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From: cmgrace@ozemail.com.au (Colin Grace)
Newsgroups: alt.music.roxette,alt.music.swedish-pop,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: alt.music.roxette FAQ (Part 2 of 2)
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Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 11:34:20 GMT
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4.0  ROXETTE, THE BAND

4.1  Who are the band members of Roxette?

The following is a list of the main band members of Roxette:

Marie Fredriksson - lead vocals, keyboards, tambourine.
Per Gessle - vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica.
Anders Herrlin - bass guitar.
Jonas Isacsson - lead guitar.
Pelle Alsing - drums & percussion.
Clarence Ofwerman - keyboards.
Mats Persson - drums, percussion, & backing vocals.
Mikael Andersson - guitar & backing vocals.

Previous members of the Roxette band include:

Vicki Benckert - backing vocals, tambourine, mandolin.
Staffan Ofwerman - backing vocals & percussion.
Mia Lindgren - backing vocals.


4.2  Who are the Roxette producers and engineers?

Roxette's music is produced by Clarence Ofwerman. The main recording
engineers are Alar Suurna and Anders Herrlin. Mixing of recorded
tracks are done by Alar Suurna, Clarence Ofwerman, and Per Gessle.


4.3  Who are the Roxette road crew?

The Roxette roadcrew over the years include; Mats "Skuggan"
Wennersten, Pontus "Bullen" Lagerbielke, Ulf Andreasson, Dave Edwards,
Nina Valerie, Lisa Derkert, and Bill Leabody.


4.4  Which band member eats cigarette packets?

Staffan Ofwerman is notorious for putting whole cigarette packets in
his mouth. This was done during the "Join the Joyride" tour of
1991-1992.


4.5  Who writes Roxette's music?

The heart of Roxette's music comes from its members, Per Gessle and
Marie Fredriksson. Per Gessle has written all of Roxette's major hits.
Other writers include; Mats M.P. Persson and Desmond Child.


4.6  Who has had the privelege to work with Roxette?

Many other artists have worked both in the studio and on stage with
Roxette. Roxette have worked with artists such as "Abba", "Ozzy
Osbourne", and "Belinda Carlisle". Roxette were the support act for U2
during their UK leg of "Zoo TV". Desmond Child, who has written music
for Bon Jovi, has been involved in the writing of Roxette's music. The
Badloves, a band from Australia, were the support act for Roxette
during the "Join the Joyride" tour. Various other Swedish artists and
bands have also worked and been involved with Roxette.


5.0  ROXETTE LIVE

5.1  How many live tours have Roxette made?

Roxette have been on four live tours. Two of these tours have been
worldwide. The live tours along with their dates are as follows:

Rock Runt Riket - 1987.
Look Sharp! Live - 1989.
Join the Joyride Tour (Worldwide) - 1991-1992.
Crash! Boom! Bang! Live (Worldwide) - 1994-1995.


5.2  Are there any Roxette live albums?

There have been no "official" Roxette live albums released. However,
there are many unofficial releases (such as bootlegs) of Roxette live
material during both the Joyride and Crash! Boom! Bang! world tours.
MTV Unplugged of 1993 is also another major Roxette live album.


5.3  Will Roxette tour again soon?

As soon as Roxette release their next album in early 1998, they are
likely to be involved in another world tour. The exact details of this
world tour are as of yet unknown.


5.4  What guitar picks does Per throw into the audience?

During live concert performances, Per usually throws many of his
guitar picks into the ecstatic audience. These picks each have some
catchy little phrase on them. The main guitar picks have the following
phrases:

"Don't bore us - get to the chorus"
"It's only playback"
"Crash! Boom! Bank!"
"It's lonely at the top"
"Art for me is just short for Arthur"


5.5  What special effects have Roxette used in their concerts and live
performances?

Various special effects have been used during Roxette concerts. These
include sophisticated lighting and lasers on stage and artifically
produced smoke. Other special effects include the use of an inflatable
heart and large bouncing balloons.


5.6  What does Marie like the audience to do during concerts?

"I want them to shout as much as they can in between the songs. If the
audience can shout louder than me when I'm talking to them, then I
know that they really like it. And I want them to sing along to all
the songs off the albums. And, of course, they can throw toys as long
as they're soft and fluffy!" 

- MF


5.7  How long do Roxette concerts normally last?

It is usual for a Roxette concert to go for about 2 to 2.5 hours
duration.


5.8  Which live songs do Roxette fans enjoy the most?

The majority of Roxette fans agree that the songs, "It Must Have Been
Love", "The Look", and "Joyride" are the most spectacular when
performed live. However, both "Hotblooded" and "Dressed for Success"
are also well known favourites.


5.9  What are bootlegs?

The music business, like any other, is based on the principle of
supply and demand, and the official releases of Roxette are generally
not enough to satisfy the appetites of obsessive fans for trivia,
minutiae and so-called rare recordings. Roxette material has been
found appearing illicitly on street corners and in specialist record
shops, with the record companies claiming that this is a siphoning-off
of legitimate revenue. There is, however, a case to be made for the
suggestion that the bootlegger is providing a much-needed service for
the die-hard Roxette fan.


6.0  MARIE FREDRIKSSON

6.1  Who is Marie Fredriksson?

Marie Fredriksson is the female lead singer of Roxette, and is also a
writer for Roxette's music. She has also had a long and successful
solo career in Sweden.


