ABBA News Archive 2010
News page from the year 2010. Books have been moved to the
Book List and obsolete announcements for TV shows and concerts have been deleted.- The January 2011 issue of M-Magasin, featuring an
exclusive interview and photo session with Agnetha, has now hit Swedish newsstands. In the very interesting
interview, Agnetha discusses a variety of topics including fashion, turning 60, and of course, ABBA. Agnetha reveals
that she has "a suitcase of half-finished songs", is interested in alternative medicine, would like to sing the theme
song of a huge movie such as "Titanic", and that she has been in therapy regarding her fear of flying and it has
helped (she celebrated her 60th birthday with family in Mallorca).
On the inevitable subject of an ABBA reunion, Agnetha said: "No and yes. We would not reunite for a tour like the Rolling Stones and other old bands do now. However, I could see us doing something together in the future. It is just a feeling I have that it would be fun to get together, talk a bit about the past and maybe perform together. An occasional opportunity, maybe in connection with a charity event, I believe we could consider it." However, Agnetha also mentioned the topic had not been discussed with any of the other members and that nothing had been decided.
Fans outside Sweden may obtain a copy of the issue by sending 10 Euros directly to the magazine's headquarters along with their mailing address. Here is a related report by The Local (in English).
-
Dear ABBA Fan Club Members and Website Visitors,
We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year 2011! Thank you for all your support in 2010.
Warmest wishes,
ABBA Fan Club
- Agnetha will be featured in an exclusive interview and photo session in the next issue of M-Magasin,
a Swedish lifestyle magazine aimed at women over 50. The magazine's editor
wrote that Agnetha drank tea with her on
her couch in the hip Knivsöder neighbourhood in southern Stockholm on November 23 and that she was "starstruck
for hours". The issue will be released at the end of December.
- Björn gave an interview
via satellite from Stockholm to Australian morning programme "Today" ahead of ABBAWORLD's Sydney opening on the 17th.
He spoke about ABBA's appeal in Australia and beyond, the costumes and the exhibition. Asked if he keeps in touch with
the other members, he said: "I'm sure that I will see Agnetha on Christmas Eve, that's for sure, because we have three
grandchildren together, and we spend a large part of Christmas together actually."
- ABBA Singbox is a new app for iPhone,
iPad and iPod touch, which will soon be available for Android as well. The fans can sing along to ABBA's music
competing with other fans, like in the video game SingStar ABBA.
-
Here are the 25 favourite ABBA songs as voted by ITV viewers:
1 The winner takes it all
2 Dancing Queen
3 The day before you came
4 Thank you for the music
5 Knowing me, knowing you
6 Mamma Mia
7 Fernando
8 One of us
9 The name of the game
10 Chiquitita
11 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A man after midnight)
13 Take a chance on me - tied with -
13 I have a dream
15 Lay all your love on me - tied with -
15 SOS
16 Super trouper
17 Waterloo
18 Summer night city
19 Does your mother know
20 Voulez-Vous
21 Under attack
22 Money, money, money
23 I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
24 Head over heels
25 Ring ring
Besides Björn and Frida, the show featured interviews with many other ABBA-related personalities, including Lasse Hallström, Janne Schaffer, Owe Sandström, Carl Magnus Palm, Sir Terry Wogan and Pierce Brosnan. Among Björn's comments: "I always dreamed to be a pop idol. It was at the same time as the Beatles made their entrance and I thought, 'I want to be like that.'" Frida: "The way Björn treats his lyrics, he does it with a passion like the way he treats women.
He has wonderful respect for the female. Björn is one of the most respectful
men I've ever met."
Very special thanks to Ronnie Mehlis!
- Benny and Björn have written a new holiday song called "Merry Christmas My Friend" performed by the
staff at the Rival Hotel.
- We have heard that fans are discussing whether it could be Universal objecting to the release of the Musikladen DVDs
featuring ABBA performances. Unfortunately we can't tell you which record company is taking action against the release,
but we can 100% confirm it's not because of the ABBA performances. A permission for this was granted long ago.
- Björn and his wife Lena as well as Agnetha with a friend attended an opening for a new luxury hotel
called the Nobis Hotel last night in Stockholm. The hotel
opens to the public on December 1 and is located in the city centre.
- Agnetha was also spotted attending the premiere of the movie "Cornelis"
in Stockholm on November 8. The film is about Cornelis Vreeswijk, a well-known (and Dutch-born) Swedish folk musician.
- Expressen
and The Local report that Frida
and her partner Henry Smith were unsuccessful in their efforts to impose a bankruptcy order on the company that
operates a Buddhist resort and spa in Sweden. The court also ordered Frida and her partner to pay 170,000 kronor to
Qigong Resort operator Master Marcus Bongart to cover his court costs. Frida's claim was ruled as being in dispute
because "the circumstances around the signing of the promissory note are unclear in several respects". Despite the
ruling, Frida's attorney stated that efforts to get the funds returned will continue.
- The 3 DVD box sets "Musikladen", featuring all ABBA and solo performances on German "Radio Bremen" TV, can no longer
be ordered because a record company is enforcing their rights. The box sets are not for sale in the course of
the lawsuit. We hope they will find an agreement and the DVDs will become available again. We will keep you informed.
