Mikory's ABBA-blog

Frida have no regrets

When Frida was promoting her 1996 album "Djupa Andetag" she did this fashion shoot and interview for Swedish magazine "Månadsjournalen". I find this to be a very good interview and the pictures, taken by photographer Denise Grünstein,  are beautiful. I think you can tell that this reporter got to spend some time with Frida and met her more than just one time. Interesting what she has to say about Agnetha and also the relationship to her father. Enjoy, my friends:

I HAVE NO REGRETS
There are so much more than her voice that has matured with Anni-Frid Lyngstad, when she now is back after twelve years. Life has never been easy for the ABBA-princess, but she has gone through it.

     - Talk naturally to each other, says the guy with the TV-camera.
     - Ignore us, just sit there and talk." Anni-Frid Lyngstad is picking the sallad with her plastic fork. Anders Glenmark raises his water glass. The microphone is dingling a decimetre away, the silence feels complete, like in a recording studio, three men from the state television are observing them:
     - Sit like that, a little more to the right, naturally, you hear? 
     - Talk now, it could be useful, talk now, there, to the left for the light for Frida, be natural.
Frida says something about that it must be fun for the philharmonics to play pop music. What can you say. The tone of the conversation is so positive:
     - I had no idea you were so talented...
It's a very unnatural situation. But pretend closeness is part of promoting almost any product nowadays, even music. Swedish Television has followed Anni-Frid Lyngstad monthly to make a film to show when she releases her first album in twelve years. It will probably be great, shots from Mallorca where Frida has a luxurious house, the mild voice of Mark Levengood and so on. But anyone who is genuinally curious about the ABBA-singer, the international celebrity, the multimillionnaire and friend of the Swedish royal family Anni-Frid Lyngstad, married to prince Ruzzo Reuss for a decade or so, should choose to listen to the lyrics of her songs.
     That's where she is. The music is written by Anders Glenmark, and the lyrics also and he is in charge of the production. But the feeling is Frida's:
     - I have been dwelling on myself in these songs.
So despite the fact that Anders Glenmark, who is ten years younger and a man, has written the lyrics, this is what's behind it:
     - I wanted to portray the mature woman I am. The fact that I still have a little girl inside me, that I allow myself to be young, but don't have to be 20 anymore, all at the same time.
     No wonder Glenmark's wife said she didn't recognize her husband anymore. Among the eternal pop words always and never flows intoxicating minor chords and the dream of being the woman of your life, your loved one and your best friend. Among the caressing sounds that reminds you of outdoor dancing we will see what happens, may it be good, suddenly a dandelion appears that longs for the sun. An intense longing after closeness, I want more, a breath from your soul.
      - You become more brave as you get older. It would be great if women my age can relate to this. It's 1996 now, I want time and room for both sex and sensuality.
     It's almost twenty years since ABBA was at the height of their fame, so long ago that the group has had a revival and their records have been re-released. Recently, earlier this year, a bestselling British book was published, telling the "truth" about the differences and separations within ABBA.
     Frida's attitude towards the media and the reporters is not divided. It's totally negative. The book is not worth anything more than a shrug of the shoulders, "just a concoction of the old gossip". And this interview for this magazine is of course a part of promoting the new album, just like the TV-film. Frida is out "doing press". The magazine has to be approved, just like the reporter, the photographer has to be the right one, clothes have be carefully picked, the copy has to be read, the pictures seen. Those are the conditions, I should have gotten used to it. For our first meeting I arrive with a surly face, but friendly, just to not ruin the job. I never get used to it. I feel like I'm forced to do it.
     But how did Frida feel?
Who never got a positive reaction from the media (apart from her break through the night when Sweden changed their traffic rules and started driving on the right side of the road instead of the left in 1967. When the mother-of-two Anni-Frid Lystad-Fredriksson, 21, from Eskilstuna, (including the misspelling of her last name, sang on TV so well that the whole population forgot their worries about the new traffic rules). Whose professional ambitions were despised, whose world fame didn't sit well with the political situation in Sweden in the 70's, whose finances were something suspicious, whose success were laughed at, whose looks were watched like they were an issue of international importance, whose private life was sold in the form of colourfull eye candy?
     Not to mention her relationship to Agnetha Fältskog.
     - When we first met Agnetha was 17 years old. I was married and had two children - I got pregnant for the first time when I was 16. Five years age difference is enormous when you are that age - and besides that Agnetha and I had, and will always have, two completely different personalities. That does not mean that we don't like each other a lot. She has had her hardships as well. The famous animosity has never existed.
     - How was it back then, when you were singing together?
