Anni-Frid Lyngstad: Difference between revisions
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In 1996, Lyngstad recorded her Swedish language album ''[[Djupa andetag]]'' (''Deep Breaths''). It was a long-awaited album as 12 years had passed since ''[[Shine (Frida album)|Shine]]'' was released. The album attracted overall relatively positive reviews and was a success in Sweden where it became #1 on the album chart. Frida did many TV appearances in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland to promote the album. ''Djupa andetag'' was one of the very first Swedish albums to be released as a combined audio-video [[CD-ROM]], including interviews with Lyngstad, footage from the making of the album, as well as promotional videos. Despite the fact that ''Djupa andetag'' was officially only released in Scandinavia and the songs were entirely sung in Swedish, a remix album of the single tracks "Även En Blomma", "Alla Mina Bästa År" (a duet with [[Roxette]]'s [[Marie Fredriksson]]) and "Ögonen" was released in Germany in 1998, entitled ''[[Frida - The Mixes]]''. Despite the success of the album. non of these singles made a big impression on the Swedish charts, leaving Frida very disappointed and never to record an album again. A one-hour documentary about the making of this album, both in the studio and from Frida's home in Mallorca, Spain, can be seen in ''[[Frida - The DVD]]''. A follow-up album with producer [[Anders Glenmark]] was reportedly in the works, but was shelved due to the death of Frida's daughter in 1998. |
In 1996, Lyngstad recorded her Swedish language album ''[[Djupa andetag]]'' (''Deep Breaths''). It was a long-awaited album as 12 years had passed since ''[[Shine (Frida album)|Shine]]'' was released. The album attracted overall relatively positive reviews and was a success in Sweden where it became #1 on the album chart. Frida did many TV appearances in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland to promote the album. ''Djupa andetag'' was one of the very first Swedish albums to be released as a combined audio-video [[CD-ROM]], including interviews with Lyngstad, footage from the making of the album, as well as promotional videos. Despite the fact that ''Djupa andetag'' was officially only released in Scandinavia and the songs were entirely sung in Swedish, a remix album of the single tracks "Även En Blomma", "Alla Mina Bästa År" (a duet with [[Roxette]]'s [[Marie Fredriksson]]) and "Ögonen" was released in Germany in 1998, entitled ''[[Frida - The Mixes]]''. Despite the success of the album. non of these singles made a big impression on the Swedish charts, leaving Frida very disappointed and never to record an album again. A one-hour documentary about the making of this album, both in the studio and from Frida's home in Mallorca, Spain, can be seen in ''[[Frida - The DVD]]''. A follow-up album with producer [[Anders Glenmark]] was reportedly in the works, but was shelved due to the death of Frida's daughter in 1998. |
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[[Kirsty MacColl]], one of the songwriters and backing vocalist for the ''Shine'' album was killed in a boating accident in Mexico in December 2000. Lyngstad dedicated a song on one fo her compilation albums to MacColl, "Chemistry Tonight", which MacColl had co-written. |
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A few low key and one-off recordings followed, including a 2002 duet with opera singer [[Filippa Giordano]] of the "[[Barcarolle]]" from [[Jacques Offenbach]]'s ''[[Les contes d'Hoffman]]'' as well as the song "The Sun Will Shine Again", written by former [[Deep Purple]] member [[Jon Lord]], and recorded in 2004. Public demand for the bland ballads remained low and thus neither of these were however released as singles: "Barcarolle" is only available on the Japanese edition of Giordano's album ''Rosso Amore'', and "The Sun Will Shine Again" can be found on Jon Lord's album ''Beyond The Notes'' (although a limited-promotional single had been made available). Lord and Lyngstad made several TV appearances in Germany performing the song, on shows like ''The Sunday Night Classics'' and ''The Golden Henne Gala''. Lyngstad also joined Lord on stage singing the song during his European autumn tour in 2004. During this tour, she also performed "[[In The Deep Midwinter]]". A performance of which can be found on YouTube, although it appears not to have been released as a finished track. |
A few low key and one-off recordings followed, including a 2002 duet with opera singer [[Filippa Giordano]] of the "[[Barcarolle]]" from [[Jacques Offenbach]]'s ''[[Les contes d'Hoffman]]'' as well as the song "The Sun Will Shine Again", written by former [[Deep Purple]] member [[Jon Lord]], and recorded in 2004. Public demand for the bland ballads remained low and thus neither of these were however released as singles: "Barcarolle" is only available on the Japanese edition of Giordano's album ''Rosso Amore'', and "The Sun Will Shine Again" can be found on Jon Lord's album ''Beyond The Notes'' (although a limited-promotional single had been made available). Lord and Lyngstad made several TV appearances in Germany performing the song, on shows like ''The Sunday Night Classics'' and ''The Golden Henne Gala''. Lyngstad also joined Lord on stage singing the song during his European autumn tour in 2004. During this tour, she also performed "[[In The Deep Midwinter]]". A performance of which can be found on YouTube, although it appears not to have been released as a finished track. |
