Almost Unreal

Per Gessle wrote "Almost Unreal" after Walt Disney Pictures contacted him about composing the theme song to Bette Midler's upcoming film Hocus Pocus. The song's backing track had already been completed at London's Mayfair Studios in March 1993 when Disney informed Gessle that US girlband En Vogue had been invited to record the film's theme song. "Almost Unreal" was then transferred to another Disney project, the live action adaptation of the Nintendo game series Super Mario Bros., which was released under the Hollywood Pictures banner. Although hesitant about the project, the duo decided to allow the company to use the song in the film, as they were both fans of Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper. The group re-recorded the lyrics to omit most references to Hocus Pocus, although the title would still remain in the song's chorus, with the lyric "I love when you do that hocus pocus to me". Marie Fredriksson's vocals were recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm in March 1993, when she was nine months pregnant.{{cite AV media notes |title=Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus |title-link=Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! |type=liner notes |chapter=Digital booklet |others=Roxette |publisher=EMI Records |year=1995 |id=7243 836203 2 6 |location=Stockholm, Sweden}}{{cite web |url=http://roxetteblog.com/pg-about-songs/ |title=Per Gessle: About Songs |author=Per Gessle |author-link=Per Gessle |work=roxetteblog.com |access-date=21 February 2017}}

According to Ultimate Guitar, "Almost Unreal" is a mid-tempo pop rock song composed in the key of E major, and is written in common time with a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute. The intro is composed of two repetitions of an E–B–Asus₂ sequence, followed by a further two lines composed of C♯m–B–Asus₂. Each verse is composed of variations of a B–G♯m₇–E–C♯m–E–A–G♯sus₄–G♯ sequence, while the chorus is composed of two repetitions of E–B–A, followed by a C♯m–B–A–F♯ sequence.{{cite web |url=https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/r/roxette/almost_unreal_crd.htm |title=Almost Unreal chords by Roxette |publisher=Ultimate-Guitar.com |access-date=21 February 2017}}

Larry Flick from Billboard complimented the song as a "familiar power pop ballad" and said that "ABBA-esque harmonies at the chorus give the track a cute vibe, while hard drums and nimble guitar riffs lend an bright rock-ish glow."{{cite magazine|first=Larry|last=Flick|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-05-29.pdf|title=Single Reviews|magazine=Billboard|date=29 May 1993|access-date=1 February 2020|page=91|author-link=Larry Flick}} Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "Roxette have produced a string of catchy pop smashes, so this frankly rather dreary song from the forthcoming Super Mario Brothers is a bit of a disappointment. What could be anthemic with a little work just sounds pompous."{{cite magazine|first= Alan |last= Jones |title= Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 17 July 1993 |page= 6 |access-date= 30 March 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-07-17.pdf}} Mike Schiller from PopMatters called the song "awful"; and wrote, "...not only does it sound like corporate pandering, but it's probably the most forced smash-hit wannabe Roxette ever created."{{cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/roxette-a-collection-of-roxette-hits/ |title=Roxette Hits Review |author=Mike Schiller |publisher=PopMatters |date=30 March 2007|access-date=21 February 2017}}

Roxette themselves later dismissed both the song and the associated film, calling the latter a "flop" and "ridiculous". In the liner notes of the duo's first greatest hits compilation, Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, Fredriksson referred to the track as "not one of our most inspired moments", while Gessle said, "I still like the song, in a way... but if you wanted to make a parody of Roxette, it would probably sound something like this."

The music video for "Almost Unreal" was directed by Irish director Michael Geoghegan, and stars the British actor Nick Pickard as a young man playing a video game in which he's watching parts of the film, as well as both band members performing the song, ending with him being de-evolved into a reptile like in the film.{{cite AV media notes |title=Ballad & Pop Hits - The Complete Video Collection |type=DVD liner notes |others=Roxette |publisher=EMI |year=2003 |id=7243 4 90946 9 7}}

All music and lyrics were written by Per Gessle.

• 7-inch single and cassette (Australia 8806494 · Europe 8806492 · North America 4KM-44942 · UK EM268)

1. "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
2. "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10

• UK exclusive 12-inch picture disc (12EMPD268)

1. "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
2. "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
3. "Fingertips '93" – 3:42

• CD single (Europe 8806762 · UK CDEM268)

1. "Almost Unreal" – 3:59
2. "The Heart Shaped Sea" – 4:10
3. "Fingertips '93" – 3:42
4. "Almost Unreal" (AC mix) – 3:56

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Ballad Hits.{{cite AV media notes|title=The Ballad Hits|title-link=The Ballad Hits|others=Roxette|year=2002|first=Sven|last=Lindström|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Capitol Records|id=72435 42798-2 9}}

Studios

• Recorded in March 1993 at Mayfair Studios (London, England) and Polar Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
• Mixed at Mayfair Studios

Musicians

• Marie Fredriksson – lead and backing vocals
• Per Gessle – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, mixing
• Per "Pelle" Alsing – drums
• Vicki Benckert – backing vocals
• Anders Herrlin – bass guitar, engineering, programming
• Jonas Isacsson – electric guitars
• Clarence Öfwerman – keyboards, programming, production, mixing
• Staffan Öfwerman – backing vocals
• Alar Suurna – mixing, engineering

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Category:1990s ballads

Category:1993 singles

Category:1993 songs

Category:Roxette songs

Category:Songs written by Per Gessle

Category:Song recordings produced by Clarence Öfwerman

Category:EMI Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by Michael Geoghegan

Category:Pop ballads

Category:Rock ballads

Category:Mario (franchise) music