     - We pushed each other in a positive way. Anything you can do I can do better! Now, when I listen to what we did, I think our voices sound fantastic together. I have wanted us to make a record together for years, and Agnetha wants to do that too. But not yet. I have to wait until she feels ready.
     But long lasting friendship does not make very good headlines.
     Divorces, on the other hand, do. There was a day when Frida popped in to her local store in Lidingö to buy milk and was faced with the billboards announcing her and Benny Andersson's divorce. Frida left the milk and went home:
     - That was the moment I decided I had to move abroad. I understood that I would be easy prey for the press. This spring I got to relive that feeling, good friends faxed me billboards saying that I and Ruzzo were divorcing. I felt sick. It physically hurt. For eleven years they had left me alone, now I was back in that position again. To be honest I wanted to tell the whole press and media to go to hell. I'm hurt. I really don't want to spend any time with that category of people.
     From the archives I retrieve a typical article from Dagens Nyheter, published in 1977, where the  culture reporter Ingemar Glanzelius is taking offence over "ABBA ignoring the idealistic dream of culture and aim straight for the capitalistic reality of our society". Glanzelius mean that ABBA "are making the most political music in our country". It is "Ring Ring (Bara Du Slog En Signal)" he is talking about.
     Twenty years later it's funny but back then it was serious. During the years when Frida continued to be a celebrity because she is a celebrity, the distrust hasn't gone away at all.
     Here starts the process for a wish of total control. The wish to be in control. The new album will only be released in Scandinavia, it is in Swedish, mostly because Frida wanted to avoid the international media circus:
     - People like to gossip about others, I do to. But if you choose to make up lies for a living, you must lead a pretty empty life.
     Before our second meeting Frida has called a mutual friend and the conversations between us flows much easier.
     So finally both her and me stop acting like we were on a stage. It's now we talk about grandmother.
     In every person's life there is a base that explains a lot of what comes later. In Frida's life it's her grandmother. It's from her she has made her race to the top. When media through the years have compared the former ABBA member's ability to manage their fortunes, Frida has always come out on top. Smart girl. Emotions drove her from Sweden, and it was important that the money came with her. They were, and are, the ticket to a completely different life than the one she shared with her grandmother. During the interview Frida says that she is a socialist. That surprises me. Afterwards she calls me up and says that she has looked up the word:
     - And I'm not a socialist. But I have my roots in the working class, it has to do with my reality, I grew up in it. I know what it means to be poor and left behind. My race to the top has nothing to do with cottage and castle, but with self worth. I have made the transition from being a loser to some who has made a success of her life.
     Frida's mother fell in love with a German soldier when she was a teenager i Norway during the war. She became one of the despised "German's girls" and on top of it she got pregnant. The man was married, and had children whom he went back to when the war was over. In the sorrow over his betrayal her mother didn't want to live anymore. She died when she was 19.
     - My grandmother had already lost her husband, now she lost her daughter and was stuck with me. I wasn't even two years old when she left Norway to find a new life in Sweden. An incredibly strong woman. She found an apartmentbuilding where she became the caretaker so she didn't have to pay any rent, she grew potatoes and vegetables, kept everything tidy and made all my clothes. Frida smiles.
     - Do you remember those sleeveless ribbed shirts? I really wanted one. But there was no chance she would buy me clothes as long as she could sew.
     Now, with some distance to the past, Frida is able to see the pain in her granmother's life and she also realize that one way to express love is to take care of someone's basic needs. That wasn't as obvious as she was growing up. Her grandmother didn't express her affection and didn't hug or kiss her.
     - We were two lonely people who were together, you could say. Even as a grown up I have the need to be  completely alone at times. Especially when I need to heal from something bad, there has been some hard times in my life.
     Is it starting to sound sad?
     Well, let's change that then.
     Frida may have had a rocky start in life, but it gave her strength. When the unknown, German father appeared during the most hectic ABBA years, suddenly interested in her, Frida was curious to meet him. Who wouldn't have been? After she had noticed some similarities, and after realizing that her father had known that his Norwegian girlfriend was pregnant, but still didn't reply to her letters, she decided the contact with her father was something she could do without.
     - I'm rather with people who dont betray. Her voice is firm.
     - I'm not easily impressed. I have found my place, and there noone can touch me.
     I don't know how Frida is in private. Like the three other former members of ABBA she is surrounded by people who limit their comments about them to superlatives. Or they do as Michael B Tretow did in a TV-interview recently; make up a story about how ABBA drank 'gäddjuice' (pike juice). Gäddjuice? But it sounded true. The next day a reporter was really excited over the new, true ABBA story.
