"Chances" | ||||
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Single by Roxette | ||||
from the album Look Sharp! | ||||
B-side | "Silver Blue" (Demo) | |||
Released | 28 December 1988 | |||
Recorded | June 1988 | |||
Studio | Trident II Studios, London | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 4:07 | |||
Label | EMI | |||
Songwriter(s) | Per Gessle | |||
Producer(s) | Adam Moseley | |||
Roxette singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Chances" on YouTube |
"Chances" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 28 December 1988 by EMI as the first international single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). The single was issued on 7" and 12" vinyl formats exclusively in West Germany, France and Italy, where it failed to chart. The single was followed two weeks later by "The Look", which became their breakthrough international hit.
"Chances" is a pop rock song, containing instrumentation and elements indicative of hard rock and industrial pop. [1] The album version has a length of four minutes and fifty-seven seconds, [2] while the single edit is fifty seconds shorter. [3] The song is performed in the key of E minor, and is composed in the 4
4 time signature with an allegro moderato tempo of 118 beats per minute. The intro is composed of two repetitions of an E♭–D♭–B♭–C♯ sequence, and each verse and pre-chorus consists of two sequences of Em–D–Bm–C. The refrain is built on two repetitions of Em–C–G–D, followed by an extended sequence of Am–Bm–Em–C–G–D. The basic chord structure of the first half of the bridge, which contains a guitar solo, consists of two repetitions of Fm–D♭–A♭–E♭, followed by a single sequence of B♭–Fm–Cm. Upon completion of the guitar solo, the remainder of the bridge consists of a repeating F–Fm–Cm–Fm–D♭ pattern, followed by a single abbreviated sequence of Fm–Cm–A♭m. [1]
The song was one of three tracks on Look Sharp! to be produced by Adam Moseley at Trident Studios in London. [4] EMI Germany chose to release the song as the album's first international single on 28 December 1988, following the Swedish-only singles "Dressed for Success" and "Listen to Your Heart". [3] Per Gessle later commented that it was chosen "probably because it was one of the English songs, not because it was one of the best. The single was a complete failure." [5] It failed to chart in the three territories where it was released: France, [6] West Germany, [7] and Italy. [8] The single was backed by a demo version of "Silver Blue", which later appeared in re-recorded form on the duo's 1992 album Tourism . [3] A music video was also produced for "Chances". Directed by Jeroen Kamphoff, it alters between concert footage in color, and black-and-white footage from a casino with Marie Fredriksson as a Black Jack dealer and croupier at a Roulette-table, and Gessle as a gambler. [9]
All songs written and composed by Per Gessle.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Look Sharp! . [4]
Musicians
Pearls of Passion is the debut studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, originally released on cassette and vinyl on 31 October 1986 in Scandinavia and Canada. The album was remastered and released on CD on 31 October 1997, with several previously unreleased bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again in 2009.
Room Service is the seventh studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released worldwide from 2 April 2001. A planned release in the United States failed to materialise, as the duo's label there, Edel Records America, had been disbanded the previous month due to financial difficulties. Marie Fredriksson was not as involved in the album's production as she had been on previous records, taking part in the composition of just two songs. The album was remastered and reissued with bonus tracks in 2009.
Rarities is a compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released from 10 February 1995 by EMI exclusively in Southeast Asia and South America. The record is composed of previously released b-sides, demos, single mixes and remixes, as well as several songs from the duo's 1993 performance for MTV Unplugged. As of 2001, the compilation has sold in excess of a million copies worldwide.
"Listen to Your Heart" is a song by Swedish rock duo Roxette, originally released in Sweden in September 1988 as the second single from the duo's second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). It was written by Per Gessle with former Gyllene Tider guitarist Mats "M.P." Persson. The song went on to become one of the most successful singles of 1989, reaching number one in both the United States and Canada around November 1989. The track was the first song to reach number one in the US without a commercially released 7-inch single.
"The Look" is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). It became an international hit, and was one of the most successful singles of 1989. It topped the charts in 25 countries, and was the first of their four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics.
"Wish I Could Fly" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 1 February 1999 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Have a Nice Day (1999). An orchestral pop ballad containing elements of electronica, the song was written as an experiment by Per Gessle, who was attempting to establish if a prominently-placed drum loop would fit alongside a large orchestra. The track became a sizable hit for the duo, peaking inside the top twenty of Billboard's European Hot 100 Singles, and was the most-played song on European radio of 1999. It would also become their final top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart.
