it is 40 years since festfolket
this is an old interview in french of Gus Horn a musician on very early Abba recordings and one time husband of Maritza Horn (ABBA chorist)
2 versions of the same interview
Very few Genevans can pretend to have assisted to the birth of a mammoth of pop music.
Gustav Horn ,aka gus, has.
even if some people migh think i am a mythomaniac he said (laughing).
in stockholm there was plenty of it .since prime minister olof palme
opened the doors to americans who decided to boycott vietnam war.
but he praised their methodology ,"we used to play until late at night,we
ate on the go and carried on working,they know exactly what they wanted" .
while he is talking "lycka" album is playing ,we brought to him.he listen
and then comments:"what a crap !" he lower the volume and tell us ,it's
impossible ,neighbours will be shoked!, i play only good music !
more late he hums a title ,hej gamle man ,the first number agnetha and
frida sung on .their first quartet recording and a local hit ,he precised :"i
remember this song ,we did it on stage!
because ,during the following months he tours with the members of the
future ABBA.he participated to the first solo album of frida (?????) ,produced by
Benny."her carrier was not really boosted " then he followed them on their
first incarnation as a cabaret live act known as festfolket "we began on a
restaurant in gotebourg .the audience was nearly null !"
for the members of the band this will remain the worst ,an absolut
desaster in the carrier of four .bjorn remembers and will say "this is
what we would avoid from now on" even Frida and Benny nearly broke up
according to carl magnus palm .Gus remembers especially long winter trips
in a bus ,"the show was perfect but the audience didn't follow.
he remembers a clean image of the groupe "uptight".
her posterior was a mythical subject during the decade ,conducting
her to prepare responses like "how can i talk about it, i never seen
it!" he adds that she was not as prude as she pretends !!!
regarding the brunette Frida .She was an excellent singer very precise .she
knew lot of old jazz standars and use to improvise scat numbers during the
evenings.as a woman ,she was restrained ,not really joyful,depressed .you
could feel a hard childhood.(frida lost her mother at 2 and was rised by
her grandmother and discovered her father at th age of 31!)
from the two divorces that distroyed Abba (????) it's the late one of
Benny and Frida that didn't surprised him! their relation ship was so passional ,it couldn't survive !
i remember one day in the sauna ,with benny and his back full of scars ;
he wanted to teach music so he got help from rutger gunnarsson to
integrate the royal swedish academy of music ,he then presented him to
abba members .Rutger will be the bassist of all abba's carrier ."today,he
(rutger)'s got a big mansion near a lake with a boat ,gus sighs ,in his
three rooms appartement in saint jean (switzerland) ,i regretted sometimes
,when i think about the money .but in fact it was not my register at all !
he met abba only one time in 1975 ,the band was already winner of the ESC
and begining to achieve worldwide success .we granted each other ,that's
all!
in 1982 ,he came back to geneva where he actually teaches music . in only one year
it wll be retirement .
my girlfriend is senegalese ,we'll spend winter in africa "
Gus is not embittered ,in the contrary,he has students of 7 years who
want to learn abba songs like thir mothers .he tells with enjoyment !
whent they understood that the two girls had better voices and images ,it took flight .
their strength emerged because of these contagious melodies that never
become irritating !
Very few Genevans can pretend to have assisted to the birth of a mammoth of pop music.
Gustav Horn ,aka gus, has.
even if some people migh think i am a mythomaniac he said (laughing).
True ! ,when the four future members of Abba have recorded their first opus.
and Agnetha Benny Bjorn and Annifrid (frida) haven't used the acronym yet .
From a music family background ,student at the Geneva conservatoire, Gus
went to sweden in the late sixties ,played with Bob azzam orchestra , then
flew to stockholm and met Benny andersson who was already known with the
hepstars ,this groupe going to implose.
From a music family background ,student at the Geneva conservatoire, Gus
went to sweden in the late sixties ,played with Bob azzam orchestra , then
flew to stockholm and met Benny andersson who was already known with the
hepstars ,this groupe going to implose.
"i met the singer Svenne and lotta his wife then replaced their bassisit who was on tour" .it was spring 69
as confirm it Carl Magnus Palm in his ABBA biographie .Benny left his groupe
and intensifie collaboration with Bjorn who, he knew three years ago ,the
late left his own folk band the hootnanny singers.the two men already in
relation ship with the two women ,already stars ,going to become their
spouses and singers in the band.
the next summer ,1970, in the lycka sessions,he played bass with another
swiss ,john cuonz , a drummer brought by him.he vaguely remembers the
recording sessions .i played a lot of sessions in sweden ,i can't remember
.it was in the metronome studio.they both met michael B Tretow ,
sound ingenieur , crucial in the birth of the ABBA sound.
as confirm it Carl Magnus Palm in his ABBA biographie .Benny left his groupe
and intensifie collaboration with Bjorn who, he knew three years ago ,the
late left his own folk band the hootnanny singers.the two men already in
relation ship with the two women ,already stars ,going to become their
spouses and singers in the band.
the next summer ,1970, in the lycka sessions,he played bass with another
swiss ,john cuonz , a drummer brought by him.he vaguely remembers the
recording sessions .i played a lot of sessions in sweden ,i can't remember
.it was in the metronome studio.they both met michael B Tretow ,
sound ingenieur , crucial in the birth of the ABBA sound.
for gus it was kind of "just for food ".I really enjoy only black, soul ,funk
music!
music!
in stockholm there was plenty of it .since prime minister olof palme
opened the doors to americans who decided to boycott vietnam war.
i met people like jimmy hendrix ,quincy jones ,and even a "beginner" bob marley
Playing with benny and bjorn ,made me mad !their music was too white ! too elaborated to my tatse !
