ABBA Frida Solo - LIVE Concert 1985 | "What If?"

[@lakauz61]

In a recent BBC interview, Frida chose “I Let the Music Speak “ as her favourite so I think she would have included it. ❤

[@Cicilo1983]

She has flawless taste, then, because that song is a hidden masterpiece in a discrography loaded with treasures.

[@flatworm00]

Frida was an amazing talent. She could have picked anything and they would have come and cheered.

[@carlosgarjon8340]

Frida has always enjoyed performing live on stage as she loves contact with the audience. If Shine had been a hit, maybe she would have made a live tour. It's a pity that record was ahead of its time. I would have LOVED to see her in concert. I think Tell Me It's Over would be a great opener, and I Know There's Something Going On would be perfect to finish, as it was a worldwide hit.

[@richardbutterfield412]

Great minds think alike! I just said the same about the opener.

[@carlosgarjon8340]

@@joeclarke6973 Comfort Me? Slowly? Heart Of The Country? Come To Me? Don't Do It? ... Aren't they somehow melodic?

[@leeferguson-pn2xz]

❤

[@visochsnygg]

I absolutely agree with you about "Fire And Ice", it's my favorite from her solo tracks too. 👍 Thanks for video.

[@johnlargan6045]

I always read, BB, that out of the four members of ABBA, Frida was the one who enjoyed performing live the most. It makes me wonder why she didn't at least attempt a solo concert, whether a tour or even a one-off? But as you say, I'm confident it would have been wonderful! I love all the songs you mentioned as exciting possibilities for a potential set list! I would also add "Threnody" from the Something's Going On album. I've always loved the mixture of rhthym and melancholy. That song has both and I think that's why it sticks in my mind.

[@abbascots]

Frida has always been a fantastic natural multi talented entertainer I’ve always loved her performances and personality so for me I’d had loved to have seen her perform live especially her early recordings from the late 60s and her 1975 album Ensam ❤️ Her voice is versatile and with her ability to speak to the listener thru her voice she can instantly capture one’s attention and heart 🫶 the raw power and energy that Frida radiates is incredible and hasn’t faded even recently with her beautiful Spanish performance of Andante Andante in 2018 so powerfully expressed ❤her voice is magnificently beautiful her soulful yet vulnerability in ISHFIY showcases both these songs would be amazing live it’s spine tingling to think that in her late 70s this lady can and still manages to capture an essence 🫶

[@bobbysbrother137]

These are some wonderful words on this Friday evening. Beautiful, heartwarming. Thank you! See you soon!!

[@christianoazzuro6711]

According to their own statements Agnetha's physical place was studio.Frida loved live performing.She once kinda said 'When i go on stage it's like ok,wait till i go out there and i'll show you what i can do!"

[@roli9091]

Wow! Always loved Pat Benatar's "Fire And Ice" and never knew that Frida did a live version of it. Fits so well!

[@michaelrochester48]

I asked Pat's daughter Hana Giraldo about the version and her mom is aware of it, loves it and says Pat is an ABBA fan too!

[@roli9091]

@@michaelrochester48 Hi Michael, didn't expect that, that's so cool! Thank you for sharing and cheers to you, Hana and Pat from Germany! :)

[@pc7595]

I’m the same , Fire & Ice . She goes all out for the notes and sets me off. I would have loved to see Frida singing more hard rock with that piecing voice . I imagine her version of every song in the world and know she would impress me . I’d love a day of her singing to me on the beach . She is heaven on earth.

[@vintagelittleone]

I adore her version of Fire and Ice, it's actually arguable that it's a better interpretation on her end than the original.

[@adelaaae4906]

She always sings so well and so beautifully! Please, listen to ”Andante, andante” and wait for the end!!! 🙌

[@bobbysbrother137]

Exactly!

