Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Anonymous - 28.03.2007, 14:30
Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977
Hi all,

I have posted this article in the old ABBA Site at some point and you can also find it in ABBAMAIL archives. I thought of posting it here as well as I think that it is quite a good one and gives some insight to Agnetha's and Frida's likings and dislikings.

This was published in the Finnish Youth Magazine Suosikki in 1977 and the translation is mine. For any mistakes in the translation, you can blame me.

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ABBA SPECIAL: THE SUPER NOSY QUESTIONS BY SUOSIKKI, April 1977

text: Åke Granholm
pictures: Henrik Schutt

The two A’s from ABBA, Agnetha and Frida, are nowadays multimillionaires, who also happen to be married to fellows on the same income level. One cannot, however, buy quite everything with money, and even these dear young ladies are annoyed with things that, to put it bluntly, “p*** them off” or strain their nerves. But then again, their many dreams have come true so that they can purchase, for example, sports cars, mink coats or summer islands…Those are the things you can get with money or as it goes: “…money, money, money, it’s a rich man’s world…”

Agnetha: I LOVE:

- My daughter and Björn
- Our summer island Vittsö (sic the spelling, correct: Viggsö). There we have a chance to pull ourselves together, say, after an exhausting tour and to realize that the world is not such a bad place after all.
- Motor boats
- Elton John’s music. He is a person to whom pop music should be grateful.
- Traditions. I am happy that Sweden is a monarchy.
- Midsummer in Sweden. Unfortunately, I have had to spend too many good moments sitting in a bus travelling from some place to another. But maybe some day there will be time…
- August Strindberg. Inspite of the fact that he was quite a woman hater, as I have heard!
- Candle-lit dinners when you eat well and long.
- Furs (I try not to think of their origin)
- Limited laziness (maybe it means vacation).

I HATE:

- Alligators. I saw them during our Australian tour, and I cannot help it, but I get cold shivers as soon as I see them even if only in a zoo.
- Unwashed dishes
- Snowball fights, although I was quite good at throwing snowballs as a child – and at hitting too!
- Untuned pianos
- Greasy hair. Björn had one too, but luckily long before I met him.
- [people] being late, although I admit that I am not perfect in this respect either. And the opposite, waiting, is tedious.
- Drunken men/women. With this I mean those, who are telling the same story the sixth time, although no one has asked for it in the first place.
- Viruses and bacteria. Somehow they are so insurmountable.
- Polluted beaches
- The thought that ABBA will disband some day (SIC!)

Frida: I LOVE:

- The keyboardist of ABBA. I think he plays wonderfully.
- Perfumes. I cannot help it, but although Benny tries to stop me I have become some collector!
- Overtrimmed gardens. I mean like the one in Versailles or in the summer residence of our king. They are somehow so unreal, but so romantic at the same time.
- Well-organised and well rehearsed pop conserts, such as Elton John’s, Rod Stewart’s and, hopefully, ours. And it does not matter, whether I am in the audience or on stage. The most important thing is to be part of it.
- The first day in a new country
-Sandwiches with pepper
- Video recorders. Nowadays I can watch my favorite movies at home whenever I feel like it.
- Sunsets in summer
- Old English leather furniture
- A city called Brighton in Southern England. I think I need not explain why.

I HATE:

- Early wake-ups. Especially during a tour when you cannot avoid it with any excuses whatsoever.
- Malicious reviews. Those where you can see that the writer does not even try to say anything positive about your performance. That kind of criticism we received from the English reviewers at the beginning of our career.
- People who are not honest. I think I need not explain why.
- Fatty sausages. So I never eat them.
- Mosquitos. I don’t understand why they all live up in Lappland in Sweden. (Not all of them! Come to Finland some time, editor’s note)
- Driving a car in the evening, in October, in rain
- Bullfights. I don’t understand why the bull has to die so that people could have fun!
- Swedish authorities. Their methods have become quite outrageous lately.
- Punk rock. But that is just my humble opinion.
- Idi Amin



Anne

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

drimnagh - 28.03.2007, 14:57

Anne, thank you SO much for posting that! Mwah! :wink1:

I hope Agnetha has changed her mind about fur and no longer wears it? If there's one thing that could put me off her, and ruin my life and illusions about her forever, it would be if she still wore fur. I hope this isn't so.

Joe

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Bonnie - 28.03.2007, 16:45

I think mentioning your children is such an obvious, it's not like Frida to mention them. Look what she wrote about Benny: "The keyboardist of ABBA. I think he plays wonderfully". :D
She doesn't say she loves him for being her man!


The other things both women mention are far more interesting, like unwashed dishes ( now this is your chance gentlemen!), perfumes ( what would she smell like?) motor boats and Idi Amin.