     How many times during the years have people enjoyed themselves by spreading rumours. Though, in Frida's case, her description of herself is immovable, that's the word that comes to me. An incredible volition. The voice is pleasant, the tone is stern. The look in her eyes is friendly and she never looks away from you. She is not giving in.
     Is it her attitude towards the media again? Her upbringing with her grandmother? Never exposed again? How much should an interview try to find the answers to these questions when Frida herself says that maybe it's all in her personality, from birth?
     But as long as Frida can remember she always had a vision of a different life. Her singing voice was her chance, the ambition, limitless. The fact that she had children didn't stop her professional ambition. Everytime an opportunity came she took it:
     - All fame cost, mine too. Today I have a loving relationship to both my grown up children. But there was a time when my daughter denied that I was her mother. I'm afraid the loneliness from my childhood with my grandmother was transferred to my children, I'm not a very physical person either. The only one I touch gladly, without hesitation is my husband.
     To summarize, Frida's children got to see the bad sides of being famous.
     - Suddenly some fans walked in through the door, and there stood my children. Not all of the fans are completely sane. That hurt me and it hurt my children. It has taken a long time, and many talks between us to heal our relations. Now,in hindsight, I can see the price of fame, but I don't regret what I did. Did?
     - I always put myself first. All the time. That didn't change until I met my husband, Ruzzo. Once we had moved in together, I made my decision. For the first time in my life I would someone else's needs first. I devoted myself to him.
     Ruzzo Reuss, a German prince, is a golf course architecht. Frida became his caddie, around the world and learned to play golf at the same time. Suddenly she was part of the royal circle who hunt and skii together. Since the 70s Ruzzo is a friend of the Swedish king and queen. And now, so is Frida. Their common interest in nature and children's well being has deepend their relationship and queen Silvia is, among other prominent people, a member of an international foundation, which Frida, in classic upper class style, is a member of:
     - I think it's important to give something back when I have received so much.
Her involvement in Mentor Foundation for the prevention of substance abuse is not the only one. An article in a paper about the acid rain, in the early 80's, made Frida so upset she immediately joind the environmental foundation The Natural Step. In the legacy from her grandmother she is, as Frida herself calls it "extremely pedantic". The work consumed her. After founding and being the CEO of Artister För Miljö, she preferred her own foundation, Stiftelsen Anni-Frid Lyngstads Miljöfond, which for example support two summer camps that teaches children about ecology.
     In the mid 80's, when Frida's interest in the environment still was new, I interviewed her for Expressen. We were at Skeppsholmen, where The Natural Step had its office. I liked her, she was unexpectedly serious. But what impressed me most was her hair colour. Wasn't she the one who introduced the unlikely colour "black tulip"? There she was, in total different light. She had changed class, that's how it felt. What used to be glass pearls were now real.
     Even at home at her grandmother's she used a napkin to wipe her mouth. But:
     - Where I started, that's where I belong. A part of me is still the little girl my grandmother led around the house showing me how house work was done.
     Describe that girl:
     - Always searching, often alone, never scared.
She would not have put it like that during the ABBA years. She says that ABBA belongs to her youth, there is so much more than here voice that has matured, gotten deeper.
     - The big change came after the divorce from Benny. It was then I broke out of the little world. I was forced to change my life radically. The safety net was gone, I was alone.
     The step out into the unknown killed the feeling of break up. The need to hide from the world would have come no matter where in the world she was. However, in London, it became possible. "My need for solitude" as Frida calls it has only grown stronger. It started when she read some of what the Indian philosopher Krishnamurti wrote when she was in the middle of the big ABBA era.
     - I took his advice, I focused on one thing at a time. In the middle of the chaos I could sit down and completely devot myself to lifting a glass of water.
     Nowadays Frida finds the solitude and calmness in Switzerland. The farm outside of Bern, the smell of cows. And of course the Alps.
     - To go hiking the way I do nowadays is a way expose one self. You reach a narrow passage and it's literally a matter of life and death to get passed it. That situation is similar to what I have been through emotionally. It is such a liberating feeling to get passed it, if you have done it once you will be able to face your pain in a completely different way.
     Her biggest spiritual experiences has always happend on mountains, like last year when she was hiking on Mount Kenya. On the morning of New Year's Day she was approaching 5000 metres. At the noon the group reached the difficult passages. Suddenly there was a sign:
     Go careful friend, for here is high
     Go daringly where eagles fly
     Go eternally with Jesus nigh
     - I cried, it was so big, I felt close to God, and the feeling of that allmightiness it lifts you.
     And now she releases a CD.
     - When I walked into the studio I remembered something Tina Turner said once, that the voice is hanging in there, just waiting for you. That's exactly how it felt.