- Benny Anderssons Orkester will go on tour next summer. They will begin to record a new album in January and
Benny has written some new songs for it. Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg will again be the singers on BAOs 10th
anniversary tour with a big dance finale at Skansen. The dates:
- 21 July 19:00 Örnsköldsvik, Parken
- 22 July 19:00 Järvsö, Stenegård
- 23 July 19:00 Leksand, Sammilsdalsgropen
- 24 July 18:00 Karlstad, Sandgrundsudden
- 27 July 19:00 Helsingborg, Sofiero Slott
- 28 July 19:00 Göteborg, Trädgårdsföreningen
- 29 July 19:00 Mariefred, Gripsholms Slott
- 30 July 19:00 Stockholm, Skansen (Galejan)
Thanks to Niklas Albinsson-Collander! - The German releases of the ABBA Gold Special Edition and the LP box set ABBA The Vinyls will be a bit
earlier than planned: next week, on December 3rd.
- Breaking news from Touring Exhibitions: ABBAWORLD will be
showing exclusively at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia
beginning 17 December 2010 and running through 6 March 2011.
Björn said: "We really had an up-hill struggle after Waterloo and our follow-up singles didn't do well. Then the Australians came to our rescue. They released SOS and Mamma Mia and both songs made the charts in a big way down under. Suddenly everyone else around the world realized there was life in the band that was supposed to be dead. I'm forever grateful to the Australians for that!"
For the Sydney version of the exhibition, new content about the group's appearances in Australia and their impact on Australian pop culture will be added. Magnus Danielsson, President of Touring Exhibitions, said: "This is a unique opportunity for the people of Sydney to see original ABBA material. The Sydney exhibition will be running in parallel with a run of ABBAWORLD in Györ, Hungary. ABBAWORLD has a universal appeal and we work hard to make it available to fans around the globe."
- Happy 65th birthday to Frida! To mark the occasion, Deutsche Welle produced a short report about Frida with the help
of Wolfgang Heilemann and ABBA .
Here
is the link (in German), while the English version can be found here.
Special thanks to Bubi Heilemann.
- ABBA
No. 60 has now been published and is being mailed to all members!
We continue the special 20th anniversary celebration of our fan club with a 36-page, full-colour A4 size magazine
packed with news, features and exclusive photos.
Included in our latest issue:
- All of the latest news (including the recent Mamma Mia! premiere in Paris) and info on new releases
- Exclusive coverage of the Mamma Mia! Danish premiere in Copenhagen
- A special report on the 10th anniversary of the Australian Mamma Mia! tour, including an interview with two of the main characters
- A report about Frida's new recording
- The final part of our 20th anniversary series, including greetings from Görel Hanser, Bubi Heilemann, Carl Magnus Palm and others; Görel answers our questions
- A new special 20th anniversary competition with lots of fantastic prizes, including the new ABBA–The Vinyl Collection box and new ABBA Gold CD/DVD set
- The final part of our ABBA Typography series
- Part 2 of our Japanese discography, this time covering album releases
- An A3 poster/2011 calendar featuring an alternate shot of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida from 1972
Each member also receives a special anniversary postcard with their issue (the second of four!).
Once again, we look forward to your feedback and greatly appreciate your support!
- We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Gudrun Anderson, widow of ABBA manager Stig Anderson. She died at
the age of 79 this past Sunday. All our sympathies go to her family.
- Björn attended the Mamma Mia! gala premiere in Paris last night together with his wife Lena. He spent
quite a bit of time with the fans on the blue carpet, signing lots of items. Fans sang "Thank you for the music"
while a delighted Björn smiled and then clapped his hands. Here
is a short report (in French) by TF1, while photos of some of the other stars that attended the premiere can be seen
here.
More photos of Björn in Paris to follow in our next issue, No. 60.
- The French edition of Metro newspaper has published a short interview
with Björn on the occasion of Thursday's Mamma Mia! premiere in Paris. When asked if it was necessary to
adapt the songs in the musical to the French language, he said: "Yes, it is the only way to be drawn into the story.
And even if you think you know them in English, it is once you hear them in your language that you really understand
the meaning." About the role ABBA plays in his daily life, Björn said: "ABBA never leaves me. There is not a day
goes by without someone or something reminding me of this group." When asked if there was even a 1% chance of an on-stage
reunion, he said: "0% chance! If we did, it would destroy forever the image of these four young ambitious people that
you love in the videos! I'll never let that happen."
- A medium size venue version of ABBAWORLD
will launch on the 4th of December in Györ, Hungary, which is located in between Budapest (100km), Vienna
(100km) and Bratislava (50km). It is a collaboration between promoters ShowTime Budapest, ETO Park in Györ and
Viva Art Music. "We are very happy to see ABBAWORLD come to Hungary," the group said in a joint statement. "We never
managed to tour Eastern Europe, and it feels great to finally give our fans there the opportunity to recreate the
experience through ABBAWORLD."
- To the surprise and delight of just about everyone, Björn attended the Danish premiere of Mamma Mia! at
the Tivoli theatre in Copenhagen with none other than a glowing Agnetha on his arm. They spent time on the red
carpet posing together for the press, with Agnetha waving the entire time and visibly moved by the attention. After
the show, Agnetha went on stage with Björn, marking her first time ever on stage at the end of a Mamma Mia!
premiere. She and Björn remained on stage for several minutes and clearly seemed to be having a great time. More
photos and a report to follow in our next issue, No. 60.
Special thanks to our Belgian correspondent Stany!
- Benny's son Ludvig Andersson has performed in Germany for the first time with his band Atlas.
Here
are a video and some photos taken at a fashion event on October 6 in Munich.
Thanks to Silke Esser!
- Frida and her partner W.H. Smith have filed a bankruptcy order against Swedish Medical Qiqong Investment AB,
which operates a Buddhist temple and resort near Hörby in southern Sweden, after the firm missed a payment on a
46.2 million kronor ($7 million) loan. The firm and resort are run by Master Marcus Bongart, who founded and built
the centre on the site of an old village school house. Bongart is claiming that the funds were given to him as a
donation. Read a report by The Local here.
