SCORPIONS Story

Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal.The lineup from 1978–1992 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar), Matthias Jabs(lead guitar), Francis Buchholz (bass), and Herman Rarebell (drums). The band's only constant member has been Schenker, although Meine has been the lead singer for all of Scorpions' studio albums, while Jabs has been a consistent member since 1979, and bassist Paweł Mąciwodaand drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016 respectivetely.

Scorpions’ eleventh studio album Crazy World (1990) was also well-received, and included the song “Wind of Change”, a symbolic anthem of the political changes in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is one of the best-selling singles in the world with over fourteen million copies sold.Scorpions have sold over 110 million records in total.They have released 18 studio albums, 27 compilation albums and 74 singles. Six of their singles have reached number one on the charts in different countries. Their albums, singles, compilations and video releases have reached gold, platinum and multi-platinum status 200 times in different countries.

Rolling Stone described the Scorpions as “the heroes of heavy metal”, and MTV called them “Ambassadors of Rock”. The band was ranked number 46 on VH1’s Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme, with “Rock You Like a Hurricane” at number 18 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. “Still Loving You” ranked 22nd place among the greatest ballads. The Scorpions have received prestigious awards such as three World Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Rock wall, and a presence in the permanent exhibition of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2015 the group celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Personnel:
Klaus Meine – lead vocals
Matthias Jabs – acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar
Rudolf Schenker – lead guitar
Francis Buchholz – bass
Herman Rarebell – drums

“Send Me an Angel” is a song by the German rock band Scorpions, recorded for their eleventh studio album, Crazy World (1990). The song was composed by Rudolf Schenker, written by Klaus Meine, and produced by Keith Olsen and the band. It was released as the album’s fourth and final single in September 1991. Along with “Wind of Change”, the song became the album’s signature track, reaching number 44 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart on 25 January 1992, number 8 on the Mainstream Rock Chart on 19 October 1991, and high chart positions in many European countries.
Other versions:
An orchestral version of the song was recorded for the 2000s orchestral album Moment of Glory that features vocals split with Italian singer Zucchero. An acoustic version of the song was also recorded for the 2001’s acoustic album Acoustica.

Commercial success (1978–1992)

Following the addition of Jabs, Scorpions left RCA for Mercury Records in the United States and Harvest/EMI Electrola worldwide to record their next album Lovedrive. Just weeks after quitting UFO, Michael Schenker returned to the group for a short period during the recordings for the album. This gave the band three guitarists. Lovedrive was an album that some critics consider to be the pinnacle of their career. Containing such fan favourites as “Loving You Sunday Morning”, “Always Somewhere”, “Holiday” and the instrumental “Coast to Coast”, it firmly cemented the “Scorpions formula” of hard rock songs mixed with melodic ballads. Although it had been widely believed for decades that Schenker’s contribution to the record was only limited to three songs, he vehemently maintained he appeared on the whole album, during an interview with satellite radio host Eddie Trunk. The album’s provocative artwork was named “Best album sleeve of 1979” by Playboy magazine, yet ultimately changed for American release. Lovedrive reached No. 55 on the US charts, demonstrating that the band was gathering an international following. After the completion and release of the album the band decided to retain Michael in the band, forcing Jabs to leave. However, in April 1979, during their tour in France, Michael quit and Jabs was brought in permanently to replace him.

In 1980 the band released Animal Magnetism, again with a provocative cover this time showing a girl kneeling and a Doberman Pinscher sitting in front of a man. Animal Magnetism contained classics such as “The Zoo” and “Make It Real”. Soon after the album’s release, Meine began experiencing throat problems. He required surgery on his vocal cords and doubts were raised[by whom?] about whether he would ever sing again.

Meanwhile, the band began working on their next album, Blackout in 1981. Don Dokken was brought in to provide guide and backing vocals while Meine recovered. Meine eventually healed completely and was able to finish the album. Blackout was released in 1982 and quickly became the band’s best selling album to date, eventually going platinum. Meine’s voice showed no signs of weakness and fan response to the album was good. Blackout spawned two singles: “No One Like You” and “Can’t Live Without You”.

Gaining in popularity from the success of Blackout, the Scorpions performed to over 375,000 fans on Day 2 at the three-day US Festival concert held in San Bernardino, California during Memorial Day Weekend of 1983. The concert was aired live on MTV, giving the band wide exposure in a live show.

