ABBA ( Swedish pronunciation: Ã, [²ab: a] ) is a Swedish pop group , was formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha FÃÆ'¤ltskog, BjÃÆ'¶rn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Group name comes from the first letter in each member's first name. They became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982. ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest at The Dome in Brighton, England, giving Sweden the first win of the contest. They are the most successful group to participate in the competition.
ABBA is estimated to have sold 380 to over 500 million records, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They are also the best-selling bands of continental Europe and from outside the English-speaking world. ABBA is the first group of non-English speaking countries to achieve consistent success on the English-speaking countries charts, including Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. They have a record with eight consecutive number one album in the UK. The group also enjoyed significant success in Latin America, and recorded a collection of their hit songs in Spanish.
During the band's active years, the band consists of two partners: FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Ulvaeus, and Lyngstad and Andersson. With their increasing popularity, their personal lives suffered which eventually resulted in the collapse of both marriages. Changes in relationships are reflected in group music, with compositions then featuring more introspective and dark lyrics.
After ABBA broke up in December 1982, Andersson and Ulvaeus were successful in writing music for the stage, while Lyngstad and FÃÆ'¤ltskog pursued a solo career with mixed success. ABBA music declined in popularity until the purchase of ABBA's catalog and Polar's Polar record company in 1989 enabled the foundation to be laid for international re-matters of all their original material and the new Greatest Hits (ABBA Gold) collection in September 1992, which became a bestseller in the whole world. Several films, notably Muriel's Wedding (1994) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), further revived interest in the group and spawned several tribute bands. In 1999, ABBA music was adapted into a successful musical Mamma Mia! held worldwide. The film of the same name, released in 2008, became the highest grossing film in the United Kingdom that year. A sequel will be released in 2018.
ABBA was rewarded for the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005, when their hit "Waterloo" was voted the best song in the history of the competition. The group was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2015, their song "Dancing Queen" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame of Recording Academy.
On April 27, 2018, it was announced that the band had recorded two new songs after 35 years of inactivity, the first - "I Still Have Faith in You" - will be released in December 2018.
Video ABBA
History
1958-1970: Before ABBA
The origin and collaboration of members
Benny Andersson (born December 16, 1946 in Stockholm, Sweden) became (at the age of 18) a member of the popular Swedish pop-rock group, Hep Stars, featuring cover, among other things, international hits. The Hep Stars are known as "The Swedish Beatles". They also founded Hep House, equivalent to Apple Corps. Andersson played the keyboard and eventually started writing original songs for his band, many of which became big hits, including "No Response" which reached number three in 1965, "Sunny Girl", "Wedding", and "Consolation", all of which hit number one in 1966. Andersson also has a successful songwriting collaboration with Lasse Berghagen, with whom he wrote his first Svensktoppen entry, "Sagan om lilla Sofie" ("Little Sophie Story"), in 1968.
BjÃÆ'¶rn Ulvaeus (born April 25, 1945 in Gothenburg, Sweden) also began his musical career at the age of 18 (as a singer and guitarist), when he led Hootenanny Singers, Sweden's popular folk-skiffle group. Ulvaeus started writing English songs for his group, and even had a brief solo career together. The Hootenanny Singers and The Hep Stars sometimes cross the road while on tour. In June 1966, Ulvaeus and Andersson decided to write a song together. Their first attempt was "Is not It Easy to Say", a song that was later recorded by the Hep Star. Stig Anderson is the manager of Hootenanny Singers and founder of the Polar Music label. He sees potential in collaboration, and encourages them to write more. The two also started playing occasionally with other bands on stage and on record, although it was not until 1969 that the couple wrote and produced their first few hits together: "Ljuva sextital" ("Sweet Sixties"), recorded by Brita Borg , and the 1969 hit Hep Stars "Speleman" ("Fiddler").
