Son of a Plumber

Last updated
Son of a Plumber
Soap album vinyl.jpg
Studio album by
Per Gessle
Released23 November 2005
RecordedNovember 2004 – August 2005
StudioAerosol Grey Machine, Scania
Genre Pop
Length30:33 (LP#1)
41:39 (LP#2)
Language
  • English
  • French
Label
Producer
Per Gessle chronology
Mazarin
(2003)		Son of a Plumber
(2005)		 En händig man
(2007)
Singles from Son of a Plumber
  1. "C'mon"/"Jo-Anna Says"
    Released: 4 November 2005
  2. "Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)"
    Released: 2 February 2006
  3. "I Like It Like That"
    Released: 19 May 2006

Son of a Plumber is the fifth solo album by Swedish singer-songwriter Per Gessle, released on 23 November 2005 by Capitol in conjunction with Gessle's own label Elevator Entertainment. The record was originally issued pseudonymously as Son of a Plumber, although a 2021 reissue includes Gessle's name on the album cover, and it now appears as part of his solo discography on music download and streaming services. The album was recorded at Christoffer Lundquist's Aerosol Grey Machine studio in Scania, and was produced by Gessle, Lundquist and Clarence Öfwerman. It features vocals from Swedish vocalist Helena Josefsson.

Contents

Despite containing only of an hour of music, Gessle chose to release Son of a Plumber as a double album, saying he was inspired by the vinyl LPs he listened to as a child. He described the record as an homage to the music he listened to in his youth, and said it contained relatively personal lyrics. The album received generally positive reviews upon release. Numerous publications described it as his best release to date, and noted influences from 1960s psychedelic pop and folk rock acts.

The first single from the album was the double A-side "C'mon"/"Jo-Anna Says", which was issued on 7 November 2005 and reached the top five of the Swedish Singles Chart. "Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)" and "I Like It Like That" were also released as singles, along with a remix EP titled Dancing Plumber, Vol. 1. A fourth single, "Substitute (For the Real Deal)", was cancelled when Gessle resumed work with Roxette. Son of a Plumber was a commercial success upon release, being certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association and spending two weeks at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart.

Background and recording

Per Gessle is the lead songwriter of Swedish acts Gyllene Tider and Roxette. [1] [2] In addition to this, he released material as a solo artist; his 2003 album Mazarin is his most successful solo record, [3] spending thirteen weeks at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart, [4] and selling over 335,000 copies in Sweden as of January 2005. [5] In 2004, Gyllene Tider reformed to celebrate their 25th anniversary, [6] releasing the studio album Finn 5 fel! , their first new material since 1996. [7] That album was also successful, selling 230,000 copies in Sweden by January 2005. [5] Finn 5 fel! was promoted by a concert tour of Sweden, with the band performing to over 58,000 people in a single night at the Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg, [8] breaking an attendance record previously held by Bruce Springsteen. [9]

The album was recorded at Christoffer Lundquist's Aerosol Grey Machine studio in Vallarum, Scania. Agm studio vallarum se.jpg
The album was recorded at Christoffer Lundquist's Aerosol Grey Machine studio in Vallarum, Scania.

Rather than release his next album as a solo artist, or with Gyllene Tider or Roxette, [upper-alpha 1] Gessle chose to work under the pseudonym Son of a Plumber. [12] [13] Producer Clarence Öfwerman initially suggested the idea of working under a pseudonym, saying that recording an album under a new name could liberate Gessle creatively. [6] Gessle said he was reluctant to release another Swedish-language album following the success of Mazarin and Gyllene Tider, [14] and that he wanted Son of a Plumber to "feel like a debut, for my own sake. Because I'm afraid people will get tired of me." [3] He chose the Son of a Plumber pseudonym as a tribute to his father Kurt Gessle, who was a plumber. [1]

Son of a Plumber was recorded between November 2004 and August 2005 at Christoffer Lundquist's Aerosol Grey Machine studio in Scania, and was produced by Gessle, Öfwerman and Lundquist. They mixed the record at the same studio from August to October 2005. [15] The album was recorded by many of the same musicians who contributed to Mazarin, [16] including Lundquist and Öfwerman, [3] and vocalist Helena Josefsson. [17] Gessle claimed the studio – built in an old farm house – is haunted, and that he experienced paranormal events during recording. [18]