- Frida and Björn are among the notable figures with ties to Sweden lending their voices to a campaign
on U.S. satellite radio Sirius XM. The campaign will promote
World Childhood Foundation USA, a non-profit organisation
founded in 1999 by Queen Silvia of Sweden dedicated to the prevention of abuse and exploitation of children.
The public service announcements (PSAs) are 30 seconds in length and will be airing across numerous SIRIUS XM channels this month. Other participants include Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson of Roxette, director Lasse Hallström, actress Isabella Rossellini, and chef Marcus Samuelsson.
Thanks to our American correspondent Maria!
- As part of its promotion for the upcoming concert by The New York Pops
called "The Music of ABBA" featuring popular Finnish vocal ensemble artists Rajaton on October 15 (see issue No. 58),
Carnegie Hall is sponsoring a "Disco Glam Attire" contest.
Participants are encouraged to "embrace the spirit of the decade and come flaunt their finest leisure suits, bell
bottoms, glitter gowns, and other 1970s attire while enjoying the performance of some of ABBA's most popular chart-topping
hits". The contest will take place during intermission on the night of the concert. Carnegie Hall has also produced a
related short promotional film which can be seen here.
Tickets for the concert are still available from the Carnegie Hall box office.
- Universal has confirmed that the ABBA 9 Vinyl Box Set will be freely available in stores
as well. In Germany it will probably be released on December 7, 2010 in limited edition.
The "ABBA Gold" Special Edition will be released on November 26 in Germany.
- Niklas Albinsson-Collander informed us about a quote from whisky expert Max McFarlane, talking about an exclusive
50-year-old whisky distilled on the Scottish islands of Orkney:
"You could say that the taste reminds you of one of the former ABBA singers; still extremely attractive and with lots of character. Like someone you would like to get to know better."
- Realtid.se
has posted an excerpt of an exclusive in-depth interview with Benny just published in Swedish magazine Vi
("Us"). In this excerpt, Benny speaks frankly about his decision to stop drinking alcohol nine years ago. "Had I not
stopped, I probably wouldn't be sitting here today," he said, adding: "Alcohol is a kind of filter that gets in the
way of reality. This is the best thing I've done for myself. If you notice that you do not feel like yourself if you
don't have alcohol in your body, then it is time to stop."
Speaking about his musical career and successes, Benny says in the interview: "The life I have lived is ridiculous. It doesn't exist. It's not my merit. It's pure luck." More information on the October issue of Vi (which includes a great new photo of Benny on the cover and more inside) can be found here. -
Agnetha attended a product launch event for luxury retailer Georg Jensen
on Wednesday 29th September in Stockholm. - British tabloid newspaper Daily Express
published a story on Wednesday claiming that Agnetha and Frida are planning a reunion. The paper quotes
Frida from her interview to Dagens Nyheter from September 19 where she mentioned that she and Agnetha had
spoken about recording together in passing, but makes it seem as if plans are underway whereas no such plans exist.
The latest false reunion story was picked up by numerous news outlets worldwide.
- The German music video station "Deluxe TV" recently had a poll
(now closed) on their website asking for this year's favourite summer hit. Here are the Top 10 results:
1. ABBA: Summer Night City, 2. Michael Jackson: Billie Jean, 3. 10CC: Dreadlock Holiday, 4. Chris Rea: On The Beach, 5. Die Fantastischen Vier: Tag am Meer, 6. Mungo Jerry: In The Summertime, 7. Wham: Club Tropicana, 8. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince: Summertime, 9. Will Smith: Miami, 10. A-ha: Summer Moved On.
- The Copenhagen Post
reports today that Björn has criticised a Danish political party for their use of the song "Mamma Mia" at
their national congress over the weekend. The occurrence was discovered after an activist group sent an email to
Görel Hanser asking if Björn supported the party. Universal Music sent a response from Björn back to
the activist group stating that ABBA 'does not allow their music to be used in any political context'. The matter is
being looked into further to determine whether additional action will be necessary.
In 2008, American presidential candidate John McCain had expressed interest in using 'Take A Chance On Me' as his campaign theme music, but his request was quickly turned down.
- Dagens Nyheter has published a great new interview with Frida on the occasion of her new recording for
Georg Wadenius' album "Reconnection". Regarding the origins of the project, Frida said: "Georg and I are very good
friends. I've known his wife Brit since the 1970s. We talked about doing something together for a long time." She
said that Brit had visited her in her home in Zermatt and encouraged her to do something after listening to her sing
along to a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album. "So she inspired me to take the first step. You always need to
hear that [your voice] is good enough," she added.
Frida ruled out future live appearances but not recordings, saying she is friends with many international musicians and that "there is always a light that burns within, that you would like to do something else. You never know." When asked to name another singer whose voice quality she admired, she named Agnetha and said: "We talk [about singing together again] and laugh about it sometimes, but life is changing and there are so many other things that are important. But of course it would be great to do something with Agnetha." Read the full interview (in Swedish) here.
- ABBA Gold
is being released yet again in a new CD/DVD Special Edition on November 29, 2010. The CD features the latest remastered
version of the album, while the DVD features newly remastered versions of all the video clips featured on the original DVD.
The DVD will also include what are being called "before-and-after" split-screen comparisons of five original film clips and their remastered versions as well as something new: a rare cartoon version of 'Money, Money, Money' produced around 1977 by Australian company Reg Grundy and only screened briefly during the group's heyday.