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Revision as of 18:23, 29 November 2013
Frida Lyngstad (Frida) | |
|---|---|
 Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Stockholm, 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad |
| Also known as | Frida |
| Born | 15 November 1945 |
| Origin | Bjørkåsen, Ballangen, Norway |
| Genres | Pop, pop rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1967–1984, 1996–present |
| Labels | EMI Polar Music Andersson Records Atlantic Records (USA) |
| Princess Anni-Frid | |
|---|---|
| Princess Reuss, Countess of Plauen | |
| Born | 15 November 1945 Bjørkåsen, House of Reuss |
Anni-Frid, Princess Reuss, Countess of Plauen (
In 1992, Anni-Frid married
Early life
Anni-Frid Synni "Frida" Lyngstad was born in Bjørkåsen, a small village in
In early 1947, Lyngstad, her mother, and her maternal grandmother, Arntine Lyngstad ("Agny"), left her birthplace, fearing reprisals against those who had dealings with the Germans during the occupation. This could entail not just insults and threats, but also forced separation of infants from their parents and relatives (see War children).[3]
Lyngstad was taken by her grandmother to Sweden, where they settled in the region of Härjedalen and her grandmother took any available job. Her mother remained in Norway and worked for a period in the south of the country. She soon joined her mother and daughter in Sweden, and the three moved to Malmköping (72 km from Stockholm). Her mother soon died of kidney failure, aged 21. Lyngstad was raised solely by her grandmother. In June 1949, they both relocated to Torshälla (just outside of Eskilstuna), where Agny Lyngstad worked as a seamstress. Frida Lyngstad grew up in Torshälla and began attending school there in August 1952. Close contact with her family in Norway (notably her uncle and four aunts) continued, and Lyngstad recalls summer holidays spent with them at her birthplace. She was especially close to her Aunt Olive, who once stated that she saw how lonely and subdued Frida was and, as a result, always did her best to make her feel loved and welcomed during visits.
Lyngstad believed that her father, Alfred Haase, had died during the war on his way back to Germany as his ship was reported to have sunk. However, in 1977, the German teen magazine Bravo published a poster and a complete biography with details of Lyngstad's background, including the names of her father and mother. It was seen by Lyngstad's half-brother, Peter Haase, who went to his father and asked him if he had been in Ballangen during the war. A few months later, Lyngstad met Haase in Stockholm for the first time.[4]
Career
1958–1969: Early work
Lyngstad stated in several interviews that her grandmother frequently sang songs to her (notably old Norwegian songs), which resulted in her love for music. She soon showed musical talent at a very early age, beginning in her first years at school. On Fridays, she was often asked by her teacher to sing in front of the class and soon became known in school and in the neighbourhood for her beautiful voice. Although her grandmother encouraged her to sing (according to Lyngstad herself), she never attended any of her performances. Her grandmother died shortly before ABBA formed and therefore never experienced the success of the group.
At the age of 13, she got her first job as a
On 3 September 1967, Frida won the Swedish national talent competition, "New Faces", arranged by record company
This first exposure to a wider television audience caused a sensation, and many record companies and producers contacted Frida immediately. EMI executives, fearing they might lose their new singer, took the precaution of driving from Stockholm to Frida's home in Eskilstuna the next morning with a recording contract for her to sign. EMI producer Olle Bergman remembers: "We got so interested and fond of her and I thought she had everything a person needs to become something."[6]
On 11 September 1967, Frida recorded the vocals for "En Ledig Dag", which was to become her first single for EMI Sweden. Professional and self-assured on this first day in the studio, she recorded the vocals in just one take.
On 29 January 1968, she performed this song on national TV, and at this occasion briefly met future ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog, who also performed her first single in the same programme. Lyngstad toured Sweden in 1968, and recorded several singles for EMI. She decided to move to Stockholm to start working full-time as a singer.
