Fan Magazin, 1979: ABBA, fun in the snow

Dear readers!
I'm happy that I can have my say here. Because since my divorce from Björn, ABBA has been exposed to the wildest speculations. Although ABBA is involved in our private lives only at the sidelines, it's important when you can take a stand somewhere and finally say what's really true about all those rumours. In many publications there have been lots of wild speculations whether this would mean the end of ABBA or rumours have been spread that I had an affair with a psychiatrist in Stockholm. And many people especially wondered why there has been a divorce in the cleanest group in the world. I want to say on this occasion that we were not the ones who established the image of the 'almost sinless' group ABBA out there in the world. Many people portrayed us the way they wanted to see us. But we merely contributed the music to ABBA. Perhaps there are a couple of rock groups who - with the help of smart advertising people - are working to create a 'divine image'. But all of us are convinced that you can't maintain an artificial personality in the long run. Björn, Benny, Frida and I are not perfect people, like many would like to see us. We too have problems and very personal flaws. That's why you have to look at our divorce as a purely human issue. It was simply more honest to separate than to keep pretending in order to maintain a good reputation. Things weren't working out between Björn and me for quite some time. But we tried everything to get back on track. Yes, we even went into counseling with a psychiatrist who should get to the bottom of our problems. On this occasion the rumours about an affair started to emerge.
We wanted to stop those rumours right at the beginning. Björn and I didn't want people to openly rack their brains about our marital problems, just because we were seen with a psychiatrist. That's why we counseled this man at odd hours. I'm sure someone saw me with him at an unusual hour and therefore believed I had an affair. But there can really be no question about an intimate relationship. Björn and I are merely on friendly terms with this psychiatrist and we still counsel him, by the way.
The only man in my life at the moment is my son Christian!
Agnetha Fältskog

Hello friends!
What Agnetha has just told you is exactly right. The psychiatrist is really a good friend to us both. There is absolutely no romance between him and my ex-wife. And just like there is only one man in Agnetha's life at the moment, for me there is only one woman in this world: my daughter Linda!
Although I seem to have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire by now. In the meantime I have been accused of having an affair myself. Surely you must have heard about my tremendous flirt with the pretty Boney M singer Liz Mitchell. Well, this 'romance' wasn't as hot as it was explained by some newspapers. The saying that things are never as bad as they seem is especially applicable to us cool Swedes. However, Liz Mitchell is really a wonderful woman. A real sport, intelligent, pretty and always in good spirits. I spent a couple of wonderful evenings with her in Leysin, but there absolutely isn't anything more serious between us. Liz has her fiancée that she is very fond of and soon will be married to. And I don't want to be tied up this quickly either. It's not as simple as that!
I met Liz on our second day in Leysin. We danced together a couple of times at the hotel disco and later on we joined the other Boney M members at the table. I got along great with Liz right away. She is a very religious person and that's why we talked about religious matters. I must admit I was really amazed by Liz' amazing mindset.
Later on I took her to her room. But I didn't stay there! After one last 'night cap' I went back to my room. You should have heard Benny, Agnetha and Frida the next day. During our drive to the shooting location they wanted to know all about it and squeezed everything out of me! They mocked and laughed and poked fun at the 'new' Casanova in the group...
Björn Ulvaeus

