Hitkrant, February 1983: Björn Ulvaeus reveals: "Without ABBA, I would have left Agnetha as well"

You can tell that Dallas was a very popular show around this time, as the Ewing-empire is even compared to ABBA's in this article. And yet another interesting spelling of Frida's name: Anni-Fred.“People have the tendency to overestimate the ABBA-fortune,” says a relaxed Björn. “No-one talks about the enormous effort it takes to live up to that status. Also, there’s never any gossip about the substantial losses that every well doing company has to endure sometimes. Our investments in the oil industry almost led to our downfall. Three million pounds down the drain.”
Just like the unthreatened Ewing-empire, ABBA often has to bear a setback as well. Financial and emotional trouble that wouldn’t be out of place in an average episode of Dallas. Still, Sweden’s number one export product keeps its steady market value. Who of the four members has the secret recipe?
“To keep on developing is undoubtedly one of the essential ingredients to survive in this business,” Björn claims. “ABBA has left the casual pop behind as well, to show more creativity, and also to become more personal. When we started out, we just rhymed the words together and put them on top of the melody. It didn’t really matter then, if they made sense. Three years ago, I felt that we couldn’t go on like that. I was fed up with all this rhyming. Too much emotional confusion was seeking an outlet. ‘Under Attack’ for instance, is very challenging lyrically.”

It’s obvious that the internal ABBA-kitchen, where things can get to a boiling point any second, remains an endless source of inspiration. Has it ever been hard on Björn to air that dirty laundry publicly?
“No, I may say it was even therapeutic. Your sadness and problems have to come out somewhere. It also did the group a lot of good to finally deal with real emotions, the problems that kept us awake at night. The latest songs are a mishmash, an extract – and not rarely a bitter one – of our own confrontations and tensions.”

Was the ABBA-pressure on your shoulders the cause of the two divorces within the group?
“The separation between Agnetha and myself was of a complete personal nature. The crucial problem had nothing to do with the group or our career. The same goes for Benny and Anni-Frid. The past few months I have pondered a lot about that question. But even if I were a carpenter and Agnetha and office employee, the inevitable would have happened as well.”

Wasn’t it terribly hard to keep on working together in those circumstances?
“There have been several rumours about that, but they were complete nonsense. A long period of talking and contemplating precedes a drastic decision like a divorce. I was very confident when I finally made the decision and the others were convinced as well that this would be the best decision for ourselves and the survival of the group. We just kept on going as friends and colleagues. When you claim to be completely professional, you should be able to handle something like this.”

Still, the audience has the impression that both men are calling the shots, and the girls have very little say.
“Not completely true,” Björn claims. “We often have to make a comprise to Anni-Frid and Agnetha, to make things work. That’s what we do in several areas. But artistically, someone has to take the lead. That happens to be Benny and me.”

This and other basic rules that, despite the fact that they’re not much fun, are still maintained, have made ABBA very successful. Since the Beatles there hasn’t been any other group that achieved this amount of success. Of course, having a lot of money is rather nice but even an overwhelming bank account often causes problems.
“Our children are threatened with kidnapping continually. For us, being famous is not always fun either. The amount of threats and abuse aimed at myself has increased alarmingly the past few years. Our wealth has increased gradually. Every year we did a little better. That’s why it’s very difficult to tell if that abundance has really changed you. Firstly, money means a lot of freedom. Other people, who don’t have these means, often have to look for an inferior alternative. We don’t know that feeling. Apart from that, it’s not my style to collect ten fabulous limousines when I don’t have the time to actually take them out for a nice drive. And we make mistakes as well. Just like any other successful Swedish company, we are obliged to invest a part of the money we’ve made in the national industry. Otherwise, it all goes to taxes and that’s even worse. We also took a gamble on a brilliant future for the oil industry and in hindsight that didn’t turn out too well. The immense amount of money that we wasted on that, has been made up for in the meantime, but still it’s a big shock when three million pounds disappear from your bank account all of a sudden!"

Hitkrant, November 1980: 10 years of ABBA - the complete story

Dutch magazine Hitkrant published this extensive booklet in 1980, celebrating 10 years of ABBA.

In November 1970, Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad decide to follow a musical path as a foursome. On November 1 they make their debut as the Festfolk Quartet in a theatre in Gothenburg: the start of one of the most successful careers in pop music. That’s right, ten years of ABBA!




A meeting with big consequences - ABBA the beginning

What defines a super-group? How many records should have been sold, how many fans should have attended your concerts, how many letters should have been received and how much money should have been made? Of course, there are no rules, but it has become clear that ABBA belongs in the category of super-groups, just like the Beatles, the BeeGees, the Rolling Stones and a few other legendary groups in pop-music.

When you attract more viewers with a television broadcast than the historical broadcast of the first moon landing (in Australia), when you manage to get your records sold in Eastern Europe as the only Western pop-group, when in your home country, Sweden, you are the most important export product. Yes, then you are a super-group.