Full Name: Gun-Marie Fredriksson.
Birthdate: May 30, 1958 
Birthplace: Ostra-Ljungby, Sweden.
Age: 38
Current Home: Stockholm, Sweden.
Starsign: Gemini.
Height: 167 cm.
Weight: 54 kg.
Hair Color: blonde/dark blonde.
Eyes: brown.
Marital Status: Marie is married and has two children.


6.2  What has Marie Fredriksson done so far?

Besides writing and recording songs for Roxette, Marie has produced
many Swedish solo albums. These are as follows:

Het Vind (1983)
Den Sjunde Vagen (1985)
Efter Stormen (1987)
Den Standiga Resan (1992)
I En Tid Som Var (1996).


6.3  When did Marie Fredriksson begin her musical career?

The first time Marie sung in front of an audience was when she was
six-years old. Afterwards she was given a doll, and it was this that
made her decide to be a singer.

"I thought, 'I want to sing for the rest of my life, especially if
they give you presents!'"

- MF


6.4  What instruments can Marie Fredriksson play?

Marie, besides being a talented vocalist, can also play the piano,
keyboards, guitar, recorder, and tambourine.


6.5  Has Marie Fredriksson received any awards?

Marie has received the prestigous "1300-interviews-in-8-months" award.
In addition, Marie has won many music awards in Sweden including the
"Best female artist".


7.0  PER GESSLE

7.1  Who is Per Gessle?

Per Gessle is the male guitarist and vocalist for Roxette. He is also
the major writer for Roxette's music.


Full Name: Per Hakan Gessle.
Birthdate: January 12, 1959.
Birthplace: Halmstad, Sweden.
Age: 38
Current Home: Halmstad and Stockholm, Sweden.
Star Sign: Capricorn.
Height: 183cm.
Weight: 80 kg.
Hair Color: light brown.
Eyes: brown.
Marital Status: Per is married to Asa Nordin (his girlfriend of ten
years).


7.2  What are Per Gessle's favourite guitars?

Per's favourite guitars include Rickenbackers, Gibson Les Paul's,
Telecasters, and the Gretsch White Falcon.


7.3  Who is "Woody"?

"Woody" is another name used for Asa Nordin. This nickname is used by
Per because Asa reminded him of Woody Allen. Per first met Asa at a
disco.


7.4  What about Per Gessle's new solo album?

The new Per Gessle album had an official release date of May 2th,
1997. The title of the album is "The World According To Gessle". The
album has been released in many European countries, but it is not yet
certain whether the album will have a worldwide release. The new 
single titled "Do you wanna be my baby?" has been released in many
European countries, and has reached number 1 on the Swedish charts.


7.5  What about Per and Asa's new baby?

It has been confirmed that Per and Asa are now expecting a baby
sometime this year. As of yet, it is not certian whether it will be a
boy or a girl. However, rumours are circulating that if its a boy,
they are likely to name it "Ringo".


8.0  ROXETTE, THE EARLY YEARS

8.1  Who started Roxette and when?

Per Gessle was the major influencing factor in the formation of
Roxette. Both Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson realised that they had
to sing in English if they wanted a very successful international
career. Therefore, Roxette was officially formed in 1986.


8.2  Where does the name "Roxette" come from?

The name Roxette was taken from a Dr Feelgood song from the 70's
called "Roxette". Interestingly, it was also the "international name"
used by Gyllene Tider in 1984 when they were marketed in the USA.


8.3  In what countries was Pearls of Passion released?

The Pearls of Passion album was only officially released in
Scandinavia and Canada. The original LP is very rare nowdays.


8.4  When did Roxette become national superstars?

It is acknowledged that Roxette became very popular and achieved
superstar status in Sweden during 1987 after their first live tour.



9.0  ROXETTE LOOK SHARP!


9.1  Is there a difference between the Look Sharp! CD and cassette?

One significant difference between the CD and cassette versions of
Look Sharp! is that the CD version has 13 tracks whereas the cassette
version has only 12 tracks. The extra song on the CD version is
titled, "(I Could Never) Give You Up".


9.2  Is there a videoclip for the song "Silverblue"?

Although the song "Silverblue" was never a single, there is a
corresponding video to the song. This video is included on the Look
Sharp! Live home video which was released in 1989.


9.3  How many copies of Look Sharp! have been sold worldwide?

It is estimated that Look Sharp has sold just over 9 million copies
worldwide as of the end of 1996.


10.0  MISCELLANEOUS

10.1  Who is Gyllene Tider?

Gyllene Tider (otherwise known as Golden Times), is a Swedish band
with Per Gessle as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. They were
very popular in the late 70's and early 80's, and have recently made a
comeback in the mid-90's. 


10.2  Who are the Lonely Boys?

The Lonely Boys are another Swedish band involving Per Gessle. He was
the major songwriter for their one and only EP in 1995.


10.3  What if my question isn't answered here?

If you have a question regarding Roxette, Marie Fredriksson, Per
Gessle, or their music, and it is not answered in the FAQ, then just
post your question to the newsgroup. Hopefully, it will be answered as
soon as possible.


__________________________________________________________

This FAQ does not depict the views of Roxette, their management, or
their record company. The contents of this article might be totally
inaccurate, inappropriate, misguided, or otherwise perverse.

The author and/or maintainer reserves the right to vary without notice
any material placed on the alt.music.roxette FAQ. 

Copyright (c) 1997 by Colin Grace, all rights reserved. This FAQ may
be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service, or BBS as long as
it is posted in its entirety and includes this copyright statement.
This FAQ may not be distributed for financial gain. This FAQ may not 
be included in commercial collections or compilations without express
permission from the author.

__________________________________________________________

Colin Grace - cmgrace@ozemail.com.au