PG Roxette – from tour to album – Per Gessle interview on Hallandsposten

by

Jan-Owe Wikström did an interview with Per for Hallandsposten. You can read it HERE!

Eight days after Gyllene Tider announced their comeback with the album “Hux flux” and tour in the summer of 2023, Per Gessle now releases PG Roxette’s debut album “Pop-Up Dynamo!”.

PG explains:

Well, it was maybe a bit tight there, but since the tickets for the tour were to be released this week and PG Roxette is an international launch, it turned out that way.

In December, it is three years since the other half of Roxette, Marie Fredriksson, tragically passed away after a long illness. But then she had already been forced to step down in 2016 due to failing health.

So the idea of nurturing the legacy of Roxette has been there latently ever since and Marie and I also talked about it.

Finally he arrived at a crossroads.

It was to drop Roxette completely or to find a way to move on without Marie. Either on or off.

And what made me decide was that I noticed how much interest there was still for Roxette out there in the world through Spotify and all the streaming services. At the same time, I have written all the songs and felt that I wanted to keep them in my life.

I mean, I’ve devoted my entire adult life, almost 30 years, to the band, so it’s not something you just let go like that.

In 2018 Per went on a new tour under the name Per Gessle’s Roxette and the idea was also that there would be a new one as PG Roxette in 2020.

Per tells Hallandsposten:

Yes, the goal from the beginning was not to record new music, but to go out and tour with Roxette songs.

Until a certain pandemic struck and shut down and redrawn the world. Then Per had to think again. And song after song grew into a first PG Roxette record.

The idea was to make uptempo and very ’80s-’90s songs like on “Look Sharp!” and “Joyride”. But in 2022.

Jan-Owe says it sounds like Per has been listening to The Cars a lot, among other things.

Well, you had to root out all the old synthesizers from that time. Jupiter 6, Jupiter 8, Prophet and all those…

Instead of Christoffer Lundquist – who was responsible for Gyllene Tider’s and Per’s own solo albums lately – it was also Clarence Öfwerman and Magnus Börjeson who became producers.

Per says:

It has never been an issue to try to replace Marie, because it’s not possible.

So even though the idea was that I would now sing most of the time, I have always wanted to have girls along as well. And since Helena (Josefsson) and Dea (Norberg) were doing backing vocals on Roxette tours during the past few years, it was natural to bring them along.

The effect surprised even Per himself.

Yes, it was actually when we with PG Roxette were going to record “Nothing Else Matters” for Metallica’s anniversary album that we used both voices at the same time for the first time.

And then I discovered that together they became like a third persona, a new, completely unique voice. Much like Frida and Agnetha in ABBA. So then Dea had to go into the studio again and add her voice to the parts that Helena had already sung.

During the journey, Roxette’s drummer, Pelle Alsing, also suddenly passed away in 2020.

It came completely unexpectedly, like a shock. But it made me even stronger in my conviction to manage Roxette’s legacy, that the music should live on.

Therefore, Roxette guitarist Jonas Isacsson also became involved in PG Roxette early on.

Yes, it really will be Roxette with his guitar. Just like Gyllene Tider only plays Gyllene Tider with the five of us together, me, Micke (Syd), Anders (Herrlin), MP (Mats Persson) and Göran (Fritzon). It kind of just happens like that, can’t be explained or touched on.

Per about “Pop-Up Dynamo!”:

As the title suggests, it’s electric, pops up and is very uptempo. So if Gyllene Tider’s new record is like four tequila shots, this one is like seven…

The international PG Roxette tour will have to wait. There is a new Gyllene Tider trip in between.

New Roxette album without Marie Fredriksson – German News Agency

by

The names Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle will forever be associated with pop duo Roxette. Three years after Fredriksson’s untimely death, Gessle is now releasing an album with a new project that bears their band name – and also the unmistakably pop Roxette sound of “Joyride” and other world hits of the past. “Pop-Up Dynamo!” will be released by Warner Music on Friday.

