Flamingokvintetten is a Swedish dansband whose career spans several decades, beginning in the 1960s and carrying on well into the next century. The band peaked in popularity during the mid- to late '70s and eventually mounted a comeback at the turn of the century with latter-day albums such as the Top Ten hit Bästa! (2008). The band was founded in 1960 in Partille, Sweden, by Hasse Carlsson (vocals), Gunnar Karlsson (guitar), Carl-Mårten Nilsson (guitar), Dennis Janebrink (bass), and Bjarne Lundqvist (drummer). While there were numerous lineup changes over the years, the latter-day lineup that hit the Top Ten with Bästa! is comprised of Carlsson, Janebrink, Douglas Möller (guitar), Stefan Kardebratt (keyboards), and Lars Lindholm (drums). Flamingokvintetten made their full-length album debut in 1967 with Harrli! Harrlå!, followed by a new album practically every year until the mid-'80s, when the band's album output grew erratic. The band peaked in popularity during the mid-'70s with full-length releases such as Flamingokvintetten 6 (1975) and Flamingokvintetten 7 (1976), which hit numbers one and two respectively on the Swedish albums chart. While the band continued to reach the Top Ten during the late '70s, its popularity declined sharply in the '80s. Despite a vastly diminished fan base, Flamingokvintetten remained more or less active throughout the '80s and '90s, releasing new albums every now and then. They eventually mounted a successful comeback at the turn of the century, when Dacapo (2000) reached the Top 20 and, even more impressively, Bästa! (2008) reached the Top Ten. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi
