Mikory's ABBA-blog

Mamma Mia! for Mentor

Frida attended the Mentor Foundation's charity performance of Mamma Mia!. It raised SEK 950.000.

It was a fantastic evening!
"This is social problem tha involves more than just drugs. It's about feeling loved. If you are loved when you are young you have a better chance not to get caught up in drug use. We have a responsibility as adults to guide and treat our children with dignity. We must not give up!"

The quote above comes from Frida who was one of the speakers for Mentor before the gala charity performance of the musical Mamma Mia!. After the show dinner for 200 guests was served. A total of SEK 950.000 was raised to support Mentor's work.
     Read more about Mentor here.

Frida interview from 1973

Recently got this interview from the Swedish magazine "Min Värld", issue number 10, 1973.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad about her struggle with hopelessness and depressions:
BENNY GIVES ME COURAGE IN MY DARKEST MOMENTS
     - Last summer it wa something began to happen with me, says Anni-Frid Lyngstad. I had a new inner security, something I've been missing before. A new harmony in my existance.
     - I had taken the whole summer off and my two children were here with me. I was able to relax and felt very good. And the whole time my relationship with Benny was also very nice and harmonic.
     - Then, when I started to work in the fall - on a tour with Roffe Berg - then I suddenly felt the change. Suddenly it was such a joy to work. I dared to let go like never before. I felt more free and more secure.
     Frida has had some success lately, both as a solo artist and in a group together with her fiancé Benny Andersson and their best friends Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus. Just recently they had a number one hit on Europatoppen.
     Anni-Frid has had the chance to travel around in the world. This winter she sang in Japan. Recently she participated in a song festival in Venezuela for a week. She has done television in Austria.
     - In some way it feels much more fun to sing this year, says Frida. And what I'm most pleased about is that it's going so well for the four of us. I like it best when I sing together with the others. Then I get a feeling of security from them. We have a security among us. I don't have to feel alone, little, scared and nervous. And it's wonderful to work together with Benny.

     - Benny means so much to me, both in private and in my work. He is always there for me. He gives me strength.
     - I used to think it was difficult to work and live together. That it would make you tired of each other when you're together all the time. But now, when we are more settled in our relationship and we feel safe with each other, it's just comfortable.
     - Benny and I are quite different, and naturally there has been conflicts and missunderstandings sometimes. Benny is more outgoing, happy and positive. I'm more of a serious kind of person.
     - I'm sensitive and can get depressed, fall into dark periods when everything feels difficult and insurmountable. Last spring, for example, I was having a time like that. One thinks everything is pointless and boring. You want to reinvent yourself. Maybe change what you are doing. Sometimes I have even thought about giving up the singing. I've been thinking "what am I doing"?
     - During times like that Benny is always there for me and he gives me new courage. He won't accept that I let myself fall down into darkness and despair, instead he makes me do something. And I have become much move even tempered now, calmer.
     - Benny has a lot of patience with me, and with everything. He is warm and tender. I can talk with him about anything, I don't have to keep feeling bottled up inside. When you feel that someone like Benny cares so much for you - then it becomes an enormous strength. It makes you strong. And safe.
     - I could never live on my own. I have a very big need to live together with someone. Before I met Benny - after I left my old life in Eskilstuna - I was alone for quite a while. It was horrible! I could never stand to go through that again.
     - The most important thing for me is together with someone and make it work. The career comes second.

Anni-Frid has been married before and has two children, Hans, 10 years old and Lotta, 6 years old. They mostly live with their father in Eskilstuna, but regularly comes to visit Anni-Frid and Benny.
     - Being together with my children is also very important to me, says Anni-Frid. If I didn't have the children, my life would seem empty! Benny and the children are the best I have.
     - I have a very good relationship with my children. It's very good when you can have that arrangement after a divorce. It has never been a problem for us. Never any conflicts or a tug-of-war over the children. We have arranged it the way we both feel is the best for the children. And now they are old enough to understand how it works.
     - Sometimes they can be with me for weeks. It's good for their father to get some rest every now and then, since he has them most of the time. Naturally, I have missed them terribly sometimes, but we do have each other. We talk to each other over the phone several times a week. It's such a nice feeling when I pick up the phone and hear "- Hi it's Hans, how are you?". They tell me about everything, their likes and dislikes. About when they recently had the chicken pox. How Hans is doing in school. He is in the fourth grade now. I like it when they turn to me, I enjoy giving them advice and help.

