Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson recorded as the act Bjorn and Benny between 1969 and 1972 , they released one album and six singles, but spent much there time at this point working as house producers/songwriters for Polar Music..
| LYCKA May 2006 reissue
Sweden,Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland
and the UK CD The original 1970 album plus 14 bonus tracks including one never before released track-"To Live With You" Lycka album tracks 1. Lycka 2. Nånting är på väg 3. Kära gamla sol 4. Det där med kärlek 5. Välkommen in i gänget 6. Lilla du, lilla vän 7. Hej gamle man! 8. Liselott 9. Kalles visa 10. Ge oss en chans 11. Livet går sin gång Bonus tracks 12. She's My Kind Of Girl 13. Inga Theme 14. Det kan ingen doktor hjälpa 15. På bröllop 16. Tänk om jorden vore ung 17. Träskofolket 18. En karusell 19. Att finnas till 20. Hey, Musikant 21. Was die Liebe sagt (German track) 22. Love Has Its Ways 23. Rock'n Roll Band 24. Merry-Go-Round 25. To Live With You (previously unreleased |
Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson the original album -LYCKA (1970)
and singles by Björn and Benny
Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson - Lycka 1970 Lp First Released on Swedish Cd 1991 Reisssued with bonus tracks in Spring 2006.
In some ways
this is the birth of ABBA.This album features the first track
to have
all future members of ABBA on it and this is the very first album
to have all the music written by Björn and Benny. Björn
and Benny wrote the music to all of the songs and some of the
lyrics. The whole album is sung in Swedish . Björn doing
most of the lead vocals, with Benny providing some backing vocals.Indeed,
this is the only album to have Bjorn Ulvaus lead vocals on virtually
all of the tracks. Still Benny does actually sing lead on one
of the songs here-"Kara Gamla Sol", but's it's hard
to tell it's Benny. The original album featured eleven songs.
The title translates into Happiness. This album was released in
the fall of 1970 on Polar Records. As a whole, this album features
some of Björn's best work.
Acoustic and Electric Guitar feature more prominently here than they would on ABBA records. The electric guitar ,in particular dominates on "Kalles Visa" and "Nagonting Ar Pa Vag".This album is a bit more serious in tone than some of the later B&B songs and early ABBA songs that would follow in the early and mid-Seventies. None of the songs here (even in translation) have a bubble gum lyrics or sound.
"Hej Gamle Man" (Hello Old Man) was released as the single from this album and proved to be successful, though the album was not overly successful. "Hej Gamle Man" features Agnetha and Frida on backing vocals. It was the first song to feature all four members of ABBA. "Hej Gamle Man" actually shows up on the ABBA box set -THANK YOU FOR YOU THE MUSIC.
My favorite song on this album is the great acoustic guitar workout "Liselotte " (it features lyrics by Agnetha and Björn). I also love the anthemic "Ge Oss En Chans"(Give Us A Chance) . "Ge Oss En Chans "has some soulful singing and some great organ. A nice little touch can be found at the beginning of "Lilla Du, Lilla Van' which starts with Benny's piano sneaking in at a low volume.
The stark brown cover is telling. It's clear that their is seriousness of purpose and intent in these two young man. Benny's (age 23) trademark beard puts in it's first appearence on a album cover (Benny (never had a beard on the Hep Stars album covers). Björn (then age 25) looks a little smug but the trademark smile is there. The Swedish flag on the Guitar seems to say ,"We represent Sweden to the world".
The later Lp pressings and the Cd versions of LYCKA include a 1971 A -side that wasn't on the original album. That A-side "Tank Om Jorden Vore Ung' features Agnetha and Frida on backing vocals and like a few of the B&B songs has a ever-so slight country twinge to it.The LYCKA album was recorded at Metronome in the Summer of 1970 .
LYCKA was produced by Björn and Benny with Bengt Bernhag and engineered by Michael B.Tretow. Benny and Björn played on the tracks with two Swiss musicians, drummer John Counz -drums and bassist -Gus Horn. S.O.Walldoff was responsible for the orchestral arrangments. I have never confirmed whether another guitarist plays guitar along with Bjorn on this album? Anybody Know for sure?
