Saturday 21 November 2009

Weekend, April 1977: Why ABBA’s blonde beauty doesn’t have a private life anymore...

This was the moment of truth for the Swedish group ABBA, the first group that was able to conquer the world after the legendary Beatles. For the first time in their dazzling career, they performed live in front of a huge audience. Afterwards, the beautiful, blonde Anna Fältskog told Weekend why she thinks her private life is now over and done with forever...

Anna Fältskog (26), the most remarkable singer in the world, is sitting opposite her husband Björn (31), somewhat tense after her first live show. Just a moment ago, they have performed for the first time in front of a gigantic audience, together with their group ABBA. Previously, they only worked in the studio and made records. Now, they are going to perform on stage as well, especially now this evening has turned out that they are successful in a big concert hall as well. Because this wasn’t just a pop concert. This was really show business. During twenty-five minutes, they performed a musical-like show called ‘The Girl With The Golden Hair’.
Afterwards, there was a small party where Anna told us: “After what happened tonight, I think that we are no longer a recording act that only works in the studio. This was the first time that I was facing a big concert hall and I can tell you, it sent shivers down my spine...”

Björn, her husband: “Fifteen minutes before we were due on stage, we were so nervous that we didn’t speak a word to each other... I wanted to call the whole thing off at the last minute, but I didn’t know how exciting it was to appear in front of such a huge audience!”
Their work in the studio, that resulted in hit after hit up till now, was always a guarantee for a quiet private life. Björn and Anna have a three-year-old daughter together. Benny and Frida from ABBA have been living together for a considerable amount of time. Through their many television performances, they are the only group in the world that has been able to equal the Beatles. In a time span of only three years, they sold more than forty million records! But now they decided to stop working only in far-off studios. Now they want to be in the spotlights in front of a huge crowd. Anna: “Only our bank accounts showed us that we were successful. It has been a terribly exciting experience for me to stand in front of a big audience. Afterwards, the fans also presented me with a lot of flowers and other nice gifts. You don’t notice things like this if you only work in the studio...”
Anna continues: “The past few months we’ve been very busy with all those television performances. Now we will be busy twenty-four hours a day. But I think our fans have the right to see us in the flesh.”
Isn’t this devastating to your private life, is my question. Anna: “Of course... Björn and I see each other every day at work, but there isn’t much time left for a private life. Both of us realise that very well. But, well... we talked about it and know that ABBA is now on top all over the world. And if you want to stay there, this will always harm your private life... that’s the consequence if you want to remain popular in show business. And we accept that...”

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