table tennis

PG Roxette – “The Craziest Thing” single with “Just Perfect” as B side is out!

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The Craziest Thing was originally released on PG Roxette’s debut album Pop-Up Dynamo! It was written by Per Gessle and Eddie Jonsson. In connection with the European Table Tennis Championship in Malmö 10th-17th September 2023, a new version of the song, The Craziest Thing (Lost Boy Remix) has been produced and it’s the official song of the EC.

Peter Johansson, project manager for the European Table Tennis Championship says:

It feels incredibly fun that Per Gessle is once again making a song for a major table tennis championship. It was a success last time in connection with the World Championship in Halmstad. This song is pompous and happy and will do perfectly in Malmö Arena. I’m also convinced that it will work excellently as a boost for our Swedish players in the hunt for the medals at home.

Per Gessle says:

I feel incredibly honored to once again be responsible for the official table tennis song in the context of the EC and WC. In 2018 it was the WC in jolly Halmstad and then it was “Name You Beautiful”, this time at the European Table Tennis Championship in Malmö my contribution is called “The Craziest Thing”. Filled with twisted energy and as effective and fast as a diagonal forehand smash.

The B side of the single is a previously unreleased song, Just Perfect. Per says:

“Just Perfect” was written in October 2014 for the “Pretty Woman”-musical. I was in touch with Jonathan Lawton (who wrote the script to PW, both movie + musical) and the basic idea was to create a “bookend” to “It Must Have Been Love”. “IMHBL” would appear at the end of the musical and “Just Perfect” in the beginning.

The lyrics told the story about the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles where some important parts of PW took place. Btw, Elvis Presley stayed at that particular hotel for six months during his heydays, hence the Elvis-reference in my lyric.

Jonathan loved the song but it all went nowhere when director Gerry Marshall decided that Bryan Adams was going to write all the songs to the PW-musical instead. Not even “It Must Have Been Love” got included. Shit happens and no worries. Personally, I think Bryan did an amazing job with all his new stuff.

So here’s “Just Perfect”. I re-used the idea for the chorus in Roxette’s “This One” a few months later if it sounds familiar. That’s the way I am.

Listen to the single HERE and don’t forget to order the physical copy, a limited edition vinyl 7″ HERE!

The Craziest Thing (Lost Boy Remix)

I know you’re trying to please
You make me weak in the knees
When you come around, aha
I love hanging out with you
Love the things that you do
To find higher ground, aha
But baby, my mind is drifting
My focus keeps on shifting
Baby, my mind is drifting

In a certain light you tend to look just like her
It’s the craziest thing
In a certain light you tend to look just like her
It’s the weirdest thing

I know you want this to last
To make me wipe out the past
And go to Square One
I don’t know what to do
Hey, I haven’t got a clue
How to unblock the sun, aha
Got a reason my mind is drifting
The attention keeps on shifting
Got a reason my mind is drifting

In a certain light you tend to look just like her
It’s the craziest thing
In a certain light you tend to look just like her
It’s the weirdest thing

Words by Per Gessle
Music by Per Gessle + Eddie Jonsson
Published by Jimmy Fun Music
Original recording produced by Magnus Börjeson + Clarence Öfwerman + Per Gessle
Remix produced by Lost Boy at Lost Boy Studios, Umeå
Programming: Lost Boy
Vocals: Per Gessle + Helena Josefsson + Dea Norberg

Just Perfect

I wanna welcome you to treasure
Magnificent rooms of joy and pleasure
Where anything is possible
We’re workin’ so hard to make things happen
Elvis is gone but not forgotten
We’re still makin’ dreams wishable
And doable
Even things unthinkable
Can happen right here in this hotel
In gold with roses watching

This is perfect
Just perfect
It’s just perfect – oh oh oh
Just perfect – oh oh oh