- Frida is a guest artist on the new album "Reconnection" by Georg Wadenius,
a Swedish musician, composer, producer and singer best known for his children's songs during the 1970s. Other participating
singers include Nina Persson, Helen Sjöholm and Peter Jöback. Thomas Johansson, who worked closely with ABBA
on their world tours, had the idea for a solo album by Georg featuring Scandinavian artists. Frida opens the album with
the song "Morning Has Broken". The song is a well-known Christian hymn first published in 1931 and made popular by Cat
Stevens in 1972.
The release date for the album is October 27. Here is a report from Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish).
-
A new LP box set ABBA: The Vinyls may now be preordered
from Universal. It includes ABBA's 8 vinyl studio albums plus the bonus LP "ABBA Tracks" with 10 songs not found on the albums.
The first 2000 pre-orders before September 25th, 2010 will have their name mentioned in an included book when the box set is released on December 6th, 2010.
See the above link for further details. - ITV1 in the UK will broadcast a 90-minute special called "The Nation's Favourite ABBA Song" later this year and you
can vote for your favourite on their website. Björn
and Frida will paricipate in the program, discussing how 25 different ABBA songs came about.
Frida said: "Discussing all of our singles for The Nation's Favourite ABBA Song was great fun. There are many fond memories – memories about writing the songs, recording and promoting and performing them."
Björn said: "We're all curious and excited to see which songs appear where in the countdown. The British people took us to their hearts, completely... and... made us their own, which we are very proud of. It's very nice to come to England because it's like going home."
Thanks to our UK correspondent Lisa and Alan Hogg!
- Our Spanish correspondent José Luis reports:
Mamma Mia! comes back to Madrid for 3 months, playing at the Teatro Coliseum. The opening was on September 8th.
The winner of a contest has won a trip to London for two persons and 24 hours with the cast. Here is the musical's Spanish website. -
The new CD "Anthems" by Kerry Ellis will be released next week. Produced by Queen guitarist Brian May, the
album includes "Anthem" from Chess and "You Have To Be There" from Kristina plus more musical numbers and other
symphonic rock songs.
The CD can be ordered from Sound of Music or Amazon UK and you will find the tracklisting on their pages.
Youtube has a TV appearance by Kerry Ellis and Brian May performing "Anthem"!
- ARD Video has announced that the Musikladen DVD box set release
date has been pushed back to September 24. To compensate for the delay, they are sending out two "Best of Musikladen"
DVDs to customers who have already purchased any of the box sets as a "warm-up".
- The run of the new American production of "Chess" at the
Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C. has been
extended by one week to Sunday, October 3. The production has been a hit. Director Eric Schaeffer said, "It's exciting
that Chess has been so embraced by everyone! It's wonderful to see packed houses rockin' out to this amazing score
and breathtaking performances night after night." The production has received positive critical reviews from The
Washington Post, Variety and other sources. Here
is a related article from Broadway World.
Thanks to our American correspondent Maria!
- Special thanks to Adrian Keller from Switzerland for letting us know about an ABBA exhibition taking place
there.
ABBA is featured in an exhibition called "Three Pop Legends" which also includes Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. The ABBA portion features original costumes including prototypes certified by Owe Sandström. There is Björn's cape costume from 1975, Benny's boots from the "Waterloo" costume, fabric/material examples of the costumes from the 1977 and 1979 tours and even costumes made for Frida, Benny and Björn but never used in the end.
Next to the showcases there is a lot of text (biographies) as well as many photos. The exhibition is selling special ABBA postcards as well as records and CDs; unfortunately, there are only Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley memorabilia items.
The exhibition will be on display in several locations in Switzerland. Here are the forthcoming dates:
- Einkaufszentrum Rheinpark, St. Margrethen: through 4. September 2010
- Züri-Oberland-Märt, Wetzikon: 7. - 18. September 2010
- Herblinger Markt, Schaffhausen: 21. September - 2. October 2010
- Einkaufszentrum Seepark, Kreuzlingen: 5. - 16. October 2010
- Dagens Nyheter reports that a Stockholm city arts council approved a location for an ABBA museum next year that
would serve as the permanent ABBAWORLD exhibition. "We expect to get a building permit this autumn and aim to open next
year," said Magnus Danielsson, president. The building will be shaped like a long tent and given a five-year permit that
can be extended a further five years, the report said. The museum will be on the Stockholm waterfront and can also be
accessed by ferry.
- U.S. newspaper The Washington Post has published an
article
about the new and significantly altered American production of "Chess" in Washington, D.C. by artistic director Eric
Schaeffer (currently running). Speaking to the paper via phone from Sweden, Benny said: "I'm curious to see
what Eric has done with this. Maybe this is the right version. You never know." Referring to New York Times critic
Frank Rich's famously bad review of the 1988 production, Benny said: "I could understand all of his objections in
hindsight. Maybe he wasn't all that wrong."
- Universal Music Group is releasing a new budget compilation CD on August 31 called "Icon". It is a repackaged version
of the "20th Century Masters: The Millenium Collection" release from 2000. The track listing is exactly the same. You
can buy it from CDUniverse or
Amazon,
among other sources.
- Swedish-language newspaper Österbottens Tidning,
published in Finland, is reporting that most of the applications submitted for participation in the Finnish production of
Kristina från Duvemåla so far have been from Sweden. About 100 people have registered interest from
Finland. It is hoped that as many Finnish voices as possible can be heard on stage when the musical opens. The deadline
for applications is September 10 and Benny and Björn will be in Helsinki in November to oversee the auditions.
Kristina is scheduled to premiere at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki in February 2012.
