Both of them, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, are excellent musicians. They started solo in swedish, but became tied. So they got an idea to work together in english. It was a great idea, 'cause per makes brillant music and Marie's got heavenly voice. Together it makes infernal combination. As you can read in quotation of Per:

   Marie Fredriksson (born 12rh January 1965, Halmstad, Sweden) and Per Gessle (born 30th May 1958 Sweden). Per became a solo star in the early 80s having previously played in the new wave band Gyllene Fider. He was 'discovered' by former Abba manager Thomas Johannson who was looking for songs for a Frida album. Meanwhile Fredriksson was playing on the singer/songwriter circuit. Johansson teamed them up in 1985 and they became Roxette. Recording at Gessle's studio in Halmstad they soon conquered Sweden and broke through in the USA thanks to the inclusion of the ballad, 'It Must Have Been Love', which was used on the soundtrack of the film Pretty Woman. 'The Look' was also a massive hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Other singles like 'Dressed For Success' and 'Joyride' have continued to keep the band high in the charts. Four new tracks were included on their greatest hits package in 1995.

     Both of them are excellent musicians. They started solo in swedish, but became tied. So they got an idea to work together in english. It was a great idea, 'cause per makes brillant music and Marie's got heavenly voice. Together it makes infernal combination. As you can read in quotation of Per:

     Several years prior to recording „Paerls of passion”, Marie and I discussed makeng an algum together. Eventualy.

    Both beeing tied up in solocareers for years, we shared the vision of going international, working in english. Totally enchanted by the possibilities of glamour and glitz, money and fame, A&R personalities and free drinks.

    Now was the time.

    The album emerged out of the song „Neverending love” which was a summer smash in our native Sweden in the summer 86. We got the attention of EMI's European division and decided to go ahead recording a long player.

    The matarial already existed, most of it was actually made for my third Swedish soloalbum but was quickly traslated.

    Looking back it was all a pretty confusing. We didn't really have a concept, we just fooled around getting to know each other and did what we felt was right.

    From songwriter's point of view it was absolute heaven to work with someone like Marie. Her amazing voice improved the songs a lot. It's been like that ever since...

    Clarence Öffwerman produced the album and it certainly was a somewhat strange combination; Clarence with hid Peter Gabriekl and Kate Bush preferences, Marie with her Joni Mitchell and Suzanne Vega fantasies ane me with my candy-coated Blondie collection.

    The recording took just a couple of weeks, working primarily live in the studio, and the album was released just in time for Christmas 86. It instatly reached for the stars. In Sweden, that is... Abroad it was totally ignored with the exceptions of a couple single releases here and there (Canada, Italy, etc.).

    All in all it gave us the sensation experiences of lowbudget local German TV - shows, aiporthotels, A&R personalities, free drinks and selfconfidence enough to create the „Look sharp!” album.

    Which is totally different story.

Per Gessle, August '97

Halmstadt, Sweden

   Yea, yea, the first album, Pearls of passion, was really great. Melodic, rythmic, charismatic. In some fans' opinion the best ever. Not in mine (at me wins Look sharp!), but I'm fascinated with graphical stylization to 50's. It remained to Look sharp, but then in suddenly vanished. Why?

   Then follows already alluded Look sharp! Title like from newspaper with great photo of Marie getting off a car in siege of fans.

   Stockholm/London - As the first newspaper in the world The Daily Roxette can present you with all the details ybout the recording of the new Roxette album „Look sharp!”

Tracking them down

   According to reliable sources, all tracks with the exception of three are produced by Clarence Öffwerman. Mr. Öffwerman and Roxette went into EMI Studios in Stockholm during the autumn of '87 to record 10 demos. In these very same studios, the actual recording started in March '88. Six months later, the finishing touch was made to the production and „Look sharp!” was complete.

The master of the tapes

   Not unexpectedly, Roxette chose to work with engineers Alar Suurna and Anders Herrlin. A mysterious „third man”, angineer Lennart Haglund, seems to have been booked for recordings, but as far as we know, never showed up. Rumours  about an extended vacation on Bali have been circulating but so far this has not been confirmed. The stringsection recordings were made on The Synclavier at Audio Sweden in Stockholm. Mr. Suurna of Estonia was the chief engineer here as well.

Music for money

   The mixing of „Look sharp!” went surprisingly smoothly and was made by accident in stero at EMI Studio by Mr. Öffwerman, Mr. Suurna, Mr. Gessle and Ms. Fredriksson.

   Despite our efforts to reveal the budget, this remains unknown.

Playing fer keeps

   Through persistant research we have managed to get hold of the following information about the musicians appearing on the album: Pelle Alsing played the drums and hi-hat, Anders Herrlin did the programming and played bass, Erik Häusler: saxophones, Jonas Isacsson: electric and acoustic guitars... etc.

    In 1991 they published Joyride, very good album. If you don't have, I rocemmond you to buy it.

   Story continued 1992 with tour album Tourism and then 1994 with Crash! Boom! Bang!

   Then follows a long long pause and 1999 we finally got Have a nice day. But it wasn't what we were waiting. But no matter. Keep on working, Roxette!