STOCKHOLM - "The World According to Gessle" was released May 2, 1997, it's now back, bigger and better. At least that's what EMI and Per want us to think. Are they right? The Daily Roxette got ourselves a little chat with Per himself regarding the re-release of this, among fans, widely liked album.

So, Per, back in the lime light yet another time, this time with an old album, tell us, what's the point in releasing "The World" again?

"Well, the thing is that it wasn't available at all anymore!," says Per, quite upset. "I happened to notice this by chance at the EMI office in Stockholm and nobody could explain why it had been deleted. So I decided to put it back on the shelves, but of course with added material I know some people are interested in. Like you for instance." Per smiles and points at this reporter.

Yes, and I am very thankful for that! You've added tons and tons of demos on the second CD, and I have to say, nice ones. What made you do that? I doubt it's that common these days.

"Well, first of all I wanted to make the re-release special. So basically I just asked myself what I as a fan, would want from an album like 'The World.' And the most obvious thing to me is 'behind the scenes' -material, like the original demos for instance." explains Per and continues "If you're really into an album it's always interesting to get to know how the working process got started and so on."

On this release we're getting no less than 20 demos, of which only one has been released before, that being "June Afternoon," and that's not even counting the six B-sides from the singles that are on the first CD. The three Jonas Åkerlund videos of "Do You Wanna Be My Baby?," "Kix" and "I Want You to Know" weren't included but will be available somehow as downloads. It's not yet certain how though. Also missing is the Electronic Press Kit.

How did you feel when you went through the songs again, during the remaster? Did you still like them?

"I haven't really listened to this album for many, many years and yes, to my surprise, both Clarence - who was with me during the new mastering - and myself loved it! I can hardly remember recording it though… Just fragments, bits and pieces" smiles Per. "Don't ask me why… I remember that the basic idea was to use the Gyllene Tider-band since we just had done the very successful 'Återtåget' tour and the band sounded extremely tight at the time!! GT is still a brilliant power pop group if you ask me!!" Per is really into it now and goes on "But it only lasted for five six songs if I remember it correctly. Then Christoffer, Jens and David from Brainpool came in and changed my life forever."

Will there be another "The World" sometime?

Per looks thoughtful… "Well, these days I prefer to do my English work as the soothing sunny Son of a Plumber. But hell yes, someday I'll make the definitive ultra-catchy-power-pop-guitars-skweeked-to-13-sort-of-record! It would be nice. I have it in my system somewhere. It pops up every other Saturday night when I make silly dance moves."

We've all been there Per, no need to feel bad.

Reading the dates on the demos one realizes you recorded several of them during the Återtåget tour, how do you find the time?

"To my (and to my family's) surprise I always seem to unwind from the crazy tour schedules writing new songs…" Per says with an amazed frown. "I don't know why, it's always been like that. Maybe I get bored playing basically the same songs every night. I need new blood in my system… new stories, new truths, new lies."

Good for the fans of course! Going back a bit though, would it be fair to call "The World" almost a Gyllene Tider album? I mean in the book "Att vara Per Gessle" you mention that it started out almost like a GT project, but you got tired of it.

"Well, hmmm, no" says Per and shakes his head. "Like I said before I only wanted to use the lads as backing musicians, I felt songs like 'Stupid,' 'Do You Wanna Be My Baby?,' 'Reporter,' 'Elvis in Germany' and 'T-T-T-Take It!' would fit this beautiful combo perfectly. Just the way it worked recording Roxette's 'June Afternoon' with these guys. But I was only partly right. Like I said, after a while we ran out of freash ideas."

Too bad. What can you tell us about the future for Per Gessle, Gyllene Tider and Roxette? What are your plans? GT30 and PG 50 are coming up around the bend…

"Well, currently I'm very pleased to be involved in Tomas Alfredson's movie 'Låt den rätte komma in.' It's a brilliant flick and will kick ass everywhere. Otherwise, there's nothing I can talk about at this point but you know me… there's always something waiting around the corner" Per says with a grin on his face.

Our time with Per Gessle is over for now and we'll leave him and his corner. Until next time.

The album was released May 9 in Germany and will be released May 14 in Sweden.