[@roli9091]

Beyond the hits Frida's finest ABBA moments to me are I Wonder, The King Has Lost His Crown, Our Last Summer, Should I Laugh Or Cry, When All Is Said And Done, I Let The Music Speak and Like An Angel Passing Through My Room. I think these would have been the ones she would have chosen from. And from her early solo works probably her stunning versions of "Suzanne" and "Life On Mars".

[@joegoodman9232]

Hey BB! Thanks for all!! "I am Woman" would be my choice for our Dear Frida . ❤

[@lawrenceleise6997]

Agnetha once did six songs in front of a live TV audience. All songs from her 1983 solo album. It's called "The Heat Is On", about 30 minutes long.

[@UlfLechner]

Thanks a lot - Like An Angel Passing Through My Room would‘ve been the perfect closing song 😎

[@pc7595]

My mother was once in intensive care with cancer and was very frail . I put this in her iPod and put it on a loop for her . She survived and said that song gave her such comfort. Now that’s one special singer, and one special mother.

[@АлександрАнисимов-ф3р]

Как ты прекрасна Фрида!!!💋Алекс❤💘

[@dimitriosdaskalakis6127]

Frida always sounded just as great, pitch perfect, live as she did in the studio. 💕 I love her versions of Life on Mars (Liv Par Mars) and Anima Mia (Ett Liv I solen). Frida did brilliant covers. I also prefer her Swedish version of Fernando (even though the song is brilliant in English as well)

[@garydiamond8124]

Hey hey bb frida for me was always my favourite of the band she always seemed to enjoy her status in the band and when I saw them live in 79 my most vivid memories was frida smiling directly at me as I had my abba scarf high in the air!!! Fans who belonged to the fan club then got priority tickets and I was second row

[@arwenanduin]

The album SHINE was SOLID, and I love it. I'm surprised to hear it wasn't considered a hit. It really should have been. It remains one of my favorites to listen to, all tracks.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

'Comfort me" is such a fine dark soothing track.I also love "Slowly" Frida's version but not Gemini's.Steve Lillywhite did a fantastic Abba-like arrangement and vocal support by Kristy Mac Coll was so very Abba-ish.Marvelous.

[@abicaisimbica]

I have to admit that I prefer Frida's mature voice. It is full of warmth, feelings and life experience. It is unique and increasingly recognizable over the years. That's why my song suggestion for the live album is: What a wonderful world with Marie Fredriksson, Saltwater, The sun will shine again, Alska mig alltid, Aven en blomma, Sista valsen med dig, As long as I have you, Morning has broken, Lieber Gott, Adante Adante with Arturo Sandoval. My biggest wish would be that Frida today sing Like an angel passing through my room. And for the end. That woman was born for a musical. How nobody recognaze that. Especially Benny.

[@Thombir]

great report - the idea brings me back to reality in 1982 when I met FRIDA after she performed with ABBA at Show Express and she said: let me record another Solo Album and then you will see me on tour. It is still sad that this never happened infact of the not really happy result of Shine.

[@cerdas1814]

I could definitely see her opening with “Tell Me That it’s over”. She would defiantly sing “I Have a Dream”, Fernando, and/or I Wonder. I could also see her throw in some Jazz covers around the intermission. Probably from Shine, she would add “Come to Me”, “One Little Lie”, “Don’t Do it”, “that’s tough”, and/or “Slowly”. And would end with “Here We’ll Stay”

[@alexandraegorova1629]

Thank you. My favorite Frida's song is Put on your wite Sombrero.

[@zoftigbeatnik]

That song is a masterpiece!

[@malcolmbrown7683]

With a little help from Agnetha!

[@richardbutterfield412]

What a great thing to imagine. I would have recommended she starts with Tell Me It’s Over. Other inclusions would have been I Wonder, When All Is Said And Done, Strangers, Twist In The Dark, I Got Something, IKTSGO, I Let The Music Speak, and a personal favourite of mine Comfort Me.

