Gyllene Tider’s last album to be released in June

The waiting is almost over! Gyllene Tider have announced today the release date of their farewell album and the first single from it.

As the press release says, in March 2019, Per Gessle, Mats “MP” Persson, Anders Herrlin, Göran Fritzon and Micke Syd Andersson – also known as Gyllene Tider – gathered to record their farewell album in the recording studio La Fabrique in Saint-Rémy de Provence in southern France. On Friday, 14th June, the result will see the light of day as Gyllene Tider’s 7th and last studio album, Samma skrot och korn (”Birds of a feather”). But already on 10th May it’s time for a taster in the form of the single Jag drömde jag mötte Fluortanten (”I dreamed I met the dental hygienist”).

Per Gessle had spent most of 2018 writing new golden gems such as Skrot och korn (”Birds of a feather”), Henry har en plan på gång (”Henry has a plan in progress”) and Det kändes inte som maj (”It didn’t feel like May”). A total of 15 songs were recorded, of which 14 made it to the album – by accident, exactly as many as The Beatles used to have on their LPs.

And for the first time since the intro track on Gyllene Tider’s debut album, a cover has been added. That time it was ”Skicka ett vykort älskling”, Gyllene Tider’s powerpop version of Shocking Blue’s hit, ”Send Me A Postcard”. Now it’s Sven-Ingvar’s 1965 single Någon att hålla i hand (”Someone to hold a hand”) (of which Brad Newman made the original version, ”Somebody to Love”) that gets a Gyllene tackle.

Per Gessle says:

In the past you often played some covers to show where you came from and pay tribute to your role models. That’s why we did ”Skicka ett vykort”, ”Tylö Sun”, ”Marie i växeln”, ”Vill ha ett svar” etc. You manage a music heritage and then you try to do something of your own of what you love.

And what do they say about the album in general?

Micke Syd Andersson says:

The last album was one of the most fun ever to record. We have a special contact where you just start playing a song and hardly need to look at each other.

Per Gessle adds:

It has become exactly as I hoped: you can hear that it’s a band that has maintained its sound, but still that it has actually been 40 years since they started out.

After four decades, an already legendary Swedish pop band says goodbye with an album that miraculously indicates continued top shape, even though the band has not even existed for long periods. And with a farewell tour that currently sells out more and more places, yet another Swedish music summer will be dominated by Halmstad’s pearls. 40 years of Gyllene Tider reaches its climax here and now.

Tracklist:

  1. Skrot och korn
  2. Det kändes inte som maj
  3. Jag drömde jag mötte Fluortanten
  4. Någon att hålla i hand
  5. Vid hennes sida
  6. Aftonstjärna
  7. Vanliga saker
  8. Bjud till!
  9. Låt denna trumslagarpojke sjunga!
  10. Mannen med gitarr
  11. Bara i en dröm
  12. Henry har en plan på gång
  13. Allt det andra
  14. Final

You can already pre-order the album (CD-hardbook, standard black gatefold 2LP, limited edition gatefold coloured 2LP) at the usual sites: Bengans, Ginza, CDON.


Photo by Anders Roos

Where to end the Gyllene Tider farewell tour?

Most fans are wondering why Gyllene Tider would finish their farewell tour in Norway. It makes no sense at all. I honestly think the last gig won’t happen in Norway and of course I’m not the only one having such thoughts. Göteborgs-Posten published an article today written by Johan Lindqvist. Johan writes in details about why Gyllene Tider should end their last tour in Sweden and he points out where exactly that last show should happen. He asks the tour to be re-planned. Haha. If you ask me, it’s surely already planned, it’s just not known to us. Yet. 😉

Johan highlights Per Gessle is a man who likes good planning and order. He appreciates a great dramaturgy when it comes to writing the story of his bands. He has also read enough rock biographies in order to know how a nice finish should be directed. Therefore, it’s completely incomprehensible that he put his name on a tour plan where Gyllene Tider will celebrate his long career with a gig in Fredrikstad, Norway. I have to agree with Johan.

Johan says he has nothing against Norway, the country has good skiing places, but when Sommartider is played for the last time, it should happen in Sweden.