The children often comes and visit Anni-Frid and Benny at their house in Vallentuna, where they moved about a year ago. There the children have their own room. Sometimes during the holidays both Anni-Frid's two children and Benny' s two come at the same time. That makes for a lively time in the house.
     - It's wonderful to live outside of the city, says Anni-Frid. We have the woods just around the corner. It's everything we dreamed it would be. We often take long walks and go skiing when there's snow. It's such a difference to the small city apartment and the air is so much cleaner.
     - Last summer the children spent a lot of time here with me. Hans went to camp for a while, but Lotta was here all summer. We spent almost all of our time at the local swimmingpool, swimming and sunbathing.
     - Benny and I don't plan on having any more children, we already have four together. But I guess you never know.

We are still working on the house. There is still a lot to be done. It takes time to get a house in order. We have done alot of the work ourselves. We did the new upholstery on the couches together and I have been sewing curtains and covers for the furniture.
     - I enjoy doing things around the house. It's mostly me who does the cooking. I like experimenting. Benny is not so fond of cooking, but he doesn't mind cleaning. We live like most families in our spare time. We watch TV, talk, read, take walks with our dog. I draw and paint and I enjoy sewing. I have always liked that. Last year I went through Tillskärarakademien to learn how sew professionally.
     - We have discussed getting married. But we haven't - as strange as it may sound - had the time to do it yet! Mainly because we have decided that once we do get married we will have a three day long wedding party! We will invite all our friends and have a great time. The ceremony itself is really not that important to us, but we want that as well. We do want a church wedding and I want to wear a long, white dress.
     - We talk a lot about music at our home of course. It's both a hobby and our profession. Lately the four of us, Benny and I and Björn and Agnetha, have spent almost all our time together. Especially since we are neighbours here in Vallentuna now. And it's working out great. The first time when we worked together it became quite heated, it was on a restaurant tour a couple of years ago. Back then we didn't know each other that well. But now we have learned to discuss without any hard words among us.
     - We really ought to get a group name. Right now we just use our names, but Björn, Agnetha and Frida are difficult to pronounce abroad. Right now we are working on an album in English together. And this spring there will be a TV-show and a radio show where we will be hosting. During summer we will go on tour in the folk parks for three months. But it will only be Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Benny and Björn are working as producers during the normal weekdays. I plan to have some time off and I think the children will come and visit me again.

WOW! Frida boxset release 31 October!

I just read the fantastic news at the official ABBA-site. It looks great, a four CD and one DVD box set. And the really good news, in my opinion, is that the DVD will contain TV-appearances from Frida's very first time on Swedish TV in 1967 up until now 2005! This is really good news!

Here's the pressrelease from Universal:

Frida's 60th birthday celebrated with CD and DVD box set
Frida – Her voice captures notes as precisely as it does the listener’s heart.
For four decades Frida’s distinctive voice has mesmerized us in everything from 60s schlager, to big band jazz in which her voice hits notes with precision, elegance and skill, to ABBA’s decade-long international success with Frida and Agnetha’s voices creating unique resonance, to her work post-ABBA and the release of three very different and exciting albums in the 80s and 90s.
    This year Frida celebrates her 60th birthday with the release of this special box set collection of her four solo albums and DVD.
     Recorded in 1975 as Frida was in the middle of her ABBA career, ”Frida Ensam” was influenced by the ABBA sound and included the Björn and Benny-penned “Fernando” in Swedish, a song that would later become a staple of ABBA’s repertoire.
     Following ABBA’s breakup in 1982, Frida recorded “Something’s Going On” in Polar Studios with Phil Collins. The album was a huge success.
     In 1984 Frida teamed up with another talented Englishman, Steve Lilywhite, behind the mixer. The result was the innovative, very modern “Shine".
     In 1996 Frida recorded her most recent album,”Djupa Andetag”, in Swedish with producer Anders Glenmark.
     From the breathtaking Swiss Alps, Frida shares with us her thoughts on her influences, musical role models, fans, her development and her private life and their impact on her 40-year music career.
     The DVD contains over three hours of clips from Swedish television appearances as well as videos spanning Frida’s career, and her work with Phil Collins and other international stars.
Follow Frida from her 1967 debut and breakthrough in Hylands hörna to her favorite club in Zermatt in the summer of 2005.

Release: October 31st
Cat no box: 602498735046 (NTSC version), 602498735039 (PAL version)
Box includes: 4Cds + 1 DVD + 20 page booklet
Cat no DVD amarey box: 602498735015 (NTSC version), 602498735008 (PAL version)
Track listing coming soon...

ABBA in Australia 1976

Lots of police. Airports closed down. Screaming fans of all ages from 10 years old and upwards. Hotel entrances besieged.
     Does it sound like a description of a Beatles or Rolling Stones' visit in Sweden in the midsixties?
     This is about a Swedish group this time. ABBA's popularity on the other side of the world culminated in endless rows of pressconferences - most of them shown on TV (!) during the groups ten day visit in the beginning of March.

