IT BEGAN 50 YEARS AGO IN

Ever since their breakthrough with ‘Waterloo’ back in 1974, ABBA’s music has captured the hearts of people all over the world.

THE STORY Today, the songs they created – expertly written and produced by and Björn Ulvaeus, and interpreted vocally with passion and commitment by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad – are regarded as an important part of the international music canon. In the 21st Century, ABBA are more popular than ever.

TABLE OF CONTENT

THE STORY 03

THE PEOPLE 16

ARTICLES 22 4 1966 The ABBA story began in Sweden, more than five decades ago. In June 1966, Björn Ulvaeus (born 1945) met Benny Andersson (born 1946) for the first time. Björn was a member of the , a very popular folk music group, while Benny played keyboards in Sweden’s biggest pop group of the 1960s, The .

The pair wrote their first song togeth- nanny Singers released their records on the Po- er just a few weeks later, and by the end of the lar Music , owned by decade they had established a regular partner- (1931–1997), who was to become ABBA’s man- ship as composers. By that time, Benny had left ager. Stig also contributed lyrics to many ABBA The Hep Stars, while the Hootenanny Singers hits during the first years of the group’s career. only existed in the recording studio. The Hoote-

1972 5 1969 1970 In the spring of 1969, Björn and Benny met At first, the four members collaborated the two women who were to become not only their musically mainly by contributing songs, fiancées but also the other half of ABBA. Agnetha instrumental backing, production work or Fältskog (born 1950) had been a successful solo backing vocals to the recordings they each singer since releasing her first single in 1967. made as solo or duo acts. In 1970, the attractive She and Björn were married in July 1971. Anni- sound of their four voices combined gave them Frid Lyngstad (born 1945), also known as Frida, the idea to put together the cabaret act Festfolk started her recording career shortly before (which had the double meaning “engaged Agnetha. Frida was of Norwegian origin, but couples” and “party people”). This first attempt had moved to Sweden at a very early age. Benny at a collaboration was not successful, however. and Frida didn’t get married until October 1978.

In the spring of 1972 the group recorded a song called ‘People Need Love’, garnering a medium-sized hit“ in Sweden. At this time, they called themselves Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid. Encouraged by this success they entered the 1973 , the Swedish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song ‘Ring Ring’. They finished third, but the single and the of the same name were the biggest hits of the year in Sweden, competing for the top positions on the charts. ‘Ring Ring’ also became a hit in several other European countries. The group entered Melodifestivalen again in 1974, this time with ‘Waterloo’, which took them all the way to the Eurovision fi nals in Brighton, England. By this time they had changed their name to ABBA, an acronym of their fi rst names. ABBA was also the name of a Swedish canned fi sh company; for- tunately, they agreed to lending their name to a pop group. The Eurovision Song Contest on April 6, 1974 turned out to be the most famous moment in ABBA history, when the group won the internation-

1974 al juries over with ‘Waterloo’.

Soon after this triumph, ‘Waterloo’ was Number One on the charts all over Europe, even reaching the Top Ten in the US, where the Eurovision Song Contest had no impact. The album of the same name was also a huge hit in Sweden. However, the “stigma” of being winners of the Eurovision Song Contest made it diffi cult for ABBA to be taken seriously when they tried to follow this fi rst success. It wasn’t until some 18 months later that they got a major world- wide hit again with ‘SOS’, taken off their third album, simply entitled ABBA. world, includingtheUS(in1977) – ‘’ was album included ‘The NameOf The Game’ and ‘Take A Chance OnMe’. December 1977 coincided withthereleaseof ABBA – The Album. Hitsfromthe also begun onthefeature fi lm ABBA – TheMovie. Thepremiere of the lmin fi with capacity houseseverywhere. When thetour reached Australia, work was Australia between January andMarch1977. The tour wasacomplete success ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’. This wasfollowed by aconcert tour of Europeand andspawnedhitssuchas stormed upthecharts ‘Money, Money, Money’ and Of ABBA dependingon where you lived) became global selves asoneof themostpopulargroupsin world. do’ and ‘Dancing Queen’ allover the topped thecharts during thisperiod(entitled Greatest Hitsor The Best blockbusters. Classic singlereleasessuchas ‘Fernan- The various hitscompilations conquering the world In late 1976 ABBA’s album, fourth , wasreleased. The album In 1976 ABBA fi nally and rmlyfi establishedthem- ABBA’s only stateside Number One.

1976 8

1978 The spring of 1978 saw the group embarking on a major promotional campaign in the USA, leading to a Top Three single with ‘’ and a Top Twenty entry for ABBA – The Al- bum. The hit singles ‘Summer Night City’ and ‘’ were followed by ABBA’s sixth album, Voulez- Vous, released in April 1979. Earlier that year, Björn and Agnetha announced their divorce. This did not mean the end of ABBA, but it did overthrow their image of two happy, music-making couples.

1979 ABBA’s single ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A the United States and Europe. Around the same Man After Midnight)’ was released in the autumn time a second compilation album, Greatest Hits of 1979, coinciding with a major tour of Canada, Vol. 2, became an international success.

1980

In March 1980, ABBA took their tour to Japan for what turned out to be their very last live concerts in front of a paying audience. The rest of the year was devoted to the recording of ABBA’s next album, Super Trouper, containing classic hits like ‘’ and the title track. 9

1981

In February 1981 the fi nal blow was dealt to ABBA’s happy-couples image of the 1970s, when Benny and Frida announced their divorce. This still didn’t stop the foursome from working together. At the end of the year, ABBA’s eighth album, The Visitors, was released, with ‘One Of Us’ as its biggest hit single. 10

1982

The only ABBA LP release this year was a com- pilation double album of their hit singles, entitled The Singles – The First Ten Years, including two new songs. Although the single ‘The Day Before You Came’ was one of the group’s most accomplished “ Through the course of recordings it failed to become a worldwide hit on 1982 the energy was the scale they had been used to. At the end of 1982, gradually running out ABBA decided to take a break. If they wanted to, they of the group, as Björn reasoned, they could always get back together after and Benny set their a few years. sights on writing the musical and Agnetha and Frida were reviving their solo careers. 11 1990

More than three decades after ABBA’s “temporary break”, there still has been no reunion. But the group’s music lives on: the 1990s saw the beginning of a major revival, with successful cover versions and high-profi le movies using ABBA songs on their soundtracks attracting a great deal of attention. The compilation CD ABBA Gold, released in 1992, has sold more than 31 million copies to date. The 1993 companion album, More ABBA Gold, went on to sell 3 million copies. The box set followed in 1994, containing all the hits, selected album tracks, plus rare and previously unreleased recordings.