Playing with benny and bjorn ,made me mad !their music was too white ! too elaborated to my tatse !
but he praised their methodology ,"we used to play until late at night,we
ate on the go and carried on working,they know exactly what they wanted" .
while he is talking "lycka" album is playing ,we brought to him.he listen
and then comments:"what a crap !" he lower the volume and tell us ,it's
impossible ,neighbours will be shoked!, i play only good music !
more late he hums a title ,hej gamle man ,the first number agnetha and
frida sung on .their first quartet recording and a local hit ,he precised :"i
remember this song ,we did it on stage!
because ,during the following months he tours with the members of the
future ABBA.he participated to the first solo album of frida (?????) ,produced by
Benny."her carrier was not really boosted " then he followed them on their
first incarnation as a cabaret live act known as festfolket "we began on a
restaurant in gotebourg .the audience was nearly null !"
for the members of the band this will remain the worst ,an absolut
desaster in the carrier of four .bjorn remembers and will say "this is
what we would avoid from now on" even Frida and Benny nearly broke up
according to carl magnus palm .Gus remembers especially long winter trips
in a bus ,"the show was perfect but the audience didn't follow.
he remembers a clean image of the groupe "uptight".
of the four he knew benny the most "he was peaceful really nice ,as a musicien a
great improviser ,captured by any new sound ,he played like an
enthusiastic child .artistically he was the most openhearted".
the two ladies were less known to him.about the blonde Agnetha ,he says
she was a sentimental singer ,very talented in that style and even she
won lot of money,she was sensible .she use to sing out of tune ,Beside
that she very beautiful with that long blonde hair ... and that bottom !.
great improviser ,captured by any new sound ,he played like an
enthusiastic child .artistically he was the most openhearted".
the two ladies were less known to him.about the blonde Agnetha ,he says
she was a sentimental singer ,very talented in that style and even she
won lot of money,she was sensible .she use to sing out of tune ,Beside
that she very beautiful with that long blonde hair ... and that bottom !.
her posterior was a mythical subject during the decade ,conducting
her to prepare responses like "how can i talk about it, i never seen
it!" he adds that she was not as prude as she pretends !!!
regarding the brunette Frida .She was an excellent singer very precise .she
knew lot of old jazz standars and use to improvise scat numbers during the
evenings.as a woman ,she was restrained ,not really joyful,depressed .you
could feel a hard childhood.(frida lost her mother at 2 and was rised by
her grandmother and discovered her father at th age of 31!)
from the two divorces that distroyed Abba (????) it's the late one of
Benny and Frida that didn't surprised him! their relation ship was so passional ,it couldn't survive !
i remember one day in the sauna ,with benny and his back full of scars ;
it was her but he seems not angry at all !
after the festfolket fiasco ,they waited more than one year to collaborate as the foursome
after the festfolket fiasco ,they waited more than one year to collaborate as the foursome
Gus went away,for two reasons :first his divorce from Maritza horn (abba
chorist) and his money needs ,it was hard to resist the temptations ,there
was so much reason to go out and attractive ladies !
chorist) and his money needs ,it was hard to resist the temptations ,there
was so much reason to go out and attractive ladies !
he wanted to teach music so he got help from rutger gunnarsson to
integrate the royal swedish academy of music ,he then presented him to
abba members .Rutger will be the bassist of all abba's carrier ."today,he
(rutger)'s got a big mansion near a lake with a boat ,gus sighs ,in his
three rooms appartement in saint jean (switzerland) ,i regretted sometimes
,when i think about the money .but in fact it was not my register at all !
he met abba only one time in 1975 ,the band was already winner of the ESC
and begining to achieve worldwide success .we granted each other ,that's
all!
in 1982 ,he came back to geneva where he actually teaches music . in only one year
it wll be retirement .
my girlfriend is senegalese ,we'll spend winter in africa "
Gus is not embittered ,in the contrary,he has students of 7 years who
want to learn abba songs like thir mothers .he tells with enjoyment !
when he knew them the puzzle pieces were begining to gather ,"they were
sure that they would have success but not at thet level!
sure that they would have success but not at thet level!
whent they understood that the two girls had better voices and images ,it took flight .
their strength emerged because of these contagious melodies that never
become irritating !
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my own comment :
lot of false facts easy reliable like the Ensam participation
it was on 1975 and he already left the band plus ; even his wife Maritza wasn't on the album.
But interesting for the archives and the souvenir of an old period not very well documented.