Andersson wrote and handed the song "Hej, Clown" to Melodifestivalen 1969, a national festival to select the Swedish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. The song was tied for first place, but again chose the song Andersson who was relegated to second place. On that occasion Andersson briefly met his future partner, singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who also participated in the contest. A month later, the two became couple. When their band started breaking up in 1969, Andersson and Ulvaeus teamed up and recorded their first album together in 1970, called Lycka ("Happiness"), which included original songs sung by both man. Their partners are often present in the recording studio, and sometimes add backing vocals; FÃÆ'¤ltskog even co-wrote the song with both. Ulvaeus was still sometimes recorded and performed with Singer Hootenanny until mid-1974, and Andersson took part in producing their notes.
Agnetha FÃÆ'¤ltskog (born 5 April 1950 in JÃÆ'¶nkÃÆ'¶ping, Sweden) sang with a local dance band led by Bernt Enghardt who sent a demo tape to Karl Gerhard Lundkvist. The demo recording featured songs written and sung by Agnetha: "Jag var sÃÆ'  ¥ kÃÆ'¤r" ("I Was So in Love"). Lundkvist was so impressed with his voice that he was sure he would be a star. After going through enough effort to find the singer, he arranged for Agnetha to come to Stockholm and record two of his own songs. This caused Agnetha at the age of 18 to have a record number one in Sweden with a self-made song, which then sold over 80,000 copies. He was immediately noticed by critics and songwriters as a talented singer/songwriter of schlager-style songs. FÃÆ'¤ltskog's main inspiration in the early years was singers like Connie Francis. Along with his own compositions, he recorded covers of foreign songs and featured them on tours in Swedish folkparks. Most of his greatest hits were made by himself, which was quite remarkable for a female singer in the 1960s. Agnetha released four LPs between 1968 and 1971. She has many successful singles on the Swedish charts.
During the filming of the Swedish TV special film in May 1969, FÃÆ'¤ltskog met Ulvaeus, and they married on July 6, 1971. FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Ulvaeus finally engaged in each recording session, and soon even Andersson and Lyngstad added backing vocals to her studio album third, Som jag ÃÆ'¤r ("As I Am") (1970). In 1972, FÃÆ'¤ltskog starred as Mary Magdalene in original Swedish productions Jesus Christ Superstar and drew favorable reviews. Between 1967 and 1975, FÃÆ'¤ltskog released five studio albums.
Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad (born November 15, 1945 in BjÃÆ'¸rkÃÆ'  ¥ sen in Ballangen, Norway) sings since the age of 13 with various dance bands, and works primarily in a jazz-oriented cabaret style. He also formed his own band, Anni-Frid Four. In mid-1967, he won a national talent competition with Swedish "En Lincig dag" ("A Day Off") of the bossa nova song "A Day in Portofino", which was included in the EMI compilation Frida 1967-1972 . The first prize is a recording contract with EMI Sweden and to appear live on the country's most popular TV show. This TV show, among many others, was included in the 3 ½ hour documentary Frida - The DVD . Lyngstad released several schlager style singles in EMI without much success. When Benny Andersson began producing his recordings in 1971, he had his first number, "Min Egen stad" ("My Own City"), written by Benny and featuring all future ABBA members to support the vocals. Lyngstad toured and performed regularly on the folkpark circuit and made appearances on radio and TV. He met Ulvaeus briefly in 1963 during the talent contest, and FÃÆ'¤ltskog during a TV show in early 1968.
Lyngstad joined the bandmates of his future in 1969. On March 1, 1969, he participated in the Melodifestival, where he met Andersson for the first time. A few weeks later they met again during a concert tour in southern Sweden and they soon became a couple. Andersson produced the single "Peter Pan" in September 1969 - his first collaboration with Benny & amp; BjÃÆ'¶rn, because they have written songs. Andersson would later produce Lyngstad's debut studio album, Frida , released in March 1971. Lyngstad also played at several revues and cabaret shows in Stockholm between 1969 and 1973. After ABBA was formed, he recorded another successful album. in 1975, Frida ensam , which included the Swedish translation of "Fernando", a hit on the Swedish charts before the English version was released.