Dear ABBA-fans!
To tell something about a new ABBA album is almost more difficult than actually composing the songs. It's not that everything that we have pieced together during months of hard work has to remain a secret, like it is often assumed. Usually we ourselves only know shortly before the album's release what is actually going to be on it.
For starters, the most important thing: the new album will be released at Easter. To us, that's a very important date that we can't overdraw. Around that time, the programme 'Snow Special' will be broadcast, that we filmed in Leysin. And according to the people from the broadcasting company, this programme will be watched by more than 500 million viewers in 16 countries. You can surely imagine that that will be a priceless promotion for our new record, that we don't want to miss out on!
A couple of months before an album is released, we are often asked about the title of the album and about the individual songs. As usual, I will have to keep these questions unanswered this time as well, because I don't know myself. Experience has shown that we agree on the title for the album shortly before the cover is being made. Sometimes even after the photographs have been taken. At least that's how it was with 'Arrival'. With our previous album it was something different. The title 'ABBA - The Album' was linked directly to our feature film. Not only because it was its soundtrack. We racked our brains for nights on end about the title for the movie. Over and over again we were looking for a suitable title for 'the movie'. Until we decided to keep it that way in the end. Naturally we applied this brilliant idea to our new record and our book as well. So you shouldn't be surprised if we decided - out of lack of originality - to call the new ABBA record 'The New ABBA Album'!
It's far more important for you to know if we more or less stay true to our sound on the new album. Or if it suddenly sounds like Led Zeppelin. Indeed, this British rock group was in our studio recently and recorded their new album there. On this occasion I must put an end to a rumour that a clever Englishman put in the papers. He actually thought that we had rented our studio for free, with the intention that this would be mentioned in the newspapers. We all make mistakes, but Led Zeppelin paid 650 Swedish kronor per hour, which is about 300 German Mark.
But now back to our album. I can assure you, it still sounds like ABBA, but not the way you have been used to. On our new album we try to put as much variation as possible into our arrangements. The voices of both our girls however remain the same as usual. But additionally, Björn should be featured more as a singer too. Until now, eight songs have been completed. In March we are going to record four additional songs that Björn and I have written already. It won't be until we have recorded all the songs that we decide which songs will be included on the album. There will probably be eight songs on the album - perhaps we will put together another song out of some song idea that we already have. Who knows, either way there's still a lot of work to do... Let's get to it! Cheers, your Benny.
Benny Andersson

Hi there, you all!
Before I will reveal something about our big world tour, I will explain something about our new album. Many people would like to know why Agnetha or myself never compose any songs. Many people think we are not able to do that. But that's not true! Agnetha used to compose a lot of beautiful songs in the old days and I have thought about song material myself before ABBA started. With ABBA, we deliberately don't get a chance. Which means that neither of us has ever had the need to compose our own songs since we got together with Benny and Björn. Until now, we've been completely surprised and won over by the brilliant ideas of our two writers, that there has never been any need for our efforts.
So much on my own account! Now, as promised, some concrete plans about our near future. Like Benny told you already, we will definitely be in the studio until shortly before Easter, so that the album will be ready without a delay. Subsequently, Benny and I will go on a fourteen day holiday to West India and immediately after that we will return to Switzerland once again where we will hopefully find a spot with snow so that we can indulge in our big skiing hobby. Not later than the beginning of June the first rehearsals for our world tour will begin, that's going to kick off in the early autumn. Since we are not an experienced live band, the preparations last much longer in our case. Until the concept for the tour is decided on. Until all the technical aspects work fluently, the crew has been put together, all of this last much longer with us than with other groups. Apart from that, we want to offer a perfect show, our songs should sound the same live as on the records!
We are often asked by what criteria the performance locations are chosen. That's really not easy. Likewise, television performances and press conferences have to be selected carefully, so that no one in any country is being short-changed. That's also the reason why we participated in the Unicef Gala in New York, or why we decided to travel to Leysin in Switzerland. We choose the occasions where we can reach as many people as possible with one appearance. On the tour, we will restrict ourselves to the largest cities as well. That's the only way to get back home within a more or less tolerable amount of time. Anyone who knows that we will travel to Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, England and America on this tour will understand why! If we would only do one concert in every country, we will be on the road for ten days already without counting the days that we travel. That's exactly the problem. We don't want to be separated from our children for too long. Well, something has been decided on already. In October, we will visit Germany, Austria and Switzerland! Until then, bye for now, your Anni-Frid.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad

A for Agnetha: "On the occasion of shooting our television special, I was in Switzerland for the first time. And it certainly won't be the last time, because we are all very impressed with this country. And apart from that, it's ninety percent certain that we will visit this country during our world tour in the autumn."