[@graphiquejack]

Ooooh... I love the idea of picking songs for a theoretical Frida solo concert... here are my picks... Pre-ABBA songs: En Ledig Dag My Man ABBA songs: Dancing Queen (I love her a Capella rendition with The Real Group and would love her to do something like that to show how her voice was a key part of the ABBA sound) Fernando Lovers (Live a Little Bit Longer) Like an Angel Cassandra From Something's Going On: I Know There's Something Going On To Turn the Stone I See Red Tell Me It's Over Thredony From Shine: Shine Come to Me (I Am Woman) The Face Don't Do It Twist in the Dark Covers... just for fun: Fire and Ice Solitaire (I think she could do Karen Carpenter justice) Dream a Little Dream of Me (because... of course she needs to do a Mama Cass song) Burning Up (in '85, Madonna was THE hot female artist and Burning Up is probably her most rock-like song that she had that would be in keeping with what Frida was recording at the time)

[@christianoazzuro6711]

I support Your list too.

[@larryfreda5208]

She could have sung the Swedish version of Fernando. It was written for her.

[@popboy0]

I would go a little further...... until 1996, when she released a Master Piece called: DJUPA ANDETAG. Frida could have done a tour which had worked as both: promoting her new album and revisiting her old ones. I picture the concert as an atmospheric experience. Starting with her (then) new material setting in a minimalistic style-stage. After a few songs we would hear a male voice off, asking questions, then we realized that we are in a "TV set" and Frida is the guest star, being interviewed and singing some songs.....just like the concept of the video to "Älska mig alltid". As the show goes, the presenter would go back into Frida's past, then we could see her singing songs from SHINE and Something's Going On. At some point, there would be old videos shown on a big screen.......from the 70s. then she would perform a few ABBA songs and of course FERNANDO in Swedish........going backwards we could see her singing the standards and jazz songs, she did in her early days. The concert would end with Like an Angel Passing through my room. Greetings from PERU....

[@anthonygrice]

Definitely The Sun Will Shine Again

[@abbalistener2003]

If you really want to imagine the tour, it's necessary to dive back into her psychology of that time. I had the chance to meet her during the recording of "shine" near the "Grande Armée studio". I think she would of course have chosen most of the songs from her first 2 international albums and probably material from a third one but she would have definitely rejected any Abba song, she wanted to change her image and her musical repertoire.She really wanted to open up to the work of young rock/new wave artists, particularly from the English scene, but also had spoken of a pop group project with Daniel Balavoine, of which she liked the sound of his last album. She saw herself on stage in a kind of Pat Benatar style. She would have probably tried some evergreens too, of Roberta Flack, David Bowie ...

[@sianwilliams9564]

That's an interesting insight - I think you're right, Frida was trying to break away from the ABBA sound. I think we know why these gigs are just imaginary - there wasn't the public appetite for them at this time.

[@דליההרצברג]

"Tell me that its over" to open and to close "Comfort me" with is one of my very favorits.

[@TheFridaFan]

Her opening would HAVE to be "I Know There's Something Going On". Can you imagine that in a stadium setting? It's not even my favorite of her solo songs, but it would be epic. I could even see "Shine" as an opening. "You give me love..." echoing everywhere while the crowd goes nuts.

[@williamgreen6647]

Her first ever hit ..Min Egan Stad! ❤️ that song is a must x

[@nielsulriksrensen9818]

I wish she would have performed some of her own compositions from the early 80's, which she never released, because she put her solo career on hold after Shine. Vocally, she transgressed all boundaries in the 80s before laying off, and her orientation towards experimenting with different genres and sounds made her a very interesting artist at that point. I am still sad that she didn't have the courage or spirit to continue during the 80s, but if she had - wow! Fire and Ice as well as Comfort Me ought to have been on the setlist.

[@helenrstephens]

She loves performing live

[@hweminnio419]

The opening track is "Something's going on". Perhaps she should include Ett Liv I sollen from her early album.

[@michaelrochester48]

Frida's song Theres Something Going On was the 20th biggest hit in USA of 1983...and it went to no. 13 which meant its ranking was based on it staying on the chart for MANY weeks...it is a classic and people CRANK IT UP to this day when they hear it...many never knew her link to ABBA!

