Room Service (Roxette)
Encyclopedia
Room Service is an album released by Swedish
pop duo
Roxette
, on 3 April 2001. The album topped the Swedish charts and reached the upper regions of the charts in many European countries, peaking at #3 in Germany, but was largely ignored in the United Kingdom
, peaking only at #120 there. The album wasn't released in the United States
. "The Centre of the Heart" was originally recorded during the Have a Nice Day sessions but was left off the album.
Asia also praised the album, "There are many potential hit singles here such as the glorious chirpy sing-along 'Real Sugar'". Carol Sullivan from UK newspaper
The Guardian
disliked the album, and wrote, "Fredriksson's vocals are compelling yet curiously unengaged as she tries to negotiate Per Gessle's lyrics."
Per Bjurman, from Swedish newspaper
, Aftonbladet
, bluntly put "It (the album) is not very good.", and thought the album was not original, "Many songs sound like covers of old Roxette material. Perhaps inevitable when you return to 'roots', but a little more imagination may be required." He did praise the three singles, "Real Sugar
", "The Centre of the Heart
" and "Milk and Toast and Honey
", which he called "Roxette's strongest ballad since 'It Must Have Been Love' and 'Listen to Your Heart'", but ended the review with "Roxette is not finished. But soon, I suspect."
The verse from "Jefferson": "Jefferson was always out of luck/I remember when we both grew up/ Jefferson got hit by a westbound truck/I guess that didn't make him look like a million bucks.", also brought a mixed response. Simon P. Ward from Yahoo! Music
called the verse a "lyrical gem", while Carol Sullivan from The Guardian put "one of the worst first verses in history." Ward additionally noted that "You Make My Head Go Pop", "...has everything and the kitchen sink thrown into it - keyboards, techno beats, the guitar riff from the Stones' 'Satisfaction
' and strings."
, was shot at the Californian hotel The Madonna Inn
. The video for "The Centre of the Heart", directed by Åkerlund, was shot at the hotel. The video became the most expensive Roxette video ever produced, surpassing long-time title holder "Spending My Time
" from their 1991 Joyride album.
were cancelled after the September 11 terrorist attacks. On reviewing one of their concerts, Bjurman from Aftonbladet
was critical of the duo's chosen playlist and suggested that the duo had become too stuck in their past glories. Johan Lindqvist from Göteborgs-Posten
was more positive, scoring their Munich
concert four stars.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pop duo
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
Roxette
Roxette
Roxette are a Swedish pop music duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle . Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act from the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough album Look Sharp!...
, on 3 April 2001. The album topped the Swedish charts and reached the upper regions of the charts in many European countries, peaking at #3 in Germany, but was largely ignored in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, peaking only at #120 there. The album wasn't released in the United States
Production
The album was a shorter effort than their previous release Have a Nice DayHave a Nice Day (Roxette album)
-Singles:*"Wish I Could Fly"*#"Wish I Could Fly"*#"Happy Together"*#"Wish I Could Fly" *"Anyone"*#"Anyone"*#"Anyone" *#"Cooper"...
. "The Centre of the Heart" was originally recorded during the Have a Nice Day sessions but was left off the album.
Singles
The album produced three singles; "The Centre of the Heart", "Real Sugar" and "Milk & Toast & Honey". "The Centre of the Heart" peaked at #1 in Sweden and was a minor hit in various European countries. The second single, "Real Sugar", was not a commercial success, and the third and final single, "Milk & Toast & Honey", was the only single from Room Service to be released in the U.K. but was also ultimately unsuccessful.Critical reception
Room Service received a mixed response from critics. "Probably the best Roxette album since Joyride", wrote Leslie Mathew of Allmusic. Room Service is an exciting, immediate, high-gloss pop gem that contains very little filler indeed.". Chili Paddy from MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Asia also praised the album, "There are many potential hit singles here such as the glorious chirpy sing-along 'Real Sugar'". Carol Sullivan from UK newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
disliked the album, and wrote, "Fredriksson's vocals are compelling yet curiously unengaged as she tries to negotiate Per Gessle's lyrics."
Per Bjurman, from Swedish newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet is a Swedish tabloid founded by Lars Johan Hierta in 1830 during the modernization of Sweden. It is one of the larger daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. Aftonbladet is owned by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and Norwegian media group Schibsted, and its editorial page...
, bluntly put "It (the album) is not very good.", and thought the album was not original, "Many songs sound like covers of old Roxette material. Perhaps inevitable when you return to 'roots', but a little more imagination may be required." He did praise the three singles, "Real Sugar
Real Sugar
"Real Sugar", written by Per Gessle, is a song by Roxette, released as the second single from their 2001 album Room Service. It was not released in the UK.-Music video:...
", "The Centre of the Heart
The Centre of the Heart (Is a Suburb to the Brain)
"The Centre of the Heart" is a song by Swedish duo Roxette's 2001 album Room Service. The single was only released commercially in Europe, except in the UK. It was the group's third #1 in Sweden where it remained on the top spot for 4 weeks...
" and "Milk and Toast and Honey
Milk and Toast and Honey
"Milk And Toast And Honey", was the third single released from Swedish pop duo Roxette's 2001 album Room Service. The single was only released commercially in Europe and Australia where chart-wise it didn't perform spectacularly....
