20080402

The Attic | Destiny


Destiny was the first commercial release by The Attic, in late 2003. Unfortunately, the track failed to chart, but its pop-house tendencies and sheer danceability made it a big hit on Sweden's club scene.
Contains remixes by Axwell and Laid

Tracklisting
01 Destiny (Radio Version)
02 Destiny (Original Version)
03 Destiny (Axwell Remix)
04 Destiny (Laid Remix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

The Attic ft. Therèse | The Arrival

The Attic's first entry into Melodifestivalen, The Arrival was a duet with former Drömhus lead singer and Stonebridge collaborator Therèse Grankvist. Sadly, the song came 7th in the qualifiying round in Önsköldsvik, and was out of the contest. Despite that, it recieved a high amount of airplay, and became the Attic's most popular track to date!

Tracklisting
01 The Arrival
02 The Arrival (Extended)
03 The Arrival (Dub Mix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Veronica Maggio | Måndagsbarn


It's not just Kleerup who's back on the scene... Veronica Maggio has just released the first single from her new album Och Vinnaren Är... The single is called Måndagsbarn and has the same nonchalant vocals and simple but effective production that made Dumpa Mig and Nöjd? so popular in 2006.

Tracklisting
01 Måndagsbarn
02 Måndagsbarn (Instrumental Version)
03 Måndagsbarn (Acapella Version)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080331

The Attic | The Festival Theme

The Festival Theme is without a doubt The Attic's most well known track, even though most people probably don't realise it. The very imaginitively titled The Festival Theme is the current Melodifestivalen theme tune, and has been for some years now. The track never got a proper commercial release, and is only available as a digital download.

Click Here
to download
Password: sweden

The Attic | It's Beautiful

It's Beautiful was the last single to be released from Remeber Tomorrow, in May of 2007. The single only managed number 57 on the singles chart. The single featured only remixes by the Attic themselves, and as individuals.

Tracklisting
01 It's Beautiful
02 It's Beautiful (The Attic Remix Radio Edit)
03 It's Beautiful (The Attic Remix)
04 It's Beautiful (Michael Feiner Remix)
05 It's Beautiful (Eric Amarillo Remix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080328

The Attic | Remember Tomorrow


Following their participation in Melodifestivalen which generated much more interest in the group, the Attic boys released the album Remember Tomorrow. The album is basically a re-release of The One with some new songs added, and some old ones taken away. Included are two tracks with Stonebrige-collaborator and solo singer Therèse Grankvist, one of them being the group's Melodifestivalen entry. The album also features new collaborations with Jennie-Ann Smith.
Contains the singles It's Beautiful, In Your Eyes, The Arrival, Remember Tomorrow, Destiny and I Just Can't Help It.

Tracklisting
01 It's Beautiful
02 In Your Eyes
03 The Arrival (ft. Therèse)
04 Minute After Minute
05 Remember Tomorrow
06 Ticket To Love (ft. Jennie-Anne Smith)
07 A Life To Live
08 Sail Away
09 Don't You Know Me? (ft. Therèse)
10 Catch Me When I Fall For You
11 The One
12 Don't Turn Your Back On Me (ft. Jennie-Anne Smith)
13 I Just Can't Help It
14 Destiny

Click Here to download
Password: sweden


The Attic | The One


The Attic's début album The One was finally released in September 2006, after a few years of one-off singles and remixes for other people. The album failed to impact on the Swedish charts, but managed to generate a very positive buzz around the band.
Contains the singles Destiny, In Your Eyes, It's Beautiful and I Just Can't Help It. Also, the track A Life To Live was released as a single in Poland.

Tracklisting
01 Destiny
02 A Life To Live
03 In Your Eyes
04 It's Beautiful
05 On And On
06 Even If It Hurts Me
07 Catch Me When I Fall For You
08 The One
09 I Just Can't Help It
10 Petite Difference
11 U.N.I. (ft. Katherine Ellis)
12 Minute After Minute
13 Can You Hear Me?
14 In Your Eyes (Ballad Version)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

This week's featured artist...


Swedish pop/dance duo and DJs The Attic were born out of the ashes of group Stereopol in 2003, and the group is made up of Eric Amarillo and Michael Feiner. Since then, they have released one and a half albums (this will be explained later) and several singles, as well as making some brilliant remixes for artists such as S-Pop favourites Alcazar, BWO and Fredrik Kempe. In addition to this, Amarillo and Feiner are also both songwriters, and have written tracks for Axwell, Nevada and Sebastian Ingrosso. Somehow amongst all this hard work, they found the time to participate in Melodifestivalen in 2007, teaming up with former Drömhus frontwoman and Stonbridge collaborator Therèse Grankvist on the song The Arrival. And the theme music to Melodifestivalen itself was written and performed by the boys!

20080327

Lena Philipsson | Lady Star


She's a lady, a Lady Star! When it comes to Schlagerqueens, Lena Philipsson is one of the biggest, and without a doubt the coolest! The 2006 release Lady Star, is a collection of b-sides, one-off singles, various bonus tracks and a little more besides spanning from 1986 to 2001. Basically, tracks which have not appeared on any of her studio albums. Pay special attention to the fantastic hands-off-my-man themed Helene and the hopelessly romantic Om Kärleken Är Blind.
Contains the singles Fly Me Over The Rainbow, Spell Of Love and Lady Star.

