STOCKHOLM (UPDATED) - After eight years of hard work, Robert Thorselius's Roxette and related discography book "The Look For Roxette - The Illustrated Worldwide Discography & Price Guide" will finally be published during the first week of December.


  With a preface written by Per Gessle, the hardcover book has 592 pages. It includes a full worldwide discography and videography of items released by Roxette and Gyllene Tider along with any others related to Per Gessle's or Marie Fredriksson's work. Extensive biographical information is also included, as well as a 'tourography' that covers all solo and Roxette tours, plus specific single performances. The text portion of "The Look For Roxette" is written in English.



Where did the title come from?

  "The publisher wanted something that was both catchy and sounded like a Roxette title. So I came up with 'The Look For Roxette' as the title. as it's sort of a word play on 'The Look' as a single… and looking for Roxette records. I do realize that it's not totally correct English," Robert says with a smile.


  As Per revealed to The Daily Roxette during our exclusive interview with him, the first edition of the book (3,000 copies) will include an EP with the four previously unreleased tracks listed below:

   1. Stay (At Home, At Work, At Play) - demo recorded at Tits & Ass, Halmstad, July 1995. Micke Syd on "live drums"!

   2. I Do Believe - demo recorded at Tits & Ass, Halmstad, July 24th, 1999.

   3. Looking for Jane - demo recorded at Tits & Ass, Halmstad, February 15th, 2000.

   4. Waiting for the Rain - demo recorded at Studio Vinden, Djursholm, 1997. Recorded by "Marie and friends".

  "When the idea for a bonus EP came up, I talked to Per to see if this would be possible," Robert grins, "and to my surprise he was all for it!" So when the first suggestion came from Per the EP contained Gyllene Tider's "Henry, Dansa Inte Disco!" and Roxette's "7Twenty7" demo, among others. "Of course, '7Twenty7' was already published as a B-side of 'Stars'… Then Per came up with this suggestion. I think it's a pretty decent EP, wouldn't you say?" The important thing about the EP, according to Robert, is that the material was previously unreleased and new to all fans.

• Premium Publishing's website
• Pre-order the book here

"Gessle loved it!"

  Commenting on the project, Per Gessle said "the book is a serious piece of work for hard core Roxette fans."


When The Daily Roxette asked Robert why he'd ever start a project of this magnitude, he claims it was a "cool thing." He is a big record collector and thought it would be a piece of cake to put a book like this together. He was wrong. "I didn't realize the size of Roxette's combined discography. But I was never discouraged. Sure, there were moments when I felt sick and tired of it, but then a new record came out and 'bam', it was fun again! I'm glad I didn't publish it five years ago, it would've been a poor product. I'm very proud of this one," he claims.

  "So anyways, we started a project way back in the early '90s. It was I and two other serious record collectors who thought it would be nice to have a 'complete' Roxette discography, including all the solo material," Robert remembers.


Favorites 

  What are your favorite items in the book, we asked? Robert's response is quick: "The Swedish 'Joyride' fold-out LP, definitely! The LP's original sleeve was scrapped due to that Per hated the picture, but I love it!" Other favorites are "The Look", in clear vinyl, "Ännu doftar kärlek" in blue vinyl and "Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång" in burgundy vinyl.


  The book, which will be published in Sweden to start with, will be available for purchase through Premium Publishing's own website and from Robert himself. The price will be set at €43 (Euro) or 395 kronor, and will feature a lovely color section with loads of beautiful posters and rare records!