", which he called "Roxette's strongest ballad since 'It Must Have Been Love' and 'Listen to Your Heart'", but ended the review with "Roxette is not finished. But soon, I suspect."
The verse from "Jefferson": "Jefferson was always out of luck/I remember when we both grew up/ Jefferson got hit by a westbound truck/I guess that didn't make him look like a million bucks.", also brought a mixed response. Simon P. Ward from Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
called the verse a "lyrical gem", while Carol Sullivan from The Guardian put "one of the worst first verses in history." Ward additionally noted that "You Make My Head Go Pop", "...has everything and the kitchen sink thrown into it - keyboards, techno beats, the guitar riff from the Stones' 'Satisfaction
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
' and strings."
Artwork
The visual theme to the album sleeve and promo shots, photographed by Jonas ÅkerlundJonas Åkerlund
Jonas Åkerlund is a Swedish film and music video director, and drummer. He is best known for directing music videos, which are often mock forms of movie trailers and short films...
, was shot at the Californian hotel The Madonna Inn
Madonna Inn
The Madonna Inn is a motel in San Luis Obispo, California. Opened for business in 1958, it quickly became a landmark on the Central Coast of California. The Inn was created by Alex Madonna, a successful construction magnate and entrepreneur who died in April 2004, and his wife, Phyllis...
. The video for "The Centre of the Heart", directed by Åkerlund, was shot at the hotel. The video became the most expensive Roxette video ever produced, surpassing long-time title holder "Spending My Time
Spending My Time
"Spending My Time", written by Per Gessle, was the fourth single released from Swedish pop duo Roxette's 1991 album Joyride. It peaked at #32 on Billboard's Hot 100. A remix was created by MC King Carli and Dr Renault at EMI Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, in July 1991, and was included on the single...
" from their 1991 Joyride album.
European tour
The Room Service World Tour 2001 was Roxette's first tour in over six years, and saw the duo perform live in many parts of Europe except the UK. Concerts planned in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
were cancelled after the September 11 terrorist attacks. On reviewing one of their concerts, Bjurman from Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet is a Swedish tabloid founded by Lars Johan Hierta in 1830 during the modernization of Sweden. It is one of the larger daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. Aftonbladet is owned by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and Norwegian media group Schibsted, and its editorial page...
was critical of the duo's chosen playlist and suggested that the duo had become too stuck in their past glories. Johan Lindqvist from Göteborgs-Posten
Göteborgs-Posten
Göteborgs-Posten is a major daily newspaper in Sweden. It is published in Gothenburg, with containing coverage of local, regional, national and international issues. It is chiefly distributed in western Götaland. It has the second largest national circulation, after Dagens Nyheter and before...
was more positive, scoring their Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
concert four stars.
Track listings
CDSingles
- "The Centre of the Heart"
- "The Centre of the Heart"
- "Entering Your Heart (Edit Version)"
- "Entering Your Heart (Extended Version)"
- "Real Sugar"
- "Real Sugar"
- "It Will Take a Long Long Time" (Modern Rock Version)
- "Real Sugar" (Shooting Star Treatment)
- "The Centre of the Heart" (Enhanced Video)
- "Milk and Toast and Honey"
- "Milk and Toast and Honey"
- "Milk and Toast and Honey" (Active Dance Remix)
- "Milk and Toast and Honey" (Shooting Star Treatment)
- "Milk and Toast and Honey" (T&A Demo, August 2 and 3rd 1999)
- "Real Sugar" (Enhanced Video)
Credits
- The words & music to all tracks by Per GesslePer GesslePer Håkan Gessle is a Swedish pop singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonicist. He is the lead singer of the Swedish pop group Gyllene Tider and formed Roxette with Marie Fredriksson...
. Except "Little Girl"; words & music by Marie FredrikssonMarie Fredrikssonis a Swedish pop singer-songwriter and pianist, best known for forming one half of the pop duo Roxette, which she created together with Per Gessle in 1986...
. - Produced by Clarence ÖfwermanClarence ÖfwermanClarence Öfwerman, born 22 November 1957, is best known as the longtime producer of Roxette, having been with the band from their debut album Pearls of Passion in 1986 through to 2011's Charm School, Roxette's latest studio album. He is the big brother of Roxette percussionist, keyboardist and...
, Gessle & Fredriksson. - Tracks 1, 9 & 11, published by Jimmy Fun Music.
- Track 5 published by Shock the Music.
- All other tracks published by HipHappy.
- Programming by Clarence Öfwerman & Shooting Star with MP Persson & Gessle.
- Keyboards: Öfwerman, Persson & Gessle.
- Electric & acoustic guitars: Gessle, Christoffer Lundquist, Jonas Isacsson, Persson, David Birde & Mattias Thorell.
- Bass guitar: Lundquist.
- 12 string acoustic guitar: Gessle & Lundquist.
- Live drums: Christer Jansson.
Charts
Album| Country | Position | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 4 | --- |
| Finland | 10 | Gold |
| Germany Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
3 | Gold |
| Hungary Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
18 | --- |
| Netherlands NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
80 | --- |
| Norway | 7 | --- |
| Poland | 3 | --- |
| Sweden | 1 | Platinum |
| Switzerland | 2 | Gold |
| UK British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
120 | --- |