"Dressed for Success" is a song by Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, released in Europe, on 3 August 1988 as the lead single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). Following the international success of "The Look" – the album's third single in their home country, but the first to be released outside of Sweden – "Dressed for Success" was re-issued internationally in 1989 and became a worldwide hit, most notably in Australia, where it peaked in the top three and was certified platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
"How Do You Do!" is a pop rock song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album Tourism on 3 July 1992. The track was a commercial success upon release, topping the Norwegian Singles Chart and peaking at number two in several countries, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. The single was backed by several remixes created by Swedish production duo BomKrash, which consisted of Jacob Hellner and Carl-Michael Herlöfsson.
"Anyone" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 8 May 1999 as the second single from their sixth studio album, Have a Nice Day (1999). Composed by Per Gessle, the song was inspired by the work of Burt Bacharach and Phil Spector, and the album version of the song was mostly performed in a single take at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm. In Japan, the single was released as a double A-side with "Pay the Price", although no music video was created for that song.
... Efter stormen is the third studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Marie Fredriksson, released on 12 October 1987 by EMI Sweden. Her first release since Roxette's commercial breakthrough in Sweden, the album was a massive success, peaking at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart and selling over 50,000 copies within a month of release. It has since been certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association for shipments in excess of 100,000 units.
"Run to You" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 21 November 1994 by EMI as the fourth single from the duo's fifth studio album, Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). Written by Per Gessle and produced by Clarence Öfwerman, the song charted moderately in several territories, peaking at number 20 in Finland, while reaching the top forty in Belgium, Scotland, Switzerland and the UK. "Run to You" was the duo's final single to chart in the top fifty of the Australian Singles Chart, peaking at number 49. The song's music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
"Almost Unreal" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 10 May 1993 by EMI Records as the lead single from the soundtrack of the 1993 live action film Super Mario Bros., which starred Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, and Samantha Mathis. The song became a top-20 hit in numerous territories, including Scandinavia, Ireland and the UK. It would also be the duo's final top ten hit in the latter two countries, excluding a re-release of "It Must Have Been Love" two months later. The song proved to be unsuccessful in North America, peaking at numbers 94 and 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, although it performed better in Canada, where it peaked within the top 30. It appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their next studio album, Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994), mistitled "It's Almost Unreal". The accompanying music video for "Almost Unreal" was directed by Michael Geoghegan.
"Vulnerable" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released in February 1995 by EMI as the fifth and final single from their fifth studio album, Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994), while simultaneously acting as the lead single from the duo's 1995 compilation album, Rarities.
"Opportunity Nox" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 25 February 2003 as the lead single from the duo's third greatest hits compilation album, The Pop Hits (2003).
"You Don't Understand Me" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette. Written by Per Gessle with American composer Desmond Child, it was released as the lead single from the duo's first greatest hits compilation album, Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits (1995). It was also the only new song from the original edition of the album to appear on the 2000 U.S. edition. The song was a hit in several European countries, reaching the top 20 in Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the duo's native Sweden. The song was also a hit in Germany where, despite peaking at number 44, it would spend over three months on the German Singles Chart.
"June Afternoon" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released in January 1996 as the second single from their second greatest hits compilation album, Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits (1995). The single was only released in Europe, Australia, and Canada, peaking at number one in the Czech Republic and within the top 40 in numerous territories. Its accompanying music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
"Neverending Love" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 8 July 1986 by EMI as their debut single. The track was originally written in Swedish by Per Gessle, as "Svarta glas", for recording artist Pernilla Wahlgren, who turned it down. However, she offered the song to her brother Niclas Wahlgren, who recorded his own version. The release of his single was cancelled at the request of EMI, when Gessle recorded an English version of the song with Marie Fredriksson.
"Goodbye to You" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 3 December 1986 by EMI as the second single from their debut studio album, Pearls of Passion (1986). The song was written by Per Gessle, and was backed by album track "So Far Away". It was only released commercially on 7" vinyl exclusively in Sweden, although a limited test pressing 12" vinyl was also created, containing an exclusive remix of the song. The single peaked at number nine on the Swedish Singles Chart. No music video was created for the track.
"Way Out" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 10 June 2011 as the third and final commercial single from their eighth studio album, Charm School. The single was released solely in Germany and Austria, with their record label there opting to release another uptempo single, following the success of "She's Got Nothing On ". Elsewhere, a Bassflow remix of "Speak to Me" was released as the album's final commercial single. The song received generally positive reviews, and its music video was directed by Mikael Sandberg and Magnus Öhrlund.
"It's Possible" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 16 March 2012 as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Travelling. Two versions of the track appeared on the album; "Version One" was released as the single. The song was written by Per Gessle, and its music video was directed by David Nord and Boris Nawratil. It was not as commercially successful as the duo's preceding lead singles, appearing on several airplay charts but failing to appear on any national sales charts with the exception of the German Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 64. As of 2018, it remains the band's final song to chart in that country.
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