Per comments on fan’s disappointment with RoxBox
Written by Per_G_ on September 2, 2006 to Exclusive.
STOCKHOLM - 
Here is a message from Per regarding the RoxBox controversy.
Dear Daily Roxers, hope all is well in the real world!
I’ve noticed, reading on my own and thru various mails, that some of you are unhappy, furious, hurt, suicidal and even displaying a very unpleasant attitude regarding the upcoming Roxette releases.
Roxette has been around for 20 years, this particular year we have decided to release 1 compilation album with our biggest hits + 1 box set which should give a more complete picture of the band and our ambitions. All for a wide audience of old + new fans and people who perhaps didn’t even know they were fans…We have recorded 2 new tracks which we feel are up to the same standard as our best material. As well as these new ones the box will include 14 tracks that most folks living on this planet aren’t that familiar with. And they’re pretty good too. Yea, that’s about it. No, I forgot the extended version of MTV Unplugged recordings which will also be included in this mighty box.
It has never been our intention to have a box-release leaning heavily towards demos, remixes, song sketches or live material. Like I mentioned before the idea with this particular item is to present the big picture of what Roxette is all about. We don’t want that flow of quality productions to be interrupted by 7-minute remixes or lukewarm demos. Quality over exclusivity has always been our choice.
By the way, talking about demos: Most artists (that I know of anyway) don’t release demos at all. Just so you know, the demo is made by the writer or the artist to try out the song, to find out for oneself what it’s all about. It’s not necessarily meant to be heard by the public. It’s work in progress. Some of you seem to think that these, often primitive, recordings or rough sketches are made for your ears. They are not. They are made for ours. You can’t take for granted that the demoversion of every Roxette-song you like has to be released. That won’t happen.
So…I really can’t understand the dissatisfaction among some of you. If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it and certainly don’t buy it! Marie and I have to be the prime judges of our own music, our own lyrics and our own productions. That won’t change. It’s a beautiful day out there. Enjoy it.
P.
Sept. 2, 2006
Other articles with the same topic
- The word according to Gessle (May 14, 2008)
- This just in: Per discovers yet another demo for "The World" re-release (April 9, 2008)
- Per opens his first statue exhibition in May (April 1, 2008)
- New Gessle song featured in Swedish horror movie (March 30, 2008)
- Marie working on a new site (March 14, 2008)
351 comments
rox-kuryliw said on September 2, 2006 11:08:
mmm ok fair comment. I must have got the impression this ’MIGHTY’ rox box was like a raraties thing. Not like a best of from each album. ow well . (im not a fan of demos anyway, your right there) What about this monster hanger etc ? They must have been other songs recored for each album aswell. i can understand if u think they suck though its up to you . PS alot of what u thought sucked doesnt but your choice not the fans i guess ( although we do buy it and listern to it lol ! ! ! ! and realisticly kept you going) would have been great to have a more raraites theme on the rox box , b sides remixes LIVE tracks. more like a tourism thing.
Sorry mate but the standards of that one wish cover is horrid still . Im sure the 2 new songs are great though. The video looks very interesting which im looking forward to. jonas works great visually with per and marie ( hope he does cover shoot)
Mikalex1 said on September 2, 2006 11:10:
I´m with you ally. What did the people think that´s comming? A brand new album? We knew that we will get a collection. I find it good for all new fans.....
I can´t wait too since I have the Box. Two new songs for the anniversary are great. Maybe this can be a new step into the next 20 years with a lot of Roxstuff!!HA!HA!
Bunio said on September 2, 2006 11:12:
i must say that i agree with Per (especially about remixes and demos), but still... more live tracks, maybe some from RS Tour, should be included. Roxette live is great!
freddyhardest said on September 2, 2006 11:13:
Well, this text doesn´t answer my personal question.
They included some really unreleased demos in the box. One? two? three? more or less.
Like “Myth”. Who is the target people?
The newcomers won´t have any interest in those. They want the hits and the back catalogue.
Why to include these two or three demos in the pack?
To make the fans buy the pack. To make the fans pay another time for the lot of songs they have already bought several times.
P.D. : However, I´ll buy the singles the first day.
I know this is business. Just don´t try to cheat anyone, Mr. Gessle.
Just like any greatest hits, songs that everyone has but, oh, they include one or two songs, to “obligue” fans to buy it.
ttmo said on September 2, 2006 11:15:
It’s a fair response. Maybe one day we get to see some demos on bad hair day project again. Which we have to remember is free and got us a lot of rare demos. We can hope,right.
rox-kuryliw said on September 2, 2006 11:15:
sad but true thats business. Ill pass on rox box me.
ally77 said on September 2, 2006 11:16:
@ freddyhardest, he’s not cheating you.....