The album differs from Gessle's previous work, in that he created only three demos prior to recording sessions beginning in November 2004. Gessle said this was done at the behest of Öfwerman, who had worked with Gessle since 1986 and complained that he was "far too prepared before recording sessions". Gessle elaborated that he often created "very advanced demos. Demos that sometimes sound exactly like the end result." Instead, he performed the songs live in the studio on an acoustic guitar, which he said gave Öfwerman and Lundquist "a much better chance of influencing" the songs during the recording process. [1]

Two of the previously-recorded demos – "Something in the System" and "I Like It Like That" – were created during sessions for Roxette's 2003 compilation The Pop Hits , [19] [20] while a demo for "Jo-Anna Says" was recorded in January 2005. [21] All three demos were released for free download on Gessle's official website in 2006. [6] Two of the bonus tracks were also previously recorded: "A Girl Like You" was demoed for Roxette's 1999 album Have a Nice Day , but was not included on that record, [22] while "Keep the Radio On (This Is the Perfect Song)" appeared on 1995's The Lonely Boys , a collaborative album recorded alongside Nisse Hellberg of Wilmer X. [23]

Composition and style

Son of a Plumber is a double album consisting of 24 songs, [16] [24] with the albums labelled LP#1 and LP#2 respectively. [25] Despite being approximately 60 minutes in length, Gessle chose to release the record as a double CD. [26] He said this was done to simulate the experience he had listening to vinyl as a child, saying he wanted listeners to "feel that moment when one side of the vinyl ran out and you had to turn to the next. You had no idea what to expect from the other side. It was always a wonderful moment for me." [27] He described the album as an homage to the music he listened to as a child, [6] specifically music released between 1969 and 1972. [14] He said he rediscovered much of this music when transferring his vinyl collection to an iPod. [14] [18] The record utilises panning techniques commonly found in late 1960s and early 1970s recordings, most notably drums appearing on the left channel and vocals appearing on the right channel. [6]

Gessle said the album contains relatively personal lyrics, [14] and that it was best experienced when listened to in its entirety. [28] He wanted it to be a cohesive album, [1] elaborating that it "doesn't have eighteen number one singles on it, but that was never the intention. It's a well-rounded, harmonious album and if you like it, you can play it again and again." [6] In 2014, Gessle said he considers Son of a Plumber "to be probably my best album. I think it's got a great vibe to it; great writing and a great production and it's just a very organic record that I really enjoy." [21]

Swedish music publications primarily described Son of a Plumber as a pop album, [12] [24] [29] albeit one that contains influences from 1960s and 1970s folk rock and psychedelic pop. [30] Aftonbladet called it a "strange, highly personal mishmash of pop, psychedelia, singer-songwriter anthems, glam rock, West Coast rock and little instrumental Spaghetti Western songs." [14] Nöjesguiden noted influences from acts such as Swedish band Hep Stars, The Beatles and Paul McCartney's solo work, as well as Elton John's collaborations with Kiki Dee, and said the album as a whole could be described as psychedelic power pop. [31] Musiklandet compared it to the work of late 1960s and early 1970s British psychedelic rock and progressive rock bands Marmalade, Love Affair, Dantalian's Chariot and McGuinness Flint. They also compared it to several albums released in 1967, including Between the Buttons by the Rolling Stones, The Who Sell Out , Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn , and the discography of Andrew Loog Oldham's label Immediate Records. [12] Sydsvenskan said it contained "echoes" of The Kinks, The Monkees, Serge Gainsbourg, Burt Bacharach, and Simon & Garfunkel. [16]

Songs

Expressen described the first disc as "playful", but said the second disc was the stronger of the two. [24] Hallandsposten said "LP#1 seems to look out into the world while LP#2 rather looks inward towards the soul." [25] The first song is "Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts About Her", a power pop song inspired by 1960s psychedelia. [13] Gessle composed "Jo-Anna Says" while driving with his family in the south of Sweden. He said Roxette tracks "Vulnerable" and "7Twenty7" – from 1994's Crash! Boom! Bang! and 1999's Have a Nice Day respectively – were written in a similar way, and that he thinks "Jo-Anna Says" is "a really cool song. It's got a classic pop touch to it which I like." [21] He compared it to the early solo work of Paul McCartney. [32] Gessle said "I Have a Party In My Head (I Hope It Never Ends)" is his favourite song on the album, saying the track "turned out exactly as I had imagined it." [32] It is a folk rock song featuring vocals from Helena Josefsson, [17] Indian flutes, [24] and acoustic guitars. [33]