Live show first and start "Festfolket"
The effort to combine their talents took place in April 1970 when the two couples were on holiday together to the island of Cyprus. What started out as singing for fun on the beach ended as a live performance improvisation in front of UN troops stationed on the island. Andersson and Ulvaeus are currently recording their first album together, Lycka , which will be released in September 1970. FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Lyngstad add backing vocals in several songs during June, and their ideas work together to see they launched the stage action, "Festfolket" (which translated from Swedish to "Party Person" and "Couple Involved"), on November 1, 1970 in Gothenburg.
Cabaret impressions generally negative reviews, except for the performance of Andersson and Ulvaeus hit "Hej, gamle man" ("Hello, Old Man") - recording BjÃÆ'¶rn and Benny first to show all four. They also do solo numbers from their respective albums, but the warm reception convinces the foursome to override plans to work together for the moment, and each immediately concentrates on individual projects again.
First record with "Hej, gamle man"
"Hej, gamle man", a song about the old Salvation Army soldier, became the first hit of the quartet. The record is credited to BjÃÆ'¶rn & amp; Benny and reached number five on the sales ladder and number one on Svensktoppen, staying there for 15 weeks.
In 1971, the four artists started working more together, adding vocals to other people's recordings. FÃÆ'¤ltskog, Andersson and Ulvaeus toured together in May, while Lyngstad toured on their own. Recording sessions often bring the four of them closer together during the summer.
1970-1973: Creating a group
After the 1970 release of Lycka, two singles credited to "BjÃÆ'¶rn & amp; Benny" were released in Sweden, "Det ingen hjÃÆ'¤lpa doctor" ("No Doctor Can Help With That ") and" Tön¤nk om jorden vore ung "(" Imagine If Earth Was Young "), with more prominent vowels by FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Lyngstad-and moderate chart success.
FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Ulvaeus, who are now married, began performing together with Andersson regularly in the Swedish people's garden in mid 1971.
Stig Anderson, founder and owner of Polar Music, is determined to enter the mainstream international market with music by Andersson and Ulvaeus. "Someday you two will be writing songs that are a hit all over the world", he predicts. Stig Anderson encouraged Ulvaeus and Andersson to write songs for Melodifestivalen, and after two entries rejected in 1971, Andersson and Ulvaeus handed their new song "SÃÆ'¤g det med en sÃÆ' Â ng" ("Say It with a Song") for the 1972 contest, chose newcomer Lena Anderson to perform. The song was in third place, pushing Stig Anderson, and became a hit in Sweden.
The first signs of foreign success came as a surprise, as the Andersson and Ulvaeus single "She's My Girl type" was released by Epic Records in Japan in March 1972, giving the duo the Top 10 hit. Two more singles were released in Japan, "En Carousel" ("En Karusell" in Scandinavia, earlier versions of "Merry-Go-Round") and "Love Has Its Ways" (the song they wrote with K? Ichi Morita).
First hit as BjÃÆ'¶rn & amp; Benny, Agnetha & amp; Anni-Frid/Frida
Ulvaeus and Andersson survived with their songwriting and experimented with new voices and vocal settings. "People Need Love" was released in June 1972, featuring guest vocals by the women, who are now given a much bigger fame. Stig Anderson released it as a single, credited to BjÃÆ'¶rn & amp; Benny, Agnetha & amp; Anni-Frid. The song peaked at number 17 on the singles chart and the Swedish joint album, enough to convince them that they were doing something. The single also became the first record for a chart for a quartet in the United States, where it peaked at number 114 on the singles chart of Cashbox and number 117 on the single Record World . chart. Labeled as BjÃÆ'¶rn & amp; Benny (with Svenska Flicka) , released there via Playboy Records. However, according to Stig Anderson, "People Need Love" could be a much bigger American hit, but small labels like Playboy Records do not have the distribution resources to meet the demand for singles from retailers and radio programmers.
The four of them decided to record their first album together at the end of 1972, and the session began on September 26, 1972. The women shared the lead vocals on "Nina, Pretty Ballerina" (top ten hits in Austria) that day, and their voices in harmony for the first giving four quarters of ideas about the quality of their combined talents.