The 1984 album Love at First Sting cemented the Scorpions’ status as an internationally popular band. Propelled by the single “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, Love at First Sting climbed the charts and went double platinum in the USA a few months after its release.

MTV gave the album’s videos “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, “Bad Boys Running Wild”, “Big City Nights”, and the power ballad “Still Loving You” significant airtime greatly contributing to the album’s success. The channel even supplied Scorpions with the nickname “The Ambassadors of Rock” to the chagrin of industry insiders who recognized the executive influence behind the scenes. Rolling Stone magazine named them “The Heroes of Heavy Metal”.

The band toured extensively behind Love at First Sting and released their second live album, World Wide Live in 1985. Recorded over a year-long world tour and released at the height of their popularity, the album was another success for the band, peaking at No. 14 in the charts in the US and at No. 18 in the UK.

After their extensive world tours, the band finally returned to the studio to record Savage Amusement. Released in 1988, four years after their previous studio album, Savage Amusement represented a more polished and mature sound similar to the style Def Leppard had found success with. The album sold well but was considered somewhat of a critical disappointment. However, British heavy rock magazine Kerrang! did award the album five K’s out of five.

On the Savage Amusement tour in 1988, the Scorpions became only the second Western group (not American) to play in the Soviet Union. Uriah Heep had performed in December 1987 in Leningrad. The following year the band returned to perform at the Moscow Music Peace Festival. As a result, the Scorpions developed an extended Russian fan base and still return to perform. Also in 1989, Scorpions released the compilation album Best of Rockers ‘n’ Ballads, which, in addition to the band’s hits from 1979 to 1988, included several rare or previously unreleased tracks: “Hey You”, from the Animal Magnetism sessions; the re-recorded “long version” of “Is There Anybody There?”; and a cover of The Who’s “I Can’t Explain”, which was also included on that same year’s Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell charity compilation album. This is the Scorpions’ only compilation album to be certified platinum in the United States.

Wishing to distance themselves from the Savage Amusement style, the band separated from their long-time producer and “Sixth Scorpion”, Dieter Dierks, replacing him with Keith Olsen when they returned to the studio in 1990. Crazy World was released that year and displayed a less polished sound. The album was propelled in large part by the massive success of the ballad “Wind of Change”. The song muses on the socio-political changes that were occurring in Eastern Europe and other parts of the world at the end of the Cold War. Crazy World is the band’s last album to receive gold or platinum certification in the United States. On 21 July 1990 they joined many other guests for Roger Waters’ massive performance of The Wall in Berlin. Scorpions performed both versions of “In the Flesh” from The Wall.

After the Crazy World tour Francis Buchholz, the band’s long-serving bassist, left the group.

50th anniversary and Return to Forever (2015–2017)

On 23 October 2014 Meine spoke to the band’s French fan-club Crazyscorps, and announced the new record would be published in February or March 2015, to coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary. Contrary to what the band said in 2013, the new album presented not only newly recorded versions of never-published songs, but also new material, written between 2011 and 2014. The album was recorded in Sweden, with producers Martin Hansen and Mikael Nord Andersson. Drummer James Kottak, who left the band in May 2014 for rehab, returned to play drums.The new album Return to Forever was released on 20 February 2015.

On 29 August 2015, the Scorpions announced 50th anniversary deluxe editions of their albums Taken By Force, Tokyo Tapes, Lovedrive, Animal Magnetism, Blackout, Love At First Sting, World Wide Live, and Savage Amusement which were released 6 November 2015. These deluxe releases include "dozens of unreleased songs, alternate versions of big hits, rough mixes, and rare live concert recordings". 

On 28 April 2016, it was announced that Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee would fill in for James Kottak and play drums on 12 North American headlining dates,including a run of shows at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas dubbed "Scorpions blacked out in Las Vegas" with Queensryche opening the Vegas shows, and dates in São Paulo. On 12 September 2016, Dee was officially announced as the band's new permanent drummer.

On 18 January 2017 the Scorpions were inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History for leading the two guitar attack in heavy metal.

Possible nineteenth studio album (2018–present)

In an August 2018 interview with Digital Journal, Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker stated that the band was open to the idea of recording a follow-up to Return to Forever. He explained: “We are still waiting for a moment for inspiration to do another album, like Judas Priest and Metallica did. You have to wait until the time is right.

