His Melodifestivalen entry "Oh vilken härlig dag" for instance includes phrases such as "I snuck down to the lake, to spy on you when you went skinnydipping" and "I ran naked in the blazing sun", and "And I could see what you're hiding under your skirt" a line that was considered risqué when sung by a seventeen-year-old boy in the pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973. Lyrically the songs reflected the world of an average young teenager, no longer a child but not yet an adult, and his personal development the dreams, hopes and desires as well as the fears and frustrations, infatuation and rejection ("När du kommer," "Räcker jag till"), existential ponderings ("Universum," "Snurra du min värld," "Gitarren och jag") alongside typical adolescent fantasies and daydreams of historical figures such as the Vikings ("Viking"), "Buffalo Bill," Goliath ("Goliat från Gat") or becoming a super hero like "The Phantom" ("Fantomen"), and naturally, as with most teenagers, also playful hints at an increased interest in the opposite sex. ![]() They finished eighth out of ten entries, and Gärdestad did not record the track. Gärdestad and his brother Kenneth returned to Melodifestivalen in 1977 and performed the song "Det bästa som finns" ("The Best of All") with Polar Music labelmate Lena Andersson. A quartet known as Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid finished third with a song called "Ring Ring (Bara du slog en signal)." Gärdestad had another attempt in Melodifestivalen 1975 with the song "Rockin' 'n' Reelin'" Svenne and Lotta placed third with "Bang-A-Boomerang" and Gärdestad finished seventh but the song became a hit single on radio charts Svensktoppen, Heta Högen and Kvällstoppen. The song "Oh, vilken härlig dag" ("Oh What a Lovely Day") came joint fourth. In February 1973, Gärdestad entered Melodifestivalen 1973, the competition to select Sweden's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. Anderson subsequently signed Ted to the label and assigned him to in-house producers Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Ted was composer and singer, while Kenneth wrote lyrics to Ted's melodies, a collaboration that continued throughout Ted's career. In 1971, 15-year-old Ted and his eight-year-older brother Kenneth Gärdestad contacted the record company Polar Music and showed an audition tape to Stig "Stikkan" Anderson, who would later manage the pop group ABBA. At 14 he ranked second in his age group in Sweden after Björn Borg, and once considered a career as a professional tennis player but instead chose a career in music. Gärdestad was also a promising tennis player. In 1970, Gärdestad had a minor role in the American film Story of a Woman alongside Bibi Andersson, Robert Stack and James Farentino. His debuted as an actor in 1966 when he landed a part in the television advent calendar series En småstad vid seklets början (A Small Town at the Turn of the Century). A biographical movie about Ted Gärdestad was released in 2018: Ted: För kärlekens skull.Ted Gärdestad began his career as a musician in 1962, playing accordion on Swedish television at the age of six years. Gärdestad toured extensively starting in 1994 until his death by suicide in 1997. By the 1990s, he played with other musicians such as Harpo. He left the music industry shortly thereafter, to try acting. Gärdestad attempted once more to enter a song at Melodifestivalen but was unsuccessful. ![]() In 1978, Gärdestad released his first English-language album, Blue Virgin Isles, which did not have success internationally, as his predecessor albums had in his home country.In 1979, Ted and his brother Kenneth Gärdestad played at Melodifestivalen, the competition to select Sweden's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Satellit." They won the competition which allowed them to represent Sweden at Eurovision held in Jerusalem. As Polar Music's best-selling solo artist (aside from ABBA), he continued to work with the group members throughout the 1970s, releasing three more albums Ted (1973), Upptåg (1974) and Franska Kort (1976), which were moderately successful. Assigned with in-house producers Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Gärdestad released his first single, "Hela världen runt," in late 1971 and worked closely with the four members of ABBA to create his debut album Undringar (1972). Gärdestad began his acting career in 1966 and began playing music in 1971, signing with Polar Music. Ted Arnbjörn Gärdestad (Swedish pronunciation: 18 February 1956 – 22 June 1997) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, musician and actor known internationally as Ted.
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