We are celebrating ABBA’s tenth anniversary right now, but the story starts at an earlier stage: in 1966, when two, not completely unknown, Swedish pop-musicians meet at a party. Björn Ulvaeus is singing with the Hootenanny Singers, a popular folk/pop-group, while Benny Andersson is playing keyboards with and writing songs for one of Sweden’s most popular groups at that time, the Hep Stars.

Björn and Benny had met each other before, but at this party in Västervik they have more time to talk to each other about music. They shared a drink, and one more, and it’s not known who was the first to say it, but it would have big consequences: “Let’s try to write a song together.”

That’s what they did. That same night, Björn and Benny join together with a guitar and an organ and early in the morning the first Ulvaeus/Andersson offering is ready: ‘Isn’t It Easy To Say’. The Hep Stars would record the song later, but it doesn’t become a hit. No worries: Björn and Benny would create lots of million-sellers together in the years to come.
When Björn is getting tired of the Hootenanny Singers, and there’s room for one more member in the Hep Stars, it all happens very quickly: the collaboration between Benny and Björn is finding its shape and one song after the other derives from that collaboration. The Hep Stars have an enormous hit with ‘A Flower In My Garden’ and songs like ‘Sunny Girl’ and ‘Music Box’ become international hits, in Holland as well.
The Hep Stars split due to internal problems and Benny and Björn are trying to find new ways to explore their musical ideas. At the end of the sixties, Björn had already met a blonde singer, Agnetha Fältskog. That acquaintance led to an engagement in April 1970, during a holiday on Cyprus. Around the same time, Benny had met a red-haired, Norwegian singer named Anni-Frid Lyngstad, which was love at first sight as well. The foursome spent quite some time together and it was obvious that both girls would do the backing vocals on the first joint Björn and Benny record. That was ‘She’s My Kind Of Girl’, but the sleeve only mentioned Benny and Björn’s names. That would change later on...

Swedish foursome finds its Waterloo - ABBA the sequel

‘To find his Waterloo’ means something like ‘to be beaten once and for all’, it originates from the village Waterloo where Napoleon suffered his last defeat. But for ABBA, that saying means something completely different: ‘Waterloo’ was the title of the song that gave the four Swedes the victory in the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton on April the 6th 1974. Their Waterloo meant the definitive breakthrough.

Three years before that, ABBA was hesitatingly beginning to take shape, primarily due to Björn and Benny’s talent in songwriting, who were now famous all over Sweden. They wrote one song after the other, film-music as well as pop-songs, made records and became known together with Agnetha and Anni-Frid after their first joint single ‘She’s My Kind Of Girl’ from 1971. The name ABBA was starting to become known.

On the morning of Björn and Agnetha’s wedding, on the first of July 1971, Björn was offered a job by one Stig Anderson, a former teacher, former singer, now owner of a record company and a music publishing company. Björn and Benny knew Stig already: together with him they had already written a song for a singer. Stig needed a producer and asked Björn for the job. He was fine with that, as long as Stig hired Benny as well. Since there wasn’t enough money for that, Björn offered to split the salary between Benny and him. Stig, being the businessman that he was, agreed and started to work on ABBA seriously.

It was time for action and when the Swedish broadcasting company invited ABBA late 1972 to enter the Swedish heats for the Eurovision Song Contest, they didn’t have to think twice. Björn, Benny and Stig retreated to the now famous island in Stockholm and wrote ‘Ring Ring’; that song should be able to conquer Sweden and subsequently the rest of the world.
That didn’t happen. Although the audience was almost unanimous that ‘Ring Ring’ was the best entry and that ABBA offered the best performance – despite the fact that Agnetha was heavily pregnant – the jury apparently thought otherwise and put ABBA in third place. Ultimately, that jury was proven wrong when ‘Ring Ring’ quickly became an international hit.

The song made sure that ABBA became a household name in Sweden, so they had to go on tour: in the summer of 1973, Björn, Agnetha, Benny and Frida went on the road across Sweden and were very successful! Packed houses and enthusiastic audiences proved that ABBA could do no wrong in their own country. But the rest of Europe was waiting in line as well, with the next Eurovision Song Contest. ABBA had entered the Swedish heats twice now (the first time, with singer Lena Andersson singing Benny and Björn’s ‘Better To Have Loved’ was good for a third place as well) and the foursome was determined to really win this time. They wanted to go to Brighton.

Well, we know what happened: they succeeded. ABBA won the Swedish heats with 302 out of 495 points, and so the whole machinery was started immediately. They didn’t waste any time to release ‘Waterloo’ as a single, the promotional campaign started and in a few days time, Stig visited seven European capitals to overflow the music-executives with ABBA already. Then that momentous 6th of April arrived. Dressed in eye-catching costumes and wearing platform boots, ABBA didn’t have the slightest problem catching the attention of both audience and jury. Neither did ‘Waterloo’: ABBA won with a six-point lead to the runner-up. Within weeks, ‘Waterloo’ reached number one in twelve European charts and ABBA had turned from a fairly unknown Swedish group into a top-attraction.

