Almost Unreal

Last updated
"Almost Unreal"
AlmostUnreal.jpg
Single by Roxette
from the album Super Mario Bros.
B-side "Fingertips '93"
Released10 May 1993 (1993-05-10)
RecordedMarch 1993
Studio
Genre Pop rock
Length3:59
Label
Songwriter(s) Per Gessle
Producer(s) Clarence Öfwerman
Roxette singles chronology
"Fingertips '93"
(1993)
"Almost Unreal"
(1993)
"Sleeping in My Car"
(1994)
Music video
"Almost Unreal" on YouTube

"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.

Contents

Background and recording

Per Gessle wrote "Almost Unreal" after Walt Disney Pictures contacted him about composing the theme song to Bette Midler's upcoming film Hocus Pocus . The song's backing track had already been completed at London's Mayfair Studios in March 1993 when Disney informed Gessle that US girlband En Vogue had been invited to record the film's theme song. "Almost Unreal" was then transferred to another Disney project, the live action adaptation of the Nintendo game series Super Mario Bros. , which was released under the Hollywood Pictures banner. Although hesitant about the project, the duo decided to allow the company to use the song in the film, as they were both fans of Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper. The group re-recorded the lyrics to omit most references to Hocus Pocus, although the title would still remain in the song's chorus, with the lyric "I love when you do that hocus pocus to me". Marie Fredriksson's vocals were recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm in March 1993, when she was nine months pregnant. [1] [2]

Composition and style

According to Ultimate Guitar, "Almost Unreal" is a mid-tempo pop rock song composed in the key of E major, and is written in common time with a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute. The intro is composed of two repetitions of an E–B–Asus 2 sequence, followed by a further two lines composed of C♯m–B–Asus2. Each verse is composed of variations of a B–G♯m 7–E–C♯m–E–A–G♯sus 4–G♯ sequence, while the chorus is composed of two repetitions of E–B–A, followed by a C♯m–B–A–F♯ sequence. [3]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard complimented the song as a "familiar power pop ballad" and said that "ABBA-esque harmonies at the chorus give the track a cute vibe, while hard drums and nimble guitar riffs lend an bright rock-ish glow." [4] Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "Roxette have produced a string of catchy pop smashes, so this frankly rather dreary song from the forthcoming Super Mario Brothers is a bit of a disappointment. What could be anthemic with a little work just sounds pompous." [5] Mike Schiller from PopMatters called the song "awful"; and wrote, "...not only does it sound like corporate pandering, but it's probably the most forced smash-hit wannabe Roxette ever created." [6]

Roxette themselves later dismissed both the song and the associated film, calling the latter a "flop" and "ridiculous". In the liner notes of the duo's first greatest hits compilation, Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! , Fredriksson referred to the track as "not one of our most inspired moments", while Gessle said, "I still like the song, in a way... but if you wanted to make a parody of Roxette, it would probably sound something like this." [1] [2]

Music video

The music video for "Almost Unreal" was directed by Irish director Michael Geoghegan, and stars the British actor Nick Pickard as a young man playing a video game in which he's watching parts of the film, as well as both band members performing the song, ending with him being de-evolved into a reptile like in the film. [7]

Formats and track listings

All music and lyrics were written by Per Gessle.

  1. "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
  2. "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
  1. "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
  2. "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
  3. "Fingertips '93" – 3:42
  1. "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
  2. "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
  3. "Fingertips '93" – 3:42
  4. "Almost Unreal" (AC mix) – 3:56

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Ballad Hits . [8]

Studios

Musicians

Charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
Europe10 May 1993CDEMI [17]
Japan16 June 1993Mini-CD [34]
United Kingdom12 July 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxette</span> Swedish pop rock duo

Roxette was a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle. They are Sweden's second-best-selling music act after ABBA.

<i>Have a Nice Day</i> (Roxette album) 1999 studio album by Roxette

Have a Nice Day is the sixth studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released worldwide from 22 February 1999 by Roxette Recordings and EMI. Recorded over an 18-month period in studios in Sweden and Spain, the album was produced by Marie Fredriksson, Per Gessle, Clarence Öfwerman and Michael Ilbert, and was their first studio album since Crash! Boom! Bang! in 1994. The album was not released in the US, as the duo were no longer signed to a label there. A deluxe edition was released in Spanish-speaking territories and, in Arabian regions, the naked babies on the cover were digitally removed, due to religious concerns.