(MHI) 

WEST WING MHI Daily

President Trump’s 2020 Budget Calls for $2.7T in Spending Cuts, Promises to Erase Deficit in 15 Years “President Trump will unveil his fiscal 2020 budget request to Congress on Monday which calls for $2.7 trillion in spending cuts and balances [the budget] in 15 years,” Melissa Quinn reports for the Washington Examiner. The President’s spending plan prioritizes core responsibilities for the Federal Government, “including strengthening border security to address the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, and tackling the opioid crisis.” The plan will also keep taxes low while cutting wasteful spending to refocus money on providing quality services for the American people. Since Trump took office, the national debt has risen more than $2 trillion and currently stands at more than $22 trillion, a record high. But the president’s budget takes aim at government spending by calling for a 5 percent reduction in nondefense discretionary spending that will keep the budget under statutory spending caps. With the proposals included in the request for Congress, projections indicate the budget would be balanced by 2034, according to the Office of Management and Budget. The spending plan seeks to boost border security and immigration enforcement to address what Trump has said is a crisis at the southern border. Trump has long urged Congress to provide him with money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but had little success even when the GOP controlled both chambers. An impasse over wall funding led to a 35-day partial government shutdown that stretched from just before Christmas until the end of January.Despite the fervent opposition from Democrats, Trump’s fiscal 2020 budget proposal will seek an additional $8.6 billion for the border wall, according to reports. Pushing for additional wall funding, however, could lead to another partial government shutdown, Democratic leaders warned Sunday. To further address the situation at the southern border, the president’s budget calls for increases in the workforce for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, as well as policy changes to end sanctuary cities, which Trump has attempted to penalize through other actions. To combat the opioid epidemic, a key priority for the Trump administration, the fiscal blueprint envisions continued investments in prevention, treatment, research, and recovery. It also calls for the creation of new platforms “for delivering services to the American people” as part of the administration’s efforts to modernize the federal government. Taking aim at higher education institutions, Trump’s fiscal 2020 spending plan requires colleges and universities “to share a portion of the financial responsibility associated with federal student loans.” It also allocates $80 billion for veterans, roughly a 10 percent boost from fiscal 2019, and, with an eye on defense, provides investments “in the capabilities and domains critical to future conflicts,” including space, artificial intelligence, and hypersonics.The president’s full fiscal year 2020 budget request will be unveiled Monday morning.

