Well the idea was originally Tim Rice's. When Bobby Fischer played the Russians, Chess made headlines all over the world. He thought like we do that the chess championships provided a very good background for stories like this, East-West. The people who play chess are very special people. So it's not really about chess it is about the players who are fascinating people.
Interviewer:
Why does it seem like there's so much emotion connected with a game that's basically an interlectual game ?
Bjorn:
Well that's very strange, but it's a fact and any game where it's really down to two people fighting each other whether it be with the brain or with fists its bound to become very dramatic.
There are also some parallels between the game of chess and love. These kind of relationships are evident in the play ?
Bjorn:
The love story in the play is of no consequence to the fact that they are chess players, it is because they are human beings. But all the rest, as I said, the background is perfect for that.
Interviewer:
And also the international aspect of it, was that a benefit in terms of creating more tension or giving you the aspect of making it more colourful ?
Bjorn:
It's a game that is played all over the world and by so many people. It is a big game, although sometimes it seems to be a bit highbrow and to some people certainly boring! But it is a universal game and I think people have really the same attitude to it where ever you go.
Interviewer:
How is writing something like this work different from writing pop songs ?
Bjorn:
Here we had the story and we were to underline that story with music. Where as when you write pop songs you have that 4/5 minute format. Certainly we found it gave us more freedom to work because we could go on for 10 minutes sometimes just describing things, dramatic events and in pop you are confined to that format. There's nothing wrong with it but Benny and I have been writing pop songs for 15 to 20 years and we now feel it is time to try something else.
Interviewer:
Is it easier when you have a story to underline with music because it can spark an idea ? How does that differ from trying to come up with ideas for writing a pop song ?
Bjorn:
Well, it's certainly easier in one way because you know that when you come up with something, whether it's right or wrong, if it's a pop song it could be about anything it doesn't matter there is no specific atmosphere or feeling that you have to describe but in this case there is and you feel it immediately - this is a good song but it's not right for this place - and that's what's fascinating about it. Music is really moods, atmosphere and feelings.
Interviewer:
How were you able to write about a situation like chess which you are not really as knowledgeable about as Tim Rice is. Did you have to do any specific research on it ?
Bjorn:
Like I said it's not about chess so we can forget about that. The people we grow very familiar with, especially the three principals: The Russian chess player, The American chess player and the Americans second ( a woman). The more we worked with them the more developped their personalities became and that is something you can relate to whether you understand chess or not.
Interviewer:
Is it true that you are stronger lyrically and Benny stronger musically ?
Bjorn:
Well yes, but we have always written the music together. With Tim Rice coming in this meant he took care of most of the lyrics and Benny and I concentrated on the music. We had the synopsis and we tried to structure that by Tim Rice saying, "Here is one song it should be like that, here is another." and so on. We wrote all the music and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics afterwards.
