Hitkrant, December 1981: ABBA's child is born!

An article from Dutch magazine Hitkrant about the then newly released album The Visitors.
Now, we mustn’t overreact by exclaiming that the whole world is jumping for joy this week, but at least it goes for the ABBA-fans and lots more people, like pop-journalists. Because the time has finally come: the new ABBA-album is out. The long-awaited child is born, its name is 'The Visitors' and mother and child are doing very well, thank you.

This time it took a very long time; almost a year ago the first ideas and songs for the new album began to come and from that moment on a lot has been recorded, discarded, re-recorded and changed. A problematic delivery, one could say.

Naturally, this was the cause of lots of rumours circulating. Björn Ulvaeus’ statement in an English women’s magazine that ABBA no longer had a financial reason to stay together, shocked fans and Stockholm was in a hurry to deny it all. “No problem,” they said. “ABBA will not split up, but is very busy in the studio with the new single, that is due the end of this month.” We are talking June.
At the end of July we reported that technical problems had occurred, and that Björn and Benny’s standard of quality-control was so high, that the single had been discarded, even worse: before September there would be no single at all and also the album had been postponed until November. Was 'The Visitors' worth all these problems? Yes, people.

To my own astonishment ABBA has been able again to create a new sound and that’s an accomplishment, after so many albums. I don’t want to anticipate on the album review in this magazine, but we can note that ABBA’s newborn is their toughest in years. The rhythm is strong and dominating, the synthesizers all over the place. As ever, Björn and Benny wrote and produced everything themselves and for the first time made use of the latest recording-technique: the digital recording. This means that the sound-quality is perfect and crystal-clear, sometimes almost sharp. You wouldn’t tell by looking at the brilliant cover: the foursome in a spacious room, softly lit, old-fashioned paintings on the wall, everything in brown and golden shades (and for Björn-fans: he’s actually wearing a beard!).

Choosing the single caused some problems: at first it would be 'The Visitors', later on Stockholm reported it would be 'When All Is Said And Done' (for which a promotional film had been made already), in the end the single turned out to be 'One Of Us', with 'Should I Laugh Or Cry' as its B-side, a track not available on the album. Listen for yourself: you will be amazed. The time when ABBA was a nice teenage-group with nice teenage-music is definitely over. And, in my opinion, a group that is able to deliver a surprising album every time, is by all means not ready to retire from music.

Here's the review of the album The Visitors from the same magazine, referred to in the article above.

Always exciting, the new ABBA-album, especially when you had to wait so long. The result exceeds my expectations. Again, Björn and Benny have succeeded in finding a different sound, a new approach. The new ABBA is tight, tough, sometimes almost metallic; bass and drums are dominating, synthesizers are all over the place, the influences from musicals and classical music are clear. This music takes much more distance from the listener than a song like 'Dancing Queen'. Also Frida and Agnetha’s vocals are far more distant in some cases (and here and there barely recognisable due to electronic distortion), although a solo-track by Frida like 'Like An Angel Passing Through My Room', accompanied only by a music-box and the ticking of a clock, emits a touching warmth. The single 'One Of Us' and 'Soldiers' are still in ABBA–tradition, 'Head Over Heels' isn’t; a magnificent song is 'I Let The Music Speak' and in 'Two For The Price Of One' we hear rare lead-vocals by the men B & B. Listen for yourself: an impressive piece of pop-music.

Hitkrant, October 1982: My best fans are Dutch

An interview from Dutch magazine Hitkrant. The interview was done during Frida's promotional visit to Holland for Something's Going On.
Obviously, Frida talks about her new album, but also about the gossip-press and the contact with her fans.
Not only because she’s a member of ABBA, more because she recorded a solo-album: Frida Lyngstad was in Holland to promote her album 'Something’s Going On' and that’s what we talked about. Is this promotion really necessary if you’re a superstar? The audience will buy the records anyway. But no, that’s not how things are. An extensive talk about success, the gossip-press, the fans and the positive things in life.

The famous punk-hairdo isn’t that extreme: Frida’s hair is back to almost normal, just a little pink here and there. She looks good, but the small wrinkles around her eyes reveal she is 36. She will get back to that later.

THE STAR
I ask her how many hands she shook today and she replies smiling: “I didn’t count them, but it wasn’t too bad.” She gets the star-treatment: limousine, bodyguard, drinks and snacks on the table. But of course Frida ís a star.
Hitkrant: Isn’t it much easier for someone like you to make a successful solo-album than it is for another artist? I mean, it’s easier to get connections and of course everyone wants to work on an album with an ABBA-member.
Frida: “Yes, there’s some truth in that. I’m in a position that things come easier. But you can’t stay at home, if you want your album to be a success. You’ll have to work on it. That goes for anybody who wants to achieve something, and even if I have the advantage of being well-known, it’s still a lot of hard work. Success doesn’t come easy.”
Hitkrant: The success is there already. Do you think the success of your album and single has to do with the fact that you’re an ABBA-member?
Frida: “Surely, it has something to do with it, but how much? And the sound is so different from ABBA’s work, that I hope I have reached a new audience, a different audience than just ABBA’s.”
Hitkrant: It’s your second solo-album. Is there much difference to the previous one, 'Frida Ensam'?
Frida: “Look, it has been seven years, so I’m seven years older. That’s the most important difference. And of course the producer: Benny produced 'Frida Ensam', Phil Collins did 'Something’s Going On'. Other than that I used a lot of writers and musicians from abroad and of course I chose the material all by myself this time. That’s why I’m one hundred percent behind every song on the album. Because I picked them.”

THE ALBUM
Hitkrant: Did you know what you wanted when you started this project?
Frida: “I really had no idea! I turned to lots of record-companies and listened to about 500 songs, but I couldn’t find what I wanted. That’s why I approached a few writers myself and asked them if they had or wanted to write a song for me. Out of those I picked a few, Phil as well, and together we picked the rest.”
Hitkrant: Björn and Benny didn’t work on the album at all?
Frida: “Not at all. That wasn’t the intention either. Well, I asked them if they wanted to write a song and they tried, but didn’t succeed. I thought, maybe it’s all for the better. In hindsight, I’m actually happy about that.”
Hitkrant: Do you think a follow-up to “Something’s Going On” will emerge?
Frida: “I don’t know yet. First, let’s see if this one is successful. When the time is right, I would certainly consider a second solo-album.”
Hitkrant: Doesn’t that cause problems with ABBA’s work?
Frida: “Absolutely not. I have my priorities, you know, and ABBA still comes first.”
Hitkrant: The day will come that ABBA ceases to exist. What will be the reason for that?
Frida: “That’s a tough one! It will certainly not be because of a fight or something like that. ABBA will probably quit when we no longer feel working in the group satisfies us, when we grow apart. That would definitely be the end of ABBA.”

THE PUBLICITY
Hitkrant: How about the rumours of a new world-tour?
Frida: “That’s all they are at the moment, rumours. Maybe sometime in the future. In the end, that’s what every group has to do; you can’t go on for years without touring, no matter how famous you are. From time to time you need to show yourself to the audience, even if it’s only a promotional tour. But it’s very tiring, and let’s be honest: we don’t get any younger, so if a tour happens, it has to be in the near future.”
Hitkrant: Coming December is ABBA’s tenth anniversary. Don't you get bored with all the publicity, the hundreds of interviews, by now?
Frida: “Oh, it depends on the journalist. Some of them have very interesting questions, so you really have to think about your answer. Other questions you’ve been hearing for years, and you know exactly what you’re going to answer.”
Hitkrant: So when I ask if ABBA is going to split up, what’s your answer?
Frida: “No.”
Hitkrant: Good!
Frida laughs heartily and continues: “You know, all those things like promotion and your fans are so important to allow you to grow. You have to invest in it as much as in making a record. Showing yourself to the audience is very necessary, as an artist and as a human being.”
Hitkrant: Yes, the fans. How far can you go with a fan?
Frida: “Very far, but it’s important how the fan reacts on the artist. I have to say that Dutch fans are among my best. They come to Stockholm and to my door: I like that. When they react in a positive way to me, I react likewise to them. But you have to draw the line somewhere and the fans respect that. Most of them at least. You know, a fan can have the feeling that he owns the artist; they like you so much that they want to be part of your private life as well, and that can be difficult sometimes. So that’s where the line is, although I do understand. When I receive letters from people begging me to meet them, I write back and try to explain the situation. Mostly they understand. But it is essential: I need that communication with my fans, just as much as they need me. I need to have confidence in myself and I get that from people who love what I do.”

THE GOSSIP-PRESS
Hitkrant: Last week there was a riot in Sweden because of a gossip-article about Agnetha. Do they bother you as well?
Frida: “No, it’s not that bad. But in this case the magazine had been extremely offensive. They wrote Agnetha was pregnant and had been left by her boyfriend. Although the last part may have been true, she was only playing she was pregnant for a movie-part. Agnetha has written an open letter in one of Sweden’s most important papers and that was very good. What they wrote was a real disgrace and Agnetha had to do something, I sensed it as well. And she achieved results: the magazine had to answer for themselves and they will probably leave us alone for a while now, because no-one will believe them. Other than that, it’s not too bad: they stay on the surface with their stories. Only when Benny and I divorced, all those awful stories hurt me deeply. It was very painful, but after a few weeks it was over.”
Hikrant: As a famous person, you give up a part of your private life.
Frida: “That’s true. But I’ve learned to manage it myself. When I don’t want to be in the limelight, there are plenty of places for me to go. I’m convinced you can lead your own life, even if you’re a star. I can keep my integrity and I can live with it very well. And I choose the things I want to share about myself. Like I’m doing right now. Those are the positive things in my life.”

Pop Foto, August 1976: Why ABBA’s Agnetha was scared to death…

ABBA’s Agnetha was scared to death, when her little daughter Linda was hanging across the side of the wildly shaking speedboat. If the child would go overboard, she would surely drown. Because neither Linda, nor her mother Agnetha, could swim...

The blue water was flashing by and the waves were splashing against the ultra-fast boat. With his eyes half-closed to the bright glow coming from the water, Björn Ulvaeus was standing at the wheel, speeding up the boat. He was thrilled zooming across the big lake, to shake off all the dust from the travelling with ABBA and feel free. Behind him were Agnetha and little Linda, surely enjoying themselves as much as he did. Indeed, Agnetha was enjoying this ride as well. With her eyes closed, her face turned to the hot sun, she sat at the back of the boat and relaxed... no recordings, no worries, just the water, Björn and Linda. Absent-minded Agnetha reached for Linda, who had just been sitting next to her on the bench. She wanted to pat her blonde hair, and give her a hug. It had been so long since they we’re together, the three of them... But Agnetha’s hand reached for air. In shock she opened her eyes, looked around her, and saw her enterprising daughter hanging across the side of the boat dangerously. At the same time Björn speeded even more and the boat started shaking. “Linda!” Agnetha yelled. “Linda! Come here!” But little Linda thought the water was far more interesting, she didn’t even hear her mother, bended over even more to reach for the water flashing by. Agnetha was terrified. If Linda would go overboard, she would be lost for sure, because no-one of the young family could swim! “Stop,” Agnetha yelled at Björn, while she held on tight to the side of the boat with one hand, and grabbed her daughter by her pants...

When the boat finally came to a halt, after little Linda was made clear that she could never hang across the side of the boat like that again, and her startled parents had catched their breath, Agnetha and Björn immediately made a wise decision. “We will never take to the water without lifejackets again! That’s asking for trouble!” And with their lifejackets on, is how we met the ABBA-company, Annifrid, Benny, Agnetha, Björn and little Linda, when we went to see them on their holiday-island at Mälar-lake, near Stockholm. Dressed safely in their solid lifejackets, they took to the water on their daily sail- and speedboat-rides, and those things only came off when they were on steady ground again. “Say, why don’t you learn to swim?” we asked as real Dutchmen, after having watched them handling their lifejackets clumsily. Four pairs of wondering eyes looked at us. And after a moment of silence, Benny said: “Well, you have a point. We didn’t even think about that!” Until the time they all have learned to swim, they will probably be walking around in their lifejackets. After all, it’s safety first for the four musical Swedes!

Pop Foto, November 1977: ABBA Film-Special

A special magazine, dedicated to ABBA-The Movie, that came with Dutch magazine Pop Foto in 1977.

Watch out! At the end of December it’s going to happen. That’s when the long-awaited, with millions of questions surrounded, but surely fantastic ABBA-movie will come to the Netherlands. What do I hear? December is so far way. You are right, that’s why Pop Foto is giving you this wonderful special, full of exclusive pictures from the ABBA-movie. All for free!

Well, you know the deal. An exciting spy-movie, or a movie filled with horrifying scenes you don’t have to expect from ABBA. But what to expect? First of all, a documentary of the ABBA-tour in Australia, with stage-performances and of course many ABBA-hits. And in between, fairy-tale, romantic scenes, that come from dreams. Dreams about ABBA...

If there is one country, where ABBA is really immensely popular, then it is Australia. Just imagine, such a huge country, with millions of families. And still, every family has at least one ABBA-album in their household. No wonder the ABBA-story, or The girl with the golden hair, which was the official working title of the movie, was taped in Australia for the most part, but of course in Sweden as well. Director Lars Hallström and his crew followed Annifrid, Agnetha, Benny and Björn throughout Australia. Hallström’s cameras shot miles of film during the eleven concerts ABBA did in Australia. Concerts that were attended by no less than one-hundred sixty-thousand screaming and yelling fans. In between the stage-performances and all the ABBA-hits there’s the storyline of an Australian disc-jockey, played by Robert Hughes, that wants to land an exclusive interview with ABBA, no matter what.

But it’s not that easy. No matter how he tries, poor Robert doesn’t even come close to the heroes from Stockholm. Robert doesn’t give up. He follows ABBA everywhere. But each time Björn, Benny, Annifrid and Agnetha manage to shake him off. No wonder Robert Hughes finally escapes in a dream-world. In those dreams, he is experiencing the most fantastic adventures together with ABBA.
He is dreaming he is defeating ABBA in an Australian golf tournament, that he is invited by the four to a picnic in the countryside, and even that he is being pampered by Agnetha and Annifrid during an interview. All these scenes have been filmed by Lars Hallström in a romantic setting. Just like the scene in which Robert, together with ‘fairytale-queens’ Annifrid and Agnetha, is taking a horse-ride in a green meadow. Or the scene in which he is celebrating the success of the Australian tour with the four ABBA-members at a brightly lit dinner-table, surrounded by shiny golden candles.
But too bad for our hero, each time his dreams get disturbed by reality. And reality is, that Benny, Björn, Annifrid and Agnetha don’t want anything to do with him.
For almost six weeks Lars Hallström and his crew were busy filming. From all those miles and miles of film, he has a made a ninety-minute movie. A movie not to be missed by any true ABBA-fan!

Pop Foto, June 1975: ABBA's blonde Agnetha: "We don't want any more children"

When we have to believe ABBA’s blonde Agnetha, having children and singing in an internationally known pop-group at the same time, isn’t exactly a good combination. “If I had known we would become so popular, I would have made sure there wouldn’t have been any children,” says Agnetha, who thinks she fails as a mother...

Ever since ABBA won Eurovision last year with the wonderful song “Waterloo”, there have been some changes for Agnetha, Annifrid, Benny and Björn. All of a sudden they had to appear in front of television cameras everywhere, conduct press-conferences and photo-sessions, and thus barely had the time to relax, back home in Sweden. That wasn’t a problem for Annifrid and her musical husband, but for Agnetha it was! Not long before the Eurovision Song Contest in Luxemburg Agnetha had become a mother. And of course she felt dreadful leaving her little daughter in Sweden. The other members of ABBA have witnessed how much strain having a career and a baby put on Agnetha, and they have decided not to start a ‘real’ family for the time being.

“At the time we were of course delighted winning Eurovision,” Agnetha comments. “But still, for me it couldn’t have come at a worse time. For years we had been trying to get recognition in Sweden. At a certain time, we didn’t see it happening for ABBA, and we just wanted a baby, like every married couple. And right after our daughter was born, ABBA became immensely popular in Sweden. We got to represent our country in Luxemburg, and won too! Now I try to divide my time between my daughter and ABBA as much as possible, but still I have the feeling I’m not doing enough. It’s impossible to take a baby with you everywhere, that’s why she mostly stays with my family when we’re on tour.”