1999 MAMMA MIA!

The hugely successful musical Mamma Mia!, based on the songs of ABBA, premiered in London in 1999. The musical opened on Broadway two years later, and quickly spread across the globe; to date it’s been seen by more than 60 mil- lion people in over 440 cities. The premiere in ABBA’s home country of Sweden in February 2005 was attended by Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida. A hugely suc- cessful movie version of Mamma Mia!, starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, opened in July 2008. The opening of the movie was attended by the four ABBA members. 12 2014 LIVE AT

Since the start of the 21st Century, International and Uni- versal Music have continually upgraded the ABBA catalogue.

ABBA’s eight original taining previously unissued the by ABBA historian studio albums and their Span- television performances and Carl Magnus Palm. In 2014, the ish-language 1980 album other rarities with additional double-album Live At Wembley Gracias por la mùsica, have been bonus tracks, revised artwork Arena was issued, the fi rst-ever reissued as expanded Deluxe and expanded booklets fea- release of a complete ABBA live Editions, featuring DVDs con- turing detailed essays about concert. 13 2016

The compilation albums ABBA Gold and ABBA Oro have also been reissued with revised booklets and updated liner notes, while a double-CD entitled The Essential Collection com- piles ABBA singles. A comprehensive box set, The Complete Studio Recordings, was released in 2005, receiving spectacular press reviews. A box set entitled ABBA – The Vinyl Collection, containing faithful vinyl reissues of ABBA’s eight original studio LPs, was released in Decem- ber 2010. There have also been further vinyl re-releases of ABBA’s music, such as the 45 RPM half-speed mastered double vinyl edition of Arrival, issued to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album in 2016, and the similar release of ABBA – The Album in 2017, celebrating its 40th anniversary.

ABBA’s legendary videos, most of which were helmed by renowned director Lasse Hall- ström, have been collected on the DVD version of The Essential Collection, featuring the cleaned-up and remastered original fi lm clips. The two live concert fi lms ABBA – The Movie and ABBA In Concert have been restored and re-released on DVD, with bonus material. Other DVD releases include ABBA In Japan (featuring a vintage television special) and the short fi lm The Last Video, which featured cameo appearances from the ABBA members. The offi cial web- site, ABBA – The Offi cial Site, is an acclaimed resource for authoritative information about the group.

Today, ABBA are regarded as one of the all-time classic pop acts, acknowledged by their 2010 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. That same year saw the London open- ing of ABBAWORLD, an authorized touring exhibition and interactive experience. The project was endorsed by the former members of the band, who also contributed items and personal video interviews. The exhibition eventually found a permanent home at ABBA The Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. Opening in May 2013, the museum was an instant success: as of early 2018, the museum has attracted more than 1.5 million visitors.

In January 2016, a dinner show concept called Mamma Mia! The Party opened in Stock- holm. The opening was attended by all four ABBA members, causing international headlines when they decided to stand together briefl y and wave to the audience. This was the fi rst op- portunity in three decades to capture the four members together exclusively in one and the same photograph. 14 2018 In 2018 a sequel of the movie Mamma Mia! was re- leased – Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again allowed the original cast to reprise their roles, and also feature a cameo from Cher

2019 Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, ABBA’s Voulez- Vous was reissued as a multi-format release on June 14th. in- cluding a 2LP half-speed 180g vinyl, mastered at Abbey Road, cut at 45RPM. A coloured-vinyl 7 single box set, collecting 7 singles released in the era of the Voulez-Vous album and each single released as a limited-edition standalone picture disc.

On September 19th, Mamma Mia! The Party opened at London O2, the opening was attended by Björn and Benny, and on December 6th ABBA The Super Troupers Exhibition opened at the same arena.

ABBA Gold, originally released in 1992, passed its 900th week on the UK Official Albums Chart, making it the lon- gest-running Top 100 album of all time. 15 16 THE PEOPLE 17 BENNY ANDERSSON

Göran Bror Benny Andersson was born December 16, 1946 in Stockholm, and spent much of his youth in the suburb of Vällingby. Music entered Benny’s life when he was very young. At the age of six he got his first accordion and started playing together with his father Gösta and his grandfather Efraim.

BJÖRN ULVAEUS

Björn Kristian Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg on April 25, 1945. When he was six years old the family moved to the small town of Västervik, and this is where Björn grew up.

AGNETHA FÄLTSKOG

Agnetha Åse Fältskog was born on April 5, 1950 in the town of Jönköping in Sweden. Music came to Agnetha early in life: at the age of six she wrote her first song, ’Två små troll’ (”Two Little Trolls”).

ANNI-FRID LYNGSTAD

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad, better known simply as Frida, was born November 15, 1945 in Ballangen outside of Narvik, Norway. Her father was Alfred Haase, a German soldier, and her mother, Synni Lyngstad, was a Norwegian teenage girl. Frida’s father left Norway before Frida was born, and was thought to have vanished when his ship was sunk on the way back to Germany. 18 GÖREL HANSER

Görel Hanser (née Johnsen) was born 1949 in Skultorp, just outside Skövde in Sweden. Görel started working at the offices of Stig Anderson’s publishing company Sweden Music and the record company Polar Music in September 1969.

