Roxette

A drink with Jonas Isacsson

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Bild 169When I decided to meet Jonas Isacsson, my story about him was already written – in my head. Back then I didn’t know that it would take me another seven months to finish this text. Why? Just because some bad things happened, I didn’t have spare time to write it, my iPhone crashed and didn’t let me play the recording of the interview – and most of all I wanted to do it right, it was meant to be perfect. But in the meantime I realized that there’s no way to write a perfect article about a guy who deserves it. The more I try, the less it works. I am, however, happy now that I finally made it. Please be gentle about my English. I did it all alone, I am not a native speaker and tried my best.

My wish to meet Jonas again and write a story about him came two years ago. When I finally got the chance to really meet and talk to him, I was more than happy. Finally, I would make it to Stockholm and could go for a beer with him. Why I wanted to meet Jonas? When we – Judith and I – interviewed him for Roxetteblog the very first time (November 2009, during Night Of The Proms), I had the feeling he has a lot of stories to tell, a lot of experiences to share. When we had met for the interview, we sat more than 2 hours talking to him and we could have gone another 2 hours if he had had the time. I, however, thought that not the complete story has been told. Some months and years later I really missed him during the Roxette tour, although Christoffer Lundquist did a tremendous job. When I saw Christoffer running across the stage, hitting his guitar and making people in the audience go crazy with his acting and watching, I thought about Jonas again and the feeling I had. I thought that he is just a compeletely different guy on stage. Calm, quiet, shy, withdrawn – whatever you may call it. It fascinated me that a guy can be so lost (in a positive way) in playing the guitar on stage that you can even hear it. Every tone sounds like you feel what he wants to tell with it, every break he makes means exactly that: to be silent for a very short moment.

So, after our first interview I was really eager to talk to him again; just to hear what else he has to tell.
We meet in August 2013 again. It is a sunny day in Stockholm. It is the day of the “Tack för musiken” recording with Marie Fredriksson and it feels like a perfect day to talk about his career, life and thoughts about this and that. It is warm enough to sit outside and drink a beer – and so we do. I wanted Jonas to choose the location and he came up with a small diner in Södermalm. I ask him why he chose this location. “Because it’s so lovely and a nice location to sit outside. Many of my friends live here or around the corner.” I have a look around and notice he chose a vegetarian diner. Asked about that he says that he himself isn’t a vegetarian, but many of his friends are, but that he still loves the food. “I don’t eat that much meat actually, more fish and seafood. But this here is good food. You should try it. Although, I think they are a bit modest with spice. You should bring your own spice.” He thinks a lot before he speaks, he seems a bit nervous but still happy that we meet.

When I had passed the diner earlier I noticed a lot of drug addicts. “It’s nice anyway”, Jonas says about Södermalm after I mentioned the drug thing. “More people are around, it’s not that snobby here.” Of course, I want to know where in Stockholm it is snobby. “Östermalm. Old ladies with dogs out there and so on.” He laughs. We look around and think about Södermalm again. I read somehwere that Södermalm is the one place in Stockholm, where everyone wants to live and work. “It wasn’t like that 20 years ago”, Jonas says. He thinks again. “Pelle lives here. Pelle Alsing. I haven’t seen him in a while. I miss him.” I don’t know what to say in this moment and try to switch the topic.

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What is Per Gessle cooking?

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David Guetta, Per Gessle, Christoffer Lundquist in the studio - pic was posted on Roxette Official by Per
David Guetta, Per Gessle, Christoffer Lundquist in the studio – pic was posted on Roxette Official by Per

Since that studio photo of Per and Chris with David Guetta was posted on Roxette Official 2 days ago, tons of fans started discussions about what this new project could be. Well, yeah, we are discussing this topic continuously, whenever PG is in the studio. But is it a remix album in progress now or something completely new? Is it related to Roxette or some Per solo stuff?