All this hasn’t prevented ABBA from recording a magnificent new album, back in Sweden. This record is simply titled “ABBA” and has just been released. And now we’re waiting for the follow-up to 'I do, I do, I do, I do, I do'.

Pop Foto, March 1983: Now it's the moment of truth

Benny, Björn, Frida and Agnetha are facing uncertain times. Without performances, TV-shows and, for the time being, without a new album, ABBA has to stay on top. It will be more difficult than ever for the group...

The four members of ABBA don’t look especially cheerful. These top-performers seem to have a legitimate reason. Benny explains: “Over ten years ago, when ABBA started, we were full of expectations. We didn’t have anything in those days. No hit, no gold records. What we did have, was dreams. In the meantime all those dreams have come true. So, what else is there to achieve for us in pop-music?” Annifrid looks at her ex-husband understandingly, and says: “Benny’s story may sound a little negative, but of course he is right. We have worked very hard and we’ve been rewarded for that. At the moment we’re just a little tired of all this hard work.”
“A sort of spring-tiredness,” says Björn jokingly. “Surely we will get over it,” says blonde Agnetha optimistically. “After all, we have overcome much harder times in ABBA’s ten years. We are people, that will do everything to do it right. That’s why we have decided to slow down with ABBA-activities the coming months. No TV-shows, no performances and, for a while, no recording studio either. That may be the way to regain our strength and come back stronger than ever!”

Benny: “There’s one thing we’re afraid of, and that is the audience might forget about us when we’re not in the limelight for a while. All those years we have been the centre of attention every few months. If it wasn’t a new single, it would be a tour or TV-performance. But things will get quieter around the group." Again, Agnetha is the most hopeful of the four, when she says: “I’m not worried about that at all. I think ABBA has done so much for the audience, that fans will understand, now we ask a little patience of them! Because when we eventually will come back, it will be with something really good. That’s something we are known for.”

Hitkrant, May 1983: That's why Frida and Agnetha went their own way

For a while, it seemed that ABBA would fall apart. The rumour started when Frida’s solo-album was released, became stronger when Agnetha started working on her solo-album, and even stronger when the group decided not to tour any longer. And it’s true, at the moment ABBA is no longer working as a group. Frida lives in London and is working on her next album, Agnetha is back in Sweden after an extensive promotional tour in Europe, and it’s a bit unclear what Benny and Björn are up to, except that they are preparing a musical together with Tim Rice. But it’s getting clear that the ABBA-men are drifting into the background. Frida and Agnetha are more and more in the limelight. Why those solo-careers?

Frida: “Look, Something’s Going On is of course not my first solo-album: some years ago, I already did Frida Ensam, a Swedish-language album. No matter how comfortable you feel in a group, at a certain time you get the urge to do something on your own and let your voice be heard. That goes for me, and for Agnetha as well. After all, we are singers and we want to let the audience hear it.”
Agnetha, in the dressing room of the RAI Congress Centre where she performed at the TROS television gala ‘100 jaar ANWB’: “On my solo-album I could fulfil the musical ideas that I couldn’t realize within ABBA. In ABBA, Benny and Björn call the shots, and that is what we agreed upon. But I wanted to get away from those ten years with ABBA. I think I’ve succeeded with this record. Anyway, it’s my seventh solo-album already.”

So, is there a chance that ABBA’s days are counted?
Frida: “We did talk about it, yes. But we do have our obligations to the audience. When ABBA splits up, it won’t be because of a fight or something like that. When we notice that we are growing apart musically, when working in a group no longer satisfies us, then there’s a chance we’ll say: let’s call it a day. But at the moment it’s out of the question.”
We ask Agnetha the same question: if ABBA splits up, what will be the reason for that?
“We can’t go on forever, that much is clear. That’s also one of the reasons for the solo-activities of Frida and myself: we want to get comfortable in that area. But if ABBA ceases to exist, the reason will probably be that there no longer are new musical ideas, when Björn and Benny no longer have inspiration. Don’t forget those two have been writing for ABBA for ten years! At a certain time, it just has to diminish. It’s only natural.”
Both Frida and Agnetha don’t see ABBA coming to an end in the near future. Agnetha even feels that the solo-ventures can be a source of new ideas for the group and a reason to continue. Frida: “Solo-career or not. For me, ABBA still comes first.”