Frida/ABBAWORLD

 Frida talks about her birth, her youth, her grandmother, her first marriage and her career.

June 19, 2010

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Frida in Brighton, 1974

Lars Stenmark

 Today, the subject of ABBA's 50th Anniversary of the ESC-Victory with "Waterloo" in Brighton came up at work. When a colleague realized what a massive ABBA-fan I am, she said she wanted to share a little story with me. Of course I was all ears, as always, when ABBA is on the agenda.

She told me she vaguely, but fondly remembered that night in Brighton in April of 1974, when ABBA gave Sweden its very first victory. "Well, so did I and millions of others in front of the telly, I thought. What about..."

While continuing, she must have seen my jaws drop immediately as she said "I was there as a little girl" "In the audience with my mother" I thought "Get outta here!" and must have stopped breathing with my mouth half open.

Before I could utter anything, she continued "I was watching my dad, dressed as Napoleon" Now I just couldn't shut up so I burst out "No way! "Were you? Really?" "So, your dad was the great Sven-Olof Walldoff!!!" I said, feeling a bit starstruck myself.

The late Sven-Olof is one of Sweden's most accredited and renowned producers, musical arrangers, orchestra conductors, as well as composers and musicians of all times.

According to his daughter, he's the man behind one of the most famous, instantly recognizable signature sounds of any song in the history of pop music - the string arrangements in "Dancing Queen"! (news to me and unheard of before (!?) I've tried to find his name somewhere in the credentials for DQ to confirm that, but no luck to find a source so far. If anyone can confirm/deny that it would be appreciated)

Despite musical credits like that and having worked with almost everyone in the Swedish artist elite from the 1950's until the 1990's, Sven-Olof has remained somewhat of an unknown figure to the general public.

Few people know him by name or his credentials as a professional. However, almost everyone knows him by his appearance as Napoleon, both on stage in Brighton and on the "Waterloo'' album cover.

He collaborated with the biggest male and female singers and songwriters of the 60's &70's, including Agnetha & Frida in their pre-ABBA careers. He had his own Big Band Orchestra, which often toured the folkparks and local stages around Sweden - together with the biggest stars at the time. He was also part of the production of the "Ring, "Ring" album (string arranger) as well as two more ABBA-albums.

While my colleague continued to tell her story about that wonderful week she had with her family in Brighton almost 50 years ago, I felt bewitched and sat in complete silence (which is a very rare treat, as those who know me are well aware of...🤣🤣) as fascinated as a little boy listening to the storytelling of an extravagant Drag Queen.

It turned out she had been with her father during the rehearsals of "Waterloo" the whole week before the big final. Either in the spectator seat or backstage. She often sat backstage with A & F and others in the band. Sometimes just playing around with them, being silly. Other times she watched all the work and preparations they had to do before going onstage,

Her parents were personal friends with all four members of ABBA in the 1970's. She met them several times at many locations. Especially with Frida & Benny, who they saw regularly at each other's houses.

Amanda became particularly close to Frida, who used to baby-sit her from time to time. It almost felt like Frida took her in as 'one of her own'. There was always music, laughter and never a dull moment in their house, she remembers.

She was even allowed to enter Frida's huge closet and pretend she was a pop star as well. She used to 'perform' with Frida - standing shoulder by shoulder, back to back, facing the mirror, while lip-synching to "Mamma Mia" - pretending she was Agnetha.

Now, how many thousands of us fans all over the world did not spend parts of our childhoods doing the same thing over and over with our best friends?? In school, at home, at parties, probably at all places we could. Can you imagine doing the same thing with one of the real ABBA's!! 

This picture of Frida, (courtesy of Amanda Walldoff) which I asked for permission to use for this story, was taken by her outside of the Pavilion in Brighton the day after the victory. Little did Frida or Amanda know - what a superstar of gigantic proportions this young lady was about to become - loved, admired, respected and cherished by an entire music world - only a few years later.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1320176455108559/posts/1815769902215876/

Galaxen !!

Jacob Dahlin - Radio Program Galaxen in P3 in the 80s- Sverige

Audio source: ”P4 Dokumentär - Jacob Dahlins hemlighet”. Sveriges Radio. 14 september 2023.

Frida appears in a promo for his program and she says: "Galaxen. Blä. Samlade sanningar och lösa rykten rakt ut i luften med Jacob Dahlin. Blä.".

"Galaxen. Yuck. Collected truths and gossip straight into the air with Jacob Dahlin. Yuck."

