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Who's idea was it for this book? When I first met Anders Hanser back in 1993, searching for pictures for my book ABBA - The Complete Recording Sessions, we talked about his photographs and how it was a pity that they were just gathering dust. Something ought to be done with them, we agreed. Then, when I returned in 1996 to select pictures for my next ABBA book, ABBA - Människorna och musiken, we said that we really must try to put together a book one day. Apparently, when Anders put together his "This Is Your Life" slide shows when some of the ABBA members celebrated their 50th birthdays that same year, he fully realised for the first time what an incredible archive of pictures he was sitting on. In January 1997 he contacted me, and we had our first proper meeting about the book. I put together a synopsis, but Anders got sidetracked by other projects almost immediately. He didn't get back until the late summer of 1998, and he then started bringing out all his colour slides and making prints of a vast selection of his black and white negatives. In January 1999, he got back again, and from then on the project gradually started taking shape.
How much involvement did you have in the creative, design aspects of the book? It was my idea that we should go to Premium Publishing with our project, one of the main reasons being that I was so impressed by the work of their young art director Fredrik Söder. It was Fredrik and I who did the final selection of pictures - mostly Fredrik - although Anders of course had a few opinions himself. But apart from that I deliberately left it to what I referred to as "the visual people", ie Fredrik and Anders, to take the final responsibility for the design. Too many cooks, and all that. Then again, sometimes I would of course offer opinions and suggestions for minor adjustments.
What was it like to work with Anders Hanser? It was a great experience. I feel like my understanding of ABBA and their story has increased quite a lot through this project, through the fact that Anders has been able to view it all from the inside. And it's always very inspiring to collaborate with talented, creative people.
How was the project received by the various members of ABBA? I believe they all like the book. I don't have any specific reports about how each of them reacted individually, but the fact that they wrote a foreword of course means that they approve of it.
Why have only 6,000 copies of the book been produced? 6,000 copies may very well represent the limit on how many copies you can sell of an expensive ABBA book like this one in Sweden. Of course, if it becomes a superfantabulous success, more copies will be printed.
Why should ABBA fans buy this book? Because it is the most beautiful and well-produced ABBA book ever made. And I'm allowed to praise it that blatantly, because I am not responsible for the layout and packaging. In that respect I'm more like a fan viewing it from the outside. Many of the pictures (perhaps even most of them) are never-before published, and some of them are among the best and most interesting you will ever see of ABBA. Furthermore, I believe this may be the first ABBA book where there is a true interaction between the text and the pictures in the sense that everything has been placed in context. Last, but hopefully not least, I have worked really hard on the research so as to come up with fresh and detailed background stories on the various projects. For instance, I believe this may be the first time that such an obvious story as how the ABBA logo came to be has been related in print.
How did you decide what to write as the accompanying text for Anders' photos? My starting point was the various occasions when the pictures were taken, and then I would elaborate on that, giving a detailed account of the background for the project, and also try to give a broader picture of where ABBA and/or the individual members were at at the time. Writing about the Shine album, for instance, I would not just relate the story of the making of that album, but also make some observations about Frida and her situation in the mid- to late 1980s. In other instances I would use something like the making of the Super Trouper album cover and video as an "excuse" to broaden the perspective further and tell the story about designer Rune Söderqvist and how he came to work with ABBA, how he invented the ABBA logo, and so on.
How were the photos for the book chosen? The art director Fredrik Söder and I chose them together, trying to find the right balance between the "documentary" shots - backstage during the 1979 tour, recording in the studio and so on - and the "glamour" shots, taken in conjunction with the video productions and in Anders' photo studio. We had access to every single colour slide available in Anders' archives, and also to the black and white pictures he had chosen to make prints of. Whereas Fredrik and Anders' main priority would be "good pictures", ie photographs that were in focus, well-composed, giving a favourable impression of the ABBA members, I would be less concerned about the technical quality and be more interested in the "story" in the picture and whether it showed ABBA in a situation that was unfamiliar or unusual. But that was just our basic tendencies; most of the time we were in full agreement on which pictures to include and not. In some instances, I would ask Anders to make a print of a black and white picture he had not already selected. For example, I knew that there was a picture of Björn and Benny handing over the publishing contract for Hovas vittne to Stig Anderson, and since I was mentioning that in my text, that was an obvious picture to include.
Now that the book is finished, how do you feel about it? It's a beautiful book and I'm proud of it - everyone involved did their best - but at the same time I'm also a bit exhausted after all the hard work. My experience is that it takes some time to really warm to a book again after it has been published, and I guess this is true of this one as well.
How did you get the members of ABBA to write a foreword for the book? We just asked them, "Do you like the book and do you like it enough to write a foreword?" and they basically said yes. I don't know to what extent each one of them have actually read my text, but I do know that Benny has read at least parts of it, which was his requirement to say yes to the foreword. I'm glad that he took it that seriously, that he didn't want his signature to appear in a book which he couldn't truthfully say that he approved of - and I'm also happy that he liked what he read!
Who came up with the name for the book? I think it was me, but I'm not sure. The original title was ABBA - Yesterday And Today; From ABBAmania To Mamma Mia! but along the line we decided to make the subtitle the main title and change ABBAmania to simply ABBA.
How does the book interact with the ABBA museum exhibition? You could say that it is Anders' slide show presentation, as featured in the exhibition, in book form. I guess you could also say that with the actual exhibition you get "the ABBA experience", the reflection on the phenomenon, as well as the memorabilia, with the slide show you get ABBA in words, pictures and music, and with the book you get the in-depth texts about ABBA that the exhibition and the slide show cannot provide. So, hopefully each of the three parts can contribute something unique to make up a well-rounded and multi-faceted ABBA experience.
What did Anders' wife Görel think about the idea for the book? I think initially she may have been a bit sceptical, which I can understand. From her and the former members' point of view the ABBA story is old news, something they all lived through, and therefore less interesting for them to go through all again, whereas us "outsiders" are obviously fascinated by that whole period. The great thing was that when she saw what we had done and what we were trying to accomplish, she started warming to the project, and I believe she really likes it now.
Are you doing any promotion for the book? We have given interviews to newspapers and news agencies, we have appeared on radio - including Svensktoppen which I believe has 1 million listeners - and we have also been on a few TV shows. We also got a great deal of attention in conjunction with the exhibition.
What is your favourite picture from the book? The same as most other fans', judging from initial reactions, which is the one of Frida and Agnetha sharing a laugh in ABBA's private jet during the 1979 tour. The first time I saw that picture I just gasped. One of the most boring, illogial and silly myths about ABBA is that Agnetha and Frida were mortal enemies from the day they first laid eyes on each other. Look at this picture and it is impossible to conclude that they were anything other than friends and a support for each other all through the experience of being part of ABBA. I also like it because it exudes so much warmth, it kind of rubs off on you as you look at it - their smiles are so genuine that it almost hurts. I would like to think that this picture is the heart and soul of the whole book. Check out Carl Magnus Palm's Web site at : http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com
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