Tracklisting
01 Juliette & Johnathan
02 Det Är Här Jag Har Mitt Liv
03 Stanna Här Hos Mig
04 Vindarnas Väg
05 Fly Me Over The Rainbow
06 Jag Sänder På Min Radio
07 Oskuldens Ögon
08 Lady Star
09 Om Kärleken Är Blind
10 Helene
11 Spell Of Love
12 När Jag Behöver Dig Som Mest
13 You Opened My Eyes
14 Om Du Ger Upp
15 Kom

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080326

Christian Falk | People Say


People Say was the 4th solo album to be released by long-time music producer and bassist Christian Falk. Well, it's officially a solo album, but it features so many collaborations that solo might be pushing it a bit! The album was released at the end of 2006, and reached #17 in the album charts. It was showered with critical acclaim, and led to Falk winning the award for best modern dance at the Swedish Grammis. The album features S-Pop favourites Robyn and the Ark frontman Ola Salo, as well as Falk's own daughter, Vanessa.
Contains the singles Dream On and Shine.

Tracklisting
01 Brighter Days
02 Dream On (Robyn & Ola Salo)
03 Mind Elevation (Demetrius)
04 Way Home
05 Shine (Pauline)
06 Something Good (Vanessa Falk)
07 C.C.C. (Robyn)
08 People Say (Vanessa Falk)
09 My Heart (Cindy)
10 So So Beautiful

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Magnus Carlsson | Another Rainbow

Another Rainbow was the 3rd single to be taken from Magnus's hit album Live Forever, released at the end of 2007. The single failed to make an impact on the Swedish singles chart, but was a sizeable radio hit!
Contains remixes by Hard Act 2 Follow

Tracklisting
01 Another Rainbow (Single Edit)
02 Another Rainbow (Hard Act 2 Follow Radio Mix)
03 Another Rainbow (Hard Act 2 Follow Club Mix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080322

Linda Bengtzing | Vild & Galen


Post-Schlager fever has really hit in Sweden now, with all of the tracks in this week's top 15 singles being Melodifestivalen entries. Ms. Bengtzing has taken advantage of this schlager-epidemic to release her fantastic 2nd album Vild & Galen (Wild & Crazy). The album is full of Linda's trademark upbeat schlagerpop, with clever lyrics and melodies you'll be humming all day. Also included is the hilarious Markoolio duet Värsta Schlagern, a parody of the perfect schlager tune. The album also contains what is possibly the coolest hidden track of all time: A Swedish-language cover of Sandra Kim's J'Aime La Vie recorded when Linda was just 11 years old!
Contains the singles Hur Svårt Kan Det Va?, Värsta Schlagern and the forthcoming Vild & Galen.

Tracklisting
01 Hur Svårt Kan Det Va?
02 Utan Dig
03 Inga Pojkar I Världen
04 Idag, Imorgon & Igår
05 Grannarna Vaknar
06 Det Första Guldet
07 Vild & Galen
08 Sanningen
09 Om Du Vill
10 Varför Gör Du Som Du Gör?
11 Värsta Schlagern/Älskar, Älskar Mitt Liv

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Andreas Lundstedt | Lovegun/Nightfever


It's not just Magnus who's flown solo. Andreas has had a few attempts too. The double A-side Lovegun/Nightfever was released in 2006, and were Andreas's solo tracks on the Six4One album (the band with which Andreas performed the Swiss Eurovision entry in 2006). The decision to release a cover of the Beegees' classic came after Andreas's successful run in the Swedish production of Saturday Night Fever. The release had a particularly odd chart run, entering at #1 and then falling to #60 the following week!
S-Pop would like to assure readers that yes, that is the real cover, and yes, we think the designer should be shot too.

Tracklisting
01 Lovegun
02 Nightfever
03 Lovegun (Lovegun Remix By Spånka)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Alcazar | Start The Fire

Start The Fire was the final Alcazar single before their three year hiatus. The chorus is borrowed from Billy Joel's classic hit We Didn't Start The Fire, though the verses are completely new. During the filming of the video, poor Annikafiore managed to break her foot! The maxi single contains two previously unreleased tracks Glamourama and Nothing But The Video On. These tracks are rumoured to have been recorded for a third Alcazar studio album, which was never finished. The track reached #10 in Sweden, and, randomly enough #67 in Switzerland.

Tracklisting
01 Start The Fire
02 Glamourama
03 Nothing But The Video On
04 Start The Fire (Extended Version)
05 Physical (Poolbreeze Mix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080321

Barbados | Världen Utanför

Ever wondered what Magnus Carlsson was up to before Alcazar? Well, from 1992-2002 he was the lead singer of the Swedish dansband group Barbados. During Magnus's time with the band, they released 8 studio albums! Världen Utanför is the most tolerable of all of these. It was the final album recorded with Magnus, and was released in 2002 and reached #2 on the album charts. The lead single, Världen Utanför was also the band's 3rd Melodifestivalen entry, where it came 4th in the final.
Contains the singles Världen Utanför and Ung Och Vild.

Tracklisting
01 Kissin' In The Backrow Of The Movies
02 Aldrig I Livet
03 Sweet Little Angel
04 Världen Utanför
05 Om Du Vill
06 Keep On
07 Burning Love
08 Himlen Var Blå
09 Ung Och Vild
10 Den Som Jag Vill Ha
11 Stanna Hos Mig
12 Come Stay The Night (Carnival Version)
13 Har Aldrig Sett Så Mycket Tårar
14 Natten Kommer
15 Superstars
16 Världen Utanför (J Pipe Last Minute Disco Remix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Alcazar | Alcastar

Alcastar was Alcazar's 3rd attempt at Melodifestivalen success. The second song they submitted, Grillvagn, a Swedish-language track, was not selected to participate, and was never released, except for a live performance in the interval of Melodifestivalen's Andra Chansen. Alcastar, however, faired somewhat better - it made it to the final via Andra Chansen, where it came 4th. Upon release, the single shot straight to #1.
Contains mixes by The Attic, Club Junkies and, of course, Soundfactory

01 Alcastar
02 Alcastar (Soundfactory Starstruck Anthem)
03 Alcastar (The Attic Remix)
04 Alcastar (Club Junkies 12" Remix)
05 Alcastar (Soundfactory Connection Dub)
06 Alcastar (Acapella)
07 Alcastar (Club Junkies Radio Edit)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Alcazar | Love Life


Love Life was the fourth single to be taken from the #2 album Alcazarized, and was written by none other than the Pet Shop Boys. The song was originally titled Can I Be The One?, and was demoed by the boys themselves. However, they weren't too keen on it. The PSB had been fans of Alcazar since Crying At The Discotheque, and when Alcazar asked them to do a track, Chris and Neil dusted off the old demo and gave it a bit of a polish. The track has a distinct Pet Shop Boys quality to it, but mixed with the disco glamour of Alcazar. Love Life peaked at #10 in Sweden.

Tracklisting
01 Love Life
02 Love Life (Extended Version)
03 Love Life (FL Rebirth Club Mix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Magnus Carlsson | Live Forever (EP)


Live Forever was Magnus's second solo in Melodifestivalen, in 2007. He has actually participated a total of 7 times, as part of Barbados, Alcazar and now as a soloist. Unfortunately, Live Forever failed to impress and didn't make it past the qualifying rounds. Its chart performance however tells a different story, where it peaked at #3, and was the lead single for the album of the same name.
Contains French and Spanish versions of the track, as well the obligatory set of mixes by Soundfactory.

Tracklisting
01 Live Forever
02 Siempre A Tu Lado
03 Je Vivrai
04 Live Forever (Soundfactory Radio Edit)
05 Live Forever (Soundfactory Eternal Club Mix)
06 Live Forever (Soundfactory Damnation Dub Mix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Alcazar | This Is The World We Live In


This Is The World We Live In was released in the summer of 2004, and became a huge hit, not only in Sweden but accross Europe, and even as far away as China and South Africa! The song samples Diana Ross' motown classic Upside Down, and the chorus is adapted from the Genesis song Land Of Confusion.
Contains mixes from Soundfactory and Almighty.

Tracklisting
01 This Is The World We Live In (Edit)
02 This Is The World We Live In (Extended Version)
03 This Is The World We Live In (Soundfactory Club Anthem)
04 This Is The World We Live In (Almighty Mix)
05 This Is The World We Live In (Soundfactory Drama Dub)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Alcazar | Here I Am

Here I Am was a bit of a departure for Alcazar... A ballad! The track had been featured on the album Alcazarized, but was used in the promotion of the greatest hits compilation Dancefloor Deluxe, and was released just in time for Christmas 2004. The track failed to make a big impact on the charts, peaking at #40. However, over in neighbouring Finland, it proved much more popular, climbing to the #6 spot on the Finnish single charts.
Contains French and Spanish versions of the track, as well as remixes from Groovetemplate, FL and Mark Jason among others.

Tracklisting
01 Here I Am (Winter Version)
02 Here I Am (English Single Version)
03 Aquí Estoy
04 Je Suis Là
05 Here I Am (Groovetemplate Radio Mix)
06 Here I Am (Hard Act 2 Follow & Sharpshooter Club Mix)
07 Here I Am (FL's Dream Symphonic Remix)
08 Here I Am (Mark Jason's UK Sonar Club Anthem)
09 Here I Am (Piol's Dancing Snowflakes Remix)
10 Here I Am (Groovetemplate Extended Remix)

Click Here
to download
Password: sweden

20080320

Alcazar | Casino


Alcazar's début album, Casino, was released in October of 2000. The album failed to make a big impact on the Swedish charts, peaking at #40. However, the singles started to take off abroad, especially the mega-hit Crying At The Discotheque, and the album was repackaged for an international release, with an altered tracklisting, which now included a cover of the Human League's iconic track Don't You Want Me.
Contains the singles Shine On, Ritmo Del Amor, Crying At The Discotheque, Sexual Guarantee and Don't You Want Me.
Presented here is a composite of all the album's various releases, featuring tracks only available on the original Swedish release, and the Japanese bonus track Click Your Heart.

Tracklisting
01 Sexual Guarantee
02 Crying At The Discotheque
03 Don't Leave Me Alone
04 Almost Famous
05 Paradise
06 Transmetropolis
07 Stars Come Out At Night
08 Paris In The Rain
09 Baby Come Back
10 Breaking Free
11 Don't You Want Me
12 Shine On
13 Ritmo Del Amor
14 Tears Of A Clone
15 The Bells Of Alcazar
16 Blues In G-Minor
17 Salmone
18 Seasons In The Sun
19 Click Your Heart

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

This week's featured artist...