As the last lines goes, you don’t have to buy it!
erweetiran said on September 2, 2006 11:19:
Fair...BUT
1. The ONE remix that pops up the most is COY....so his comment about a bunch of remixes does not make sense
2. This box has 2 songs I never heard before so they are releasing stuff over and over
3. The comment about the “Don’t listen to it or dont’ buy it” was insensative...
anyway he can do what he likes but why compile a box meant for hardcore fans...and then its not stuff that they would be interested in...cause the box is oing to cost a bunch and will not be on the christmas list of the average joe
steven said on September 2, 2006 11:19:
>>So…I really can’t understand the dissatisfaction among some of youIf you don’t like it, don’t listen to it and certainly don’t buy it!
Krischan said on September 2, 2006 11:20:
Thanks for bothering, Per!
It is indeed the answer one could expect as to the contents - not that i expected one at all.
You left out an major issue - the compulsion of having to buy tracks for the n-th time in order to get the really new songs. This is what annoyed a part of the community. But I believe now that you just cannot understand this. Whatever the reason may be.
freddyhardest said on September 2, 2006 11:21:
To ally77
Yes, he is cheating, because he is not completely sincere.
I know, the Rox Box is for newcomers and nostalgics. OK. Like the greatest hits.
And, like the greatest hits, contain those few, few but interesting for the fans, songs which makes you buy the entire lot.
That´s not fair. In my opinion, of course.
P.D.: They can release next year two CD with all the demos we all have AND one or two new demos. How interesting !!
What will you do?
“Most artists (that I know of anyway) don’t release demos at all”
Yes, and you insert one or two in the pack, so many more people than expected will buy it only for them. You (or EMI) are a genius.
Sascha said on September 2, 2006 11:24:
Thanx for your comment, Per! I hope you differenciate between many fans’ disappointment about the RoxBox and the fundamental joy about Roxette’s comeback and the 2 new songs! We can’t wait to hear One Wish on the radio and see you both back on stage... Hip hip hurray, Roxette is alive! :-D
But, please... just change that horrible single cover! ;-)
LookSharp81 said on September 2, 2006 11:24:
Well said Per, that’s the reality.
So i’ll buy all of the new releases!
I say thanx for all of this new stuff and i’ll enjoy it.
Hope to see you soon!
David
Kiwein1 said on September 2, 2006 11:36:
I agree with Per about the demo thing but also would have liked to hear more live tracks. Whatever..I am “so and so” at the moment but still looking forward to the “comeback”. Won’t buy the box though.
But thanks to Per for commenting and justifying somehow. Nice to read. Thanks for your time.
whateveriam said on September 2, 2006 11:57:
Yeah, I’m going to throw myself off a bridge cos I don’t like whats in the box. Really, you flatter yourself.
Thanks for taking the time to try and rationalise this though. Even if I don’t buy it (I’m still undecided), I know a person who will.
EDIT-won’t say the last comment, I don’t have a death wish.
sabrina59 said on September 2, 2006 12:03:
well, first of all, it’s so easy to complain...
i must say per’s words couldn’t be more accurate: if you don’t like it, don’t listen to it or better, don’t buy it!!!
i think they’ll always do things that way, for the simple reason that it’s impossible to make everybody happy. and of course, ’cause THEY ARE roxette, and i think they’ve done a great job so far.
so, for those who feel dissaponited, wait till you see the new stuff in stores and then decide whether you’re happy to have roxette’s brand new material in your hands (after all we’ve been through) or not.
me? i already am.
love you guys! keep on roxing... for years to come.
ncurran said on September 2, 2006 12:03:
Nice that Per has taken the time to comment on this. However, I have to say that sometimes I do find his attitude a little insincere and arrogant. Firstly, it wasn’t ’some’ of us that were unhappy with the tracklist, it was the vast majority. I don’t particularly like demos either, but the ’flow of quality productions’ is already going to be interupted by crap like ’love spins’. The tracklist is very bizarre, and who does he actually think is going to buy this box set? It would be very naive to think that it will be ’new fans’, Box sets generally are collectors items for more hard core fans, and that what makes the situation more sad.
’All for a wide audience of old + new fans and people who perhaps didn’t even know they were fans…’
Funny that, i thought you told us it was for the fans who thought they had everything.
’If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it and certainly don’t buy it!’
Well we can listen to it anyway without buying it, because we already have it all.
’Have a nice day’
Sanglof said on September 2, 2006 12:05:
Per, you do have a point about the demos, but, we would still like to have som live-trax and also the new video for One Wish.
