Frida's English language studio albums

 

"Lips that taste of tears, they say
are the best for kissing"

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Something's Going On (1982)
and Shine (1984)
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Frida-Something's Going On September 1982 Available internationally on Cd

The first solo album after the divorces of ABBA's two couples. It's appearance was a clue that ABBA was nearing the end of the road. The vinyl cover for this album is the pinkest record cover you'll ever see.....

Somehow, Frida ended up with Phil Collins
as her producer, just right before Phil became one of the largest selling artists of 1980's. Frida decided she wanted Phil to produce her solo album after hearing FACE VALUE. Frida shared Phil's affinity for the American Soul group Earth ,Wind , and Fire and like Frida , Phil marriage had just broken up. Unlike all the other people who produced solo al about Phil was that he didn't necessarily have any great affection for the music of ABBA. The album was recorded in February and March 1982, just a few weeks after the Visitors album came out-but before ABBA last recordings were made in May and August of 1982..

SOMETHING'S GOING ON came out a year after Phil's first solo hit-"In the Air Tonight' was released. "In The Air tonight " featured the influential drum sound that Phil had brought to the world partly through the talents of engineer Hugh Padgham.That distinctive drum sound was featured prominently in the title track of SOMETHING'S GOING ON as well as on "Tell Me That's It Over"and other tracks on this album. The up-tempo songs on this album tend to emphasize Frida's great radio voice instead of allowing Frida to be expressive.

The ballads here have aged better. Frida's introduces Roxette's Per Gessle to the world when she sings his song "Threnody'' based on a Dorothy Parker poem. "Threnody" got some lovely guitar work by Darryl
Struemer. The song "The Way You Do" was written by Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry. The synth pop tune "To Turn the Stone" written by Giorgio Moredor/Pete Bellotte (Donna Summer's songwriters) was Frida's favorite song on the album.
Frida recorded a lovely version of the Phil Collins' song "You Know What I mean" . The track features some great harp work by Skaila Kanga . "You What I Mean" was originally on Phil's FACE VALUE album.

The record closes with a cheesy duet between Phil and Frida called "Here We'll Stay"- Phil and his label didn't think the song was very good and so when this was was released as a single it was without Phil singing.

This record showed that ABBA solo projects would have a tough row to hoe internationally. the album did so-so in most markets and the title track (a song that just screams -hit record) was a hit only in some markets, Strangely ,the
title track did well in the United States where it proved to be one of only 2 or three ABBA related records to make it onto MTV. (which at the time was something new and exciting). The video for" I Know there's Something Going on" seemed to be surprisingly autobiographical since it's about a woman finding out that her lover is seeing someone new. Frida's breakup with Benny occurred right before this album was recorded.

The album cover is a drawn portrait of Frida by Yves Poyet. On the inside sleeve there was the photo on which it was based showing Frida with sharply cut short dyed red hair. (one of the titles considered for the album was "I see Red".None of the ABBA band played on this
album but most of sessions were recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm and engineered by Hugh padgham and Paris Edvinsson. These are practically the only Frida recordings since 1969 not to be produced or coproduced by Benny Andersson .This album was reissued on CD in the USA in a remastered version which, unfortunately, doesn't have any bonus tracks. But the 2005 Swedish remaster feature bonus tracks..

 

Track listing for SOMETHING'S GOING ON

Side 1:
1.Tell Me It's Over (Stephen Bishop) 2.50
2.I See Red (Jim Rafferty) 4.32
3.I Got Something (Tomas Ledin) 4.05
4.Strangers (Jayne Bradbury/Dave Morris) 4.05
5.To Turn The Stone (Peter Bellotte/Giorgio Moroder) 5.25

Side 2:
1. I Know There's Something Going On (Russ Ballard) 5.25
2. Threnody (Dorothy Parker/Per Gessle) 4.16
3. Baby Don't You Cry No More (Rod Argent) 3.0
4. The Way You Do (Bryan Ferry) 3.35
5.You Know What I Mean (Phil Collins) 2.35
6. Here We'll Stay -duet with Phil Collins-(Tony Colton /Jean Roussel) 2.3

 Frida Shine September 1984 Available internationally on Cd

SHINE was pretty much ignored by ABBA fans and non-Abba fans alike. Producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Big Country,Kirsty MacColl) fashioned a distinctive sound for this album that resonates throughout the album. This albums white with fluorescent pink and green cover seems a bit out of place in our world. I like this cover but I am in the minority! This album was recorded in Paris, France in February and March 1984. This was -the only time that Frida has recorded an entire studio album outside of Sweden.

Frida had originally considered on recording an album with Daniel Balavoine (who she had worked with ABRACADABRA) or perhaps working again with Phil Collins but supposedly "Executive Producer" Stig Anderson nixed these ideas and rushed her into completing this album. She listened to Stig since, of the four ABBA members, Frida was the most loyal to Stig. Still it's hard to see how she ended up with the then very hip Steve Lillywhite, as producer.. Although Frida started in 1960's a as jazz singer and has never seemed overly famililar with the rock music-she somehow managed to relatively hip to the rock scene on her solo records....