B for Björn: "The wonderful region, the friendly people, altogether the entire atmosphere in Leysin was exactly the right thing for the first public appearance after the divorce from Agnetha. Only the weather gods weren't very accommodtive and only gave us one day of sunshine!"

B for Benny: "For the first time in our five-year ABBA career, we were able to combine business with pleasure while shooting this special. Any style of winter sports belongs to my major preferences, but what I like most is skiing!"

A for Anni-Frid: "Benny and I only knew Switzerland from Zermatt, where we already went skiing some time ago. After the recording sessions for our album have been completed, we will fly to West India for fourteen days and subsequently one week to the skiing paradise St. Moritz."

S for Snow Special: "The British broadcasting company didn't only shoot a huge entertainment show in this skiing resort, but also two other programmes with us. A 'Christmas Snowtime', a Christmas programme as well as a programme about our Swiss adventure."

S for snow: "The snow couldn't have been better for beginners. That's why Björn soon found his way on the white splendour as well and turned out to be almost as good as Benny. Though the ski slopes were firm, they were not frozen and therefore not very slippery."

S for Stenmark: "Since Benny showed so much talent on the ski slopes, everyone compared him with the Swedish top skier Ingemar Stenmark. This was meant ironically, of course. But, if Benny hadn't become a star on the world's stage, he would definitely have become one of those people on the planks dashing down into the valley."

P for press conference: "We had barely arrived in Leysin when we found ourselves facing the assembled world press for the first time since Agnetha and Björn's divorce. On this occasion, our British record company presented us with the first gold record for 'Chiquitita'."

P for party: "There is always something going on where the stars are. Almost every evening there was a party at the discotheque 'Casanova'. The greatest celebration however was organised by Boney M at the indoor swimming pool, where Marcia Barrett, Patrick Juvet, Liz Mitchell, Björn Ulvaeus, Leif Garret and Bobby Farrell posed for this picture."

A for arrival: "During our flight from Stockholm to Geneva, an engine of our clipper iced up in such a way that we had to return to Stockholm. With a new plane and with more than six hours of delay we finally arrived safe and sound in Switzerland."

A for autographs: "Autograph hunters were definitely not short-changed in Leysin. It's very rare that so many stars get together on one occasion. Agnetha isn't even spared from them on the ski slope and signs postcards, skiing suits, arms, hands..."

A for souvenir (Andenken): "As a souvenir from our wonderful time in the alpine country, we received a fondue set from the people from our record company, so that we can eat our new favourite food at home in Stockholm as well."

S for divorce (Scheidung): "For the reporters and all gossipers, Agnetha and Björn's divorce was the main topic of conversation. However, they both get along great despite their official separation, like this picture proves."

S for skating: "For the shooting of one of the scenes we are sent onto the ice. Agnetha has major difficulties with ice skating. Several times, she falls on her sexy behind... That's why Denise Bielmann, the Swiss champion in figure skating, gave us a couple of free skating tips."

S for sleeping: "Mostly, there wasn't much time to sleep. Because in the evenings we often had great fun, and the next day we still had to get up early, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to finish the filming. Instead, we managed to sleep in late a bit longer when we were back in Sweden."

S for make-up (schminken): "During all the scenes, the make-up artists, that's how the ones who take care of the stars' make-up are being called, are present. Sometimes it's not an easy job, because often they had to wait for hours in the freezing snow, until they had to apply some additional make-up again."

S for show: "In the gigantic show 'Snowtime Special' we are singing the song 'Chiquitita'. This television programme will be broadcast at Easter and will probably be watched by 500 million viewers."

I for instruments: "Since it is very difficult to play live when one is filmed in the snow, all our songs had to be performed to playback, which means they come from a pre recorded tape. Only in the big tent, Benny and Björn are playing their instruments."

I for snacks (Imbiss): "Since our film 'ABBA - The Movie' we know that one gets to eat very irregularly during filming. Likewise, in Leysin we almost exclusively eat sandwiches and little snacks. But in the evenings we are able to find the time for extensive meals."

I for idol: "The youngest participant in our show, Leif Garrett, turned into our idol. In many conversations he emerged as a spirited young man, who is not only able to sing but also to stand on his skis like a king."