LENA KATARINA SWANBERG

"Here We'll Stay" the correct version

Alert ABBA-fans have informed me that you can see the difference between the first version of the CD and the new version. Here is how. On the backside of the spindle on the disc there's a number. On the first one (with the "wrong" version of Here We'll Stay) the usual catalogue number ends with the suffix 01 and on the new ones it ends with 02. Thanks for letting me know!

Today I got a new copy of Frida's "Something's Going On" re-issue. Now Universal has fixed the mistake with the "wrong" version of "Here We'll Stay",  the duet with Phil Collins. There is nothing on the cover or the disc to say that this is the correct verison, maybe a sticker would have been a good idea. But I guess Universal didn't want to draw attention to their mistake.
     This means that those of you who were lucky enough to get a copy of the first one released now own a rarity! The version on the first copies of "Something's Going On" has not been released on CD before, it was only used on the Swedish cassette issue of the album in 1982.

Agnetha: "- I was crushed by the fans"

Today in Aftonbladet this article was published. It seems to be some strange mix of old and new stuff as it almost always is with Agnetha facts. This article is based on an article in the Daily Mirror which is based loosley on the new German book "ABBA - Ihre Ganze Geschichte". I find it strange that Agnetha would say that after ABBA she (and Frida!) couldn't stand to listen to any other music than ABBA? Wasn't it it the other way around - they needed a rest from ABBA? And I do think Frida had a stereo! Ah well, take it for what it is - another article from the tabloids with quotes from a lot of different interviews...

I WAS CRUSHED BY THE FANS
Agnetha talks about nightmares and  yearning.

After years of silence she tells all. For the first time she explains why she fled her fame. - I dreamt that I was crushed by the fans, she says - and she is longing to meet the right man.

She felt hunted and stalked and like a bad mother. The fact that she was loved and praised by the whole world didn't help. While the other members of ABBA have continued to live public lives Agnetha Fältskog has lived secluded and avoided all publicity.

SILENT FOR 13 YEARS
- After the band broke up I didn't sing one note for 13 years. I didn't even have a stereo at home. I know it was the same for Frida.
- We had lived so intense and long with ABBA that we couldn't stand to listen to any other music, Agnetha says in the soon to be published biography "ABBA: The complete history". Not even the authors Frederic Tonnon and Marisa Garau got to meet Fältskog. According to Daily Express they received a CD from Agnetha with her replies recorded.

"I WAS AFRAID"
In the book Agnetha tells openly about how bad the success and hysteria surrounding the group made her feel. She was scared by the fans and had nightmares.
     - I dreamt that the fans would get hold of me and never let go or that I was crushed by them. I was afraid of them and she continues:
     - People scratched us, sometimes brutally, and we used to scream by fear as we were rushed into the waiting cars. During the years the unbelieveably loved blonde felt bad from the touring and all the time that ABBA demanded. She felt guilty for not being there for her children.
     - I felt guilty about the kind of mother I was. I didn't think I was a good mother. I found it more and more difficult to be away with ABBA for weeks, be away from my home and my children.

HASN'T FOUND THE RIGHT ONE
Agnetha, who has been stalked by a Dutch fan, says that she hasn't found the right man.
     - People who find love and can keep it are very lucky.
     - It's good to long for love. I'm still longing.
Agnetha also tells in the new book how she has learned to relax.
     - I have found that yoga helps me. The years after ABBA was a time for me to think and find myself.

 

A bad day with a happy ending...

As most of you know by now, I have severe muscle- and jointpains. And last night and early this morning it was worse than ever. I finally got out of bed and managed to have a shower, get dressed and drive to the doctor. No new revelations there, but I needed some more prescriptions.

I was so tired afterwards from the blood tests etc and could hardly see straight as I drove back home. But what a nice surprise awaited me when I walked in: This signed postcard of FRIDA! I was so happy. Now she is in a frame and hanging on the wall. Frida - you are the best, and you made my day!

Thanks, and godnatt!

Anni-Frid's first folkpark tour

I think this must probably be the first feature article for a weekly magazine on  Frida, where she was interviewed in her home in Eskilstuna back in 1968. It comes from the magazine Allers, issue 24, 1968. Enjoy!

