Per says Marie is irreplaceable
Written by tevensso on August 2, 2005 to Per Gessle.
HALMSTAD (UPDATED) - 
The Daily Roxette has received a short statement from Per Gessle regarding Expressen’s article today: “It is not, and has never been, an option to replace Marie in what’s been called a ’new Roxette’. She is – of course – irreplaceable!!! I still hope, and believe, that there are great things in Roxette’s future.”
Per continues to tell TDR that Helena’s involvement in his new solo album has been on the same level as with “Mazarin”.
Here’s the official press statement:
On account of Expressen’s strange article today, I will hereby give you some information regarding my current musical project.
I’ve been hyperactive in Christoffer Lundquist’s studio in Skåne off and on since December 2004 and recorded a whole bunch of songs both in Swedish and in English. Some make you dance, some make you smile, some are instrumentals while others have some lyrics in French. It’s very exciting and we have a very good time – eating and drinking well.
The musicians I’ve been using are essentially the same as on ’Mazarin’; i.e., Clarence Öfwerman, Christoffer Lundqvist, Jens Jansson and Helena Josefsson. The album is recorded in stereo and is thought to be finished sometime this fall.
Not ever has it been my intention to try to create a ’new Roxette’, and Helena Josefsson is thus NOT IN THE CARDS as my “duo partner”. I still hope, and believe that Roxette will continue sometime in the future and I’m also of that opinion that Marie Fredriksson is IRREPLACEABLE!
As soon as I get closer to a finish of the above mentioned project, I promise to reveal both song titles, sleeve ideas and how we tuned our guitars. Until then, all the best from
Per Gessle in Jolly HalmstadAugust 2, 2005
Other articles with the same topic
- New Per Gessle single "Silly Really" (October 6, 2008)
- More than 100 million SEK to Swedish songwriters (June 16, 2008)
- Per enters Swedish album chart (May 25, 2008)
- The word according to Gessle (May 14, 2008)
- Movie with Gessle song wins top award at New York film festival (May 6, 2008)
134 comments
Krystian said on August 2, 2005 11:24:
Marie is irreplacable !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in ROXETTE !!!!!!!!!!! reason to not be a Per fan.
ncurran said on August 2, 2005 11:25:
Thank God for that. Seems the expressen article was sensationalist after all, as it definitely seemed to suggest that it was more than a backing singer on his solo album.
Thats a nice statement from Per though....perhaps Expressen should print it tomorrow
DGessle said on August 2, 2005 11:26:
Why not being a Roxette AND Per fan?
what’s the problem in that?
Rich-UK said on August 2, 2005 11:26:
I don’t think Per sounds annoyed. It’s a simple correction of tabloid misinformation.
Rox1_4ever said on August 2, 2005 11:27:
Oohh Per I LOVE you!! I was so angry at you for a moment..Marie is irreplacable!!!!! I agree whit you to 200%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ncurran said on August 2, 2005 11:27:
DGessle, who said there was a problem with that?
Santi said on August 2, 2005 11:27:
So Per does read TDR daily, it seems... That was quick reply.
carbon_boy said on August 2, 2005 11:30:
May I say: “TOLD YOU SO!”
Can’t wait for the album Mr G! Hope this will end up involving the whole “behind the scenes” Gessle clan aka Karl-M and Jonas.
Good luck with the rest of the recordings.
Later
DGessle said on August 2, 2005 11:32:
I said to Krystian who said: reason to not to be a Per fan..
Mari said on August 2, 2005 11:40:
Ha ha. Somebody should feels him/herself stupid right now :P
Mikalex1 said on August 2, 2005 11:41:
Great said Per!!! I believed in you! Thanks .....
steven said on August 2, 2005 11:41:
You know what... I didn’t think the Expressen article was sensationalist at all.
I think a lot of fans wrongly jumped to conclusions.
Still... we got to hear from the big guy and get some valuable information out of it.
pardek said on August 2, 2005 11:44:
THANK YOU SO MUCH PER!!! you’re just wonderful.