There is a strange habit of 'band-hopping' amongst Swedish pop stars, and the groups themselves change members nearly as often as they change their outfits! Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than with 21st century disco-defenders Alcazar.
Alcazar was the brainchild of S-pop king (or queen...) Alexander Bard, who himself has been in at least three different bands!). Basically, he'd written some songs and simply needed someone to sing them. Bard enlisted the help of singer Andreas Lundstedt, who had formerly been a member of the group Stage Four and who had had some moderate success as a solo artist. Lundstedt invited friends Annikafiore Kjærsgaard, who had previously been in two relatively unsuccessful groups The Dreamettes and Primitive Cool, and Tess Merkel, known for her work as a backing-singer and in theatre. Alcazar version 1.0 was complete. The band's first couple of singles went largely unnoticed, but their big-break came with the unbelievably camp Crying At The Discotheque, which achieved a great deal of success all over Europe, and led to a re-release of the band's début album Casino. Shortly after the band finished promoting Casino, Andreas drafted in his then-boyfriend Magnus Carlsson, lead singer of the hugely popular dansband group Barbados. The first release by Alcazar 2.0 was the Melodifestivalen entry Not A Sinner Nor A Saint, which became the band's biggest hit to date, peaking at #1 on the singles chart, and becoming something of a schlager-classic. This success led to a string of hit singles, a #2 album (Alcazarized), a greatest-hits package Dancefloor Deluxe and another attempt at Melodifestivalen with the song Alcastar. However, as is so often the case when band members get together, as the relationship soured, the band suffered. After the release of the single Start The Fire in 2005, the band officially decided to 'take a break'.
Magnus almost instantly began working on solo material, and has since released three successful solo albums and several hit singles. Andreas turned up in 2006 as part of the multi-national group Six 4 One, who performed the Swiss Eurovision entry If We All Give A Little, and released a couple of singles as a solo artist, including Melodifestivalen entry Move, though he failed to mirror Magnus' success.
Skip forward to 2008 and Alcazar are back, now in their third incarnation. Magnus decided against returning to Alcazar, preferring to concentrate on his solo career. Perhaps more surprisingly, Annikafiore also officially left the group for good. Andreas and Tess were joined by a new member, Lina Hedlund, who had previously released material both as a solo artist and with her sister Hanna. Alcazar 3.0 launched their comeback with the single We Keep On Rockin' which is still riding high on the Swedish singles chart.
Now, make sure you remember all of that, you may be tested on it later!

S-Pop would like to recommend the excellent Alcazarland blog, for Alcazar news and rare tracks!

20080318

Linda Bengtzing | Hur Svårt Kan Det Va? | The Remixes


Hur Svårt Kan Det Va? was the fabulous Ms. Bengtzing's entry into Melodifestivalen 2008, where it won a direct ticket to the final! However, it failed to perform as well in the final, coming 5th, and recieving no points from the public vote.
Despite this, the track is proving very popular with the Swedish record buyers and radio stations. It's an anthemic, energetic slice of modern schlager guaranteed to get in your head.
S-Pop has been lucky enough to get hold of the promo featuring the Soundfactory remixes not available on the commercial release...

Tracklisting
01 Hur Svårt Kan Det Va? (Soundfactory Lätt Radio Mix)
02 Hur Svårt Kan Det Va? (Soundfactory Svår Klubb Mix)
03 Hur Svårt Kan Det Va? (Soundfactory Svårare Dub Mix)
04 Hur Svårt Kan Det Va? (Instrumental)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080315

Melodifestivalen 2008: The Big Final


It's here at last - the biggest night of the S-Pop calendar! The final of Melodifestivalen 2008! And what a contest it's been so far! The downfall of Androla, Christer Sjögren being voted into the final, Thérèse Andersson's knicker-shock... And that's just the start of it, who knows what's going to happen tonight?
The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet have done a huge online survey, and after 60 188 votes, this is who Aftonbladet readers think will take home the prize and represent Sweden in Belgrade:

01 Charlotte Perrelli - 30.9%
02 Sanna Nielsen - 16.8%
03 BWO - 12.4%
04 Christer Sjögren - 7.9% (Please God no!)
05 Linda Bengtzing - 6.9%
06 Rongedal - 6.7%
07 Nordman - 6.6%
08 Amy Diamond - 6.2%
09 Sibel - 4.3%
10 Frida ft. Headline - 1.4%

However, the previous Aftonbladet survey said that Androla would definitely beat Nordman in Andra Chansen, so it really is anyone's game.

For those of you not in Sweden, you can watch the contest online on SVT's official Melodifestivalen website. The contest starts at 8.00pm CET (7.00pm GMT) and lasts two hours.

And throwing neutrality to the wind for a moment, S-Pop would like to encourage all Swedish readers to vote like mad for Sweden's new schlagerqueen Sanna Nielsen!
The numbers to vote for her are:

099-230 07 (Normal)
099-320 07 (Radiohjälpen)

Johnson & Häggkvist | One Love

In a Melodifestivalen season full of scandals and surprises, one of the biggest has to be the downfall of pre-contest favourites Johnson & Häggkvist (aka. Carola and Andreas Johnson). Carola has won the contest a record three times, and Andreas Johnson has made the top 5 in the final each time he has participated. So expectations were high, maybe a little too high?
Androla (as they have been dubbed by the Swedish media) missed out on a direct place in the final in Västerås, and then lost out in Andra Chansen to the criminally abysmal Nordman... There was lots of talk of sabotage and whatnot, but in S-pop's opinion it was more to do with the fact that the song just wasn't that good, and the performance seemed rather amateurish.
However, with the studio version now available, the song works so much better, sounding much more anthemic and energetic.