Mr G said it even in one of the Nordic Rox shows that it’s easy to get stuck in your own style, so for example, he tries writing in keys that he doesn’t know that well. Why not a new genre then?

You might remember our earlier article about Per Gessle featuring Galavant, a house duo from Halmstad. They were together in the studio on 19th September 2013. It’s still not known what they recorded there, but that work must be also related to this new project.

 

Sebastian Atas, Per Gessle, Victor Sjöström - pic was posted by the guys from Galavant at their Instagram profile
Sebastian Atas, Per Gessle, Victor Sjöström – pic was posted by the guys from Galavant at their Instagram profile

One month later, on 24th October 2013, Per posted a selfie from a helicopter, saying he ”talked a lot to DJ Balthazar. Such a generous and talented fella.” DJ Balthazar is a Bulgarian DJ, whose music is something unique between techno and progressive house.

One month passed and Mr G posted a question on 18th November 2013 on Roxette Official:

Had a big “remix-discussion” over dinner….. Do you like remixes of our songs? If so, any favourites from the jolly and colourful Rox-past?

When it comes to remixes, fans are divided into 2 bigger groups. One part of them likes or even loves most of the remixes, the other part is never listening to them. I’m personally not much into remixes, but my ears say Bassflow did magic to ”The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye”. One thing is sure: almost everyone agrees on that anything can be better than ”Dance Passion” (1987).

So now here is this David Guetta piece of info some months later and we still don’t know what it is all about. I think via remixes, PG’s music can reach and be more appealing to the younger generation, so it’s fine to spread the word that way, too. But who knows if it’s really about remixes?

 

© Per Gessle
© Per Gessle

Surely this is not the only project Per is working on, since he was also posting a lot about vintage synthesizers, studio sessions in AGM and T&A studios and all this DJ info. He said it in interviews that he is also working on a soundtrack for a new Jonas Åkerlund film (which Jonas starts shooting this spring) and we know new Roxette material is also in sight in a near or a more distant future.

Hard to be patient when there are so many exciting bits and pieces of news, but again, Roxers are the best at waiting. Hope to hear the outcome of the project(s) quite soon.

 

Per Gessle’s complaint sent to Radio Halland

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pg_radio_halland

Per was a guest on Swedish Radio, P4 Halland this morning. They were talking about a letter Mr G sent to the radio 35 years ago (23rd February, 1979). You can also watch videos shot during the interview. Video 1, Video 2, Video 3.

The letter is about Radio Halland not playing Gyllene Tider often enough, just playing dance bands. He says they wrote quite a lot of letters like this. Radio Halland was special for them, since GT is from Halmstad and they thought the local radio should support local bands more. Per says he didn’t get a reply to that letter back then, he also forgot about it until 20 years later, when one day he entered the building of Radio Halland and saw it at the reception on the wall framed. He remembers they even sent postcards under fake names to have the chance to appear in Poporama (an old radio show).

Per says it was a tough time to make themselves heard, because just like now, the Swedish music industry was very Stockholm oriented. They had to use all the tools they could.

To the question when was the last time he wrote such a letter he laughed and said he stopped doing it now. By the way, some months after this letter had been written they got a contract from EMI Stockholm.

Photo of THE letter by Göran Fritzon
Photo of THE letter by Göran Fritzon

 

Per says he has always been doing what he loved, writing songs and playing them. He knew it from the very beginning that writing songs for others was not really his thing. He always wanted to play his songs himself.

To the question what was the biggest thing in his career when he is looking back he says it’s Roxette and the 4 Billboard No. 1’s. He says they were pioneers with their tours, touring in South America in the 90’s and also in China. If he thinks about Sweden only, Gyllene Tider is of course still enormous and performing in Ullevi was fantastic, but also their gig in Halmstad in 1995 was magical, then the Återtåget tour in 1996 and playing in Örjans vall in 2004.

As usual, Per says again it’s never clear which song will become a hit or what response you’ll get regarding a song. You have to find your own style and you have to be satisfied with your songs yourself, create them according to your own taste.