"C'mon" is a glam rock track, and is the first song in Gessle's discography to feature him singing in falsetto. [32] Gessle's then-eight year old son was involved in its writing. [3] He said his son entered the studio and started imitating him while it was being composed. Gessle said he "thought that sounded so sweet, so I recorded it." [6] "Week with Four Thursdays" is the first of several instrumental songs on the album. [17] "Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)" is a duet with Helena Josefsson, [33] which Expressen described as the best song on the album. [34] Gessle compared it to the work of Chicago, [32] while Aftonbladet described it as a mix between Burt Bacharach and The Carpenters. [13] "Late, Later On" is a power ballad, while "Ronnie Lane" is an instrumental piece named after a member of Faces. [13] [25] The final five tracks on LP#1 are merged together as a medley, titled "The Junior Suite". [13] [24]

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Kurt - The Fastest Plumber in the West"
The song is a tribute to Gessle's father, who was a plumber.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

LP#2 opens with "Kurt - The Fastest Plumber in the West", an instrumental song inspired by the music of Spaghetti Western films. [17] The song is named after his father, [3] and is dedicated to him. [32] Expressen compared "I Never Quite Got over the Fact That the Beatles Broke Up" to the work of Air. [24] "Substitute (For the Real Deal)" is a pop song featuring tambourines and hand-claps. [13] "Waltz for Woody" is an instrumental piece dedicated to Gessle's wife Åsa. He explained "Woody" is her nickname, but said: "I actually don't know why. That's just her name." [32] It is the only song on the record where Gessle performs keyboards. [3] "Carousel" is a folk pop song, and features a string section. [13]

Gessle said the final five songs on LP#2 contains some of his favorite tracks on the record, [28] saying "I Like It Like That" contained the strongest chorus on the entire album. [32] "Something Happened Today" is an acoustic track, [13] and a love song. [17] [24] Expressen described "Brilliant Career" as "insanely cute", [24] while Aftonbladet compared "Burned Out Heart" to the work of Pink Floyd and Queen. [13] The album concludes with a reprise of "Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts About Her", [13] and "Making Love or Expecting Rain", which begins with a church organ [35] and features an outro sung in French. [13] Expressen said the latter song exemplifies Gessle in "top form". [35] A hidden reprise of "Jo-Anna Says" – titled "Jo-Anna Says Farewell" – is the final song on the album. On CD versions, the reprise plays after ten minutes of silence. [15]

Release and promotion

Son of a Plumber was issued in Sweden on 23 November 2005, [36] on CD, [37] vinyl, [15] and as a digital download. [36] It was released by Gessle's own label Elevator Entertainment, [16] under exclusive license to labels including EMI Music Sweden, [15] and Cosmos Music Group. [36] CD versions were released with copy protection. This led to criticism from consumers, who claimed the disc would not operate on some conventional CD players. [38] The album was issued throughout mainland Europe from 6 March 2006. [18]

Gessle chose not to tour Sweden in support of the record, [14] focusing instead to promote it via television and media interviews. [18] He performed at Swedish sports award ceremony Fotbollsgalan on 14 November 2005, [3] and said he hoped to tour European theatres should the album be successful outside of Sweden. [3] [14] In late 2005, Gessle and Roxette vocalist Marie Fredriksson appeared together in London during an awards gala hosted by Broadcast Music, Inc., where Gessle received several awards. [39] It was one of their first public appearances together since Fredriksson's brain tumour diagnosis in 2002. [18]

Four songs were released from the album as singles. The double A-side single "C'mon"/"Jo-Anna Says" was issued on 4 November 2005, [40] and peaked at number five on the Swedish Singles Chart. [41] Second single "Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)" entered the Swedish Singles Chart at number 27 on the chart dated 9 February 2006, peaking at number 23 two weeks later. [41] The single also entered the Dutch Singles Chart. [42] Fredriksson's children appear as members of an orchestra in its music video. [6] A single containing two remixes of "Hey Mr. DJ" was issued on 10 March, [43] with a remix EP titled Dancing Plumber, Vol. 1 following on 31 March. The latter contained the two previously-released remixes of "Hey Mr. DJ", and two unreleased remixes of "I Never Quite Got over the Fact That the Beatles Broke Up". [44] "I Like It Like That" was released as the third and final single from the album on 19 May 2006. [45] "Substitute (For the Real Deal)" was scheduled to be issued as album's fourth single, although its release was cancelled to make way for the compilation A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs! , [46] which was issued in October 2006. [11]