Tracklisting
01 One Love
02 One Love (Worktape)
03 One Love (Soundfactory Club Anthem)
04 One Love (Soundfactory Big Dub)
05 One Love (Soundfactory Radio Edit)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080314

BWO | Lay Your Love On Me


Lay Your Love On Me is the first single to be taken from BWO's forthcoming Greatest Hits package Pandemonium. It is also the band's entry in Melodifestivalen 2008, where it got a direct ticket to the final. Whether it wins or not, it's a damn fine track! As with most recent BWO releases, the single package contains a mass of remixes, including the obligatory set of Soundfactory mixes. Check out the brilliant Organs Without Bodies extended mix!

Tracklisting
01 Lay Your Love On Me (Radio Edit)
02 Lay Your Love On Me (Soundfactory Radio Edit)
03 Lay Your Love On Me (Organs Without Bodies Remix)
04 Lay Your Love On Me (Ali Payami Remix)
05 Lay Your Love On Me (Soundfactory Obsession Club Mix)
06 Lay Your Love On Me (Soundfactory Possession Dub Mix)
07 Lay Your Love On Me (Oscar Holter Body Mix)
08 Lay Your Love On Me (Oscar Holter Club Mix)
09 Lay Your Love On Me (Oscar Holter Techhouse Mix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Christer Björkman ft. Shirley Clamp | Les Mots


The duet Les Mots is the only decent track on Christer 'Mr. Melodifestivalen' Björkman's absolute stinker of an album Souvenirs D'Amour, where he systematically destroys a number of French classics, including a particularly sacreligious cover of Mylène Farmer's Désenchantée which is so bad it is officially classed as torture under the Geneva Convention.
THIS Mylène cover, on the other hand, is surprisingly good, due in no small part to Shirley Clamp's brilliant vocals! The male/female parts are reversed, with Björkman singing Mylène's lines and Shirley taking whoever-the-bloke-was-on-the-original's parts.

Tracklisting
01 Les Mots

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Shirley Clamp | Eviga Längtan

Here we have a bit of a rarity, a Shirley Clamp single that has absolutely nothing to do with Melodifestivalen whatsoever! Don't be fooled though, it's still schlager in its purest form! Critics accused the song of sounding a bit too much like her biggest hit Min Kärlek, and it can't be denied that the tracks are 'related'! Unfortunately, Eviga Längtan failed to impress the Swedish public, and landed at #24 on the singles chart. But it's still a polished, catchy schlager tune!

Tracklisting
01 Eviga Längtan
02 Eviga Längtan (Evig Radiomix)
03 Eviga Längtan (Evig Klubbmix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

20080313

Shirley Clamp | Att Älska Dig

Yep, it was 3 in a row for Shirley! In 2005, she competed in Melodifestivalen again! This time with the song Att Älska Dig, another energetic, uplifting schlagerpop tune. However, this time she was not quite as successful, though she still managed to achieve 4th place in the final. The track also reached #4 on the Swedish charts.

Tracklisting
01 Att Älska Dig
02 Att Älska Dig (Soundfactory Radio Remix)
03 Att Älska Dig (Soundfactory Klubb Remix)
04 Att Älska Dig (Soundfactory Dub Remix)
05 Att Älska Dig (Karaoke Mix)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Shirley Clamp | Min Kärlek

Skip forward one year, and the Clampinator pulls out all the stops, and reaches 2nd place in the Melodifestivalen final - a fantastic achievement, considering the winner that year was the incredible Lena Philipsson! S-Pop would like to point out that her success was entirely due to the fact that Min Kärlek is a schlager classic, and nothing to do with Shirley's extremely bouncy boobs and tiny dress.

Tracklisting
01 Min Kärlek
02 Min Kärlek (Lång Radiomix)
03 Min Kärlek (Längre Klubbmix)
04 Min Kärlek (Längre Instrumental)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Shirley Clamp | Mr. Memory

Mr. Memory was Shirley Clamp's first foray into the mad old world of Melodifestivalen, back in 2003. The first and only time she has participated with an English-language song, which unfortunately didn't make it past the qualifying round. The track was co-written by Bobby Ljunggren, who wrote no less than 3 of the tracks in this year's MF final!

Tracklisting
01 Mr. Memory
02 Mr. Memory (Soundfactory Radio Mix)
03 Mr. Memory (Soundfactory Diva Anthem)
04 Mr. Memory (Soundfactory Hard Queen Dub)

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Shirley Clamp | Tålamod

Shirley's fourth and most recent album, Tålamod (Patience), was released in late 2007. For this album, Shirley wanted a more mature sound and style. Unfortunately, the result was a bit, well, boring. The album recieved poor reviews and only peaked at #20 on the charts. There are a couple of good songs on the album, but Shirley's MOR makeover was not a big success.
Contains the single Jag Tar En Annan Väg.