“I decided early on that we should go for this sound from the late ’80s, early ’90s, where my heart is basically,” Gessle told the DPA (German News Agency) ahead of the release of the album. Instead of adapting to very new formats, it’s better to stick with what you’re good at. “At the same time, I didn’t want to be nostalgic or too retro. I also wanted to sound modern,” emphasizes the now 63-year-old Swede. The result was an uptempo pop album. “It’s a mishmash of 1989 and 2022 – or 2021 when it was recorded,” Gessle said.

1989 – around this year was the heyday of Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson. As Roxette, the two Swedes stringed together one world success after another, including “The Look”, “Listen To Your Heart” and “It Must Have Been Love”. They sold about 80 million albums worldwide. Gessle wrote the songs, while Fredriksson’s stunning voice became a hit on German radio too.

In 2016 Roxette gave their last concert. On December 9, 2019, Fredriksson died at the age of just 61 after a long battle with cancer. Gessle also processed this musically, one year after her death, the song collection “Bag Of Trix” came out with unpublished and partly lost Roxette recordings.

Roxette is now continued as PG Roxette, the world hits of that time are followed by the album “Pop-Up Dynamo!”, dedicated to Marie Fredriksson. The sound remains the same, but a hardly replaceable voice has to be replaced. “This is a new chapter beginning,” says Gessle. “It would have felt strange to do a Roxette album without Marie.”

Fredriksson is therefore not heard on the album, but the longtime background singers Helena Josefsson and Dea Norberg. “Pop-Up Dynamo!” is different vs. music by Roxette, but somehow not. From the very first few seconds, “Walking On Air”, the record’s strong first and pre-release track, feels like a ’90s car ride with the radio turned on. The voices of Gessle, Josefsson and Norberg invite you to sing along, the melodies of several of the eleven songs remain supple in the ear.

In the middle of the album, for example with “You Hurt The One You Love The Most” and “Jezebel”, the music sometimes becomes calmer and more thoughtful, in between with “The Loneliest Girl In The World” – despite the sad title – audibly happier again. So Gessle has remained true to this mixture of the cheerful and the thoughtful, which also characterized Roxette. He’s not trying to be Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber.

Gessle didn’t shy away from getting the old synthesizers out of the basement. The Swede admits that “Pop-Up Dynamo!” is something different than today’s pop music. The album sounds so completely different from everything else that is musically circulating today. “Most pop music today is made on laptops or in that style,” he says. “It’s a development that has limited the music a bit.” Gessle himself stays within his old comfort boundaries – those of Roxette.

Auction of Marie Fredriksson’s private clothes

by

Selection of Roxette Star Marie Fredriksson’s Garments to be Auctioned off to Raise Money for Swedish Non-Profit Organisation

A handpicked selection of clothing that world-renowned artist Marie Fredriksson wore in her day-to-day life and on special occasions are to be auctioned off. All profits will go directly to the Swedish non-profit organisation Stockholm City Mission’s work with improving the lives of people in social and financial exclusion. The auctions, which will take place on the circular platform Tradera between October 28th – November 27th, were initiated by Fredriksson’s family to honour her memory and support causes close to her heart.

Marie Fredriksson (1958–2019) is one of Sweden’s most celebrated and beloved artists, famous as lead vocalist in the pop rock duo Roxette consisting of her and Per Gessle. In addition to the international success of Roxette, Fredriksson achieved noteworthy accomplishments through her solo career as a singer-songwriter. Fredriksson sadly passed away in 2019, following a longer period of illness.

Marie Fredriksson’s iconic style, with short blonde hair and close-fitting rock attire has inspired several generations. A selection of her off-duty garments and clothes worn on special occasions are now to be auctioned off. The auctions are initiated by Fredriksson’s family, to support the work carried out by non-profit organisation Stockholm City Mission in Sweden. The family elaborate on their decision in an official statement:

Throughout her life, Marie was committed to improving the conditions of people living in vulnerable circumstances. In her biography Listen to My Heart, she shares her own experiences of growing up in a family with modest means. Marie’s strong social commitment is the reason we as a family have decided upon letting part of her possessions benefit others through this collaboration with Stockholm City Mission. We are certain that this is something Marie would have wanted, and our hope is that the auctions will be a helpful contribution to Stockholm’s City Mission’s important work aiding those in need.