Conquer the world with music - ABBA the empire

Yes, ‘Waterloo’ got ABBA over the threshold of international success. But you are wrong to think that a pop-group can sit back and relax, take a drink, look at each other and say: “So, that was it.” The real work is only beginning. And although Frida and Agnetha, but especially Björn and Benny, are worn out after the turbulent days in England: ‘The show must go on’. ABBA can’t afford to sit still.

Nevertheless, ABBA were allowed to take a holiday after the tiring Eurovision Song Contest and of course it was spent on the island in the Stockholm archipelago. Additionally, the announced tour across Sweden was postponed and not everyone was particularly happy with that, especially the owners of the venues were furious.

But ABBA didn’t give in: Björn and Benny not only were artists, but producers as well, hired by Polar Music, and there was work to be done, so the time was really necessary. Besides that, a lot of offers for television-performances and other publicity came in, it was only natural that in these early stages of worldwide success, the group couldn’t let any opportunity to show themselves go by. But a tour was necessary as well: Europe wanted to see those four young Swedes, that had won Eurovision, in the flesh. The tour was planned for the Winter of 1974; the premiere would take place in Hamburg, with a try-out in Kopenhagen, and it would take the foursome to Austria and Switzerland. Although the audiences were enthusiastic and the critics were favourable, ABBA wasn’t satisfied: the venues were rarely sold out, the audiences were older than expected and financially the tour wasn’t a success either. Fortunately, the postponed Scandinavian tour, that was about to start, would be a lot more successful!

And now, it was about time to release a new single; although ‘Waterloo’ was still in several charts, a follow-up was eventually needed. In August 1974, ‘Honey, Honey’ was released. The single was a success, except for England where the group Sweet Dreams had already released a cover-version of the song, so it made no sense to release the ABBA-version of ‘Honey, Honey’ as well.
Either way, England was a difficult country for ABBA: it wouldn’t be until the end of 1975 before the mediocre successes of the previous singles were improved upon by a number-one record. That happened with ‘Mamma Mia’.
Alas, the rest is history: after ‘Honey, Honey’ came ‘I do, I do, I do’ and then ‘SOS’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Fernando’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Money, Money, Money’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and – but wait – in the meantime we’re in 1977 and something else did happen along the way.

You can have all the success in the world in Europe, as a pop-group you have truly arrived when you are accepted in America. In September 1974, ABBA visited the large continent and after that, again in November 1975. The first time, the visit was restricted to interviews, press-conferences and activities like that. The second time, things got serious: seven television-performances in a time-span of two weeks, the highlight being a performance on the Saturday Night Show, a very popular TV-show. America had gotten acquainted with ABBA and that acquaintance had been good mutually.
Another continent was easier to conquer: Australia fell for ABBA without hesitation. Half a million albums and 600.000 singles being sold within half a year was enough proof of that. Of course, that meant ABBA had to come to Australia and that happened in 1976. The reception was overwhelming and the TV-show that ABBA taped, achieved TV-ratings of almost 60 percent, more than the broadcast of the historical moon landing. In Australia, the young and the old agreed: ABBA was on top!
In a few years time, the group had become an international attraction. Countries behind the Iron Curtain, such as Poland, East-Germany, and even Russia don’t get a lot of music from the West, but ABBA managed to achieve an unprecedented popularity in those territories. Especially in Poland, sometimes an amount of 250 Dutch guilders is being paid for an ABBA-album.
The third album, after ‘Ring Ring’ and ‘Waterloo’, was simply named ‘ABBA’ and was released in the middle of 1975. The pressing-factories couldn’t keep up with the demand and the reviews were positive. In Sweden, an unprecedented 400.000 copies were being sold, and it wouldn’t be long before ‘ABBA’ reached top-positions in all European album-charts.

The next album was a compilation already: ‘The Best Of ABBA’ contained all of ABBA’s single-hits and – it’s getting tedious – it again reached number one in the charts. An album of single-hits proved to be very appealing because in 1976 ‘The Very Best Of ABBA’ followed. That same year, ‘Arrival’ was released, containing massive hits like ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘Money, Money, Money’.
In 1977, an album was released that is regarded as the best from their career by ABBA-connoisseurs: ‘ABBA – The Album’. ‘Take A Chance On Me’, ‘The Name Of The Game’, ‘Eagle’ and ‘Thank You For The Music’ marked this album. But of the same importance was ‘ABBA – The Movie’, ABBA’s first feature-film, that was screened that same year. It wasn’t really a movie, but more a documentary about ABBA’s turbulent tour of Australia in 1977, with a storyline about an Australian journalist who doesn’t succeed to get an interview with ABBA, who is having several encounters with ABBA in his dreams and finally, accidentally... yes.

