Complete Benny interview Aftonbladet:
”The avatar tour can become reality in 2021”
”The avatar tour can become reality in 2021”
”The new ABBA songs are quite good.”
Benny Andersson is touring with his orchestra. At this summer's concerts, six ABBA songs and 47 others are played. Much of Benny Andersson's working time is a return visit to the old songs.
Now an upcoming tour is being prepared. There are digital copies that will look like Agneta, Frida, Björn and Benny did in 1979.
- The Avatar project takes almost all the time. If it will happen, it will premiere in 2021, says Benny Andersson.
- The Avatar project takes almost all the time. If it will happen, it will premiere in 2021, says Benny Andersson.
The tour with Benny Andersson's orchestra is the first in three years. Four hours with the band's original music.
How did you choose a repertoire?
- I started from how it was three years ago. It felt good. We have replaced some accordion songs, added the newly recorded. Plus a couple of old ABBA songs.
How do you think when choosing which ABBA songs you play?
- I think we should not play the most famous, more something almost nobody has heard.
Because it's hardly the ones you think are the best?
- No, it should be fun to play the songs and it is. Especially at the end with "Why did it have to be me" and "On and on and on". Also "Lovers (live a little longer)". I don't know if people even know it's an ABBA song.
Another forgotten ABBA song is the rocky "Hey hey Helen" from 1975. Which BAO does not play. When the American magazine Rolling Stone selected the 25 best ABBA songs last fall, they put "Hey hey Helen" as number 6.
- WHAT !!?
(Pause)
- It says a lot about Rolling Stone. Björn and I were in a period when we were trying to do more rock 'n' roll. Stupid idea. We noticed that pretty quickly. We quickly returned to making pop.
Rolling Stone pays tribute to the early feminist lyrics and notes that Kiss borrowed the riff in "Hey hey Helen" to "Calling Dr Love".
- Really? Well, they’re welcome. There is also a feminist turn in "Lovers (live a little longer)". I think that is interesting.
That your 40-year-old songs feel right in our time?
- Yes, "He's your brother" that we play now also feels relevant today.
Are there any ABBA songs you wouldn't play?
- Because they're mossy? I don't think much about the lyrics when I choose, more if the song is fun to play with BAO.
In the early years, BAO toured in smaller public folk parks.
- Yes, we did, but we figured out that it was not the best places to play at when there were too much audience. It gets very crowded. That's why we bring our own dance floor. The first idea was to also bring chocolate wheels and arrow throwing and sell hot dogs and tour as a whole amusement park but it became too booky. So now we have a dance course and colored lanterns.
You have reached the age of 70. Do you work less than before?
- No, I work just as much. Equally regular. I have always tried to remove the summer from the working desk and live in the country then. You can still do things remotely if needed.
What do you like to do when you're not working?
- Nothing at all. I'm good at that.
Not even read?
- Yes, I read. I go shopping for food every day. And cook.
You think cooking is fun?
- Yes, I’m cooking almost every day. It's especially fun when you make something you don't usually do. I'm getting a little lazy. I'm down to ten or twelve dishes that I make regularly. Then you do not have to think when shopping. But sometimes I do something I haven't done before.
What was the last thing you got curious about and cooked?
- Which I haven't done? Peppers stuffed with minced meat and with lots of unusual spices in it.
Do you still keep “The warriors diet”, where you only eat once a day? In the evening.
- I try to. That diet fits me well. It’s hard sometimes, especially on tour. Everyone else is having dinner but I can't because I don't want to be full when I go on stage. Then it will be neither breakfast nor lunch nor dinner, so I have to take something little during the day. And I get hot dogs during the show’s break.
What jobs are waiting after the summer holidays?
- The Avatar Project. It takes almost all the time now. There are so many people involved and a lot of things that need to come together.
The news of an ABBA tour, where digital versions of you four are touring with live musicians on stage, came in October 2016. Then the premiere was scheduled for this year.
What is the plan now?
- If it happens at all, it will sometime during 2021. The conditions have changed. I can't tell you that much.
You have recorded two new ABBA songs. Do you wait to release them until then?
- Well. In some way, we should make it all come together. We may release the songs when we know the premiere date for the avatar tour and can sell tickets. We haven't decided. The new songs are pretty good.
You have to be passionate about publishing "Don't shut me down" and "I still have faith in you". Are the songs completely finished?
- No, they're not mixed. We have made some rough mixes but it is not so bad to have it almost ready. Then you hear details that can be improved in the final mix. But everything is recorded, that's it.
What's next for the avatars?
- We have to make a setlist, which songs will be included in the concerts. So they can be recorded with our doubles. How long should the show be? The same versions, or any acoustic? It's a pretty fun job. I've been doing recycling for a long time now.
Is it fun to go back?
- Yes, when there is a reason to do so, for example, with "Lovers (live a little longer)" with BAO. It is fun.
Do you discover things you forgot?
- No. I noticed now when we were rehearsing that a phrase in a song was missing. I think I know every single tone we have recorded.
If you wrote your memoirs - what title would the book get?
- I haven't even thought about it. People ask from different angles, but no ... memoirs are only interesting if you tell things no one has a clue about. After all, it is totally uninteresting if I should write about where we went and when we won in Brighton. In that case, you should write about who you are and why. I'm not interested in that at all. People like to have the image they have and think I am like this.
It is a sympathetic picture of you.
- People are kind to me, they always have been. I am very grateful for that. I have been doing this for over 50 years, but it’s hard work. I have no desire to quit. I want to continue as long as there is something left.
How did you choose a repertoire?
- I started from how it was three years ago. It felt good. We have replaced some accordion songs, added the newly recorded. Plus a couple of old ABBA songs.
How do you think when choosing which ABBA songs you play?
- I think we should not play the most famous, more something almost nobody has heard.
Because it's hardly the ones you think are the best?
- No, it should be fun to play the songs and it is. Especially at the end with "Why did it have to be me" and "On and on and on". Also "Lovers (live a little longer)". I don't know if people even know it's an ABBA song.
Another forgotten ABBA song is the rocky "Hey hey Helen" from 1975. Which BAO does not play. When the American magazine Rolling Stone selected the 25 best ABBA songs last fall, they put "Hey hey Helen" as number 6.
- WHAT !!?
(Pause)
- It says a lot about Rolling Stone. Björn and I were in a period when we were trying to do more rock 'n' roll. Stupid idea. We noticed that pretty quickly. We quickly returned to making pop.
Rolling Stone pays tribute to the early feminist lyrics and notes that Kiss borrowed the riff in "Hey hey Helen" to "Calling Dr Love".
- Really? Well, they’re welcome. There is also a feminist turn in "Lovers (live a little longer)". I think that is interesting.
That your 40-year-old songs feel right in our time?
- Yes, "He's your brother" that we play now also feels relevant today.
Are there any ABBA songs you wouldn't play?
- Because they're mossy? I don't think much about the lyrics when I choose, more if the song is fun to play with BAO.
In the early years, BAO toured in smaller public folk parks.
- Yes, we did, but we figured out that it was not the best places to play at when there were too much audience. It gets very crowded. That's why we bring our own dance floor. The first idea was to also bring chocolate wheels and arrow throwing and sell hot dogs and tour as a whole amusement park but it became too booky. So now we have a dance course and colored lanterns.
You have reached the age of 70. Do you work less than before?
- No, I work just as much. Equally regular. I have always tried to remove the summer from the working desk and live in the country then. You can still do things remotely if needed.
What do you like to do when you're not working?
- Nothing at all. I'm good at that.
Not even read?
- Yes, I read. I go shopping for food every day. And cook.
You think cooking is fun?
- Yes, I’m cooking almost every day. It's especially fun when you make something you don't usually do. I'm getting a little lazy. I'm down to ten or twelve dishes that I make regularly. Then you do not have to think when shopping. But sometimes I do something I haven't done before.
What was the last thing you got curious about and cooked?
- Which I haven't done? Peppers stuffed with minced meat and with lots of unusual spices in it.
Do you still keep “The warriors diet”, where you only eat once a day? In the evening.
- I try to. That diet fits me well. It’s hard sometimes, especially on tour. Everyone else is having dinner but I can't because I don't want to be full when I go on stage. Then it will be neither breakfast nor lunch nor dinner, so I have to take something little during the day. And I get hot dogs during the show’s break.
What jobs are waiting after the summer holidays?
- The Avatar Project. It takes almost all the time now. There are so many people involved and a lot of things that need to come together.
The news of an ABBA tour, where digital versions of you four are touring with live musicians on stage, came in October 2016. Then the premiere was scheduled for this year.
What is the plan now?
- If it happens at all, it will sometime during 2021. The conditions have changed. I can't tell you that much.
You have recorded two new ABBA songs. Do you wait to release them until then?
- Well. In some way, we should make it all come together. We may release the songs when we know the premiere date for the avatar tour and can sell tickets. We haven't decided. The new songs are pretty good.
You have to be passionate about publishing "Don't shut me down" and "I still have faith in you". Are the songs completely finished?
- No, they're not mixed. We have made some rough mixes but it is not so bad to have it almost ready. Then you hear details that can be improved in the final mix. But everything is recorded, that's it.
What's next for the avatars?
- We have to make a setlist, which songs will be included in the concerts. So they can be recorded with our doubles. How long should the show be? The same versions, or any acoustic? It's a pretty fun job. I've been doing recycling for a long time now.
Is it fun to go back?
- Yes, when there is a reason to do so, for example, with "Lovers (live a little longer)" with BAO. It is fun.
Do you discover things you forgot?
- No. I noticed now when we were rehearsing that a phrase in a song was missing. I think I know every single tone we have recorded.
If you wrote your memoirs - what title would the book get?
- I haven't even thought about it. People ask from different angles, but no ... memoirs are only interesting if you tell things no one has a clue about. After all, it is totally uninteresting if I should write about where we went and when we won in Brighton. In that case, you should write about who you are and why. I'm not interested in that at all. People like to have the image they have and think I am like this.
It is a sympathetic picture of you.
- People are kind to me, they always have been. I am very grateful for that. I have been doing this for over 50 years, but it’s hard work. I have no desire to quit. I want to continue as long as there is something left.
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