STIG “STIKKAN” ANDERSON

Stig Anderson was born 1931 in Hova, a small Swedish town. At the age of 16 he wrote his first song.

MICHAEL B. TRETOW

Michael B. Tretow was born 1944 in Norrköping, Sweden. As a youngster in the 1960s, he experimented with recording equipment in his room at home. Michael made some multi-overdub recordings of his own songs where he sang and played all the instruments himself.

RUNE SÖDERQVIST

Rune Söderqvist was born in 1935. After working in the advertising business for a number of years, by the 1970s he had his own design studio. He started working with ABBA in late 1975, designing the original Swedish sleeve for their Greatest Hits album. 19 OLA BRUNKERT

Ola Brunkert had been a drummer, also being a member of the band Slim’s Blues Gang, before joining pop group Science Poption in the mid-1960s.

LASSE WELLANDER

Lasse Wellander started playing guitar as a youngster in the early sixties and was a member of local bands in his hometown of Nora.

RUTGER GUNNARSSON

Bass player was a member of various local rock bands in his home town of Linköping during the 1960s. He then went on to study at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm for a couple of years.

ROGER PALM

Drummer Roger Palm was a member of Swedish bands the Gimmicks and then the Beatmakers, and started working on the session circuit in 1970. 20

Janne Schaffer was a member of various pop bands in the 1960s, although the only band to have any kind of success were The Sleepstones. In 1968 he joined a band called Grapes of Wrath, where he met drummer Ola Brunkert. Together with bassist Björn Stolt they formed the band Opus III.

PER LINDVALL

Per Lindvall entered the ABBA picture relatively late. His youth had something to do with this: he was only 21 when he made his ABBA debut on the session for Super Trouper (the song) in October 1980.

MIKE WATSON

Born in Sheffield, England, bass player Mike Watson has been in show business since the age of eleven.

THOMAS JOHANSSON

Thomas Johansson was born in 1948. His career in artist management and concert promotion started in the late 1960s. Barely out of his teens, he brought artists like Jimi Hendrix to Sweden. 21 ANDERS HANSER

Anders Hanser was born in 1945. A keen photographer since his teens, after a career as a radio producer he made photography his full-time occupation in the late 1970s. Anders formed his own company, which today primarily produces video and multislide presentations.

CLAES AF GEIJERSTAM

Geijerstam was born in 1946. His career in Swedish show business started with sound engineering in the early 1960s. In 1966 he became a member of the Swedish pop band Ola & The Janglers, one of the major rivals to Benny Andersson’s band The Hep Stars.

OWE SANDSTRÖM

Owe Sandström was born 1944 in Sundsvall, in northern Sweden. His day job is being a teacher at Spånga High School just north of Stockholm, his main responsibilty being their unique zoo department with all kinds of animals.

LASSE HALLSTRÖM

Lasse Hallström was born in 1946. At school he started making his own 8mm movies together with fellow students. By the late 1960s he was working as a director of short pop clips at Swedish television. 22

HONEY, HONEY – A BLUEPRINT FOR POP EXCITEMENT

Racy lyrics and a tight and slick arrangement combine to create a catchy ABBA classic. 23

Almost in Eurovision courtesy of the forceful strings, pulls you straight in to the song within the first few seconds, just like every good pop song Perhaps the most famous event in ABBA history is their should. The ABBA members themselves are quite fond of it as victory in the Eurovision Song Contest on April 6, 1974. In front well. “It’s a good song and a good recording; it’s tight and slick,” of hundreds of millions of television viewers, they performed said Benny recently. ‘Waterloo’ and achieved a breakthrough that would make them one of the biggest acts of the 1970s. If you’ve studied the Flash forward about eight months or so: the ‘Waterloo’ group’s story a little more in-depth you’re probably aware that single has conquered the world and it’s time to select a fol- they almost chose the ballad ‘Hasta Mañana’ as the song to low-up single. In most territories the choice fell upon ‘Honey, enter into the Swedish selection for Eurovision; they decided Honey’, which had emerged as one of the top tracks on the against it because the more rocky ‘Waterloo’ was how they Waterloo album. Released in June 1974, it reached the Top Five wanted to project themselves to an international audience at in some European countries and the Top 20 in a further few this time territories, but it obviously couldn’t match the extraordinary success of ‘Waterloo’. In the UK, the local record company opted But if contemporary press reports are to be believed, for a remix of the 1973 recording ‘Ring Ring’ instead – the they originally had a third song as a contender. That tune was British record company felt that ‘Honey, Honey’ was “a little too ‘Honey, Honey’. Although it appears to have disappeared fairly lightweight, that there was too much bubblegum in it”, as Björn quickly from the Eurovision discussions, that was not a reflec- and Benny explained in an interview at the time. tion on its qualities as a song. In most countries, ‘Honey, Honey’ was the follow-up single to ‘Waterloo’ and, as we shall see, this In an ironic twist, though, ‘Ring Ring’ didn’t become super-catchy tune is still frequently heard today. much of a hit in the UK, while a cover version of ‘Honey, Honey’ by the duo Sweet Dreams reached number 10. ABBA would Trying to sound a little sexy certainly have preferred to enjoy that hit themselves, but if nothing else it proved that Björn and Benny had talent as hit ‘Honey, Honey’, like so many other famous ABBA songs, beyond ‘Waterloo’. A couple of years later, in an had been written in Björn and Benny’s famous songwriting admirable display of good sportsmanship, Benny even pointed cabin on the island of Viggsö in the Stockholm archipelago. It to Sweet Dreams’ version of ‘Honey, Honey’ as the only cover was then brought to Metronome Studio in central Stockholm version of an ABBA song that he liked. Single charts aside, for a backing track recording on October 17, 1973, a part of the when it was featured on the mega-selling compilation albums sessions for the Waterloo album. The musicians present were either entitled The Best Of ABBA or Greatest Hits – released all Benny on keyboards, Björn on guitar, augmented by ABBA’s core over the world in 1975 and 1976 – ABBA’s version of ‘Honey, session musicians at the time: Ola Brunkert on drums, Rutger Honey’ would reach a wide audience, and so must have been Gunnarsson on bass, and Janne Schaffer on guitar. one of their most recognisable songs at the time.