Tracklisting
01 Tålamod
02 Ett Hus På Stranden
03 Jag Tar En Annan Väg
04 Aldrig
05 Kanske Är Det Så
06 Tystnaden Den Sårar
07 Som Man Bädder Får Man Ligger
08 Mot Horisonten
09 Efter Allt
10 Kan Inte Sova Utan Dig
11 Som En Saga
12 Två Själar
13 Trött På Att Höra
14 Även Om Jag Snubblar

Click Here to download
Password: sweden

Shirley Clamp | Favoriter På Svenska

The Clampinator's third album, Favoriter På Svenska, is a bit of a novelty. It's a covers album, but with a twist... Half of the songs on the album are 'straight' covers of Swedish pop classics. whereas the other half are old English-language hits, which have been translated into Swedish, such as The Wind Beneath My Wings, True Colours and lead single It Must Have Been Love by Roxette. The album reached #7 on the Swedish charts.

Tracklisting
01 När Kärleken Föds
02 Öppna Din Dörr
03 I En Annan Del Av Världen
04 Jag Kan Nå Dig
05 Vindarna Som Bär
06 Regn Hos Mig
07 I Dina Ögon
08 Tro
09 Hur Sköra Vi Är
10 Om
11 Inget Kan Gå Fel

Click Here
to download
Password: sweden

20080312

Shirley Clamp | Lever Mina Drömmar


Shirley's second album, Lever Mina Drömmar, was released in April 2005. The lead single, Att Älska Dig, was yet another Melodifestivalen hit, Clamp's 3rd entry in three years.
Contains the singles Att Älska Dig, Mina Minnen, Ärliga Blå and Lever Mina Drömmar.

Tracklisting
01 Lever Mina Drömmar
02 Att Älska Dig
03 Sanslöst Förlorad
04 En Ny Chans
05 Mina Minnen
06 Jag Ljuger Dig Full
07 Sjunde Himlen
08 Längtan Är Allt Jag Har
09 Du Sa Tid
10 Lång Natts Färd Mot Dag
11 Ärliga Blå
12 Dålig Mottagning
13 Ensam
14 Som En Vind I Ditt Hår

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Password: sweden

Shirley Clamp | Den Långsamma Blomman


Den Långsamma Blomman, Shirley's début album, was released in May 2004, and found its way to #3 on the Swedish album charts. An accomplished schlager-début, Den Långsamma Blomman features two Melodifestivalen entries - the unbelievably popular Min Kärlek and Äntligen - the Swedish version of her first entry, Mr. Memory. The album also includes the English-language track Champions, which was the official theme of the Swedish women's football team in 2004.
Contains the singles Jag Fick Låna En Ängel, Min Kärlek, Eviga Längtan and För Den Som Älskar.

Tracklisting
01 För Den Som Älskar
02 Min Kärlek
03 Eviga Längtan
04 Ingenting Finns Kvar
05 Den Långsamma Blomman
06 Det Är Så Enkelt
07 Dårarnas Natt
08 Ber En Liten Bön
09 Jag Fick Låna En Ängel
10 Äntligen
11 Vågar Inte Än
12 Det Är Du
13 Champions
14 Du Är Allt

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Password: sweden

This week's featured artist...

With the Melodifestivalen final just a few days away, it seems only fitting that this week's featured artist should be one of the '00s most popular schlager-princesses... Shirley Clamp was born and grew up in Borås, but has an English father, hence her very English name... He wanted her to have a name that couldn't be Swedicised, so naturally he chose Shirley (!?!). The Clampinator, as she is affectionately known, by me at least, has participated in Melodifestivalen three times since 2003, and she was also the backing singer for Antique's Greek Eurovision entry Die For You in 2001! Shirley has recently announced that she is pregnant with her first child, and we, of course, wish her and her baby all the best!
To round off this presentation of the schlager-princess, here's a bit of random trivia: Shirley did the voice of the elephant in the Swedish adverts for Kinder Eggs. Bet you didn't know that. So, here's hoping you enjoy the Shirley invasion of S-Pop!

20080310

Melodifestivalen 2008


Yep, it's finally here! The official Melodifestivalen 2008, containing all 32 entries. From the sublime (Sanna Nielsen) to the ridiculous (The Nicole) to the just-bloody-terrible (Eskobar), 2008 has been an exciting year in the world of Melodifestivalen, and the final's not even till next week - Carola getting knocked out in Andra Chansen, Charlotte Perrelli's comeback, BWO's weird outfits and the worrying fact that both Christer Sjögren and Amy 'Rosemary's Baby' Diamond being directly voted to the final....
Oh, and to any Swedish visitors to the site - don't forget to vote SANNA on Saturday!