The fifth ABBA Stig Anderson: musician and businessman

He is often referred to as ‘the fifth ABBA’ and that’s not just because he’s the president of Polar Records and Sweden Music: Stig Anderson is a businessman as well as a musician and that makes him the ideal candidate for a successful record-executive. Whatever he is; when Stig left school at the age of 13 and started to work as a help at the grocery-store in the village Hova, he made two Dutch guilders a week. That was in 1944: in 1978, Polar made a turnover of 825.000 each week!

Stig was born on January the 25th 1931 and when he was five years old, he got a gramophone and some records. Later on, when he bought his first guitar from his own money, his career as a travelling musician started. At the age of 16, he wrote ‘Tiveds Hambo’, a musical dance that is still being played. When Stig noticed that his music was worthwile, he started to study music in 1948.
Three years later, he started his study to become a teacher, but he wouldn’t be in a classroom very much. Writing and performing music is where his heart was; his first song was released in 1950 and in 1953, a record of his was released, titled ‘Tivedens Ros’. A music-critic made the following remark about that: “I’m sure that the composer/lyric-writer Stig Anderson has a more prosperous future than the singer Stig Anderson.” The man couldn’t have been more right.
In 1960, Stig wrote the number-one hit ‘Klas-Göran’ for singer Lill Babs and that success gave him the idea to start a music publishing company. That became Sweden Music. Still, Stig kept on writing and in the sixties he was Sweden’s most well-known composer/lyric-writer. In a time-span of 11 years he wrote no less than 2000 lyrics!

The rest is history: Stig was one of the reasons for ABBA’s worldwide fame and the empire that he runs no longer incorporates just a music publishing company and a record company; the interests of the Swedish multinational are diverse: from warehouses to bicycle factories, from oil companies to import- and export companies. And the most important export article is of course ABBA.
Frida has once stated about ‘Stikkan’: “He’s one of the best people I know. Not easy to work with, but he’s incredibly intelligent and he always knows exactly how to handle things.” Benny: “Actually, Stikkan doesn’t exist. We made him up for the journalists.” And Björn: “Stikkan didn’t discover us, we discovered him!”

Divorce, marriage, having children - ABBA the private life

Agnetha, Björn, Frida and Benny are not four musical machines. Just like everybody else, the four Swedish stars have a private life and that’s not always easy. After all, the fan not only wants to know how ABBA makes music, but also how their living room looks like, how the children are doing, whether Benny likes pea soup, and what Agnetha is doing in her spare time. It’s one of the disadvantages of being famous and it’s not always easy on the ABBA-members.

Indeed, both Anni-Frid and Benny have children from previous relationships, but they are not living with them. It’s different for Björn and Agnetha: daughter Linda and son Christian are still small and, just like any other child, they need their parent’s attention. That’s not always easy.
A tour can make a separation like that very difficult and Agnetha isn’t very fond of those treks around the world for months on end. Most of the time, the children travel along on short trips, but that’s not always possible, so the children will have to resort to a nanny.
Especially now Linda is growing up, it’s often the cause of problems and Agnetha has stated on several occasions that she finds this part of her profession very difficult.Then there was the divorce: when Agnetha and Björn decided to separate at the end of 1978, the international media threw themselves on that event like vultures. ABBA would be dissolved, Agnetha and Björn would both have new partners, the stories were going around. Fortunately, a quiet press-conference in Switzerland put an end to all the rumours. The decision to get divorced was an amicable one and ABBA would certainly not break up because of that.

The fact that Frida and Benny decided to get married, after having lived together for years, gave rise to new speculations: the reason for it would be tax-related, the terms of the contract with Polar Music would have something to do with it, the media had a lot to write about. And Benny and Frida just got married...
Of course that’s the only thing to do to keep your sanity amid all the fuss of the media, radio, television and fans: remain calm. ABBA has always been able to do that, also where their private life is concerned. They allow the audience a view behind the scenes, but they never go too far. Everything they don’t want to share is politely, but resolutely denied. And that attitude has only made the group’s unity stronger.

The end is not in sight - ABBA the future

It’s 1979: the album ‘Voulez-Vous’ and the accompanying single ‘Does Your Mother Know’ make many people exclaim in awe: “ABBA goes disco!” No worries: although ‘Does Your Mother Know’ indeed has some disco-influences, ABBA remains ABBA. Or, as Björn puts it: “We make European music with a bit of American and a bit of English.”

Other tracks from the ‘Voulez-Vous’ album indicate that European music: the monsterhit ‘Chiquitita’, the title-track ‘Voulez-Vous’, they all become number-one hits again. And during the sensational world-tour in that year – that fortunately comes to Holland as well – it becomes clear that it isn’t over for ABBA just yet.