The backing track secured, Agnetha and Frida came to Hidden in the tracks the studio to add their high-energy joint lead vocals to the song. The almost risqué lyrics are sung from the point of view Over the past few decades, the tune has been revived of a woman who is entranced by a man with a reputation as through its inclusion in the Mamma Mia! hit musical. In that an irresistible man – something of a “love machine”, according production it is sung by Sophie – the young girl who is about to the lyrics. “I remember that Agnetha and I tried to sound a to get married – and her two friends, the lyrics functioning as little sexy when we recorded the vocals,” said Frida many years somewhat racy extracts from her mother’s diary, written de- alter. “I’m not sure that we succeeded!” cades earlier. For the ABBA fanatic, the arrangement of ‘Honey, Honey’ in the musical is particularly interesting. On the original The individual upon whom all this attention is show- 16-track tape of ABBA’s original version, you can hear Benny ered seems to be less than reliable, though: the kind of man playing broken chord riffs, i.e. rapidly repeated notes, on his today referred to as a “player”. There are even a few solo lines Minimoog underneath the second half of all the verses (from for Björn, inhabiting the role of the man in question, where- “I’d heard about you before” until “you’re a love machine”). But in he warns the girl to “stay on the ground” and “not get too this feature was left out of the final mix. However, when the high” so that the man won’t have reason to hurt her. Clearly, arrangement for ‘Honey, Honey’ as performed in Mamma Mia! such lyrics, showcasing a not very modern view on relation- was written, the original 16-track tape was consulted in order ships between men and women, would raise more than a few to find out how the songs had originally been arranged by eyebrows if they had been written in the 21st Century. Lyricist ABBA, and so the synthesizer riff was resurrected for the stage Björn, who today is an ardent champion of the gender equality versions as well as the film soundtrack. cause, would agree. “I have to confess that the lyrics for ‘Honey, Honey’ are a little stupid!” he said in 2006. “They do make me Another behind-the-scenes fact about ‘Honey, Honey’ is cringe a bit. Stig [Anderson, ABBA manager and sometime that ABBA’s original version is speeded up just a little: it was lyricist] and I wrote the words – it was about half and half originally recorded in the key of E, but when mixed it was in between us – so I’m afraid I do have to take my share of the the key of F. There was also a little editing done towards the responsibility…” end of the song, with a section from earlier in the recording copied and moved to the end, in order to avoid repetition. None of this is unheard of in the world of but mere- Following Waterloo ly shows just how much thought ABBA put into their songs, so that they would sound exciting to the listener. And as a pop Lyrics aside, there certainly wasn’t anything wrong with recording, ‘Honey, Honey’ certainly sounds just as exciting today the recording as such: one of the catchiest ABBA songs, which, as it did back in 1974. 24 HAPPY NEW YEAR

Polar Music is delighted to announce this years version of Happy New Year, strictly limit- ed, numbered, translucent blue vinyl 7-inch edition in exclusive packaging.

This December we celebrate “Happy New Year”, a stand-out cut from ABBA’s Super Trouper album that soundtracked the festive season and far beyond 40 years ago.

In different times, “Happy New Year” – sung by Agnetha Fältskog with back-ups from Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad – would have been released as a worldwide single, but ABBA, conscious of never short-changing their fans, had already released two singles from Super Trouper, with a third on its way (the title track, “The Winner Takes It All” and “”); so it remained the opener of the album’s second side. It was only ever issued at the time of release as a single in Argentina (in its Spanish language version, “Felicidad”, included here as the B-side). It has, like so many songs within ABBA’s cherished catalog, become a standard.

Written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson on a break in Barbados in January 1980, “Happy New Year” is a perfect capture of ABBA’s bittersweet magic. Originally intended to feature as part of a musical set around New Year’s Eve, on one hand, it is a rousing anthem of hope for the future; yet with its lines “the dreams we had before are all dead, nothing more than confetti on the fl oor,” it not only refl ected the inner turmoil within the group at that time, but also the wider wistfulness and mixed emotions people experience with the passage of time, accelerated at the changing of a year.

Yet it is hope that prevails: “May we all have a vision now and then, of a world where every neighbour is a friend,” Agnetha sings in the chorus. Although 40 years old, these words are more appropriate than ever. Ulvaeus said presciently in 2011, “However ominous things may look, what characterises mankind is that we move forward, no matter what: against all odds, we soldier on. And deep inside I think we’ll get through the current situation. I don’t think that mankind has had its time on earth.”

To commemorate the arrival of 2021, a worldwide run of 6.000 copies of this exclusive single has been pressed. The die-cut sleeve features unique artwork, which displays the single with its picture label, a shot of ABBA from Rune Söderqvist-designed Super Trouper album cover sessions. Happy New Year 2021, Welcome 2021, let it be a good year! release December 4. 25

And my destination makes it worth the while Pushing through the darkness still another mile

ABBA 26

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY – SOME KIND OF TENSION

We look back on one of ABBA’s biggest singles, where they showed that you could let yourself be inspired by all sorts of musical infl uences – and still come out with a major hit.

