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Gyllene Tider – Hux Flux – Hela Sveriges dagbok – RoxBlog review

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When Anders Roos and Jan-Owe Wikström joined their forces in 2019 to create a Gyllene Tider book, we all thought that would be a last one. Of course, a last one, since it was related to the band’s farewell tour after 40 years. But… we are all lucky the Golden Guys have changed their minds 4 years later.

After the boys decided to record a new album in June 2022, Anders Roos joined them in the studio in Harplinge and started taking photos. He never stopped until the last chords were played on tour, so there is again a huge amount of wonderful pictures that are now presented to us in this so-called diary. Via these photos you get access to places you never see as a fan, i.e. backstage, tour bus, soundcheck, rehearsals, recordings, but you also get to see the band on stage from a different angle vs. what you see from the crowd. And who knows, if you were standing in the front, you might find yourself in the pics too.

Jan-Owe Wikström collected diary-like stories from the band, their family members, technicians, fans and other fun people around the guys. Most of them we never heard talking about their relations to Gyllene Tider. Everyone gets a separate little chapter. Band members add their thoughts in more than one chapter. The foreword is written by Per Simonsson who directed the upcoming film about Gyllene Tider.

The title says whole Sweden’s diary, but it’s not only Swedes talking. There are also fans from around the world, coming from South America and Australia even.

One chapter is written by me (got shortened of course, because I always write too much, you know that, haha), a bit of how I go from one concert to the other together with my friend, Sandra Knospe from Germany, what happened in Piteå and how I write about the concerts for RoxBlog.

In the book there is everyone from band members to fans, from manager to technicians, from artist colleagues to family members, literally, everyone. And everyone shares all their thoughts related to this band that means Swedish summer. The book is just as positive as a GT sommar is.

Happenings are covered from the album recording through the dress rehearsal at Halmstad Arena and the pre-premiere gig at Hotel Tylösand to all concerts on tour. Via the stories you go through the whole Hux Flux journey and it also turns out how it didn’t become a Pers Garage project.

Here is a list of people who have added their diary notes to the book: Per Gessle, Micke Syd Andersson, Anders Herrlin, Mats MP Persson, Göran Fritzon, Dea Norberg, Malin-My Wall, Marie Dimberg (manager), Staffan Karlsson (Sweetspot Studio), Johan Olsson (Warner Music), Peter Fredriksson (stage technician), Valdemar Wahlbeck (actor who plays Per in the upcoming GT movie), Rolf Gustafsson (who recorded a lot of GT stuff in 1981 in Sjönelund – parts of it you coukd see on screen on tour during Leva livet), Helena Andersson (Micke Syd’s wife), 17-year-old Oliver wo sneaked in to both Halmstad concerts, Daniela Etchart Maluf (fan from Brazil), Brad Coverley (fan from Australia), Robert Ernlund (from the band Treat; GT’s first ever sound technician), Michael Viklander & Anna Ekedahl (fans from Sweden), Robert Kelber (lighting manager), Björn Nohlgren (organizer Nöjet AB), Kent Schubring (light technician), Rebecka Högstedt (fan from Sweden), Uno Svenningsson (artist, support act ont he GT tour 2023), Tobias Persson (comedian, actor; Join the Flumeride director), Johan Ilve (stage builder), Atli Egilson (security manager), Michael Sundelius (trailer driver), Patrícia Peres (fan from Hungary; RoxetteBlog), Gabriel Gessle (Per’s son), Lasse Lindbom (GT’s first producer), Micael Bydén (Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces), Gian-Carlo ”Calle” Grimaldi (production and stage manager), Tony Berg (Nightrider driver), Fredrik Arwidson (sound technician), Benjamin Ingrosso (artist), Fredrik Lilliestråle Stéen (friend, veteran), Eliza Roszkowska Öberg (fan from Poland who moved to Sweden), Liviu Nicolici (fan from Romania), Bo ”BoJo” Johansson (tour leader), Mikael Nogueira Svensson (guitar technician), Ana Slenc (merchandise manager), Christel Johansson & Åsa Florholm (fans from Sweden).

Editing the whole book must have been a challenging task, which photos to put next to which stories and how to design the pages. It turned out to be fab! The book looks really wonderful!

If you haven’t got your copy yet, you can search for this 240-page book at Bengans. You will receive an exclusive print signed by photographer Anders Roos if you order it from them. There are 10 different prints randomly attached. All prints are made of photos that can be found in the book.

You can also order the book at Ginza and you will of course find some copies at Hotel Tylösand too and in book stores around Sweden as well.