We know it: 1980 brings us the latest ABBA-album ‘Super Trouper’, of which the single ‘The Winner Takes It All’ is the forerunner (yes, number one again) and the title-track ‘Super Trouper’ the follow-up. Meanwhile, it has been announced that ‘On And On And On’ will be the next single, while England will get a Christmas-single: ‘Happy New Year’.
ABBA remains on top of the world and has founded a pop-empire that’s unprecedented in history, or it should be the Beatles-empire. But an empire has to be directed, otherwise it will collapse; Stig Anderson is taking care of that, together with his staff, among which the faithful vice-president of Polar Music, Görel Johnsen (who is named Mrs. Hanser after her marriage to a Stockholm photographer) and daughter Marie.

How to continue when you are on top and are planning to stay there? Agnetha, Frida, Björn and Benny have always acknowledged that they don’t remain in the music business because of the money, or because they need a job and they don’t know anything else to do. No, all four of them are passionate about music and they have chosen the profession that appeals to them the most. Benny: “If we would continue because of the money or to have something to do, we would fall flat musically. The audience isn’t stupid!”
The plans: “ABBA goes on” sounds so corny, but it is true. There are still territories that could have more interest in ABBA. America is not fully conquered yet and slowly Eastern Europe is starting to warm up to ABBA. That’s a task for the organization behind the group. ABBA themselves have to go on making good music. That they are able to do that, has undoubtedly been proven in those ten years.

Popcorn, 1981: Wanna bet... ABBA will never perform again!

This article was published in German magazine Popcorn, shortly after interviews with the ABBA-members had appeared in English newspaper Daily Mirror, hinting to ABBA coming to an end.

The report was maintained for exactly four hours: ABBA – that’s what ‘Today’s Tours’ announced – according to their manager Stig Anderson, will start a world-tour on February the 16th 1982 with 120 dates, among them a dozen in Germany. Immediately, the verdict came from the ABBA headquarter in Stockholm: “This tour is pure speculation. ABBA would like to tour again, but at a much later date.” If there will ever be a live-concert by the super-group again, is more than unlikely. “The motivation to work together is practically zero,” is what a connoisseur of the situation is saying. “Ever since Benny filed for divorce and Björn remarried and became a father again, both girls show absolutely no interest in the group any longer. No-one who knows the atmosphere among the four members, that have fallen out privately, can imagine that ABBA will ever be seen together in public again – let alone go on tour together.” Swedish insiders are placing bets on when the end of ABBA will officially be announced. The moments that are being named vary between the end of 1981 and the spring of 1982.

ABBA themselves have contributed a lot to the fact that they are being given so little time. For example, there have been the unfriendly interviews in the English newspaper Daily Mirror, in which all four members speak their minds about their divorce and talk very grievous about each other. The recent ABBA-recordings also gave cause to the speculations about a split. Already in April, the three new songs ‘When All Is Said And Done’, Slipping Through My Fingers’ and ‘Two For The Price Of One’ were finished. All three of them would be on the next ABBA-album, one of them would be the new single. But then the three tracks failed to impress the international sales executives at the usual test-introduction (the past three years, every ABBA-single was tested this way on its chances for success): no catchy melodies, little hit potential. The four Swedes – who were ready for their holiday – had to go back into the studio.
At the time of writing it’s still unsure if there will be a new ABBA-single at all this summer, or if there will be another track singled out of the ‘Super Trouper’ album. It’s a clear sign of the creative crisis of the group, that has achieved the biggest and most spectacular career in rock-history, after the Beatles.

It all started on a summer day in August 1966. At a party of the Swedish group Hootenanny Singers, Benny Andersson (34) met his future partner Björn Ulvaeus (36). Björn was the leader of the Hootenanny Singers at the time, Benny was a member of the rival group, the Hep Stars. They got on with each other from the word go and became friends, at first only privately. Benny had serious financial problems at the time: the Swedish taxes wanted 259.000 Swedish crowns back-payments from him and Benny didn’t know where to get the money. He wrote songs constantly, hoping he could get rid of his debts by writing one big hit. “I loaned money to produce a record with Annafrid, whom I was together with at the time already,” says Benny, “but that turned into a flop as well.” What was missing in the born musician’s life was a suitable partner, who could turn Benny’s countless compositions into commercial, accessible tunes. In short: Björn was perfect for the job, as a joint jam-session indicated. “We were on the ideal wavelength. Together with Björn I succeeded in picking the essential parts from my many songs and turn them into a whole song.” Stig Anderson, at the time manager of the Hootenanny Singers, was the first to discover the potential of this musical ‘marriage’. The current ABBA-manager persuaded the two to quit their old groups and start a new band. That’s where Annafrid (35) and Agnetha (31), at the time Björn’s girlfriend, came into the picture. Again, this idea came from Stig Anderson: “Two girls and two boys in one group, that was something completely new at that time.”