OMB Acting Director Russ Vought: “Spending Addiction Threatens American Economic Resurgence” “The president’s budget was written with the everyday American taxpayer in mind. All across the country, hardworking taxpayers have to balance their household budgets, finding ways to do more with less and save for the future. Our federal agencies and departments should be held to the same level of responsibility and accountability,” Acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought writes in Fox News. “It’s time for Congress to come to the table, work with the president, and rein in Washington’s spending addiction.” GREEN NEW DEAL WOULD COST UP TO $93 TRILLION, OR $600G PER HOUSEHOLD, STUDY SAYS It is no secret that our nation’s $22 trillion debt, which nearly doubled under the Obama administration, is unsustainable. The Congressional Budget Office warned just weeks ago that, if left unchecked, our national debt would “reduce national saving and income, boost the government’s interest payments, limit lawmakers’ ability to respond to unforeseen events, and increase the likelihood of a fiscal crisis.” Understanding this threat, President Trump on Monday unveils A Budget for a Better America; a new outline for government spending that invests in critical national priorities while restraining spending to give taxpayers the best value for their tax dollar. In total, the president’s 2020 Budget keeps his promise of a 5 percent cut to non-defense discretionary spending, reduces deficits by over $2.7 trillion over 10 years, and balances the budget in 15 years, by 2034. Since his first year in office, and again in the budget we are laying out, President Trump has pushed for more reductions to wasteful Washington spending than any other president in history. Unfortunately, Congress has repeatedly ignored these taxpayer savings and plowed ahead with irresponsible budgets that increase our deficits and size of government. This needs to stop. It’s not that Americans are taxed too little, it’s that Washington spends too much. The president’s budget was written with the everyday American taxpayer in mind. All across the country, hardworking taxpayers have to balance their household budgets, finding ways to do more with less and save for the future. Our federal agencies and departments should be held to the same level of responsibility and accountability. Throughout the process of creating this budget, the administration identified a number of wasteful, duplicative, and ineffective programs that should not be funded by your tax dollars. For instance, $68 million is being spent every year on international labor activities, including promoting unions in countries in South America. The Department of Labor Inspector General found fraud and abuse within the Senior Community Service Employment Program where its largest grantee misused nearly $4.2 million in taxpayer funds on unreasonable executive compensation, personal travel, and even Netflix subscriptions. Over $600 million is spent a year on 85 education and cultural exchange programs, despite the fact that only 1 percent of the 1 million international students that came to the U.S. in the 2017-2018 academic year came through one of these programs. And the government spends $35,000 per student – more than tuition at many universities – to send tens of thousands of youth to poorly run Job Corps centers. These centers are ineffective at helping participants get jobs and allowed nearly 14,000 safety and security incidents in 2017 alone—including 31 deaths, over 2,000 violent assaults, and nearly 4,000 drug-related incidents. This has to stop. President Trump’s budget would restructure, reduce, and in many cases eliminate wasteful discretionary programs. Recognizing the long-term implications of mandatory program spending, the budget includes more than $1.9 trillion in savings and reforms over ten years while extending the solvency of these programs and keeping our promise to America’s seniors. By refocusing the budget to spend taxpayer dollars more efficiently and effectively, agencies will be able to more adequately provide necessary services to the American people. And key national priorities like the following will continue to be met: Restoring Our Military. The budget includes $750 billion for national defense to support the rebuilding of our military. This provides the resources necessary to support the National Defense Strategy, including funding for the largest pay increase in a decade for our military, procurement of 12 battle force ships and 110 fighter aircraft, and creation of the United States Space Force. Securing Our Border. To adequately secure our border and ensure the safety and security of the American people, the budget includes $8.6 billion for construction of the border barrier, and $506 million to hire over 2,800 additional law enforcement officers and critical support personnel at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Exclusive: White House And Ivanka Trump Propose New Spending On Child Care In NPR, Tamara Keith reports that Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump is leading a White House effort to increase the availability and affordability of child care in the United States. “The centerpiece is a proposed one-time investment of $1 billion to increase the supply of child care to underserved populations. States would apply for funding and could use it to encourage employers large and small to invest in child care or to support child care providers that operate during nontraditional work hours or that cater to parents who are enrolled in school.” “We want to encourage innovation,” said Ivanka Trump. “We want to encourage the private sector to step up.” To get the money, states would have to “establish targets for reducing unnecessary regulatory or other requirements that limit the supply or increase the cost of child care.” A White House aide said this isn’t meant to roll back regulations on child-to-caregiver ratios but rather to get rid of zoning requirements in some areas that don’t allow child care centers in residential districts, for instance. It would be implemented through the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, which in the past two years saw its funding significantly boosted by Congress in spending bills ultimately signed by President Trump. A White House official, who declined to speak on the record because the budget is not yet public, said the president’s 2020 budget proposal calls for spending $5.3 billion on the program, the same level that Congress set aside in 2019 and a big increase over what past Trump administration budgets asked for. The $1 billion one-time fund would come on top of that. Ivanka Trump said, “Continuing to make sure we fund the programs adequately” is key, while also talking up the increase in the child tax credit included in the Republican tax law passed in late 2017. Trump greeted the researchers, child care providers and representatives of business groups in the Roosevelt Room before going around the table asking about challenges and soliciting ideas for solutions. She chimed in occasionally to amplify someone’s point or to ask questions. Here are some of the challenges that Trump and the experts she met with identified in that White House meeting: The early years are critical for brain development but quality, safe, affordable child care is often hard to come by. There are mile-long waiting lists for care that, for many families, costs more than their housing. And yet, a lot of child care workers can’t make ends meet. As Trump talked about the challenges, she framed it in a way that Democrats have for years — not as a “mom’s problem” or a “families’ problem” but as an impediment to economic growth. Economic strain Chad Dunkley, CEO of New Horizon Academy, a child care provider, attended the listening session and has advocated for more child care funding on Capitol Hill. “I think there’s a growing bipartisan consensus that we have to do more to build the financial security of young families in this country,” said Dunkley. “They have to feel confident they can grow their families here, and if they don’t, our economy is going to be in trouble.” That economic strain is already evident in low birthrates and stalled labor force participation, Dunkley said. The White House was asked about proposed funding levels in the 2020 budget for Head Start, another major early childhood program, but that information was not forthcoming. President Trump included child care in his 2016 campaign, and as his re-election efforts ramp up, the White House has put a focus on selling the idea that he has kept his campaign promises. That said, this new proposal isn’t remotely close to what Trump campaigned on. Campaign issue for Democrats It comes as child care is already a 2020 campaign issue, with Democratic candidates, including Elizabeth Warren, rolling out child care-for-all plans. “How much you make at your job should not determine the quality of care your child gets. That’s why for millions of families who need it, access to these child care options will be free,” Warren said in a video announcing her plan. In Congress there are child care bills from Democrats in both the House and the Senate designed to stimulate growth in child care availability, defray costs for families that can’t afford it and pay providers a living wage. The price tags on these plans run tens of billions of dollars each year, vastly more than the White House proposal. The White House official said these Democratic plans would cost “unsustainable amounts of taxpayer dollars,” adding that Ivanka Trump sees her role as “an advocate for producing legislation that actually has a viable path forward.” Asked if she could work with Ivanka Trump on child care, Sen. Patty Murray from Washington state, a leading Democrat on the issue, was polite. “I’m excited that more people are aware of the barrier that child care is to working families in order to achieve their economic dreams and take care of their families,” said Murray. “So we welcome all ideas, but they have to be real ideas.” There’s plenty of agreement on the problems but not yet on the solutions. Asked which members of Congress the Trump administration had reached out to on the issue, the White House official said simply that Ivanka Trump looks forward to working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