Photos by Anders Roos.

Gyllene Tider – Hux Flux – Hela Sveriges dagbok

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What does a Bo Diddley model Gretsch guitar have to do with Gyllene Tider? Why is Benjamin Ingrosso starstruck by Per Gessle? How much does Gyllene Tider mean to Micael Bydén, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces? What does Gabriel Gessle think of his father’s songs? Who moved a wedding, who left Australia, who has toured with Prince and who “dissed” Paul McCartney?

Never before has anyone come so close to Per Gessle, Micke Syd, Mats “MP” Persson, Anders Herrlin and Göran Fritzon in Gyllene Tider as in this photo-packed book.

Anders Roos started taking pictures already in connection with the “secret” album recording in Harplinge in June 2022 and Jan-Owe Wikström recorded the “diaries” from there and until the last chord sounded on Gyllene Tider’s eighth summer tour through Sweden, Norway and Finland.

But it is not only from the members’ own perspective, but also the families, artist colleagues, technicians, stage builders, staff around, the organizers, industry people and fans who all have their own stories to tell and relationship to the band that for decades planted power pop in the Swedish folk soul.

This is “Gyllene Tider – Hux Flux – Hela Sveriges dagbok”. And a little of the world. With a foreword by Per Simonsson who directed the upcoming film about Gyllene Tider.

The book will be published on 24th November, is bound in the format 215 x 280 mm and consists of 240 pages.

Pre-order it at Bengans and you will receive an exclusive print signed by photographer Anders Roos that you can frame! (There are 10 different prints randomly attached.)

You can also pre-order the book at Ginza.

CONTEST – Win a signed copy of Staffan Öfwerman’s biography!

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Your Backstage Pass to My Life in Music by Staffan Öfwerman is a truly remarkable biography. Written by Staffan himself, the book chronicles his life as a musician behind several Swedish artists, with a significant focus on his time with Roxette, where he worked as a musician during their peak years. The book is not presented in chronological order; instead, Staffan weaves captivating stories that revolve around similar themes, blending various anecdotes from different periods of his life in an entertaining manner.

Opening with a fantastic experience of performing at a retirement home, the first chapter sets the tone for the book. Your Backstage Pass to My Life in Music also includes a selection of both black-and-white and color photographs. Moreover, readers gain access to a private website where they can explore a treasure trove of Staffan’s photographs taken during his numerous tours. These images are truly unique, never seen before by the public.
Furthermore, the website features a treasure trove of video and audio clips, including demos and unreleased songs. These elements complement the reading experience, offering a multi-dimensional glimpse into Staffan’s extraordinary musical career.

As Staffan shares his journey, the personal touch of the author and his direct involvement in these events make the reading experience even more captivating. The narratives are authentic, coming from someone who was an insider throughout these experiences.
In conclusion, Your Backstage Pass to My Life in Music is an excellent and entertaining book that takes readers on an enthralling journey. Staffan’s firsthand accounts and musical prowess make this biography a must-read for anyone seeking an insider’s perspective.

A great advantage is that the book is written in English. The 286-page biography was published in June 2023 and contains photos as well. It can be ordered HERE!

Everyone who has purchased the book gets access to an online backstage area with exclusive content.

Listen to Staffan’s solo music HERE!

Staffan kindly offered one signed copy for a RoxBlog contest. In order to participate, answer the following questions correctly:

  1. Name at least 3 songs on Roxette’s Joyride album where you can hear Staffan singing backing vocals! – Hotblooded, Fading Like A Flower, I Remember You, The Big L., (Do You Get) Excited?, Church Of Your Heart, Small Talk
  2. What’s the title of the latest single released by Staffan as a solo artist? – Let Us Take You Higher
  3. What’s the title of Ofwerman’s 1987 debut single written by Per Gessle? – Young

Send an e-mail with your name, address and the correct answers to the questions to roxblog.contest@gmail.com until 23:59 CET, 5th November 2023. The lucky winner will be announced on 6th November 2023. Good luck!

UPDATE on 6th November: the winner has been picked and informed via email about his winning. Thanx, everyone, for taking part! The winner is Michael Haskamp from Germany! Congrats!