"Galaxen. Qué asco. Recopilamos verdades y chismes directamente en el aire con Jacob Dahlin. Qué asco". Thanks to Claes Davidsson and ABBA Newsflash

Frida - To Turn The Stone

LISTEN: This ‘80s bop by an ABBA legend was originally meant for Donna Summer

Though Anni-Frid Lyngstad, a.k.a. Frida, is best known for her work as part of Swedish supergroup ABBA, her career as a solo artist has almost as many fabulous synth-heavy songs to enjoy.

When ABBA broke up in 1982, Frida had already been planning her solo career in secret. Working with legendary producer and musician Phil Collins, she recorded her comeback solo album Something’s Going On. Its lead single, “I Know There’s Something Going On,” was a breakout hit, but all 11 of the album’s tracks are a stellar display of Frida’s talent, including the moody, dreamlike “To Turn The Stone.”

The meaning behind the song is difficult to decipher. Despite the full version being over five minutes long, “To Turn The Stone” doesn’t have many lyrics, consisting of just three choruses and a whole lot of Collins’ signature reverb-heavy production.

Frida opens the song singing, “The moon retreats behind a silver cloud / As darkness throws its cloak towards the earth / And mystery replaces what we thought we knew / To turn the stone, to turn the stone.”

It may sound nonsensical, but Frida’s voice is killer, as always.

The music video doesn’t bring any clarity, but it sure is fun to look at. The video sees Frida appearing in a burst of sparks in a cave full of fog and dramatic lighting. She sways and sings as the sun slowly rises.

Meanwhile, there are more crossfades than you can count, showing a truly bizarre set of images: a cat, an undulating dancer holding a glowing rod, a second cat, a pile of barbed wire, a mysterious orb, a shattering lightbulb, multiple explosions, heavy rain, and a soaring bird of prey.

Oh, and Frida changes into a red lamé outfit at some point. High camp.

“To Turn The Stone” wasn’t a single, but it was one of only four songs on Something’s Going On to get the music video treatment. The album was released in October 1982 and has since sold more than 1.5 million copies, making it the highest selling album by a former member of ABBA.

Though Frida was the first to release a recording of “To Turn The Stone,” the song was actually recorded a year earlier in 1981 by Donna Summer for her double album I’m A Rainbow. The track was written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, a songwriting duo known for their disco hits that Summer had been working with since the ‘70s.

Summer recorded 18 tracks for I’m A Rainbow, including “To Turn The Stone,” but issues behind the scenes saw the album shelved indefinitely. With Summer’s version apparently scrapped, Moroder and Bellotte instead licensed “To Turn The Stone” to Frida.

15 years later, Summer’s 1981 recording was finally released in 1996 with virtually no promotion. Her version of “To Turn The Stone” is more upbeat, and it sounds like the lovechild of a robot and a set of bagpipes.

https://www.queerty.com/listen-this-80s-bop-by-an-abba-legend-was-originally-meant-for-donna-summer-20230705

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uq-7FhJ0Oo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gCstXSGz84

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uq-7FhJ0Oo

Lasse Lönndahl

Lasse Lonndahl passed away

Before the Abba era, Lyngstad sang with many famous musicians. One was Lasse Lönndahl.

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A FOR ANNI-FRID (SWEDISH RADIO 1975)

Lasse Berghagen:
Back then she was a litlle aloof from the audience. I had the feeling that she never really crossed the line into the audience. She had, and still has, a remarkable voice.

Lasse Lönndahl:
- She sew her own stage outfits and wore wery daring back then. She had already a very, very good taste when it cames to clothing.

Ulf Elfving:
- Yes, here we are with the 4st and last ABBA-member, Anni-Frid Lyngstad. And you, Anni-Frid started really early (just like the rest of the members of the group). Your first appararnce was at a Red Cross Soaré in Torshälla. You were ten years old when you entered the stage for the first time. What persuaded you to do that?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- I guess it was the drive in me, to show people what I could do. I thought it was fantastically fun to sing and perform, and back then there was no fear to doing it. All I had to do was to get up on that stage and deiver my song. The song was called "I believe I was 14 years old".

Ulf Elfving:
- But in real life you were only 10.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- Yes, that was right.

Ulf Elfving:
- Were there any other musical influences in you family or among your closest friends?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- Well, I heard that my grandfather played the violin, my father played some acccordion and my mother was very fond of sining and she was very good at it. So I guess I came from a good stock.

Ulf Elfving:
- And those are things that do get inherited?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- I'm not sure about it, but I don't rule it out. More often than not children from muscial families become muscially themselves.

Ulf Elfving:
- What were your dreams and aspirations at suh a young age?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- I wanted to be a singer

Ulf Elfving:
- Aldready back then?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- Oh yes,

Ulf Elfving;
- There were never any discussions in your home about what you wanted to dedicate your life to?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- No, we never discussed anything else, it's quite funny when you think about it. I really decided very early on, at 6 or 7 years old that I was going to be a singer.

Ulf Elfving:
- Do you remember when you made your big debút in Eskilstuna, the town closest to Torshälla, as a singer in a musical program in front of more than 50.000 - 60.000.?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- I'm sure you remember it much more vividly than I do.

Ulf Elfving:
- I was on assignment to write about you and you were really an accomplished singer back then. The head lines ran over several columns. Were you never, in any way, nervous to get on stage in front of all these strange people?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:
- Not the way it became nervwrecking years later, when I became a professional singer. That depended on the fact that you didn't feel any pressure, it was OK to make a fool of your self, and it wouldn't mean then end of the world. It was much more relaxed, a failure wouldn't mean the end of the world. Because of that it became a fun game in a way. I didn't take it too seriously myself.

Ulf Elfving:

- How early on did you know that you had exceptionel voice capabilities?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- Well, I don't think anyone ever called them exceptionel.

Ulf Elfving:

- But now they do.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- They do? (laughs). Naturally I got a lot of praise and what was written in the papers about the show being a success made me believe a little more in myself. I remember the first time I recorded my voice, what could I have been 9-10 years old and we were visiting a family who had a tape recorder and it that was quite unusal back then. So I was giving it a try and I and I sang a popular tune that was "in" at the time, and I thought it sounded so horrible I started to cry! So it wasn't a fun experience, it became much more fun later on.

Ulf Elfving:

- Your first band who were they?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- My first band was the first band I worked with professionally. I started my first band when I was 13 and the name of the group was Evald Eks. And it was a band of the old style; accordion, clarinet, vibrafon, base and drums. The soundsystem was two boxes with an amplifier in between. So there was nothing fancy. There was only one microphone, which was for the singer.

Ulf Elfving:

- The singer would soon go on to bigger tasks, one days she was discovered by Gunnar Sandevärn, world famous in Eskilstuna as a band leader.

Gunnar Sandevärn:

- It was at a a school dance in Läroverkets gymnasium in Eskilstuna. I think it was around 1960. And Anni-Frid was singing with a smaller band. She sang "Sju Vackra Gossar", as I remember and I remember thinking that she did it exceptinal well. I could hardly believe my ears that such a young person could sing so professionally. I don't think I had ever heard anything that good at that time.

Ulf Elfving:

- It was a cooperative group lead by Gunnar Sandvärn. Everyone in the band owned their own instrument. Which wasn't much at the time. But it was enough; a piano, drums and singing. There were three people who started this band, Frida, Gunnar Sandevärn and the vocalist's boyfriend Ragnar Fredriksson.

Gunnar Sandevärn:

- Frida and Ragnar went away for their honeymoon and during that time I made so many bookings I could. So when they returned, we were fully booked for the rest of the year, a band that noone had heard. Anni-Frid, she had to work as a musician, she took part in every song and if she wasn't singing she was playing the tambourine. So she really had to work hard. She had no chance of taking a rest, she had to be on stage all the time. So I guess it was a hard time workingwise for her.

Ulf Elfving:

- How many years did you work as a vocalist, quite many, right?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- Yes, I worked as a vocalist for more than 10 years, with different bands during that time.

Ulf Elfving:

- And I assume you learned a lot during those years?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- Yes, at least I developed a good routine of singing, but it wasn't especially developing in any way. I was "locked" in the role as a vocalist. Performing others songs and what was popular at the time. So in a way I felt I stopped developing. It was then that I realized that I wanted to do something else, if not just for my own sake. In a way, I thought I was good, I felt I had to take the chance and try and to something else than just continue as a vocalist for the rest of my life.

Ulf Elfving:

- Were these ambitions your own or was someone behind them, supporting you?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- All the people I worked with in these different band were very supportive and they thought I shoud try to go for something more, and they never discouraged me even though they were afraid of losing a singer because it was hard to find good people to work well together with even back then. But there was always a safety behind me so I darked to take the next step. And then there was the competition "Nya Ansikten/Barnens Dag". I saw an ad in the local paper and I thought I should give it a try. So I filled out the form and then I carried it in my purse for several weeks, before I dared to send it off. I got a reply and an invitation to come to Stockholm for a test.