Agnetha and Frida had joined up with Björn and Benny to change the group from a duo to a quartet.before a planned followup B&B album was anywhere near completion. Björn and Benny continued to release singles through till 1972.Agnetha and Frida had joined up with Björn and Benny to change the group from a duo to a quartet soon to be named ABBA.
This album was released on Cd in sweden the early 1990's. IN 2006 all of B&B uncompiled A and B sides were added to CD as bonus tracks along with unreleased track...
The LYCKA album track lineup with songwriters listed (AU means Andersson-Ulvaeus)
SIDE ONE:
*Tank Om Jorden Vore Ung (Andersson-Ulvaeus)
Lykca (Andersson-Ulvaeus-Anderson)
Nånting är på väg(Andersson-Ulvaeus)
Kära gamla sol(Andersson-Ulvaeus-Anderson)
Det där med kärlek(Andersson-Ulvaeus-Himmelstrand)
Valkommen in i gänget(Andersson-Ulvaeus- Himmelstand)
Lilla Du, Lila Lila van (Andersson-Ulvaeus-Fugelstad)
SIDE TWO:
Hej Gamle Man !(Andersson-Ulvaeus)
Liselott (Andersson-Ulvaeus-Faltskog)
Kalles Visa (Andersson-Ulvaeus-Himmelstrand)
Ge Oss En Chans (Andersson-Ulvaeus)
Livet går sin gång(Andersson-Ulvaeus)
*track added to later printings of Lp,CD
SINGLES RELEASED BY Björn AND BENNY (1969-1972) and Early ABBA
Björn and Benny singles 1969-1972
Björn and Benny released a number
of singles in Sweden, Japan and a few other
places. Although a couple of the singles were drawn from the LYCKA
album,
many of the songs wouldn't appear on album at the time, and some
of the
tracks have never made it onto an official album.
The songs are enjoyable to those who like the Lycka album ,but probably would be of less interest to those
who only like hearing Agnetha & Frida singing...
But Agnetha and Frida do sing backing vocals on many of these songs which makes them prime ABBA collectibles. Agnetha and or Frida sing on "Hej Gamle Man","Tank Om Jorden Vore Ung', Pa Brollop, " Det Kan Ingen Docktor Hlapa" , "En Karusell " , "Merry Go Round". and "Ah Vilka tider" .
En Karusell (the Swedish version of Merry
Go Round", " Att Finnas Till" and
"Ah Vilka Tider" were made available on on the PA SVENSKA
CD.
"Hej Gamle Man, Merry Go Round,She's
My Kind of Girl', and "Santa Rosa" made it onto
ABBA"s box set. "She's My Kind of Girl" also appears
on some versions of the "Ring
Ring" album even though it was recorded in 1969. It became
B&B 's first international
hit in 1972 when it became a big hit in Japan. "Love Has
It's Ways" with music
supposedly by A Japanese songwriter was the one of the followups
to"She's My Kind of Girl" in Japan but did not succeed.
It is a bouncy song with great piano intro by B&B but iit
was the last English language track from their B&B days to
be reissued on CD.( Perhaps B&B resented the input of the
Japanese songwriter.!)
For some reason many of B&B's songs
were long unavailable (except on bootlegs or on the original 45's
.)
The hard-to get tracks are "Inga Theme', "Hey Musikant"
(the German version of
"Hej Gamle Man", "War Die Liebe Sagt "(the
German version of "Livet Gar Sing Gang") , "Pa
Brollop", Det Kan Ingen doctor Hlapa " Traskofolket'",
"Love Has It's Ways, and the original version
of "Rock N Roll Band". But the 2006 LYCKA ressiue rectified
that problem....
"Pa Brollop" and "Traskofolket" are great pseudo- Swedish folks songs.