THE NORWEGIAN WAVE IS HERE
Anni-Frid Lyngstad is a longlegged child, who right now is getting acquainted with the Swedish folkpark audiences. She is out there in the same package as Lasse Lönndahl and Bengt Hallberg's Orchestra. Those two don't need an introduction, but Anni-Frid does. Who is this girl?
     She is part of that ongoing Norwegian wave that has brought many performers to Sweden; Per Asplin, Arve Opsahl, Nora Brockstedt, Sölvi Wang, Grynet Molvig, Wenche Mynche and Eva Henning.
     - But I see myself as Swedish, says Anni-Frid. I was only one year old when I came to Sweden with my grandmother. My grandmother has always been like a mother to me and she lives very close to where I live. She is often babysitting when I'm out touring.
     Anni-Frid is a very modest girl. She is the mother of two even though she looks just like a child herself.
     She is one of the "discoveries" from the "Hylands Hörna" TV-show. On that show she sang "En Ledig Dag". It became a huge success. "Svensktoppen" was just around the corner as were the folkparks.
     - But I wanted to combine my singing with my role as a housewife and mother. My home and my children have always come first for me. I married young. I was only 17. Not long after the first baby, Hans, was born. I loved to sing. I started early, I was only 13 - and that was too young if you were to abide by the union's rule. I sang "illegally" to get money for my studies.
     I got a job in an Eskilstuna band which was called Ragnar Fredrikssons. We toured all over Sörmland and performed in restaurants. Today I know that it didn't give me very much - apart from routine and experience.
     Later on there was this national vocalist competition with the finally on Skansen in Stockholm. Lasse Holmqvist was the host of the talentshow and he said that down in Skåne [where he came from] they didn't have any beautiful longlegged girls like me. I won that contest - thanks to the self confidence Lasse gave me.
     After that the offers started coming. But I still wanted to be a mother first, then a singer. I turned a lot of offers down. I "Fri entré" last fall I enjoyed a huge success. It was then I understood that there might be a future for me on the stage.
     My husband says: Now you have the chance, Anni-Frid. Of course you must go. You can have a great career. You are actually too good to be playing only with us. We have nothing more to teach you.
     That was very thoughtfull, warm words. But at the same time I wondered: How much do I know? I got the chance to tour with Karl-Erik Thörn, the guy who had two songs on "Svensktoppen" this March. But his tour would be going the whole summer and I didn't want to travel around that long. So it was arranged for me to work with some other guys. When I heard who they were I was just in shock! Who thought of pairing us up for this? Me - a debutant - touring with real professionals like Lasse Lönnsdahl and Bengt Hallberg! But they were so nice when I met them, I didn't have anything to worry about. I'm sure they will teach me so many usefull things this summer. I couldn't have asked for better company or support!
     Lasse encourages me and applauds. He definitely has the rhythm and he knows what the people wants. I'm so happy working with him.
     The mother of two frm Västeråsvägen 13 will definitely be one of this summer's hotest chicks. She is beautiful to look at, has a voice that is both unusual and very pleasant. She has had some routine and is now on a first name basis with the managers of the different folk parks.
     Her correspondence isn't that vast yet, once in a while she will receive a fan letter.
     An admirer wrote: "I saw you on Hylands Hörna, and you were the guest who sang best and looked most beautiful. I like your eyes and your long redbrown hair. If you come to our folkpark this summer I would like to meet you. I'm just an ordinary farmer with 22 hectare for growing crops and a few acres where I grow christmas trees. After your show in the park we could go to Knutte på Gästgivaregården and have cheesecake. It's very tasty. Please drop me a line when you can."
     When you get letters like that it means that you are accepted by a lot of different people in this country.
     - You married young?
     - Many people have said that Imarried too young. That such a marriage between artists wouldn't last very long. But it has been good. My man is a wonderful father and husband - he is much better at that than being a professional musician. He only plays for fun in his spare time.
     I'm both happy and grateful about getting this chance. But you should never be too happy as they say. I'm sure I will miss my family terribly while I'm out on the tour.
     She will expand her repertoire, she is going to look great during these outdoors summer night concerts. To a lot of people this young woman will be a big and pleasant surprise. She has gone the long way to success, but that doesn't make the success any smaller.
     Now Eskilstuna have two girls to send out to the folkparks this summer. Firstly Towa Carson and secondly Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It's hard to speculate which one of them will draw the biggest crowds, but one thing is sure, if Anni-Frid comes to her hometown Narvik i Norway - the place will be completely packed. Because in Narvik they haven't forgotten how beautifully she sang on "Hylands Hörna" on TV.
     - So why do so many Norwegian performers come to Sweden?
     - Because there are more jobs available and the pay is better than in Norway.

*****ARNE LARNÉUS/ANDERS SVAHN*****

FRIDA - THE WOMAN AND THE FASHION LOVER

Her name is Mrs. Anni-Frid Lyngstad. But she simply calls herself "Frida". She gladly admits that she loves being famous. She can be a little reserved before you get to know her. In fact, she is really shy and is scared that people will expect her to be something that she is not. So what is she like? Frida is a person with German neatness and Norwegian stamina. She has been through many many depressions, but today she is more harmonic than ever. A lot of that she gives her husband Benny Andersson credit for. They share a unique trust and openess between them. Frida is also a very warm and caring person. For example, she sit through a whole night talking to someone who has a problem. And she doesn't quit until the problem is solved. Her eyes can turn really grim when she gets angry, but she is not the one to hold a grudge. But she likes to clear the air and part as friends. She thinks that's the only way to have good relationships with people. She is also as stubborn as a mule. And she has a great sense of humour. She can put on a one-woman-show when she is in the mood for that. She is very witty and quick with biting comments.

She has very high demands on others, but even higher expectations for herself. She is a professional when she is working and ambitious to the edge of perfection. She never consideres anything complete until she is completely satisified with the result.  She never turns down a fan asking for an autograph and is very humbled by her audience. If you are, you will never become a diva.

Frida is the typical night person. But of course she has to get up early in the mornings to be able to fit everything into her busy schedule, but she needs a couple of hours to be 100% ready to tackle the new day. She always does her own make-up. She has learned how by watching others. Before TV-recordings or shows it can take up to three hours to get the hair and make-up ready.