Also, you could’ve included rare videoclips from tours and stuff, in the end, you told us (as far as I remember at least) that this box was for the Harcore fans.
Steffen78 said on September 2, 2006 12:08:
Well i must say, i always felt me being a real rox-hardcore fan with having the most of the releases. And i am with per and that there are some songs on the box which at least i dont know or havent in my hands at that moment:
Love Spins
Always Breaking My Heart
Help -> ok, heard it on the net, but still
I Love How You Love Me
Myth
New World
Every Day -> where was this to find???
All I Ever Wanted
So together with the two new ones there are 10 songs i havent heard before, kind of a new album for me.
So I am happy with that.
See you in Hamburg at Brawo-Event Per, thanx...
:-)
And to all the others, interesting that you know an have these songs already. I have them not, still a hardcore fan with so many concerts attended and material bought...
Chears,
Steffen
Visitor1982 said on September 2, 2006 12:12:
Hi all...
I don’t understand why Roxette fans are so negative about this boxset. I’m an ABBA fan as well and I can tell you that B&B from that group are really stubborn about previously unreleased songs... They have never released complete demo’s, only small snippets more than 10 years ago. There are some wonderful complete ABBA recordings in the archives, but they refuse to release it. I’m glad the members of Roxette are more considerate to their fans!
Marnix
Kiwein1 said on September 2, 2006 12:13:
Steffen: So, you don’t mind paying more than (probably) 60 Euro to get 10 new songs? That’s what I really call “hardcore fan”. :-)
Neil: Agree with you! I think I couldn’t have pointed it out myself. But you hit the nail on the head.
Arlanda said on September 2, 2006 12:17:
Dear Per,
Thanx for your statement. You are so right, it’s your and Maries own choice what will be released or not. My best friend and me are so looking forward to the new releases. We are proud to be your fans! Hugs from Switzerland.
GT_85 said on September 2, 2006 12:18:
I like the straight answer. Just straight forward, nothing unnecisary. BUT, mr Gessle himself said it would be for the fans who belived thay’ve heard it all, or something. That’s the weird thing.
And I would also like to hear his comment about that songs like Always breaking my heart (demo) is unreleased.
whateveriam said on September 2, 2006 12:24:
“It’s four CDs, a DVD – a little bit of this, a little bit of that – outtakes and demos and stuff. It’s like a coffee table thing, and it’s really, really big [with an] 80-page booklet and stuff.”
See, he didn’t lie to us, he just witheld certain truths...
No, honestly, I’m looking forward to new singles, thats as far as my enthusiasm will stretch today.
chrisjankunas said on September 2, 2006 12:28:
I can agree up to this point “14 tracks that most folks living on this planet aren’t that familiar with”
We were told 14 unreleased songs. My only gripe with this box is that they couldn’t even manage that.
Viewtiful said on September 2, 2006 12:33:
Interview published on TDR 4/8/2006
“Otherwise it will be a mix of Roxette’s material, excluding the hits”
“Most of the demos will be from the well known songs, like ’The Look,’ ’Listen To Your Heart’ and ’It Must Have Been Love.’ Famous songs that Marie is singing, I will be present in the demos. I want all the demos to be enjoyable, and not being there just for the sake of being there.”
“We did eight, nine demos for the ’Look Sharp!’ album. ’Silver Blue’ was there, ’One Is Such A Lonely Number’ was there. We have a couple of tracks from those sessions that are fantastic, like ’Sleeping Single’ and ’Dance Away.’ And there’s a demo for ’Cry’ which is totally different from the album version. I want to have those demos on the album because they mean so much to me and they are enjoyable to listen to.”
Rox20 press release:
Roxette’s 20th Anniversary is also celebrated with the release of “The RoxBox ’86-’06,” a real goodie for all fans who thought “they had everything.”
Nothing more to say...
ally77 said on September 2, 2006 11:02:
Oh I can comment first! :)
Oh I have to laugh at Per’s response, always the comic! I am not suicidal, takes a lot more that the upcoming Roxette release to put me in that frame of mind!
It’s true what he says, the Rox Box does contain songs that some people won’t have heard before, those who have not got the entire back catalogue of cheap crap sounding bootlegs!
I personally can’t wait to get my hands on the box, as I sold most of my crap bootlegs on eBay yonks ago and it will be nice to have some of those demo’s on official release!
But Per, I’d still like to know if it’s being released in the UK…. Can anyone confirm this?
…. And I still a tad miffed about no The Big L demo as we get to hear and see in the “Making of Joyride”, that was and sounded like a great demo! But hey I am not gonna spit my dummy out over it!
It’s a nice day where you are? Jeez it raining non stop here… ;)
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