Frida's voice does strange things to
many of the songs here . This was becoming a pattern on her 1980's work -"Me and I", "The Visitors", "You Owe Me One" and some tracks on the SOMETHING GOING ON album feature something other than her normal voice- the sound almost of a female computer . In any case it's not always easy to be expressive when you have to sing like that much of the time but for the most part this weird voice is still fun to listen to. People tend to disagree as to
which songs they like on this album, none of the songs are universally loved.

Among the more interesting songs here are
B&B's "Slowly" -which was the only B&B song to appear on any of the girls post 1976 albums. I like the ballad that Big Country's Stuart Adamson wrote for the album called "The Heart of The Country " The less ballady numbers on side one all have the full mechanical sound of "The Face" -it has a great hook or two notably the point where the background singers sing "It wouldn't mean a thing". SHINE seems to be less about Frida than her other solo albums ...

I wasn't overwhelmed by the title track, which was issued as a single in some markets. For the first time in her career,
and at the suggestion of Phil Collins, Frida wrote or cowrote approximately 10 songs for the album. Indeed, she even worked on demos of some of songs in 198 with her son from her first marriage-Hans Fredicksson. . But ultimately only two of her songs were actually released ( "That's Tough" & 'Don't Do It") . "That's Tough" did not make it on to SHINE but it became a non album B-side ."Don't do It"' was a lovely ballad that did make it on the album.

The best song on SHINE may be the closer. Frida counts in slowly to "Comfort Me' and takes her time coming to the last verses where she speaks the words. Lillywhite's carefully assembled sound environment is there but on " Comfort me" Frida, the human being is there too.

Steve Lillywhite's utilizes a coterie of British musicians/writer/ backing singers including Mark Brzezski of Big Country, Simon Climie and the Kirsty MacColl.Kirsty cowrote four of the songs recorded during the sessions and was also Steve Lillywhite 's girlfriend.. Remarkably ,ABBA bassist, Rutger Gunnarsson slips in a guest appearance on bass on two tracks. Thus, he became the only instrumentalist to work on Post- ABBA solo work by every former ABBA member.

This album was not released in the United States. I remember being one of the first ABBA releated albums that I was able to buy in the USA as a import...

I remember sitting in my college apartment during the winter break of 1984-1985 listening to this album and to CHESS whcih had been released around the same time...

On this album Frida has medium short red hair. After the promotion was done for this album, Frida lowered her profile ( as they say) and opted out of trying to become a solo star. Frida did record ,on occasion, between 1984- 1996 , primarily dueting with other artists for the Swedish markert. It was to be nearly twelve years before she would make another album.

This album seems cursed in - January 1986 songwriter Daniel Balavoine was killed in a helicopter crash. Sadly,in recent years two more songwriters on this album have died tragically. Kirsty MacColl died in a boating accident and Stuart Adamson commited suicide.

 

Track listing for SHINE album

Side 1:
1.Shine (Kevin Jarvis,Guy Fletcher, Jeremy Bird)4.39
2. One Little Lie (Simon Climie & Kirsty MacColl)3.44
3. The Face (Daniel Balavoine & Kirsty Mac Coll ) 3.50
4. Twist In The Dark (Andde Leek) 3.43
5. Slowly (Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus) 4.18

Side 2:
1. Heart Of the Country (Stuart Adamson) 4.38
2. Come to me (I am Woman) (Eddie Howell & David Dundas) 5.04
3. Chemistry Tonight (Glenister, Climie & Mac Coll) 4.56
4. Don't Do It ( Anni-frid Lyngstad) 4.37
5. Comfort Me (Peter Glenister) 4.28

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 THE POLAR REMASTERS May 2005 Widespread international release

Frida three studio albums originally released on Polar Records were remastered and reissued with bonus tracks, in May 2005... None of the bonus tracks are unreleased material ,but it's still nice to have them on these CD's... The back covers have slightly altered for the reissues...

Frida - Something's Going On Original international release 1982

1. Tell Me It's Over
2. I See Red
3. I Got Something
4. Strangers
5. To Turn The Stone
6. I Know There's Something Going On
7. Threnody
8. Baby Don't You Cry No More
9. The Way You Do
10. You Know What I Mean
11. Here We'll Stay

Extra tracks:
12. I Know There's Something Going On (Single Edit)
13. Here We'll Stay (non album Solo Version)

Frida - Shine Original international release 1984

1. Shine
2. One Little Lie
3. The Face
4. Twist In The Dark
5. Slowly
6. Heart Of The Country
7. Come To Me (I Am Woman)
8. Chemistry Tonight
9. Don't Do It
10. Comfort Me

Extra tracks:
11. That's Tough (non album b-side)
12. Shine ( Extended 12 inch Mix)

 

 

To go somewhere else click below

 

* HOME- ABBA-THE ALBUMS

* Frida -Solo (1967-1999) All of her solo work reviewed

* Frida- Djupa Andetag (1996) Her best album

* Frida-Frida Ensam (1975) the remarkable solo album Frida recorded at the heighth of ABBA success..

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