ABBA IN AUSTRALIA -
A FORMIDABLE TRIUMPH
The parallell with the Beatles is not a Swedish idea. Australia, which didn't experience the pop era's breakthrough as intensely 10 years ago, has become a huge record market during the 70's.
     - The second best market after Scandinavia for us, Benny beamed in front of the hundreds of radio and TV-microphones which accompanied ABBA in Sydney and Melbourne. Both are large cities, together they are the homes of half of the 14 million Australian citizens.
     And flattered Australian reporters thanked, smiled and timidly asked for autographs. To them songs like Mamma Mia, I Do I Do, Waterloo, Honey Honey and whatever they are called are pop music of the highest carat.
     - Australia simply love ABBA's image of proper and well dressed youth, explained Mr. Lionel McCabe, one of the initiator of ABBA's long trip "down under".
     - No other group has ever had 3-4 songs in the charts at the same time. That's what we think is one explanation that says it all.
     ABBA's clothes are also very popular. Everyone was surprised when Anni-Frid Lyngstad time and time again had to explain that they are made by two gentlemen from Stockholm, Owe Sandström and Lars Wigenius. Together they have a company called Artistdressing; even Lill-Babs use their services for their great ideas. Owe Sandström is also a biologist and teaches at Spånga high school.
     Since Sweden hasn't had the chance to see ABBA's new clothes yet having a look at these pages will give you an idea.
     Most of the time in Australia was spent in TV-studios. Some were last-minute-calls to join talkshows. And for the other part there was the production of a 45 minute TV-special, which Mr. McCabe is hoping to be able to sell to TV networks in Europe.
     - But then of course we will have to add some kangaroos and koala bears, Stikkan Anderson insisted. He is a man who thinks ahead all the time.
     We have to feel a little bit sorry for ABBA though. Imagine - in Australia now there's a beautiful, hot late summer. With tantalizing beaches, espceially around Sydney, beuatiful green golf courses, emerald green swimmingpools for the ones who don't dare to force the barricades of autograph hunters outside the hotell.
     - It's enough to drive you mad, mumbled Agnetha Fältskog, more than once. Now when we have the chance to get a nice tan, we have to travel around in limousines.
     Oh well, in the end they did manage to get one day off. ABBA got to meet kangaroo babies. The Ulvaeus family - Björn and Agnetha - even though of buying one. Their daughter Linda, 3, who is at home on Lidingö has no pets since they had to leave the family dog to their relatives.

THIS ARTICLE COMES FROM HÄNT I VECKAN, APRIL 1976

The Guys Write The SongsThe Girls Make The Clothes

From Swedish pop magazine "GO" 1974.

It's hard to deny that ABBA have had a bigger success than any other Scandinavian group. Even when they won in the Melodi Grand Prix, it wasn't sure that it was "Waterloo" that would become the million copy seller. There has been winners before who hasn't sold hardly any copies. But, as Björn Ulvaeus says:
     - We are also the only ones who have written a Grand Prix winner for 20 year olds.

The Guys
Write The Songs,
The Girls Make
The Clothes
He is totally correct about that. It's possible that the fate of the songs in the finally are decided by 45 year old judges, but at their age they don't go out and buy many records. On the other hand, that is what ABBA's fan base do and that's very lucky for them.
    "Waterloo" has sold over 3.000.000 copies world wide - and it has been a smash hit all thorugh Europe, in the US and in Japan. The fact it got so high in the US is probably the most important. Because America is a place where they never have done any promotion on TV, since The Melody Grand Prix is something totally unknown there. But ABBA managed to get a break there - unlike Slade, Gary Glitter and T. Rex - who all three of them have had a lot bigger staff for publicity.

FASHION DESIGNERS
While Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson consistently write ABBA's melodies - also the newly released hit single "Honey Honey" taken from their album "Waterloo" - the girls Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad are working as consultants in cool clothes. It's them who are behind the colourfull and smart clothes.
     Even earlier when the quartett had minor success with "Ring Ring" they were still making solo albums at the same time. That time is over now. ABBA has become such a big thing that there simply isn't any time to do anything else. And don't forget there are children to consider. Agnetha and Björn have one, Benny and Anni-Frid two.
     The fall will be the time of the live performances. They are going to introduce themselves in all of Europe - and in the US - and they have some of the best musicians with them to help. Björn and Benny are not satisfied just singing, so Björn plays guitarr and Benny organ or electric piano.

NEW ALBUM BEFORE CHRISTMAS
The sequel to "Waterloo" has already been recorded without too many problems. Abroad there will be a re-release of "Ring Ring". In Sweden, Denmark and Norway "Honey Honey" taken from the album will be released. And it's not impossible at all that they will be able to get more song from the Waterloo album as singles, which at least has 4-5 potenital hits.
     But that's making it easy for you. And ABBA don't do things that way. They have spent the summer to create new material for a single and an LP which will be ready just in time before Christmas.
     The audience have to accept that neither Björn nor Benny have time to work with Hootenanny Singers or Hep Stars, and that they hardly will have any time writing songs for and producing other Polar Music artists recordings.
      With ABBA Sweden got it's first internationally sounding group and now it's time to step up to the plate and make their mark with even more and even better records. That is something ABBA's manager Stikkan Anderson knows far to well. That is why they are working so hard right now.

The show that fascinated everyone

Here's another 1977 German article. I still to this day can't figure out why the press at least in writing could get the girl's names right. I understand the whole Anna-thing, Agnetha is difficult to pronounce, but why Annafrid? Never mind, here's the article.
     Thanks to Matthias for the translation, and to Michael for giving me the article.

Far away in Perth (Australia) on the 12th of March ABBA's triumphant world-tour ended in front of 20.000 spectators in the Entertainment Centre. 26 sold-out concerts, 82 hours in the plane and nearly five weeks of living in hotels have passed for Anna,  Björn, Annafrid and Benny. In ABBA's staff there were 35 people who were travelling with four tons of equipment in three lorries, one coach, three limos and one private jet.     
     - The enthusiasm and the success that came along with the tour were amazing, said Benny after the last concert. But now all 4 of us are really happy that we can relax on our Swedish island for the next three weeks.
     Particularly Anna and Annafrid are glad to have their men just for themselves again.     
     - Often I only saw Björn on stage and in bed, Anna said. And Annafrid admits:
     - I quite liked it, to be on stage again and entertain a grateful audience.

THE ABBA-GIRLS HAVE done a great job every evening: Annafrid, when she was dancing on stage wearing tight velvet pants doing her turns with the microphone and clapping her hands on her legs with feeling. Or think of Anna, when she got rid of her robe after the show started just to show her cool dress, that fits like a second skin. Even better when both girls were twisting around wearing glamorous wigs and short dancing dresses. We show you the greatest pictures of the ABBA-gig on the following pages.     
     - I wouldn't have thought we looked that hot, said the blond Anna when she looked at these BRAVO-pictures.     
     Björn and Benny, always a bit the odd ones out when the girls started their great show, had to confess:      
     - It's a weird feeling when you realize that your girl is beeing watched by thousands of eyes. Sometimes you even start to get jelous...

BY GERALD BÜCHERLMAIER

The new book, what a nice surprise!

I wrote earlier this summer about the new ABBA book for kids 9-12 years old. Today I got it. And what a nice surprise it was! It's not that big, approx 15 x 20 cm in size and 80 pages and it's in Swedish. But it has some great photos! I love it when different  (however slightly) pictures from well known photo shoots are made available for us faithful fans. I didn't expect much after I saw the cover - how overused is that photo?
     The author, Helena Bross, has previously published easy-to-read books about Olof Palme and Astrid Lindgren. The ISBN number is 9163846195.
     The pressrelease says:
"ABBA" is the third book in a series of easy-read-biographies of famous people. It includes unique pictures from private collections.
   "ABBA" is the story about four young people who made music that still lives on and continues to fascinate and spread happiness to generation after generation. Always popular, now with the successfull musical "Mamma Mia!".
     Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson met by chance when their music groups Hootenanny Singers and Hep Stars were touring. They had fun together at a party one night and it ended with them sitting in a flower bed singing together. It was the beginning of a long collaboration.
     A couple of years later was Björn engaged to Agnetha and Benny to Anni-Frid. They realized that the two girls' voices sounded great together. Maybe the four of them should perform together? The first try was a failure. They put together a stageshow at a restaurant in Gothenburg. The music was not written by themselves and they told bad jokes. They promised each other never to be on the same stage again after this experience.
     But something happened. Björn and Benny started to write songs together.
   In 1973 they participated in Melodifestivalen with the song "Ring Ring". Later that year Stikkan Anderson came up with the name ABBA by using the initials from the group member's first names.
     The year after they won the whole contest with a bang, first at home in Sweden and then in Brighton with the song Waterloo". They immediately got successfull in Europe and became stars overnight.
     When the group disbanded in 1982 they had had some tough years trying to stay on top.