"Hep Stars" - creation, local success and break-up of the band, meeting Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

"Hep Stars." - Swedish rock band, formed in Stockholm in 1963 year. In the mid-60s, she was very popular both at home and abroad. However, today it is little talked about, and only loyal fans remember it occasionally. And that's not entirely fair, because it was "Hep Stars" that was the starting point for the Benny Anderssonwho has achieved worldwide success as a member "ABBA."! We'll talk about the contribution Bjorn Ulvaeus in the development of this rock band.

The beginning of the journey

The story of Hep Stars began in 1963 when two serving friends, Lennart Hegland и Christer PetterssonThey decided to form their own rock band. The musical ship was named "Quartet Yep." - the name "Hep Stars" would come later. Soon the band was joined by an organist Hans Estlund and the guitarist Janne Friskwho also took on the role of vocalist. The band started with elegant restaurant music, but gradually drifted towards rock and roll. The idea to change the name was Janne's. So, proclaiming themselves "Hep Stars."The Swedish rock band quickly defined its genre boundaries, and by the mid-60s it was already known beyond the borders of its homeland.

Long live Benny Andersson

The first success hit the musicians in the summer 1964 The headliners never appeared that night, so all the applause went to the opening act. The headliners did not appear that night, so all the applause went to the opening acts "Hep Stars.". This evening automatically started the word of mouth, and soon rumours about the talented band spread all over the country. This contributed to the fact that soon the band got a manager in the person of Oke Gerhardt.

First single "Kana Kapila."released in the same year, brought not only a certain success, but also changes in the line-up: the band left the Hans Estlundand afterwards. Sven Hedlung and one of the founders Pettersson. The three had quarrels and even conflicts that they were fed up with. However, in the autumn of 1964, the last two returned, and "Hep Stars." performed for a while as a four-man band.

By getting him on Hep Stars, Benny Andersson duty Hedlung. The latter had a van in which he sometimes drove bands to concerts. And one day, one of those bands was "Elverkets Spelmanslag."who introduced Hedlung to Andersson. The former was impressed by the latter's performance and offered him an audition. Soon the line-up of Hep Stars was finalised: Sven Hedlung on vocals, Janne Frisk on guitar and vocals, Benny Andersson on the keys, Lennart Hegland on bass and Christer Pettersson on the drums.

First success

The three subsequent singles were recorded by the band in one six-hour session and without overlap. In the mid-'60s, the "Hep Stars." had three top-five hits: "Cadillac, Farmer John. и "A Tribute To Buddy Holly.". The first two tracks even became leaders! Soon the band started to be talked about on TV, and its name was in the headlines of music newspapers. However, some of the Hep Stars' colleagues did not approve of the fact that the band mainly used cover versions. This prompted Andersson to pick up a notebook and write "No Response."which eventually reached number three on the charts.

В 1965-1966 years "Hep Stars." were enjoying the peak of their popularity. They played 150 concerts, and that was only in their native Sweden. Soon, the band was being actively discussed in Norway и Finlandwhere the band went on tour.

The ensuing breakthroughs and disintegration

The success grew, and the hits "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream.", "Don't" and "Consolation." actively contributed to it. But in 1967, things changed dramatically. "The Hep Stars decided to make their own film, and therein lay their mistake. The group had neither a script nor the proper funds to finance the project. Unlike those same "The Beatles."Hep Stars could not afford such a luxury and soon suffered from their own idea, which was never realised. It all ended with the fact that the band was charged with a large sum of money, which led them to absolute bankruptcy. The musicians worked out their debts as best they could, and summer 1968 occurred line-up changeHedlung's fiancée joined them as a soloist, Charlotte Walker. That same year, the Hep Stars changed their colourful rock sound to folk and . MOR (commercial radio format and popular music genre). And this experiment led to a split.

Andersson and the newly formed Hedlung couple wanted to evolve in the direction of MOR, while the rest of the band insisted on returning to their rock 'n' roll roots. As a result, the trio left the band in 1969, after playing their last tour. During the same period, the band was joined by Björn UlvaeusBut his stay in the ranks of Hep Stars was short-lived. After the split attempts were made to continue the activity with new members, but they did not turn out well, and in the early 70's the band broke up finally. By then. Lennart Hegland was the only original contestant left.

What happened next

By the time of the collapse "Hep Stars." the seeds that gave birth "ABBA."were already sown.

During the band's last few shows, Andersson got to know the Anni-Frid Lyngstadand Ulvaeus, of course. Having bonded as a member of the Hep Stars, Andersson и Ulvaeus worked for a while as a songwriting duo for the label "Polar Music.". Their team even had a name "Björn & Benny". This co-operation resulted in the formation of the band that everyone knows today as "ABBA".