ABBA legend Michael B Tretow dies, band pay tribute: “You meant more to us four in ABBA than anyone else”

ABBA‘s acclaimed sound engineer, Michael B Tretow, has died at the age of 90.

His wife and son confirmed the news to Swedish publication Aftonbladet, with ABBA’s manager Görel Hanser going on to confirm it. No cause of death has yet been released, although the tributes paid so far have made mention of an illness.

All four members of the iconic pop group have shared moving reflections about their time spent with the technician, who also co-owned the band’s record label Polar Music. In the 1970s, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson selected him as ABBA’s sound engineer, and he went on to work on all of their albums bar 2021’s ‘Voyage’.

”You meant more to us four in ABBA than anyone else,” Andersson told Aftonbladet. “I hope and believe that you felt it throughout all the years that have passed since we worked (and continuously laughed) in the studio.

“Our music lives on, it seems, and you are the one who made it timeless. You were a fantastic inspirer and joy-maker, and the finest sound engineer the world has ever seen,” he said, seemingly adding an in-joke: “I miss you. And I’ve saved all your coconuts!”

Likewise, Ulvaeus said his significance for ABBA “cannot be overestimated”, saying he was a “warm, generous person and a good friend” who he thanked for “all the laughs” over the years.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad made note of his “never-ending creativity, warmth and joy” and the security it created in the studio. “No one fit the bill as well as you,” she added. “For us, you are forever part of the ABBA sound and you will never be forgotten.”

Meanwhile, Agnetha Fältskog rounded off tributes by reflecting on their recent time together. “So glad I got to spend some time with you a few weeks ago… You were so sick, but your laughter and humor were still there.

“So many memories are preserved, your encouraging words during the recordings meant so much. We are sad now, a talented and unique person has left us. Sleep well Micke, you are in our hearts forever.”

Because of Tretow’s consistent hand in crafting their sound, fans had taken to dubbing him the “fifth member” of the group, with many taking to social media to pay tribute. “Without his brilliance,” wrote one X/Twitter user, “the Abba sound wouldn’t be what we know and love.”

Tretow is survived by his wife and son.

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