Instrumental versions of songs from Son of a Plumber later appeared on the soundtrack to Jonas Åkerlund's 2012 film Small Apartments . [47] An extended version of Son of a Plumber was released digitally in 2021, containing a third disc of b-sides, remixes and demo recordings. This version included Gessle's name on the cover, and the album now appears as part of his solo discography on Apple Music and Amazon Music. [48] [49]

Artwork

The album cover was created by Pär Wickholm and Kjell Andersson, [15] while Anton Corbijn provided photography for the booklet. [16] The booklet includes two pencil and watercolour drawings made by Gessle when he was approximately seven years old. The drawings represent a handball match and an ice hockey match, [1] with the latter showing Swedish ice hockey player Kjell-Rune Milton scoring a goal against Brynäs IF. [50] The booklet also includes a photograph of Gessle's parents, taken on their silver wedding anniversary, as well as pictures of Gessle's wife and son. [51]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Aftonbladet Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Expressen Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [52]
Göteborgs-Posten Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [29]
Hallands Nyheter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [26]
Hallandsposten Positive [25]
Nerikes Allehanda Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [53]
Nöjesguiden Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [31]
Norrbottens-Kuriren Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [30]
Svenska Dagbladet Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [33]
Sydsvenskan Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]

The album received generally positive reviews from the Swedish music press. [54] Svenska Dagbladet said it contained some of the best songs Gessle had ever written. They noted the album's disparate influences and called Gessle a "pop nerd" and a postmodernist, elaborating that he was "freely quoting and, to a lesser extent, deconstructing pop music history". They highlighted the production and musicianship of Öfwerman, Lundquist, and Josefsson, and called the album "a musical statement worth taking seriously". [33] Both Göteborgs-Posten and Norrbottens-Kuriren expressed similar sentiments, with the former dubbing it a gourmet version of Gessle's work with Roxette and Gyllene Tider, [29] while the latter complimented Gessle for creating a "fresh and exciting" project. [30]

Hallands Nyheter described the album as a tribute to 1960s pop music and compared it to the Beatles's self-titled album, saying both releases featured unpredictable music. [26] Hallandsposten commended Gessle for releasing an album not defined by commercial expectations, saying the record may have sold more copies were it shorter in length. [25] Expressen praised the quality of songwriting, saying that many of the tracks sound like hit singles, and that the album leaves "a most unsatisfied longing for more" despite being a double album. [24] Nöjesguiden praised the scope of musicality found on the record, complimenting Gessle for "playing with sounds, harmonies and moods from his favourite records of the early seventies." [31]

Nerikes Allehanda praised the high quality of the 25 songs on Son of a Plumber, and described it as an "astonisingly personal" record despite containing "so many different sources of inspiration". [53] Gradvall called the record Gessle's "prettiest release to date", saying it demonstrates his "astonishing breadth" as a songwriter. They highlighted the album's instrumental tracks, calling them "amazingly good instrumental songs that sound better than all the film music made in Sweden in the last 30 years." [51]

The album also received some mixed reviews. Dagensskiva said it contained songs that would have been better suited to Roxette's discography. [17] Aftonbladet complained about the album's length, saying it contained too much filler. [13] Sydsvenskan compared it negatively to Gessle's work with Gyllene Tider and Roxette, saying it did not contain enough potential singles. [16] Conversely, Musiklandet noted criticism of the album seemed to focus on how Gessle chose not to "trot out one potential hit song after another", and that this demonstrated "with embarrassing clarity, that said journalists have no idea about the pop history from which Gessle picks one delicious pop praline after another. Because Per Gessle knows his music history. He belongs to a category [of musicians] that loves English pop of the late 1960s, a period of time which is still unmatched when it came to putting together three-minute pop masterpieces", a style their writer described as "the most difficult style of music there is". [12]

Awards and nominations

Per Gessle was nominated as Son of a Plumber in the "Male Pop Artist of the Year" category at the 2006 Grammis, [55] the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. [56] The award was eventually won by Håkan Hellström. [57]