Contest terms and conditions:
– In order to participate, you have to send an e-mail to roxblog.contest@gmail.com with name, address and correct answers to the 3 questions. We will consider all e-mails we receive until 23:59 CET on 5th November 2023.
– 1 winner will be picked randomly among those who have participated and sent the correct answers.
– You can only participate once. Any attempt to participate twice or more times will lead to your disqualification.
– Prizes won’t be paid out in cash. Prizes will be sent by registered mail only once.
– The winner will be announced on this website, on our Facebook page and will also be notified per e-mail. You’ll be required to answer the e-mail confirming your address.
– RoxetteBlog will not enter into any correspondence regarding the result of the contest and is not liable for any damages, loss or expenses that may result in connection to the prizes.
– By taking part in the contest, personal data (first name, surname, e-mail address and address) will be collected. These data are needed in order to run the contest, particularly in order to match participation applications to their entries as well as to identify and notify the winners. This method of processing data is therefore required pursuant to Article 6 Paragraph 1 lit b of the GDPR to fulfil contractual obligations. The personal data collected will be processed and used by RoxetteBlog only to the extent that is required in order to run the contest. The personal data will be stored for the duration of the contest and – in order to process any claims relating to winnings and damages – for a maximum of 6 months afterwards and they will then be deleted. By participating, you agree to all above mentioned and your name being published on this website, as well as on our social media channels in case you win.

Per Gessle on Nyhetsmorgon on TV4 talking about Pugh Rogefeldt

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Per Gessle was a guest on TV4’s morning show, Nyhetsmorgon on 13th October, release day of his new single, a cover of Pugh Rogefeldt’s Vandrar i ett regn. Program leaders Sofia Geite and Steffo Törnquist interviewed him.

The interview starts with premiering the song’s video and after they play a short part of it, Steffo says it’s such a good song choice, because one could think it could have been written by Per. It fits Per very well. PG agrees that it’s a fantastic song. Steffo says Pugh was great and Per discovered him early. Mr. G says the first time he saw Pugh must have been 1974 in Halmstad’s folk park. He played there with his band, Rainrock. He had a scarf on his head and a long ponytail and after a few songs he took off the bandana and everyone saw he had shaved his hair and was bald, just had the ponytail left. The whole audience was shocked. Per says you had never seen anything like that before. Pugh took a bet with his brother, but when his brother saw how Pugh looked, he withdrew himself from the bet. Haha.

The following year Pugh was on tour and played at Halmstad Theatre. There they played, among other songs, Vandrar i ett regn, Per says. Steffo says it’s a song that makes you happy and it’s lovely. PG thinks it has fantastic lyrics and it’s a wonderful song. Pugh was a great songwriter. Steffo mentions a word Pugh uses, “gamman” for happy. “Glad och gamman” in the lyrics, Per thinks it’s a nice expression. He had to check what that meant.

Steffo says Pugh was purely musical too and very innovative. Per agrees. He says Pugh actually created his own language, Pughish. That was even the title of his second album, Pughish. He simply wrote lyrics in his own language. It’s very unique. So there was a musical madness in all this fantastic melodic work he did. Per likes his songs a lot. He thinks there are similarities between Pugh’s lyrics and for example John Lennon’s lyrics. Sometimes there are these kind of nonsense lyrics that you can make your own and you can interpret them as you want. A bit like how Per tried to write The Look. That song isn’t about anything, but you can make it your own. That’s the cool thing about pop music and PG thinks Pugh was a master of it.

Sofia mentions that there will be a tribute concert for Pugh at Cirkus in Stockholm. That place has been chosen for a reason, also because it was where Pugh had his last concert. Per was there in the audience then. He says it was a great concert, but it was a bit strange, because Pugh behaved a bit odd. Per doesn’t know why. He says he was there with his producer, sitting in the first row of the gallery and at one song Pugh went out into the audience and sang the song. He caught sight of Per, walked up to him and then he hugged Per. PG doesn’t really understand why. It was a long hug and a bit magical in a way. In retrospect now it feels super wonderful.

Steffo says Gyllene Tider and Pugh toured together. Per smiles and says Pugh wasn’t a support act, because he was too good for that, he was a special guest for Gyllene Tider in 2004. It was a huge tour. They of course met during the tour, but they didn’t travel together. On a tour it’s when they play, you are in the dressing room, changing clothes, you are getting ready for your part, putting on your make-up and stuff, Per says, so you often miss out on each other.

Sofia says that the big hug Pugh gave Per must have been a surprise for PG, because he and Pugh didn’t have a very tight relationship. Per confirms he was surprised. Pugh was 5-6 metres away from him when he caught sight of PG, so he doesn’t know why he got the feeling. Sofia says probably this relationship meant a lot to Pugh.

Per tells Sofia and Steffo that Pugh asked him to help put together the setlist of what he would play as the special guest on the GT tour. He knew Per was a big fan. Mr. G made a list based on the early records that he loved, Pughish and Hollywood. Pugh always wondered why Per chose these weird songs that he had basically forgotten about. But those songs were so good.

