ABBA Guru Carl Magnus Palm recently released two brand new books focussing on Benny: "Cadillac Madness" and "Benny's Road to ABBA".

We asked you to submit your questions to CMP and here, in  this exclusive feature for ABBAMAIL, CMP answers your questions!

Visit ABBAMAIL's mini-site
devoted to Cadillac Madness
& Benny's Road to ABBA

Read a chapter from each of the books on Carl Magnus Palm's website

Cadillac Madness chapter

Benny's Road To ABBA chapter

1. Did Benny have any involvement with these books? Was he interviewed at all?

2. Do you know if Benny has read either of the books?

3. From an author's point of view, which of the two books is your favourite?

4. How did the idea of the bonus CD come about for the Hep Stars Book?

5. Did you have any involvement in choosing the tracks for the bonus CD?

6. What has been the media reaction to the Hep Stars book in Sweden?

7. You finished off the Hep Stars book for a guy that originally did all the
research. Did that make the project easier or harder from your point of
view?

8. When you research for a new ABBA related book, what do you consider to be
your most important research? Fans / old newspaper articles / direct
interviews etc?

9. What did you and Premium Publishing have in mind as the "target market" in
Sweden for the Hep Stars book?

10. How have initial sales been for both books?

11. Are there any plans to publish Benny's Road to ABBA in Australia or other
countries?

12. What specific promotion have you already done for these books and what is
scheduled for the near future?

13. Have you had any reaction from old Hep Stars fans from the 60s?

14. Are you a fan of the Hep Stars music?

15. The cover of Benny's Road to ABBA, while being quite a good shot of Benny,
doesn't seem very "sexy" from an international marketing point of view? Do
you think it might have been better to use a more well known image of him
and make reference to ABBA somewhere on the cover (ala Agnetha's "As I Am")?

16. What would you say is the most unusual thing you discovered about Benny in
researching for Benny's Road to ABBA?

17. I believe you have an interesting story about Benny contacting you when
Mamma Mia! was being produced for Broadway? Can you elaborate on that?

18. The Hep Stars were huge in Sweden in the 60s - do you think there's
justification for a similar book about Björn and The Hootenanny Singers?

19. The publishing of your books in the United Kingdom has always seemed
problematic. Is there any particular reason why there hasn't been a more
co-ordinated and focussed effort to promote works like BRIGHT LIGHTS, DARK
SHADOWS and BENNY'S ROAD TO ABBA in the UK?

20. On an unrelated note, are there any plans for an update/republishing of THE
COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS in the future?

21. You have become the premiere ABBA historian in the last 10 years. How well
does that sit with you? Do you enjoy it or find it frustrating?