RESTAURANT GONDOLEN, Slussen (Katarinahissen), Stockholm
On April 11th, there will be the worldwide release of Roxette’s album “Crash!Boom!Bang!”. We’re celebrating it at a restaurant that, in its current state, perfectly suits the album title… There will be Per & Marie, there will be their album, there will be food prepared by Erik Lallerstedt, and there will be drinks. We hope you’ll be there too!
Please call or fax to confirm your attendance by Thursday, March 31st, to EMI, phone 08-764 38 00, fax 08-29 74 07.
Welcome!
EMI Svenska AB

T1: 1994.  I’d have been what, 15 approaching 16, still at school, rather spotty and I still had hair.

I vividly remember going to my local Woolworths to purchase the “Sleeping in My Car” CD single and getting super excited having spotted the “Taken from the upcoming album” note in sleeve.  OMG another Rox album!  Relieved as I’d read following Marie having her first baby that it was likely Roxette would split. 

I hadn’t heard “SIMC” on the radio or any promo pre-release in fact, so it was literally a blind purchase for me.  It wasn’t at all what I expected, however the CBB era was well and truly off to a banging start!

Thomas, do you remember the single coming out?

T2: I certainly do! I was working extra (for free) for Radio Ljusdal and we actually got the single in advance, even a few extra copies to raffle out. I really liked it.

CRASH!BOOM!BANG!  The album…

T1: First off, I absolutely loved the photoshoot, the graphics.  It looked great – I bought the CD as I was heavily into CDs and not vinyl at that time (how stupid of me).   I do remember reading the song titles and wondering what to expect.  The one that popped out for me initially was “The First Girl on the Moon.”  Odd title I thought.

Q Magazine here in the UK interviewed Marie and Per during the CBB Tour – they teased them for being early “bless them” and described “Dressed for Success” live as being a cross between “Wild Thing” and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” which I thought was such a good description.   Anyway, back to the album…. They gave it 3 Stars out of 5 which I still think is pretty mean, it’s worthy of a 4 at least.

T2: I agree. I loved everything about it, except for Per’s haircut… One of my most beloved Roxette albums. Also a funny anecdote: I was still working for Radio Ljusdal and I was in a broadcast and this guy comes in and says “Do you have Roxette’s new album?” I answered I don’t, since it’s not out until next week. “Oh?” he says. “They have it at the gas station outside…” I put on a CD and ran to the gas station. And surely, on the counter, there was Crash!Boom!Bang! by Roxette. I grabbed a copy and ran back. I turned off the CD and did a live review of the album, reviewing what I heard… Good? No idea. Thrilling? Oh yes! And British reviewers are usually mean, to get back to your comment somehow. The original name of the album was Fireworks by the way. The photo of the back of the single was meant for the sleeve apparently.

T1: Is there a recording of your live review Thomas?!

T2: Ha ha I doubt that… It’s been 30 years.

So, this was out in 1994. 1995 they toured the world, 1996 Gyllene Tider came back, 1997 Per recorded The World and I would assume they used ’98 to record Have A Nice Day which was out in ’99.

HARLEYS & INDIANS (RIDERS IN THE SKY)

T1: What an opener.  An uplifting rocker that I frequently play to this day, especially driving.  It’s quite atmospheric and I can see why it was chosen to as the opener and could have easily been a single.

T2: One of my favorites to this day. It was performed, lip-sync, on TV4 here in Sweden. Cool. A good opener, as Roxette actually usually has.

CRASH!BOOM!BANG!

T1: I remember reading a review of this single in Smash Hits magazine here in the UK.  They had some UK boy band as guest reviewers (they didn’t last long) and they were actually very positive of the song, but labelled it as “very country”.  I don’t agree with that, but I do agree with the vocals as Marie sounds amazing here.  As for the song itself, it quickly became a Rox classic.  The strings did it for me.   I loved getting the card photographs as part of the CD single here in the UK too – one of which I see will be included in the CBB30 vinyl sleeve.

T2: Country?? No way, an awesome ballad is what it is. Even if Per lies about Elvis and “Jailhouse Rock” or not, who cares? Someone (Per?) said that if it had been in a movie, it would have received an Oscar. Right, the postcards, I’d forgotten about them.

T1: Oh and we must mention the video  – a rather expensive f*ck up with the first cut lost if I’m correct.

T2: Yes indeedy, they erased all the tapes if I remember correctly. A very nice video where you once again can see what a great actress Marie were and Per never will be!

FIREWORKS

T1: First listen I thought OMG this is gonna be huge.  So much fun, “Joyride” with a mix of “The Look” and “Dressed for Success” thrown in somehow.  Playful lyrics and it just bumps along unapologetically.  The bridge is probably my favourite bit and I always thought it would have been a great intro to the CBB Tour “They’re coming to get you….” then blasting into “SIMC.”

