TEIL 2Per: Somebody at your record company said you were playing a lot of guitars on this album. But this can't possibly be you, can it?
Gessle: What do you mean? Of course it can. But it's Mats Persson getting low-down and funky.
Per: Funky?
Gessle: Sort of. "Saturday" is written around a drum loop I found in our demo studio in Halmstad. And it's my guitars you hear gently weeping all over the track.
Per: Touching. Have you ever bent a note?
Gessle: I don't believe in note-bending. I don't believe in bending whatsoever. I do believe in "Bend It", though.
Per: That's Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.
Gessle: What a great memory you've got. Almost too good. If you can remember the 60's you weren't there.
Per: Let's move on. "Kix" is...
Gessle: ...bringing some groove to the record. Every pop album needs a touch of Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Per: Would you describe the song as dance-oriented?
Gessle: I don't know, I gave up dancing in 1982. I'd be happy if people tap their fingers on the steering wheel.
Per: Someone said your mother liked "I Want You To Know".
Gessle: Yeah, I said that. She does. We allowed ourselves to drift into a non-chemical haze with flutes and distored drums. The band, that is - not my mother and I. "Tomorrow Never Knows" meets "Itchycoo Park", if you know what I mean.
Per: Au naturellement. You've got to have one red hot motherf**cker of a record collection.
Gessle: It's not everyone's cup of tea, though. You're more likely to find Doris Day than Luther Vandross there.
Per: Are you crazy? You don't like soul? You don't like the political commentary in rap? You don't like tormented singers wailing their blues away? You like Doris Day? I bet you don't buy magazines with the Gallagher brothers on the cover either.
Gessle: You've been reading my mail. I like Oasis though. Not every band gets sued by The Rutles, you know.
Per: Wait 'til you hear what the Gallagher brothers have to say about your solo album.
Gessle: If they have any idea of what Doris Day was all about, they'll love it.
Per: How come Roxette never got acceptance from the more correct side of the British music press?
Gessle: I don't know. Being Swedish didn't help in the beginning. When we broke through there hadn't been anything coming out of Sweden since ABBA, really. Today it's almost the reverse situation. And besides, our music was always regarded as being too commercial to be credible. I never understood that. Benny in ABBA once said that he was happy that the whole world had the same musical taste as he had. It's like that. You do your thing and hope for the best. And if you have a commercial element in your music, I see no sense in hiding it. Au contraire, as the French say. But we all love England here. Their football, their draught ale, their Dickens, their driving on the wrong side of the road, their MP's with their kinky sex, their music and their art. I think we love all, come to think of it.
Per: As in "love all, serve all".
Gessle: Something like that.
Per: Back to the record. Did you write the song "Reporter" in order to get a psychological advantage with the media?
Gessle:..."she's such a good reporter, working for a magazine"...yeah, maybe. Did you notice the line coming after her getting access to British Royalty..."she wants the management to tell her where she can interview Marie and Per"?
Per: Yeah, I heard that. Why didn't you put that backwards? It's more fun that way. Hidden messages, you know.
Gessle: I did first, but then I realised you can't play CD's backwards.
Per: "B-Any-1-U-Wanna-B". It's got waves, it's got the "Good Vibrations"-organ sound, it's presented as a homage to Brian Wilson. Why?
Gessle: It was a fluffy pop song that I had on acoustic demo. I asked Brainpool to arrange it and Christoffer had a field day with all the toys he could possibly find. A zither and a mini-moog, for example.
Per: Let's go on. "Wish You The Best" puts an end to the record's inital hammering of guitars and distorted vocals. I think I like this one the best.
Gessle: I'm so glad you do. I do too. It could easily have been a fat power-ballad, but Brainpool have never listened to that kind of music, so it turned out to be more naked and passionate instead. I'm very proud of this one.
Per: OK. The next song is an old number by Wizzard...
Gessle: No, it's close but...
Per: "No Cigar"? Haven't heard that one. Whose song is it then?
Gessle: Mine, of course. I've changed all the facts to avoid any similarity with anything. I bought a book about Elvis after the song was written and it was actually a very gloomy day when Elvis came to Germany. It rained and stormed and there was no orchestra. My version is the way it should have been, though. I first liked the lyrics better than the music, but then the saxes came along and got the balance right.
Per: Astonishing. Is it true that Marie likes "T-T-T-Take It" and that Roxette almost recorded it for the "Don't Bore Us - Get To The Chorus"-collection, but that you choose "June Afternoon" instead?
Gessle: It's true.
Per: So that's about it, then?
Gessle: No, there's three more songs.
Per: I thought we were talking about a pop record, not a double album.
Gessle: I don't believe in killing ones darlings. I'm a pacifist.
Per: Pacifiction won't get you anywhere, boy. Anyway, Marie is making a guest appearance on "I'll Be Alright". Why?
Gessle: I've already told you that she's the best. And who in his right mind would leave "There Is My Baby" to rot in the drawer? And could you possibly ask for a sweeter goodbye than "Lay Down Your Arms"? Or should I kill a song with a title like that?
Per: Easy now...don't get excited...it just seemed a bit long, that's all.
Gessle: It's less than an hour. 52 minutes if you count it. I've spent my whole life listening to pop music. You mean you can't spend 52 minutes listening to it? You're that busy? You sleep with a mobile phone under the pillow? I've suffered for my art - now it's your turn. Too long, my ass!
Per: Don't get me wrong, I love the record. It's clearly a step forward for you as a writer and performer. It reveals your personal roots as well as being firmly rooted in today's music scene. And it's got a lot of balls and...electric guitars.
Gessle: You really mean that?
Per: I honestly do. But what about Roxette?
Gessle: In October we'll go into the studio to start work on a new album.
Per: Well, see you then.
Gessle: Don't count on it. Too long, huh?
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