O klang och jubeltid


O klang och jubeltid is the fourth studio album by Swedish folk-group Benny Anderssons orkester, released in June 2011.

Album information

"O klang och jubeltid" is the first studio album by "Benny Anderssons orkester" since BAO 3 in autumn 2007. Stylistically, it is a typical BAO album, with a variety of musical genres including Swedish folk music, classical and pop influences. The album was recorded in the first half of 2011 in Benny's newly built studio, Rixmixningsverket. The studio is located adjacent to Benny's Mono Music offices and studio, where part of the mixing was done.

As usual, the album features some instrumentals mixed with songs performed by Helen Sjöholm, Tommy Körberg and Kalle Moraeus. This time, eight out of the 13 tracks have vocals, while only five songs are instrumentals. Most of the lyrics are once again written by Benny's former ABBA partner Björn Ulvaeus. All music is composed by Benny Andersson, with the exception of "Månstrålar klara", a traditional tune with lyrics by Arvid Ödmann, performed by Tommy Körberg.

Title

The title of the album is taken from and inspired by the student song 'O, gamla klang- och jubeltid!, originally a German song : 'O alte Burschenherrlichkeit, composed by Eugen Höfling in 1825. The song was featured in the stage play Alt-Heidelberg by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster, part 5, scene 5, which was translated to Swedish as Gamla Heidelberg by Frans Hedberg in 1903, where the song starts 'O, du studentens glada liv, varthän har du försvunnit?.
The song was reworked by August Lindh, and published for the first time in Swedish in 'Sångbok för Västmanlands-Dala nation nr 9, 1921'.
The Student Song 'O, gamla klang- och jubeltid is still often sung in academical gatherings, and while doing so, the students underline the lyrics by standing onto their chairs.

Track listing

Songs

To promote the album, Benny Anderssons orkester went for a summer tour, playing at eight cities in Sweden at the end of July 2011. Additionally, the group also performed on the first date of this year's Allsång på Skansen TV program, which was aired on Tuesday, June 28. Three songs were performed: "Kära syster" and "O klang och jubeltid" during the actual program and "Allt syns när man är naken" during the extra 30min web broadcast, which followed the TV coverage.
Upon its release, the album received positive and some mixed reviews. Although the biggest Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet gave the album a score of four stars, other reviewers and newspapers, like Dagens Nyheter, found the album a be bit too sweet sounding, or just too old-fashioned and nothing new. Still, most reviewers regard the album as being the soundtrack of the Swedish summer.
"O klang och jubeltid" entered the Swedish albums chart, Sverigetopplistan, at number 3 in the week after its release. Most likely due to increased promotion during their ongoing summer tour, "O klang och jubeltid" managed to top the Swedish albums chart in its 6th week, after five weeks in the top 10. It is the third album by BAO to hit the number 1 spot, after Benny Anderssons orkester in 2001 and BAO! in 2004.

The album was certified with a Gold disc on August 16, in its 9th week on the Swedish albums chart.

Summer tour 2011

Starting on Thursday, July 21, Benny Anderssons orkester went on tour across Sweden. The band performed at eight dates:
As usual, a concert by Benny Anderssons orkester is expected to last up to four hours, with approximately 50 songs being played. Apart from new material and past recordings by the band, the set also includes standards as well as some ABBA tracks like "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", "Hasta Mañana" and, for the first time in a BAO set, "Kisses Of Fire", a disco-pop number from 1979's Voulez-Vous album.
The tour premiere in Örnsköldsvik received rave reviews from the press. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet described it as a "joy-explosion" and the best concert of the band so far. It added that "this is how summer sounds" and gave the concert a maximum of.

Personnel

The following musicians contributed to the recording of "O klang och jubeltid":
Additional contributions: