Björn Ulvaeus

Björn Ulvaeus

  • Birthday: 1945-04-25
  • Place of birth: Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden
  • Also know as: Bjorn Ulvaeus

Biography

Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish musician, singer, songwriter, and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA. He is also the co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! He co-produced the films Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with fellow ABBA member and close friend Benny Andersson. He is the oldest member of the group. Björn Kristian Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg on 25 April 1945. In 1951, he moved with his family to Västervik, Kalmar County. His parents were Aina Eliza Viktoria (née Bengtsson; 1909–2005) and Erik Gunnar Ulvaeus (1912–1999). Ulvaeus has one sister, Eva Margareta (born 1948). Ulvaeus studied business and law at Lund University after undertaking his military service, alongside comedian Magnus Holmström. Before gaining international recognition with ABBA, Ulvaeus was a member of the Swedish folk-schlager band Hootenanny Singers, known earlier as the "West Bay Singers", who had an enormous following in Scandinavia. While on the road in southern Sweden in 1966, they encountered the Hep Stars, and Ulvaeus quickly became friends with the group's keyboard player, Benny Andersson. The two musicians shared a passion for songwriting, and each found a composing partner in the other. On meeting again that summer, they composed their first song together: "Isn't It Easy To Say", a song soon to be recorded by Andersson's group. The two continued teaming up for music, helping out each other's bands in the recording studio, and adding guitar or keyboards respectively to the recordings. In 1968, they composed two songs together: "A Flower in My Garden", recorded by Hep Stars, and their first real hit "Ljuva Sextiotal", for which Stig Anderson wrote lyrics. The latter, a cabarét-style ironic song about the 1960s, was submitted for the 1969 Swedish heats for the Eurovision Song Contest, but was rejected; it was later recorded by diva Brita Borg. Another hit came in 1969 with "Speleman", also recorded by Hep Stars. While filming a nostalgic schlager special for television in March 1969, Björn met eighteen-year-old future wife and singer-songwriter Agnetha Fältskog. Björn Ulvaeus continued recording and touring with Hootenanny Singers to great acclaim while working as in-house producer at Polar Record Company (headed by future manager Stig Anderson), with Benny as his new partner. The twosome produced records by other artists and continued writing songs together. Polar artist Arne Lamberts Swedish version of "A Flower in My Garden" ("Fröken Blåklint") was one of Björn & Benny's first in-house productions. In December 1969, they recorded the new song "She's My Kind of Girl", which became their first single as a duo. It was released in March 1970, giving them a minor hit in Sweden and a top-ten hit in Japan two years later. The Hootenanny Singers entered Svensktoppen, the Swedish radio charts, in 1970 with "Omkring Tiggarn Från Luossa", a cover of an old folk-schlager song. It remained on the charts for 52 consecutive weeks, a record which endured until 1990; the song was produced by Björn and Benny, and had Ulvaeus's solo vocal and Benny's piano. ... Source: Article "Björn Ulvaeus" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Filmography

ABBA in Studio 2

1976

As Self

Chess in Concert

1989

As Narrator

ABBA at the BBC

2013

As Self

ABBA V Queen

2022

As Self (archive footage)

ABBA: The History

2003

As Self

The Joy of ABBA

2013

As Self

ABBA in Switzerland

1979

As Self - ABBA

ABBA Veronica Musicspecial

1977

As Self (archive footage)

ABBA: The Movie

1977

As Björn Ulvaeus

ABBA In Japan

1978

As Self (Vocals / Guitar)

ABBA: The Visitors

2007

As Self

ABBA - ABBA (DVD from Deluxe Edition)

2015

As Self - Singer, Composer

ABBA: 16 Hits

2006

As Self

Tour d'Eurovision

2005

As Self

ABBA: In Concert

1979

As Self

ABBA: Dancing Queen

2012

As Self

ABBA: Super Troupe

2019

As Self

ABBA-dabba-dooo!!

1976

As Self

Listen to the Music

1979

As Self

ABBA - The Last Video

2004

As Björn Ulvaeus

Olivia

1978

As Self

Kylie Minogue V The Bee Gees

2022

As Self (archive footage)

The A-Z of Eurovision

2020

As Self - Contestant (Archive Footage)

Ted - till minne av en popartist

1998

As Self (archive footage)

Stikkan

2024

As Self (archive footage)

Birthing Mamma Mia!

2008

As Self

Mamma Mia!

2008

As Greek God (uncredited)

Älskling på vift

1964

As Hootenanny Singers - vocals and guitar

Året var 1974

2024

As Self (archive footage)

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

2018

As University Professor (uncredited)

Production

Mamma Mia!

2008

As Executive Producer

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

2018

As Executive Producer

Chess

2003

As Original Music Composer

The Seduction of Inga

1968

As Original Music Composer

Chess in Concert

2009

As Music

ABBA: The Movie

1977

As Original Music Composer

Chess in Concert

1989

As Music

ABBA: In Concert

1979

As Original Music Composer

Mashup

2021

As Music

Chess in Concert

2009

As Songs

Mamma Mia!

2008

As Songs

Chess in Concert

1989

As Songs

Chess

2003

As Songs

Mamma Mia!

2008

As Original Music Composer

Mio in the Land of Faraway

1987

As Original Music Composer

Chess in Concert

1989

As Original Music Composer

Chess in Concert

2009

As Original Music Composer

Hjälp sökes

2014

As Lyricist

Chess in Concert

2009

As Lyricist

Mamma Mia!

2008

As Lyricist

Chess in Concert

1989

As Lyricist

Chess

2003

As Lyricist

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