- On a visit to London with Benny to promote the double Kristina-The Concert CD, Björn spoke out
against reality music shows such as The X Factor, describing them as "cruel". "I don't like the way a young person is
standing there and is sometimes humiliated. Such shows want to polish off anything that is original. They want to
polish off the corners to make them all smooth and mainstream. I think that's wrong." He added: "There was nothing
mainstream about The Stones or The Beatles, who were our big influence when we started out as ABBA. This way of
picking people by audition is very different from how ABBA started out in the music industry. We just happened to
get together and we found that we had common interests. We started to play and sing together. We were not auditioned
and that's a big difference."
Read more from The Daily Mail.
- Benny performed on stage with Orsa Spelmän and other Swedish folk musicians this past Saturday, August 7
at the annual Skansen
folk music celebration in Stockholm. During the soundcheck earlier in the day, Benny played a bit of "Thank You for
the Music". The concert started at 17.00 with "Klinga mina klockor" and "Lottis Schottis". Benny said that over 10.000
visitors came in spite of the pouring rain.
Thanks to Klaus-Peter Berg!
- A new production of Mamma Mia! will be staged in Brazil this November, making Portuguese the 15th language into
which the musical will be translated. The musical will play for one season at Sao Paolo's Teatro Abril beginning on
the 10th. The Brazilian production of Mamma Mia! will feature original scenery and costumes, with lyrics in Portuguese
and a cast entirely from Brazil (to be announced shortly). Tickets will be available to the general public beginning
September 26th. For more information, please visit www.musicalmammamia.com.br.
Over the next year, productions of Mamma Mia! will premiere in Milan, Copenhagen, Paris, China, Madrid and South Africa.
- Benny with Orsa Spelmän will be taking part in this year's open-air folk music celebration at
Skansen.
They will perform on Saturday, August 7, during the opening ceremony at 12 noon and in a folk music concert on Solliden
stage from 17.00-18.00.
- ABBA No. 59 has now been published and is being mailed to all
members! We continue the special 20th anniversary celebration of our fan club with a 36-page, full-colour A4 size
magazine packed with news and features.
In our latest issue, you'll find:
- Latest news and info on new CD, DVD and book releases
- Reports on the Kristina concert in London and the Australian opening of ABBAWORLD
- Part 2 of our 20th anniversary series, including greetings from Agnetha and Benny; Benny answers our questions
- An exclusive interview with Ad Visser, legendary host of TOPPOP, who shares his memories of working with ABBA
- The return of our popular "Rare ABBA Posters" series and the first part of a new discography series which this time looks at Japanese single releases
- Another 20th Anniversary special competition with lots of fantastic prizes, including items autographed by ABBA
- A3 size poster featuring an alternate shot from one of ABBA's famous 1976 photo sessions
Each member also receives a special anniversary postcard with their issue (the first of four).
As always, we look forward to your feedback and thank you for your support!
- Contrary to previous information supplied to us, we are now able to confirm that ABBA's interview snippets in the
"Best of ABBA" Musikladen episode will be included in the DVD release! Total run time will be 36 minutes and
31 seconds (10 songs + interview). Special thanks to Philippe Elan!
- Björn is supporting a campaign in Sweden to eliminate cash in place of debit and credit cards as a way to
reduce crime. "There are no direct practical reasons, as far as I can see, to have coins and banknotes," he wrote in
a recent blog post. "There are obvious advantages in getting rid of them. Sweden should be able to be the first
country in the world to do this. There are, of course, those who need help, but if as a result they run less of a
risk of being robbed, then perhaps it would be worth the inconvenience," he continued.
Here is a related report by the BBC.
- ARD Video in Germany have informed us they will be releasing a series of 3 DVD box sets containing all
Musikladen programs from 1972 to 1984 on August 19. Each box will contain 10 DVDs and may be purchased separately
or together at a discount. The first box will contain over 24 hours of footage featuring episodes aired between 1972
and 1976, including the well-known "Best of ABBA" episode aired in August 1976. The second box will contain ABBA's performance of "Chiquitita" from 1979, while the third will feature
the Agnetha and Frida solo apperances on the programme in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Info and ordering information (in German)
as well as a PDF overview of all 90 episodes is available here.
- A new song written by Benny was performed
at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden to Daniel Westling on June 19. It is called
"Vilar glad. I din famn" (Happily rest in your arms) and the lyrics were written by Kristina Lugn. Orsa Spelmän,
the Swedish Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and two choirs performed the song in the church just after the wedding
ceremony.
The CD single is already out and can be ordered from the links on Mono Music's website.
- Agnetha and Benny kicked off ABBAWORLD's Melbourne run with a touching video message recorded in
Stockholm and broadcast at the gala ceremony Wednesday evening at Federation Square. Click
here to see it. Here is a transcript:
A: Hello Australia! Hello Melbourne!
B: Hello Federation Square, and welcome to Stockholm! We're sorry we can't be with you tonight, or if it is today, but we have good memories from Australia. Especially from Melbourne actually, because we came to Melbourne in 1977, the whole city was full of people... and we thought they were there to cheer ABBA but we found out that it was Moomba Festival!! But we still had a wonderful, wonderful time.
A: Björn and Frida are not with us today, but they send their love as well to you.
B: So, we shall hereby declare... A: Hereby, we declare ABBAWORLD... open!
B: You wanna cut this? A: OK. Ta-da! B: Have a nice time.
The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday and will run through 31 October.
- Lawyers for Universal Music in Sweden have sent out legal notices to more than 15 ABBA tribute acts telling them to
stop using the name "ABBA" in their names because it is an infringement of the band's intellectual property rights.
Acts in the UK including Abba Queens, Abba Mania and Swede Dreamz Abba Tribute have all been ordered to change their
names immediately. A spokesperson for Universal Music told The Stage:
"We've had complaints from all over the world where fans feel they've been misled, and we feel it's our duty to
protect the ABBA brand from misuse."
- A new Chinese language version of the Mamma Mia! musical will open in China in June 2011, according to
Theatermania.com.
Mamma Mia! China will be the 13th foreign language production of the show. The new production will begin its casting
process later this year with auditions in August, November, and January. It will be first time that a successful
contemporary musical has been presented in Chinese within China itself.
Thanks to our American correspondent Maria!
- Thank you to all our members for their entries for winning tickets to the opening gala of ABBAWORLD in Melbourne.
Congratulations to the winners who have been already informed!
- Björn has spoken with Australian media
ahead of the ABBAWORLD opening in Melbourne on June 19. "We experienced a feeling of coming home and it was as if
Australia felt 'ABBA is ours' and we loved that," he said. "It was the obvious choice for the movie and if ABBA ever
were to reform we'd be back, but the chances are zilch." Asked about relations between the members, Björn said:
"We certainly speak and are the best of friends really. I don't see the girls that much but me and Benny work together.
We were under the same ceiling for the first time in ages when Mamma Mia! opened in Stockholm. The feelings came back
very quickly and it was just like it used to be."
- Well-known ABBA historian Carl Magnus Palm has posted an article about his involvement in the forthcoming
Voulez-Vous Deluxe Edition release on his website.
In it he reveals that the version of "Dreamworld" included on this release is the full version without fade-in, as a
master tape containing the full version was recently discovered. CMP's detailed liner notes will also be of special
interest as they contain fresh input from Benny and Björn.
- ABBAWORLD will open at Melbourne's Federation
Square on Saturday 19 June, not 12 June as was previously publicised. The re-scheduled date, one week later than
planned, is due to freight delays caused by the recent volcanic ash clouds experienced in Europe. Tickets purchased
dated for sessions between June 12th & 18th will be honoured for all future sessions; patrons should bring their
tickets to the box office and will be issued new ones for the next available session. Ticket holders will also be
issued an additional complimentary entry for each ticket they hold to the same session as they attend.
- Björn has invested 70 percent in a holding company that will develop an abandoned property in Slottsholmen
in his home town of Västervik. "I imagine a combination of hotel accommodations and commercial activities, and
I'd like to tie in an entrepreneur that will manage the restaurant and cafe, hold concerts and conferences, and manage
renting timeshares", said Björn. More information and press releases (in Swedish) are available at the official
website of the Västervik municipality, and local newspaper
coverage can be seen here.
- The double CD "Kristina", recorded at the Carnegie Hall concerts in New York, is available in Germany as of
May 4: Decca 0602527349817. Look forward to the next issue of ABBA- as we will
have three double CDs to be won.
- This year the musical Mamma Mia! will be performed in Italy
as well. Dialogues and lyrics are in Italian and Benny and Björn plan to attend the premiere on September 24 in
Milan.
Many thanks to Luca Privinzano!
- A new promotional video has been published on the website of the Mamma Mia! French production,
Mamma Mia Le Musical, which opens in Paris on October 28. It
includes some great new footage and quotes from Björn and Benny.
- Björn and Benny received new gold records from Universal Music on Wednesday commemorating ABBA
music sales of 375 million units worldwide. Pictured with Björn and Benny are Per Sundin of Universal Music,
Görel Hanser and Mia Segolsson of Polar Music International.
- Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail has published a new short telephone
interview
with Björn on the occasion of the return of the stage version of Mamma Mia! to Canada. The musical started
playing again at the Princess of Wales theatre in Toronto on Wednesday and will run until June 27.
Thanks to Sylke Gaidies!
- Here is The Guardian's
take on Kristina by Alex Petridis, the newspaper's head rock and pop critic.
- Aftonbladet reports that
last night's presentation of Kristina – The Musical at the Royal Albert Hall was a big success. U.K.'s
The Stage has already published its review,
while more pictures taken by London photographers Mark & Marianne (on assignment for Expressen) can be
found here.
- Here are photos of Frida with Jon Lord at a press conference in Switzerland on Tuesday to kick off the third
Zermatt Unplugged, the 5-day music festival which runs through April 17. Also pictured is festival director Thomas
Sterchi. Performing artists include Lionel Richie, Billy Idol and Stephan Eicher. More info is available at the festival's
website, where the programme is available for
download (in German and English). The program includes Frida's interview from earlier this year in Zermatt Magazin.
- Our special 20th anniversary issue, ABBA No. 58, has been published and mailed out to all members!
We're celebrating our fan club anniversary with all of you with an extra-packed, 40-page, festive colour A4 size
magazine. In it you'll find:
- All of the latest news
- A full behind-the-scenes report on ABBA's induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from New York with exclusive pictures
- Our report on Frida and Björn's kickoff of ABBAWORLD in London and our full review of the exhibition
- Presentation on new ABBA books just out by Premium Publishing, including an interview with one of the authors
Plus:
- The first in our special series about the 20th anniversary of ABBA Intermezzo with personal messages from Björn and Frida – Björn also answers our questions!
- Special-edition poster with a never-before-published image
- Competition: 20th Anniversary Edition with great prizes to be won
As always, we look forward to your feedback and thank you for your support!
- Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet
reports today that Benny has been commissioned to write a special song on the occasion of the wedding of Crown
Princess Victoria of Sweden to Daniel Westling on June 19. The song is to be performed during a gala the day before
the wedding.
- The BBC has published a Top 10 list
of the most played artists of the decade. ABBA are number 9!