NUMBER ONE IN SIX COUNTRIES single the following month, many people agreed with him that it was a top tune, sending it to number one in six “It’s my favourite. Of all the things we’ve done, that countries and the Top Three in a further four. one is the best ever.” Upon release of ABBA’s Arrival album The recording of ‘Money, Money, Money’ began on in October 1976, that was Benny Andersson’s verdict of 17 May 1976 at Metronome Studio in central Stockholm. ‘Money, Money, Money’, one of the tracks on the album. “It’s Benny was on piano and the two musicians that played a very basic recording,” he continued. “It’s pretty straight- on more ABBA tracks than anyone else, Rutger Gunnars- forward and it’s got some kind of tension in it, as a tune.” son and Ola Brunkert, were there to contribute bass and As he would fi nd out when the song was released as a drums, respectively. On guitar, however, was Anders Glen- 27 mark, making a one-off contribution to an ABBA recording. Frida was selected as the vocalist for ‘Money, Money, Money’, Björn writing lyrics for her in which she Glenmark would remember how impressed he was inhabited the part of a hard-working woman who dreams by Björn and Benny’s attention to detail, not settling for of finding a wealthy man so that she can live off his riches the first arrangement idea that came to mind, but working or, failing that, going to Las Vegas or Monaco to become and working until they got it exactly right. As he recalls, wealthy through gambling. These lyrics would have been they had been playing for hours without quite getting it regarded as a gift by any singer, as they offer a real chance right, when the bass player provided the vital key. “Rutger for story-telling, and Frida uses all her talents to colour had the idea that his bass line in the choruses should be her performance with the drama the song calls for. Once the same as the vocal melody, and then things started the song was mixed and finished, it was probably clear to getting off the ground: we felt, ‘Yes, that’s it’.” everyone involved what they had on their hands: one of the strongest tracks on the album. BUY A BUNNY! As ‘Money, Money, Money’ had been selected for may have been a temporary single release, a video (or promo clip, as these short stand-in for ABBA’s most frequently used guitarists, Lasse films were called then) needed to be filmed for it. Lasse Wellander and Janne Schaffer, but he would continue Hallström, who by this time had been ABBA’s promo clip his association with the ABBA members: that’s him you director for two years, was again the man behind this film, hear singing the choruses on ’s ‘One Night showing Frida running around central Stockholm as well In Bangkok’, one of the hit singles from the 1984 musical as looking suitably dramatic all dressed in black as she Chess, which Björn and Benny wrote with . And sings the verses. The clip also gave the group an opportu- in 1996, he produced Frida’s solo album nity to show off their brand new kimono-style outfits, cre- (“Deep Breaths”). ated by their costume designer, Owe Sandström. For Lasse Hallström, ‘Money, Money, Money’ would always remain When the backing track arrangement of an ABBA one of his favourite ABBA clips. “It was consistent with the song was worked out in the studio, Björn would usually lyrics and the music,” he said. “I loved editing my films to be singing demo lyrics – any old phrases that came into fit the music, to emphasize the rhythm and the idea of the his head – since he didn’t want to write proper lyrics music, to provide musical support and not just tell a story.” until the final musical arrangement suggested the “mood” of the song to him. During the backing track session for CONSTRUCTED LIKE A STAGE NUMBER ‘Money, Money, Money’, however, Björn was already using demo lyrics containing the phrase “money, money, mon- ‘Money, Money, Money’ inhabits a special place in ey’: on original session tapes, he can be heard singing the ABBA catalogue, as, with its early 20th Century cabaret nonsensical phrases such as “money, money, money / milk inflections, it wasn’t quite what you’d expect from a pop and honey” and, perhaps the most priceless of all, “money, song in the mid-1970s. On the other hand, that was part money, money / buy a bunny”. But it was only meant as of ABBA’s trademark: that they included all sorts of styles a temporary solution; he wanted to call the song some- on their albums and allowed themselves to inject ele- thing else entirely, as he felt there were already so many ments outside of the contemporary pop landscape every money-themed songs. Some recent examples included now and then. And the success of ‘Money, Money, Money’, ‘Money’ in the musical Cabaret, one of the most familiar with Benny’s attention-grabbing piano intro, proves that songs from the successful 1972 film version starring Liza they were absolutely right in doing that. As he would Minnelli, and the similarly-titled track on Pink Floyd’s reflect many years later, “If the song had really been too mega-selling 1973 album The Dark Side Of The Moon. far out we would probably not have tried to record it with ABBA, since in general a pop band shouldn’t stray too far EMPHASIZING THE RHYTHM from what people expect a pop band to do. ‘Money, Money, Money’, though, did seem to fall within what ABBA could There was something Central European, slightly release.” exotic about the tune, which brought it away from your usual pop fare. This, it seems, sent Björn off on a Romani Over the years, Benny has mentioned many times theme, and he wrote lyrics entitled ‘Gypsy Girl’. An impas- how fond he is of ‘Money, Money, Money’, even including sioned violin part, Romani-style, was added to the re- a solo rendition on the Deluxe Edition of his 2017 album cording, but ultimately Björn and Benny felt they were on Piano. It is the type of tune that he most appreciates the wrong path. Björn realised that however many songs today, where the melody is so strong in itself that it lends that already existed about money, his original instinct of itself to interpretations by other performers. And this was calling the song ‘Money, Money, Money’ was the best and something he recognised way back in that October 1976 most suitable. This change of theme meant that there interview. “You could say that it’s constructed like a stage wasn’t as much need for the violin, which, in the final mix number; I’d like to think that there’s another dimension of the song, is only heard briefly as a bended note after to it. I imagine someone else doing it, not necessarily us: the line “I’d fool around and have a ball”, just before the someone standing on a platform, singing these lyrics. I chorus starts. can visualise clearly who’s singing, what it looks like and what the situation is.” 28 SHINE AT 35

On 11 September 1984, Frida released her second English-language solo album. Entitled Shine, and now celebrating its 35th Anniversary, it continued the daring ex- ploration of cutting-edge 1980s sounds begun on her previous album, the Phil Col- lins-helmed Something’s Going On. On this new album, her producer was Steve Lilly- white; as an engineer and producer, he had helped shape a new sound for the decade on recordings with acts such as Peter Gabriel, U2, Simple Minds and Big Country. As Frida said at the time of Shine’s original release, “The sound is bolder than on the last album. Steve opened me up as a musician. All of a sudden I have reached sounds and a way of working musically that I had no outlet for before – but now I have discovered it.”

