Hypothetical Benny Andersson instrumental album
There is quite a feeling among ABBA fans that a Benny Andersson solo project, featuring the great man himself on piano revisiting past recordings, would be an absolutely wonderful album to own.
I know that this has been suggested to Benny a few times in person as well.
Now, I’ve no idea if the recording of such an album is a realistic prospect or not – however, wouldn’t it be great if we, the fans, could influence in some way the choice of songs that Benny chose to play?
If that were the case and you could choose ten tracks from any of the songs on which Benny has a songwriting credit, which ones would you choose?
So, that would encompass Gemini, Josefin Nilsson, the musicals and of course ABBA, The Hep Stars and BAO plus Benny’s solo recordings that could be revisited and re-interpreted.
Ah – the thought if it! I’m sure I speak for us all if we say that we don’t mind if it’s a download only album…
So, to start the ball rolling, I’ll stick my neck out and give you my choices (in no particular order) right from the get-go!
I Wonder (Departure)
The Winner Takes It All
Du frälste mig i sista stund
Guldet blev till sand
Another You, Another Me
Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
I Know Him So Well
I gott bevar
Where The Whales Have Ceased To Sing
Cassandra
Please only submit ten songs – if you submit eleven or nine etc. then your suggestions will not be included. Of course, it’s a hard choice…I could have picked at least forty songs and suggested a triple album…but please let’s just keep it to ten and see what gems turn up!
My choice would be:
01 – The Day Before You Came
02 – Eagle
03 – One Man One Woman
04 – Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
05- The King Has Lost His Crown
06 – I Know Him So Well
07 – I Saw It In The Mirror (exited to hear what he’d make of that now)
08 – If It Wasn’t For The Nights
09 – Take A Chance On Me
10 – He’s Your Brother
1. Someone Else’s Story
2. Efter Regnet
3. Story of a Heart
4. Vi Opna all Grinder
5. I Gott Bevar
6. My Love, My Life
7. You and I
8. Beatrice
9. Red Cross phone jingle
10. LIke an angel passing through my room
Ooooh – Efter regnet – what a wonderful choice!
This is the problem Ice, the more suggestions you have, the more that the people who’ve already suggested will want to change…I already want to substitute The Day Before you Came for My Love My Life!
Don’t worry! It’s all just a bit of fun after all!
1. Wedding
2. Ring ring
3. Knowing me knowing you
4. When all is said and done
5. Chess
6. Födelsedagsvals till Mona
7. We won’t be going anywhere
8. Hemma (from Kristina)
9. Vi öppnar alla grindar
10. Sången från andra våningen
Most of the songs in my list were the songs that Benny played on piano in a swedish television documentary in the mid 1990’s. The songs got a totally new and a personal perspective, when we heard and saw Benny play them. My special favourite was “Vi öppnar alla grindar” which is a fabulous composition and the version in the musical does not really get the best out of the composition. Watch and listen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgEgesGHAz8 .
1. The day before you came
2. One man one woman
3. Our last summer
4. Just like that
5. The winner takes it all
6. Andante Andante
7. Slowly
8. Cassandra
9. When all is said and done
10. Move on
01. Lycka
02. The winner takes it all
03. The day before you came
04. Stockholm by night
05. When the waves roll out the sea
06. Anthem
07. Du måste finnas
08. Min astrakon
09. Du är min man
10. Sommaren du fick.
Being a piano nut since I was a child, I recognize extraordinary pianistic talent when I hear it, and Benny has it. Even before you notice what a technique he possesses, just that exquisite touch marks him as a master of the instrument.
As to the selections, I’d generally trust his choices. I’d just want him to include a solo arrangement of the Intermezzo Nr. 1.
I’m still waiting for you
Hemma (Home)
Pity the Child
Should I laugh or cry
Intermezzo No. 1
The Film I’d like to see
Money Money Money
The Day Before you came
Saknadens Rum
Move On
1. The winner takes it all
2. When The Waves Roll Out To Sea
3. If It Wasn’t For The Nights
4. When all is said and done
5. like an angel passing trough my room
6. Another You, Another Me
7. Hamlet III
8. Dancing Queen
9. Slipping trough my fingers
10. Super Trouper
My ten will be
1 Just like that
2 Story of an heart
3 I know him so well
4 When The Waves Roll Out To Sea
5 The winner takes it all
6 If It Wasn’t For The Nights
7 susy hang around ( as it was sung by Benny)
8 Another You, Another Me
9 It in’st easy to say
10 Time (from the musical ABBAcarbdraba
Efter Regnet
When The Waves Roll Out To Sea
I Let The Music Speak
Have Mercy
The Film I’d Like To See
Dum Dum Diddle
Cassandra
Nobody’s Side
Knowing Me, Knowing You
The Way Old Friends Do
I don’t know, when benny speaks I always get the idea that he prefers not to look back too much. So I wonder if he wants to redo his old stuff this way. But you never know.
I’d be happy with new stuff, Gé. 🙂
The winner takes it all
The day before you came
Thank you for the music
One of us
Dancing Queen
SOS
Chiquitita
Gimme Gimme Gimme
Slipping through my fingers
Summer night city
1. Efter Regnet
2. Chess
3. I Gott Bevar
4. Move On
5. When The Waves Roll Out To Sea
6. Ett Herrans Underverk
7. Saknadens Rum
8. Ut Mot Ett Hav
9. When All Is Said And Done
10. Move On
I would recommend him to write an extended solo piano work or possibly a piano concerto with orchestra (which implies lots of solo sections). In his last interview he said he wanted to stretch himslelf. I would hope for something more structured than a “medley” but if it used or directly recalled some old material I think it would make it really moving.
Hi Ice, 10 is really not a lot, but if we could get 10 it will mean a lot, here are mine:
Dancing Queen
Chiquitita
Fernando
Chess – Chess
Hemma (Home)
Move On
I Let The Music Speak
Ut Mot Ett Ha
Anthem
Guldet blev till sand
10 to choose ….. it should be at least a double album 🙂
Intermezzo Nr 1
That’s me
Money Money Money
The name of the Game
Andante Andante
Guldet blev till sand
Efter Regnet
Möte på en bro
The day before you came
Hole in your sole
1. The Name of the Game
2. Voulez Vous
3. Chess
4. Finish Just Like That
5. Two For the Price of One
6. Cassandra
7. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
8. The Day Before You Came
9. Does Your Mother Know
10. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
intermezzo #1
why did it have to be me
the way old friends do
anthem
I know him so well
arrival
the visitors
when all is said and done
money money money
my love my life
This is, of course, an impossible task. Here’s some from me:
Slipping Through My Fingers
Like an Angel Passing Through My room
I Let the Music Speak
Glom mig om du kan (Waves)
Happy New Year
The King Has Lost is Crown
Livet gar sin gang
Stockholm By Night
Lottis Schottis
Fernando
Lycka
My Mama Said
Dancing Queen (slowed down?)
One Man One Woman
If It Wasn’t For The Nights
When All Is Said And Done
Soldiers
Slowly
When I Watch You In Your Sleep
And something new please…!
1 – The Day Before You Came
2 – I Let The Music Speak
3 – Vi Oppna Alla Grindar
4 – The Conducator
5 – Slowly
6 – Move On
7 – Ge Oss En Chans
8 – Just Like That
9 – Where The Whales Have Ceased To Sing
10 – Apukád erős kezén
The Winner Takes It All
You Have to Be There
Story of A Heart
Our Last Summer
The Day Before You Came
I Let The Music Speak
My Love, My Life
Where You Go I Go With You
If It Wasn’t For The Nights
That’s Me
After having a week to mull it over, here are my picks:
1. Chiquitita
2. Chess
3. Someone Else’s Story
4. Fodelsedagsvals till Mona
5. The Film I’d Like to See
6. Hemma
7. Min astrakan
8. Sang fran andra vaningen
9. When I Close My Eyes/Lullaby (Apukad eros kezen)
10. Thank You for the Music
It’d be interesting to see which ten songs were suggested most often…
What a great idea. Here goes…….
I’ve been waiting for you
My love my life
Dancing Queen
Move on
As good as new
If it wasn’t for the nights
When all is said and done (Slow, kylie version)
Cassandra
Just like that (The slower Gemini version)
The day before you came
1. Should I Laugh Or Cry
2. Me and I
3. On and On and On
4. Hole In Your Sole
5. Intermezzo #1
6. If It Wasn’t For The Nights
7. Summer Night City
8. Suzy Hang Around
9. Tropical Loveland
10. Isn’t It Easy
Hi Ice,
This is a hard one …naturally ;o) but here goes…
1. Anthem
2. Du måste finnas
3. Duvemåla hage
4. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
5. Guldet blev till sand
6. Hemma
7. Saknadens Rum (segue naturally into Kärlekens Tid, as it does on ‘BAO!’, thus still one song …hint, hint ;o) (Well, after all, Saknadens Rum wouldn’t sound the same if it wasn’t followed by Kärlekens Tid, would it ;o) (But, if it has to be literally 10 tunes to choose from, then I guess take off Vildgräs)
8. Sunny Girl
9. Thank You For The Music
10. Vildgräs
Cheers, Tony :o)
a.) Sunny Girl (Hep Stars)
b.) Kära mina sol (fran \Lycka\)
c.) SOS
d.) Mamma Mia
e.) The way old friends do
f.) I know him so well (fran \Chess\)
g.) Klinga mina klockor
h.) When I watch you in your sleep (Josfin Nilson)
I.) Du är min man (BAO)
j.) Sangen fran andra vaningen
1 Efter Regnet
2 Klinga mina klockor
3 Just like that
4 Move on
5 I let the music speak
6 Slipping through my fingers
7 Merano
8 Should I Laugh Or Cry
9 Lassie
10 Dum Dum Diddle
…I don´t mind, anything Benny plays is just a masterpiece ;O)))))))
Like most everyone here, this is extremely difficult to select only 10 for me. So instead of laboring over it endlessly, these are the ones that struck me as I went over Benny’s catalog:
1. Chess (first song that came to mind)
2. Lullaby/When I Close My Eyes
3. When The Waves Roll Out To Sea (a new version would be terrific!)
4. Intermezzo No. 1
5. I Let The Music Speak
6. My Love, My Life
7. The Piper
8. Chiquitita
9. Ut mot ett hav
10. Where The Whales Have Ceased To Sing
1-Where The Whales Have Ceased To Sing
2-Just like that
3-The day before you came
4-Pity the child
5-you are my man
6-Lottis schottis
7- Gold turn to sand
8-I wonder
9-the king has lost his crawn
10-like an angel passing through my room
What I find quite fascinating here is that many of our selections overlap and many of those that I did not put on my list that others have listed would also have made it to my selection if we were allowed more than ten. For example … tut tut, nearly strayed into adding some more!
Lee
So, this is my ultimate top ten:
1. Consolation
2. Chiquitita
3. One of us
4. I let the music speak
5. Angeleyes
6. Thank you for the music
7. Knowing me knowing you
8. Anthem
9. Fodelsedagsvals till Mona
10. Om min syster
This are my favourites
1. The day before you came
2. I know him so well
3. Lay all your love on me
4. CHESS
5. I let the music speak
6. Happy new year
7. Klinga mina klockor
8. Just like that
9. Should I laugh or cry
10. Thank you for the music
My favourites:
1. The day before you came
2. Head over heels
3. Trolskan
4. I let the music speak
5. Loss (lice) kristina
6. Just like that
7. Klinga mina klockor
8. Andante Andante
9. Gammal fäbodpsalm
10. The name of the game
My Choices
1: I’ve Been Waiting For You
2: The Way Old Friends Do
3: I Know Him So Well
4: One Night In Bangkok
5: Fernando
6: Arrival
7: The Name Of The Game
8: Just Like That
9: Why Did It Have To Be Me
10: The Winner Takes It All
Min Astrakan
Where the whales have ceased to sing
When I close my eyes
Ljusar kvällar om våren
Efter regnet
That’s me
Innan Gryningen
I let the music speak
Saknadens rum
Chess theme
I have always dreamed about a Benny Andersson “solo piano” album and still hope he will record it one day… and yes…he could record it in one day! It wouldn’t take him too much time, lots of fun and millions of happy fans!There are so many tracks he could do and it’s hard to pick up the right ones, but here are some I think would sound great with the piano:
1. Efter Regnet
2. Hemma
3. Guldet blev till Sand
4. When the Waves Roll Out to Sea
5. Chess
6. Älska mej
7. The Winner takes it All
8. Someone Else’s Story
9. Like an Angel Passing through my Room
10. Chiquitita
Please Benny…I hope this will come true 🙂
1. I Let the music speak
2. When the waves roll out to sea
3. Andante Andante
4. Alska mej
5. When i close my eyes
6. If it wasn´t for the nights
7. I wonder
8. Story of a heart
9. Vilar Glad. I din famn
10. Thank you for the music
Well this has taken SERIOUS consideration! I too would also like to hear his piano interpretations of most of his recorded work. This has been one of my dreams for many years – to have an album of piano by Benny. Let’s hope these suggestions put a serious idea into his head.
It would be so easy just to list mostly ABBA songs with the odd Kristina, Chess etc thrown in. So I listed all aspects of his musical career and chose something from each one with the thinking that some of them he probably hadn’t revisited in many years and others would have such complex arrangements that to strip them bare to nothing but piano might be a challenge. I know he loves a challenge so hopefully ticks many boxes for him as a musician.
1. Speleman
2. Livet Gar Sin Gang
3. Hole in Your Soul
4. Eagle
5. Engdame
6. Have Mercy
7. Stockholm by Night
8. Heaven and Hell
9. A Sunday in Battery Park
10.Lauren
This would be an amazing album. I would love to find out which compositions of which Benny is most proud.
Glasgow Boogie
Cassandra
Stockholm by Night
When the Waves Roll Out to Sea
Mountain Duet (from Chess)
Min Astrakan
Chess Theme
Someone Else’s Story
Where the Whales Have Ceased to Sing
When All is Said and Done
1. The winner takes it all
2. When all is said and done
3. Like an angel passing through my room
4. You and I
5. Anthem
6. Guldet blev till sand
7. Du måste finnas
8. Hemma
9. Saknadens rum / Kärlekens tid
10. Stockholm by night
I have (belatedly) chosen a top 10 which includes a number of lesser known compositions.
1. Den gamla biografen
2. I am the seeker
3. Att finnas till
4. Just like that
5. A flower in my garden
6. Välkommen till världen
7. Vi är alla bara barn i början
8. Vilar glad. i din famn
9. Jo-jo-nä-nä-men
10. Det kan ingen doktor hjälpa.