"Ring Ring"
In 1973, the band and their manager Stig Anderson decided to try again at Melodifestivalen, this time with the song "Ring Ring". The studio sessions are handled by Michael B. Tretow, who experimented with sound production techniques "sound walls" that became entirely new sounds. Stig Anderson set the English translation of the lyrics by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody and they thought this would be a definite winner. However, on February 10, 1973, the song was third in Melodifestivalen; so never reach the Eurovision Song Contest itself. Nevertheless, the group released their debut studio album, also called Ring Ring . The album went well and the single "Ring Ring" became a hit in many parts of Europe and also in South Africa. However, Stig Anderson feels that a true breakthrough can only come with a British or US hit.
When Agnetha FÃÆ'¤ltskog gave birth to his daughter Linda in 1973, he was replaced for a short time by Inger Brundin on his way to West Germany.
Naming official
In 1973, Stig Anderson, tired of the heavy names, began to refer to the group in private and open as ABBA. Initially, this was a play of words, because Abba is also the name of the famous fish canning company in Sweden, and itself is an acronym. However, since the fish-canners are not known outside of Sweden, Anderson believes that the name will work in international markets. A competition to find a suitable name for the group was held in the Gothenburg newspaper and was officially announced in the summer that the group would be known as "ABBA." The group negotiates with the canners for the rights to the name. "ABBA" is an acronym formed from the first letter of each group member's first name: Agnetha, BjÃÆ'¶rn, Benny and Anni-Frid. The earliest known example of "ABBA" written on paper is on recording sessions from Metronome Studio in Stockholm on 16 October 1973. It was first written as "BjÃÆ'¶rn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida", but then crossed with "ABBA" written in uppercase letter above.
Official logo
Their official logo, unlike the letter 'B', was designed by Rune SÃÆ'¶derqvist, who designed most of ABBA's sleeves. The logo first appeared on the French compilation album, Golden Double Album, released in May 1976 by Disques Vogue, and will then be used for all official releases.
The idea for the official logo was made by German photographer Wolfgang "Bubi" Heilemann (de) on a jumpsuit videotape shoot for teen magazine Bravo. In the photo, ABBA members hold a giant initial letter from its name. After the photographs were made, Heilemann discovered that Benny Andersson reversed the letter "B"; this prompted a discussion of the "B" mirror, and ABBA members approved a mirror letter. From 1976 onwards, the first "B" in the logo version of the name was a "mirror image" reversed on the band's promotional material, thus becoming a registered trademark of the group.
After they obtained the group catalog, PolyGram began using the ABBA logo variations, using different fonts and adding the crown emblem in 1992 for the first release of ABBA Gold's compilation: Greatest Hits. When Universal Music purchased PolyGram (and, thus, ABBA Polar Music International label), the group catalog control was returned to Stockholm. Since then, the original logo has been restored on all official products.
1973-1976: Breakthrough
Eurovision Song Contest 1974
When the group entered Melodifestivalen with the "Ring Ring" but failed to qualify as a 1973 Sweden entry, Stig Anderson immediately began planning for the 1974 contest.
Ulvaeus, Andersson and Stig Anderson believe in the possibility of using Eurovision Song Contest as a way to make the music business aware of them as songwriters, as well as the band itself. In late 1973, they were invited by Swedish television to donate songs for Melodifestivalen 1974 and from a number of new songs, the optimist song "Waterloo" was chosen; the group is now inspired by the growing glam rock scene in the UK.
ABBA won their national heat on Swedish television on February 9, 1974, and with this third attempt was much more experienced and better equipped for the Eurovision Song Contest. Winning the 1974 Contest on April 6, 1974 gave ABBA the opportunity to tour Europe and perform on major television shows; so the band saw a single "Waterloo" chart in many European countries. "Waterloo" is ABBA's first number one in major markets such as Britain and West Germany. In the United States, the song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, paving the way for their first album and their first trip as a group there. Despite a brief promotional visit, it included their first live show on American television, The Mike Douglas Show. Waterloo's album only reached # 145 on the Billboard 200 chart, but received unanimously high praise from US critics: Los Angeles Times calling it "Album an exciting and fascinating debut that captures the spirit of mainstream pop is quite effective... a fun and fun project ", while Creem characterizes it as" a perfect blend of incredible and fun compositions ".