At least three times a week she practices balett. Partly for the exercise and partly for the training to be on stage. Sometimes she even manages to play some tennis. Frida has no problems with her weight. She starts everyday with porridge, during the day she never eats anything but fish and vegetables. She doesn't drink anything stronger than white wine. But every now and she has a chocolate biscuit.

When Frida was a little girl she went to the library and borrowed ten books every week. She has always enjoyed reading and apart from the four daily papers she reads a lot of books. During one period she only read female authors like Dorris Lessing and Anaïs Nin. Among her favourites are "The Lord of the Ring" by Tolkien and all Leon Uris' books, especially Mila 18.

Wintertime is a difficult time for Frida. She would prefer to go into hibernation. The darkness and the cold affects her mind. Then she turns to art. Christos packaged things, Margrittes surreal paintings and Francis Bacons work are things that makes her happy. Every now and then she paints something herself. She got an A in drawing at school.

Stageoutfits must be glamourus according to Frida. She would never consider wearing jeans on stage. There has to be a feeling of party when she performs. She is woman and carefull about her femininity and does not consider herself a "sex symbol". Frida loves clothes and likes to "dress up". She is also convinced that women dress up for other women's sake, not for the men's.

There's a lot of sadness in Frida, but funnily enough she is not very romantic. She is happy with her life and happy with herself. It's something you have got to be to be able to give of yourself to others.

Two peas in a pod

An interview at home with Björn and Agnetha from 1971 in the Swedish weekly magazine "Allas" from 31 May. A "cute" interview, no depth at all. They both seemed so young, sweet and innocent.

They believe in love at first sight - Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus. They met on TV and they fell in love immediately. Now they are planning their summer wedding!
TWO PEAS IN A POD
The old saying "like to peas in a pot" still seems valid, at least if you meet Hootennany Singers' charming man Björn Ulvaeus, nowadays composer, producer, lyricist, singer and a real handy man in his four room flat together with his beloved Agnetha Fältskog and his sweet younger sister.
     Hootenanny Singers, the Swedish people's favourites, constantly on "Svensktoppen" started their career when they still were in school in Västervik and their career has just kept going. After they graduated they have parted - Hansi Schwarz is studying in Lund, "Totta" Roth and his friend Carlberg in Linköping. Björn Ulvaeus, who already knew that he wanted to go into the pop music business as a producer, composer and singer, went to Stockholm. During the summers they toured like crazy throughout Sweden. The girls were screaming hysterically from joy when the four turned up on stage.

FELL FOR EACH OTHER IMMEDIATELY
And last year it happened when Björn was doing a TV-show and he found the Girl. They both fell in love immediately. Don't say that there's no such thing as love at first sight. The girl with a capital G was already famous in the pop music world, her name was Agnetha Fältskog from Jönköping and she was a successfull composer and singer.
     The more time the couple spent together they realised they had so much in common. So they decided to live together. And Björn took his younger sister with him. The result became a very happy household.
     We are just talking about this and that and I soon realise that there's a line of privacy they won't let me cross. They are both used to journalists by now and know where to draw the line. During our conversation a lot of issues comes up that they both agree completely on. World war for example, they both think it's the worst thing. So where would they like to live if they were financially independent?
     - Sweden, Björn says immediately. I couldn't stand any other climate. But here Agnetha disagrees. Agnetha says that she would like to live in Gambia, the small west African country south of Senegal with long beaches and palm trees. But it would be very hot there. The reason for Agnetha's choice is probably that she and Björn was there in November when it wasn't too hot. After May no Swede could stand the heat there.

HATE INTOLERANCE AND LIES
We talk about what they  dislike about people: Björn hates intolerance and Agnetha hates lies. When it comes to music they both agree that Tjajkowskij is great and Björn adds Beethoven and Lennon/McCartney. Agnetha adds Burt Bacharach and George Harrison! But which historic person do they admire most?
     - Winston Churchill, Björn says immediately.

BJÖRN - ABSENT MINDED AND SLOPPY
    - Well, Björn, what are your worst qualities? I ask Björn and he thinks long and hard about it.
    - It's must be being absent minded and sloppy, he says. That's probably what's most annoying to others. Agnetha, on the other, looks as if she doesn't mind running around picking up stuff after Björn. I never get to know what Agnetha's worst qualities are. What I do learn is what kind of flowers they like. Björn loves roses and Agnetha yellow fresias. When it comes to birds Björn prefers house sparrows and Agnetha the blackbird, because "it sings so beautifully". Neither of them have much time to read books but Björn's favourite author is Ray Bradbury and Dan Andersson. Agnetha loves Shakespeare - especially "Romeo and Juliet" - Daphne de Maurier and Karin Boye. And before I know it the blond beauty starts reciting a poem by Karin Boye. She does it so beautifully I almost get teary eyed.
     Young Ms. Ulvaeus acts as hostess and Björn and Agnetha sit down on the floor and start playing on a strange looking instrument which they have brought from Africa.