M for machine: "When the last scenes are being filmed on Sunday afternoon, our new friend from Boney M - Bobby Farrell - has his photograph taken on a big ski slopes machine. This looked so smashing that we decided to pose in front of this impressive machine as well."

M for make-up case: "The make-up artists have the most difficult assignment during filming outdoors. Even on the highest mountain they tag along a gigantic make-up case, packed with little boxes, applicators and bottles. Over and over again, our red cheekies had to be touched up again."

S for ski elevator: "The most wonderful invention in skiing is the ski elevator. Without this practical help, the ski pass would only be half as much fun. Here, Benny is letting himself being pulled up the mountain by the conveyor belt."

S for stars: "For the British TV show, everybody who is anybody showed up. Apart from us, there were: Boney M, Bonnie Tyler, Roxy Music, Ted Gärdestadt, the Jacksons, Amii Stewart, Eruption, Kate Bush, Patrick Juvet, Leo Sayer, Curtis Mayfield and Leif Garret."

S for scariness: "During a schussboom, Benny loses control over his planks and makes a dreadful fall. When we see him lying in the snow like this, we get a little uneasy. But Benny only smiles. Apart from some scariness, nothing happened. Thank God! He wouldn't have made an especially good impression on stage with his leg in plaster!"

C for chalet: "A breathing pause in a mountain restaurant. While we are getting a sun tan, Benny shows his thirst for adventure by inspecting the romantic chalet, that's how a wooden house in the mountains is being called in this region. Here, he is posing for the photographers, smiling from one of the windows."

C for Christian: "If Agnetha had a new boyfriend already, is what a curious reporter asked her. She retorted that there was only one man in her life: her son Christian."

H for helicopter: "From Geneva to Leysin is about a two hour drive by car. Since we also filmed a scene in a helicopter, we were flown to Leysin. We will never forget the wonderful flight over the snowy region around Lake Geneva."

H for gloves (Handschuhe): "Always and everywhere, Benny is up for a little joke. For the photographers he even puts his gloves into his mouth. That was just what he was waiting for, in the true sense of the word."

H for hotel: "A group picture with the ladies in front of the Hotel Central Residence."

N for fog (Nebel): "Normally, we would have enjoyed one hundred percent beautiful weather at this time of year. That's what the inhabitants of the skiing resort assured us, after we had had some sun for one day out of the five days we spent there. On the other days, the fog was sometimes so dense that we could hardly shoot our scenes!"

N for notes: "Role study on the skiing piste. Once again we mull over our lines, before we dare to get in front of the camera."

N for night: "No one got very much sleep. But Björn got the least amount of sleep. He chatted with the pretty Boney M singer Liz Mitchell, mostly until the early morning hours."

E for warming up (Erwärmen): "Agnetha warms herself up with some glühwein. After that she too has to get back on the planks again, because the filming in the snow has not been completed yet!"

E for idea (Einfall): "Björn had the most daring idea. He wanted to fly to the top of a mountain with the helicopter, to get to a several kilometres long downhill run. Thankfully the fog prevented the take-off attempt."

E for parents (Eltern): "Björn and Agnetha brought their little daughter along to Switzerland. She was also accompanied by their nanny who's name coincidentally is Agnetha as well."

E for all's well that ends well (Ende gut): "All's well that ends well! On Sunday evening, the British broadcasting company arranged a huge party for all participants. First, a luxurious dinner was being served. Subsequently the party continued in the disco until five o'clock in the morning. But we didn't spend the long night in the dance club, we had an early night instead. Except Björn. Guess who he was flirting with again?"

Mix, 1977: ABBA left the president of the United States out in the cold

ABBA could play in sold-out venues or make lucrative television shows every day. But they are not able to do this because of time constraints. But the fact that they never appear on television in their home country Sweden has a totally different, peculiar reason... This week the last part of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid's breathtaking success adventure.

"In Sweden, we can hardly become more famous than we already are," manager Stig Anderson said after ABBA's phenomenal success in England: winning the Eurovision Song Contest. "That's why we have to explore the international market right now. But," he continues, "we are going to play it safe. We've received tempting offers from America, but for the time being we will restrict ourselves to Europe and Australia. It turns out that there's an extraordinary interest in our music in these territories. Where America is concerned: first our record sales will have to take off over there."
After a speedy visit to Hamburg, where ABBA performed in a television show, the famous quartet returned to Sweden to enjoy a couple of days of well-earned rest on their small island on the Stockholm coast, their beloved place of refuge where they can find new inspiration.
But their return to their home country was attended with several problems. All of Sweden wanted to see and hear the triumphant quartet and way before 'Brighton' a tour of the Swedish folk parks had been scheduled in the summer of 1974. But the offers that ABBA received from all parts of the world were so interesting that  Stig Anderson felt obliged from a business point of view to let the Swedish fans down. The national interests had to make way for the international opportunities and that's how ABBA made a victory march that summer past radio and television studios in England, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg. Only the following year it was Sweden's turn.
The flood to the Swedish folk parks was enormous and to their astonishment the concerts were not only attended by teenagers. Fathers and mothers were enjoying what ABBA had to offer as well. The song 'Waterloo' was doing extremely well by then. In England, 'Waterloo' even reached number two in the charts. All experts agreed that the pop scene had never experienced such an enormous success since the Beatles. 'Waterloo' sold more than five million singles and three million albums.
"When you look at the international sales figures it really makes your head spin," Stig Anderson admits. "At this moment ABBA has sold more than forty million records. In Holland we have already surpassed the Beatles. In America 'Waterloo' is number seven in the charts and as soon as we have some time we will go over there to do a couple of television shows."
ABBA's tours only underligned their enormous popularity again. In Australia their television special was watched by 58 percent of all people who owned a television set. At the launch of their new album 'Arrival' in London, BBC DJ Simon Bates presented the group with no less than 32 platinum, gold and silver discs.
If they wanted to, they could perform somewhere in Europe in a sold-out venue every day of the year. But they were down-to-earth enough to not go down that road. They simply couldn't clear their schedule because at home, in the studio, they had to work hard on making new records and preparing new songs.
When the German president Walter Scheel invited them to do a concert on the occasion of the American president Gerald Ford's visit, they had to reply regretfully: "Sorry, but we really don't have the time."
ABBA was the first Western pop group that performed in Poland. The Polish teenagers, that had listened to their records via German broadcasts, put such pressure on the authorities that the performance could be arranged eventually. Foreign currencies were even made available to import ABBA records, and this had never happened before. Meanwhile, 800.000 ABBA records have been sold in Poland and even in Russia - again something unheard of - 25.000 records have been sold.
All in all, ABBA's records have made a bigger profit than the records by Elton John, Rod Stewart and the Bay City Rollers. And nobody is in doubt that ABBA will eventually equal the worldwide success of the Beatles.
And no one should think that this astounding success has come easily. ABBA is a very hard-working group, that operates in a strictly professional way.

Sweden, ABBA's home country is a peculiar chapter in the story. The fans have a high opinion of the group, that's beyond doubt, but anything that's even remotely 'official' doesn't want anything to do with ABBA. After their triumph in Brighton ABBA has been invited only once to appear on Swedish television. To have a little studio chat in a programme for the elderly!
"When we are asked why we never appear on Swedish television, I always reply that we are never asked," Björn said recently. "In 1975, we only performed once. And do you know why? Because the other group, that had been invited first, was unable to attend due to health problems!"
Indeed, in Sweden things are a little difficult. In this country, radio and television are controlled by the State. And the State thinks that all broadcasts should contain political messages and that in the world of pop music a song has to carry out the political ideals of the Swedish State as well. It hasn't been said in so many words officially, but it is clear that ABBA is blamed for its capitalistic sense.
They think that the group's professional conduct and their commercial way of making money don't correspond with the social values of the Swedish government. ABBA - that's where it boils down to - should actually propagandize the Swedish socialistic welfare state.
"That's baffling," Benny sighs. "The only thing we want to do is cheer up the people with the kind of music they like to listen to. Is a pop group really the appointed medium to convey a political message or propagandize social ideas? Come on. Anyway, I think we are doing enough already for the Swedish State. Do you know our tax system? 85 percent of our income goes straight to taxes."
Silver Bramstedt, a music critic at Dagens Nyheter wrote vigorously: "ABBA is looking at the people who buy their records from behind the glass of their helicopter. As if they want to emphasize how inaccesible they are."
Mia Gerdis from the same paper said: "I've seen them move but I don't believe they are really alive. Björn's music is nothing else but plastic." Her colleague Anders Klintevall didn't have anything good to say about ABBA either. "Their music is only good to dance to. It's just boom-boom-boom... always the same quadruple time. It sounds mechanical and it's outright annoying. They say that the audience simply wants to hear this. Well, I wonder how long that will last."

