For those who can’t get enough of the Swedish supergroup, we may have good news for you.
Just three years ago, ABBA surprised everyone by releasing their first album of new material in forty years (Voyager). Their holograms are also playing shows in a specially built theater in the UK. Sadly, there are no further announced projects featuring the four original members, but there have been a number of albums that come close to capturing the ABBA sound.
That’s because Benny Andersson, one of the B’s in ABBA, formed another group called Benny Anderssons Orkester (possessives in Swedish do not use apostrophes). This group has, so far, released six studio albums, a Christmas album, a live album, and two compilation albums.
What sets the group (also known as BAO) apart from most other recording and performing acts is the really eclectic blend of genres they embrace. Each album combines traditional Swedish folk music with classical, pop, and jazz influences. Most of the tracks are pure instrumentals with the occasional vocals being provided by Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg, two performers well-known in Sweden.
While Benny writes all of the original music for the group when they do need lyrics, more often than not, those are provided by the other B in ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus.
BAO has been very successful in their native country. Each of their albums has landed in that country’s top 10, three reaching #1, Their single, "Du Är Min Man" (“You Are My Man”), was featured on the Swedish weekly radio charts for an astounding 258 weeks (spending 65 of those weeks at #1). The group has also toured Sweden where Benny insists that a dance floor be provided in the audience so concertgoers can dance as well as listen.
The group has released one album aimed primarily at an English-speaking audience. Story of a Heart came out in 2009. Released under the name Benny Andersson Band, it charted in both the UK and Norway. The album is a mix of previously released tracks (instrumentals needing no translation) and English-language versions of some of their more popular songs.
So, if you’re still looking for more ABBA-flavored pop, be advised that each album contains tunes well outside the boundaries of conventional pop and rock. But the most ABBA-like tunes in the BAO catalog include (the first four all feature English lyrics):
“Story of a Heart”
"Fait Accompli"
“Crush on You”
“You Are My Man” (Re-recording of "Du Är Min Man" with English lyrics)
“Bara, Bara Du” (“Only, Only You”)
“En Dag i Sänder” (“One Day at a Time”)
“Hem Till Mamma” (“Home to Mamma”)
