The golden Swedes go to the cleaners! Domestic Bliss ABBA style
By Diane Blackwell
- Women's Day 11 October1976
Benny Andersson, the bearded blonde heart throb, thousands of girls swoon
over, cleaning the carpet? The cuddly creator of ABBA’s million dollar sound
making his girlfriend/fiancée, Frida, a wake-up coffee?
The same Benny creator of bouncy tunes like Ring, Ring, Mamma Mia and I
Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, played piano with the Swedish symphony
orchestra. And he doesn’t even read or write music
When Alex Hamill – one of the team from George Patterson Pty Ltd, an
advertising agency – went to Stockholm to make a series of television
commercials with ABBA (a $1 million campaign for National, the electronics
people), he saw a side of the golden Swedes never before made public.
The Australian team was whisked off to ABBA’s island retreat 60 kilometres
from Stockholm in a speedboat driven by Benny.
There they meet the Swedish pop group and joked with them over lunch of cold
meat, cheese and French wine, while making plans for ABBA’s first venture into
commercials.
“It was a very relaxed, friendly first meeting, and at no stage during our
association did they get serious or uptight.”
Close friends in and out of the public eye, Agnetha (Anna) and Björn
(married) and Frida and Benny (engaged) make the most of the short Swedish
Summer sailing, water skiing and soaking up the sun on their island paradise.
The five 60-second commercials were shot in the grounds of the king of
Sweden’s Summer palace, the ballroom of the Grand Hotel, Stockholm, and in Frida
and Benny’s apartment.
Frida and Benny live in “The Old Town”, a quaint 14th century part
of Stockholm.
The camera crew arrived to film at 7:30 a.m. and Benny was up (he and Björn
are at the recording studio by 9:00 a.m.), but Frida was still asleep.
“Benny offered us coffee, went out especially to buy some, then took a cup in
to Frida in bed,” said Alex. “They’re like an 18-year-old couple in love, always
holding hands and sharing asides.
“Frida continually pokes fun at Benny and seems very possessive of him. They
go everywhere together.”
Their apartment is cluttered with happy snapshots, books, records (Benny
enjoys everything from The Beatles to Bach), Picassos, and the many gold records
Frida earned as one of Sweden’s top female singers in pre-ABBA days.
It was the first time cameras had been allowed inside the apartment and one
of the commercials shows Benny vacuuming the carpet while Frida reclines on the
sofa with a magazine.
Björn and Anna have a three-year-old daughter, Linda, whom they carefully
shield from publicity.
They loathe the thought of long tours because it would mean leaving her
behind. The only domestic help Anna has is a girl to look after Linda,” said
Alex
Just down the road from ABBA’s recording studio is their favourite
restaurant, a delightful little eating place where you can buy pots and pans as
well as food.
“They go there a lot and also used to frequent a disco called ‘Alexandra’s’
“They don’t go out at night much anymore although on our last night in Sweden
we had a great time with them, wining, dining and dancing ‘till 4 a.m.,” Alex
said.
“Swedish folk singer Stig Anderson, ABBA’s manager (and no relation of
Benny’s), has a powerful influence on ABBA’s movements. They take ideas, and
songs to him for approval and he makes all final decisions.
“He guides them completely,” said Alex. “Titles the songs, rewrites them if
he doesn’t think they’re commercially viable, scraps others Benny and Björn have
spent months putting together, and also has a chalet on the island.”
In his spare time Björn writes Swedish folk songs and Benny plays
occasionally in the Swedish Symphony Orchestra.
“You Know ABBA still can’t believe their success or how it happened. They’ve
certainly achieved more than they’d ever hoped for. The American market is their
next big goal. They’d really like to crack it,” Alex said.
On the eve of his wedding some months ago the Swedish King, Carl Gustav, also
paid tribute to ABBA’s talent.
He asked them to perform at a Civic Reception at Stockholm Town Hall, so amid
classical singers and musicians the Golden Swedes stood up sang Dancing
Queen for the occasion.
Photos: (1) The ABBA group, Frida and Benny (background) and Agnetha
and husband Björn relaxing in the beautiful old apartment Frida and Benny share
in Stockholm. (2) Benny at home. He doesn’t read or write music but is the
genius behind ABBA’s winning sounds. (3) Frida seems to have the “women’s lib”
business sewn up as Benny tackles…scene from one of the National commercials
made by ABBA in Sweden. (4) (Above)
Alex Hamill took this picture of the Australian film crew getting to know ABBA
on their island retreat before filming of the commercials started.
