Merry Christmas My Friend – New Benny and Björn song
December 5, 2010
Benny and Björn have teamed up to pen another track for the staff of Benny’s Rival Hotel in Stockholm.
The original video can be found on the hotel’s website www.rival.se and on Rival’s YouTube channel. (Thank you Ian Cole!)
Hey guys couldn’t you show a little more fun singing the song? they all look like a school team obliged to sing! hey! It’s an ABBA song! it’s fun!
O my god, how sweet is this? Lovely, funny, and just cute. Never mind the way they are singing: they are ordinary people singing some easy-going stuff – it’s a nice christmas greeting for all the Rival guests. What hotel can afford such an unusual way of marketing???
If i didn’t know it’s from Benny & Björn, i would say:
NO FUN AT THE RIVAL HOTEL.
Ok the staff are no professional singers, but the video has to promote the hotel… This isn’t cute at all! Only happy that it’s a B&B song.
My God, how boring!!!!! A bad tune, bad singers and they even look bored. I was hoping so much better. After Frida, is Benny also at the end? I’m so disapointed!
We see Benny on the piano, but, as always, he refuses to show off. 🙁 Still, I think it’s a nice gesture for B&B to put out something like this.
soo boooringggg
I love the tune and it makes me feel very Christmassy! I agree it could do with a bit of more inspired singing. Perhaps B&B can extend the song and record it with Karin & Anders Glenmark or Helen Sjöholm & Tommy Körberg as a last-minute Christmas release!? I have the intro on my cellphone now as a ringtone… please call me! 😉
I couldn’t see Bjorn. It needs a bit more energy and it could do with Frida singing like she did in her new recording Morning Has Broken. I like the melody and the lyrics though. Benny and Bjorn are amazing!
I too thought ‘boring’ at first but it grows and is clearly just for fun. As to the ‘put more life into it’, well, remember B&B last year with ‘Noel’? Such amazing dead-pan expressions from them both! Maybe this is meant to be the same – they all look like they are trying too hard not to be jolly! Maybe it’s some ‘Swedish’ thing!?
Lee
please bear in mind that this song can’t be put into any competition or comparison with other B&B songs. So it might sound boring, other people will complain that it only lasts 1:30 so what do you want??? I think it deserves some attention though it clearly will be forgotten soon. That’s all about and that’s all what it is meant to be… Don’t be so critical, folks!
What a cute song! Amused and pleased that these two atheists included lyrics about “the child”, “the stable”, and “the three wise men”. The tune reminds me a lot of the “Red Christmas” ringtone — and where “2nd Best to None” was very ABBA, this sounds more like [the beginnings of] a BAO song, which is a nice surprise.
(Funny, I was thinking just yesterday that it would be neat if BAO recorded a Christmas album…)
It’s like when B&B sang Silent Night for us last Christmas. It’s not suppose to be a masterpiece or a great performance. Really, how many other artists do stuff like this for their fans? I appreciate it.
I can’t be critical of this tune. It’s got ABBA fingerprints all over it. I think in the bigger picture it’s Benny’s way of doing something special for his hotel staff by letting them participate in music. Music, the very instrument that made him famous and a superstar. I believe it’s a very humble gift to the staff of Hotel Rival. And I’m extremely grateful that Benny and Björn are still active and creating wonderful music to this day. “Story of a Heart” is a perfect example of their magic. Thank you B&B!
I have to agree with mikespeir – ‘how many other artists do stuff…..’
A nod to us fans, which I think, is great. Merry Christmas to you B&B, and to everyone else.
Great song very festive sounding.
Thanks
Ian
Benny’s being sneaky, you can see him in the back row @1:09 singing along ..lol It’s a fun simple little tune, I like it. The lyrics fit perfectly for the Christmas holiday.
Have to agree with most here – what a boring performance! They look like they’d rather be at the dentist than doing this!!
The Rival staff does look bored,like somebody forced them to go there. Though Swedes tend to be reticent. The title is awkward, stiff. the song isn’t that bad.just not great…..but it’s not as good as “Second Best to No One”.which was much better video too….I got tell you if they will release this, then why not “Just Like That”or “i am an A”
High Cringe Factor! They certainly look like their arms have been twisted to take part! -I mean how can you refuse when your boss is Benny Andersson? But some look like they would rather be anywhere but there. But hey-something to show the grandchildren!
Normally it’s La Norverge nul point but I think La Suede would get it with this one. What happened guys?
At least in the Abba days any dodgy ones got a reprieve through Frida’s beautiful voice.( White Sombrero and Me and Bobby and Bobby’s Brother spring to mind).
Benny and Björn has not written for christmas before; the two atheists has since Hep Stars and Hootenanny Singers did their respective christmas recordings around 40 years ago -not done much to celebrate the season. Benny once wrote ‘Trettondagspolkan’ (‘The Thirteenth Day of Christmas Polka’), and then there’s ‘Happy New Year’, and sure , there are snippets of ABBA singing christmas greetings and Benny playing ‘Silent Night’ on an obscure radio take, but no jingle bells from the two of them so far.
When they now DO record a little jingle, it comments the Story of Christmas as ‘Remember The Legend’ (that has Björn written all over it) and reminds you of the yuletide tradition of opening your door and letting strangers come in to dine with you. I like that 🙂
I mean; there’s no doubt Mr Andersson could record and produce a christmas album; I just assume he does not see any reasons to do so.
My comment on this little tune is that I guess we will soon hear it again: like any other catchy melody line Benny writes (and likes), he finds the correct ‘home’ for it in a full recording. Like the Red Cross phone jingle he wrote which ended up in ‘Gonattvisa’.
And Benny: can the obscure gem ‘Fru Vennermans Sång’ be re-released or re-used? I simply love that tune!
Happy about B&B’s christmas song!
John
If John wants Jingle Bells by one of Abba look out for the compilation cd in Sweden called ‘Svenska Julfavoriter’, Agnetha sings it in Swedish (Bjällerklang) with Linda. It also includes another one from Agnetha and Linda’s album ‘Hej mitt vinterland’ featuring a very young Linda and which jars your ears somewhat after the immediately previous track ‘Gläns över sjö och strand’ a traditional Swedish Christmas song which is lovely and sung beautifully by none other than Frida! A lucky find in the cd odd bins section of ICA Max in Mora for about £3!
Hej, Jdaz; yes, I know these recordings; Frida once said the 1972 recording sessions of ‘När det Lider Mot Jul’ and ‘Gläns Över Sjö Och Land’ were some of her nicest memories -and they’re two of my favorite christmas tracks too 🙂
Agnetha did a spoof in 1980 during the ‘Super Trouper’ recording sessions giving Polar one of Swedens most successful christmas albums ever, Linda Ulvaeus didn’t exactly slip through their fingers: she even spent working hours with Mum and Dad in Studio 🙂
Yes I have to admit that it is indeed the roots of a very catchy Christmas Song.
Maybe guys you might find the time in the coming year to reunite the group ABBA.
You could then finish the song, record it and market it as the next release from ABBA just in time for the Christmas of 2011.
Now theres an idea.
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