In 1969, she participated in Melodifestivalen – the Swedish heats for the Eurovision Song Contest – with the song "Härlig är vår jord" ("Our Earth Is Wonderful"), and finished fourth. Backstage she met her future spouse Benny Andersson, who also participated in the contest as composer. They soon met again at another venue and then became a couple.
1970–1971: Pre-ABBA
Her first album,
Frida continued to play in cabarets, and tour and regularly perform on TV and radio. Subsequently, her relationship with Andersson, and friendship with Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog led to the formation of ABBA. In 1972, after five years at EMI Sweden, Lyngstad changed record companies and moved to the Polar Music label. She recorded the single "Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan" ("One wants to live a little in between"), which became her second No. 1 hit on the Swedish charts.
1972–1982: The ABBA years
At first, Lyngstad was hesitant to perform with her boyfriend Benny Andersson, his best friend Björn Ulvaeus and his wife, Agnetha Fältskog.[8] Their first project together was the cabaret act Festfolk, which flopped in the winter of 1970–1971. The following year, 'Frida' toured on her own while the other three future ABBA members started performing together on a regular basis.[9] Eventually, she rejoined them. Andersson and Ulvaeus were busy producing other artists, but soon discovered the qualities of Lyngstad's and Fältskog's voices combined: ABBA came to life.
Frida sang solo parts in the following ABBA songs: "
Lyngstad clearly enjoyed the spotlight more than the other three members of ABBA. She truly liked to tour and to meet audience members one-on-one.[10] She took an active part in co-designing the famed ABBA costumes for their tours and TV performances.[11] Since the members of ABBA went their separate ways, Frida has been the only one who openly regrets there has never been a reunion to date.
Her next solo album, in Swedish, was : "The album portrays Frida as a very strong and emotive singer and shows the true value of the music, that if sung properly and with enough feeling it transcends all language barriers". This album was such a big success, it eventually went platinum.
1982-1984: International solo career
In 1982, during ABBA's last year as a working band, Frida recorded and released her first post-Abba solo album. This was also her first solo album in English. The Phil Collins-produced album was called Something's Going On, and became a big success for Frida worldwide. A much rockier sound was found on many of the songs and Phil Collins' drum sound contributed a lot, especially on the lead single. The album sold 1.5 million copies[4] and spawned the successful single "I Know There's Something Going On", which topped the charts in Switzerland, Belgium, Costa Rica and France, where it stayed No 1 for five weeks. The song also reached the top five in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia amongst others. In the United States, the single reached #13 in March 1983 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on Radio & Records, and was the 20th biggest selling single in the US that year.
The song and its video were heavily promoted and played on
In 1983, Lyngstad assisted with
Lyngstad's next album was the experimental
1985–present: Later career
In 1986 Frida was in the choir for the recording of her former husband Benny Andersson's song "Klinga Mina Klockor". Also in 1987, Lyngstad recorded the single "Så Länge Vi Har Varann" ("As Long As We Have Each Other") with the Swedish pop group Ratata, one of Lyngstad's favourites. One day singer Mauro Scocco called and said he had a song suitable for a duet. After hearing it, Lyngstad accepted immediately.[12] The song was and still is, a big success in Sweden. The song was also recorded in English under the title of "As long as I have you". An English language video of the song was produced and an Australian release of this song which was scheduled with Festival Records and notified to record shops in January 1998 was eventually shelved.
In 1990, Lyngstad became a member of the committee of the Swedish environmental organization Det Naturliga Steget (The Natural Step). The organization wanted a "famous face" to help them reach the public, and in 1991 she became chairwoman for the organization Artister För Miljön (Artists For The Environment). In 1992, Lyngstad performed live at the
In 1996, Lyngstad recorded her Swedish language album
Kirsty MacColl, one of the songwriters and backing vocalist for the Shine album was killed in a boating accident in Mexico in December 2000. Lyngstad dedicated a song on one fo her compilation albums to MacColl, "Chemistry Tonight", which MacColl had co-written.