T2: I agree, I had that feeling too, but the single sort of flopped. Poor promotion? I know Per never liked this one.

T1: The video was pretty cool too, especially seeing London. Alas, I didn’t get chance to see the CBB Tour.  The closest gig to me was Scotland or Sheffield and despite begging, my parents wouldn’t take me.  I’ve never forgiven them! Ha ha!

T2: Even the remix was nice for once. And the video. I saw that tour twice! A very very nice sounding band, as you may have heard from the recordings.

T1: We’re hopefully getting the South Africa gig remastered according to the man himself.  “Soon”…

T2: Yes I hear they’re working on it. (Means “looking for the masters”.)

RUN TO YOU

T1: Not to sound rude here at all, but Roxette were never “cool”.  I say this as I had an older sister, heavily into The Cure and James etc.  She was cool and frowned on my Roxette addiction.  In fact, I remember her initially refusing to buy me the “How Do You Do!” CD single on one of her weekend shopping trips to the city, as I couldn’t get a copy in our local town.  She did reluctantly tell me that she’d told the salesperson that it wasn’t for her, ha ha.

Anyway I digress, “Run to You.”  I saw this on Top of the Pops – not the best vocal performance.  I thought Marie sounded a bit off/nervous?  However they looked great and the song is one of my favourites from the album.  It was played on Atlantic 252 (old radio station) all the time which I loved.    I loved the tour video for this having missed out myself. Wasn’t too keen on the updated Rox logo for the single artwork as thought should have stayed consistent with the album and other releases.

T2: Cool? Never! I have gotten crap about that for around 40 years…  And I agree about the logo; it should stay consistent; however this logo is amazingly nice! I have a crew Tee with it on.  Not a bad song, not a great one. I like it sometimes, sometimes not.

SLEEPING IN MY CAR

T2: A very nice first single. A classic statement from EMI “We’re lacking a single!” so Per wrote this in a hurry and did all too well, again. And the video in that garage, amazing!

T1: The drums into the chorus does it every time for me. Brilliant. Joyful. Again, another instant Rox classic.  I remember watching Zoe Ball interview Per and Marie here in the UK for The Ozone.  They both looked so cool (regardless of what my sister thought!), the video is super-cool to me.

VULNERABLE

T1: I love this song.  I’d have loved to have heard it live – Charm School or XXX shows.   I don’t think it should have been a single as there were stronger contenders in my (humble) opinion.  Nevertheless, a great song and video.  It’s stood the test of time for me and I do play this one often.

T2: A cute one. I like the Spanish version, not knowing basically a word in Spanish. I know the title means “Shy” or “Timid” in Spanish. But no, not single material.

THE FIRST GIRL ON THE MOON

T1: This is where Roxette comes to life for me – their simple, no fuss, acoustic offerings.   My goodness, I must have played this to death.  Probably in my top three songs from the album.  I don’t know why; it just has so much character.  The lyrics of course are a bit silly, but Marie delivers.  Per wrote something special here.

T2: Ah yes, the fake vinyl thing, to make the album appear to have two sides! I don’t hate these two tracks, but they also never did anything special for me. I usually skip them. Isn’t that what they’re there for??

PLACE YOUR LOVE

T1: Again, acoustic, simple.  Another one in my top three…oh hang on, how many should be in a top three?!

I play this one a lot too – Per sounds great.  It reminds me of being young and of that time.  It could have easily sat alongside some of the TOURISM songs like “Fingertips” and “The Heart Shaped Sea.”  I’d have welcomed an all-acoustic Rox album – that would have been great.  In fact, I do have a Rox Acoustic Playlist somewhere.

T2: An all-acoustic album would have been nice yes. This song I’ve never liked though. I prefer “First Girl” over this.

I LOVE THE SOUND OF CRASHING GUITARS

T1: I will be honest here, I really didn’t like this song to begin with.  It was one I would often skip when listening to the album.  It’s really only in recent years that I’ve revisited and grown fond of it.  I think I misunderstood it back then maybe.  Needless to say, I don’t skip it now, it’s a goodie.

Thomas, you probably loved this one from the offset?

T2: How’d you know?? One of my cherished ones off this album. It’s rocky but still sort of mid-tempo. And I like the lyrics. “The six string kick inside…”

WHAT’S SHE LIKE?

T1: As much as I do love this song, I always thought it lacked something.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it just never reached the highs for me like other Rox ballads.  It sounds a bit clunky and cold feeling – maybe the production here?  Don’t get me wrong, I do like it, I just find it an odd one and never quite understood why Per loved it so much? 

T2: No I like it a lot. You’re just wrong here. She’s very upset with him being unfaithful. I wonder where that “new version” ended up. I would guess it’s out “soon”…

DO YOU WANNA GO THE WHOLE WAY?

