MIKE WATSON
ABBA bassist, 77
‘I first met Benny and Björn in the mid-1960s before they were in ABBA [the group was formed in 1972]. We were in different Swedish bands at the time and we’d bump into each other at various venues. Then, when I started working as a session musician, they began using me as the bass player, and I went on to play bass on their singles SOS [1975], Mamma Mia [1975], The Winner Takes It All [1980] and Super Trouper [1980].
‘We had a lot of fun in the studio. Benny would sit at the piano playing the song, while Björn would play an acoustic guitar, and we’d work from there getting the bass and the drums right. They were very disciplined, but there was still a lot of joking around!
‘I’m also the man dressed up as Napoleon on the cover of their Waterloo album. It was in February 1974 when they phoned me and said, “We’re going to do a photo shoot tomorrow, and we need a guy to stand in the background. Are you available?” So we went to this old castle outside Stockholm and did the shoot and, as you can see, there are the four of them at the front looking fantastic, and I’m standing with my back to the camera dressed as Napoleon! ‘Another of my favourite memories was when they released Fernando in 1976. We were on BBC1’S Top of the Pops, and I got to spend a week in London with them. I’m not in touch with them as much these days, but working with ABBA was the highlight of my career.
‘I still play with ABBA tribute bands, and
I never get tired of the music. It’s amazing that it’s 50 years on and they’re still so popular. Not many bands that can say that!’