[@lucianovidallyrapereira8404]

But knowing this song is an unmistakable Phil's signature sound.

[@shyman99]

Frida is a natural entertainer, and she could have rivaled other legendary female tours, such as Cher & Tina Turner. I think Abba held her back somewhat. But occasionally you could see her break through and give us a sample of what might have been had she been allowed to take control.

[@Emmenem68]

Frida possibly rivaling Tina Turner. Wow, that's quite a bold statement considering Tina Turner was arguably the greatest live performer of all time who filled football stadiums. I love Frida but I just can't picture that. When I watch TV performances of "I Know There's Something Going On" she looked quite uncomfortable and awkward at times. Like she was making up her movements on the spot. Sometimes all smiles which jarred with the song's meaning. To have a concert or tour she would have needed far more hit singles as well. After the huge success of "I Know There's Something Going On" her career didn't take off. In the early to mid-eighties everything ABBA-related became highly uncool. Media attention and airplay was shifting to new artists. Here in the Netherlands "Shine" was still a moderate hit (reaching number 23 in one chart and 19 in another) but its follow-up "Come To Me" was not played on the radio at all. Agnetha's "Eyes Of A Woman" and its singles underwent the same fate in 1985.

[@shyman99]

@@Emmenem68 - I think you misunderstood my post. Her career was never able to get off the ground because she always lived in the shadow of Abba and by the time Abba ended she was in her 30s. We will never know her career trajectory with certainty without altering history. For example, going solo after her massive success with "Fernando". Another barrier for Frida would be language as I don't believe English was her primary. Never judge someone by being forced to lip sync their songs on TV shows because you are already constrained from performing in a free form style.

[@Emmenem68]

​@@shyman99 Yes, we don't know what would have happened if Frida had gone solo earlier but Tina Turner was 44 when her career exploded with the "Private Dancer" album in 1984. Considering Frida's age, having a solo career after ABBA would still have been possible as she was 6 years younger than Tina. I guess Frida lost motivation for her solo career when "Shine" wasn't a commercial success and she decided to pursue other aspects of life.

[@shyman99]

@@Emmenem68 - Tina Turner was essentially solo for 20+ years (ike & TINA turner) with waves of success throughout her career before "Private Dancer". She was a household name in the 70s, built from years of solo appearances on every TV show imaginable. That afforded her to have the best songs, best producers, and best marketing worldwide to be in a position to create the 1984 "Private Dancer" phenomenon (of course, amazing talent as well).

[@Emmenem68]

@@shyman99 Well, things really didn't come as easy for Tina Turner as you think. After she left Ike in 1976 the music industry really didn't want to know anything about her. She released two albums in 1978 and 1979 which both flopped. Meanwhile she was still able to earn a living with performing in small clubs and at hotel dinners and appearances on game shows. She actually had to struggle for 7 or 8 years before she finally achieved her big comeback. Initially, Capitol Records in the US didn't even want to give her a contract. Things started to come together for her when she met her manager Roger Davies who believed in her vision. But it took a lot of perseverance and hard work to get there. On the other hand, when Frida went solo in 1982 she was coming off a massively successful worldwide career with ABBA. Songwriters and producers were queuing to work with her and record companies were eager to release her product.

[@michaelrochester48]

Frida had a more successful solo career in USA than Agnetha because Frida came to USA and promoted her album. In USA you must tour, promote and plug your work to get on US radio and sell tickets to their shows.

[@lucianovidallyrapereira8404]

Agnetha with fear to fly never will go to US to promote her album. To me was a surprise when she do a album produced by Peter Cetera in America. She loved stay in home to care her children.

[@MaryBradley-s3s]

Frida was amazing in her live concerts, she never got enough attention or praise for what she did for ABBAS fame. Agnetha got more attention I even think Bjorn and Benny never show Frida a lot of credit. Rock on FRIDA.

