Rarities (Roxette album) explained

Rarities
Type:compilation
Artist:Roxette
Cover:Roxette Rarities.jpg
Released:10 February 1995
Genre:Pop rock
Length:53:10
Label:EMI
Prev Title:Crash! Boom! Bang!
Prev Year:1994
Next Title:Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!
Next Year:1995

Rarities is a compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released from 10 February 1995 by EMI exclusively in Southeast Asia and South America. The record is composed of previously released b-sides, demos, single mixes and remixes, as well as several songs from the duo's 1993 performance for MTV Unplugged. As of 2001, the compilation has sold in excess of a million copies worldwide.[1]

Album information

The album was issued exclusively in Latin America and Southeast Asia, with its release in those territories timed to coincide with dates of the band's "Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour". "Vulnerable" concomitantly served as both lead single from Rarities, as well as the fifth and final single from previous studio album Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994).[2] The record includes four previously released remixes, including two single mixes: "Fingertips '93" – originally from 1992's Tourism – and Chris Lord-Alge's US Single Remix of "Dressed for Success". In addition to these, a remix of "Fireworks" created by British alternative rock band Jesus Jones was also included, along with an "Electric Dance Remix" of "Spending My Time" by MC King Carli and Dr Renault (pseudonyms used by regular Roxette producer Clarence Öfwerman and engineer Anders Herrlin). These had all been previously released on their respective singles.[3]

Rarities also contains two previously released b-sides: "The Voice" appeared as the b-side to their 1988 single "Dressed for Success", while "The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye" was released as the b-side to their November 1991 single "Spending My Time". Earlier that year, in April, the song had been released as the lead single from Thomas Anders' (of Modern Talking fame) second solo album, Whispers. The song also appeared on the 1993 album Over My Heart, by American pop chanteuse Laura Branigan. The demo version of their 1993 single "Almost Unreal" appeared on the "Run To You" CD single in 1994 while another demo - the non-album track "One Is Such a Lonely Number" - had previously appeared as the b-side to "The Big L." in 1991. The album also includes three recordings – "Joyride", "The Look" and "Dangerous" – from the band's 9 January 1993 performance at the Stockholm Circus for MTV Unplugged. The rest of their MTV Unplugged set remained unreleased until a DVD of their entire performance was included in The Rox Box/Roxette 86–06 box set.[3]

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Rarities.[4]

Musicians

Technical

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelCatalog #
Thailand10 February 1995EMI368 832277-2
Malaysia
Indonesia
Taiwan17 February 1995
JapanToshiba EMITOCP-8488
Brazil5 April 1995EMI832277-2
Chile
Argentina

Notes and References

  1. News: Sagan om Roxette: På väg tillbaka - eller? . Ninni O Schulman . . . 15 April 2001 . sv . Lord of Roxette: On the way back - or? . https://web.archive.org/web/20010605042251/http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=63791 . 5 June 2001 . 8 September 2016.
  2. Latin Notas . John Lannert . Marcelo Fernández Bitar . . 35 . 107 . 20 . 20 May 1995 . 0006-2510 . 24 February 2017.
  3. Book: Thorselius, Robert . The Look for Roxette: The Illustrated Worldwide Discography & Price Guide. 1st. May 2003. Premium Förlag Publishing . Sweden. 978-91-971894-8-4.
  4. Rarities. Rarities (Roxette album) . liner notes . Digital booklet . . . 1995 . 368 832277-2 . Stockholm, Sweden.
  5. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/186552/ranking/cd_album/ . ja:ロクセットのアルバム売り上げランキング . Roxette album sales ranking . ja . . https://archive.today/20131224082031/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/186552/ranking/cd_album/ . 24 December 2013 . 27 May 2017 .