Per Gessle in radio documentary about Jonas Åkerlund

Swedish Radio P3 did a radio documentary about Jonas Åkerlund’s career. They interviewed Jonas about his collaborations with tons of world famous artists, the music videos he directed, his black metal band, Bathory, his dyslexia he struggled with and also about his movies. Besides his wife, Bea Åkerlund, Jan Gradvall and Per Sinding Larsen, Per Gessle was also interviewed for the docu.

The Roxette-related part starts with Jonas’ collaboration with Marie Fredriksson at 17:21. It’s Marie talking in the Den ständiga resan docu. Jonas tells that during Den ständiga resan project in 1992 Marie and he became good friends which was easy with Marie, because she was so kind and friendly towards everyone, including Jonas who says he was a nobody back then. He is thankful to Marie that he got the job and that led to so many others. It was that half-hour-long documentary and the videos to the album that Per Gessle saw. Then Jonas began to work with Roxette and that was his break-through.

The first collaboration with Roxette was the video for Fingertips ’93. Jonas thinks it’s a good song. Marie was pregnant and she didn’t want it to be visible, so the clothes she was wearing were hiding it. Jonas was working together with Roxette for 25 years. In 2016 they released Roxette Diaries, a documentary made of home videos recorded by Per and Åsa in the 80’s and 90’s during tours and recordings.

Per tells Jonas is an amazingly creative explosion all over. They became very close friends, both are music nerds. Their style is very different, but both of them are workaholic and dedicated to their own job. Mr. G tells every recording occasion with Jonas was an adventure, because anything could happen. Per thinks Jonas is quite organized in a way, but he is also very spontaneous. If a new idea comes up, he is testing it.

According to Per, Jonas’ best videos are like a very good pop song that is interesting in its whole length, no matter if it’s 3 or 4 minutes long. Jonas is very talented in building up a video that you want to watch again. Per feels it’s the same how he works with his pop songs, to make it interesting and catch the attention. That’s what Jonas is doing both when he is filming and cutting.

Per Gessle appears at the end of the docu again (at 1:24:53) telling Jonas will go down in history as one of the greatest music video directors not only because he has been working with many of the greatest artists, but also because his style is so unique and innovative. Mr. G says he is superproud to have been working with Jonas.

During the documentary, you can hear Small Apartments soundtrack several times and of course, part of Marie’s DSR docu and songs, as well as parts of Roxette songs.

Jonas photo by Allis Nettréus/TT/SR, Marie and Per stills are from Fingertips ’93 video

Per’s He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother video is out!

Per Gessle mentioned it several times that a video has been done for his cover version of The Hollies’ He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, which was released on Per’s Small Apartments soundtrack album. We had to wait approximately the same amount of time for this video as for Jonas Åkerlund’s movie. But finally, it’s out!

The video is not connected to the movie in any way, so fortunately, you won’t see Matt Lucas in his undies, but 2 very cute boys. The storyline is lovely and really beautifully done. You’ll see that Jens Jansson, the director of the video, is not only a very talented drummer, but also good at doing such videos. However, I must add one thing. I was very much looking forward to Per appearing in the video, but for the first watch I felt like the way he is in it, its style somehow doesn’t fit the whole story. Then watched it again & again and if we look at him as a narrator, he does fit in. So all in all, it’s a nice one.

PG_HAHHMB_01  PG_HAHHMB_02

The parts with Per are shot at the same place where the pic for the album booklet and CD cover was taken of Per, Clarence and Chris. It’s from 2012.

The song is still a killer one! Per’s best cover of all times, I would say. We’re so lucky that the usage rights for the original song were too expensive.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma8HZb5IXTQ

 

Per thanked the fans on Twitter for waiting so long for the video:

Finally, the video is out. Thanx for waiting a year or so… /P.

 

Why Small Apartments vinyls are not signed?

Today Per wrote this on Roxette Official and Per Gessle Official (Facebook) regarding the Small Apartments vinyl:

Out now, CD + double LP in coloured vinyl (one white/one red). Limited edition.

Small Apartments

 

He’s not mentioning that the vinyls are signed, however, earlier (on 14th March, 2013) he communicated that they are:

FINALLY!!!!! SMALL APARTMENTS SOUNDTRACK digital release date (Spotify + iTunes etc) March 18. CD will be out here and there March 27. Exclusive numbered and signed double-vinyl album out very soon as well. Have to decide which colour to use on the records first….. /P.

