Jan-Owe Wikström

Gyllene Tider – the band that doesn’t exist

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Jan-Owe Wikström’s name or his nickname, Wicke should ring a bell to all fans, as he is the co-author of ”Roxette – The book” (1992) and the author of ”Gyllene Tider” biography (1997). He’s a Swedish journalist and writer, working at Hallandsposten. As Hallandsposten informs, he is writing a book about Gyllene Tider’s latest tour.

Wicke attended 11 concerts, followed the band backstage, spent a lot of time with the crew, was talking to many fans and photographer Anders Roos, who he is working with took about 20 000 photos during this adventure.

The book is going to be a ”road movie” book – that’s how Wicke calls it – and its working title is ”Bandet som inte finns” (= ”The band that doesn’t exist”). This is a fair title if you consider that Gyllene Tider split in 1985 and since then they had only temporary reunions.

The book will contain comparisons between now & then and is planned to be published in November, 2013.

 

GT_in_Orebro_21-07-2013

© Patrícia Peres

 

Gyllene Tider’s first time on stage.

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32 years ago.
Gyllene Tider – Live at Medborgarhuset (Bio Reflex) in Getinge

May 12, 1978, Friday at 7.30 pm
Tickets: 10 SEK [just 20 were sold, other people were allowed to enter for free]

The band:
Per Gessle
Mats Persson
Micke “Keef” Andersson (aka “Syd” in the later years)
Janne “Bas” Carlsson

Total time: 70 minutes

Per Gessle: This is we who are Gyllene Tider! (microphone wasn’t on)

1. Rebel, rebel (var blev du av?) [early version of “Åh Ziggy Stardust (var blev du av?)”]
2. Jag vet [Swedish version of Dr. Feelgood’s “I can tell”]
3. Pornografi [Per dedicated this one to Curt H-son, king of pornography]
4. London [7-minutes long ballad]
5. Min vän
6. Barbacka [heavy rock song]
7. Bobbos boogie [song about Magnus Uggla]
8. Det blåser upp till storm [11-minutes long; Per on his only solo on Gibson-guitar]

PG: We are going to end up this gig with one long track, probably too long, written by Tommy Steele.

9. Syndafloden [12-minutes long with 6-minutes long intrumental part inspired by Pink Floyd’s compositions]
10. Gloria [with both English and Swedish lyrics]

PG: Mats Persson on guitar, on drums our B52’s Micke “Keef” Andersson, on bas Janne Carlsson and my name is Rutger Backe.

RB was Halmstad’s BK’s goal shooter – Rutger Backe, though Per supported Halmian, the other Halmstad’s football team.

Source: Jan-Owe Wikström, Gyllene Tider, Stockholm 1997, pages: 26-30

Per: New album like a modern “Look Sharp!”

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Per Gessle was interviewed for Hallandsposten by Jan-Owe Wikström (co-author of “Roxette – The book”) just before NOTP’s Stuttgart gig.

The article reveals some interesting details about Roxette’s first studio album after nine years and their further present and future. I tried to translate some bits:

– I have already written 14 new songs. Two more and we have an album.
– It feels great, admits Per. Studio time is booked in the spring at Atlantis and Polar Studios in Stockholm and with Christoffer Lundquist down in Österlen. Marie wanted to record her vocals in Stockholm, so we decided to have more than one studio this time.
– We test ourselves with different arrangements and so put Marie on vocals. It’s fun to see Marie really passionate for it.
– He describes the upcoming album with the working title “Roxette 2010” like a modern version of Roxette’s 21-year-old breakthrough album “Look Sharp!”.
– Perhaps not the tracks. The production with a lot of machines, but with all the instruments, everything is clearly audible, “idiot-audible” as Clarence says.

About touring:

– There has been a tremendous response, both by audience and media, it’s a very emotional journey, as we have encountered old Roxette fans from around the world and simultaneously a new audience.
– It’s been a long road, but now … it shows really how Marie enjoys every moment, describes Per. Therefore, they are beginning to consider a Roxette tour on their own again.
– The next step would possibly be a 45-minute gig. But full concerts lasting nearly two hours still feel too long.

At the same time they believe to have discovered a greater interest in Roxette again.

– I received an email from Anders Herrlin, who was in New Zealand. He said that Roxette was played several times a day over there and he couldn’t simply understand that, Per laughs.

Source: Hallandsposten