''Look Sharp!'' is the second studio album by Swedish
pop duo
Roxette
Roxette was 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 second a ...
, released on 21 October 1988 by
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
, two years after their debut ''
Pearls of Passion
''Pearls of Passion'' is the debut studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, originally released on cassette and vinyl on 31 October 1986 in Scandinavia and Canada. The album was remastered and released on CD on 31 October 1997, with several pre ...
'' (1986). It was recorded at
EMI Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music co ...
in Stockholm and at
Trident II Studios in London between March and September 1988. The album was an immediate commercial success in Sweden, debuting at number one and eventually being certified 6× platinum there.
Although commercial success elsewhere was initially modest, the album was the duo's international breakthrough. It went on to be certified platinum or multi-platinum in numerous territories, while four of its singles attained commercial success. In the United States, the album was certified platinum and the singles "
The Look
"The Look" is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, '' Look Sharp!'' (1988). It became an international hit, and was one of the most successful singles of 1989. I ...
" and "
Listen to Your Heart" both topped the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, while "
Dangerous
Dangerous may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Dangerous'' (1935 film), an American film starring Bette Davis
* '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', a 1993 collection of music videos by Michael Jackson
* ''Dangerous'' (2021 film), a Canadian-Ameri ...
" and "
Dressed for Success
"Dressed for Success" is a song by Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, released in Europe, on 3 August 1988 as the lead single from their second studio album, '' Look Sharp!'' (1988). Following the international success of "The Look" – the album's ...
" reached numbers 2 and 14, respectively, on the same chart.
Background and release
"
Dressed for Success
"Dressed for Success" is a song by Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, released in Europe, on 3 August 1988 as the lead single from their second studio album, '' Look Sharp!'' (1988). Following the international success of "The Look" – the album's ...
" and "
Listen to Your Heart" were released as the album's first two singles in Sweden, with
Per Gessle
Per Håkan Gessle (; born 12 January 1959) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the male half and primary songwriter of the Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, which he formed with Marie Fredriksson in 1986 and which was ...
and EMI choosing to highlight
Marie Fredriksson
Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist and painter, who was best known internationally as the lead vocalist of pop rock pop duo, duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. ...
as Roxette's lead vocalist.
They were immediate hits in Sweden, peaking at numbers two and three, respectively.
"
Chances" was released as the album's first single in France, Germany and Italy, but it failed to chart.
"
The Look
"The Look" is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, '' Look Sharp!'' (1988). It became an international hit, and was one of the most successful singles of 1989. I ...
" was released as the album's fourth single in January 1989, becoming another top 10 hit in their home country.
While studying there, an American exchange student from
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, Dean Cushman, purchased the album and brought it home, giving a copy of it to his local
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
radio station,
KDWB
KDWB-FM (101.3 MHz) is an American commercial radio station broadcasting in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, licensed to suburban Richfield. KDWB's radio format is Top 40/CHR. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, while its studios ...
101.3 FM. "The Look" quickly became popular, and the station began distributing the track to their sister radio operations.
EMI America had previously rejected the duo as unsuitable for the American market, and Roxette did not have a recording contract there.
"The Look" had already entered the top 50 of the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 before the duo began official promotion. It would go on to peak at number one eight weeks later. It gradually became a global hit over the next year, topping the charts in 25 countries. It also spent six weeks at number one on the
Australian Singles Chart. The album's previous singles—excluding "Chances"—were re-released internationally. Roxette would go on to have four number ones on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including "Listen to Your Heart"; while the album's final single, "
Dangerous
Dangerous may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Dangerous'' (1935 film), an American film starring Bette Davis
* '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', a 1993 collection of music videos by Michael Jackson
* ''Dangerous'' (2021 film), a Canadian-Ameri ...
", peaked at number two.
Critical reception
The album received mixed reviews from critics. In a retrospective review,
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
complimented its singles, but said that the album tracks "aren't necessarily filler, but they also aren't as strong as many of the cuts that made up Roxette albums that followed.
..Only 'Chances' and 'Shadow of a Doubt' show glimmers of the skills the duo would soon flourish."
A review for ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' echoed a similar sentiment, praising its singles and "Shadow of a Doubt"—along with "Cry"—but said that: "the problem is that most of ''Look Sharp!''s music is of such a light, ephemeral nature that it disappears without a trace the minute the record leaves the turntable. Looks like Roxette's forte is pop music that is prettily presented but totally disposable."