Public release of tickets for the tour is 9 am on 5th February. Johan doesn’t think the tour will sell out immediately, but the premiere gig in Halmstad and the last Swedish show planned for 3rd August in Gothenburg have a high chance to sell out faster than Per can say ”allsångsfest”. Haha. I have to agree with Mr. Lindqvist again. It would be quite reasonable to change the date of the concert and add it after Norway. But it’s not only the date, the venue should be changed too. To Ullevi, of course. GT made success there before and will do it again. Although many will see the band during summer, there will still be many who want to join in and fill Ullevi to pay tribute to Gyllene Tider during their last night.

Johan checked and Ullevi is booked only for Metallica and Summerburst this summer. So there is surely a chance to add GT in August. He asks Live Nation at the end of his article to make sure Gyllene Tider and the fans get a finale they deserve. At Ullevi.

Oh well. Fredrikstad is on Friday, 9th August. The distance to Gothenburg is only 210 km. So why not a finale at Ullevi on Saturday, 10th August? Or if not 3 gigs in a row, then OK, it can also be Sunday, 11th August. Who else is in for that? Or… Can 60,000 people fit in anywhere in Halmstad? 😉

Pic by Patrícia Peres taken at Ullevi, Gothenburg on 12th July 2013 

Gyllene Tider go on a farewell tour and release new album

We all expected Gyllene Tider to go on a 40th anniversary tour this year and now the announcement is out! It will not only be an anniversary tour, but four decades, four million sold records and several record tours later, at the same time it will be a farewell tour. The word farewell sounds a bit sad, but also promises one last summer full of joy and fun on the road! And hey, the band will live on forever through their music and their name is forever written in Swedish pop history and in fans’ beating hearts. 😉

There will be 17 concerts with the premiere in GT’s hometown, Halmstad and the last show in Fredrikstad, Norway. 15 gigs in Sweden, 2 in Norway. All tickets go on sale at 9 am on 5th February on livenation.se and livenation.no, but if you check Gyllene Tider’s Facebook page, you’ll be able to buy your tickets in a presale. See Live Nation’s promo video HERE!

Tour dates

4th July (Thursday) – Halmstad, Brottet
6th July (Saturday) – Malmö, Mölleplatsen
10th July (Wednesday) – Helsingborg, Sofiero Slott
12th July (Friday) – Skövde, Boulognerskogen
13th July (Saturday) – Linköping, Stångebrofältet
15th July (Monday) – Uppsala, Botaniska Trädgården
17th July (Wednesday) – Lysekil, Pinneviken
19th July (Friday) – Ronneby, Brunnsparken
20th July (Saturday) – Kalmar, Fredriksskans
24th July (Wednesday) – Piteå, Pite Havsbad
26th July (Friday) – Rättvik, Dalhalla
27th July (Saturday) – Stockholm, Sjöhistoriska
31st July (Wednesday) – Karlstad, Mariebergsskogen
2nd August (Friday) – Eskilstuna, Sundbyholms Slott
3rd August (Saturday) – Göteborg, Slottsskogsvallen
8th August (Thursday) – Trondheim (NO), Sverresborg Museum
9th August (Friday) – Fredrikstad (NO), Dampskipsbrygga

 

Per Gessle:

40 years is a long time and it’s absolutely fantastic that we as a band and our music have managed to touch several generations of Scandinavians. I’m fortunate to have been playing with Sweden’s best pop band. Anders’, Micke’s, Göran’s and MP’s expertise has given me endless opportunities to write powerpop just the way I longed for as a teenager.

Anders Herrlin:

I think it’s a perfect opportunity to end now. Everyone in the band is still active musicians and is in many ways better than ever. All of that we can bring in the new album and the summer tour – and say goodbye with all flags still flying.

Micke Syd Andersson:

This tour feels like our thanks to the amazing audience we have had a love story with for so many years. It will feel like a single long birthday party you share with friends and family – the end of an incredible journey you can only be grateful for having been part of.

Göran Fritzon:

It will certainly feel a little sad to go on Gyllene Tider’s last tour, but everything has an end. It’s just so hard to believe that it has been 40 years since everything started. But I have my Farfisa organ close at hand in the music room, so I feel I’m ready.

