26 DNA

DNA SAMPLES / WITH MARC ANDREWS

You crowdfunded the revised version of the book. How did that come about?Carl Magnus Palm: Even though millions of people love ABBA, a book that takes an in-depth look at their music is regarded as a “special interest” title. I thought, why not see if there are enough fans interested in an updated version of the book. There was, it turns out. There’s a certain beauty in ABBA fans coming together to finance this.Why revisit the book all these years later?Because so much new information about ABBA’s music has come to light over the past two decades. Also, thanks to the wonders of digitization, I’ve been able to hear so much more unreleased music and alternate mixes than I could back in the 1990s.Were there significant new finds, information or secrets that needed to be told?There were lots of discoveries. It’s fascinating that some very recognisable features in some songs, such as the descending piano in Dancing Queen, were only added at the last minute.

Were A, B, B or A involved with the project?The book is not authorized but they okayed approval for me to listen to more tapes, so I guess one could call it “silent approval”. Benny sat down with me a couple of times to answer some questions and Björn answered a handful of questions via email. I also went back to my original interviews, including Agnetha and Frida, and found some good bits I didn’t use back then.Will you be sending them all a copy? I don’t know to what extent they’re interested. For them, it’s history, they’ve already lived it. Björn and Benny liked the original book enough to write a foreword. They seemed happy about it at the time.They’ve been very protective of their legacy.The fact they never did a comeback created a tension between them and the public that helps retain that mystery.Priscilla and Muriel’s Wedding helped revive ABBA, would you agree?Yes, along with the Erasure EP and the ABBA Gold album that established them as a so-called legacy act. Muriel’s Wedding made it clear ABBA’s music has strong emotional significance for many people.Did the musical and film Mamma Mia! help or hinder the ABBA legacy?It’s helped keep ABBA’s music in the spotlight. Mamma Mia! has a life of its own, so the musical performances are one thing and ABBA’s original recordings exist in their own universe. That can only be a good thing.Many fans hope for unreleased songs from the band. Will that ever happen?They’ve been reluctant to release their outtakes over the years, but never say never. A lot of footage of ABBA also remains unreleased. Any chance of that escaping?I don’t think so. As far as the music business is concerned, DVD is dead as a format. Do you ever get tired of talking about ABBA? Occasionally. Most of the time I enjoy it. I feel like I’m discovering new things about them all the time, details and anecdotes that help us know more about the group, and that turn long-held “truths” upside down.What’s your view on why ABBA has such an appeal to gay audiences?ABBA inhabit many of the features that have traditionally appealed to gays – female lead singers, heartbreak songs, disco beats and so on – but the question is why are those big things in gay culture? ABBA themselves, especially the male half, were initially confused because, if anything, ABBA were as heterosexual as they came, being two married couples. All they did, as far as they were aware, was create music they liked themselves.

MORE: Carl’s book can be ordered from abbathecompleterecordingsessions.com. His website is carlmagnuspalm.com

KNOWING ABBATWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, HISTORIAN CARL MAGNUS PALM PUBLISHED

ABBA – THE COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS, THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THEIR MUSIC. NOW HE’S REVISED HIS OPUS AND – MY! MY! – FUNDED BY ABBA FANS.

(ABOVE) ABBA IN 1976. (PREMIUM ROCKSHOT)(INSET): CARL MAGNUS PALM.

ABBA themselves, especially the male half, were confused about their gay appeal.

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