ABBA's follow-up single, "Honey, Honey", reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was the number two hit in West Germany. However, in the UK, the ABBA English record label Epic decided to re-release the remix version of the "Ring Ring" instead of "Honey, Honey", and the cover version of the last by Sweet Dreams reached number 10. Both albums debuted on the UK chart within a week of each other. The "Ring Ring" failed to reach the Big 30 in Great Britain, raising speculation that the group was merely a miracle of one Eurovision.
Post-Eurovision
In November 1974, ABBA embarked on their first European tour, playing in Denmark, West Germany and Austria. It was not as successful as the band expected, because most places were not sold out. Due to lack of demand, they were even forced to cancel several shows, including the only concert scheduled in Switzerland. The second leg of the tour, which took them through Scandinavia in January 1975, was very different. They play in full houses everywhere and finally get the greeting they are headed. The live performances continued in mid-1975 when ABBA started fourteen open air tours in Sweden and Finland. Their performances in Stockholm at the amusement park GrÃÆ'¶na Lund have an estimated audience of 19,200. BjÃÆ'¶rn Ulvaeus later said that "If you look at the singles we release immediately after Waterloo, we try to become more like Sweet, semi-glam rock, bands that are stupid because we're always a pop group."
At the end of 1974, "So Long" was released as a single in the United Kingdom but did not receive broadcasts from Radio 1 and failed to chart. In mid-1975 ABBA released "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", which again received a bit of play on Radio 1 but made it up the charts, to number 38. Later that year, the release of the studio album Their third self-titled ABBA and SOS singles brought back their graphic presence in the UK, where the number six hit singles and albums peaked at number 13. "SOS" also belonged to ABBA's number-one second in Germany and third in Australia. Success is further compressed with "Mamma Mia" reaching number one in the UK, Germany and Australia. In the United States, "SOS" peaked at number 10 on the Record World Top 100 single chart and number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, taking the BMI Award along the way as one of the most played songs on the radio America in 1975.
The group's success in the United States until then was limited to a single release. In early 1976, the group already had four Top 30 singles on the US charts, but the album market proved difficult to solve. The Eponymous ABBA album produced three American hits, but only reached number 165 on the Cashbox album chart and number 174 on the Billboard 200 chart. Opinions voiced, by Creem in particular, that in the US ABBA has experienced a "very careless promotional campaign". Nevertheless, the group enjoys warm reviews from the American press. Cashbox goes so far as to say that "there is a repetitive thread and art that is inherent in Abba's marketing, creativity and presentation that makes it almost embarrassing to criticize their efforts", while Creem writes: " SOS is surrounded by this LP with so many good songs blown up by the mind ".
In Australia, the delivery of a music video for "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "Mamma Mia" on nationally televised pop shows Countdown (premiered November 1974 ) saw the band quickly gain enormous popularity, and Countdown became the group's main promoter through their distinctive music video. It started a great interest for ABBA in Australia, which resulted in both singles and albums which maintained the No. 1 position. 1 on the charts for months. 1973-1981: _Superstardom "> 1976-1981: Superstardom <
In March 1976, the band released the Greatest Hits compilation album, despite only having six top 40 hits in the UK and US. Nevertheless, it became their first British number one album, and also took ABBA to the Top 50 on the US album charts for the first time, eventually selling over a million copies there. At the same time, the Germans released a compilation named The Best of ABBA , also became the number one album there while the Greatest Hits compilation followed a few months later to number-two on the ladder a German song, regardless of all the resemblance to the Best Best album. Also included on The Greatest Hits is the new single, "Fernando", which went number one in at least thirteen countries around the world, including Britain, Germany and Australia, and the single went on sale over 10 million copies worldwide. In Australia, the song occupies the top position for 14 weeks (and remains on the chart for 40 weeks), tying with The Beatles "Hey Jude" for the longest number, and making "Fernando" one of the best-selling all-time singles in Australia. In the same year, the group received its first international prize, with "Fernando" chosen as "The Best Studio Record of 1975". In the United States, "Fernando" reaches the Top 10 Top Charts 100 Cassettes and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also occupies the Billboard Contemporary Adult chart, Number one America's first number one ABBA in any chart.
