Pop Foto, September 1981: Long Live ABBA

They’ve done it again, the four of them. Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Annifrid. Although there may have been some problems, ABBA is still scoring hit after hit and the group has managed to stay on top for almost ten years now.

Despite many rumours that ABBA wouldn’t last for much longer because of all the problems in their private lives, the four members keep on smiling and working hard. They have no intention to quit. The proof of that will come in a very short time.

The tenth ABBA-album is coming! After having enjoyed a month-long holiday at home and on their boats, the ABBA-members are back in the studio to record their new album, that is expected to be in stores in November. Four tracks have been completed already: ‘When all is said and done’, ‘Slipping through my fingers’, ‘Two for the price of one’ and ‘An angel passing through the room’. And of course the new single that will be released in September or October. That’s going to be a brandnew track, a real cracker!
“With every song we record we must have the feeling it could be a hit,” says 36-year old Björn. “When Benny and I have written a song we’re not sure about, we put it aside. Luckily that doesn’t happen too often!”

“With all studio-recordings we use three musicians,” says Benny. “Rutger Gunnarsson or Mike Watson on bass, Ola Brunkert or Roger Palm on drums and Janne Schaffer or Lasse Wellander on guitar. You can hear them on almost all our records. All six of them are terrific musicians. With them we always do the first recordings of a new song. It seldom happens that Agnetha and Frida are there as well. They come in later. And they don’t mind at all. On stage they are able to make up for it. Then they get all the attention they deserve.”

“You know,” Björn says, “Benny and I may write all the songs, but without the voices of Agnetha and Frida and their enormous input, ABBA would never have become as famous. Next year we will be on top for ten years. It all started in 1972 with the song 'People need love', which was a tremendous success for us. That record was followed by our Eurovision victory in 1973, and after that numerous gold and platinum records. The reason why ABBA is still existing is that, despite our divorces, we still get along great. You shouldn’t believe all those rumours about ABBA splitting up. Because those ten years, something that will be celebrated in a big way next year, will not be the end of it. We will continue. For years to come!”