When the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Stockholm in 1975, ABBA wasn't able to get any tickets. And when the fans requested if ABBA at least could hand over the prizes, that turned out to be impossible as well.
Buyers from television companies who come to Stockholm begging for ABBA footage are able to get films from the Swedish landscape or islands. There is nothing in stock about ABBA.
Björn, Benny, Anni-Frid and Agnetha remain unconcerned by all this teasing. Sometimes, when it all gets too much for them, they get on their boat that takes them to their small island, where they can swim, go fishing or simply lie in the sun.

There, far from all the noise and bitter criticism, new ideas are being born in the heavenly surroundings of their holiday cottage. Björn has his piano there and Benny his guitar. And furthermore, they have each other. And that's all they need to surprise the world time and time again with an unrelenting chartbuster.

Popshop, 1976: Guest in ABBA's headquarter

In one of the most quiet and remote streets of Stockholm, ABBA's headquarter is situated. Even our cab driver didn't even know that spot because he had to take a look at his city map first. The only cars that are parked there belong to ABBA's employees. Apart from that there's hardly any traffic. No wonder, because the narrow little street stops at some kind of city canal. These quiet surroundings make for a striking contrast with what's happening inside the town house, rebuilt into an office building: the invisible man behind the telex machine is typing away eagerly, the sound of ringing telephones is overwhelming the soft background music and the small army of secretaries is apparently having a competition at typing with ten fingers.
In short, ABBA's hit factory is working at full speed. A Swedish beauty is serving a cup of coffee and asks if we are able to wait for five more minutes because the management is in a meeting. Just like every Friday afternoon. And the management, that's Björn, Benny and ABBA manager Stig Anderson. The threesome that founded the company Polar Music.
"Every Thursday we discuss the proposals that we've received that week," Benny explains when we sit behind Stig's enormous desk a couple of minutes later. "We operate very democratically. If we disagree about certain issues, we are having a vote. And yes, with three people involved, the results of such a vote come in very quickly. To be honest, I'd rather be in the studio than in meetings like this. But the business side has to be taken care of as well. The things we discuss at such meetings? All sorts of things: which television programmes we are going to appear on and which not, the choice of songs for new records, the bookkeeping, internal affairs, actually all the problems that every business has to deal with..."
Until recently, the four ABBA members lived about thirty kilometres from Stockholm but because they come into the office every day, they've recently moved to the old part of the city.
"About two to three kilometres from here," says Björn. "You should come and drop by in a couple of months. Now it's still a mess. We haven't had time yet to put everything in the right place."
The spacious basements of the building were rebuilt into a music room. There's a piano and stereo equipment. "Björn and I mostly compose there," according to Benny. "Me at the piano and Björn with his guitar in his hands. We are planning to build a studio here as well, but we have to make some adjustments before that happens. And we use that stereo equipment very often too. Every day, one of our secretaries goes out to buy the newly released albums, and Björn and I listen through them, one by one. You are never that perfect that you can't learn anything new from other artists."
At least once every week all the studio musicians come together at that place too. "We are often called a golden duo," says Björn while he is pointing at Benny. "But to be honest, we have to admit that there are other people too who are responsible for ABBA's success. Like Michael B. Tretow, for instance, or co-producer. He has often come up with very original ideas. And we can't dismiss our team of studio musicians either. All of them are superb musicians, who work for us permanently. We are going to take them along too when we go on tour later on..."