Ulf Elfving:

- You did all of this yourself, both artistically and privately you have been very independent. Has that been a good thing?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- Yes, it has been very useful and even if I sometimes have been absolutely terrified for different situations it has meant that I have forced myself to simply move on in life. It was like a need in me I just simply had to do it.

Ulf Elfving:

- The single "En Ledig Dag" became Anni-Frid's first. It was the result of the Skansen competition which she won, she won the competition in Stockolm on the same day Sweden started driving on the right side of the road (3 September 1967). She was transported to the television show "Hyland's Hörna" that same evening, when she got to sing her winning melody "En Ledig Dag" in front of a live for the Swedish TV-watchers and a group of recordingproducers.

Olle Bergman (producer):

- At the time I was working for EMI. And we were really excited about her as a performer. Yes, I thought she had something special to become a big artist. We wanted to make a string of records with her. We wanted to sign her then and there, but she sort of disappeared in the crowd, she went back home to Eskilstuna. We couldn't get in contact with her that evening. So I called her up early in the morning and told her that we wanted to sign her. I told her that I would cold come over and get her to sign a contract.

Ulf Elfving:

- The profesionall artist career had started for Anni-Frid. Lasse Lönndahl became her first folkparkpartner, how did that begun?

Lasse Lönndahl:

- It was on a radio station, we were recording "Våra Favoriter" and then Frida had won the talent conest on Skansen, but I hadn't seen the show, but somehow she was invited to "Våra Favoriter". And it was a pretty, talented girl so naturally I asked her what she was going to do the following summer. This must have been in January or February 1968 and she said "- No, nothing special.". She had some lose plans but I asked her if she wanted to tour with me. "- She said, I love to!" and I was thrilled because she was a very talented girl and she had a fine quartet that played with us; Bengt Hallberg, piano, Rune Gustafsson, guitar, Rune Carlson on drums and Lasse "Peta" Pettersson on bass, so she found it very tempting to tour with such a great band.

Ulf Elfving:

Is there anyone of all the people you have worked with through they years that has taught you more than anyone else?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad:

- I really do appreciate Charlie Norman highly. I think he was a good teacher in many ways, both musically and performance wise. He was a bit of a "Dad" for me in that way. He is very particular with wich he does especially when it comes to work and he wouldn't accept any negiglence, you had to know what you were doing and that was of course very usefull.

Charlie Norman:

- I don't think I've learned her anything, because she was, a pretty girl, sung beutifully, used cutley when she ate, so then there's nothing much else to learn somebody. Apart from being on time but that goes for all of us. I know that there are several individuals who say that they have learned things from me, but I find that hard to believe and I don't think I'm using any "schoolteacher" tactics and try to make them to this or that.

https://abbamikory.blogs.com/.../a-for-annifrid-swedish...

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEO4gS5L3Mo

Frida 2022

 Frida

source: https://www.instagram.com/therewindedman

the text from post

"Hace unos meses fue mi cumpleaños y me hicieron uno de los regalos más especiales de mi vida. Mi querido amigo @semaga2002 me regalo el vinilo Warterloo, pero lo mas asombroso fue que estaba firmado por la propia Frida!!!!"
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No Doubt About It

 In her own words.

This is what Frida had to say about ABBA’s latest song ‘No Doubt About It’.
Source ABBA Instagram

Frida: "I’m happy with myself"

Frida Lyngstad...

“I like all sorts of music. Opera, classic, pop, jazz, hiphop.. And sometimes just silence.,” tells Frida Lyngstad.

IT’S BEEN OVER 30 YEARS SINCE THE BREAK UP OF ABBA, BUT ANNIFRID LYNGSTAD – BETTER KNOWN AS FRIDA – NEVER LEFT THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

By Camilla Alfthan

YOUR LATEST single is about the 150th anniverisary of the ascent of the Matterhorn. Do you climb yourself? When I was younger I climbed a great deal. Now I ski a lot, sometimes off piste and heli skiing. I did the Haute Route from Verbier to Zermatt. It takes a great deal of physical effort – you carry your skies on your back and walk with leather underneath them as you’re going up. Once you’ve reached the top you ski down the most incredible, untouched snow – then you’re happy. After that, there’s other mountains to climb – a bit like life with sadness and disappointments in between moments of happiness and joy.