Mikael Bolyos with family

Selected Pieces to be Displayed in Central Stockholm

Approximately fifty garments from Fredriksson’s private collection of clothes will be auctioned off via the circular market Tradera between October 28th and November 27th. The garments consist of a range of items she wore in her day-to-day life and a few festive gems that she wore on special occasions, including the dress worn during her performance at Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s wedding in 2013. Selected pieces will be displayed at the department store Nordiska Kompaniet in central Stockholm from the beginning of the auction up until November 5th. All raised funds will be donated to the non-profit organisation Stockholm City Mission’s efforts to create a more humane society through social care, work training and education.

“We are honoured to be entrusted with this task by Marie Fredriksson’s family, and with managing and celebrating her fashion legacy. It is a beautiful initiative, where all funds raised will be an important contribution to helping us improve the lives of people living in social and financial exclusion.”
Åsa Paborn, CEO at Stockholm’s City Mission

Read more about the auctions and see pictures on Stockholms City Mission’s website: stadsmissionen.se/ge-stod/auktion-marie-fredriksson

Press contact
Fanny Siltberg, Head of press, Stockholm’s City Mission
fanny.siltberg@stadsmissionen.se
(+46)8-684 230 40

About the auctions

  • Approximately 50 garments from Fredriksson’s private collection, that she wore in her day-to-day life and on special occasions will be auctioned off via the web based circular market Tradera. The auctions will be open for international bidding. The auctions will launch on October 28th via https://www.tradera.com/en/charity/mariefredriksson and close on November 27th.
  • The funds raised will be donated to Swedish non-profit organisation Stockholm City Mission’s efforts to create a more humane society through social care, work training and education, as per Marie Fredriksson’s family’s wishes. Stockholm City Mission is a non-profit organisation, independent from State, Church and Municipality working to eradicate social exclusion in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm City Mission’s social activities are aimed at children, youth and adults living in social or financial exclusion. The organisation offers open meeting places, housing, social rights support, and individual guidance, with the ambition to empower people in need and strengthen their sense of belonging and stature in society. stadsmissionen.se

Garments in the auction include:

FADI EL KHOURY
Ball gown
2010’s

Extravagant, creme-coloured dress with pearl embroidery, golden roses, and a voluminous skirt with a tulle train. The dress was tailor-made for Marie Fredriksson to wear at the celebration of Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s wedding with Chris O’Neill, which took place on June 8, 2013, in Stockholm. During the ceremony, Marie Fredriksson performed her ballad “Ännu doftar kärlek”.

TOMASZ STARZEWSKI
Evening gown
1990’s

Champagne-coloured gown lined with pearl embroidery and gems – a creation on par with Marie Fredriksson’s star quality. The dress is designed by British designer Tomasz Starzewski, a favourite among many celebrities in the 1990’s, Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher included. This dress was worn by Marie Fredriksson during the celebration of her 40th birthday.

AZZEDINE ALAÏA
Bodycon dress
1990’s

A slim fitted dress worn by Marie Fredriksson during the Polar Music Prize-ceremony in ‘92/’93. For all its glamour, the dress might best be advised to wear with a ‘no pain, no gain’-mindset, as it allegedly required more than one tiny step on the red carpet due to its tight fit.

JASPER CONRAN
Black evening gown – silk with pearl embroidery
1990’s

An elegant, yet savvy dress worn by Marie Fredriksson during Roxette co-star Per Gessle’s 40th birthday celebration.

