Swedish author Helena Bross has written a book about ABBA for children age 9-12. The book is in Swedish. I find the description of Björn and Benny's first meeting very funny! So that's how it was? LOL! They always said they composed a song at Björn's father's office! "Unique pictures from private collections" also sounds good, could be interesting...
The book will be published in August. It has 64 pages and the ISBN number is 9163846195.
The pressrelease says:
"ABBA" is the third book in a series of easy-read-biographies of famous people. It includes unique pictures from private collections.
"ABBA" is the story about four young people who made music that still lives on and continues to fascinate and spread happiness to generation after generation. Always popular, now with the successfull musical "Mamma Mia!".
Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson met by chance when their music groups Hootenanny Singers and Hep Stars were touring. They had fun together at a party one night and it ended with them sitting in a flower bed singing together. It was the beginning of a long collaboration.
A couple of years later was Björn engaged to Agnetha and Benny to Anni-Frid. They realized that the two girls' voices sounded great together. Maybe the four of them should perform together? The first try was a failure. They put together a stageshow at a restaurant in Gothenburg. The music was not written by themselves and they told bad jokes. They promised each other never to be on the same stage again after this experience.
But something happened. Björn and Benny started to write songs together.
In 1973 they participated in Melodifestivalen with the song "Ring Ring". Later that year Stikkan Anderson came up with the name ABBA by using the initials from the group member's first names.
The year after they won the whole contest with a bang, first at home in Sweden and then in Brighton with the song Waterloo". They immediately got successfull in Europe and became stars overnight.
When the group disbanded in 1982 they had had some tough years trying to stay on top.