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Benny: SvT interview translated Here's my translation of the interview with Benny on Sveriges Television's website. ----------------------- Everything he touches turns to gold Everything Benny Andersson touches turns to gold. But in spite of all the success and full bank accounts, he doesn't stop going to work every day. -I want to work. Life would be unbearable if I just sat there rolling my thumbs, says Benny Andersson who recently was asked if he wanted to write the music for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. ABBA, Chess, Mama Mia, BAO - everything you touch turns to gold. Have you ever failed with anything? -It depends on how you look at it. There are many songs even on the ABBA-albums which aren't as good as one would wish them to be. But you have to be patient with yourself. I do the best I can. You must have earned a lot of money, but you still continue producing a lot. Do you live a life in luxury, or "do you go to work" like the rest of us? -Both. I want to work, life would be unbearable if I just sat there rolling my thumbs. So I'm quite disciplined when I work and I try to go to work every day. But sometimes I take some time off, like right now when I don't have a specific project to write for, only the BAO-tour, Benny says and smiles. -In February next year Mama Mia opens at Cirkus in Stockholm, and in December the rehearsals that Björn and I are in charge of begin. Why haven't you staged Mama Mia in Sweden until now? -London is the capital of the musicals, so it was quite obvious that we would stage Mama Mia there. But it feels great that we finally can bring Mama Mia to Stockholm, Benny says and smiles. What do you rather play; ABBA or the accordion? - I never play ABBA, ABBA doesn't exist anymore. But I have "translated" a couple of ABBA-songs that you can dance to for BAO. I won't say which ones, you have to come to a concert to find out. You "discovered" Helen Sjöholm and first you let her be in "Kristina från Duvemåla" and now in BAO. How did you find her? -It was a long time ago. She was in an amateur theater group in Enskede. I saw a performance and thought she was fantastic. Then I saw her in a TV-program from Berns where she sang a song from Chess. I kept her in mind and several years later when I began working on "Kristina från Duvemåla", I contacted her and asked her if she wanted to help, to try singing a few songs. After that Björn and I told her that she had to come to the audition to audition. - Of the 1,500 people who auditioned, Helen was clearly the best one. Really great, Benny says with emphasis. I've read that you're going to write the opening music for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. Is that correct? - I don't know. I've been asked to, but things are very vague. It depends on what they want if I'll do it. If it's an Olympic Games fanfare they want, then it would be incredible to compose it. By Linda Newnham ------------------ Thanks to ABBAMAILer Claes Davidsson Orlando, Florida, USA |