Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Annifrid are looking satisfied and happy. The holiday that the ABBA-members have just had, has clearly done them good. It made many problems vanish into thin air...“Before we took a couple of weeks off, the atmosphere within ABBA was particularly bad,” is what Benny recently told, “but we had used up all of our reserves. Never before did the recordings of an album take up so much time. Never before had there been conflicts in the group about the songs either. All in all, it took us almost eighteen months to complete ‘The Visitors’. So it’s no wonder that, right before the album was finished, we were getting in each other’s way constantly and were easier irritated than usually happens. I believe that especially the girls have experienced the past few months as a true torture. To be honest, Björn and I have neglected them too much during that time. But we had a lot of other things on our minds. All four of us could use a rest. That’s why we were craving for this holiday. We thought it would be wonderful to be able to think about something completely different for a while than the new album and other ABBA-business.”
Benny looked happy. Smilingly, he continued: “Mona and I have gotten married secretly on December 1. No one knew about it. But we didn’t think that was necessary. Now our first baby has finally arrived, we are so happy! There are no words to describe it... We mainly spent these days buying clothes for the baby and furnishing the nursery.”
Just like Benny, Björn was in a good mood as well. The preceding weeks, he had been occupied with homely matters as well. “My wife Lena and I have had a few wonderful weeks,” he revealed. “The children, Linda and Christian, stayed with us for a few days, which gave Agnetha some time off. Lena and I love it when the children come to visit. After all, they are just as much mine as they are Agnetha’s. Luckily, they get along great with Lena and our son...”
Both singers seemed to look at the future in a brighter mood as well. A few weeks before, the situation had been completely different: at that time, they were rather down-hearted. “We have made a few clear arrangements after our holiday,” Annifrid explained. “This enables me to spend more time with my children, Hans and Liselotte. They’re right in the middle of puberty and they need me more than ever. Apart from that, this year I would love to record a solo-album. In my spare time, I will remain singing with ABBA, just like Agnetha. You have to keep on looking at this singing as a kind of relaxation. I’ve gotten attached to it and I can’t live without it, so this seems to be the best solution. My boyfriend, Bertil Hjert, a 37-year-old vice-president of a textile company in Uppsala, agrees completely. That’s why I have a wonderful year ahead of me. I can just feel it!”
Agnetha was looking equally happy. “At a recent meeting, indeed a lot of problems have been solved,” she smiled, apparently relieved. “We’ve reached the conclusion that we don’t have to keep on recording music for the money. But all four of us enjoy it tremendously, providing that there’s a pleasant atmosphere. It’s almost impossible for Annifrid and me to continue without Benny and Björn. After all, Benny and Björn are the best songwriters in the world. We can’t write such good songs ourselves. Indeed, Benny and Björn wouldn’t like it at all if we would pursue a solo-career, because they want to continue with ABBA as well. We just don’t want to tour any longer, but in the future just record an album every now and then. Whenever we feel like it, and not because the fans want it so badly. Because all four of us started to lead separate private lives, we have neglected each other just a little bit. Because we wanted to be happy for ourselves again. That’s why we think our private lives are the most important thing right now and we will spend as much time as possible on that. I want to build a new life with my boyfriend Torbjörn Brander, who’s a detective at the Stockholm police. A life, in which he and my two children come first, and ABBA comes second. That’s why my children won’t have to miss me that often anymore. Although all of a sudden I’ve been asked to play Bobby Ewing’s new wife on the American series Dallas. As you might know, Victoria Principal will leave the show in the near future. But if I take that part, I will take Torbjörn, Linda and Christian with me to America.”
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