TOURING TOGETHER THIS SUMMER - AS HUSBAND AND WIFE
It's very unusual that they both are at home at the same time. Mostly Björn is composing with his friend Benny Andersson somewhere and Agnetha is away singing. But this summer that will change. They are going to tour together and they are looking forward to it. It all seems so stable and nice Agnetha looks so much in love and Björn looks as smug as a cat.
     - We are getting married on 6 July in Verum' church in Skåne, Agnetha shouts from the closet. In April they went to London and not long ago they were in Paris. They don't spend much time at home, Agnetha loves chinese food (but Björn prefers a home cooked meal) so Björn takes her to the restaurant Hongkong and in return she goes with him to see a movie.
     Their apartment is beautifully decorated and very comfortable. A mix of memories from trips abroad and modern furniture from IKEA. A very nice and welcoming place to come home to after spending many nights in hotel rooms during their tours.
     They are a very charming and talented couple, they definitely have what it takes to become successfull in the pop music business.

The Frida remasters have arrived!

If you had asked me say 10 years ago, if we ever would be able to buy remastered versions of Frida's and Agnetha's post ABBA solo albums, I would have said: "- No, I don't think so!". But times change and I think Universal, after starting their enormous fan forum on www.abbasite.com has realised that there is a huge demand for these recordings. So now they have just been released. I got them last week and I have spent hours and hours listening to these three "old friends" of mine. They sound and look so much better. Here's my little review so lets' begin with:

Frida Ensam 1975
Frida's first REAL hit album in Sweden. What a joy to be able to hear the tight musical tapetstry of Benny Andersson's production. Frida gives all she got, and proves what a versatile singer she is. She can sing strong and rocky, seductively and very very softly. Tracks that stand out to me more now on the remaster are "Jag Är Mej Själv Nu" - a very strong song about a very strong woman. "Syrtaki" has lifted the roof on many ABBA conventions during the years, and I'm sure this new even louder 'version' will continue doing that.
     "Var Är Min Clown" is such a beautiful version of this musical song that so many singers have done. Out of all of them this version is to me the definitive version. "Fernando" is good, of course, but you have to know, that when I bought this album on vinyl back in 1975, that was the song I played over and over and over. So, still, to this day I feel a little weak when I hear it.
     "Aldrig Mej" is also one of those strong songs that I just love. I remember seing Frida perform this song live at Skansen on a very hot August evening in 1975. The picture in the booklet shows her on stage there at Skansen. I remember asking my friend - "how can she be wearing a fur coat when it's so hot?!"
     Of course the absolute stand out track here is the beautifully seductive "Ett liv i solen" - a magical masterpiece that is as good as an ABBA song, or even better! From the haunting verses to the hypnotic chorus where Frida harmonises with herself is sheer spine-tingling stuff and is a track that has clearly stood the test of time. It can't get any better than this!

Something's Going On 1982
Frida's "divorce album" is brilliant. She had listened to Phil Collins' album and immediately wanted him to be her first producer after ten years with Björn and Benny. The collaboration worked out beautifully. Lot of ABBA fans were surprised over this 'rockier' Frida. You could tell that she deliberatly wanted to get away from the ABBA sound. And I think she managed to do just that on most of the tracks.
     The stand out track and obvious choice for the first single was of course "I Know There's Something Going On". A powerful rock ballad featuring Frida's awesome chilling vocals accompanied by Collins' powerful drums proved to be a worldwide success and her biggest English single release to date!
     The surprise inclusion on this 2005 remaster is of course the 'wrong' mix of the duet between Frida and Phil of "Here We'll Stay", originally appearing only on the Swedish Polar cassette version of the album (perhaps wrongly included here too?). It appears Universal have now been alerted to this obvious incorrect inclusion and all future copies of the remaster will include the original 'correct' version. Fans who have been lucky enough to obtain initial copies with the cassette mix can now rejoice as they have a definite collector's item, unless this was a deliberate marketing ploy by Universal - surely not...?

SHINE 1984
Two years later, Frida went to Paris to work with new people on a very trendy album called "Shine". I said then and I'm still saying that this album was at least 10 years ahead of its time. "Shine" is a fantastic pop/rock record. A lot of people complained about Frida's English accent. I find it very charming. When Phil Collins later said that he thought that Frida was an incredible singer, but that she had huge problems getting rid of her Swedish accent, her new producer Steve Lillywhite seems to have encouraged her to sing it just as it sounds in her head.
     The remastering of this album was crucial. The previous editions on LP and CD suffered from a very low volume and also a very "noisy" surrounding. For example, "Slowly" which Benny & Björn wrote for Frida was hardly bearable to listen to. Now, on this remastered disc, it's like it's a new song.
    The first single was of course "Shine" and the cleverly structured extended version is included here on the remaster, together with the brilliant "That's Tough" - a track that just keeps on getting better after each listen! It's a real pity for the discerning collector that the five known completed tracks left over from the Shine sessions are not included here. Namely, "I'm One Of God's Children", "Love Turns To Lies", "Can't Be Serious", "My Dearest Friend" and "I Don't Wanna Be Alone". Fans that have been lucky enough to hear these tracks say they are simply brilliant and definitely up to scratch with the standard of the rest of the album. Who knows, maybe Universal are planning something special in the future by not releasing these gems now? We can only hope and pray, can't we?

