Vinkompassen has just shared an advertisement of Sommartider wines from The Per Gessle Selection. More than that, if you are in Sweden and you are among the first 200 who order a case of 12 bottles from the deliciously refreshing Sommartider rosé or the summery Sommartider white, you get a personal greeting from Per himself. If anyone of you is getting that personal greeting, let us know what it is – if it’s not too personal. 😉
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjGldtRbB_E
Right at midnight CET, The Per Gessle Archives – Demos & Other Fun Stuff!, Vol. 1 became available on Spotify. That meant no sleep at all! And not only to me. My neighbours will surely kill me one day (if I’m not killed by Per’s voice by then)… Yeah, you could guess it, I’m in love with this stuff!
Started listening to the songs one by one and I got breathless already by the first track. Don’t want to reveal what song it (or part of it) became later, because it’s an amazing thing, listening to such a demo for the first time without knowing any background to it. Awesomeness! Goosebumps all over me!
Always loved how Per can leave a song alone for years, even for more than a decade and then suddenly take the demo out of his drawer, come up with new ideas to it and oh-la-la, a new song is born. He is talking about it in details in the Conversations with Sven Lindström. I could really listen to him talking about songs and songwriting 24/7.
Per says regarding the release:
I’m a big demo fan myself … and I know there are so many people out there – hardcore Roxette fans and Per Gessle fans – who are really interested in my work. I just thought it was a nice thing to release for those guys.
The conversations are just like what we are used to anytime there is an interview / discussion involving Mr G and Sven. Good mood, friends talking to each other with the same enthusiasm about music. Lots of fun, smiles and laughs.
It’s fab to hear that Per is still planning to release an acoustic album in the future. Not the first time he mentions it and I trust he will really come out with such a record. That will be a glorious day.
In the first volume we get many Gessleish lyrics and melodies, as well as tremendous amount of details about where, when, how or even why the demos were recorded. It’s also cool to have this mix of English and Swedish demos.
Per says regarding the project that there is ”no stone unturned”. He is so wrong! There ARE stones unturned, but he is doing it so right. He gives us so much, but there is still something left to be longing for. After this project he could do a ”1st version demos” compilation album. He surely knows that after listening to the 3rd or any other numbered version demos we are just too curious about how they sounded for the very first time. Anyway, we can only be grateful for this wonderful gift from him. Still 10 volumes are waiting for us! Woohoo!
Enjoy listening to the first volume and don’t forget that Vol. 2 is out in a week on Spotify! iTunes will have it from 2nd June.
PG BOOKS UPDATE: No, these are not the real covers. These were made for a catalogue that had to be printed early. The proper covers are not done yet. However, the titles are correct./P.
Some days ago we wrote an article about the 2 books of Per Gessle that are going to be published in September. Now the 2 covers are revealed and we can completely understand what the ”happy marriage they will make together” means as Per put it in his update. The covers look pretty cool and by putting the books next to each other on your shelf, you’ll have that mysterious gaze of Mr. G.
You’ll be able to buy the books separately. Bengans has already listed them (English, Swedish) and Bokus, too (English, Swedish). One book is in Swedish and its title is Texter, klotter & funderingar. Den svenska delen. It will contain 153 Swedish lyrics, drawings, sketches, comments on songs by Per, as well as excerpts from Per’s studio diaries and private pics. The book will also contain an interview with Per about songwriting (done by Tomas Andersson Wij). The other book is in English and its title is Songs, Sketches & Reflections. The English part. It will contain 204 English lyrics, drawings, sketches, comments on songs by Per, as well as excerpts from Per’s studio diaries and private pics. The book will also contain a long interview with Per about songwriting (done by Sven Lindström). The 2 books together are appr. 700 pages long. Bokus might have the wrong number of pages, since in the Sydsvenskan article it was the other way round, the English book being longer, not the Swedish one. And it would make sense, taking into consideration that the English book will contain more lyrics.
The books are set to be published by Roos & Tegnér on 25th September, one day after the release of The Per Gessle Archives box-set. Ojojoj… It gets harder and harder to wait until September… What a torture! 😉
Thanx a lot for finding the books, Celestte Williams & Evgeny Perekopskiy!
Update on 13th May:
Ginza (English, Swedish) and Adlibris (English, Swedish) also listed the books.
We didn’t have to wait long for the tracklist of The Per Gessle Archives – Demos & Other Fun Stuff!, Vol. 2 after Vol. 1 appeared yesterday on iTunes for pre-order. The digital release of Vol. 1 on Spotify is 16th May and Vol. 2 is out on 23rd May. As iTunes announced it, the first 2 volumes of the total of 11 in the complete box-set will be available at them from 2nd June. Box-set is out on 24th September.
Vol. 1 includes 16 tracks (47:13) and 34m 01s conversation between Sven Lindström and Per; Vol. 2 includes 14 tracks (46:22) and 27m 39s talk.
iTunes price of Vol. 2 will surely be corrected just as Vol. 1’s price has been changed to 135 SEK (11.99 EUR). Very good price for a lot of goodies, right?