Regarding autographs Mr G says he didn’t even have an autograph back in the days, just look at the letter he wrote to Radio Halland, he hadn’t even signed it. Sometimes he did sign Marie’s autographs in the past, at the beginning. George Harrison also signed the others’ autographs in The Beatles he says.

Regarding what he still wants to do before he dies, Per says he wants to work and is looking forward to a new big and long Roxette adventure. Marie is on her solo tour now, but it’s a plan to do more Roxette. To the question if we can see him on stage with Marie during her tour he says he doesn’t think so.

 

 

 

Roxette to be featured in the Swedish Music Hall of Fame 2014

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smhof-logo-180The Swedish Music Hall Of Fame has announced the first artists to be featured in the Hall of Fame and, of course, Roxette is among them!

The artists featured in the Hall of Fame have had a significant influence on the development of pop music in Sweden. The selection is done by an expert jury formed by various Swedish music journalists.  There is one condition in order to be elected: the record debut must have occurred the last 20 years before receiving the distinction. So for this year artists who had their debut in 1994 or earlier were considered.

The exhibition featuring Roxette will open on March 20th and will be available throughout 2014.

These are the first 12 elections to the Hall of Fame:

  • Evert Taube
  • Jan Johansson
  • The Latin Kings
  • Nationalteatern
  • Cornelis Vreeswijk
  • Stina Nordenstam
  • Ebba Gro?n
  • Eva Dahlgren
  • Entombed
  • Monica Zetterlund
  • Roxette
  • ABBA

This is the reason why the jury chose Roxette:

Pop music at its purest involves getting the listener to experience an enhanced sense of life for three or four minutes. Few groups in pop history have used that formula as skilfully and lovingly as Swedish duo Roxette, comprising Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle. Only four Swedish acts have ever topped the US charts. Roxete did it four times. Songs like “The Look,” “Listen To Your Heart,” “It Must Have Been Love” and “Joyride” have become evergreens that never disappear from radio play lists.

The Swedish Music Hall of Fame is located in the same building as ABBA The Museum in Djurgården, Stockholm. Tickets cost 195 SEK and gives you access to both museums.

Congratulations!

Here’s the list of Roxette concerts we think should be released

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We all got very excited when Per Gessle posted these two posts on the Roxette official Facebook page on the 17th and 25th of January.

FRIDAY UPDATE: Having discussions with EMI (Warner) about re-releasing all VHS/DVD Rox live + documentaries from the past. How about that? Maybe a huge box set? Rox channel on YouTube? Guess the hardest part is to find the stuff in the vaults…. /P. [Post by Roxette Official.]

SATURDAY UPDATE: For your info: Hope to get most of the live VHS & DVD releases from the past out in the open (in top quality) for your insatiable eyes and ears to enjoy. It’s a little messy in the archives at the moment due to the huge EMI/Warner-merger but I’ve got new batteries in my flashlight!. We’re on the case, promise. /P. [Post by Roxette Official.]

At this point all comes down to a simple question: what to release. Or to be even more precise: what Roxette have rights to release and is in a decent audio/picture quality. Per admitted hismelf the hardest part is to find the stuff in the vaults. We have decided to compile a simple to-do, to-find, to-release list, in case Warner forgets how many great concerts Roxette recorded in the past! Let’s do the proper research together – in case we missed something, please drop us a line or two here in the comment section or on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/RoxetteBlog), so we might save a pearl or two from being forgotten 😉

With numbers (1, 2, 3…) we marked official VHS/laser disc/DVD releases, with letters (A, B, C…) – TV performances/internet broadcasts that could be counted as full scale gigs. For obvious reasons we have excluded all unprofessional, private and bootleg recordings as well as other single TV performances (playbacks or live). We didn’t count in one or two first songs from concert reports on TV as it’s a usual thing that journalists have access to those from each concert (as long as there are cameras in the arena). We are here for live experiences – ONLY!

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