A few low key and one-off recordings followed, including a 2002 duet with opera singer
For the 2004 semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, staged in Istanbul thirty years after ABBA had won the contest in Brighton, Lyngstad appeared in a special comedy video made for the interval act, entitled Our Last Video. Each of the four members of the group appeared briefly in cameo roles, as did, amongst others, Cher and British comedian Rik Mayall. The video was not included in the official DVD release of the Eurovision Contest, but was issued as a separate DVD release on the Universal Music label. It was billed as the first time the four had worked together since the group split in 1982 – a partial truth. In fact, they each filmed their appearances separately. Also in 2004, Lyngstad appeared with former band mates Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus at London's fifth anniversary performance of Mamma Mia!, the musical based on ABBA songs. In 2005, she joined all three of her former ABBA colleagues at the Swedish premiere of Mamma Mia! at the arena Cirkus in Stockholm.
On 15 November 2005, to celebrate Lyngstad's 60th birthday,
In September 2010, a new album by musician Georg Wadenius titled "Reconnection" was released. Frida and George had discussed working together for many years, as they had long been good friends. The album opens with her rendition of the traditional tune Morning Has Broken popularized by Cat Stevens. This song by Cat Stevens, is a favourite for Frida and the song was also on the playlist in the church for Frida and Prince Ruzzo's wedding on August 26, 1992.
On 16 February 2011 BBC Radio 4 broadcast a 45 minute play featuring Frida and the play's writer, long term fan and performer Christopher Green. The play, Like An Angel Passing Through My Room, was billed as 'a story about love. The unconditional love of a devoted fan...about a real and an imagined intimacy.' It was a project several years in the making; what started as an upbeat reflection on fame and the notion of being a fan, developed into a meditation on the communication between two people and coping with the blows life deals. In an interview with Frida she and Green talked about her long recovery from the death of her husband in 1999. The play is reflective but with a comic sensibility.
Personal life
Marriage to Ragnar Fredriksson (1963–1970)
On 3 April 1963, at age 17, Frida married salesman and fellow musician Ragnar Fredriksson. They had two children: Hans Ragnar (born 26 January 1963) and Ann Lise-Lotte (25 February 1967 – 13 January 1998). They separated early in 1969 and were officially divorced on 19 May 1970. On the very same day, Lyngstad's grandmother, Arntine, died, aged 71.
In February 1969, Lyngstad met Benny Andersson, and the couple were engaged in August. By 1971 they were living together, but did not marry until 6 October 1978, during the height of ABBA's success.
- Separation and divorce
However, after only three years of marriage, they separated in February 1981 and were divorced in November of the same year.
Marriage to Prince Reuss (1992-1999)
In 1982, Lyngstad left Sweden and moved to London. In 1986, she relocated to Switzerland, and lived with her boyfriend, architect
In 1988, Lyngstad became a grandmother when her daughter, Ann Lise-Lotte, gave birth to a son named Jonathan.
On 26 August 1992, Lyngstad married Prince Reuss.[2] By this marriage, she has two stepdaughters, the twins Princess Henriette Reuss and Princess Pauline Reuss (both born 2 June 1977, Oslo, Norway).
Through her marriage to Prince Reuss, who had been a student at the same
On 13 January 1998, Lyngstad's daughter, Ann Lise-Lotte Casper (née Fredriksson), died of injuries sustained in a car accident in Livonia, New York – a town 20 miles south of Rochester, New York.
The prince died of lymphoma in October 1999.
Other relations and interests
Lyngstad remains involved in charity work, and stated in a 2005 interview that she had no interest in ever returning to a music career.[citation needed]
She currently lives in Zermatt, Switzerland, sharing a home with her British boyfriend, Henry Smith, 5th Viscount Hambleden, since 2008.[13]
Frida also has an interest in racing pigeons and is actively involved in the UK. She is the Honorary President of the Hardwick Homing Society in Stockton On Tees. She also competes as a partner in a team in the same club "Cunningham, Nixon, Lyngstad" in June 2013 season they had 1 point.