How did you end up in Zermatt? I moved here after I lost my husband 16 years ago. We already had some property and I sold our house in Friburg where we’d lived during many years. I’ve here now been for 15 years and in Switzerland for over 31 years. I’m very comfortable in the midst of nature surrounded by the mountains.

Do you sing in the mountains? No, I don’t. You really must be focused at what you’re doing and where you put your feet so you don’t fall down. Mountain climbing always fascinated me – people who affront challenges where it’s just themselves and nature and you’re not quite sure of what could happen. If it is fortunate or if something could go wrong. There’s risks with the crevises of the glaciers and lose rocks but they do it anyway. As creative people we always need new challenges and to have new goals.

You used to sail – was that also a risky sport? Not at all. (Laughs.) I sailed with Benny (Andersson) and the most dramatic event was when we’d anchored in a fishing net on the western coast of Sweden. We started drifting and couldn’t sleep all night. The next morning we had to get help from the coast guards to get lose. They had to take the boat up on land to untangle us.

“I’M A PEDANTIC AND HONEST PERSON. I HAVE X-RAY EYES AND I SEE EVERYTHING. IT SOMETIMES DRIVES ME CRAZY. “

What are you doing now? I’ve designed a skiing overall which J. Lindeberg is producing and I’m very happy with it. I’m writing about my life. It could be a book, a musical or a film; I don’t know yet – I’ve written a lot in my life but never a book. It takes patience and discipline which is not always easy to maintain. My boyfriend pushes me – he thinks it’s a great idea and for me it’s important to have a goal to work towards.Music always played a major role in your life.. Music has ruled my life. When you come from a modest background you use your talent to move on. You challenge yourself and you ascend certain mountains. Music has been in my life for over sixty years. It’s been with me on the path to happiness and it’s helped me through sorrows. It is interesting how music affects people, how it can help in many situations. Personally, I like all sorts of music. Opera, classic, pop, jazz, hiphop.. And sometimes just silence.

Do you miss the days with ABBA? No, I don’t miss ABBA. It’s been forty years since we started and it was a different time. I don’t miss working as intensely as we did then. As you get older you want to take it easy. I don’t perform and I don’t want to stand in the limelight. We were young and had a drive – it would never work now. As Björn says, ‘ who wants to look at a bunch of old people?’ It’s better that you remember us from our youth. Besides, we all do different things now. Just because you’ve performed it doesn’t mean that you’ll be doing it for the rest of your life.

Now you’re in a museum in Sweden – how does that feel? Björn took responsibility for the creation of the ABBA Museum at Djurgården in Stockholm. He wanted to make sure that it would be exactly the way we want it instead of leaving it to someone else and then not be happy with the result. Thanks to his initiative it turned out great.

Which of your own traits do you like the best? That I’m a pedantic and honest person. However, sometimes I like my pedantic side the least. I have X-ray eyes and I see everything. It sometimes drives me crazy.

If you could change something what would that be? I guess nothing. I like myself the way I am. It’s the contradictions which makes you the person you are.

If you hadn’t been a singer what would you have done instead? At school I got my best marks for gymnastics, drawing and music. If I hadn’t chosen music I would’ve become something within design – fashion or interiour design which also interests me.

Who do you admire? Children who despite a difficult childhood use their inner strength and drive to create a good life for themselves. I work with charities for children as it’s extremely important that we adults are there for them. They need mentors and idols for their continuous growth.

You were brought up by your grandmother? Yes, recently, when they commemorated the Holocaust victims I was thinking about that and where I come from. I wasn’t Lebensborn as people often write – I was born in November 1945 when the war had just ended. My father was a German officer in Norway when he met my mother. My grandmother took my out of there when my mother passed away. I’m the result of a love affair. It wasn’t popular in Norway to be seen with the Germans but I can understand their relation. You always seek love.

What do you find is the worst tendency in the world that we live in today? It’s terrible with the terrorism all over the world which creates fear and hatred. I cannot tolerate that you treat anyone differently just because of their religion and I cherish everyone who stands up for diversity and different thinking.

Do you have a motto? To live in respect and peace with everyone despite their religion, sexuality or race.

What is the best thing anyone ever said to you? ‘I love you’. It could be anyone – an adult, a child or a fan.

When do you feel the most sexy? That’s a funny question to someone who is almost 70 (laughs). I think I look good – I’m happy with myself. The sexiest thing is when a person feels good about herself. ©

http://camillaalfthan.com/frida-lyngstad/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/abbaregistro/posts/784261655633693/