Looks like the SMALL APARTMENTS SOUNDTRACK double-LP, in coloured vinyl + signed + numbered in a limited edition will be out April 17! Sort of.

 

Some fans already received the double LP and say there is no signature on it. It was already strange that none of the online shops mentioned anything about the vinyl being exclusive. Now we’re wondering whether limited edition also means the copies are numbered or they are not. Many fans ordered SA vinyl together with the CD just because of it’s being extremely unique and now they seem to be disappointed, which is fully understandable.

Well, the album is a masterpiece, double vinyl is coloured and it’s a limited edition (being numbered or not; as Per says “It’s very limited. Only 350 copies were made.“) and Mr. G for sure will sign everyone’s copy in person if there is a chance to meet him, but still. What if there is no chance for a fan to meet him…?

 

 

Update (16:30, 29th April, 2013): Per replied to the question on Roxette Official:

Dear all, no SA vinyl soundtracks have been signed. They went straight to the “record stores” without passing that sharp pen of Mr G. A couple got signed at the Gyllene Tider instores last weekend. That’s it so far.

The problem is/was that the vinyl LP’s are not manufactured in Sweden anymore…… They went straight from Holland (or Germany) to international stores and internet shippers. I still haven’t got one!!!! /P.

 

 

 

Small Apartments OST’s SOON becomes NOW

Have you ever thought that the day of ”soon” will one day become ”now”? Per informs on Facebook that the Small Apartments soundtrack album is finally having a digital release (Spotify + iTunes, etc.) on 18th March, the CD will be out here and there – whatever it means – on 27th March. Exclusive, numbered and signed double-LP is out on 17th April (sort of). The record will be coloured for sure, but Per says he still has to decide which colour to use. However, we think he – of course – has a colour in his mind already. Well, green would definitely fit the sleeve, mainly Matt Lucas’s clogs. TDR says there will most probably be appr. 300-400 vinyls.

Here you have pages of the booklet. Unfortunately, there are too many pics from the movie (which is of course understandable) and too few pics (1) of the musicians. However, good to know that you can check so many websites and social media sites where Mr. Party Pleaser provides you with spiritual guidance.

 

SA_booklet_01

SA_booklet_02

SA_booklet_03

SA_booklet_04

 

 

Small Apartments: Getting there…

When I’m thinking about how a sleeve of a Per Gessle album would look like, an almost naked Matt Lucas is maybe the last thing I’m visualizing. Well, the album is the soundtrack of Jonas Åkerlund’s movie, Small Apartments, in which the outfit we can see most often is the one you can see on the sleeve. So it’s quite evident to have Mr. Lucas like this on the cover.

 

SA_OST_cover

 

The Daily Roxette listed the tracks on the album:

1.   Franklin’s Intro (0.56)
2.   I Have A Party In My Head (I Hope It Never Ends) -Instrumental- (2.03)
3.   Drizzle #1 (2.02)
4.   Shopping With Mother (2.36)
5.   Franklin’s Theme #1 (1.39)
6.   He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (4.18)
7.   Burned Out Heart –Instrumental- (3.37)
8.   Are You An Old Hippie, Sir? –Instrumental- (1.49)
9.   Making Love Or Expecting Rain #1 –Instrumental- (2.46)
10. Waltz For Woody (1.03)
11. Drizzle #2 (2.02)
12. C’mon (2.59)
13. Warm. Again. (4.27)
14. Drizzle #3 (2.02)
15. Drizzle #4 (0.56)
16. Week With Four Thursdays (1.54)
17. Dixy -Instrumental- (3.06)
18. Making Love Or Expecting Rain #2 –Instrumental- (4.03)
19. Double-Headed Elvis -Instrumental- (1.31)
20. Franklin’s Main Theme (6.43)
21. I Have A Party In My Head (I Hope It Never Ends) (2.09)

 

As you can see, the list is different vs. the one you can see at the end of the movie. It excludes eg. Something in the System, Speedboat to Cuba, Late, Later on and Something Happened Today or maybe they are called Drizzle #x on the album. The songs in bold were not included in the list that appears at the end of the movie, but Per’s He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother cover can be heard on the radio, when Matt Lucas is driving the car. Unfortunately, Matt is singing along with Per, so the song itself we can enjoy when the soundtrack album is finally out. When? Aha…. ”Soon” seems to be a neverending period of time…