Thanks to our UK correspondent Lisa!
- Thank you to our members for the many emails we have received regarding our next issue, No. 58, which is also our
20th Anniversary issue. Rest assured that it will be on its way to you soon. As soon as it is printed and mailed out,
we will post an update here. Thank you for your patience!
- In an interview with Le Parisien/Aujourd'hui en France on Friday, Björn said that "Benny was joking" in
reference to the "Sure, why not?" reunion answer given to the UK's Times journalist last week that sparked a worldwide
media frenzy. Benny added: "Sorry if I distracted everyone, but we get asked this question at every interview
since 1982. I do think it is better to save the public image of four sextagenarians on stage!" The full French version
of the Mamma Mia! musical will premiere at the Théâtre Mogador in October 2010. The full interview (in
French) can be found here.
- Universal has informed us that the catalogue number for the upcoming Voulez-Vous Deluxe Edition
is 060251797144.
- In an interview with a British newspaper, Benny and Björn have spoken about a possible ABBA comeback
"if the girls would join them". They meant it almost as a joke. There will be no ABBA reunion. Here is a correction by the
Telegraph.
- Here is a BBC article with a video
about ABBA's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Thanks to our UK correspondent Lisa!
- ABBA's big moment finally arrived when the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Waldorf
Astoria in New York City tonight. Although the group was actually the last to be inducted, Benny and Frida
were the first inductees to pose for pictures and answer a few questions in the press room before attending the ceremony.
Among other questions, Benny was asked about a Mamma Mia! sequel which he said he knew nothing about, while Frida spoke about the fact that only 15% of inductees in the history of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were women. Answering two questions asked by our American correspondent Maria, a positively radiant Frida said that she had met her "lovely and wonderful friend" Phil Collins at the ceremony (with Benny joking "I met him too!"); when asked about a possible new collaboration with Jon Lord, Frida said: "We are talking all the time about maybe doing something together, we are really close friends but I really don't know, he is very busy with his crossover music tour... but we'll see. Maybe in the future."
After all the other inductees had received their awards, a nice introductory ABBA video with some rare clips was aired and Barry and Robin Gibb walked onto the stage. The brothers spoke of ABBA's impact on music and how they collaborated together 31 years ago for Unicef. In their acceptance speeches, both Frida (who spoke first) and Benny said they felt "very, very honoured" to be inducted. Frida said she had spoken with Agnetha earlier today and that she was "emotional and honoured". Frida also thanked Stig Anderson, without whom she said ABBA would not be where they are today, ABBA's loyal fans, and said that her grandson Jonathan, who was in the audience, was ABBA's "biggest fan, even though he is a heavy metal musician!"
After Benny's speech, Benny took his place at the piano and played "The Winner Takes It All" with a backup band and American country singer Faith Hill performing the lead vocal.
Watch a video of a backstage interview with Benny and Frida here.
Read our full report with additional exclusive pictures in the next issue of ABBA-!
- Here is an article from U.S. website iVillage
with some of the latest information concerning tonight's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in New York City.
Interestingly, Agnetha and Frida are the only two female artists being inducted this year. No women got in last year, and of all the artists who have ever been inducted, only about 15% are women.
- As the publicity surrounding ABBA's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this Monday continues, USA Today
has published an article
featuring some more new quotes from Benny and Björn. Björn said he couldn't make the trip because of "a big
family thing", while Agnetha "doesn't like to fly". Benny said: "I may perform something on the piano, with someone
else singing", but he said it would not be Frida: "I don't think she wants to. It's been so long." Benny also joked
that Björn no longer performs because "he's a pensioner, a senior citizen".
- Benny and Frida will be attending the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in New York this Monday on
behalf of ABBA, Billboard
magazine has confirmed. "I take it as a true honor", Benny told the magazine. He also expressed interest in performing
at the ceremony: "If someone asks me to, yeah, I will. I'll see if I can play something from the old catalog."
Benny also told Billboard he is planning on recording a new BAO album later this year.
- Here
is a new article in the UK's Telegraph about the London premiere of the Kristina musical next month featuring
some new quotes from Benny and Björn.
- Many thanks to Touring Exhibitions who have informed us that the London ABBAWORLD
exhibition will be closing on 28 March as planned. The organisers are now looking into a permanent home for this
version of the exhibit in or near the Leicester Square area.
- Kristina: The Musical (at Carnegie Hall) is available for pre-order as a double CD from
Amazon.co.uk
with a release date of 12 April.
- The international release date for the Voulez-Vous Deluxe Edition has been set for May 31, 2010, with the
exact release date possibly varying from territory to territory. Track listing:
CD
01 As Good As New
02 Voulez-Vous
03 I Have A Dream
04 Angeleyes
05 The King Has Lost His Crown
06 Does Your Mother Know
07 If It Wasn't For The Nights
08 Chiquitita
09 Lovers (Live A Little Longer)
10 Kisses Of Fire
Bonus Tracks
11 Summer Night City (Full Length Version)
12 Lovelight
13 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
14 Dream World
15 Voulez-Vous (Extended Remix, 1979 US promo)
DVD
01 ABBA In Switzerland (television special, BBC)
02 Chiquitita (Music for UNICEF)
03 I Have A Dream (extended promo)
04 If It Wasn't For The Nights (Mike Yarwood Christmas Show, BBC)
05 Chiquitita (ABBA Snowtime, BBC)
06 Björn & Benny Interview (Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, BBC)
07 Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Television Commercial I
08 Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Television Commercial II
09 International Sleeve Gallery - Benny and Björn gave separate in-depth interviews to British journalist Alex Belfield in Stockholm ahead of Kristina's musical debut in London next month. Benny was interviewed at his office at Mono Music, while Björn spoke from his home. Listen to both interesting interviews here.