Tracklisting
Disc One
01 E-Type & The Poodles | Line Of Fire
02 Face-84 | Alla Gamla X
03 Velvet | Déjà Vu
04 Brandur | Lullaby
05 Michael Michailoff | That's Love
06 Amy Diamond | Thank You
07 Suzzie Tapper | Visst Finns Mirakel
08 Christer Sjögren | I Love Europe
09 Ola | Love In Stereo
10 Lasse Lindh | Du Behöver Inte Mer Vara Rädd
11 The Nicole | Razborka
12 Alexander Schöld | Den Första Svalan
13 Rongedal | Just A Minute
14 Sanna Nielsen | Empty Room
15 Andra Generationen | Kebabpizza Slivovitza
16 Johnson & Häggkvist | One Love

Disc Two
01 BWO | Lay Your Love On Me
02 Mickey Huskić | Izdajice
03 Frida ft. Headline | Upp O Hoppa
04 Thérèse Andersson | When You Need Me
05 Patrik Isaksson & Bandet | Under Mitt Tunna Skinn
06 Caracola | Smiling In Love
07 Ainbusk | Jag Saknar Dig Ibland
08 Eskobar | Hallelujah New World
09 Niklas Strömstedt | För Många Ord Om Kärlek
10 Calaisa | If I Could
11 Daniel Mitsogiannis | Pame
12 Linda Bengtzing | Hur Svårt Kan Det Va?
13 Nordman | I Lågornas Sken
14 Sibel | That Is Where I'll Go
15 Fronda | Ingen Mår Så Bra Som Jag
16 Charlotte Perrelli | Hero

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Click Here to download disc two
Password: sweden

20080307

Velvet | Déjà Vu


Velvet began her career as a dancer and backing-vocalist for several big stars, including S-Pop favourites Lena Philipsson and Carola! She released her first single in 2003, a cover of Eddy Grant's (Rock Down To) Electric Avenue, though having been to Electric Avenue in Brixton, I am at a loss as to why anyone would want to sing about the experience. Anyhoo... She entered Melodifestivalen for the first time in 2006, with the song Mi Amore, which got as far as Andra Chansen but missed out on a spot in the final. However, the Reggaeton remix became a huge hit in Sweden and abroad. Déjà-Vu was her entry into the 2008 contest, where it only managed 5th place and was thus out of the competition. Mind you, this was the week that Christer 'Pervy Grandad' Sjögren and Amy 'Devil Child' Diamond got their places in the final. It is my personal view that someone had been adding LSD into the water supply that week.

Tracklisting
01 Déjà Vu (Radio Edit)

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20080306

September | Until I Die

Until I Die is September's most recent single, released at the end of 2007, from her third album, Dancing Shoes. It sounds pretty much as you'd expect any September single to sound - catchy, energetic pop with electro/house leanings. It peaked at #5 on the Swedish singles charts, becoming her 7th top 10 hit!

Tracklisting
01 Until I Die (Radio)
02 Until I Die (Extended)
03 Until I Die (Short Clubmix)
04 Until I Die (Long Clubmix)

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Password: sweden

Daniel Mitsogiannis | Pame


Πάμε (Pame) was one of the entries in the 4th semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2008. It was performed by the relatively unknown Daniel Mitsogiannis, who has been on the Swedish show scene for several years, and recorded the original demo for Måns Zelmerlöw's Cara Mia. According to his website, he enjoys sushi, Céline Dion and Dan Brown. So now you know.

Tracklisting
01 Pame
02 Pame (Soundfactory Club Anthem)
03 Pame (Soundfactory Big Room Dub)
04 Pame (Soundfactory Radio Edit)
05 Pame (Singback)

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Password: sweden

20080305

BWO | The Destiny Of Love

The Destiny Of Love was the 4th single to be released from Fabricator. Despite being on heavy rotation on several popular radio stations, the single only peaked at #56 on the Swedish singles chart. However, it did break the top 20 in Finland! Pay special attention to the funky Unai remixes and the retro-influenced efforts by The Attic.

Tracklisting
01 The Destiny Of Love (Radio Edit)
02 The Destiny Of Love (The Attic Remix Radio Edit)
03 The Destiny Of Love (Soundfactory Radio Edit)
04 The Destiny Of Love (Unai Remiks Radio Edit)
05 The Destiny Of Love (The Attic Remix)
06 The Destiny Of Love (Soundfactory Big Club Anthem)
07 The Destiny Of Love (Credheadz Remix)
08 The Destiny Of Love (Unai Remiks)
09 The Destiny Of Love (Soundfactory Darker Dub)

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BWO | Temple Of Love

After the disappointing performance of Gone in Melodifestivalen 2005, BWO came back all-guns-blazing in 2006, with the unbelievably catchy Temple Of Love. The band recieved a much better reception this time round, with the song qualifying direct to the final, where it achieved 2nd place, behind Carola's Evighet. When released as a single, Temple Of Love stormed straight to the top of the charts, and is the most successful Melodifestivalen entry of the 21st century! Check out the brilliant Organs Without Bodies mix (essentially an extended version of the song)!

Tracklisting
CD 1: The Pop Mixes
01 Temple Of Love (Radio Edit)
02 Temple Of Love (Soundfactory Radio Mix)
03 Temple Of Love (Brasco 80s Mix)
04 Temple Of Love (Glam As You Mix)

CD 2: The Club Mixes
01 Temple Of Love (Radio Edit)
02 Temple Of Love (Organs Without Bodies Remix)
03 Temple Of Love (Soundfactory Reconstruction Anthem)
04 Temple Of Love (Soundfactory Thumping Sex Dub)
05 Temple Of Love (Carl Rydén Remix)
06 Temple Of Love (Air Bureau Remix)

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Password: sweden

BWO | Sunshine In The Rain (Soul Seekerz Remixes)


Originally released in Sweden in 2005, Sunshine In The Rain was recently released in the UK, and made the A-list on BBC Radio 2. The track failed to set the British charts alight, limping in at #69 - This may be partly due to the lack of promotion for the single - the band didn't even visit the UK around the time of release! However, there was some good news for UK-based BWO fans - two new remixes were commissioned for the release, by London-based Soul Seekerz. The single is still available to buy, and I would urge any UK visitors to this blog to get their hands on a copy right away!