MS-13 made up half of all gang members caught at the border in 2018 “MS-13 members made up more than half of the 808 gang members Border Patrol agents apprehended at international boundaries in fiscal 2018, according to newly released data,” Anna Giaritelli reports in the Washington Examiner. “MS-13 apprehensions at the border are up significantly from 228 in 2017 and 253 in 2016, according to Customs and Border Protection data.”Five years ago, a total 437 MS-13 affiliates were arrested. The total number of people encountered by CBP was around 690,000 both in 2016 and 2018. Two freshmen House Republicans — Chip Roy of Texas and Mark Green of Tennessee — are spearheading an attempt to persuade the State Department to officially classify some international drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Green, a military doctor who was present at the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003, said some organizations that move drugs across international borders rely on the same “barbaric tactics” ISIS and al Qaeda use, including “murdering and torturing innocents, destabilizing countries and assassinating members of law enforcement.” Roy and Green added the drug crisis facing America stems from the opioid cartels moving into the country through the southern border. The 18th Street Gang, a multi-ethnic transnational organization, had 145 of its members snagged by Border Patrol last year — more than double the previous year’s number. More than 60 Paisas and Surenos were each caught at the border. Other gangs with at least one member arrested were 107th Street, Barrio Azteca, Border Brothers, Chirizos, Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos, Latin Kings, Locos Surenos Trece, Mara-R, Maraville Salva Trucha, Mexican Mafia, Nortenos, South Los, Tango Blast, Texas Syndicate, VIlanos-13, Zeta, and others.

WEST WING MHI 

ROXETTE Story

MHI -Roxette are a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson(vocals and keyboards) and Per Gessle (vocals and guitar). Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act in the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough album Look Sharp! Their third album Joyride,which was released in 1991, became just as successful as its predecessor. Roxette went on to achieve nineteen UK Top 40 hits and several US Hot 100 hits, including four US number-ones with “The Look”, “Listen to Your Heart”, “It Must Have Been Love”, and “Joyride”. Other hits include “Dangerous”, “Fading Like a Flower”, “Spending My Time”, “How Do You Do!”, and “Sleeping in My Car”.

Before coming together to form the duo, Fredriksson and Gessle were already established artists in Sweden, with Fredriksson releasing a number of solo albums and Gessle being the lead singer and songwriter of Gyllene Tider, which had three No. 1 albums. On the advice of the managing director of their record label, they came together to record “Neverending Love”, which became a hit single in Sweden.

After the release of Don’t Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, a greatest hits record, the duo took a hiatus before returning with the albums Have a Nice Day (1999) and Room Service (2001). They continued to chart in other territories, mainly in Europe and Latin America, where they earned various Gold and Platinum awards until the beginning of the new millennium. In 2002, the duo took a break from recording and touring when Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Gessle went on to release solo albums and reunited with Gyllene Tider before Roxette took to the stage together again for the first time in 8 years, in 2009, during Gessle’s European Party Crasher tour. In 2011, they released Charm School, their first studio album in ten years, which was followed by Travelling in 2012. Their latest studio album, Good Karma, was released in 2016.