Commercial performance

The album was a commercial success in Sweden, spending two weeks at number one and a total of 28 weeks on the Swedish Albums Chart. [41] It was the third best-selling album of 2005 in the country, [58] and was also one of the best-selling albums of 2006. [59] The record was certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association at the end of 2005 for shipments in excess of 60,000 units. [60] In late 2005, it was announced that Gessle's label Elevator Entertainment was Sweden's third most successful company in terms of profit margin. [16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Per Gessle. [15]

Son of a Plumber– LP#1
No.TitleLength
1."Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts About Her"2:46
2."Jo-Anna Says"3:23
3."I Have a Party in My Head (I Hope It Never Ends)"2:06
4."C'mon"2:58
5."Week with Four Thursdays" (Instrumental)2:10
6."Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)"3:43
7."Late, Later On"3:53
8."Ronnie Lane" (Instrumental)1:04
Son of a Plumber– LP#1 (The Junior Suite) [upper-alpha 2]
No.TitleLength
9."Are You an Old Hippie, Sir?"1:42
10."Double-Headed Elvis"1:22
11."Something in the System"1:31
12."Speed Boat to Cuba"1:47
13."Come Back Tomorrow (And We Do It Again)"2:08
Total length:30:33
Son of a Plumber– LP#2
No.TitleLength
1."Kurt - The Fastest Plumber in the West" (Instrumental)1:37
2."I Never Quite Got over the Fact That the Beatles Broke Up"4:09
3."Substitute (For the Real Deal)"3:08
4."Waltz for Woody" (Instrumental)1:03
5."Carousel"2:28
6."I Like It Like That"3:34
7."Something Happened Today"2:46
8."Brilliant Career"2:29
9."Burned Out Heart"3:42
10."Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts About Her" (Reprise)0:57
11."Making Love or Expecting Rain"4:59
12."Jo-Anna Says Farewell" (hidden track)10:47 [upper-alpha 3]
Total length:41:39
Son of a Plumber– LP#2 (iTunes bonus tracks) [61]
No.TitleLength
13."Keep the Radio On (This Is the Perfect Song)"2:58
14."A Girl Like You"2:59
15."Plonk" (Alternate version of "Ronnie Lane")1:08
Total length:48:44
Son of a Plumber– Disc 3 (2021 digital reissue) [48]
No.TitleLength
1."A Girl Like You"2:58
2."Keep the Radio On (This Is the Perfect Song)"2:56
3."Shopping with Mother"2:41
4."Plonk" (Alternate version of "Ronnie Lane")1:07
5."Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)" (Love-For-Sale Remix)3:55
6."I Never Quite Got over the Fact That the Beatles Broke Up" (Jimmy Monell Short Treatment)4:10
7."Shopping with Mother" (Voz Vibrante Remix)3:54
8."Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)" (Jimmy Monell Treatment)3:43
9."I Never Quite Got over the Fact That the Beatles Broke Up" (Jimmy Monell Long Treatment)5:41
10."Shopping with Mother" (Mother's Dub by Voz Vibrante)3:54
11."Plumber in Progress #1" ("Substitute (For the Real Deal)")0:45
12."Plumber in Progress #2" ("Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)")0:45
13."Plumber in Progress #3" ("C'mon")0:45
14."Plumber in Progress #4" ("Kurt - The Fastest Plumber in the West")0:45
15."Plumber in Progress #5" ("I Have a Party in My Head (I Hope It Never Ends)")0:45
16."Plumber in Progress #6" ("Burned Out Heart")0:45
17."Plumber in Progress #7" ("Double-Headed Elvis")0:39
18."Plumber in Progress #8" ("Are You an Old Hippie, Sir?")0:44
19."Plumber in Progress #9" ("Late, Later On")0:45
20."Plumber in Progress #10" ("Making Love or Expecting Rain")0:45
21."Plumber in Progress #11" ("Brilliant Career")0:34
22."Plumber in Progress #12" ("Speed Boat to Cuba")0:41
23."Plumber in Progress #13" ("Something Happened Today")0:45
24."Plumber in Progress #14" ("Carousel")0:40
25."Plumber in Progress #15" ("Come Back Tomorrow (And We Do It Again)")0:31
Total length:45:33

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the CD and vinyl liner notes. [15] [37]