GIORGIO ARMANI
Cashmere coat
1990’s

Double-breasted coat in the softest of cashmere wool. This particular coat is described in Marie Fredriksson’s biography Listen to My Heart (2015), written together with Swedish journalist Helena von Zweigbergk. In her biography, Marie elaborates on how growing up with modest means affected her, and that the ability to buy whatever she wanted as an adult filled her with a wonderful sense of revenge. “My fantasies turned into reality; I could actually afford things.” The story about the Armani coat is mentioned in the book:

” It has been so unreal. I remember when my husband and I visited an Armani store in Milan. I tried on two coats, both with a price well over 20 000 SEK, with one being slightly more expensive. I couldn’t make up my mind about which one to choose. I consulted the saleswoman who recommended that I’d buy the more expensive coat. ’Heck, I’ll buy them both’, I said. You should have seen the faces on the people in the store! “

Per Gessle on Nyhetsmorgon interviewed by Jenny Strömstedt

by

Saturday morning Per was invited to Nyhetsmorgon, TV4’s morning show and Jenny Strömstedt interviewed him. You can watch it HERE on TV4 Play if you are in Sweden or HERE on TV4’s website if you live anywhere else or you have troubles with VPN.

Jenny introduces Per as one of Sweden’s most beloved artists. She says one of Sweden’s most beloved bands went on a farewell tour 3 years ago, but this week the happy news came about Gyllene Tider’s comeback. Here comes a little footage from previous tours and when the camera shows the studio again, Per is already sitting on the couch enjoying GT’s music that plays in the footage.

Jenny welcomes Per on the show and Mr. G thanks for that. Jenny holds up the Pop-Up Dynamo! vinyl and says Per also releases a new album under PG Roxette. She asks PG when he sleeps at all. Per replies he sleeps as rarely and as little as possible and admits he is busy with many things at once. There is always something going on.

Jenny says Per was on Nyhetsmorgon together with Micke Syd approximately 3 years ago and they talked about their farewell tour that was coming and now they reunite again. Never say never, Jenny adds. Per explains that it was really meant to be a farewell tour, but he thinks the pandemic changed everything. It brought him a lot of new thoughts. The whole new GT thing came after he bought a guitar. He bought the guitar and wrote two amazing songs that screamed for Gyllene Tider. The 5 guys met more often lately because of the upcoming GT movie and Per just asked them if they should record some new songs. Everyone thought it was a cool idea. This lead them to record a new album which is called Hux flux and a summer tour with the same name next year. The album is already finished. Jenny finds it exciting. She asks Per how he felt that those two new songs were Gyllene songs. PG says it’s a special kind of style, a sort of power pop style that sounds like only Gyllene Tider sounds. It’s very cool. Jenny is curious about what happens when the guys gather in the same room. Per smiles and says that not much happens when they just gather in a room, but a lot is happening when they play together. It’s just awesome. It’s cool to be in a band. He wishes all young people would try it, to play the same song at the same time and have a role in a little band. It’s actually a magical feeling.

Jenny says she thinks the band reunited so many times because the audience that has been following them over the years needs GT. When she saw Gyllene Tider’s last gig, which wasn’t the last one in the end, she looked around and everyone in the crowd was moved. She feels that the audience and the band strengthen each other’s life, they made this journey together. She asks Per what role he thinks a band like Gyllene Tider has in this generation. One big role is certainly what Jenny mentions, Per thinks. Mr. G says that the fantastic thing in his job, writing music and songs is that they really communicate with people, when they are getting married or meet or cry, etc. Songs mean a lot to people. That’s the power of music. So of course it’s amazing and it’s almost impossible to quit if you once started. It’s impossible to imagine that he would stop writing music or be on stage.

Jenny asks Per if he gets any kind of feedback now when he is on stage with Gyllene Tider and plays the old songs again. Per says, not really. He sings texts he wrote when he was 23, so he realizes that time has passed and he probably wouldn’t express himself the same way today. He tells he was on an unplugged tour earlier this year and played a lot of old songs in acoustic arrangment. He realized it’s very different when you are 63 and sing a song you wrote 45 years ago, because the song suddenly means something else. Even if it’s the same lyrics, it gets a different angle. For example, Ljudet av ett annat hjärta or När vi två blir en, these are songs he wrote when he was 20 or so. When he sings them now, he tells the story in a different way vs. when he wrote the song. Jenny repeats the title När vi två blir en while thinking about the next question and Per starts singing „… känna din kropp emot min…”, then he asks Jenny if she knows the song. They are laughing. Per explains the expressions in the lyrics are young, the declaration of love is young, those are young thoughts and young vibes. He thinks it’s important to find something you can stick to all the time while time goes by.

