Bjorn and Benny- Lycka and singles

Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson - Lycka -November1970 Released on Swedish Cd 1991

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. Benny actually sings 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.

The 1991 LYCKA CD 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 is the only English language track from their B&B days not to be reissued on CD.( Perhaps B&B resented the input of the Japanese songwriter.!)

For some reason many of B&B's songs
are no longer available (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".

Björn and Benny's singles and the CD's where

they can be found...( @- indicates Anna & Frida sang on the record)

3-1970 She's My kind of Girl ( RING RING/
Inga Theme (NA-Not available)

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
Ring" album even though it was recorded in 1969.

9-1970@Hej Gamle Man / LYCKA
Lycka 1970 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.

1970 @Hey Musikant (German Hej Gamle)NA
War Die Liebe Sagt (German version of Livet Gar sing Gang )NA.

German translations of two songs from the Lycka album.

5-1971@Det Kan Ingen doctor Hlapa /NA.
@Pa Brollop 1971 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.

9-1971Tank Om Jorden Ung Vore Ung LYCKA/
Traskofolket NA

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.

4-1972@En Karusell (swed-Merry Go Round) PA SVENSKA /
Att Finnas Till 1972 PA SVENKSA

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""

Björn and Benny's Japanese only singles...

1972 She's My Kind of Girl RING RING/
Inga Theme NA

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.

1972 Love Has It's Ways NA/
Rock And Roll band(early vers)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)
It is a bouncy song with good piano intro b yBenny but is the only English language track from their B&B days not to be reissued on CD, Perhaps ,because B&B resented the input of the Japanese songwriter, or perhaps Polar never even owned the track.

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