 

New album in spring

The band chose to record their seventh and last studio album in France.

Mats ”MP” Persson:

This is the first time we go abroad and record, so it will be incredibly fun. Per has recorded fairly simple demos to leave all the doors open for the band to arrange the songs together. Since we all come in with different ideas, quite unexpected things can happen, such as when we tested reggae arrangement for an ukulele song – which became ”Tuffa tider”.

Per Gessle:

We are like five brothers who don’t hang out on a daily basis, but when we meet, something happens that one can’t put a finger on. Personal chemistry? 1 + 1 = 3 theory? I don’t know, but we have always agreed on our love for pop music. With the summer tour we say thank you and farewell and I bend my neck and smile. Thank you all.

 

Bäst när det gäller – Gyllene Tider’s new song is out!

Gyllene Tider together with Linnea Henriksson made the official Swedish Soccer World Cup song. “Bäst när det gäller” (Best when it counts) premiered on Nyhetsmorgon, TV4 today. Per Gessle, Micke Syd Andersson and Linnea Henriksson were on TV to talk about the song and soccer. It was also revealed that a video to the song will be shot this weekend. Cosmos Music made available an official lyrics video until then.

“Bäst när det gäller” is available digitally on the usual platforms. There will be a physical release as well, a 7″ and a 12″ vinyl single on 1st June. The 7″ version is a limited edition single, released in 500 copies. The guys are in blue jerseys on the 7″ sleeve and in yellow on the 12″ sleeve. You can pre-order the singles at Bengans or Ginza or CDON.

Tracklist for the 2-track 7″ single:

  1. Bäst när det gäller
  2. Bäst när det gäller (Instrumental)

Tracklist for the 4-track 12″ single:

  1. Bäst när det gäller
  2. Bäst när det gäller (Bridge & Mountain Remix)
  3. Bäst när det gäller (Galavant Remix)
  4. Bäst när det gäller (Instrumental)

Per says, to write the official song is of course a huge challenge and you can’t say no to that. The guys in GT were extremely proud when they were asked. Mr. G says he already had the title in his mind for a while, but now he had the reason to write the text as well. It became a little story about a couple who are the best when it counts, but also a text filled with soccer references that most recognize.

Bäst när det gäller

När vi träffades i vimlet
Det var ett hat trick att minnas
jag kom från farmarlaget
Du var populär

Du sa du älskade fotboll
Jag såg en sol igenom fönstret
hur kan man låtsas att det regnar
när du ser ut så där?

Vi är bäst när det gäller
Vi är bäst när det gäller
Vi är bäst då när allt står på spel vi är bäst då när allt kan gå fel

Liksom dårar på nätet
Gillar vi ringarna på vattnet
Vi vill att världen ska få veta
Vår karaktär (eller vad säger du, Per?)

Att aldrig tappa kontrollen
Att aldrig ta nåt med en klackspark är aldrig tvåa på bollen
När du ser på mej så där

Vi är bäst när det gäller
Vi är bäst när det gäller
Vi är bäst då när allt står på spel vi är bäst då när allt kan gå fel

© Per Gessle

 

Official Swedish Soccer World Cup song by Gyllene Tider

It’s all about sports these days. First table tennis, now soccer! Gyllene Tider together with Linnea Henriksson will make the official Swedish Soccer World Cup song. The title is “Bäst när det gäller” (Best when it counts).

Per says, to write the official song is of course a huge challenge and you can’t say no to that. The guys in GT were extremely proud when they were asked.

Mr. G says he already had the title in his mind for a while, but now he had the reason to write the text as well. It became a little story about a couple who are the best when it counts, but also a text filled with soccer references that most recognize. The song is already recorded and will be released at the end of May. The recording sessions took place mid March when Per posted a picture of himself and Linnea in the studio.

As Micke Syd says, they recorded “Bäst när det gäller” with experienced technician Stefan Boman and Christoffer Lundquist mixed it later. To the question how it sounds, Per laughs and replies ”just like when Halmia takes the lead in Örjans vall on a beautiful day”.