Style, titles and names
| Styles of Anni-Frid, Princess Reuss, Countess of Plauen | |
|---|---|
Her Serene Highness | |
| Spoken style | Your Serene Highness |
| Alternative style | Madam |
- 1945 – 1963: Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (single)
- 1963 – 1970: Anni-Frid Synni Fredriksson (period of marriage to Ragnar Fredriksson
- 1970 – 1978: Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (after divorce from Ragnar Fredriksson)
- 1978 – 1981: Anni-Frid Synni Andersson
- 1981 – 1992: Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad
- 1992–present: Her Serene Highness Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen(since her marriage to Prince Reuss)
Awards and recognition
In 1982, Lyngstad won the Swedish music prize Rockbjörnen for the Best Female Artist.[citation needed]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | BEL | FIN
|
NL
|
NOR | SWE | SWI
|
UK | |||
| Frida | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Frida ensam |
|
– | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | |
| Something's Going On |
|
41 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 18 |
|
| Shine |
|
– | 10 | – | 19 | 10 | 6 | 29 | 67 | |
| Djupa andetag |
|
– | – | 32 | – | 17 | 1 | – | – |
|
| "-" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | ||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Anni-Frid Lyngstad |
|
| På egen hand |
|
| Tre kvart från nu |
|
Frida 1967-1972
|
|
Frida - The Mixes (remix album)
|
|
| Frida (box set) |
|
English singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | BEL | CAN | FRA
|
GER
|
NL
|
NOR | SWE | UK
| ||||
| "I Know There's Something Going On" | 1982 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 43 |
|
Something's Going On |
| "To Turn the Stone" | – | – | 8 | – | – | 52 | 6 | – | – | – | |||
| "Here We'll Stay" | 1983 | 102 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Belle" (with Daniel Balavoine) [A] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Abbacadabra | ||
| "Time" (with B.A. Robertson )
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 45 | |||
| "Shine" | 1984 | – | – | 7 | – | – | 51 | 19 | – | 6 | – | Shine | |
| "Twist in the Dark" [A] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| "Heart of the Country" [B] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| "Come to Me (I Am Woman)" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| "-" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||||
- B^ Released only in United Kingdom.
Swedish singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | |||
| "En ledig dag" | 1967 | – | non-album song |
| "Din" | – | ||
| "Simsalabim" | 1968 | – | |
| "Mycket kär" | – | ||
| "Härlig är vår jord" | 1969 | – | |
| "Så synd du måste gå" | – | ||
| "Peter Pan" | – | ||
| "Där du går lämnar kärleken spår" | 1970 | 18 | |
| "En liten sång om kärlek" | 1971 | Frida | |
| "En kväll om sommarn" (with Lasse Berghagen) | – | non-album song | |
| "Min egen stad" | 5 | ||
| "Vi är alla barn i början" | 1972 | – | |
| "Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan" | – | non-album song | |
| "Även en blomma" | 1996 | 11 | Djupa andetag |
| "Ögonen" | 24 | ||
| "Alla mina bästa år" (with Marie Fredriksson) | 1997 | 54 | |
| "-" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||
Guest singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | |||
| "Så länge vi har varann" (with Ratata) | 1987 | 5 | Mellan dröm och verklighet |
| "Änglamark" (in Artister för miljö) | 1991 | – | Charity single |
| "Lieber Gott" (with Dan Daniell) | 2003 | – | |
| "The Sun Will Shine Again" (with Jon Lord)(promotional single) | 2004 | – | Beyond the Notes |
| "-" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||
Videos
| Title | Video details |
|---|---|
Frida - The DVD
|
|
References
- ^ Carl-Magnus Palm "ABBA the Complete recording sessions"
- ^ a b "REUSS". Paul Theroff. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
- ^ a b c Connolly, Kate (2002-06-30). "Torment of the Abba star with a Nazi father". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
- ^ a b Palm, Carl Magnus (2002), Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA, Omnibus Press, pp. 47–49, ISBN 0711991944.
- ^ Palm, Carl Magnus ABBA THE STORY (Swedish Edition), pp. 73–74.
- ^ Inner sleve of EMI compilation album Frida 1967–1972.
- ^ Inner sleeve of EMI compilation album Frida 1967–1972
- ^ Frida in swedish radio interview 1980.
- ^ ABBA fan magazine 1979.
- ^ ABBA fan magazine 1975.
- ^ ABBA fan magazine 1976.
- ^ Frida herself in Frida the DVD
- ^ "Abba singer's lover becomes a viscount". Daily Telegraph. 12 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Sweden – Additional Information". zipworld.com.au.
Other sources
- Carl Magnus Palm: ABBA – The Complete Recording Sessions, Century 22 Limited UK, 1994. ISBN 0-907938-10-8
External links
- Official ABBA website
- Frida on Europopmusic.eu (English)
- Mikory's Frida Pages Frida History translated to English
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| Films and musicals |
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| Related articles | |
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| Warning | Local parameters are deprecated. |