Their songs “It Must Have Been Love” and “Listen to Your Heart” continue to receive wide radio airplay, with both singles recently receiving awards from BMI for achieving five million radio plays. They have sold an estimated 75 million records worldwide, with over 10 million in certified units from Germany, the US and the UK, achieving gold and platinum certifications for Joyride and Look Sharp! in all three regions.

History 1979–1986: Formation

Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson first met in Halmstad, Sweden, in the late 1970s. Gessle performed in Gyllene Tider, one of Sweden’s most popular bands at the time, and Fredriksson in the less successful Strul and MaMas Barn (Mama’s Children) before both embarked on solo careers. In 1981, Fredriksson sang for the first time with Gyllene Tider on stage and was featured as a background vocalist for a Swedish-language album the band released in 1982. Gessle also worked with ex-ABBA singer Frida, for a song that appeared on her 1982 album Something’s Going On, setting music to a Dorothy Parker poem.

While working on her first solo album, Het vind (Hot Wind), Fredriksson performed more background vocals for Gyllene Tider’s only album in English, The Heartland Café. The 11-track album was released in February 1984 and sold 45,000 copies in Sweden. According to Gessle, the group’s first English-language release was in response to interest expressed by EMI’s American label Capitol Records. Capitol took six of the tracks and released an extended play (EP) record in the US with an abridged title, Heartland, but the company insisted on a different name for the band. Gessle and the other members of Gyllene Tider (Swedish for “Golden Times” or “Golden Age”) chose the title of a 1975 Dr. Feelgood song, “Roxette”.

The newly named Roxette issued one near-invisible release in the US, “Teaser Japanese”, whose video reached MTV’s studio but received no rotation to speak of. It, and subsequent singles, fared better in Sweden, and Gyllene Tider briefly toured the country to support the album. However, “the album died soon enough and the international career died before it even started”, Gessle wrote. “We decided to put Gyllene Tider to rest… until further notice.” Gessle then turned solo work, recording his second Swedish-language solo album, Scener, released in 1985 and again featuring Fredriksson on background vocals. While Fredriksson recorded her second solo album, Den sjunde vågen (The Seventh Wave).

It was then that the Managing Director of EMI, Rolf Nygren, suggested that Gessle and Fredriksson should sing together. Gessle translated a song called “Svarta glas” (“Black glasses”) into English, which became their first single, “Neverending Love”. It was released in the summer of 1986 under the name “Roxette” and reached the Swedish top 10, selling 50,000 copies.

1986–1988: Pearls of Passion

After the success of “Neverending Love” in Sweden, Gessle and Fredriksson quickly recorded a full-length album, translating songs Gessle had written originally for his third solo album. With the release of Pearls of Passion in October 1986, Roxette maintained their commercial momentum in Sweden with their next singles “Goodbye to You” and “Soul Deep.” Some singles from Passion were released in other countries, but these international releases failed to emulate their Swedish success. The album was followed by a compilation of remixes of the same songs, titled Dance Passion.

In 1987, Fredriksson released her third solo album Efter stormen (After the Storm). Meanwhile, Roxette released the single “I Want You” in collaboration with Eva Dahlgren and Ratata. Later in the year, they released “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For the Broken Hearted)” after EMI Germany asked the duo to come up with an intelligent Christmas single. The holiday themed song received some attention in their native country as Roxette prepared their next album, though EMI Germany decided against releasing the single. Pearls of Passion was re-released internationally in 1997, and included “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted)” as a bonus track.

1988–1990: Look Sharp!

In native Sweden, “Dressed for Success” and “Listen to Your Heart” were chosen as the first two singles from their second album Look Sharp!, as Gessle and EMI Sweden chose to highlight Fredriksson’s singing. Gessle said, “I always thought we should promote the songs Marie sang. Me being a lead singer wasn’t part of the plan, not for me anyway.” Both singles reached the top 10 of the Swedish singles chart, while the album, which was released in Sweden in October 1988, held the No. 1 position for 14 weeks. Music critic Måns Ivarsson was underwhelmed by the album, writing derisively: “To consist of two such original persons as Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, the album sounds unbelievably conventional. Most striking are the lyrics. Gessle’s once so subtle Swedish lyrics have became desolate English nonsense.” But the album won Roxette their first Rockbjörnen awards in Sweden and Gessle his first Grammis award in the category Best Composer.