We can be truly entertaining
Delightfully sharp and so persuading
Nothing less than wonderful
Offering pearls and shiny diamonds
Fine chandeliers and striking tables
We make your life so powerful
And colourful
Even things incredible
Will happen right here in this hotel
In gold with roses watching

This is perfect
Just perfect
It’s just perfect – oh oh oh
Just perfect – oh oh oh

Words + music by Per Gessle
Published by Jimmy Fun Music
Produced by Per Gessle
Recorded at Tits & Ass, Halmstad October 2014
Engineer: Mats Persson
Programming + keyboards: Per Gessle + Mats Persson
Vocals: Per Gessle

Hallandsposten talked to Per Gessle about the table tennis EC

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As you already know, PG Roxette makes the official song for the Table Tennis EC in Malmö. Jan-Owe Wikström from Hallandsposten talked to Per about the song and table tennis.

PG says:

Fun and flattering to be asked again. I was still going to release the song as a single in a new version in the fall and when the association got in touch, it was killing two birds with one stone, a win-win situation for both.

The Craziest Thing will be released on 18th August.

It will be a cooler version where I have worked with Andreas Broberger. The song is slightly rewritten, but it’s not a completely new text or a new title like “The Craziest Ping Pong” or something.

Table tennis has always had a special place in Per’s heart:

Yes, it has always been around. It’s just like padel – anyone can play it. After all, Halmstad and ping-pong belong together, even if this time the EC is in Malmö.

Per remembers:

I remember when the Swedish Open Championships (SOC) were played in Halmstad and I was there. There I got my first autograph, from Bengt Grive, the TV commentator. Then I got some Chinese autographs too, which I couldn’t decipher.

The funny thing was that many years later, when Roxette had made a breakthrough, we ended up on the same flight. And when Grive found out I had his autograph, he wanted mine. So there it was 1–1. Haha.

Regarding who is the best at ping pong in PG Roxette, Mr. G says:

I was good for a while and I’m so old that I still count to 21. The worst is in any case Christoffer (Lundquist). So I have to say Magnus (Börjeson), the bass player, who is a real expert.

PG photo by Fredrik Etoall.

PG Roxette makes the official song for the Table Tennis EC in Malmö

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10th-17th September 2023, it’s time for the European table tennis elite to take Malmö Arena to settle the medals. On the men’s side, Sweden is one of the gold candidates with players such as World Cup runner-up Truls Möregårdh and double world champions Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson in the squad.

It is now clear that world artist Per Gessle with songs like It Must Have Been Love, Listen To Your Heart, The Look, När vi två blir en and Sommartider in his repertoire, will make the official European Championship song with PG Roxette.

The title is The Craziest Thing and the song will be released on all streaming platforms and as a vinyl single on 18th August.

Peter Johansson, project manager for the European Table Tennis Championship says:

It feels incredibly fun that Per Gessle is once again making a song for a major table tennis championship. It was a success last time in connection with the World Championship in Halmstad. This song is pompous and happy and will do perfectly in Malmö Arena. I’m also convinced that it will work excellently as a boost for our Swedish players in the hunt for the medals at home.

The song, which was originally released on PG Roxette’s latest album Pop-Up Dynamo!, was written by Per Gessle and Eddie Jonsson. In connection with the championship, a new version of the song has been produced.

Per Gessle says:

I feel incredibly honored to once again be responsible for the official table tennis song in the context of the EC and WC. In 2018 it was the WC in jolly Halmstad and then it was “Name You Beautiful”, this time at the European Table Tennis Championship in Malmö my contribution is called “The Craziest Thing”. Filled with twisted energy and as effective and fast as a diagonal forehand smash.

The European Table Tennis Championship will be held in Malmö Arena between 10th and 17th September 2023. The competition begins with a group stage 10th-12th September and then come the finals 14th-17th September. The organizers are the European Table Tennis Association, the Swedish Table Tennis Association and the host city of Malmö.

Press photo by Fredrik Etoall.

Read the Swedish press release HERE!