On November 1 1970, they did their first performance in Göteborg, under the name ‘Festvolk Quartet’. It wasn’t until 1972 that the first single ‘She’s My Kind Of Girl’ was released, after much persuasion at the record company. Still, the breakthrough in Sweden was achieved with the song ‘People Need Love’. On the cover it read ‘Björn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida’, later on that would turn into ABBA. In 1973, the group entered the Swedish heats for the Eurovision Song Contest, but were eliminated. One year later, ABBA made it: with the hit ‘Waterloo’ they were able to go to Brighton, and they won.
ABBA, from this day on it would be a trademark that conquered the world. Cleverly managed by Stig Anderson, one success after the other was achieved. Exactly every four months, a new single was released: in 1974 it was ‘Waterloo’, ‘Honey, Honey’ and ‘So Long’, in 1975 they continued with ‘I do, I do’, ‘SOS’ and ‘Mamma Mia’. Along with the accessible, cleverly arranged songs, that made their mark on both teenagers and grandmothers, came the ideal image: two couples in love make music for millions, it was almost like a fairytale. Over and over again, ABBA stated in interviews: “Our career wouldn’t be possible without our private harmony. We are happy, and that’s what you can hear in our music.”

Today, now the ABBA-couples have separated, we hear a different sound. The latest ABBA press-release literally reads: “Although there are no marriages within the group any longer, the ABBA-members are still very good friends and want to continue working together, like before.” It almost sounds like a vow.
Anyhow, the latest remarks about each other by the ABBA-members, who talked about the collapsed relationships in the English newspaper Daily Mirror, weren’t exactly friendly. Björn about Agnetha: “I couldn’t even talk to her anymore.” Annafrid about Benny: “We are totally different, we were simply incompatible.”
About ABBA’s future, Björn explained: “We are rich. There are no financial reasons to stay together.” And Benny was even more clear: “I think ABBA will go on for two more years, with two new albums.” Fact is that, according to their contract with their German record company, ABBA has to release records for four more years. “But a contract like that – much like the contracts of soccer-players – isn’t worth much more than the paper it’s written on,” is what an insider thinks. “If ABBA wants, they can get out of a contract like that at any time, even though it’s going to cost them a lot of money.” It wouldn’t be too difficult, to buy themselves out. According to their tax-declaration, that has been made public in Sweden, every member has made more than four million German marks in the past year alone.

Pop Foto, October 1978: Will ABBA move to America?

Have the four musical Swedes that we all know as ABBA now surrendered to the big money? To the American dream and the Hollywood promise? Can we, continental Europeans, kiss ABBA goodbye now? Or are the stories about ABBA moving abroad just rumours and can Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni-Frid stand a lot more rudeness of the Swedish media, before they exchange Stockholm for Los Angeles?

One thing is for sure in the total confusion surrounding ABBA’s future. There are things happening around the Swedish super-group, that clearly point in the direction of a move to America.
Firstly, the group has rented a luxurious residence in the centre of American pop-music, that’s big enough for themselves and the two Ulvaeus-children. Secondly, the past year there have been so many unpleasant reports about the group in the Swedish media that the ABBAs are getting sick and tired of it. Thirdly, for quite some time especially Björn and Benny have been playing with the idea of a second ABBA-movie; and what better place is there to tape it than Hollywood?
It all sounds rather disturbing, and you’d almost get the impression that the ABBA-move is definite already, but luckily this isn’t true. Because ABBA has a lot of reasons to stay in Sweden! Of course, there’s the upbringing of little Christian and his sister Linda that – Agnetha is adamant about it - has to take place in Sweden. And then there are the splendid, brand-new houses and the recording-studio, that ABBA has build. Don’t forget those either. Of course, Björn and Benny haven’t build that money-consuming thing to go off and record their records in the US now. On the contrary, ever since the studios were ready, the two ABBA-men have been busy with new ABBA-material, that will be used for the next album. The record should be finished around Christmas and will definitely be recorded in Sweden.
Because the people to whom it concerns refuse to make any remark in the direction of the move-issue, we can only focus on the hopeful words by Stig Anderson, the ABBA-mastermind. “ABBA leaving Sweden? That will never ever happen! They’re much too Swedish for that!”
Let’s leave it at that.

Veronica, 1985: Agnetha Fältskog: "You never get used to success"

This article was published in Dutch TV-guide Veronica in 1985, shortly after Agnetha's Eyes Of A Woman album was released.
Agnetha Fältskog, the 35-year-old ashblonde ABBA-singer, hates doing interviews. But she would like to share a thing or two about her new solo album ‘Eyes Of A Woman’, produced by 10CC’s Eric Stewart. Openly, Agnetha talks to your very own Veronica-guide reporter about her solo career, ABBA’s reunion and her biggest dream... a part in an international movie.