When the third single from Look Sharp!, “The Look,” became another top 10 single in their home country, Roxette were still unknown internationally. It was while studying in Sweden that an American exchange student from Minneapolis, Dean Cushman, heard “The Look” and brought a copy of Look Sharp! home for the 1988 holiday break. He gave the album to a Minneapolis radio station, KDWB 101.3 FM. The station started playing “The Look” and based on positive caller feedback, the song became very popular, quickly spreading to other radio stations. The song became a radio hit before any Roxette product had been commercially released or promoted in the US market. The story was covered by radio, newspapers and TV in the US and in Sweden, with Gessle recently telling this as the story which highlighted the beginning of their international success. Fredriksson dismissed rumours that Cushman was paid to take the record to the radio station.

EMI had previously rejected Roxette as unsuitable for the American market and they did not have a recording contract there, but after the popularity of “The Look” in the US, EMI officials made the decision to release and market the single worldwide. “The Look” and pressed copies of Look Sharp! were issued in early 1989 to record stores and radio stations. “The Look” became their first No. 1 in the US on 8 April 1989, where it remained for one week. The breakthrough for Roxette became international when the song also topped the charts in 25 other countries, and at the end of the year, Billboard named “The Look” one of the 20 biggest Hot 100 singles of the year.

“Dressed for Success,” featuring Fredriksson on lead vocals with Gessle singing short parts, was the second international single. The single peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100 as well as at No. 3 in Australia. “Listen to Your Heart” was released thereafter; it differed from previous singles and instead resembled the guitar-heavy ballads of Heart. Spending a single week at No. 1 in the US in November 1989 it bore the distinction of being the first US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 to be not commercially available on 7-inch vinyl.

A fourth single, “Dangerous,” was released at the end of the year, entering the Hot 100 at the end of December. The single, a duet between Gessle and Fredriksson, spent two weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in February 1990, and again becoming a worldwide success by reaching the top 10 in important music markets such as Germany and Australia. “Dangerous” was released as a double A-sided single in the UK with “Listen to Your Heart.”

“It Must Have Been Love” – Pretty Woman soundtrack

It was around this time that Touchstone Pictures approached EMI and Roxette about contributing a song to the soundtrack of an upcoming film, Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. Gessle maintained that “It Must Have Been Love,” by then a 2-year-old recording, was chosen because Roxette had no time to compose and record a new song. The film’s producers turned it down, asking for another song, but Gessle declined to produce another song.Some weeks later after re-editing the film before release, the producers re-requested “It Must Have Been Love,” but Roxette had to remove the Christmas lyrics. Gessle and producer Clarence Öfwerman then took the old recording, had Fredriksson replace a single Christmas-referenced line in the song and added some instrumentation and background vocal overlays.

Though it was not the first single released from the soundtrack, “It Must Have Been Love” would prove to be Roxette’s most successful single release. The song spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in June 1990, three months after the film’s release, and stayed for two additional weeks at No. 2, spending a total of seventeen weeks in the top 40. Billboard named the song the No. 2 Hot 100 single of the year, behind Wilson Phillips’s “Hold On.” The single also topped the charts in more than 20 other countries (including Australia) around the world. In Germany the single spent 9 months in the top 75, and peaked at No. 3 in the UK, the duo’s highest singles chart position there.The soundtrack went on to be certified three times platinum by the RIAA.

Awards

YEAR	NOMINEE / WORK	AWARD	RESULT
1988	Look Sharp	Grammis (Sweden) – Composer of the Year (Gessle)	Won
		Rockbjörnen (Sweden) – Best Swedish Album	Won
	Roxette	Rockbjörnen (Sweden) – Best Swedish Group	Won
1989		Smash Hits Poll Winners Party – Most Promising New Group	Nominated
	“The Look”	MTV Video Award (USA) – International Viewer’s Choice (Europe)	Won
	Roxette	Rockbjörnen (Sweden) – Best Swedish Group	Won
		Silver Bravo Otto (Germany) – Best rock/pop Group	Won
1990		Bronze Bravo Otto–Best rock/pop group	Won
1991		Brit Award (UK) – Best international group	Nominated
		Silver Bravo Otto – Best rock/pop group	Won
		Rockbjörnen (Sweden) – Best Swedish Group	Won
	Joyride	Rockbjörnen (Sweden) – Best Swedish Album	Won
		Grammis – Pop Group of the Year	Won
	“Joyride”	MTV Video Award – International Viewer’s Choice (Europe)	Won
	Roxette	Australian Music Awards – Most Popular International Group	Won
1992		Gold Bravo Otto – Best rock/pop Group	Won
		Rockbjörnen (Sweden) – Best Swedish Group	Won
	“Joyride”	Juno Award (Canada) – Best Selling Single by a Foreign Artist	Nominated
	Roxette	Echo (Germany) –International Group of the Year	Nominated
1993		Echo (Germany) –International Group of the Year	Nominated
	Join the Joyride! Tour	Hungarian Music Awards – Best Foreign Concert	Nominated
1995	Roxette	Echo (Germany) –International Group of the Year	Nominated
1999	“Wish I Could Fly”	Fono Music Award (Europe) – European No. 1 Airplay hit	Won
2000	Roxette	WMA – Best selling Scandinavian artist	Won
2002		Grammis (Sweden) – Government Music Export Prize	Won
2003		WMA – Best selling Scandinavian artist	Won
2006	“Listen to Your Heart”	BMI Pop Awards – Award-Winning Song	Won
2007	The Rox Box/Roxette 86–06	Grammis (Sweden) – Best Compilation	Nominated