Tracklist:
1 Kvar i min bil (AGM – Apr 28, 2007) 2:37
2 Apple in the Mud (T&A Demo – Jul 4, 1995) 2:45
3 Beautiful Girl (T&A Demo – Apr 19, 1999) 3:51
4 Stay (At Home, At Work, At Play) [T&A Demo – Jul 5, 1995] 4:00
5 When I Close My Eyes (No One Can See Me) [T&A Demo – Jul 20, 1999] 3:23
6 Heaven Is Just a Motion Away (T&A Demo – Jan 28, 2006) 2:42
7 Jo-Anna Says (T&A Demo – Jan 8, 2005) 3:15
8 Mannen med gitarr (T&A Demo – Nov 20, 2002) 3:11
9 Hold on My Heart (T&A Demo – Oct 6, 2012) 2:42
10 Västra sidan (T&A Demo – Nov 18, 1984) 2:57
11 Jag borde förstås vetat bättre (T&A Demo – Oct 28, 2003) 3:20
12 Being with You (T&A Demo – Sep 11, 1997) 4:00
13 Faller ner på knä (T&A Demo – Feb 15, 1996) 3:46
14 Gå & fiska! (T&A Demo – Feb 15, 1996) 3:53
1 Intro Demos & Other Fun Stuff! Vol. 2 (The Conversations with Sven Lindström) 3:23
2 Kvar i min bil (Agm – Apr 28, 2007 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 1:32
3 Apple in the Mud (T&A Demo – Jul 4, 1995 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 1:58
4 Beautiful Girl (T&A Demo – Apr 19, 1999 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 2:21
5 Stay (At Home, At Work, At Play) [T&A Demo – Jul 5, 1995 – Conversation with Sven Lindström] 2:07
6 When I Close My Eyes (No One Can See Me) [T&A Demo – Jul 20, 1999 – Conversation with Sven Lindström] 0:35
7 Heaven Is Just a Motion Away (T&A Demo – Jan 28, 2006 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 2:33
8 Jo-Anna Says (T&A Demo – Jan 8, 2005 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 1:35
9 Mannen med gitarr (T&A Demo – Nov 20, 2002 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 0:37
10 Hold on My Heart (T&A Demo – Oct 6, 2012 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 2:36
11 Västra sidan (T&A Demo – Nov 18, 1984 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 2:31
12 Jag borde förstås vetat bättre (T&A Demo – Oct 28, 2003 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 1:02
13 Being with You (T&A Demo – Sep 11, 1997 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 1:48
14 Faller ner på knä (T&A Demo – Feb 15, 1996 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 1:27
15 Gå & fiska! (T&A Demo – Feb 15, 1996 – Conversation with Sven Lindström) 1:34
I’m so glad to see my personal fave PG demo, Mannen med gitarr on the list! A pity that there is only a very short conversation about it (0:37). It’s not too easy to wait until the digital release of these 2 volumes and hear all the gems, as well as the story of all the songs. I bet it will be even harder to wait for the box-set release after we get to hear these 30 tracks and all the other fun stuff.
iTunes revealed the tracklist of “Demos & Other Fun Stuff! – Vol. 1” that will included the “The Per Gessle Archives” box-set and released digitally on Spotify on May 16th. Volume 1 will contain 16 tracks plus additional comments by Per about each song in interviews done by Sven Lindström.
Volume 2 will be out one week later on May 23rd. The album will be released on iTunes on June 2.
The tracklist sounds promising, doesn’t it?
The cover of Volume 1, which is going to cost 135 SEK (11.99 EUR) (corrected price, Per let us know that the initial price set by iTunes was incorrect), was also added to the iTunes listing.
1 Walk on, Lonely Eyes (T&A Demo – Dec 16, 1999)
2 Being with You (T&A Demo – Oct 22, 2004)
3 Loud Clothes (T&A Demo – Aug 30, 2002)
4 Cafe con leche (AGM – Apr 25, 2007)
5 Fish in a Bowl (T&A Demo – Apr 30, 2000)
6 Hjärta av glas (T&A Demo – Apr 2, 2006)
7 Something in the System (T&A Demo – Jan 3, 2002)
8 Black Sails (Studio 38 Demo – Summer 1982)
9 Always the Last to Know (T&A Demo – Nov 21, 2004)
10 Den tunna linjen (T&A Demo – May 15, 2010)
11 A Girl Like You (T&A Demo – Sep 25, 2004)
12 Byter bara blickar (T&A Demo – Nov 21, 1997)
13 Lägg din hand i min om du har lust (Hamilton Demo – Jun 12, 1978)
14 Kyss från en främling (T&A Demo – Oct 18, 1999)
15 What’s She Like? (T&A Demo – Dec 3, 2010)
16 Before You Go to Sleep (T&A Demo – Nov 23, 1992)
1 Intro Demos & Other Fun Stuff! Vol. 1 (The Conversations with Sven Lindström)
2 Walk on, Lonely Eyes (T&A Demo – Dec 16, 1999 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
3 Being with You (T&A Demo – Oct 22, 2004 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
4 Loud Clothes (T&A Demo – Aug 30, 2002 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
5 Cafe con leche (AGM – Apr 25, 2007 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
6 Fish in a Bowl (T&A Demo – Apr 30, 2000 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
7 Hjärta av glas (T&A Demo – Apr 2, 2006 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
8 Something in the System (T&A Demo – Jan 3, 2002 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
9 Black Sails (Studio 38 Demo – Summer 1982 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
10 Always the Last to Know (T&A Demo – Nov 21, 2004 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
11 Den tunna linjen (T&A Demo – May 15, 2010 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
12 A Girl Like You (T&A Demo – Sep 25, 2004 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
13 Byter bara blickar (T&A Demo – Nov 21, 1997 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
14 Lägg din hand i min om du har lust (Hamilton Demo – Jun 12, 1978 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
15 Kyss från en främling (T&A Demo – Oct 18, 1999 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
16 What’s She Like? (T&A Demo – Dec 3, 2010 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)
17 Before You Go to Sleep (T&A Demo – Nov 23, 1992 – Conversation with Sven Lindström)