Roxette's Per Gessle on Marie Fredriksson, their success, Joyride the Musical, & Roxette's new tour.

Per Gessle tells the extraordinary story of Roxette—from his childhood escape into pop music and the formation of Gyllene Tider to meeting Marie Fredriksson, conquering America and creating some of the biggest pop records of the late 1980s and 1990s.

Per reveals how The Look became an unexpected American hit after a student took the Look Sharp! album to a Minneapolis radio station, how It Must Have Been Love found its place in Pretty Woman and why he knew Roxette had made an album capable of travelling around the world.

He also speaks movingly about his friendship and creative partnership with Marie Fredriksson, the devastating telephone call that changed everything and the emotional performance that eventually brought them back together.

Finally, Per explains why he considered closing the door on Roxette forever—and why hearing Lena Philipsson sing the catalogue convinced him that these songs deserved another life onstage.

Watch the accompanying Lena Philipsson interview here:
https://youtu.be/up-O3cVlXFE

CHAPTERS

00:00 Roxette’s extraordinary worldwide story
01:25 Per Gessle joins the interview
01:59 Growing up surrounded by 1960s pop
04:34 His father, creativity and a devastating coincidence
06:32 Escaping into a parallel world of music
09:42 How Per learned to write pop songs
16:22 Starting the band that became Gyllene Tider
20:42 Punk, imperfection and the freedom to fail
22:50 The first taste of success
25:25 Meeting Marie Fredriksson
30:02 How Per and Marie became Roxette
34:11 The extraordinary American success of The Look
39:56 Realising Roxette could conquer the world
44:32 It Must Have Been Love and Pretty Woman
46:04 Roxette, ABBA and Swedish credibility
48:45 Per and Marie’s creative partnership
50:14 The telephone call that changed everything
53:26 Marie’s illness and Roxette’s uncertain future
55:30 The performance that brought Marie back
56:47 Why Per chose Lena Philipsson
58:20 Should the door on Roxette close forever?
59:52 Hearing the old songs differently
62:36 The Roxette musical
65:04 What Roxette’s legacy means to Per

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