The Look

Infobox Single
Name = The Look


Artist = Roxette
from Album = Look Sharp!
Released = November 13, 1988
Format = 7" single
12" maxi
CD maxi
Recorded = 1988
Genre = Pop
Length = 3:56
Label = EMI
Writer = Per Gessle
Producer = Clarence Öfwerman
Certification = Gold (USA), Gold (NZ), Gold (Canada)
[ Reviews = ]
Last single = "Chances" (1988)
This single = "The Look" (1988)
Next single = "Dressed for Success" (1989)

"This article is about the Roxette song. For the band, see The Look (band)."

"The Look", written by Per Gessle and released as a single in late 1988 and early 1989 from the album "Look Sharp!", is considered to be Roxette's international breakthrough, finally exposing the duo to music consumers outside of its native Sweden and Europe after more than one attempt. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1989 and reached #7 on the UK singles chart.

Background

Roxette released their second album, "Look Sharp!" and toured Sweden again. The album was a triumph in Sweden, but a flop everywhere else. An American exchange student returned from Sweden and urged radio station KDWB in Minneapolis to play "The Look". From there, "The Look" spread on cassette copies to other radio stations. Suddenly, Roxette had a hit single in the United States, and the record wasn't even released. When it finally was released, it was able to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 50 - an unusual feat at the time for a newcomer artist - and went on to peak at 23.

The song samples/extrapolates, albeit with modifications, the well-known "na na na na na..." sequence from Wilson Pickett's song "Land of a Thousand Dances". This section also bears direct comparison with the end of the Beatles "Hey Jude", which also features the "na na na" pattern. The repeated chord structure in both songs starts on the tonic (I), then goes to the flat VII, IV, and back to the I. [http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/b/beatles/hey_jude_crd.htm] There's also a song of Prince called "U Got the Look" included in "Sign o' the Times" album which got similarities between them.

According to Gessle the first two verses lyrics were guide lyrics but were kept anyway :-

"Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer"... the first two verses are guide lyrics, words just scribbled down to have something to sing. Couldn't come up with anything better, so we kept them. Everybody gets lucky sometimes...

Per Gessle, "Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!" liner notes. [http://www.pergessle.net/pearls/roxette/bdbugttc.html]

Track listings

All formats were released on November 13, 1988 (by EMI/Parlophone; 1363337). Also released on many formats, including 3" CDS, 5" CDS and 12" vinyl. Included on most of those was The Look (Head-Drum Mix). The first edition of the vinyls was in red vinyl. A precious few exist in clear vinyl.

; 7" single
# "The Look" (3:56)
# "Silver Blue" (demo) (4:05)

; 12" maxi
# "The Look" (headdrum mix) (7:16)
# "The Look" (7" version) (3:56)
# "Silver Blue" (demo) (4:05)

; CD maxi
# "The Look" (head-drum-mix) (7:22)
# "The Look" (7" version) (3:58)
# "Silver Blue" (demo) (4:06)
# "Sleeping Single" (demo) (3:46)

; 12" Remixes
# "The Look" (Visible Mix) (6:03)
# "The Look" (Power Radio Mix) (4:09)
# "The Look" (Big Red Mix) (7:33)
# "The Look" (Invisible dub) (5:11)
# "Silver Blue" (demo) (4:00)

Remix: "The Look '95"

Infobox Single |
Name = The Look '95


Artist = Roxette
from Album = Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! - Roxette's Greatest Hits
Released = 1995
Genre = Pop
Length = 5:08
Writer = Per Gessle
Last single = "You Don't Understand Me"
(1995)
This single = "The Look '95"
(1995)
Next single = "June Afternoon"
(1996)

Background

"The Look '95" is a remixed version of Roxette's hit song and it was only released commercially in the UK in connection with the release of their greatest hits album "Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! - Roxette's Greatest Hits".

This version of the song does not appear on the album, but two of the versions from this album were eventually included on the European release of the single "She Doesn't Live Here Anymore".

Track listings

; CD maxi 1
# "The Look" (chaps 1995 remix) (5:08)
# "The Look" (chaps donna bass mix) (6:53)
# "The Look" (rapino club mix) (5:22)
# "The Look" (rapino dub mix) (5:14)

; CD maxi 2
# "The Look" (chaps 1995 remix) (5:10)
# "The Look" (original version) (3:59)
# "Crazy About You" (3:59)
# "Dressed for Success" (U.S. mix) (4:53)

Cover versions

An cover of the song in English-language was recorded by the Spanish band, The Stunned Parrots.

Charts

References