She speaks English with a funny Swedish accent and with a soft, clear voice she talks enthusiastically about her second English-language solo album, that was released worldwide recently.
“Each time when you give birth to a ‘child’ like that, it’s exciting all over again,” says Agnetha. “You just have to wait and see how your record will be received and how it will do. With ABBA, we were incredibly spoiled. Every record was a million-seller. I’ve come to realize that it’s impossible for us as solo artists to expect the same thing. That’s why it’s an enormous kick when the record company calls you up to say that there’s a big demand for your new album all over the world. Because believe me, you never get used to success!”
At a very young age, Agnetha was already a big star in Sweden. Even before her glorious time with ABBA, she recorded six Swedish solo albums, that did very well in her own country. Her first English-language solo album appeared in 1983. With ‘Wrap Your Arms Around Me’, a Mike Chapman production, she proved that she was worthy of international acclaim on her own as well. Chapman’s influence had a lot to do with that. Still, Agnetha chose 10CC keyboard player Eric Stewart as a producer this time. Why is that?
“I had a tremendous time working with Mike, but I want to prevent repeating myself at all cost. That’s why I asked Eric this time. I’ve always been a 10CC fan as well. Eric’s music stands for quality.”
Agnetha is over the moon about her new record, the perfect collaboration with top musicians like Jeff Lynne (ELO), Vic Emmerson (Sad Café), John Wetton and Geoff Downes (Asia). Agnetha’s own composition ‘I Won’t Let You Go’ has been released as a single and is in the Top 40 right now.

When I met Eric for the first time last summer, we must have listened to about 400 songs together. Each time, it’s very hard work to choose suitable songs. That’s why Eric encouraged me to write my own songs. My only regret is that I can’t write lyrics. After three words I go blank, frustrating really. My command of the English language isn’t good enough either. I’m very happy with Eric’s lyrics, they suit me very well. On the B-side of the single, there’s a self-penned ballad ‘You’re There’. Unfortunately, that song didn’t come out as well as I hoped. That’s why it was left off the album. All other songs for ‘Eyes Of A Woman’ have been collected by Eric. Last year, he called several of befriended top composers, who started working especially for me. I think it’s an enormous honour that so many important people wanted to work on my album,” says Agnetha sincerely. “The singing isn’t especially easy for me,” she confesses. “I’m very ambitious, maybe too ambitious. It always takes some time before I find the right sound. Sometimes I have to re-record my vocals for a song six times. Luckily, Eric is very patient. He has taken care that my voice has been committed to tape the best way possible, and we’ve also paid a lot of attention to the backing vocals.”

Recording music is important to Agnetha, but her family always comes first. Long promotional trips abroad are out of the question. She limits herself to a few TV-shows, such as her own gala-show in ‘The Golden Rose Festival’ of Montreux.
“The endless touring and travelling is definitely over. Whenever I’m away from home for a few days, I can’t think of anything else but my two children, Linda (11) and Christian (7). I’ve come to realize more and more that there are more important things in life than just success. The children are entitled to a mother that can spend time with them. They grow up so fast, I don’t want to miss out on their childhood.”

The rumours that ABBA will come together again, are getting more frequent these days. Björn and Benny even said in a recent interview that the new ABBA-album should be in the shops around Christmas.
What are Agnetha’s views on an ABBA-reunion?
“I don’t object, as long as it’s just a record,” she says. “But performing... never again! I know Björn, Benny and Frida want to continue with ABBA more than anything. That’s their dream, breathe new life into the group. I’ve always put a brake on that because I wasn’t ready for it emotionally. Now I feel I can deal with it, as long as I’m able to combine it with my solo career, and with my family. There certainly aren’t any definite plans. We’ll see when the time is right.”
Agnetha still has a warm understanding with her ex-husband Björn. During the celebratory performance in Stockholm of the musical ‘Chess’ – composed by Björn and Benny – Agnetha was present as a guest of honour. But she could have been on stage just as well.
“Björn called me at home and asked me if I wanted to play the part of Svetlana, the Russian player’s wife. I thought it was really sweet of him to think of me, but I couldn’t accept the offer. I told him: ‘Björn dear, it can’t be, because then it will turn into an ABBA-album again. That wouldn’t be right, not for you either!’”

Agnetha still has one big wish, that she hopes will be fulfilled one day. Three years ago, she made her screen debut in the Swedish movie ‘Raskenstam’, not counting the concert-film ‘ABBA – The Movie’.
“The acting felt good,” says Agnetha. “I’m dreaming of a part in an American movie, that will be released worldwide. The director of ‘Raskenstam’, Gunnar Hellström, is working on a sequel. But I’d rather do something completely different now, like an English-language movie or a play. Maybe there’s a producer in Hollywood, who will give me a chance. That would be the best possible thing, that could be in store for me now,” Agnetha concludes.

Hitkrant, June 1983: Agnetha enjoys freedom without ABBA

Things don’t go as planned. Agnetha Fältskog, this time as herself, not as an ABBA-member, is visiting our country to promote her new single ‘The Heat Is On’. In this case it means performing on a TROS TV-show, celebrating 100 years of ANWB. Things don’t go according to plan, and that’s how our two o’clock appointment slowly moves towards four o’clock. It’s all part of the business.