Recorded in the that provided an in- Encouraged by Phil and she decided to spring of 1984, sessions triguing meeting be- Collins to develop this withdraw from being a took place at Studios tween Frida’s melodic side of herself, by the full-time artist and per- de la Grande Armée in pop background and time album sessions former. It would take Paris, France. Among Lillywhite’s innovative started she had ten 12 years before she the musicians were Big approach to production. completed songs. Two issued another album, Country drummer Mark This was exactly what of those tunes were the Swedish-language Brzezicki and bassist Frida wanted, as she recorded during the release Djupa andetag, Tony Levin, one of the was determined that Shine sessions. The at- which remains her last most well-respected her new music should tractive, contemplative solo album to date. and in-demand session be completely different ballad ‘Don’t Do It’ was musicians at the time. from ABBA. She was featured on the album, But Shine is still Two tracks, recorded keen to explore a new while the more edgy out there to explore after the main sessions, musical path and see ‘That’s Tough’ (a co- and to rediscover. Frida featured trusted ABBA what was waiting there. write with Frida’s son herself said that in bassist Rutger Gunnars- That said, Benny and Hans Fredriksson and hindsight she felt may- son, the musician who Björn contributed a Kirsty MacColl) became be the album was be- contributed to more of new song for her, enti- the B-side of the fi rst fore its time. It certainly the group recordings tled ‘Slowly’, which, for single released from hasn’t lost its shine than anyone outside many years, marked the the album, the title over the years, and 35 the four members. On last time either of AB- track ‘Shine’. years on, like Frida sug- backing vocals was BA’s female members gests, maybe it sparkles Kirsty MacColl, Steve recorded a new Anders- Upon release, even brighter today Lillywhite’s fi ancée at son/Ulvaeus tune. Frida was rewarded than it did when it was the time and a success- with a Top 10 hit for fi rst made available to ful singer and song- As part of her the album in a number record buyers. Take a writer in her own right. eagerness to challenge of countries. However, chance on Shine and herself, Frida had even not long afterwards, fi nd out for yourself. This stellar cast ventured into songwrit- her priorities in life put together an album ing for the fi rst time. changed dramatically Stockholm September 2019 29 ABBA THE MUSEUM, THE FULL STORY!

ABBA The Muse- people all over the ABBA The Mu- ny, Frida and Agnetha um presents the full world sing along with seum in Stockholm, took a break. story. the choruses. New gen- Sweden are proud to The focus once Thirty-six years erations listen to ABBA present a new perma- again is on interactives after ABBA fell silent for the fi rst time and nent part where they that enhance the story their music is still fall in love. present the whole story as well as the analogue heard everywhere, and of what happened after way of telling it. 1982 when Björn, Ben-

A MESSAGE FROM ABBA The message we all have been waiting for! 30

OUR LAST SUMMER

– THE INDEFINABLE MAGIC OF A VOCAL PERFORMANCE As ABBA’s Super Trouper celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2020, we explore the history of ‘’, a nostalgic look back on a summer romance – one of the outstanding tracks on the album.

A FEEL FOR RHYTHM AND TIMING first, maybe add a few overdubs, and then turns of the lyrics gave her something to let the mood of that basic recording inspire work with. How do you infuse one and the the lyrics. “I wanted there to be some kind AN ANTHEMIC SUMMER same vocal performance with hope and re- of ambience in the recording,” Björn once gret, romance and disappointment, happi- explained, “because then I would get a For ABBA, a song was a creation ness and wistfulness? You could try asking clearer picture of what the song was ‘say- you built up piece by piece in the recording Frida of ABBA, for this is exactly what she ing’. There was more pleasure in hearing studio, sometimes adding a little some- does in her lead vocal performance on the a really great backing track, rather than thing, sometimes removing an overdub group’s ‘Our Last Summer’. Frida may not listening to some tape of me and Benny that didn’t work, paying attention to every be able to explain exactly how she did it, banging away on a piano and acoustic detail. Take the chorus vocals, for instance, though: like most great singers, she worked guitar. It just wasn’t as inspiring.” which Frida and Agnetha sang together. As intuitively. “Singing is principally about a Björn would recall, “We wanted a certain feel for rhythm and timing, knowing when So, what did Björn hear in this ‘pull’ on the word ‘summer’ in chorus; we to push or hold back,” she said a few years backing track? There was something worked quite a lot with the girls on that.” ago. “When I sing, I’m expressing every- inherently nostalgic about the tune, The key to that ‘pull’ can be found in Björn’s thing I’ve experienced in my life. I bring all which had only been strengthened by the teenage years, which mainly occurred in of that to the studio. My voice is the result backing track recording, and this triggered the early 1960s. In that period, after Elvis of my accumulated experiences.” a memory from Björn’s own past. Emotion- Presley’s big breakthrough in the 1950s ally, the tune brought him back to a trip to but before The Beatles came along, there The story of ‘Our Last Summer’ Paris one summer when he was a teenager, were a host of male American teen idols, began in June 1980, in the midst of ses- visiting a girl from his home-town who many of whom sang seductively romantic sions for the Super Trouper album. ABBA’s was working as an au pair. “We had not ballads. Now, Björn and Benny felt that Björn and Benny were spending five days been romantically involved in Sweden,” Agnetha and Frida should try to sing the writing songs on the island of Viggsö in he recalled, “but Paris tends to have that chorus like those teen idols did; it served the Stockholm archipelago, the location effect on people, and so it was with the to remind the listener of the era of Björn’s of their famous songwriting cabin. ‘The two of us. She certainly took me to see the Paris romance, however subtly. Winner Takes It All’ was one of the tunes Quartier Latin, the Champs-Élysées and the they brought back from their island visit; Eiffel Tower, but to be honest I don’t really And there are more fascinating ‘Our Last Summer’ was another, although remember much of Paris. I mostly remem- details to discover. If you listen closely at that time they only had the melody, not ber her!” to Lasse Wellander’s guitar solo, you will the title. On 4 June, they gathered some of notice that in the background – at 02:47 their favourite musicians in the Polar Music The lyrics were not a literal and for a further few seconds, to be spe- Studio in central Stockholm – veterans depiction of his own experiences, but the cific! – there are a few chords and a bit of from many ABBA sessions: Lasse Wellander starting point was real. From this Björn melody that sound uncannily like a section on guitar, Mike Watson on bass and Ola developed a narrative, sung from the point of ‘Anthem’, from the 1984 musical Chess, Brunkert on drums – and began working of view of a woman looking back on a sum- which Björn and Benny wrote together out the backing track. Benny, as always, mer romance in Paris, contrasting it against with Tim Rice. The stately, hymn-like mel- was on keyboards the dull reality of the present. And that ody for ‘Anthem’ had been around since the was the whole point. While Björn could mid-1970s, but Björn and Benny couldn’t ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED have chosen to let the entire lyrics be a quite agree whether it was suitable for romantically blissful and wistfully nos- ABBA. “I tried to get it on one of our LPs,” With a solid, medium-paced instru- talgic depiction of that long lost summer, Benny recalled many years later, “but there mental recording in place, the next step he added a clever twist: the singer’s love was always resistance from my partner: was for ABBA’s main lyricist, Björn, to put interest has turned into an unglamorous ‘You can’t have a song like that on a pop some words to the music. This was how bank employee whose name is Harry. It was album’. He was absolutely right about that.” ABBA worked, based on experience from a good example of how ABBA would work But during Lasse’s guitar solo, a bit of the their early days. When they started out, with contrasts, throwing a bit of salt into song that would become ‘Anthem’ can be they might come to the studio with both that which was on the verge of becoming heard on the piano (the passage corre- music and lyrics, but by the time they had too saccharine, making the song all the sponding to “How can I leave her? / Where recorded the backing track, the arrange- more powerful as a result. The storytelling would I start?” in ‘Anthem’). “When we ment and the feel of the tune may have of the lyrics also provided a key to Frida’s finally used the whole melody for ‘Anthem’,” changed quite a bit, which meant that the singing: in addition to her own talent and said Benny, “we figured that no-one would lyrics may no longer be appropriate. Much intuitive understanding of what made a have noticed that little part enough to say better, then, to record the backing track great vocal performance, the twist and that we had ‘stolen’ anything from ‘Our Last Summer’.” INDEFINABLE “ “ MAGIC...