Jenny says Per goes on with Roxette under the name PG Roxette and releases a new album next Friday. Jenny heard there is a fan forum where a tough discussion went on if it’s right or wrong that Per continues without Marie. Per thinks it’s a relevant question. He tells that Marie quit Roxette in 2016 and it wasn’t obvious to Per to continue, but time passed by and he felt that he wanted to keep Roxette’s legacy alive. There are so many people all around the world who love Roxette’s music and he now tried to make a record that is kind of a sibling to Look Sharp! and Joyride. Mr. G says he didn’t try to replace Marie. He works together with the classic Roxette band and let the two girls – who were on tour with them during the „modern times”, if one can say so –, to come forward when they are needed.

With GT there were two most intense years, with Roxette eight. Per tells Roxette started in 1986 and ended in 2016, so it was altogether 30 years. It’s not more than half of his life, but almost. So all his adult life he lived with Roxette. Gyllene Tider ended actually in the mid ’80s and it became project-based. So it’s Roxette Per worked with the most. Jenny is curious what has shaped Per the most. PG says the success and the opportunity he got through Roxette in life has shaped his whole life and the whole life of his family. It became his destiny in a way.

Jenny asks Per if he sometimes can look back and reflect on all the huge success he had. If he allows himself to do that. Per says he doesn’t do that, he doesn’t like to sit and look back that way. Of course, sometimes when he talks about it, he reflects on it, but he doesn’t sit at home and looks at the golden records, for example. It’s the future that counts. It’s that he is a songwriter first of all. He started writing songs when he was a teenager.

Jenny asks Per where he gets the driving force from and that he can’t help it. Mr. G says he wanted to enter the pop world when he was a kid – 6-8 years old –, because the pop world was much more exciting for him than the real world. He thinks it’s still a bit like that. He likes to live through his songs. It’s tragic but true.

Jenny closes the interview with mentioning the GT tour next summer and she asks Per about the upcoming GT album. PG tells it will be released next spring, PG Roxette album is out next Friday and tickets for the GT tour go on sale on Tuesday.

Jenny thanks Per for coming on the show and wishes good luck with everything. Per says it’s always a pleasure and sends his greetings to Niklas [Niklas Strömstedt, Jenny’s husband].

Stills are from the morning show.

Thanks for the technical support to János Tóth!

Per Gessle on Carina Bergfeldt’s talk show on SVT

by

Per was a guest on Carina Bergfeldt’s talk show on SVT on 21st October. Actresses Lena Olin and Tora Hallström were the first two guests on the program, then Mr. G was the fourth, right after opera singer and actress Marianne Mörck.

You can watch the episode online HERE all around the world! Per’s part starts 27m 37s in.

Carina introduces PG as a music icon and before he enters, there is footage from his career shown, starting with him singing Flickorna på TV2 cut from Parkliv! 1981. Fun fact is that Parkliv! was directed by Tora’s father and Lena’s husband, famous director Lasse Hallström. Then comes a shortcut to an old TV report where the reporter tells Per „your lyrics are very much about sex” and Mr. G’s reaction is „well… are they?” Then comes a little Roxette and part of the news from 1989 that they became No.1 in the US. Per says „one of our dreams was to become No.1 in the US. That we have achieved.” From Sweden only ABBA and Björn Skifs succeeded with that before Roxette. Then comes a snippet from PG Roxette’s The Loneliest Girl In The World video.

Carina welcomes Per and the audience is very happy to have him on the show. Earlier on the program they talked about riders, lists of requirements. Carina is curious if Per can beat bathtub and Thai food. Mr. G says he is bad at riders. He doesn’t have any riders anymore, but rather anti-riders, what shouldn’t be in the dressing room. There shouldn’t be candy, because he would eat it up. He has no requirements at all, really. In the past, he tested the organizers a bit, if they could obtain expensive wines, but only one of them could do that, in Switzerland. Mr. G is still good friends with him. [Everyone laughs.] Carina says that considering them being world stars with Roxette, they could have asked such things as Madonna, e.g. repainting the dressing room. PG says they didn’t ask for such unnecessary things. „We came from small towns”, he says. Marianne pats Per on the shoulder and says „good boy”. [Everyone laughs.] Carina asks if Gyllene Tider had any list of requirements. Per’s reply is a no.

Carina informs that Gyllene Tider goes on tour again and asks Per how many times they will retreat. Mr. G tells 2019 was the last time, but then came this terrible pandemic and he had some second thoughts. It felt natural to go on with this band. He missed them. Per started writing songs and felt they sounded like GT songs. It’s a fantastic, lovely band. „I’m so happy that we are still alive and kicking. It’s wonderful.”

Carina says GT is a „democratic band” and is curious what it means. „It means that everyone agrees that I decide.” [Everyone laughs.] Carina says „so you are the president” and Per says „exactly”. Per says they have been working together for so long and they try to make decisions together. No one can be replaced and everyone has to have their say.

Carina asks if Per is as democratic at home as in the band. PG first thinks and then suddenly says of course he is. Haha. „When does your wife get annoyed with you?”, Carina asks Mr. G. Per says „often, I think”. He is quite busy and obsessed with his work. He works a lot. He is in his own little bubble and Åsa says he is giving birth all the time. He carries on his songs and projects and he is his work in a way. It has always been so.

Carina asks Per if he is fond of order and tidiness. Mr. G says he is, it’s good. Marianne asks Per if he is virgin. Per replies no and asks back if she is. Marianne explains she meant Virgo in astrology. Per laughs and says he understood that [everyone laughs] and says he is a Capricorn. Marianne thanks for the answer and explains it’s a sign of Virgos that they are cleaning and cleaning and deal with theatre an music. Marianne is a Virgo. Tora is Gemini, a typical Gemini according to her mom. Marianne asks for changing topic. Carina asks Per how we should imagine order in his home. PG explains he has always liked order and tidiness around him. Vinyls are in alphabetical order, photo books are here, music books are there, magazines are over there, in order. Yellow shirts are here, white shirts are there. Carina asks if Per is cleaning all the time. „Absolutely”, he replies. He always checks if there is a ring left by the glass on the table and he cleans it. Marianne asks Per if he has her number. Per says he got it earlier. [Everyone laughs.] Marianne also explains what order means to her. While she says she can find Christmas greetings from 1997 under her dining table, because she never sets the table (because she doesn’t have guests) and she eats in bed or in the bathtub, Per is not impressed. Haha. Marianne shares the info that on the other side, she prepares the tax declaration in advance and she makes notes of taxi bills with date, how long the way was and to where she went and why she was using a taxi. Here Per nods approvingly. Marianne says she shouldn’t share this info, but she has a collection of almost 40,000 Kinder egg figures and she will sort them out when she gets old. She thinks it’s fun. [Everyone laughs.]

Carina asks Per about what he is collecting. Mr. G says he is not a collector, but over the years there has been a lot of stuff and he has a collection of everything from records to guitars. He is getting old, he says. Carina is curious how many guitars Per has. He replies „way too many”. He doesn’t know, maybe a hundred. Carina says a little bird told her that he has exactly 125. „Was it my wife?”, Per asks. Carina tells she knows they are sorted in a very well organized way with photo and text. Per confirms. He says you have to keep track of your stuff. [Everyone laughs.] Guitars mean a lot to him. Some of them mean more than the others. He has written a lot of songs on them. Each guitar has its own personality and sounds in a special way. He has his favourites of course, which he plays every day, but others he doesn’t even know they exist.

Carina says she has understood that Per knows his life through his records, so she has prepared a test with some single sleeves. She wants to know what year it was released and what guitar was played on it. Per is happy to do the test. First is Joyride. It was released in 1991, recorded in 1990. It wasn’t Per playing the guitar, it was Jonas Isacsson and he played a red Arvidson guitar. Carina asks how life was in 1991. Per tells they had their first big world tour in 1991-1992. Those were crazy times, an 18-month long tour, 2 million people came to see them. Years 1988-1995 for Roxette were absolutely amazing. They travelled around the world several times and it was awesome to be part of the success.