Musicians

Additional personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Sweden (GLF) [60] Platinum60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs! is the fourth greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 18 October 2006 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol to celebrate 20 years since the release of their debut album, Pearls of Passion. It was issued in conjunction with a six-disc box set, The Rox Box/Roxette 86–06. The duo recorded "One Wish" and "Reveal" in June 2006, their first songs recorded as a duo since vocalist Marie Fredriksson's brain tumour diagnosis four years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opportunity Nox</span> 2003 single by Roxette

"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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silly Really</span> 2008 single by Per Gessle

"Silly Really" is a pop song by Swedish singer and composer Per Gessle from his album Party Crasher. It was released as the lead single from the album on October 29, 2008. The song premiered at the Swedish radio-show MorronZoo, in the morning of October 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sing Along (Per Gessle song)</span> 2009 single by Per Gessle

"Sing Along" is a pop song by Swedish singer and composer Per Gessle from his album Party Crasher. It was released as the second single from the album on 4 February 2009 and features two different sleeves, one red and one green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Like It Like That (Per Gessle song)</span> 2006 single by Per Gessle

"I Like It Like That" is a song by Swedish musician Per Gessle, released on 24 May 2006 as the third single from his 2005 album Son of a Plumber. The track was written by Gessle and was originally composed for inclusion on Roxette's 2003 greatest hits compilation The Pop Hits. The duo never recorded the song, however, as Roxette vocalist Marie Fredriksson had been diagnosed with a brain tumour before their version could be recorded. The single contained a B-side titled "Plumber in Progress #2", a compilation of song fragments from the Son of a Plumber album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)</span> 2006 single by Per Gessle

"Hey Mr. DJ " is a song by Swedish musician Per Gessle, released on 1 February 2006 as the second single from his 2005 album Son of a Plumber. A duet with Swedish musician Helena Josefsson, who contributed vocals to several tracks on the album, numerous publications praised her vocals and described it as the best track on the record. The song written by Gessle and produced by him alongside Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist. The single was a hit in Sweden, peaking at number 23 and spending over three months on the Swedish Singles Chart. It also entered the Dutch Single Top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C'mon/Jo-Anna Says</span> 2005 single by Per Gessle

"C'mon"/"Jo-Anna Says" is a double A-side single released by Swedish musician Per Gessle as the first single from his Son of a Plumber album. Issued on 4 November 2005, the single was a top five hit on the Swedish Singles Chart, and was one of the best-selling singles of the year in the country. "C'mon" is a glam rock song, while music journalists compared "Jo-Anna Says" to the psychedelic pop work of The Beatles. The artwork for the cover was shot by Anton Corbijn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Party Crasher Tour 2009</span> 2009 concert tour by Per Gessle

Party Crasher Tour 2009 is a club European tour by Per Gessle in support of his studio solo album Party Crasher. The tour was held in Europe from 16 April, till 10 May 2009. Along with the songs from the aforementioned CD, Gessle and his band played tracks by Roxette and from Gessle's solo albums like The World According to Gessle, Son of a Plumber, etc.

<i>Charm School</i> (Roxette album) 2011 studio album by Roxette

Charm School is the eighth studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 11 February 2011 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol. It was their first studio album since 2001's Room Service, and their first since vocalist Marie Fredriksson's brain tumour diagnosis in 2002. "She's Got Nothing On " preceded the album as its lead single, which became the duo's highest-peaking single in almost two decades in territories such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The song also entered Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart—making Roxette the only duo who appeared on that chart in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Per Gessle discography</span>

Swedish singer-songwriter Per Gessle has released thirteen studio albums, four live albums, three compilation albums, one collaborative album, three box sets, six demo albums, one soundtrack album, two EPs and three video albums. He also released 53 singles, including two as a featured artist, one as Peter Pop and the Helicopters, one as Rita & the Rip-Off!, eight as Mono Mind and seven as PG Roxette.

<i>Pop-Up Dynamo!</i> Album by PG Roxette

Pop-Up Dynamo! is the debut studio album by Swedish pop band PG Roxette, released on 19 October 2022 by Elevator Entertainment and Parlophone. The band was formed by Roxette songwriter Per Gessle following the death of vocalist Marie Fredriksson in 2019. The album was recorded alongside several long-time Roxette contributors, including keyboardist and producer Clarence Öfwerman, bassist Magnus Börjeson, guitarists Jonas Isacsson and Christoffer Lundquist, and vocalists Helena Josefsson and Dea Norberg. The record also features vocals from Swedish singer Léon.