“Sorry,” says Agnetha. “Things went a little different than was planned.” She looks very good, a new haircut, radiant. You wouldn’t think she is 33 years old. She seems younger. A happy smile: “Well, I’m not getting any younger. But I feel great and I’m especially pleased with my record.”

What does getting older mean to you?
“Getting wiser. You’ve experienced so much. You learn from reading, from having children. I’ve also learned that working with a group always means making compromises, both musically and privately. When you work as a solo-artist, you obtain more freedom: you get to choose your own material, record it as you choose. I’m extremely happy with my first English-language solo-album.”
When I tell Agnetha that I’ve heard a cassette from ‘Wrap Your Arms Around Me’ at the Dutch record company, while the album is not in the shops yet, she gets curious: “Now I’m going to interview you. What do you think about it?” Not so simple: I tell her I think there are four hits on there and name the songs, helped by Agnetha. She agrees with me. “Personally I feel ‘Shame’ is the best song at the moment, but that can change any second.”

I can imagine all your interviews at the moment are the same. Everyone wants to know how your solo-career is becoming you and how it was working with Mike Chapman?
“Oh yes, and if ABBA is going to split up and why I’m working alone now: most interviews are predictable. If someone asks me to react on the word ‘interview’ my reply would be: ‘same questions'.”
But then she realizes she’s doing an interview right now, and adds: “But of course it’s not always like that, there are exceptions. And I understand that a journalist wants to know why I’m going solo.”
Then here’s the next original question: why did you go solo?
Again that broad smile. “I wanted to pursue my own ideas, away from ABBA. To make a nice, varied record. And I can tell you I’m enjoying that freedom.”

Do you still have a private life?
“At least, I’m doing everything to maintain it, and it works. People think that as an ABBA-member you are in the recording studio day and night and constantly doing interviews. But it’s not like that: you work very hard during a certain period and after that you have a lot of spare time.”
And what is it you do in that spare time?
“I love spending time at my home and in my garden. Actually, I’m living too openly: anyone can walk in and I get a lot of fans at my door. But I’m not giving up my house and garden because of that. I jog a lot, and take walks in the woods for hours with my dogs. I spend as much time as possible with my children, go to the sauna and read a lot. I read lots of stuff: biographies, memoirs, and the funniest book I’ve read so far is ‘The world according to Garp’, do you know that one?.” I do.

It’s time for the next journalist, who’s waiting in front of the dressing room at the Amsterdam RAI congress-centre. I say goodbye to Agnetha and wish her a good trip.
“I hate flying. This time I came all the way from Sweden by bus and boat. It cost me two days, but this way at least I’m able to see something while I’m travelling. It’s just that my bedroom on the boat was near the engine-room, so I didn’t get any sleep at all.”
But in a few days she’ll be home again. With her dog, her children and her garden. Then Agnetha admits that’s where she loves to be most.

Hitkrant, November 1982: ABBA divided / ABBA is drifting apart!

An article about the impending end of ABBA from Dutch magazine Hitkrant, November 1982. The Frida poster included here was published in that same magazine.

When ABBA caused a commotion a few years ago when Benny and Frida and Björn and Agnetha announced their divorces, everyone thought this would mean the end of the group. It didn’t mean that, but it was more because the group, while they had drifted apart privately, still could get along great as a musical team. That situation seems to have changed: it’s obvious that there are problems within ABBA, that’s what an associate of the Swedish record company told us. The question is how long the ABBA fairytale is going to last now.

Where in the old days the interest of the group was the most important thing, priority is now being given to the separate solo projects. Of course, there are the solo albums by Frida and Agnetha, but the real problems seem to have started with Björn and Benny.

“It was the intention that Björn and Benny would write songs for the new album during the summer,” is what our spokesperson said. “But when they coincidentally met the famous English musical-writer Andrew Lloyd-Webber, their old dream of writing a musical surfaced again. Since then, it seems as if ABBA doesn’t exist anymore for Björn and Benny. All their attention and energy is going into that new project and that’s why it was decided to release a compilation album, for which the old hits only got a new treatment, so the two B’s in ABBA only had to write new arrangements.
Agnetha and Frida were really upset when they heard that the new album was postponed. They got into their own solo projects, and they turned out to be a great success. But because of that, ABBA is now divided in two encampments: the men on one side and the ladies on the other. Stig Anderson is really worried about his favourite group. A good example is the promotional film for ABBA’s new single ‘The Day Before You Came’: Stig had to go through a lot of trouble to get the foursome together in the film studio, and within an hour everyone had left again, because they all had business or private obligations. Later on, they all came back to the studio separately to finish the film.”

“You can also sense it in the meetings,” the associate of the record company concludes. “They used to last until late in the evening, and were wound up with a sociable drink. These days, Stig reads out the items on the agenda, decisions are being made and then it’s finished. Björn and Benny hardly look at the ABBA-ladies, and vice versa.”
Is the end of ABBA drawing near? Officially, it’s still being strongly denied.