T1: This one used to make me laugh.  The production is great, however the lyrics, erm, but part of its charm of course.   Could have been a single as it is pretty epic.  Who knows.

T2: I like it. I was never a lyrics person as you may know. The melody and rhythm and production are all swell.

LIES

T1: Great, simple, rocker.  They both sound great and the song packs a fun punch. 

The “do do do’s” are brilliant.

T2: Now we’re cooking! Probably my biggest favorite of the album. Hard, heavy guitars (well, to be Roxette) and nonsense lyrics to just blast away. I think this should have been a single, maybe even the first, or maybe not.

I’M SORRY

T1: “The first time we met, time stood still” ooooooof, what a lyric. Another album gem for me and could have easily been a single replacing Vulnerable?

T2: So sorry, I keep thinking of Basil Fawlty when I hear that (joke). But yes another awesome track. Again, with perfect production and performance. As far as I recall this was never performed live?

LOVE IS ALL (SHINE YOUR LIGHT)

T1: This will always remain an oddity for me.  A bit of an unexpected twist and for me never quite fit the rest of the album?   Not overly keen on the vocal delivery (accent trouble on “laughter” anyone with a Ffffff?).  I don’t skip it, but it’s just not one of my favourites from the album.  I’m not overly keen on the ending.  Very indulgent and unnecessary.  Am I allowed to say that?   The Xmas Edit was better.

T2: Well barely no one has that edit so… I love it, and yes the accents could be better, but it is what it is. This was supposed to be a “LTYH” kind of power-pop song, if I remember correctly, but apparently they changed that. Ahhh the guitars!! I also love the key changes between Per and Marie. Some days I can actually play this on my guitar.

GO TO SLEEP

T1: A theme that continues through a few songs…. This is probably the best incarnation, no?  The Marie demo is also great to hear (shame it’s not on CBB30 though oddly).  

You do visualise when listening to the song…. “the shadow on the terrace” etc.  Marie sounds genuine, direct, kind.  Another one of Per’s best offerings on the album lyric-wise.

T2: Per’s demo is horrifying so I understand why he gave it to Marie. This is likely the best song Marie has ever written, or at least among her top 3. I don’t recall her demo at the moment, but yes, I find it rather strange that her demos aren’t on the new release. Single material? Yes!

ALMOST UNREAL

T1: I have such fond memories of this song. I loved it on first listen and more so that it was a Top 10 hit here in the UK. The video was pretty damn cool and was on heavy rotation on MTV. The CD single gave me my first listen to “Fingertips ‘93” as that wasn’t released in the UK, oh and it was great to get “The Heart Shaped Sea” as a standalone track without the fade in from “The Look” on the Tourism album. We need this on digital platforms too btw.

Back to the single, shame the movie was a dud. The song did better! Also kinda liked the single artwork. Always thought it would have been a funny song for “Hocus Pocus” had it worked out.

To me though, the song doesn’t really fit CBB and can see why it was left out.

Thomas? I actually can’t make my mind up whether you like or dislike this one, shock horror!!!

T2: Yes this is from that movie, not your favorite “Hocus Pocus” though? “Super Mario Bros” a total flop. Nice song though, and a nice video. I do like it, even though the day it was released we were supposed to have an after work party at DHL Express at a club here in Ljusdal and I was the DJ. So I put this song on, unheard, to blast the dance floor away. That didn’t happen! Ha ha. Still a nice song as I said. It was actually included on the Japanese CD.

CRAZY ABOUT YOU

T1: I still can’t quite believe this was considered as the first single from CBB.  Madness.  I think things would have been quite different had it been.  I mean, it’s a cute enough song, but I don’t think it’s single/lead-single material.  The CBB version is superior to the DBUGTTC version.

T2: While I do find this song majorly cute, I don’t see it as a single. I did when I heard it in 1996, but I was of course wrong. I also don’t remember the DBUGTTC version right now. But I’m sure you’re right.

SEE ME

T1: Roxette meets ENYA!  But, in a good way.  This was another unexpected twist when I heard this.  Totally out of sync with the rest of the album, yet amazing on it’s own.  A song originally written in the early ‘80s was it Thomas?  I prefer this version to the Travelling take, but both are great to be fair.  Marie’s vocals are like butter.

T2: I never liked this song, any version. But yes I have an unreleased Gyllene song with these lyrics. It’s possibly named “I’ve Got Nothing to Hide.” Marie’s vocals are indeed very sweet, still does not help me.

T1: To wrap up CBB, my highlights from the album will always be:

“Place Your Love,” “The First Girl on the Moon,” “Run to You,” “Harleys & Indians” and “Vulnerable.”

Of the Outtakes – it has to be “See Me.”  Such an usual song for the CBB era.