References

  1. ↑ Roxette vocalist Marie Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2002, [10] but the duo reconvened to recorded two new songs for A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs! in 2006. [11]
  2. ↑ Tracks nine to thirteen of LP#1 are mixed together as a medley, listed on CD and vinyl editions as "The Junior Suite". [15]
  3. ↑ The first ten minutes of "Jo-Anna Says Farewell" consists of silence, followed by a 47-second instrumental reprise of "Jo-Anna Says". The vinyl edition does not include the ten minutes of silence. [15]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Gradvall, Jan (10 June 2006). "I huvudet på Per Gessle" ["In the head of Per Gessle"]. gradvall.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Roberts, Dave (4 October 2022). "Generally, the more people involved in writing a song, the less personal it gets". Music Business Worldwide . Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nunstedt, Anders (16 November 2005). "Jag är rädd att folk ska tröttna på mig" ["I'm afraid people will get tired of me"]. Expressen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "swedishcharts.com - Per Gessle - Mazarin". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Gyllene Tider sålde mest album 2004" ["Gyllene Tider sold the most albums during 2004"]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 11 January 2005. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Interview mit Per Gessle" ["Interview with Per Gessle"]. Swiss Hitparade (in German). Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Malmqvist, Stefan (11 June 2004). "Recension: Finn 5 fel!" ["Review: Find 5 Errors!"]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Wikström, Jan-Owe; Bieri, Walter (13 July 2013). "Marie gyllene överraskning för drygt 42 000 på Ullevi" ["Marie's golden surprise for just over 42,000 at Ullevi"]. Hallands Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Sandahl, Ronnie (8 August 2004). "Vilken skön rekordfest, GT!" ["What a nice record party, GT!"]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Edwards, Gavin; Magra, Iliana (10 December 2019). "Roxette Singer Marie Fredriksson Is Dead at 61". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  11. 1 2 Regnell, Tobias (December 2008 – January 2009). "50 År Och Diskokung? Per Gessle Börjar Om" ["50 Years Old and a Pop King? Per Gessle Starts Over"]. Filter (in Swedish). No. 5. Stockholm, Sweden: Offside Press. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Wrigholm, Lennart (11 December 2005). "Gessle Goes Pop!". musiklandet.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 December 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
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  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bjurman, Per (10 November 2005). "USA nästa för Gessle" ["USA next for Gessle"]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gessle, Per (2005). "Booklet". Son of a Plumber (Vinyl liner notes). Son of a Plumber. Elevator Entertainment · Capitol Records. 0946 3 48026 1–1.
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  19. ↑ Gessle, Per (2014). "Demos & Other Fun Stuff! Vol. 1, Disc 2 – 08: 'Something in the System' (Conversation with Sven Lindström)". The Per Gessle Archives (A Lifetime Of Songwriting) (Audio commentary). Lindström, Sven. Stockholm, Sweden: Elevator Entertainment. 334 43503.
  20. ↑ Gessle, Per (2014). "Demos & Other Fun Stuff! Vol. 3, Disc 2 – 18: 'I Like It Like That' (Conversation with Sven Lindström)". The Per Gessle Archives (A Lifetime Of Songwriting) (Audio commentary). Lindström, Sven. Stockholm, Sweden: Elevator Entertainment. 334 43503.
  21. 1 2 3 Gessle, Per (2014). "Demos & Other Fun Stuff! Vol. 2, Disc 2 – 08: 'Jo-Anna Says' (Conversation with Sven Lindström)". The Per Gessle Archives (A Lifetime Of Songwriting) (Audio commentary). Lindström, Sven. Stockholm, Sweden: Elevator Entertainment. 334 43503.
  22. ↑ Gessle, Per (2014). "Demos & Other Fun Stuff! Vol. 1, Disc 2 – 11: 'A Girl Like You' (Conversation with Sven Lindström)". The Per Gessle Archives (A Lifetime Of Songwriting) (Audio commentary). Lindström, Sven. Stockholm, Sweden: Elevator Entertainment. 334 43503.
  23. ↑ Gessle, Per (2014). "Demos & Other Fun Stuff! Vol. 4, Disc 2 – 02: 'Keep the Radio On (This Is the Perfect Song)' (Conversation with Sven Lindström)". The Per Gessle Archives (A Lifetime Of Songwriting) (Audio commentary). Lindström, Sven. Stockholm, Sweden: Elevator Entertainment. 334 43503.
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