No Response

"No Response" is a song written by Benny Andersson, first recorded by Swedish rock group Hep Stars and released as a single in September 1965. The song was written in response to criticism drawn from other Swedish beat groups, including Shanes and Tages for their inability to write own material.[2]

"No Response"
Single by the Hep Stars
from the album We and Our Cadillac
B-side"Rented Tuxedo"
ReleasedSeptember 1965
RecordedAugust 1965[1]
StudioEuropafilm Studios, Stockholm
GenrePop
Length1:35
LabelOlga
Songwriter(s)Benny Andersson
Producer(s)Gert Palmcrantz
The Hep Stars singles chronology
"Bald Headed Woman"
(1965)		 "No Response"
(1965)		 "So Mystifying"
(1965)

The song was the first original composition by Andersson,[3] who has later had a negative impression of it. "No Response" became a hit in Sweden, and was the third and final single issued from their debut album We and Our Cadillac.[4]

Background

Hep Stars had achieved immense popularity in early April 1965 with tracks such as "A Tribute to Buddy Holly", "Farmer John", "Cadillac" and "Bald Headed Woman" all charting on Kvällstoppen and Tio I Topp.[5][6] The band had now a fanbase similar to the Beatles, and a phenomenom regarding Hep Stars just like Beatlemania had begun in Sweden during this period. However, the band had attracted criticism from both the press and contemporary rock bands. They stated that the Hep Stars had become hugely successful by only performing covers of American rhythm and blues.[2] A great example of this would be that contemporary beat group Tages had composed their four first singles,[7] whereas all six of Hep Stars singles had been covers.[8]

Andersson had been greatly intrigued and inspired by the Beatles ability to write their own material, and had attempted some himself to no avail.[9] However, in May 1965, he sat down and started composing a song which would eventually become "No Response."[9] He has also admitted that his grasp for the English was pretty vague, and that he had resorted to using an English dictionary for writing the lyrics.[10]

I wrote "No Response" after having heard a song that I liked. But I only liked parts of it. I thought, I guess I could change that one around a bit. The song holds together pretty well, but the lyrics are just awful

— Benny Andersson, in Carl Magnus Palm, Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA page 115

Finally, he invited lead singer Svenne Hedlund to his apartment and played the song for him.[11] Hedlund stated that "I thought it was great to finally have a song that one of us had written, and especially since he had written a Fifties-style rock song which still had a Sixties feel in the chorus. I liked the song immediately, and I felt that it could be a hit.[11]

Release

The song was a part of their repertoire during the summer of 1965,[11] and after being well received by fans it was recorded and released as a single in September 1965 by Olga Records.[12] It first entered Kvällstoppen on the 14th of September 1965 at a position of 14.[13] The following week the song had climbed to number 12, and on the 28th of September it had reached the top-10 at number 6.[13] It first entered the top-10 the following week at number 4, before slowly progressing to number 3 the following week.[13] On 19th October it had reached its peak at number 2, a position it held for two weeks.[13] On 2nd November it had once again returned to number 3 and the following week it had ascended to number 5.[13] It exited the top-5 the following week and exited the top-10 on 21 December 1965. It was last spotted on the chart on 18th January 1966 at number 19.[5][13] It was also very successful on Tio I Topp, where it stayed for 10 weeks, peaking at number 3.[6][14]

Although a huge chart success, Andersson was never fond of the song, and has expressed disapproval for it. He stated in an interview that he didn't know much English at the time of writing, and that it turned out pretty generic, but that he realized that he was able to write own material.[15] He also stated that despite his being his first composition, it is barely acceptable.[16] In another interview, he stated "the best thing was that it got me starting writing. It wasn't anything special. It's got a functioning verse and chorus, something that is required, but nothing more. But it became our rescue, previously Hep Stars had no original compositions, we just didn't know how you did them. I don't think I knew either, it just became a song.[17] In the same interview however, he admitted that he was proud when he heard the song on the radio and that it had climbed Tio I Topp.[17]

The song is used as the opening track of side two on the Hep Stars debut album We and Our Cadillac and is the only original composition on the album.[18][19] The song is also featured on the group's second release, the live album Hep Stars on Stage.[20][21]

Personnel

Hep Stars
  • Lennart Hegland – backing vocals
  • Christer Petterson – drums, backing vocals
  • Benny Andersson – keyboards

Other personnel

Chart positions
Chart (1965–66) Peak

position

Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[5] 2
Sweden (Tio I Topp)[6] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[22] 6
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References
  1. "The Hep Stars - No Response". www.thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  2. Hep Stars, 1964–1969, EMI Svenska AB/Olga 7C1 38-35956/7, double album liner notes
  3. "Då blev jag ett Svenne-fan". HD (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  4. Davis, Sharon (2012-01-06). Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies. Random House. ISBN 978-1-78057-410-3.
  5. Hallberg, Eric. (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3 : Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962-19. 8. 1975. Värmdö: Drift Musik. ISBN 91-630-2140-4. OCLC 165178200.
  6. Hallberg, Eric, 1949- (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök 1961-74. Henningsson, Ulf, 1965-, Kristianstads boktr.) (1. uppl ed.). Stockholm: Premium. ISBN 91-972712-5-X. OCLC 186200204.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. "TAGES - Diskography". www.svenskpophistoria.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  8. "HEP STARS - Discography". www.thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  9. Palm, Carl Magnus (2009-10-28). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-057-1.
  10. "Бенни Андерссон - Биография". peoples (in Russian). 2003-12-16.
  11. Palm, Carl Magnus (2009-10-28). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-057-1.
  12. "The Hep Stars - Olga Records". www.thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  13. "NO RESPONSE av HEP STARS". NostalgiListan (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  14. "The Hep Stars - Top 10 Chart". www.thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  15. Axelsson, Eva (2019-06-21). "Benny Andersson om sina Eskilstunaminnen – Ekuriren". ekuriren.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  16. Amster, Harry (2011-12-09). "Vill återförena Abba för Slussen". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  17. "En mästare minns även sina floppar". Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  18. "THE HEP STARS - We and Our Cadillac". www.thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  19. "The Hep Stars - We And Our Cadillac". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  20. "THE HEP STARS - Hep Stars on Stage". www.thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  21. "The Hep Stars - Hep Stars On Stage". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  22. "Hep Stars". VG-lista 2020 (in Norwegian Bokmål).
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