Per Gessle to release The Lonely Boys demos!

Per Gessle continues the tradition of releasing music in connection with his birthday on 12th January, and in 2025, he offers something truly special.

Mats Olsson, writer, reporter and a very good friend of mine, wrote an amazing book called “De ensamma pojkarna” (translates into “The Lonely Boys”) about a striving young Swedish rock group in the ’60s. Someone came up with the brilliant idea that Nisse Hellberg (from one of my favourite Swedish bands) Wilmer X and yours truly should try to write a “soundtrack” to the book.

Three of my songs (“Adam & Eve” + “Apple In The Mud” + “Keep The Radio On (This Is The Perfect Song)” were born on the road with Roxette. We were on our “Crash! Boom! Bang!” tour and these songs were written in April 1995 in Santiago, Chile.

“Lonely Boys” and “Stay (At Home, At Work, At Play)” were born in June 1995 while “Genius Gone Wrong” goes way back to 1984.

I recorded my six demos together with MP Persson and Micke Syd during two hectic days in July 1995 at the Tits&Ass Studio in Halmstad.

By the way, there’s another song by me on the “real” Lonely Boys album (“I Wanna Be With You”) which made it to the record only because “Stay (At Home, At Work, At Play)” didn’t really fit in. Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.

The “I Wanna Be With You” demo was made in November 1994 and is not included on the vinyl maxi EP but stands loud and proud, just like the other six tracks, in a brand new mix by MP on all streaming services for your listening pleasure. Have fun!

These fantastic power pop songs are now being released in a refined form with completely new mixes. 6 of them are released as a 12″ vinyl in limited edition on 10th January.

Order a limited signed copy by Per Gessle HERE!

The Per Gessle Archives – The Lonely Boys – Demo Sessions 1995

SIDE A

1 Lonely Boys (T&A Demo July 4, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
2 Apple In The Mud (T&A Demo July 4, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
3 Keep The Radio On (This Is The Perfect Song) (T&A Demo July 5, 1995 – 2024 Mix)

SIDE B

1 Adam & Eve (T&A Demo July 4, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
2 Genius Gone Wrong (T&A Demo July 5, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
3 Stay (At Home, At Work, At Play) (T&A Demo July 5, 1995 – 2024 Mix)

Produced by Per Gessle

Recorded at T&A Studios, Halmstad July 4-5, 1995

Engineer: Mats Persson

Mixed by Mats Persson at T&A Studios, Halmstad August 2024

Played by

Micke Syd Andersson: drums
Per Gessle: electric guitars + piano + harmonica + synthesizer + vocals
Mats Persson: electric guitars + bass guitar

Words + Music by Per Gessle

Published by Jimmy Fun Music

Mastering: Mats Persson, T&A Studios Halmstad

Design: Pär Wickholm, Wickholm Formavd., Stockholm

Photo by Åsa Gessle

The digital edition contains the 1994 demo of I Wanna Be With You in a 2024 mix as well. Tracklist:

1 Lonely Boys (T&A Demo July 4, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
2 Apple In The Mud (T&A Demo July 4, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
3 Keep The Radio On (This Is The Perfect Song) (T&A Demo July 5, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
4 Adam & Eve (T&A Demo July 4, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
5 Genius Gone Wrong (T&A Demo July 5, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
6 Stay (At Home, At Work, At Play) (T&A Demo July 5, 1995 – 2024 Mix)
7 I Wanna Be With You (T&A Demo Nov 2, 1994 – 2024 Mix)

Listen to it on Spotify, YouTube, Deezer, Apple Music or any other streaming platform!

Roxette – Help! (Abbey Road Sessions November 1995)

On 15th November 1995, Roxette recorded 4 acoustic tracks at the Abbey Road Studios in London. Those songs were 3 Rox hits (The Look, Listen To Your Heart, You Don’t Understand Me) and a wonderful cover of The Beatles gem, Help! All 3 Roxette tracks were already released on the You Don’t Understand Me single and YDUM also appeared on the Anyone single later. Help! (Abbey Road Sessions November 1995) is released digitally for the first time on 8th May, but earlier it was released on The RoxBox. Marie’s vocals are stunning! Listen to it on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube or other digital platforms.

Per about the single:

In these days of seclusion and confusion this digitally unreleased pearl is very much needed. Roxette paid homage to The Beatles on a sunny day in November 1995 at the Abbey Road studio in London. “Help!” is the first taste of the “BAG OF TRIX – Music from the Roxette Vaults” album series that will pop up when you least expect it. Enjoy!

Parts of the Abbey Road recording sessions can be seen in the documentary, Really Roxette. The album sleeve photo of Marie and Per was taken by Marie Dimberg in 1989 when Roxette was in London to appear on TV with The Look in Top of the Pops. You can see this picture in Sven Lindström’s book, Roxette – Den osannolika resan tur och retur. The famous Abbey Road crossing is still very popular. You can wacth it online all day long via a live cam on the studio’s website. The album sleeve itself would deserve a physical release and the song would definitely sound fantastic on vinyl.

The Beatles released Help! (written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney) in 1965 and it was No. 1 both in the UK and in the US. After 55 years, it still sounds amazing, even if John told in an interview that he regrets a bit that it became too fast, because they tried to make the song more commercial. I’m quite sure he would have liked Roxette’s slow version.