[@Lisa-M]

At least Björn once said that ABBA would not have been possible without Frida.

[@710LL59]

The girls in ABBA real talented blessed with beautiful voices never seemed to care about pop star adoration they were confident of their musicianship and seemed truly proud of their accomplishments as artists. I think touring was not what they really liked but creating music and in the girls case beautiful layered vocals like no other 2 female vocalists . No one better .

[@michaelrochester48]

"Theres something on" has to be the closer of a Frida concert. I had friends in high school in 1983 that knew I loved ABBA.....they said "you know we hate ABBA ... BUT we love "There's something going on." That means Frida was gaining an audience of people who were NOT necessarily ABBA fans...so it is a shame she did not chose a follow up worthy of the classic first single as a solo artist in USA

[@stefanzantes8818]

Fortunately, we have some live video recordings on YT with Frida, performing at the "Live pâ Borggården" concert in Stockholm 1992. She performs "Saltwater"and "Änglamark"live and also "What A Wonderful World"with Marie Fredriksson. It is really such a shame that she never did a full solo concert. I was blessed to see her performing live in a Jon Lord Concert in Cologne, happy memories!

[@tinoco1001]

solo diré mis opciones de cierre de concierto " Andate, Andate" & "Thredony"

[@AVoyager2022]

Well, Tuesdays & Wednesdays are always available at the ABBA Arena should she consider a FridaTar show 😂

[@michaeli7380]

Freda also sang dancing queen with 2 others in a show but I can’t nt remember where it was

[@TheFridaFan]

Queen Silvia's birthday?? With that Acapella group?

[@carlosgarjon8340]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHyUmaVopLh-aKc&feature=share

[@hallson2917]

Frida and "The Real group"

[@Kevin-1969]

Frida would have been massive, if she toured and relocated to the USA, used American song writers, she was friendly with Olivia Newton John and John Farrar

[@AndanteAndante1945]

And The Winner Takes It All,Frida said she loves this song.

[@chelseacharger]

I always get the distinct feeling that Polar and more specifically Stig Anderson weren't very supportive of Frida and Agnetha's solo projects in the 80's. They had been notoriously tight with the budgets for ABBA promo videos in the past and both initial albums by A & F contained Tomas Ledin penned songs. He was also signed to Polar and apparently Stig pushed to keep as much 'in house' as possible. So often, on the promotion trail, they had to perform, live or to playback, alone without a backing band. Maybe Stig hoped ABBA would reform so was fearful of either of them being successful as solo artists again? After being in such a megaband as ABBA and at the age they were, I guess they were always going to have that weight of expectation on them and be compared to their time in the group.

[@carlosgarjon8340]

They were not young girls for the "rules" of pop music then, but Tina Turner broke the rules in 1984.

[@MrMac-mg1lj]

Agreed. Read the book "Bright Lights Dark Shadows" by CMP and it tells much of the story how Stig was not supportive of A + F solo work. What a shame. Much of ABBA's success was based on his unwavering support but only when they were a group. He failed to see the opportunity right in front of him.

[@arwenanduin]

I have the SHINE album but have not heard the other side of the single, That's Tough. 😕

[@imeldaegreen]

Oh that’s an exciting thought-experiment. Tell Me It’s Over would be great to open, and I’m sure I’d close the thing with Ett Liv I Solen. Fire And Ice should be included of course, as you say.

[@helenrstephens]

I think she would have been amazing if she had performed live. I know there's something going on Shine and live on Mars . Also I let the music speak Fernando. Andante andante..

[@markkusmierz3756]

Any song from the- There's something going on album.

[@kuchenkraftauskleinergrost2385]

I would definitely suggest "Threnody"! My "secret" pearl from the album "Something's going on". (kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5SXoKp9rM-Do68)

[@roli9091]

"Threnody" is beautiful. It's based on a poem by Dorothy Parker and was set to music by a guy called Per Gessle who later became famous together with Marie Frederiksson as Roxette.:)

[@amihoa644]

Opening song - maybe something punchy like Shine. Closing with Fire and Ice. Another raunchy number.