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3-1970 She's My
kind of Girl ( RING RING/ These two songs were recorded for the
movie, Seduction of Inga,in late 1969. "Shes
My Kind of a Girl " is a pleasant bouncy track if a bit
stupid lyrically. The "Inga Theme" features chanting
and humming and some interesting ,if not very coherent bits of
melody. "She's My kind of Girl" rather strangely became
a big Japanese hit in 1972. "She's My Kind of Girl"
also appears on some versions of the "Ring |
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9-1970@Hej Gamle Man / LYCKA Two tracks chosen from the Lycka album - "Hej Gamle Man" was a hit in Sweden. It is the first song to feature al four members of ABBA. |
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1970 @Hey Musikant (German Hej Gamle)NA
German translations of two songs from the Lycka album. |
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5-1971@Det Kan Ingen doctor Hlapa /NA.
This is one of the most obscure of B&B's singles-since neither side has been released on Lp or CD. The b-side "Pa Brollop (at the wedding) is probably the more enjoyable record.
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9-1971Tank Om Jorden Ung Vore Ung LYCKA/
The later Lp pressings and the Cd versions of LYCKA include a 1971 A -side that wasn't on the original album. That A-side "Tank Om Jorden Vore Ung' features Agnetha and Frida on backing vocals and like a few of the B&B records has a ever-so slight country twinge to it. "Traskofolket" is a folksky song inspired by Vilhem Moberg's "The Emigrants" and a song about the Wooden clogged people of those books.
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4-1972@En Karusell (swed-Merry Go Round)
PA SVENSKA / The Swedish version of "Merry Go Round" was actually released as a single, the b-side was the country balladish sounding"Att Finnas Till".Neither song as released on album till the 1990's.For some reason the English version of "Merry Go Round" was not compiled on the original RING RING album . This song was also released in Japan after "She My Kind of Girl"" |
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Björn and Benny's Japanese only singles... 1972 She's My Kind of Girl RING RING/ These two tracks were recorded by B&B for the Swedish /American soft porn movie called "The Seduction of Inga", Somehow, "She's My Kind of Girl" became a surprise breakout hit in Japan in 1972, the b-side is the semi-instrumental musical theme for the movie. |
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1972 Love Has It's Ways NA/ Oddly "Love Has It's Ways' was never released anywhere but Japan."Love Has It's Ways"was a collaboration initiated by B&B's Japanese record company., as a follow up to "She's My Kind of Girl" and the interim single -"En Carousel" . It was a minor hit at the end of the year. The music for "Love Has
It's Ways " was supposedly written by a Japanese songwriter
(K.Morita) |
Björn and Benny's 45's
( @- indicates Anna & Frida sang on the record)
1970 She's
My kind of Girl ( RING RING/
Inga Theme (Not available on album or CD)
1970@Hej
Gamle Man / LYCKA
Lycka 1970 LYCKA
1970
@Hey Musikant (German Hej Gamle) Not available
War Die Liebe Sagt (GermanLivet Gar sing Gang )Not Available
1971@Det
Kan Ingen doctor Hlapa Not available
@Pa Brollop 1971 NA
1971Tank
Om Jorden Ung Vore Ung LYCKA/
Traskofolket -Not available
1972@En
Karusell (swed-Merry Go Round) PA SVENSKA /
Att Finnas Till 1972 PA SVENKSA
Björn and Benny's Japanese only singles...
1972
She's My Kind of Girl RING RING/
Inga Theme NA-Not available
1972
Love HAS IT"S WAYS Not availble
Rock And Roll band(early vers)-Not available
To go elsewhere
* Björn and Benny (1969-)Lycka,Musicals,80's,90's
Montief's handy guide to ABBA the Albums
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| MONTIEF'S HANDY GUIDE TO ABBA THE ALBUMS!!! |
| ABBA THE ALBUMS -SITE INDEX -REVIEWS OF ALBUMS SORTED BY ARTIST |
|
ABBA THE ALBUMS - GROUP & SOLO ALBUM REVIEWS LISTED IN ODER OF YEAR OF RELEASE Chart revised July 2006 by Montief OR SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE HIM... |
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