Accolades
Roxette were nominated for two
Grammis Awards
The Grammis are music awards presented annually to musicians and songwriters in Sweden. The oldest Swedish music awards, they were instituted as a local equivalent of the Grammy Awards given in the United States. The awards ceremony is generall ...
—the Swedish equivalent of the
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
—in 1989, for Artist of the Year and Best Pop/Rock Group. Fredriksson and Gessle each won an award for Best Pop/Rock Female and Best Composer, respectively. Both Roxette and Fredriksson won numerous
Rockbjörnen
Rockbjörnen (Swedish: ''the Rock Bear'') is a music prize in Sweden, divided into several categories, which is awarded annually by the newspaper ''Aftonbladet''. The prize was first awarded in 1979, and is mostly centered on pop and rock.
In 2 ...
awards during this period. They were awarded Best Swedish Album and Best Swedish Group at the 1988 ceremony, and won the latter award again the following year. Fredriksson won the award for Best Swedish Female over four consecutive years, from 1986 to 1989.
Commercial performance
''Look Sharp!'' was an immediate commercial success in Sweden, selling over 140,000 copies within ten days of release. It spent seven weeks at number one,
and was certified platinum in the country for shipments in excess of 100,000 units. In the US, the album was certified platinum on 20 January 1990 by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for shipments in excess of one million units.
As of 2009, it sold 408,000 copies there since
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
began tracking sales data in May 1991. It peaked at number four in the UK, where it spent over a year on the charts.
It was certified platinum by the
BPI in December 1990 for sales in excess of 300,000.
As of 2001, ''Look Sharp!'' had sold over 9 million copies worldwide.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Look Sharp!''.
* Roxette are
Per Gessle
Per Håkan Gessle (; born 12 January 1959) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the male half and primary songwriter of the Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, which he formed with Marie Fredriksson in 1986 and which was ...
and
Marie Fredriksson
Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist and painter, who was best known internationally as the lead vocalist of pop rock pop duo, duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. ...
* Recorded at EMI Studios,
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, Sweden and Trident II Studios,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England
*
Remastered
Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used.
Mastering
A ...
by Alar Suurna at Polar Studio, Stockholm (2009 reissue)
* All songs published by Jimmy Fun Music, except: "Dance Away", "Cry" and "Half a Woman, Half a Shadow" published by Shock the Music/Jimmy Fun Music
Musicians
*Marie Fredriksson –
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
and
background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...
,
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
,
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
,
mixing
*Per Gessle – lead and background vocals, mixing
* Per "Pelle" Alsing –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
and
hi-hat
A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...
* Erik Borelius –
Spanish guitar
* Graham Edwards –
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
(tracks 6, 7 and 10)
* Erik Häusler –
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
(track 3)
* Anders Herrlin – background vocals, bass guitar,
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
,
programming
* Jonas Isacsson –
electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
and
acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
s
*
Henrik Janson
Henrik Janson (born 11 March 1961) is a Swedish music arranger, guitarist, record producer and songwriter. Founding a band at thirteen, in 1974, Janson today works with both domestic and international artists.
Career
Early years
Janson was born ...
–
talkbox
A talk box (also spelled talkbox and talk-box) is an effects unit that allows musicians to modify the sound of a musical instrument by shaping the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto the so ...
(track 8)
* Jarl "Jalle" Lorensson –
harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
(track 8)
* Adam McCulloch – saxophone
(tracks 6 and 10)
* Morris Michael – electric and acoustic guitars
(tracks 6, 7 and 10)
* Adam Moseley – engineering,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
(tracks 6, 7 and 10)
*
Clarence Öfwerman
Clarence Öfwerman (born 22 November 1957) is a Swedish record producer, best known as the longtime producer of Roxette, having been with the band from their debut album '' Pearls of Passion'' in 1986 through to 2016's '' Good Karma'', Roxette ...
– background vocals, keyboards, programming,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
* Jan "Janne" Oldaeus –
slide guitar
Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
* Alar Suurna – engineering, mixing
* Andrew Wright – keyboards, programming
(tracks 6, 7 and 10)
Technical
* Julian Adair – production assistant
(tracks 6, 7 and 10)
* Kjell Andersson – sleeve design,
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
* Carl Bengtsson – photography
* Lennart Haglund – engineering assistant
*
Mikael Jansson – photography
* Rolf Nygren – executive producer
* Pär Wickholm – sleeve design
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Look Sharp! (Roxette Album)
1988 albums
Albums produced by Adam Moseley
EMI Records albums
Roxette albums