T2: Ah, uh, hard so hard let me tell you. I like the album as a whole, as an entity, but my big ones are likely “Harleys,” “Crashing” and “Lies” followed by “Fireworks,” “Love is All” and “Do You Wanna Go the Whole Way?”

Too bad they messed up the US with that silly McDonald’s deal. This album is fairly unknown over there due to this.

THE CBB DEMOS

T1: Well, in the main we already have the majority that’s included on the CBB30 bonus CD.  Nevertheless, it’s great to have this Anniversary Edition.  We do get five previous unreleased treats this time around, well four as we have already heard the “What’s She Like?” demo that leaked as part of the Myths bootleg (remember those?).

There’s been some speculation of a “Sleeping in My Car” demo sung by Per, but because of the history and timing when the song came about, it’s highly unlikely that this exists as there’s only so much time in a day.  Following the initial album playback to EMI, they’d advised that they couldn’t hear the lead single.  Disgruntled, Per went off and wrote SIMC basically to order.  Marie was in town, so they recorded the first demo of the song together the following day – The Stockholm Demo version.  There we have it, and a mighty fine demo it is.  I still prefer the Single Edit to the Album Version of the final track though.  It’s punchier, no?

Highlights from the demos – way too many to choose from!  Probably “Sleeping in My Car” as we have Marie on lead vocals (no offense Per!), also “Vulnerable,” “Harleys” and the clunkier “Fireworks.”

Thomas, any comments on the demos?

T2: Well now that you mention it. One I really look forward to hearing is the “lame” (according to Marie) version of “She Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, one of my most beloved Roxette songs ever. Of course, recorded by Gyllene Tider! I also want to hear “Lies” and “Crashing”. I’ve heard the rest already. And this was a period Per recorded real demos, which I prefer, not the acoustic basic tracks. I can understand why he stopped; it was hard for Clare to have input when everything already was done you know?

There are also a few demos I miss here, would be interesting to know why they were left out. I’m thinking mainly the Marie demos from the Bag of Trix, such as “Pocketful of Rain” and “Go to Sleep”. There’s also the demo of “Sweet Emotions”. What do you say, sir Thomas?

T1: Mmm, well, for the ones we know of I do miss the Marie demos from BOT merely from a completist perspective.  Also, the “Go to Sleep” demo Marie recorded is superior to the version that’s made the CBB30 cut, but perhaps omitted here as it’s too close to the final album version?  Who knows.  As for other unknown demos from that period – again, who knows.  Hopeful that we will hear more (if there is more) as part of another Roxette Bag of Trix, or PG Archives collection as I’m sure there’s ample in Per’s vast archives.

Speaking of which, I know I know we didn’t get a physical Tourism 30 release, but I’m still hopeful for at least a Tourism vinyl re-issue as mine is pretty worn out now!  Any chance Per? 

It’ll get pretty quiet now 30th Anniversary Edition-wise following CBB30.  Unless, we get something for Don’t Bore Us – now a re-issue of that on vinyl would be awesome.  I mean, have you seen how much that baby goes for these days, madness.  Then we have The World According to Gessle – that is long overdue a vinyl release.  Absolutely love love love that album – it’s like a sibling to CBB. 

To wrap-up, CBB30.  Awesome Anniversary Editions.  The vinyl looks top-notch so bravo to Per and Team (Johan).  Excited to read the updated notes from the booklets and see what other photo outtakes are included.

As for the original album itself, it’s always going to be one of my favourite Roxette long-plays.  A solid 9 out of 10.  Such happy teenage memories for me, especially “Sleeping in My Car,” “Run to You” and the two acoustic masterpieces – “The First Girl on the Moon” and “Place Your Love.”  Sublime.  Five million+ people can’t be wrong!

Thomas?  Final thoughts? 

T2: Sure. Nothing much to add. You nailed it well. A great album which should have gotten more attention. A not at all bad 30th re-release. It will be interesting to read the album booklet to see if we get any more neat little secrets. All in all, very very nice, except for Per’s hairdo. Ha ha!

T1: I’m sure Per is just grateful he still has hair.  I’m not jealous, honest. 

Videos and other stuff

Other favorites from 1994:

Thomas 1:

Confide in Me – Kylie Minogue

Zombie – The Cranberries

Stay (I Missed You) – Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories

Cornflake Girl – Tori Amos

Secret – Madonna

Return to Innocence – Enigma

Crazy for You – Let Loose

Anytime You Need a Friend – Mariah Carey

Always – Erasure

7 Seconds – Youssou N’Dour and Neneh Cherry

Thomas 2:

Ace of Base – Don’t Turn Around

Green Day – Basket Case

Aerosmith – Amazing

Bon Jovi – Always

Mariah C- All I Want for Xmas is You

All-4-One – I Swear

GES – När vi gräver guld i USA

Bon Jovi – Prayer ‘94

Rednex – Cotton Eye Joe

Wet Wet Wet – Love is All Around