Now we can look forward to the remastered versions of Agnetha's Polar albums; "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" and "Eyes Of A Woman" in September.

Frida's shopping spree - SEK 300!

This cute article comes from Allers weekly magazine published 29 April 1973. Frida and another Swedish singer, Lill Lindfors, both got 300 kronor to go and shop for clothes. Here's what they found. 300 kronor went a long way 32 years ago:

LILL LINDFORS AND ANNI-FRID LYNGSTAD SHOWS US PRETTY OUTFITS FOR 300
Everything is getting more and more expensive. But you can still find clothes at reasonable prices. To prove that we asked to beautiful and popular ladies, Lill Lindfors and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, to shop clothes for 300 kronor each. Clothes they both wanted to wear. Lill bought several items that could be combined and still managed to get some money left. Anni-Frid wanted to have a cool party outfit and an everyday-dress. Here's the result.

LILL WANTS TO "TYCKA OM"
Lill Lindfors is working harder than ever right now. She kept her show going at night at Berns to the end of April. During the days she made TV-shows and a German TV-crew has been in Stockholm making a documentary about Lill. She is very popular in Germany, and the Germans want to see how she lives and works here in Sweden. They even filmed her at Hall [a Swedish prison] where Lill goes regularly to entertain the inmates.
     At home in Näsbypark she has her family, the husband, Peter Wester who is a fashion photographer with his own business, her daughter Pernilla who is three years old and the maid who makes it possible for Lill to work as much as she does.
     There aren't many musicals playing in Stockholm at the moment. A pity, because Lill would be perfect in one with her many talents and her looks. She has developed into a woman of great variety. Humour, warmth and romance are the things she likes most in life.
     - Isn't it great that we are allowed to be romantic again, that we can show people that we like each other, she says. What if she wasn't a performer, what kind of work would she have chosen?
     - Something with people. Therapist, a nurse or something like that. I have a great need to be in touch with other people.

ANNI-FRID - ONE OF THE BIG FOUR
Anni-Frid - the name sounds like a caress. She is one of our best singers. For a while she has been singing in a group with Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. The four has had big success abroad. Competing with big stars like Gilbert O'Sullivan and Paul McCartney they won "Europatoppen" with their song "He Is Your Brother". Their records are released in Holland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Japan and the USA. They call themselves "Björn, Benny, Frida & Anna.
    Anni-Frid is originally from Norway. Her career started when she worked together with Lasse Lönndahl and Charlie Norman. She had this urge to sing and she had to pursue it. Anni-Frid was only 18 years old when she got married and she has a daughter who is six and a son who is ten. She has a very good relationship with her children and her ex-husband. But they both realised that they had married too young and they divorced as friends. The children got to stay with their father because they have access to their grandparents there.
     - I wanted to do what was best for the children, says Anni-Frid. But the kids often come and visit their mother. Nowadays, she and Benny is a couple. They live next to Agnetha and Björn Ulvaeus.

Agnetha bashing - again!

The Swedish press continues to portray Agnetha as a victim, scared and alone. I wish they would leave her alone. This week in Svensk Damtidning this article was prublished:

ABBA-Agnetha is getting more and more scared...
She is sensitive to sounds so she stays away from the city. She hasn't left the country for over 15 years, since she has a fear of flying. She doesn't like to talk about herself in public since she is afraid people will dislike her. She thinks she's being stalked so she always has bodyguards protecting her. When someone tries to take a photograph of her she puts her hands up to hide her face... and she has always been shy, in the past and now at the age of 55.
     A more scared and frightened person than Agnetha Fältskog is hard to find. She seldom leaves her home at the farm on Ekerö, outside of Stockholm and if she does it's always with a body guard accompanying her.
     But sometimes she can't avoid the public life. When "Mamma Mia!", the musical, opened in Stockholm this winter she was there. A separate room had been prepared for her. She stayed there until the show started and returned there right after it ended and then slipped away through the back door.
     Last year though she had to do TV-interviews to promote her new album "My Colouring Book". On TV4 she tried to explain her fears:
     - I can't travel around to promote my work as I used to before. It is just to painfull and scary for me... I get too nervous, too anxious. She describes her fear of flying:
     - It's that feeling I have inside that something catastrophic will happen. There's good reason for her to be worried about being stalked. Eight years ago she had an affair with a Dutch man. When she wanted to end their relationship he started stalking her. The police arrested him and he is no longer allowed to come to Sweden. But Agnetha is still scared that he or some other man will come close.

CHRIS CEDERLÖF, SVENSK DAMTIDNING #19, 2005