[ABTOP]

NoSmile, that would be great!!!

I'm sorry that I can only type in English: there is no Russian keyboard in most studios I work with.
Text below is a compiled version of all questions followed by Tim's and Ulf's replies. I think it's easier to translate this way.

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Side A

1. We keep waiting for new Secret Service's projects such as musical and an upcoming album you've mentioned. Are you working on it now? Do you plan to include any covers of known Secret Service hits in that album, or only a new material?

Tim Norrel:
I´m working with the musical right now. It has first priority for me. I have new music written but if it will come under the name Secret Service or something new, different, I´m not sure! Let´s see!

Ulf Wahlberg:
The Musical is a project that Tim has running. It is a big job with many steps and it will take time until every step is cleared. Regarding a new album, it’s the same. We are working in my studio, but at this stage we have no idea when we can release. Hopefully it will be a nice blend of new versions of old hits and some new songs.


2. Could you please tell us about a pre-Secret Service projects you've participated in, such as Ola, Frukt och Flingor and
Ola+3? Did those bands become famous in Sweden, or did you play more for a foreign audience? Did Mr. Norell participate in Ola, Frukt och Flingor? How did you feel playing "Det känns som jag vandrar fram" on Melodiefestivalen'79 show?

Tim Norrel:
No, I was not a member of Ola, Frukt och Flingor. That was before I knew Ulf and Ola. It was a fantastic feeling having my own first song in the Swedish Song Contest 1979.

Ulf Wahlberg:
”Ola, Frukt Och Flingor” was something you might call a hobby band for some years in the beginning of the 70-ties while we all was studying in various schools after the first confused years in the music business. The band had actually almost the same members as Secret Service, except on bass, where we had Ola’s cousine Lennart Ström instead of Leif Paulsén that joints us later on. The band toured around Sweden in weekends and had one hit on the “Svensktoppen” with the song “Häng Med På Party”. Tim Norell never participated in Ola, Frukt Och Flingor”. Ulf and Tim meet in the mid 70-ties and was introduced to Ola at that time. Playing “Det Känns Som Jag Vandrar Fram” was a big thrill, since the band actually had broke up at that time. When the song was chosen to participate 1979, the band made a reunion under the name Ola+3. This was the embryo of Secret Service, since Tim Norell started to write songs for the band at that time and came up with “Oh Susie”. The rest is history.


3. From 1982, and on, since "Cutting Corners" were introduced, Secret Service switch it’s existing style to the totally new electronic sound with many sequencing. What did inspire you to take this step? However, too new covers on "Rainy Days Memories" and "The Dancer" introduced in 2000 made us feel that Secret Service might turn back to live sound of it's first albums. How do you yourself imagine Secret Service's future sound, more electronic, or more funky?

Tim Norrel:
I have always been inspired by the mix of new synthizisers and livemusic from for example Blondie. They were a huge inspiration when I wrote "Oh Susie" Later on so many new electronic bands from Britain (Visage, Soft Cell, early Depeche Mode and many others) made my influences very electronic.
The future sound....well.... What do you hope for???

Ulf Wahlberg:
The evolution in the electronics made us do it, we think. Suddenly we were able to control more of the sound and the attitude of the recordings and that was a very creative period that opened many possibilities. Today it is a little bit different…we want the music to be more alive, moving and not totally sequenced. I guess it is a reaction of to much sequence. In the end music is something that is alive.


4. Many of us have questions regarding the technologies you've used. What was your favourite synths and other gear that you've carried with you thru the years?
What instrument did you play for that famous lead in the "Flash in the Night"? How did you make those "children choir" vocals at the end of a long version, was it a low speed recording, a sampling, or a real kid choir?

Tim Norrel:
The Prophet synthizisers, the Roland Jupiter-8. The Roland tape-echo. Now it´s more softsynths but we still use the old stuff. But my favorite for writing is absolutely Steinway grand piano (Royal in russian?) and Wurlitzer.The lead and the harmonies was made on Prophet-10 and the bass on Prophet-1. The drums came from the first Linn drum-machine. (We were the first in Sweden to use these machines!)
The "children choir" was a few boys, maybe 10 years old, from the world famous "The Stockholm Boy Choir" that we brought to the studio. So, ...it was a real "kid choir" !!

Ulf Wahlberg:
Our first favorite on the two first albums was the PolyMoog. ..ting Corners” we used Prophet 1, Linn Drums and Prophet 10. The lead of “Flash In The Night” was done with Prophet 10. When we started to work with “Jupiter Sign” we learned to love Roland Jupiter 8. The children’s choir was actually a real kid choir.


5. Are there any Secret Service's songs that where never released (we've only heard about "The Go-Between" so far)? Do we have a chance to hear those tunes one day?

Tim Norrel:
As Ulf wrote, there are some unreleased tracks. Maybe some day....

Ulf Wahlberg:
There are a few original recorded tracks that never were released. Perhaps we might use some of them later on?


Side B


6. How did you decide whether to release certain song as a single or within an album? For instance, why the original ‘82 version of "The Dancer" that is one of our favourites, wasn't released as a single? Did you plan any single releases that didn't come out at the end?

Tim Norrel:
Many times we laid so much work on the single-choice, for example at the mixing. It was like battle where we wanted to get a little extra out of the song. Sometimes we lost and sometimes we went too tired, couldn´t hear it anymore for a long time. Then it was natural to choose another one as a single. I think that ´s what happened with "The Dancer" . But I love the song, it´s one of my favorites and it will have an important place in the musical.

Ulf Wahlberg:
The singles candidates were often chosen by disc jockeys that we know. The discotheques were an important forum for our music, so we listened very much to the Disc jockeys


7. We'd like to know more about different vocal parts we hear in various songs: who did the low octave vocal in the "Night City", "Walking" and "Special Song" tunes? Was it Ola singing in a lower octave or a different vocalist? Who did the lead vocal in "Hey Johnny"?

Tim Norrel:
I think Ulf´s answer is as good as mine.

Ulf Wahlberg:
In the songs mentioned it is Ola singing in a lower octave. The vocals heard on Secret Service except of Ola are almost always Tim..s and Ulf..s. On “Hey Johnny” it is Ola and Ulf.


8. Could you please tell us about "Håkansson, Hansson, Norell & Ekman" project? Was it a band-by-itself, or a temporary replacement of "Secret Service"? How was this project and the "When Your Heartache Is Over" song born?

Tim Norrel:
I made a demo of a new song together with Ola and Anders Hansson. Another swedish artist Tommy Ekman joined us in the studio when we were making the vocals. I remember that a few weeks later when I was in Italy on vacation, Ola called me on the phone. He said: I really like the demo and I gonna release it as a single, just for fun. And I decided to call us "H.H.N.E. - "Håkansson, Hansson, Norell & Ekman" But it was not a big-seller, it was, as Ola said, just for fun!

Ulf Wahlberg:
Since I was not a part of that I leave the answer to Tim.


9. Where did the title "Aux Deux Magots" come from? Did you plan this tune as an instrumental from the start, or you had some lyrics and vocal ideas for this song?

Tim Norrel:
At that time it was ment to be instrumental but I think lyrics could suit the song as well.

Ulf Wahlberg:
At the time we were much influenced by France and Paris in particular. There is a famous café called “Aux Deux Margots”…unfortunately our French wasn’t that good at the time so the title was misspelled. Regarding lyric or not I leave to Tim to answer. But in my ears no vocals felt necessary.


10. Do you still have multitrack reels of any of those albums? If you do, are they available for remixing? Do you to remixing any of Secret Service's classics the way you did with "Rainy Days Memories" and "The Dancer" in 2000?

Tim Norrel:
I hope someday, but not in the nearest future.

Ulf Wahlberg:
Yes, almost all songs still exist as multi track reels. The problem is that they are so old that you hardly can play them. You need to “bake” them in a special way first to stabilize the surface of the tape. We have done that for the most important tapes and also converted all tracks to digital media. We have them for future use, no plans to do any remixes at the moment.

Best Regards
Tim Norell

Regards
Ulf Wahlberg