Son of a Plumber
Encyclopedia
Son of a Plumber is an album released by Swedish
pop-rock singer and composer Per Gessle
. It is the first album by Gessle to use a pseudonym artist name; Son of a Plumber. The album, which was officially released on 23 November 2005, is a double CD album packed with deeply personal and highly inventive music according to Gessle.
There were three singles released from the album. A double A-side, "C'mon"/"Jo-Anna Says
" which was released on 7 November 2005, the second single "Hey Mr. DJ
", on 1 February 2006 and the final release was "I Like It Like That" on 24 May to the Swedish radio stations.
, vocals and guitar, Clarence Öfwerman
, keyboards, Christoffer Lundquist, guitar, Jens Jansson, drums, and Helena Josefsson
, vocals.
They had all participated in Per's previous solo albums, The World According to Gessle
(1997) & Mazarin
(2003), except Helena Josefsson, who has been working with them since Mazarin. Together, they also went on to record Gessle's next solo albums, En händig man
(2007) and Party Crasher
(2008). They have been on the last Gessle tour too.
. Beatles' references can be heard in the music and they have their name in a title of a song.
The 'false' solo project become a duo with Helena Josefsson's leading vocals on "I Have a Party in My Head" and "Hey Mr DJ". "I Have a Party in My Head" demonstrates a typical Per trait by having rhyming verses. Another typical trait is some of the tracks include hooks, such as in "Jo-Anna Says" which has guitar riffs and lyrical repetition.
In between the main tracks there are some 1 minute long instrumentals that lead into the following song. "Kurt - the Fastest Plumber in the West" and "Ronnie Lane" are examples of this. The final track "Making Love or Expecting Rain" contained a few lines of French
lyrics: "Je ne suis qu'un enfant. Je ne suis que ton enfant. J'ai confiance en toi, toujours en toi." which means "I'm just a child. I'm only your child. I trust you, always in you". Lasting five minutes, this is the longest song on the album. There is also a hidden track on the CD which is a reprise of "Jo-Anna Says", that comes after 10 minutes of silence at the end of the album.
Tracks 9-13 are mixed together as a medley and named the Junior Suite.
DISC 2
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-rock singer and composer Per Gessle
Per Gessle
Per 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...
. It is the first album by Gessle to use a pseudonym artist name; Son of a Plumber. The album, which was officially released on 23 November 2005, is a double CD album packed with deeply personal and highly inventive music according to Gessle.
There were three singles released from the album. A double A-side, "C'mon"/"Jo-Anna Says
C'mon/Jo-Anna Says
"C'mon"/"Jo-Anna Says" is a double A-side single written and released by Swedish musician Per Gessle, from his Son of a Plumber project. This was the first double A-side released by Gessle...
" which was released on 7 November 2005, the second single "Hey Mr. DJ
Hey Mr. DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)
"Hey Mr. DJ " is a duet performed by Sweden's Per Gessle and Helena Josefsson. The song written by Gessle was the second single to be released from his Son of a Plumber project....
", on 1 February 2006 and the final release was "I Like It Like That" on 24 May to the Swedish radio stations.
The band
Son of a Plumber became a defined band, with Per GesslePer Gessle
Per 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...
, vocals and guitar, Clarence Öfwerman
Clarence Öfwerman
Clarence 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...
, keyboards, Christoffer Lundquist, guitar, Jens Jansson, drums, and Helena Josefsson
Helena Josefsson
Helena Marianne Josefsson is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She is the lead singer in the band Sandy Mouche and has been singing in Per Gessle's projects since 2003. In February 2007 she released her first solo album, Dynamo.-Biography:...
, vocals.
They had all participated in Per's previous solo albums, The World According to Gessle
The World According to Gessle
2008 remastered re-release-Charts:-Credits:* Per Gessle - Words & Music, Vocals, Electric & Acoustic guitars, Harmonica, Tambourine, Vox Jaguar.* Marie Fredriksson - Additional vocals on "I'll Be Alright"...
(1997) & Mazarin
Mazarin (album)
Mazarin is studio album by Swedish pop musician Per Gessle, released on June 16, 2003.Per Gessle thought of this album as his little side project but it turned out to be a huge success, gaining five × platinum status in his home country...
(2003), except Helena Josefsson, who has been working with them since Mazarin. Together, they also went on to record Gessle's next solo albums, En händig man
En händig man
En händig man is a Swedish language album released by Swedish pop-rock singer and composer Per Gessle. The title track "En händig man" was the first single, followed by the Promo / Digital-only single, "Jag skulle vilja tänka en underbar tanke", while the last single was "Pratar med min...
(2007) and Party Crasher
Party Crasher
Party Crasher is the third English solo album by Swedish pop-rock singer and composer Per Gessle. This is his second worldwide-released English solo album under his own name after The World According to Gessle in 1997. Originally scheduled for December 3 in Sweden, but it was released on November...
(2008). They have been on the last Gessle tour too.
Musical Analysis
A lot of songs have typical Per characteristics (the lyrical romance and clever key changes); overall it is similar to the Beatles' White AlbumThe Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
. Beatles' references can be heard in the music and they have their name in a title of a song.
The 'false' solo project become a duo with Helena Josefsson's leading vocals on "I Have a Party in My Head" and "Hey Mr DJ". "I Have a Party in My Head" demonstrates a typical Per trait by having rhyming verses. Another typical trait is some of the tracks include hooks, such as in "Jo-Anna Says" which has guitar riffs and lyrical repetition.
In between the main tracks there are some 1 minute long instrumentals that lead into the following song. "Kurt - the Fastest Plumber in the West" and "Ronnie Lane" are examples of this. The final track "Making Love or Expecting Rain" contained a few lines of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
lyrics: "Je ne suis qu'un enfant. Je ne suis que ton enfant. J'ai confiance en toi, toujours en toi." which means "I'm just a child. I'm only your child. I trust you, always in you". Lasting five minutes, this is the longest song on the album. There is also a hidden track on the CD which is a reprise of "Jo-Anna Says", that comes after 10 minutes of silence at the end of the album.
Track listing
DISC 1- "Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts about Her"
- "Jo-Anna Says"
- "I Have a Party in My Head (I Hope it Never Ends)"
- "C'mon"
- "Week With Four Thursdays"
- "Hey Mr DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song)"
- "Late, Later On"
- "Ronnie Lane"
- "Are You an Old Hippie, Sir?"
- "Double-headed Elvis"
- "Something in the System"
- "Speed Boat to Cuba"
- "Come Back Tomorrow (And We Do it Again)"
Tracks 9-13 are mixed together as a medley and named the Junior Suite.
DISC 2
- "Kurt - The Fastest Plumber in the West"
- "I Never Quite Got over the Fact that the Beatles Broke Up"
- "Substitute (for the Real Deal)"
- "Waltz for Woody"
- "Carousel"
- "I Like it Like That"
- "Something Happened Today"
- "Brilliant Career"
- "Burned out Heart"
- "Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts about Her" (reprise)
- "Making Love or Expecting Rain"
Charts
| Charts (2005) | Peak Position | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish Album Chart | 1 | Platinum |