The finished recording was cer- tainly one of the highlights on the Super Trouper album – none other than Agnetha Fältskog has declared it as one of her all-time favourite ABBA tracks. However, it was never released as a single A-side, and therefore, as so often happens with album tracks, with time it was forgotten by most people outside the most ardent fan circles. It was brought into the spotlight again in 1993, when it was included on the million-selling compilation album More ABBA Gold, the follow-up to the incredibly successful ABBA Gold hits collection.

The song’s true chance to shine, however, came when it was featured in the blockbuster musical Mamma Mia!, based on ABBA’s songs. In the 1999 musical, one of the plot-driving features is the mystery of who exactly is the father of one of the main characters, Sophie, and so the “Harry” of the ‘Our Last Summer’ lyrics was turned into one of three possible dads. In the stage musical, the song is performed as a duet between Harry and Sophie’s mother, Donna. When the musical was made into a film in 2008, it was performed by Harry (Colin Firth) and Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), with some parts by the two other possi- ble dads, Sam (Pierce Brosnan) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård). Here, the perspective of the song is turned around completely so that the three dads reminisce about the summer they spent with Donna, rather than the other way around.

However, the Mamma Mia! actors will certainly agree that for all the effort and feeling they put into their perfor- mances, ABBA’s original version of ‘Our Last Summer’ will remain the definitive interpretation – not least thanks to the indefinable magic of Frida’s stellar vocal performance. 32

POLAR MUSIC – THE STORY OF ABBA’S RECORD LABEL In the 21st Century, Polar Music is mainly regarded as ABBA’s record label. But the record company has a long history, stretching back a decade before the group conquered the world – and with a strong ABBA connection from the start.

label. There was a crux, however: Stig and Bengt didn’t like the group name. Since “hootenanny” was a term used on the American folk music scene (signifying a folk music party, where everyone present is welcome to perform) they decided that the band should henceforth be known as the Hootenanny Singers – a somewhat quaint name that Björn Ulvaeus would later label “the worst name that any band has ever had”.

Bad name or not, the Hootenanny Singers released their fi rst single, ‘Jag väntar vid min mila’ (“I’m Waiting At The Stack”) in November 1963. This modern folk music arrangement of an old Swedish song was an immediate hit, and from then on and for the following decade the group was one of the biggest acts in Sweden. It was here that the bond between Polar Music and Björn Ulvaeus was forged, the fi rst step towards ABBA. UNDER ONE UMBRELLA