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Toni - 28.03.2007, 17:32

ItŽs very good what Frida said about Bullfights. I am very angry and dissapointed that this cruelty to animals is still allowed in 2007. :x


Toni

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

platobird - 28.03.2007, 18:22

Thanks Anne for posting this again here. Like the other replies, the answers give me an insight into the girls' characters.

It's similar to one of those crazy psychological tests where they ask many wierd questions, and from the results, they reveal your inner self and tell what occupation you're best suited for. Now I'm not a psychologist, and at risk of controversy, I'll add a few of the things I deduce from the answers.

Agnetha: She's obsessed with being hurt by unclean things (e.g. OCD). Alligators = fans. She's just a country girl. She has the soul of a performer and the heart of a mother.

Frida: She's discriminatory, somewhat elitist and maybe a romantic. She has concern for the world - i.e. big things. She's a performer - heart and soul.

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Fire&Ice - 28.03.2007, 19:49

Hey thanks Anne! 8) What a wonderful work!

Well there it is. People have criticized Frida so much for wearing furs in some boards and here we have Agnetha's confession she likes furs. I agree it is all a terrible business of course but that is how Agnetha feels (or felt at that time) and please don't criticize her for it. I don't wear furs btw.

I wonder if Agnetha made Bjorn wash the dishes! :lol: But what strikes me as curious is that she did not list flying.

And Frida - as classy as ever. Perfumes. So typical. 8)

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Anonymous - 28.03.2007, 21:06

Hi there,

I am glad you enjoyed it. I have some others that I have translated earlier on and I think you might enjoy them as well (as Eszti mentioned).

Yes, the fur thing is clearly 70's. Also remember that Agnetha was only 27 at the time and ABBA had really been world famous for about three years. No wonder all the things that you can buy with a sudden growth of income can make anyone dizzy for a while, especially when you are still so young.

There wasnŽt such an awareness about animals, green movement was still ahead and smoking wasn't considered a vice at all. This all has come much later and the world is completely different now. Besides, they might disagree completely with their own opinions nowadays. Anyways, these were their opinions exactly 30 years ago.

Anne

PS. I have something in common with Agnetha. I hate unwashed dishes as well. I never have any around in my household ;-).

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Maxi-saxi - 29.03.2007, 04:23

Toni wrote: ItŽs very good what Frida said about Bullfights. I am very angry and dissapointed that this cruelty to animals is still allowed in 2007. :x


Toni

I'm agree as well. Discusting!

Thanks for posting the interview, enjoyed it, Really nice.
Mind you I cracked up at Agnetha when she said Dislikes. ABBA Quitting!

Very nice though

Maxi-saxi :bow: :bow:

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

jenlovesabba1982 - 29.03.2007, 13:09

nice little interview thanks for translation anna video recorders those where days lol now they don't exist ! i wonder what their likes dislikes are now days ? i bet they have changed now !

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

abbascots - 29.03.2007, 15:35

Thankyou Anne for this interesting article i have never seen this one before! Agnetha as always shows her feelings that her children and husband was first and formost! Frida loves visiting new places especially the first day and hates inhumanity too animals at last i have a very definitive comparrisions with Frida i also hate bullfights and i addore animals i also love brighton and i collect aftershaves not perfume lol i have loads i probably wear a different one each day of the year :lol:
Nice read Anne!
Johnsteven :wink: :D

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

ABBAnator - 29.03.2007, 21:48
Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977
Quote: Agnetha: I LOVE:

- Candle-lit dinners when you eat well and long.
- Limited laziness (maybe it means vacation).
Oh, now I REALLY like Agnetha! (sigh). I seem to recall something called a vacation but It's not clear to me lately what that is?? :P

Quote: (Agnetha:) I HATE:

- Unwashed dishes
It seems this might be part of the genetic code of the female of the species knowing no national boundaries or cultural differences. My wife CANNOT go to sleep at night knowing there might be unwashed dishes in the sink.

Me? As long as there are still some clean dishes in the cupboard, I'm good (typically male I guess). :lol:

Thank goodness for the ladies or all us guys would be living in a cave with a pile of trash. :rotfl2:

Bruce

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

platobird - 01.04.2007, 04:07

ABBAnator wrote: Me? As long as there are still some clean dishes in the cupboard, I'm good After the dishes are gone, you can still eat directly from the can or the pan. It's finding a clean spoon that's the problem. :rotate:
If all else fails, you can survive for weeks on beer and ABBA. I just finished a pint, and Aggies singing in the backgound.

Re: Agnetha and Frida interview from 1977

Carribean - 03.04.2007, 05:03

Funny answers! Like it a lot!

Thanks Anne! :wink: