then if Mr G would be there in person. The good news is that you’ll be able to meet him at the book fair! More than that, what do you think about a 3-day-long trip in Gothenburg? Why? Because he will be at not less than 2 seminars! Both seminars are organized by Roos & Tegnér, the publishing company of the upcoming Per Gessle books (and the fabulous Alla tiders Gyllene Tider book).
One seminar is on Friday, 26th September and it will start at 5.00 pm and last for 45 minutes. The topic sounds very promising. There will be a conversation led by our beloved Sven Lindström, who will have Per Gessle and Nisse Hellberg (you surely know him at least from The Lonely Boys project) as guests. They will talk about pop culture, songwriting and inspiration. Besides this, there will be a pop quiz for the two pop nerds. Sven is going to be a fab moderator of that. Sounds like it’s gonna be much fun, doesn’t it?
The other seminar, which is related to Per’s books, is on Sunday, 28th September. It starts at 1.00 pm and lasts until 1.45 pm. The moderator here will be Jan Gradvall, who is a well-known Swedish journalist and knows very much about pop culture. Per will talk about the books and how the most popular songs came to his mind. He will share his thoughts about songwriting and lyrics and he will tell about his role models and inspirations. Since there was a signing session last year, I think there will be one this year, too, however, it’s not yet confirmed.
The tickets you can buy at the entrance and on Sunday it is valid for the seminar as well. Regular prices for adults: 180 SEK per day. Happy Hour between 9:00 and 10:00 on Sunday: ticket for adults: 130 SEK. For the Friday seminar you will also need a seminar card, which costs 625 SEK if you buy it until 9th August and 675 SEK after that date.
It’s not yet known if the seminars will be broadcast live anywhere, like last year on TV4. Busy month September is going to be!
Update on 29th June: the seminar programme has been published. Click HERE to check it!
Update Judith – May 28th
Due to various comments and statements from Per and Per’s management we have decided to remove the embedded video for the song.
Per Gessle appears as a guest solist on DJ Heikki’s single “You Don’t Want Love”. Per added his touch to the song, laid his vocals in a studio in Sweden and that is the full extent on his involvement in this project. DJ Heikki is the artist, it’s his single and it’s him and his record label who are responsible in making the video. The finished video was presented to Per just the other day and he does not appreciate it at all. Therefore he has chosen not to post it on any of his Facebook- or Twitter pages.
Per’s comment on Facebook:
HEIKKI L VIDEO UPDATE: Very strange and silly video indeed. I think Sony Finland should do the right thing and
1. withdraw it
2. make a new better one that we all could be proud of! /P.
————
The official video for You Don’t Want Love is out. Unfortunately, there is no Per in it. The only Rox world related reference is a Roxette cassette put in the player at 3:02. From this photo it seems that the video was recorded in April.
Heikki L
, aka Heikki Liimatainen, is a house music producer, DJ and remixer from Finland. He seems to be a great musician of the genre he represents and he surely likes Roxette. Some days ago the cover of the 3m 46s long track, You Don’t Want Love he did together with Per appeared on the web, but we didn’t really know what to expect. Click HERE to listen to it on Spotify!
As Team Roxette informed this afternoon:
DJ Heikki L invited Per to sing the top line on this new track called “You Don’t Want Love”. Per liked the sound of this modern pop song and added his own pop signum to it, the result is to be heard tomorrow on Spotify and released everywhere else on Monday May 26th.
Then Per posted:
HEIKKI L UPDATE. Yes, loved this track. Great melody lines to sing and a very cool production to my ears. Hope you’ll like it!
Like it? I can only say, if what Per Gessle is cooking with all the other DJ’s, including David Guetta is anything similar to this, I’m in! This sounds so fresh and amazing and catchy and aaah! A new side of PG and a wonderful tone of his voice in this song. It would be great to know a bit more about the background of this project.
Heikki L says to Ilta-Sanomat:
Roxette is the cutting edge of pop music and I’m really excited to work with one of our time’s most famous singer.
Per says at the same place:
As you may know, I’m crazy about good songs. When I got the demo of the song and the request to be part of it, I couldn’t resist. I like the melody and the whole atmosphere of the song is irresistible. This is modern pop music spiced with a traditional twist. I am very proud to be part of this.
The song is on repeat next to Vol. 2 of TPGA. One can’t get enough of all the beauties we’ve been provided with during the past few days!
You Don’t Want Love
Heikki L feat. Per Gessle
I’m holding on
I’m holding out for love tonight
You keep saying it’s a futile fight
Cause you don’t want love
Ooh, you say you don’t
But something tells me that’s not quite true
And something tells me to stick with you
Though you don’t want love
You are still by my side, yeah
Though you insist you’re a loner
I’m yet to be convinced
Right now
I see fire in your eyes
I see love
Even through your disguise
Yeah you lost
But I’m giving it all back
No, don’t believe you don’t want love
You took it hard
And never want to feel again
Locked tight and you won’t let me in
Cause you don’t want love
Ooh, but I’m not him
I’ll keep you here in a loving place
He made you play in a vicious game
I don’t call that love
You are still by my side, yeah yeah
Though you insist you’re a loner
I’m yet to be convinced
© Patric Sarin/ Sharon Vaughn/ Heikki Liimatainen/ Per Gessle
Per’s vocals were edited in February, the single was mastered in April.