Patrícia Peres

What would you like to see among the upcoming Per Gessle merchandise?

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During the past few years we all attended several tours. Roxette, Gyllene Tider, Marie Fredriksson, Per Gessle. One of the evergreen topics discussed among fans was the merchandise. There is a bunch of useful merch stuff, there are some gadgets which are good only to gather dust on a hardcore collector’s shelf and there are some which would never sell out of stock. Now, 5 months before the Per Gessle’s Roxette tour starts, we thought a poll could be an option to let your voice be heard and tell us what kind of merchandise you would happily buy during the tour. Please, vote for the ones you would definitely buy, because you find it cool, useful, a lovely thing to make you remember the tour anytime you use it or look at it. If you have any other idea to add to the list, please let us know in a comment on Facebook and we might add some more ideas to the list.

Of course, all items would ideally be printed with a PG pic or a tour logo. Regarding the T-shirts there are usually discussions about them including the tour dates or not, so there you will find two options.

Please, choose as many merch stuff as you wish, but don’t forget to choose ONLY those which you would definitely buy. This might be helpful for Mr. G’s team as well, to decide what to include. 😉

 

[yop_poll id=”31″]

Official Swedish Soccer World Cup song by Gyllene Tider

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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, “Bäst när det gäller” (Best When It Counts), perfectly captures the spirit of football, where determination, teamwork, and composure often make the difference between victory and defeat. Music has always played an important role in major sporting events, helping unite supporters from different countries while building excitement before the tournament begins.

Football has a unique ability to bring people together regardless of age, language, or background. From local youth matches to the biggest international competitions, the sport creates unforgettable moments that stay with fans for years. A single goal, a dramatic save, or a last-minute comeback can become part of football history, inspiring future generations to take up the game. Official tournament songs only add to that atmosphere, giving supporters an anthem they can associate with memorable matches and celebrations.

As excitement builds before the World Cup, fans often spend weeks discussing potential champions, standout players, and tactical approaches that could shape the tournament. Every national team brings its own style of play, making each match a unique contest. Some squads rely on quick counterattacks, while others focus on patient possession and creative passing. These different approaches keep football entertaining and unpredictable, which is one reason the sport continues to grow in popularity around the world.

The preparation leading up to a major tournament extends well beyond the players. Coaches carefully analyze opponents, training staffs monitor player fitness, and supporters eagerly follow every friendly match and squad announcement. Many fans also enjoy reviewing recent form, league performances, and head-to-head records before making predictions about upcoming fixtures. Resources like RubiScore Ltd make it convenient to keep up with football scores, match statistics, and schedules throughout the season and during major international competitions.

Beyond the professional stage, football continues to have a positive impact on communities. Schools, local clubs, and neighborhood teams encourage young athletes to develop discipline, communication, and confidence through regular training and competition. Even casual matches between friends can strengthen relationships while promoting an active lifestyle. The accessibility of the sport is one of its greatest strengths, as all it really takes is a ball and an open space to enjoy the game.

The release of an official World Cup song reminds everyone that football is about more than what happens on the pitch. It is also about the emotions shared by millions of supporters singing together before kickoff, celebrating victories, and standing behind their teams during difficult moments. Music and football complement each other by creating lasting memories that extend far beyond the final whistle.

With Gyllene Tider and Linnea Henriksson contributing the official Swedish Soccer World Cup song, fans have another reason to look forward to the tournament. Whether cheering from the stadium, watching from home, or following every match online, supporters can enjoy the combination of exciting football, passionate fans, and memorable music that makes the World Cup one of the most celebrated sporting events in the world.

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”.

Be part of the official video to Per Gessle’s new single!

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As you could see in Per Gessle’s video message, he tells the details about how to be part of the official clip to his new single, Name You Beautiful.

It’s the official song for the World Table Tennis Championship, so that’s why table tennis is involved. You can film yourself or anyone else singing along Name You Beautiful or playing ping-pong. 10 seconds are enough! Make sure you film in landscape mode, NOT in portrait! Send your video to tabletennis@gessle.com. If the file is too big to be sent in a simple e-mail, use wetransfer.com. Send your file to the pingis master until 30th March! Be creative and funny, guys and girls!

Per says he might even do a backhand himself, so fingers crossed he will also appear in the video! Maybe playing a match with Helena Josefsson? 😉

 

Per Gessle interview in Scandinavian Traveler magazine

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There is a short interview with Per Gessle in the March 2018 issue of SAS Scandinavian Traveler inflight magazine. The interview was done before the Melodi Grand Prix (Norway’s entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest) appearance of Charla K with ”Stop The Music” and it still states that Per would release his new English album this spring, which we already know will happen in autumn.

Love how the intro is written by Anders Dahlbom:

”An obsession. That’s how Per Gessle describes his relationship to music. An unadulterated passion for pop music that has colored almost the entire life of this simple guy from Halmstad.”

Anders and Per talk about Mr. G’s childhood, how it all started and the funny thing is, here it’s stated it all began with the hair. When Per as a 6-year-old went to have his hair cut. The barber was a relative, Artur and he promised not to clip Mr. G’s hair that fell down over Per’s ears, but in the end, he cut the hair off. Per cried for weeks as his Beatles haircut was gone.

