"Spending My Time"
Single byRoxette
from the albumJoyride
B-side	"The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye"
Released	30 October 1991 (1991-10-30)
Recorded	July 1990
Studio	EMI (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre	Pop rock
Length	4:39
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Per Gessle Mats Persson
Producer(s)	Clarence Öfwerman
Roxette singles chronology
"The Big L." (1991) "Spending My Time" (1991) "Church of Your Heart" (1992)
Music video
"Spending My Time" onYouTube

"Spending My Time" is a song by Swedish duoRoxette, released as the fourth single from their third studio album,Joyride (1991). It was written byPer Gessle and Mats Persson, and produced byClarence Öfwerman. The single attained moderate success, reaching the top 10 in Germany and Italy, and the top 20 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, while peaking at number 22 on theUK Singles Chart and 32 on theBillboard Hot 100 in the United States. Its music video was directed byWayne Isham.

A remix was created by M.C. King Carli and Dr. Renault (pseudonyms used by Öfwerman & Anders) atEMI Studios inStockholm, Sweden, in July 1991, and was included on the single. ASpanish version of the song, titled "Un Día Sin Ti" ("A Day Without You"), was released in 1996 as thelead single from the duo's Spanish-language compilation albumBaladas en Español.

AllMusic editor Bryan Buss noted "the quiet desperation" of the song in his review ofJoyride.^[1]Larry Flick fromBillboard described it as an "acoustic-anchored pop/rock ballad", noting further that the "memorable melody and throaty vocals by Marie Fredriksson are [the] track's true highlights."^[2] SwedishExpressen named it a "high-pitched melancholy ballad".^[3] Dave Sholin from theGavin Report wrote, "In a Top 40 world starved for pop music, Per and Marie can be considered a delicacy. No matter what the tempo, all their songs contain melodies that win listeners over immediately. Hearing this latest release makes it easy to understand why they've established such a large and loyal international following."^[4]

A reviewer fromGöteborgsposten complimented the song for its "strong" chorus.^[5] Kim Såtvedt from NorwegianLaagendalsposten also complimented Roxette for their "beautiful ballads" like "Spending My Time", praising it as "enthralling".^[6] Pan-European magazineMusic & Media described it as a "melancholic ballad".^[7] Brendon Veevers fromRenowned for Sound called it "the greatest musical creation of all time" in 2013, adding the song as "such an emotional charged and exquisitely delivered song".^[8]J.D. Considine ofRolling Stone remarked Fredriksson's "vocal fire-work" on the song.^[9]Miranda Sawyer fromSmash Hits commented, "Yes, it's a hankies-up ballad with a thumping Swedish beat."^[10]

The song was not as commercially successful as the duo's preceding singles. It peaked at number thirty-two on theBillboard Hot 100 in the US, ending a run of five consecutive top two singles on the chart.^[11] In the liner notes of their 1995greatest hits compilationDon't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!,Per Gessle said he believed that "Spending My Time" was "going to be our biggest hit ever, which might have happened if not our American record company had fired a lot of... ah, never mind."^[12] At the end of 1991,EMI merged with other record companies to form EMI Records Group North America. The merger resulted in the new company firing over a hundred members of staff, and saw Roxette receiving little support from the new label.^[13] The song also peaked at number nine in Canada.^[14]

The accompanying music video for "Spending My Time" was directed by American directorWayne Isham and depicts singerMarie Fredriksson at multiple places in a house, such as sitting by a window, lying in bed, sitting on a couch and at a table. Gessle also appears occasionally playing the guitar.^[15]

All songs were written by Per Gessle and Mats Persson except "The Sweet Hello, the Sad Goodbye", written by Gessle.

• Cassette and 7-inch single^{[16][17][18][19]}

1. "Spending My Time" – 4:39
2. "The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye" – 4:49

• UK 7-inch single^[20]

1. "Spending My Time" – 4:39
2. "Listen to Your Heart" (Swedish Single Version) – 5:10

• 12-inch single^[21]

1. "Spending My Time" (Electric Dance Remix) – 5:27
2. "Spending My Time" – 4:39
3. "The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye" – 4:49

• CD single^[22]

1. "Spending My Time" – 4:39
2. "The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye" – 4:49
3. "Spending My Time" (Electric Dance Remix) – 5:27
4. "Spending My Time" (Electric Dance Remix/Instrumental) – 5:27

• UK CD single^[23]

1. "Spending My Time" – 4:39
2. "The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye" – 4:49
3. "Spending My Time" (Electric Dance Remix) – 5:27
4. "Listen to Your Heart" (7-inch Edit) – 4:06

Credits are adapted from the liner notes ofThe Ballad Hits.^[24]

Studios

• Recorded in July 1990 at EMI Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
• Mixed at EMI Studios

Musicians

• Marie Fredriksson –lead andbackground vocals
• Per Gessle – background vocals, mixing
• Anders Herrlin –programming andengineering
• Jonas Isaacson –acoustic andelectric guitars
• Clarence Öfwerman –keyboards, programming andproduction
• Alar Suurna – mixing, engineering
• Clarence Öfwerman – mixing

"Un Día Sin Ti"
Single by Roxette
from the albumBaladas en Español
B-side	"Timida" ("Vulnerable")
Released	29 October 1996 (1996-10-29)
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Per Gessle Mats Persson Luis G. Escolar
Producer(s)	Clarence Öfwerman
Roxette singles chronology
"She Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1996) "Un Día Sin Ti" (1996) "No Sé Si Es Amor" (1997)
Music video
"Un día sin ti" onYouTube

Roxette released a Spanish-language compilation album,Baladas en Español, in 1996. It consisted of twelve of their down-tempo singles and album tracks, which were translated by Spanish songwriter Luis Gomez-Escolar. This album was only released in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking territories. A translated version of "Spending My Time", titled "Un Día Sin Ti" ("A Day Without You"), was released in November 1996 as the album'slead single.

A new music video was filmed for this version of the song. It was created byJonas Åkerlund, who would go on to direct a total of twelve music videos for the duo. It features close-up shots of Marie singing and Per playing guitar, interspersed with clips of a woman descending into alcoholism, and suggestivelysniffing a table counter.^[15]

All music was composed by Per Gessle and Mats Persson. Lyrics were written by Gessle. Spanish lyrics were written by Luis G. Escolar.

• CD single (EU 8652672)

1. "Un Día Sin Ti" ("Spending My Time") – 4:39
2. "Tímida" ("Vulnerable") – 4:44

• 1990s ballads
• 1991 singles
• 1991 songs
• EMI Records singles
• Music videos directed by Wayne Isham
• Pop ballads
• Rock ballads
• Roxette songs
• Songs about heartache
• Songs written by Mats Persson (musician)
• Songs written by Per Gessle
• Song recordings produced by Clarence Öfwerman
• Torch songs

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• CS1 German-language sources (de)
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