I hope and believe the same.
all the best,
Peter
purplemedusa said on August 2, 2005 11:45:
Thanx Per for clearing that up! U rock! Hope that there’s some great suprises for us instore next year with he 20th aniversery!
Looking forward to the new solo album - hope that Marie will make some small contribution to it tho!
ncurran said on August 2, 2005 11:47:
Steven, you dont think this is sensationalist?
“Swedish tabloid Expressen writes today about how 27 year old Helena Josefsson will replace Marie Fredriksson in a new international music project planned by Per Gessle”
Do you think that it sounds from the article that Helena is a backing singer on a Per solo album? I certainly dont. It is very irresponsable reporting
Someone0000 said on August 2, 2005 11:48:
Hmm didn’t he say not so long ago: “everything has returned back to “normal”, i.e. Roxette and my solo stuff. ” So you would figure he is working on it besides his solo stuff.
And now he says: ” I still hope, and believe, that there are great things in Roxette’s future.”
Makes you wonder though.
Also, : Helena’s involvement in his new solo album has been on the same level as with “Mazarin”.
Does that mean, her involvement in a certain new european project is still a big question mark? Or is it already a good planned project? Remember Roxette wasn’t a lucky strike in europe, they already had a plan in working before they hit the US.
tevensso (moderator) said on August 2, 2005 11:52:
You read too much into it: Helena does backup vocals on this album (like she did on “Mazarin”). Roxette will be back somewhen after that. There’s nothing more to it. At least that’s the way I see it.
Judith (moderator) said on August 2, 2005 11:53:
who said something about Per writing on TDR? :P And how many times do/does we/ Per have to tell that he reads TDR? ;)
It wasn’t necessary to insult anybody in the end, or?
steven said on August 2, 2005 11:54:
@ Neil:
The key word here for me was “project” and not “Roxette”.
pwbbounce (moderator) said on August 2, 2005 11:54:
I’m looking forward to the album again now. I had these thoughts of all the Rox-style ballads being sung by Helena. Nothing against her, but she’s no Marie.
If it’s backing vocals that’s cool!!
tatti said on August 2, 2005 11:58:
Well, it’s not the first time that Expressen is trying to stir people’s minds. I don’t think that the idea of Roxette without Marie sounds plausible to anyone.
Marie is irreplaceable. Thank you for these words, Per! Can’t wait to listen to some new music!
tomos85 said on August 2, 2005 11:59:
Well, those tabloid news are like big balloons - nothing’s inside ;] Per is recording new album right now and it’s great information, unfortunately, spoiled by dumb comments in Expressen... Eh... Helen is a wonderful girl with a lot of talent and with good, let say, voice ablities, but she’ll never be Marie :) At least if she don’t change her name :)
Per mentioned Roxette again :):):)
Someone0000 said on August 2, 2005 12:03:
Exactly. He avoided the ” project”
Everybody just assumes it would be called Roxette. But that doesn’t mean there is still nothing else going on besides solo and roxette wise.
So he can still make another duo or band or whatever in english releasing it worldwide.
And still have this Helena involved in this whole thing.
purplemedusa said on August 2, 2005 12:05:
Hey this whole thing atleast brought some excitement ...!
ncurran said on August 2, 2005 12:08:
Whether it was just a “project” or “Roxette”, i think it would be inappropriate either way for him to start a worldwide project with another female singer as a duo.
Thankfully this is not the case, and it has been clarified that it is just another solo album
Someone0000 said on August 2, 2005 12:12:
Ncurran: He didn’t say that.
He said : “It is not, and has never been, an option to replace Marie in what’s been called a ’new Roxette’
This has nothing to do with other things he might be doing.
ncurran said on August 2, 2005 12:15:
“Per continues to tell TDR that Helena’s involvement in his new solo album has been on the same level as with “Mazarin”.”
Rich-UK said on August 2, 2005 11:20:
Well said boss! Good luck with your project! All the best from Rich ;-)
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