The Roxette Gazette

Roxette celebrates classic period with two new box sets

This has been translated from the original Swedish press release “Roxette firar klassisk period med två nya samlingsboxar.”

With more than 80 million records sold, four number one singles on the US Billboard chart and several top 40 hits, Roxette is Sweden’s biggest music export after Abba. It all started when the song “The Look” from the second album “Look Sharp!” reached the top of the US charts in the spring of 1989 and changed the world for Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle. The US breakthrough opened the international pop market for Roxette, who soon followed up their success with an almost endless string of hit singles, million-selling albums and year-long world tours. Per Gessle says:

It was an incredible sound – exactly the kind of updated turbopop that I had been looking for, but hadn’t been able to explain. Today Sweden – tomorrow the rest of the world.

Two new box sets document this unique Swedish music history.

“Boxette” focuses on the live band Roxette during the first part of their career. “Boxette” contains four DVDs with five concerts from 1988 to 2001. It includes two concerts from the “Look Sharp!” tours in 1988 and 1989, “Live-Ism” from Sydney in 1991 (recorded during the “Join The Joyride” tour and “Crash! Boom! Live!” from Johannesburg in 1995.

In addition, there is a concert recorded towards the end of the “Room Service” tour in November 2001. The film was streamed at the time and has never been officially available, but has now been remastered and released on DVD for the first time. “Boxette” also includes a booklet with unique photos and interviews with the band members.

“Look Sharp! – The 30th Anniversary Edition” celebrates a Swedish pop classic.

“Look Sharp!” featured two US number one hits – “The Look” and “Listen To Your Heart” – plus the hit singles “Dangerous” and “Dressed For Success” which reached number 2 and 14 respectively on the US charts. After this colossal breakthrough, the world was open to Roxette. 30 years later, this Swedish pop classic is packaged in an LP box with the original album on 180g vinyl, a 21-song CD with Per Gessle’s demos and rarities – plus 45 minutes of highlights from Per’s own video recordings in the studio. A richly illustrated booklet with track-by-track interviews offers memories and insights from all involved: Per Gessle, Marie Fredriksson, Clarence Öfwerman, Anders Herrlin, Mats “MP” Persson and Alar Suurna.

“Boxette” and “Look Sharp! – The 30th Anniversary Edition” will be released in limited numbers on 5 October.

Two additional “Look Sharp!” versions will be released in conjunction with the box set; the original LP in red vinyl in a limited edition and a double CD in digisleeve with the original album plus demos.

Boxette

  1. Roxette Sweden Live (1989) / Look Sharp Live (1989)
  2. Roxette Live-Ism (1992)
  3. Crash! Boom! Bang! Live – The Johannesburg Concert (1996)
  4. Roxette Live at Globen 2001

Look Sharp! – The 30th Anniversary Edition

LP (Original album)

Side 1

  1. The Look
  2. Dressed for Success
  3. Sleeping Single
  4. Paint
  5. Dance Away
  6. Cry

Side 2

  1. Chances
  2. Dangerous
  3. Half a Woman, Half a Shadow
  4. View from a Hill
  5. Shadow of a Doubt
  6. Listen to Your Heart

CD Look Sharp! The Demos

  1. The Look (T&A demo – 30 March 1988)
  2. Dressed for Success (T&A demo – 20 May 1987)
  3. Dressed for Success (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***.
  4. Sleeping Single (T&A demo – 22 May 1987)
  5. Sleeping Single (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***
  6. Paint (T&A demo – 28 April 1988)
  7. Dance Away (T&A demo – 9 February 1988) ***
  8. Cry (T&A demo – 9 February 1988)
  9. Chances (T&A demo – 24 November 1987)
  10. Dangerous (acoustic version) (T&A Demo – February 25, 1987) ***
  11. Dangerous (EMI Demo – 26+30 September 1987) ***
  12. View from a Hill (T&A Demo – 17 November 1987)
  13. (I Could Never) Give You Up (T&A Demo – 18 December 1987)
  14. Shadow of a Doubt (T&A demo – 9 February 1988)
  15. Listen to Your Heart (T&A demo – 9 May 1988)
  16. From Head to Toe (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***
  17. Never Is a Long Time (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***
  18. (I Could Never) Give You Up (Bonus track Look Sharp!-CD)
  19. The Voice (B-side Dressed for Success single)
  20. One Is Such a Lonely Number (B-side The Big L. single)
  21. Don’t Believe In Accidents (B-side Run to You single)

*** Previously unreleased

DVD: The Making of Look Sharp

Look Sharp! LP (Original album)

Side 1

  1. The Look
  2. Dressed for Success
  3. Sleeping Single
  4. Paint
  5. Dance Away
  6. Cry

Side 2

  1. Chances
  2. Dangerous
  3. Half a Woman, Half a Shadow
  4. View from a Hill
  5. Shadow of a Doubt
  6. Listen to Your Heart

CD 1: Look Sharp! (Original album)

  1. The Look
  2. Dressed for Success
  3. Sleeping Single
  4. Paint
  5. Dance Away
  6. Cry
  7. Chances
  8. Dangerous
  9. Half a Woman, Half a Shadow
  10. View from a Hill
  11. (I Could Never) Give You Up
  12. Shadow of a Doubt
  13. Listen to Your Heart

CD 2: Look Sharp! The Demos

  1. The Look (T&A demo – 30 March 1988)
  2. Dressed for Success (T&A demo – 20 May 1987)
  3. Dressed for Success (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***
  4. Sleeping Single (T&A demo – 22 May 1987)
  5. Sleeping Single (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***
  6. Paint (T&A demo – 28 April 1988)
  7. Dance Away (T&A demo – 9 February 1988) ***
  8. Cry (T&A demo – 9 February 1988)
  9. Chances (T&A demo – 24 November 1987)
  10. Dangerous (acoustic version) (T&A demo – 25 February 1987) ***
  11. Dangerous (EMI demo – 26+30 September 1987) ***
  12. View From a Hill (T&A demo – 17 November 1987)
  13. (I Could Never) Give You Up (T&A demo – 18 December 1987)
  14. Shadow of a Doubt (T&A demo – 9 February 1988)
  15. Listen to Your Heart (T&A demo – 9 May 1988)
  16. From Head to Toe (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***
  17. Never Is a Long Time (EMI demo – 26-30 May 1987) ***
  18. The Voice (B-side Dressed for Success single)
  19. One Is Such a Lonely Number (B-side The Big L. single)
  20. Don’t Believe In Accidents (B-side Run to You single)

*** Previously unreleased