2013–present: Break, RoXXXette 30th Anniversary Tour, Good Karma and Per Gessle’s Roxette European Tour

In 2013, Gessle reunited with his former Swedish boy band Gyllene Tider. They released a new album and toured Sweden. Roxette’s first Blu-ray/DVD concert titled Roxette Live Travelling The World was released. Meanwhile, Fredriksson promoted her new Swedish solo album Nu which led to a successful tour in the spring. In April 2014, succeeding the announcement of the 25th anniversary of Roxette’s first United States #1 hit “The Look” they announced they will be embarking on their RoXXXette 30th Anniversary Tour starting in Russia in late October 2014. The tour ended in February 2016.

“The Look (2015 Remake)”, a new recording of their 1988 single, was released on 17 July 2015. A physical 7-inch vinyl was released on 26 August 2015.

On 18 April 2016, an official statement was released, cancelling the last leg of the RoXXXette 30th Anniversary Tour due to concerns about Marie Fredriksson’s health. As her doctors have advised her to refrain from playing live, she will no longer tour with Roxette. Fredriksson stated: “Sadly, now my touring days are over and I want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful fans that (have) followed us on our long and winding journey.” Gessle added: “The joyride on the road is over now – but we sure had fun, didn’t we?” Roxette has also worked in the studio on their tenth studio album, Good Karma. They have worked with young producers from Sweden like Addeboy vs Cliff “to inject new blood into the Roxette sound”. Remixes aside, this is the first time that they have allowed anyone outside of the Roxette canon to produce new music. On 8 April 2016, the lead single off the album, “It Just Happens”, was released. The album followed on 3 June 2016.

Per Gessle toured Europe in October & November 2018 as “Per Gessle’s Roxette”. The set leant heavily on the band’s back catalogue.

(MHI) 

Musisi Jalanan : Ahmad Dhani Harus Taat Hukum !

JAKARTA , MHI – Sekelompok musisi jalanan melakukan aksi protes didepan kantor pengadilan tinggi DKI Jakarta, jalan Letnan Jenderal Suprapto, Cempaka Putih, Jakarta Pusat, terkait penolakan penangguhan penahanan yang diajukan oleh Ahmad Dhani beserta tim kuasa hukumnya,(8/3).

Dalam orasinya para musisi jalanan memprotes keras dan meminta pihak pengadilan tinggi agar tidak menanggapi dan menolak dengan tegas pangajuan penangguhan yang dilakukan tim Ahmad Dhani kepada Pengadilan tinggi Jakarta Pusat serta meminta ahmad Dhani agar kembali kehabitatnya selaku musisi yang notabene adalah bidang yang digelutinya dan bukan ikut-ikutan berpolitik yang jelas-jelas tidak dimengerti dan difahami oleh Ahmad Dhani sehingga sehingga setiap aksi politik yang dilakukannya selalu menunjukan kebodohannya.

Para musisi jalanan itupun meminta pihak pengadilan tinggi untuk mengundurkan diri bila tidak mampu menolak dengan tegas pengajuan yang dilakukan pihak Ahmad Dhani.Dalam aksi tersebut para musisi jalanan selain berorasi merekapun melakukan aksi dengan mengumpulkan KTP sebagai tanda dukungan terhadap aksi yang mereka lakukan

(SL/FFCI) MHI