[@larryfreda5208]

Personally I liked Frida’s solo albums more than Agnetha’s.

[@michaelrochester48]

Phil Collins and Frida were a great combination...Phil bought out the BEST in her.

[@malcolmbrown7683]

Agnetha every time. Much better songs and more of them.

[@andrewjenkinson7052]

When ABBA were recorded, either in the studio or in concert, there appears to have been at least half a dozen cameras used (each member, all, different distances). This raises the question of what happened to unused footage (e.g. on a close up of Benny cameras were still rolling on the others). Did the editor delete all the footage he did not use? Did he keep it? Did he give it back to ABBA or the cameraman? Did the cameraman make his own copy? Also, the recordings of not every song in a concert were released. What happened to them? Is it possible that thousands of hours of unseen videos of ABBA exist, just waiting for copyright to run out before being released?

[@harpic4]

Frida & Agnetha - I Know Him So Well. Maybe they can still do it, many have covered the original, maybe their voices can be reproduced through AI and added to the song.

[@patrickhicks9880]

I like the song slowly with Kirsty maccoll standing in for agnetha I am also a fan of Kirsty maccoll her album desperate character is brilliant there's a song on it called until the night which I really love later she did still life which is one of the best songs ever by anybody she also hated playing live

[@roli9091]

Kirsty was such a wonderful artist on her own and together with artists like The Pogues, Tracey Ullman and Frida. Gone to soon!

[@christianoazzuro6711]

Agree.

[@marikesl]

To be honest with you, I never really got into Frida's English language solo material. This is NOT to say anything negative about Frida or her talent or the work she put into those albums, of course, but the musical style she was going for during those years isn't really for me. What I would have LOVED to see would have been an entire solo concert during her pre-ABBA days, with her first two Swedish albums and/or a full length solo concert for "Djupa Andetag" - I LOVE those records!!!

[@paulbailey298]

Only seen this now Agnetha A ??

[@Edward-bn2vw]

The Winner Takes It All would have raised some eyebrows. Maybe with an 80’s synth instead of the piano.

[@bobbysbrother137]

LOL, indeed. Or may she have invited a very specific female singer as guest star for that song??

[@graphiquejack]

That would be VERY interesting for Frida to do a song originally with Agnetha as the lead singer.... hmmmm.... I think she wouldn't do it because the optics would seem like she was shading her 'little sister'. There were a lot of silly rumours that Frida was 'jealous' of Agnetha so while I love the idea from an artistic/creative spin, I think it would just cause too much controversy. It would also be a huge risk because even if her version was 'better' most people tend to prefer songs as they originally heard them.

[@TheFridaFan]

​@@graphiquejackI'd LOVE to see them do some kind of duet. Any song. If we're talking about a hypothetical Frida concert, Agnetha should come out and be the other voice in "Here We'll Stay".

[@popcult]

To be honest I don’t really like the premise based on “ what if” especially now that we are blessed with so many on going projects from the ABBA Universe. And as much as I love the solo projects I don’t think any of them could have pulled off a successful tour as “ one of the ABBAs” The musical landscape was different and it was just never meant to happen. And I don’t think that any of the Four ever truly considered a solo concert let alone tour . Sorry just my 2 cents.

[@rmk9580]

When love turns to lies

[@grantc61]

I've never much cared for Frida or Agnetha's solo albums. Neither of them had a distinct musical identity outside of ABBA, confirmed by the relative anonymity of their solo albums. Frida pushed harder than Agnetha but she was too old for pop. Agnetha could have had a successful run for a few years but she sang so much mediocre mush and obviously didn't really have the heart for it. I'm very happy they found Benny & Bjorn so their gorgeous voices could be heard forever, together.

[@williamgreen6647]

What are you saying you have no value sorry mate your wrong