Rocky, 1977: Partner switch with ABBA

The guy is called Ashley, he is an Australian DJ and lately a moviestar as well. His part gives him the opportunity to get very close to two Swedes who usually have a clean reputation: Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Both ladies are the leading contributors to the Swedish major enterprise called ABBA. About this 'company', a movie is being made that will be screened next year in German cinemas and that will surely attract millions of viewers. Its title is plain and gripping: 'ABBA - The Movie'.
Its title is as plain as its story, that revolves around the Scandinavian success group. Robert Hughes, a professional reporter, is dreaming about an exclusive interview with ABBA. Hughes, played by Ashley, goes through all kinds of amusing experiences during his hunt for the group. Encounters between the screen hero and the ABBA members are taking place primarily in Hughes' bed: indeed, he is dreaming them up. That's how the movie runs along for ninety minutes, highlighted with plenty of music, a bit of drollery and of course a happy end.
The entertainment film will once more prove the incredible popularity of the Swedish hit group. The soft rockers are looking back on more than a dozen million sellers and their aim is to keep their ABBA enterprise this prosperous. Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson were forced to take a break this year to take care of a couple of personal obligations: Agnetha gave birth to her baby and Anni-Frid found her long-lost father.
This breathing space was a good opportunity for the quartet to think about the progress of their tumultuous career and come up with new hit supplies. The Swedish ABBA factory has an extreme shortage of staff.
That's how the business-minded Swedes are taking all the raisins out of the show cake and produce hit singles and albums that turn into gold even before they are released, and they are shooting a movie.
It's clear to ABBA that a successful world career can also be pure hell. "After all, we can't tear ourselves up and be in America, Germany, England, Japan, Scandinavia and everywhere where our songs become hits, at the same time," Björn Ulvaeus said in an interview. "ABBA is running like a freight train but we are running out of breath."
Apart from that, the phenomenon of the registered ABBA trademark is linked to vast amounts of money, so that the Swedish state would have to put up with a sensitive drawback in its balance of payments if ABBA's stream of foreign exchange would dry up one day. If the four world famous stars want to end up with any money at all from their success and not work exclusively for the tax office, they have to invest in new ventures. That's also the reason that there will be more products with the ABBA trademark in the future.
Because the four clean Swedes have long turned into an institution and little time is left for a 'human touch', the question is discussed ever more often if other musicians will be able to come into the name and success of ABBA...

De Telegraaf, 1979: ABBA's Björn shows his new love

ABBA star Björn Ulvaeus, who recently divorced his wife Agnetha, introduced the new love of his life yesterday.

He spoke enthusiastically about his feelings for the blonde Lena Källersjö who is now inseparable from him. Björn said in his London hotel room, while his ex-wife Agnetha was alone in her room a couple of doors further: "I had only been single for a week after I divorced Agnetha, when I met Lena. We started living together right away. I discovered that love comes easier when you have already lived with somebody. When Agnetha and I separated, I knew immediately that I would fall in love again. I realised that I wasn't cut out for a bachelor's life."
Björn thinks that the divorce from Agnetha has been easier on him than he had expected: "There were a lot of tensions," he said. "When it got much worse we tried to distance ourselves from the tensions but the situation became intolerable. Now we have a good understanding in our work and we've remained friends."

While Björn has found happiness again with a new girlfriend, friends are saying that Agnetha has far more difficulties. She only has loose and temporary relationships. Björn says: "I believe Agnetha likes being single. She has had a lot of relationships but I thought she was having a hard time with them."

Björn says: "Despite all our problems we have done the right thing by getting divorced. We were both very selfish and this caused numerous arguments. Agnetha isn't jealous of my new girlfriend either. We often go out to dinner together. Lena and Agnetha get along great with each other."