It wasn’t really about the hair, rather the loss of a way of identifying with the pop world. The haircut had become such an iconic symbol. I wanted to get into the pop bubble.

During his teenage years, Per tried to find his way to express himself. He tried to learn to paint, shot movies with friends and worked in a theater. At high school he made friends with another student, Peter who was a bass player in a band, Audiovisuellt Angrepp. Mr. G went to see them practice in March 1977 and he tells Scandinavian Traveler that it changed his life.

Seeing how they created music together completely changed my life. The sheer power of expression, volume and creativity. From that moment, I just wanted to play in a pop band – nothing else would do.

Mats MP Persson was the drummer in Audiovisuellt Angrepp and they quickly became good friends. They started making music together and the rest is history.

Scandinavian Traveler writes that ”the joy of playing with others has been an everpresent feature in Gessle’s music over the years, regardless of whether he is playing with old friends in Gyllene Tider, on a huge world tour with Roxette, or with a country music band as he did during last year’s solo tour. But away from this, for songwriter Gessle, music has been mostly a job for a lone wolf.”

I’m quite comfortable working alone, even if the process has become a little more different at this stage in my life. I work more with others today than before.

Anders Dahlbom and Per talk about ”Stop The Music”, the Melodi Grand Prix contestant song penned by Gessle, Alex Shield and Charla K.

I actually don’t know who submitted the song. It’s one of many songs we’d written together sending files back and forth. I really come from another, older pop school, but it’s fun, mostly because it’s possible to write in this way.

About the upcoming album Per tells Scandinavian Traveler that he has employed a similar team approach to song composing. Many of his Swedish lyrics from En vacker natt and En vacker dag have been translated by American songwriter Sharon Vaughn.

Talking about the European tour in autumn, performing songs both old and new – the joy of playing with others remains as strong today as it was back in 1977.

Many of the songs I wrote as a young man I couldn’t write today. But it’s awesome to be able to interpret them now with a new group of musicians. A pop song is never finished; it just stops at different stages.

 

Thanx a lot for keeping your eyes open and sharing your pictures of the magazine with us, Erina Kuznitsyna!

Official song for the World Table Tennis Championship by Per Gessle

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Per Gessle’s new song, Name You Beautiful is the official song for the World Table Tennis Championship in Halmstad. The song premiered on February 27th during the European Championships qualification match between Sweden and Denmark (3-1). The game was played in Halmstad Arena.

We thought this really catchy hit song would be available digitally right after its premiere, but it seems we have to wait a bit more for being able to listen to it on the usual digital platforms. The good news is that it won’t be released digitally only, but as Per informed today, there will be 500 copies of 7″ vinyl singles. Woohoo! Can’t wait for the release date! Update on 1st March: there will be 500 blue copies & 500 yellow copies. How cool is that!

Official press release in English:

Per Gessle from Roxette writes official song for the World Table Tennis Championship in Halmstad

Halmstad native Per Gessle, with a track record of 80 million albums sold worldwide, is supporting the World Table Tennis Championship in Halmstad with a song composed especially for the event that will be seen by 350 million viewers all over the world.

Over 100 nations from all corners of the globe will visit the coastal city when the LIEBHERR World Team Table Tennis Championships descends upon Halmstad Arena between April 29th and May 6th 2018. On top of experiencing world class table tennis, visitors will also be able to enjoy world famous artist Per Gessle’s music, as he is behind the official WTTC-song “Name You Beautiful”, performed together with Helena Josefsson.

– When I was asked to write the official song for the tournament I didn’t hesitate. I was really up for the challenge. I wrote it together with some other local Halmstad-musicians, namely the guys from Galavant (Sebastian Atas and Victor Sjöström). Their super talented friend Viktor Broberg also contributed. We had lots of fun, says Gessle in a statement, adding:
– The song isn’t really a net ball, more like a killer smash in the backhand corner!

Johnny Ewerstein, project manager of the 2018 WTTC, is happy and pleased that Gessle chose to contribute a song to Sweden’s biggest sporting event 2018:
– This is absolutely fantastic! Gessle is a world renowned artist, and the fact that he stems from Halmstad makes it all the more special and an honor for us as hosts. We’re very glad and grateful for this song, which fits in excellently with a sporting event of this scope and importance.

The WTTC-song will be played publicly for the first time during the European Championships qualification match between Sweden and Denmark. The game is played in Halmstad Arena on February 27th at 18.30. Entry is free of charge, so don’t miss this opportunity to combine world-class table tennis with a brand new song from Per Gessle. The song will be available shortly on both Spotify and iTunes.

LIEBHERR World Team Table Tennis Championships 2018 is held between April 29th and May 6th in Halmstad Arena. The championship will be followed by 350 million viewers from around the globe, and will be monitored from approximately 350 journalists on location. 72 men’s and 72 women’s teams from around 100 nations are participating. Hosts are the International Table Tennis Federation, the Swedish Table Tennis Association and Destination Halmstad.

Photo: Anders Roos