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The last ABBA tour was in Japan in March 1980. The back and the tour jacket probably belongs to Frida's son Hans Fredriksson.The band and the choir: me, Anders Eljas, Åke Sundqvist, Birgitta Wollgård, Tomas Ledin, Liza Öhman, Ola Brunkert, Rutger Gunnarsson & Mats Ronander.My guitar rig: Fender Stratocaster -62 with Schekter-pickups, a custom built AA-guitar and an acoustic Yamaha (I think?).
Two Music Man 410 HD 130W amps and a guitar effects board, custom built by Pete Cornish.
Click here and look under 1980!A thank you gift from ABBA to all participants in the Japan tour. The expression "Ett bord i hallen" comes from Kalle Sändare, a popular swedish telephone joker. Cassettes with his nonsense phone calls were played a lot in tour buses etc. in those days."Zkiffz" 1980. From the left: Chino Mariano, Mike Watson, Björn Skifs, Roger Palm & me.Zkiffz live in a small club in Sälen. Seems to have been popular to have a white Fender.A spanish release from 1980 with the Zkiffz song "(I Wanna) Boogie With You".Promotion photo, Zkiffz. Peter Milefors had replaced Roger Palm on the drums.Zkiffz on stage at the amusement park Gröna Lund in Stockholm in the summer of 1980. Photo: Karin TörnblomByfånarna alias Zkiffz. Ironically this joke single, "Åsa Bodén"/"No particular place to go", was to become the groups biggest hit.The two ABBA albums that were made during the 80's. The Visitors, the last one, was released in 1981.In a private jet to or from some TV-show somewhere. Per Lindvall, Benny, Rutger Gunnarsson and Stickan Andersson.Ready for a hectic evening at Cirkus in Stockholm in Februari 1981. First the TV-program "Loffe på Cirkus" was brodcasted, after that everything
was rerigged during half an hour before sending the swedish selection for "Eurovision Song Contest" from an another stage.ESC in Dublin 1981, "Fångad i en dröm" with Björn Skifs. From the left: Peter Lundblad, Caj Högberg, Anders Berglund, Peter Milefors, me.In 1983 I worked in the very last edition of the swedish TV-classic Hylands Hörna. Putte Wickman was the bandleader.The first Low Budget Blues Band album was recorded in 1983. Record label Polar.Advertisement leaflet for the first Low Budget Blues Band album.From the left: Stefan Nilsson, Åke Sundqvist, Mike Watson, Mats Ronander, Hasse Olsson and me.The great sound engineer Ronny Lahti, Mats Ronander and me in the control room of Soundtrade Studios during the recordings.Channel report on one of the songs on the record, The Animals fine old hit "Bring it on home to me".In 1983 Rutger Gunnarsson, Per Lindvall, Peter Ljung & me worked with Agnetha Fältskog's first solo album after ABBA."Chess" was released in 1984, a really enjoyable major project.In connection with the release, we made a tour with the London Symphony Orchestra. SAAB sponsored with customised 900 Turbos.The rhythm section in specially made up suits: From the left. Peter Ljung, Rutger Gunnarsson, Svante Persson, Per Lindvall and me.Apart from the big choir The Ambrosian Singers, Karin & Anders Glenmark and Liza Öhman also performed, here during rehearsals.Claes "Clabbe" af Geijerstam in concentration at the mixing console. A really skilled sound engineer who mixed all the big ABBA tours.In the song "Pity the child" I had a guitar feature-spot. I played on a great custom made guitar built by Arne Arvidsson."Full Hand" from 1985. Record label CMM. Included Lars-Eric Larssons "Romans ur Pastoralsvit, opus 19." which made the charts.Little Mike and the Sweet Soul Music Band. From the left: Peter Milefors, Anders Berglund, Sharon Dyall, Urban Agnas, Anna-Lotta Larsson, Leif Lindvall, Mia Lindgren, Åke Sundqvist, Little Mike, Nisse Landgren, Johan Stengård, me and Claes "Clabbe" af Geijerstam.Some of the record releases with Little Mike and the Sweet Soul Music Band between 1983 and 1986.Little Mike and the Sweet Soul Music Band's farewell concert at Restaurant Karlsson in Stockholm in December 1986.A souvenir program from the last night with Little Mike and the Sweet Soul Music Band in December 1986."Tweed" from 1987. The same core of musicians as on "Full Hand" as well as on future albums: Gunnarsson, Lindvall & Ljung.During 1987 Stockholm All Stars started out as a hobby project, but it soon turned out to be much more than that.Stockholm All Stars live 1987. From the left: Erik Häusler, Peter Milefors, Chino Mariano, Johan Stengård, me, Mike Watson, Robert Wells.A live album with Stockholm All Stars, released during the spring of 1987.A single with Stockholm All Stars, released some time during 1988.Robert Wells couldn't join one of the tours, but we had a very special deputy instead – legendary piano player Charlie Norman!In 1988 I happened to have the middle finger on my right hand in the wrong place at the wrong time, i.e a Dodge van's sliding door.Stockholm Globe Arena was opened under pomp and ceremony in Februari 1989. I had the great honour to perform one of my own songs, standing high up on a balcony.Low Budget Blues Band 1990. Record label Warner. Niklas Medin, Hasse Olsson, me, Pelle Alsing, Mats Ronander & Nikke Ström.Single with three songs, "The devil's right hand"/"I'll play the blues for you"/"Can I get a witness"."Poker-Face" 1990. Record label Big Bag, (former CMM).During 1991 we played quite a lot with Low Budget Blues Band, including Grøn Koncert in Denmark. Very popular music festivals arranged by Tuborg."Från Rickfors till Peterson-Berger" 1992. "Anthem" from Chess made the charts, quite unusual for an instrumental number.During 1992 och 1993 I worked with Povel Ramel's long-running success "Knäpp igen" in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Oslo.Low Budget Blues Band, "Country File" 1994. Record label Warner.A single from the same album, "Promise you anything"/"All the best".Another single, "City girls"/"Back to Bayou Têche".And yet another, "Loser's game"/"Desperados waitin' for the train". I've never been what you call photogenic but this beats all records!Parts of Low Budget Blues Band on stage. From the left: me, Hasse Olsson, Mats Ronander & Nikke Ström.In 1994 we made a live recording of Chess with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, in connection with the opening of Eriksbergshallen.Me and legendary guitarist Bosse Winberg. Sometime in 1994 I was invited as a guest guitarist on a record with The Spotnicks.During 1996 och 1997 I worked with Povel Ramel's show "Kolla klotet" in Gothenburg and Stockholm.From the late '80s until 1998 I ran Restaurant Havsbadet in Lysekil together with Nikke Ström, Lasse Thulin and Totta Näslund.
From the left: me, Colin Allen (hidden behind the drums), Nikke Ström, Totta Näslund and Bengan Blomgren. Photo: Lennart HårdAnother photo from the same gig. Organ, accordion and harmonica player Bernt Andersson to the left. Photo: Lennart HårdPeople waiting in line outside Restaurant Havsbadet. The buildning, situated in beautiful Havsbadsparken in Lysekil, was raised in 1869. Photo: Lennart Hård
On the blog GLICKO you'll find an extensive history and many great photos from the years we ran Havsbadet.
Click here to get there!
KMH Studios at Hornsgatan in Stockholm was during the 80's and 90's a true hit factory.
We were more or less the same bunch of musicians playing on nearly everything that was recorded there during those years,
a well coordinated team including producers and engineers. A small selection from the extensive production above.Some of many shows and theatrical performances that I worked with up until 1999, besides Povel Ramel's long-runners.