Das Freizeit-Magazin, 1978: Björn: this is my life

Just like his other three ABBA colleagues, Björn grew up with music. And he had already tasted success in show business as well, before he started his triumph with the Swedish group. "When I was only eleven years old, I started a skiffle group at school," Björn is remembering from the start of his musical career. When he was seventeen - Björn was born on 25 April 1945 in Göteborg - he launched The Hootenanny Singers, a Swedish folk group. Today he has achieved with ABBA what he had always dreamed about as a child. But his private happiness with his family means even more to him than these enormous successes. With his pretty wife Agnetha, little daughter Linda and son Christian.

Because the school wouldn't spend any money on a band for a party, Björn - only 17 years old - took the initiative and founded a folk group, together with three friends. The school party turned out so well that The Hootenanny Singers - that's how the four named themselves - decided to keep playing together in the future. When he was only eleven years old, Björn had already started a very strong skiffle group at school.

Do you recognise the boys from Göteborg on the bottom left? At the beginning of the sixties, Björn achieved the big breakthrough with his group. Here you can see the Singers in a 1964 TV show.

Björn had just started walking when his parents moved from his home town Göteborg an the Swedish southeast coast to Västervik. Björn: "Here I was going to school and I am standing on our old market."

Björn could rarely rest on his laurels in his adolescence. After he had finished highschool he dived headfirst in  a study of law and economics, although he was already very busy as the leading man of The Hootenanny Singers.

Even before his ABBA days, Björn was a popular target for Swedish autograph hunters. "Here I am signing our first record as a Hootenanny Singer for a girl. It was a big hit."

When Björn took this picture of The Hep Stars in 1966, he couldn't imagine that this meeting would actually determine his future. Indeed, that's when he met Benny, his ABBA colleague.

ABBA started with Björn and Benny's friendship. Björn: "We had noticed that we were on the same wavelength musically and tried our luck as a duo in 1970." Later on the two girls joined them.

With 'Waterloo' and ABBA's win at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, their string of successes took off. Numerous awards followed, like the Golden Gong that the quartet received at the premiere of the ABBA movie.

And yet another award: the royal couple of Monaco presents the four stars with a music award. In the meantime, ABBA is considered the most successful group of all time.

While both ABBA girls keep themselves fit with daily gymnastics, Björn prefers to swim a few rounds in the water. He was already a great swimmer as a child.

In the 'Waterloo' year 1974, ABBA's headquarter in Stockholm was still a bit modest. Björn and Agnetha's little daughter Linda - only one year old - looks at the camera in wonderment. The little girl doesn't understand anything about success yet.

Björn met blonde Agnetha at a 1969 TV show. The couple got married two years later. This picture was taken in 1977 while shooting the feature film 'ABBA - The Movie'.

Björn and Benny in the studio: when it comes to the music, the both of them won't let anyone butt in. Benny makes sure that the sound is right. Björn is taking care of the lyrics and ABBA's day-to-day business.

Although the four Swedes are not considering to rest on their laurels, live performances like this will become less frequent in the future. Björn: "We need time for our private lives too."

1983: Frida - singer is breaking free from ABBA

ABBA splitting up, ABBA not splitting up: when both singers of the Swedish group started concentrating on their own solo projects, the fans were holding their breath. The rumours were immediately denied from Stockholm, but especially because of the solo sidestep of the red-haired Frida Lyngstad, it seemed that ABBA's days had been counted. Together with Genesis drummer Phil Collins, Frida recorded a solo album - titled 'Something's Going On' - that was received exceptionally well, and she announced that she had no intentions to stop at that one album.
The next shock for the fans came when Frida moved, and not just somewhere inside Sweden: she left her home country to move abroad to London. When on top of that it became known that she had sold all of her shares in the ABBA company, it seemed pretty clear that the singer would only work with ABBA on specific projects from now on, but that she would mainly focus her attention on her individual career as a singer. Frida herself claims that she is still a member of ABBA, but for the group it would be very unwise - especially on a business level - to admit that they in fact don't exist anymore. It is obvious: a new future has started for Frida.