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Frida-Something's Going On 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. Somehow, Frida ended up with Phil Collins
as her producer, just right before Phil became one of the largest selling
artists of 1980's.
SOMETHING'S GOING ON came 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 here 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. Frida decided she wanted Phil to produce her solo album after
hearingFACE VALUE. Frida shared Phil's affinity
for Earth ,Wind , and Fire and like Frida , Phil mairrage had just broken
up.
(I don't know why I am having trouble spelling Marriage!)
The record closes with a cheesy duet between Phil
and Frida called "Here We'll Stay".
For some reason
the song (because Phil and his label didn't think the song was very good) when this was was
released as a single it was without Phil singing. It seems strange that they chose this song as a single..
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. None of the ABBA band played on this
album
...but most of sessions were recorded at Polar Studios. The album was recorded in February and March 1982. . These
are practically the only Frida recordings since 1969 not to be produced or coproduced by Benny Andersson .
This album was released in a remastered version in 2005.
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) 3.02
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) 2.35
Frida-Shine 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 -the only time that Frida has recorded a studio album outside of Sweden.
Frida had originally planned
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.
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. Big Country's Stuart Adamson wrote the ballad the "The Heart
of The Country " for the album. The less ballady numbers 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 has the most homogeneou
sound of any of Frida's 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 did some songwriting for an album.
Two 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. 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.
The album was recorded in February and March 1982.
This album was not released in the United States. 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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