<i>Dont Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!</i> 1995 greatest hits album by Roxette

Don't Bore Us - Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 30 October 1995 by EMI. The record contains the duo's four number ones from the US Billboard Hot 100 chart: "The Look", "Listen to Your Heart", "It Must Have Been Love" and "Joyride", and a further two which reached number two on the chart: "Dangerous" and "Fading Like a Flower ". It also includes four newly recorded tracks, three of which were released as singles: "You Don't Understand Me", "June Afternoon" and "She Doesn't Live Here Anymore". The album's title is based on a quote from Motown-founder Berry Gordy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeping in My Car</span> 1994 single by Roxette

"Sleeping in My Car" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 7 March 1994 by EMI as the lead single from the duo's fifth studio album, Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). The song was composed by Per Gessle in under an hour, and was the final song the band recorded for the album. It is a pop rock song containing elements drawn from pop punk. Marie Fredriksson's vocal range on the track spans over three octaves. The band performed the song at the inaugural 1994 MTV Europe Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Listen to Your Heart (Roxette song)</span> 1988 song by Roxette

"Listen to Your Heart" is a song by Swedish rock duo Roxette, which was 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wish I Could Fly</span> 1999 song by Roxette

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Do You Do!</span> 1992 single by Roxette

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anyone (Roxette song)</span> 1999 single by Roxette

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stars (Roxette song)</span> 1999 single by Roxette

"Stars" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 26 July 1999 as the third single from their sixth studio album, Have a Nice Day (1999). It was their first – and only – foray into the techno subgenre and features a children's choir in the song's chorus. A remix of the song by production collective Almighty served as the version which was predominantly played on European radio. The song became a hit throughout Europe, particularly in Scandinavia and in Germany, where it became the album's best-performing single. Its music video was directed by Anton Corbijn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crash! Boom! Bang! (song)</span> 1994 single by Roxette

"Crash! Boom! Bang!" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released in May 1994 by EMI as the second single from the duo's fifth studio album, Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). The song became a moderate hit in several European countries, peaking in the top 20 in Austria, Belgium, Finland and Sweden. It spent over five months on the German Singles Chart, peaking at number 31. The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Michael Geoghegan, had to be filmed twice before release, due to technical issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run to You (Roxette song)</span> 1994 single by Roxette

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulnerable (Roxette song)</span> 1995 single by Roxette

"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.

<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">Fingertips '93</span> 1993 single by Roxette

"Fingertips '93", is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released as the third and final single from their fourth studio album, Tourism (1992), on 26 January 1993. The single was only released in a select few countries, including Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain, and charted moderately. The song would be given a wider release when it was issued as one of the B-sides on the duo's proceeding single, "Almost Unreal", which was released four months later in May 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Don't Understand Me</span> 1995 single by Roxette

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June Afternoon</span> 1996 single by Roxette

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Thing About You</span> 2002 single by Roxette

"A Thing About You" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 14 October 2002 as the lead single from the duo's second greatest hits compilation album, The Ballad Hits (2002). Their first release following vocalist Marie Fredriksson's brain tumour diagnosis, the song charted in the top forty of numerous national record charts, including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan. The song received moderate airplay in the United Kingdom via BBC Radio 2, and remains their last single to enter the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 77. Its music video was directed by longtime collaborator Jonas Åkerlund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Sugar</span> 2001 single by Roxette

"Real Sugar" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 18 June 2001 as the second single from their seventh studio album, Room Service. The single was not released in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Possible</span> 2012 single by Roxette

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Just Happens</span> 2016 single by Roxette

"It Just Happens" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 8 April 2016 as the lead single from their tenth studio album, Good Karma. An electropop track, it was their first release under a new deal signed with Warner Music Group. The music video was directed by Tobias Leo Nordquist. Although the song was not as successful as the duo's previous lead singles on commercial charts, it performed well on numerous airplay charts; the track has been broadcast almost 15,000 times on radio in Russia.

References

  1. 1 2 "Digital booklet". Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus (liner notes). Roxette. Stockholm, Sweden: EMI Records. 1995. 7243 836203 2 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 Per Gessle. "Per Gessle: About Songs". roxetteblog.com. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  3. "Almost Unreal chords by Roxette". Ultimate-Guitar.com . Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  4. Flick, Larry (29 May 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 91. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  5. Jones, Alan (17 July 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 6. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  6. Mike Schiller (30 March 2007). "Roxette Hits Review". PopMatters . Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  7. Ballad & Pop Hits - The Complete Video Collection (DVD liner notes). Roxette. EMI. 2003. 7243 4 90946 9 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Lindström, Sven (2002). The Ballad Hits (CD liner notes). Roxette. Capitol Records. 72435 42798-2 9.
  9. "Roxette – Almost Unreal". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  10. "Roxette – Almost Unreal" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  11. "Roxette – Almost Unreal" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1007." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  13. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2179." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  14. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 32. 7 August 1993. p. 16. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 32. 7 August 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  16. "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 26. 26 June 1993. p. 30. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  17. 1 2 "Roxette – Almost Unreal" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  18. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (4.–10. júní)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 3 June 1993. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Roxette". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  20. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Roxette" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  21. "Roxette – Almost Unreal" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  22. "Roxette – Almost Unreal". VG-lista. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  23. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  24. "Roxette – Almost Unreal". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  25. "Roxette – Almost Unreal". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  26. "Roxette: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  27. "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week . 21 August 1993. p. 28. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  28. "Roxette Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  29. "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LVI, no. 42. 26 June 1993. p. 14. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  30. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 239.
  31. "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  32. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  33. "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week . 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  34. "スーパーマリオ愛のテーマ | ロクセット" [Super Mario Love Theme | Roxette] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  35. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 10 July 1993. p. 21.