Back in the early 1960s, future ABBA manager Stig Anderson was a and music publisher on the rise. He Like most record companies, Polar’s output throughout the had more or less stopped writing tunes but was gaining success 1960s was a mix of hits and misses, with the Hootenanny Singers through purchasing the Swedish copyrights for foreign songs and as their outstanding star act. By the end of the decade, howev- writing Swedish lyrics for them; these songs would then, hopeful- er, the company received a welcome injection of fresh blood, as ly, be recorded by an artist who could turn them into major hits. Björn introduced his friend and new songwriting partner, Benny Stig had noticed that sales of records were on an upwards streak Andersson, to Stig and Bengt. Before long the four of them had and fi gured that it would be even better if some of his songs were formed the publishing company Union Songs, specifi cally to han- recorded by artists on his own record label, keeping as much as dle Benny and Björn’s songwriting. Stig often wrote the Swedish possible under his own umbrella. “I understood then that records lyrics to their tunes and over the following years the Andersson/ were the future,” Stig would recall. Ulvaeus team notched up a number of domestic hits, most of them released by Polar. Together with his long-time friend Bengt Bernhag, Stig began hatching plans to launch a record company. Bengt was the TRAGEDY AND SUCCESS perfect partner: an expert , with good instincts on what made a hit or not. The pair had already collaborated on some But just as the record company seemed on the verge of major Swedish hits – Stig as songwriter and/or lyricist, Bengt as an ever more brilliant future, tragedy struck. Bengt Bernhag had producer – so it was a natural step for them to go into business been plagued by ill health for several years and in July 1971 he together. By the summer of 1963, Anderson and Bernhag were passed away. Bengt had handled all productions for Polar Music, ready to kick off operations, naming the label Polar Music. so a new house producer was needed and quickly. Björn had long been groomed to come into the company, and now Stig turned to There was a strong ABBA connection even with their fi rst him and asked if he wanted to take the job. Björn, whose partner- signing. On 13 September 1963, Bengt Bernhag was reading the ship with Benny trumped most other considerations, insisted that Swedish newspaper Expressen and happened to notice a small ar- Benny should be hired along with him. When Stig explained that ticle about a talent contest. Singled out as “a top act” in the article he could only afford one producer, Björn suggested that he and was a “boy quartet … fronted by Björn Ulvaeus”, calling themselves Benny should split the salary. “It was a damned generous gesture the West Bay Singers. Bengt had a hunch that this folk music on Björn’s part,” recalled Benny. The pair started their employment group – heavily inspired by one of the biggest American acts of as Polar Music house producers effective immediately. the early 1960s, The Kingston Trio – could be something for Polar Music. He wasted no time in contacting the group, requesting that they send a demo tape. After hearing the tape, he was even more enthusiastic and soon afterwards Stig Anderson drove to Västervik, In the fi rst few years of 1970s, the company moved into its the Swedish town where group resided, to have a meeting with most successful phase. Teenage singers Lena Andersson and Ted them. Gärdestad were signed to the label, along with Svenne & Lotta, a husband and wife duo, both of whom had been members of FRESH BLOOD Benny’s 1960s band The Hep Stars. These new acts would all enjoy great success in Sweden and some of the other Nordic countries, Before long, future ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus and the an extraordinary result for what was an independent, compara- three other members of the West Bay Singers were signed to the tively small record company. Among the other new signings during 33 this period was Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, Benny’s fi ancée, whose Polar. Furthermore, because of ABBA’s enormous record sales, the fi rst Polar Music single, ‘Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan’ (“You’ve company was restructured to take care of the money that fl owed Got To Live A Little Every Now And Then”), went to number one on in. Renamed Polar Music International, it diversifi ed into all sorts the vote-based radio chart Svensktoppen (“The Swedish Top Ten”). of businesses, some of which had little to do with music, but also Meanwhile, Björn and Benny had their hands full as producers, including the top notch Polar Music Studio, which opened for gaining important experience as they produced everything the business in May 1978; this is where ABBA would do all of their label required: children’s records, big band jazz, odd experiments remaining studio recordings. With Polar Music International’s with accordion and synthesizer, religious works and straightfor- extraordinary success, a myth emerged, claiming that Polar had ward pop. become more profi table than Swedish car manufacturer Volvo. It was true that in percentage terms, Polar’s profi ts on its so-called They also had their own duo, Björn & Benny, who scored a working capital was larger than Volvo’s, but measured in dollars number of hits between 1970 and 1972. But they would achieve and cents, Volvo was always much bigger. even greater triumphs when they expanded their duo to a quartet, inviting Björn’s wife, Agnetha Fältskog, and Frida to record a single The year of 1982 saw the end of ABBA’s recording career, with them: ‘People Need Love’. Before long the group had become and Polar Music International had to evolve as a result, signing the biggest recording act in Sweden, and, following their Eurovi- new artists who could fi ll the gap. The concept album of the sion Song Contest international breakthrough with ‘Waterloo’ in musical Chess, written by Björn and Benny in collaboration with 1974 and a name-change to ABBA, they would be a global popular Tim Rice, was released by Polar, and Agnetha and Frida issued music force for the remainder of the decade. ABBA’s success meant their fi rst few solo albums on the label. But by the end of 1984, that Björn and Benny had to step back as Polar Music house pro- the four ABBA members had all moved on in their lives and sold ducers, and many of their assignments were taken over by names their shares in the record company. Five years later, in 1989, Stig, such as ABBA engineer Michael B. Tretow; Claes af Geijerstam, who who’d worked around the clock for his entire life, decided that it handled the sound on the group’s tours; and ABBA bassist Rutger was time to divest himself of his companies, including Polar. The Gunnarsson. sale went into effect in 1990 and today Polar Music International is owned by Universal Music. PART OWNERS Although Polar hasn’t signed any new artists for many With Björn & Benny’s importance for Polar Music, it was years, the label is still highly successful as the guardian of the a natural step for them to become part owners of the company. ABBA catalogue, which attracts new listeners every year. Its music From April 1975, Björn and Benny owned 50 per cent of Polar Mu- is played, heard and enjoyed around the clock, all over the world. sic, with Stig controlling the other half of the company. Eventually, Not a bad result for a tiny label that started out with a group of Agnetha and Frida acquired equal shares of Björn and Benny’s Swedish folk musicians in the early 1960s. half, so that each of the four members owned 12.5 per cent of 34

ABBA’S SUPER TROUPER REISSUE INCLUDING REMASTERING OUT OCTOBER 30TH. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Super Trouper,’ ABBA’s seventh much-loved studio album, Polar Music is delighted to release a suite of products on October 30th.

2LP Abbey Road half-speed master of ‘Super A singles boxset on coloured vinyl Trouper’

Three 7 picture discs of the singles from the album – “The Winner Takes It All,” “Super Trouper” And “Lay All Your Love On Me”

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