The next sleeve shown is Neverending Love. It’s 1986, the first Roxette single. It’s not him playing the guitar, it was MP from Gyllene Tider and it was certainly a Stratocaster. Per explains he doesn’t play that much on the albums. [Everyone laughs.] Carina is curious about the story behind Neverending Love. Mr. G tells he was asked to write a song for Pernilla Wahlgren who had just been signed by a new record label and he wrote a song called Svarta glas. The record label refused to use it, which then felt tough, but Per translated it into English and that became Roxette’s first hit. Everyone is impressed and cheers Per. Mr. G thanks for that.

Carina asks the others if they have a special favourite Roxette or GT song. Lena points at Per and says they are approximately the same age. She says one of her favourites is „Jag vill känna din kropp emot min” [När vi två blir en]. It hits right in one’s romance and heart. Lena tells when she and Per once met in New York, Lena told Per she loved Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång). It also hit her right in the heart and it really touched her. There are many other songs, but these two are her favourites. Marianne asks Per if it was him who wrote a song that he wants to sleep with the girls on TV2. [Per’s facial expression is priceless here. Haha.] Carina corrects Marianne: „turn on” the girls on TV2. Marianne says she said it in an older way. [Everyone laughs.] Per also laughs and confirms it was him. „What were you thinking when you wrote that?”, Marianne asks. „It was kind of nice”, Per replies. „Maybe you meant to turn the TV on?”, Marianne asks. „Yes, that was the case.”, Per replies. „Is that a post rationalization?”, Marianne asks. Per replies: „Absolutely not. It’s your fantasy that carries you away.” [Everyone laughs.] „Is that right? You’re getting a little shy, I see.”, Marianne says. [PG’s facial expression is priceless here too. Everyone laughs.] Per says „it’s tough”.

Carina continues with Per’s new album under PG Roxette. Per goes on with Roxette without Marie. Carina asks Per what Marie would have thought about the album. Per thinks she would have liked it, because it’s kind of a cousin to Look Sharp! and Joyride. The style and the sound are very much the late ’80s, early ’90s. Marie really loved that kind of music. Carina asks how it was to make this record without Marie. „At first I didn’t want to do it, but then time passed by and I felt I wanted to go on with Roxette. But it doesn’t work to replace Marie, so I tried to find another form. I used my own voice, but also worked together with the two girls who were in Roxette’s band during the past 8 years when we were on tour. They have taken a step forward and sung when needed. I haven’t thought much more than trying to make a good Roxette record.”

Carina tells Good Karma was the last album Per recorded with Marie before she passed away in 2019. Carina is curious about how the recording session was. Per explains it was complicated. Marie was in a quite bad condition, but at the same time it was awesome that she was an Amazon in the way that she wanted to work all the time. They didn’t stop touring until 2016 and the album was recorded in 2015. It was an amazing session, but it wasn’t easy. Carina asks Per how he and Marie talked about life back then. Mr. G says when they talked about life, they rather talked about the past, the fantastic journey they did together. All their adult life they have dedicated to Roxette. They went through so many things together. They always felt like siblings, the same way as them 5 are like brothers in Gyllene Tider. When you go through so many things together, it’s like that. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to have that relationship in good or bad. Carina asks what Marie has thaught Per. Per says it’s a tough question. Marie gave him self confidence. She always made sure that what Per does gets a little bit better than it is.

A new tour is in sight, a new album is coming, as well as a Gyllene Tider movie and a Roxette musical. A lot is happening. Carina thanks Per for coming on the show.

Mr. G stays sitting on Carina’s sofa with all other 3 guests until the end of the program, so you can see him during the talk with the fifth guest, soccer player Pawel Cibicki and also watch him enjoying music while Hannes feat. Waterbaby play one song live.

Stills are from the TV show.