Tracklisting
01 Sunshine In The Rain (Soul Seekerz Edit)
02 Sunshine In The Rain (Soul Seekerz Remix)

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Password: sweden

BWO | Voodoo Magic

Voodoo Magic was the final single to be released from the band's début album Prototype, in December 2005. It performed well on the Swedish charts, peaking at #14, and was a sizeable hit in the Ukraine, reaching #3.

Tracklisting
01 Voodoo Magic (Radio Edit)
02 Voodoo Magic (Soundfactory Airwave Edit)
03 Voodoo Magic (Soundfactory Big Room Anthem)
04 Voodoo Magic (Soundfactory Dreamscape Dub)
05 Voodoo Magic (Johan S Remix)
06 Voodoo Magic (Johan Afterglow Electro Mix)

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Password: sweden

BWO | Gone

Gone was BWO's first foray into Melodifestivalen territory. The track did not perform as well as hoped, finishing 5th in the Linköping semi-final. However, it achieved fairly decent radio play in Sweden and grabbed the #1 spot in Lebanon, of all places!

Tracklisting
01 Gone (Radio Edit)
02 Gone (Death In Venice Mix)
03 Gone (Soundfactory Radio Edit)
04 Gone (Soundfactory Club Anthem)
05 Gone (Soundfactory Glamour Dub)
06 Gone (Afterland Remix)
07 Gone (Emmon Remix)

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Password: sweden

Carola | I Believe In Love

I Believe In Love was the second release from Carola's 2001 English album My Show, and is one of the very few Carola singles to have a video! Though if you feel like checking out the video, I must warn you, it contains graphic scenes of hair that may not be suitable for small children. The single peaked at #13 on the Swedish charts, but was a sizeable radio hit.

Tracklisting
01 I Believe In Love (Radio Hitvision Remix)
02 I Believe In Love (Club Anthem Radio Mix)

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Password: sweden

BWO | Chariots Of Fire (The Pop Mixes)

BWO have managed to get a lot of mileage out of this track. Not only was it the final single from Halcyon Days, it was also used to promote the release of remix album Halcyon Nights, and then turned up on Fabricator too! It was also released to radio and video channels in the UK, and a special remix was commissioned by London night club G-A-Y, which is included in this package.

Tracklisting
01 Chariots Of Fire (Radio Edit)
02 Chariots Of Fire (Soundfactory Radio Mix)
03 Chariots Of Fire (Credheadz Remix Radio Edit)
04 Chariots Of Fire (Johan S Remix Extended)
05 Chariots Of Fire (Johan S Remix Radio Edit)
06 Chariots Of Fire (Air Bureau Chi Riots And Fire Remix)
07 Chariots Of Fire (Brasco Remix Edit)
08 Chariots Of Fire (G-A-Y Remix)

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Password: sweden

BWO | Save My Pride

Save My Pride was released as a 'teaser' to Fabricator in May 2007, and as previously mentioned, was a cover of the Alcazar track written by Alexander Bard. The track achieved moderate success in Sweden, peaking at #14 on the singles chart, however, it made #6 in neighbouring Finland. Check out the excellent pair of mixes by The Attic!

Tracklisting
01 Save My Pride (Radio Edit)
02 Save My Pride (The Attic Radio Edit)
03 Save My Pride (Soundfactory Radio Edit)
04 Save My Pride (Credheadz Remix)
05 Save My Pride (The Attic Remix)
06 Save My Pride (Soundfactory Electric Club Mix)
07 Save My Pride (Soundfactory Electribal Dub)

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Password: sweden

BWO | Open Door

Open Door was the 5th single to be released from the album Prototype, and was released in 2005. Interestingly, both the Ballad and Disco versions were released to radio, and two versions of the video were created. Open Door also charted at #2 in the Ukraine. The single features a great set of mixes - pay special attention to the brilliant Covox Correction!

Tracklisting
01 Open Door (Ballad Radio Edit)
02 Open Door (Disco Radio Edit)
03 Open Door (Paradise Garage Mix)
04 Open Door (DJ Slow Remix)
05 Open Door (Johan S Remix)
06 Open Door (Johan S Klub Dub)
07 Open Door (Covox Correction)

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Password: sweden

BWO | Rhythm Drives Me Crazy


Rhythm Drives Me Crazy was released as a double A-side with Let It Rain in August 2007, though they were released on seperated CDs. Let It Rain as a 2-track single b/w Marrakech from the album Halcyon Days. Rhythm Drives Me Crazy, however, was treated to a full maxi single loaded with remixes! The song was also chosen as the official theme for the Swedish women's football team in the World Cup in China.

Tracklisting
01 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Radio Edit)
02 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Carl Rydén Remix Radio Edit)
03 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Soundfactory Radio Edit)
04 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (The Attic Remix)
05 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Credheadz Remix)
06 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Carl Rydén Mix)
07 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Soundfactory Munich Machine Mix)
08 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Soundfactory Stockholm Syndrome Mix)
09 Rhythm Drives Me Crazy (Baddlover Remix)

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Password: sweden