- American entertainment magazine Entertainment Weekly has given "Story Of A Heart" a B in its review.
- Here are a few spreads from the great new book by long-time ABBA fan Sara Russell, "ABBA Guide to Stockholm", to be
published next month and available for pre-order from Amazon UK.
More info in our next issue!
- Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees will induct ABBA into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, the organisers have announced. As a reminder, the induction ceremony will take place at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel New York City and will air live on local channel Fuse TV at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. Thanks to our American correspondent Maria!
- The much-anticipated Deluxe Edition of Voulez-Vous is finally on the way. The deluxe edition will feature Voulez-Vous era bonus tracks, as well as a DVD featuring related television performances and interviews. We will inform you as soon as we know the release date.
- After its London debut last month, ABBAWORLD will be opening in Melbourne, Australia in June 2010. The exhibition will be held at Federation Square and will be sponsored by Touring Exhibitions in conjunction with Australian promoter Dainty Consolidated Entertainment. Tickets will go on sale in March. Meanwhile, Australian and other media are reporting that Dainty is offering a reward of AUS $10,000 for access to a white jumpsuit worn by Agnetha during the 1977 tour, reportedly stolen from a shed in Melbourne and sold at a garage sale last year.
- Continuing its 10th Anniversary Australian Tour, Mamma Mia! opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne on 13 February and will continue until 30 May. The musical is scheduled to travel to Perth in June and Brisbane in August.
- Decca Records will
be releasing Story Of A Heart by The Benny Andersson Band in the USA on March 2.
- Here are exclusive photos of Björn and Frida at Earl's Court in London for the ABBAWORLD world
premiere gala this past Tuesday 26 January. The two ABBA members had been in the exhibition centre since approximately
16.00 for a short private tour and interviews with selected media; at around 19.30, they re-entered the centre, posing
for pictures and waving to fans outside. Other celebrities attending the gala included Boy George, Stephen Baldwin,
Heather Mills, Dionne Bromfield, Lucie Jones, Donald MacIntyre, Brian Friedman and Sisqo.
Speaking to gala attendees inside the centre, Frida said: "We've already been through the exhibition and I must say I'm so proud of the team that has worked here and also to be part of what is happening here tonight. We have been on a journey again, in a way. Björn and I sang a song together down there! It was not like it was before, but it was a lot of fun." Björn added: "We feel like pioneers again, like with Mamma Mia!, and I'll bet other acts follow us."
Björn and Frida were introduced to the stage by Universal Music Group International chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, who called the band "incredible ambassadors for our industry" and presented them with a plaque commemorating 375 million record sales worldwide. Magnus Danielsson, president of Touring Exhibitions, confirmed plans for a version of the exhibition in Australia and North America later this year.
Although Frida had to leave in a taxi immediately after the ceremony, Björn signed autographs for patient fans braving the London cold. Frida was also on the cover of the Thursday, 27 January edition of the UK tabloid Daily Express.
Stay tuned for the next issue of Intermezzo for an exclusive in-depth review of ABBAWORLD featuring many photos of Björn and Frida and the exhibition itself. As a reminder, the exhibition can be seen in London through 28 March. Meanwhile, here is another video report from ABC News; a short radio interview from the BBC; and a review by The Independent.
- Here are more reports on ABBAWORLD in London by the
Guardian, even more
photos from the exhibition, a video in German and two from British
news
shows.
To be continued...
- Frida and Björn were the special guests at the opening of the ABBAWORLD
exhibition in London. Here are the first two
reports by BBC News, by
Sky News and photos by
NPR and
Facebook.
More news will follow soon!
- The only Kristina concert given in London for the
time being will take place at Royal Albert Hall on 14 April 2010. You can order tickets directly through the
venue.
- It has now been officially announced that Frida and Björn are expected to attend the premiere gala of the ABBAWORLD exhibition in London.
-
Zermatt Unplugged, Europe's
biggest acoustic pop and rock music festival, will be taking place this year from from April 13 to April 17.
Frida is supporting the festival together with Jon Lord. Read an interview with Frida (in German) in the
latest edition of Zermatt Magazin
where she talks about the festival and her life in Zermatt. Many thanks to Susanna Staritz from Switzerland.
Photo: Marc Kronig - The winners of the tickets for the ABBAWORLD VIP Gala on 26 January 2010 in London have been informed in the meantime.
Because we got so many mails, we would like to tell you again that these tickets are not for sale and unfortunately
there are no more left.
-
Exhibition with photos by Wolfgang "Bubi" Heilemann!
From February 8 to April 30, 2010 the "ALTSTADTHAUS" in Bad Bentheim, Germany (Wilhelmstraße 1) will show an exhibition with photos of various artists taken by the former BRAVO photographer and book author of "ABBA Fotografien 1974-1980" in the 60's, 70's and 80's. The highlights will be his ABBA photos. Admission is free. A limited edition of the photos shown will be for sale as well.
The vernissage will be on February 6 at 7:00 PM, free admission, where Bubi Heilemann will be present!
Bubi Heilmann has also provided 7 photos for the ABBAWORLD exhibition in London.
- Many thanks from the management of ABBA - The Show for all your messages. They are happy to announce that
the winning song "The Day Before You Came" will be included in their new show. The song might be not performed at the
very first concerts of their tour, but they will do their
best to make it part of the show as soon as possible.
- We have deleted some old messages. If you found this page by a search engine, don't miss the whole site!
You will find the old messages from the last years in our News Archive 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004.