Sofia aks Per what it was like to meet his idol when he was young. Because she knows PG had the chance to meet Pugh in some hotel foyer. Per says when Pugh played the folk park in Halmstad, he and his friends knew that they would be staying at a hotel in Vallås, outside Halmstad. They went there to the hotel and waited for the band to come. The band came and then they walked half a metre past. The guys sat there and were too shy to say anything at the age of 14. They just wanted to be close to the pop gods. Haha.

Regarding the Gyllene Tider movie, Per says the shooting lasts until next week and the movie is out next summer. Steffo asks how it feels. Per says it’s scary, but it’s cool. He has seen a bit of it and it’s amazing. The script is awesome, so he hopes the film will be as good as the script is. It’s a movie about 5 crazy guys in a small town who start a band. But in the end, it’s not like a documentary about Gyllene Tider. It ends with Sommartider released in 1982, so it’s kind of about how the band got there. Sofia asks Per if he recognizes himself or he sees new sides of him in the movie. [Here they show the group picture of Gyllene Tider and the cast.] Per points at the picture and says he recognizes himself there. Haha. PG says the actors interpreted the film well and they are incredibly talented. The director is also wonderful. The program leaders say it’s fun and they look forward to it. They also wish Per to have a good time at the Pugh gala.

Stills are from the morning show.

Per Gessle covers Pugh Rogefeldt’s “Vandrar i ett regn”

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Swedish artist and songwriter Pugh Rogefeldt passed away on 1st May 2023. The day the sad news came out, Per remembered him like this:

He was a magnificent artist, songwriter, singer. My early teenage life was coloured in the most unlikely shades by Pugh’s magical songs, lyrics and imagination. The “Pughish” album was my favourite. I sat in the eighth row at Halmstad Theatre when the “Ett steg till” tour came to town and was completely mesmerized. One of the greatest moments in my career is when Pugh read the stanza “Mina damer och herrar, det är gyllene tider för rock’n’roll” so that we at Gyllene Tider could use his voice in the intro to the song “Gyllene Tider för rock’n’roll” in 1981. Many years later, in 2004, we had the honour of having him as a support act on GT’s 25th anniversary tour. He wanted me to help him put together his setlist for the tour. I was happy to do that. Amazing, when you think about it.

As a tribute, Per releases a single, Vandrar i ett regn, a cover of Pugh’s song. Mr. G recorded it in April 2023. He says:

“Vandrar i ett regn” was released on Pugh Rogefeldt’s live album “Ett steg till” in 1975. An album that – besides other places – was recorded at Halmstad Theatre in December 1974. I was then fifteen years old and there, of course. Since then I have always loved this song and now that I had the honor to be at a tribute gala for dear Pugh, it felt natural to record and release my own version.

I worked together with pure Halmstad musicians; MP from Gyllene Tider on mandolin, Gicken Johansson on bass and lap steel, Magnus Helgesson on drums and Linnea Olsson on vocals. As icing on the cake, Ola Gustafsson from Norrland has added his fine guitar loops here and there.

I know Pugh heard my version before he passed away and of course it feels fantastic and big. He was a unique artist with exciting and high ambitions where he did not always take the easiest path. Thanks Pugh.

In the June episode of Nordic Rox, the Pugh Rogefeldt special, PG mentioned that the backing vocals on the live recording of Vandrar i ett regn from the double LP, Ett steg till are half crazy. It’s typically Pugh as well. Mr. G says it’s an homage to the Doo Wop ’50s style of music.

The B side of the single is a so far unreleased version of “If I Knew Then (What I Know Now)”. Per says:

It’s basically the same backing track as “Om jag vetat då” from “En händig man”, but with new vocals and no girls around this time. Forgot about it, but found it in my files.

Mr. G will perform at the tribute concert for Pugh Rogefeldt at Cirkus in Stockholm on 18th October.

I’m very proud and grateful to be involved. Pugh has meant a lot to me and my generation. I understand that everyone wants to join. He was unique, a forerunner. I learned so much about how you can stretch languages. That’s what Pugh did. I learned that there are no rules and norms to follow. He was an amazing man. It will be wonderful to pay tribute to him.

Listen to the single on any streaming site (Spotify, Deezer, YouTube)! Pre-order the 7″ vinyl edition at Bengans, Ginza or some other Scandinavian webshop! The vinyl is out on 10th November.

A video to Vandrar i ett regn is also out soon!