The group's fourth studio album, Arrival , the number one best seller in Europe and Australia, represents a new level of achievement in songwriting and studio work, encouraging the warm reviews of more rock-oriented UK music. weekly such as Melody Maker and New Musical Express , and most notice of appreciation from US critics. Hit after the hit flows from Arrival : "Money, Money, Money", other number one in Germany and Australia, and "Know Me, Knowing You", the second number of German ABBA number six and another number one English. The real sensation is "Dancing Queen", not only topping the charts in loyal markets in England, Germany and Australia but also reaching number one in the United States. In South Africa, ABBA's extraordinary success with "Fernando", "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" became one of the 20 best singles for 1976-77. In 1977, Arrival was nominated for its first BRIT Award in the category of "Best International Album of the Year". At this time ABBA is popular in the UK, mostly Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In Frida - The DVD , Lyngstad explains how she and FÃÆ'¤ltskog developed as a singer, as ABBA recordings are increasingly complex over the years.
The band's popularity in the United States will remain on a relatively smaller scale, and "Dancing Queen" became the only Billboard Hot 100 number one ABBA was there (they did, however, get three more singles to the position number one on other Billboard charts, including Adult Contemporary Billboard and Hot Dance Club Play). However, the European and Australian Tour
In January 1977, ABBA embarked on their first major tour. Group status has changed dramatically and they are clearly considered superstars. They opened their much-anticipated tour of Oslo, Norway, on January 28, and put on a lavish spectacle that included scenes from the self-written mini-operetta The Girl with the Golden Hair . The concert attracted tremendous media attention from across Europe and Australia. They went on tour through Western Europe, visiting Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Essen, Hanover and Hamburg and ending with performances in the United Kingdom in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and two sold-out concerts in Royal London. Albert Hall. Tickets for these two gigs are only available through the mail app and then it is known that box-office receives 3.5 million ticket requests, enough to fill the spot 580 times. Along with the praise ("ABBA turns out to be extraordinarily successful in reproducing their notes", writes ), there is a complaint that "ABBA is done slickly... but with a zero personality coming from a total of 16 people onstage "( Melody Maker ). One of the Royal Albert Hall concerts was filmed as a reference for Australian filmmaking for what became ABBA: The Movie, though it is not known exactly how many concerts were filmed.
After a European tour, in March 1977, ABBA played 11 dates in Australia before a total of 160,000 people. The opening concert in Sydney at the Sydney Showground on March 3 to a spectator of 20,000 was marred by heavy rain with Lyngstad slipping on a wet stage during the concert. However, the four members will later remember this concert as the most memorable of their career. Upon their arrival in Melbourne, a civil reception was held in Melbourne Town Hall and ABBA appeared on the balcony to greet the enthusiastic crowd of 6,000 people. In Melbourne, the group played three concerts at Sydney's Sidney Myer Music Bowl with 14,500 in each including Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and his family. At the first concert in Melbourne, an additional 16,000 people gathered outside the gated area to listen to the concert. In Adelaide, the group performed a concert at West Lakes Football Stadium in front of 20,000 people, with 10,000 others listening outside. During the first five concerts in Perth, there was a fear of bombing with everyone having to evacuate the Entertainment Center. The journey was accompanied by unprecedented mass hysteria and media attention ("Swedish ABBA stirred the box office on the Down Under tour... and media coverage of quartet rivals that will cover the upcoming Royal Australian tour", wrote < i> Variety ), and taken on the movie at ABBA: The Movie , directed by Lasse HallstrÃÆ'¶m.
The Australian tour and the next ABBA: The Movie generate some ABBA knowledge, as well. The fine appearance of blond FÃÆ'¤ltskog has long made him a "pin-up girl", a role he underestimated. During the Australian tour, he appeared in a tight white leather jumpsuit, causing an Australian newspaper to use the title "bottom of Agnes shows a boring show". When asked about this at a press conference, he replied: "Do not they have ass in Australia?"
In December 1977, ABBA followed up on Arrival with a more ambitious fifth album ABBA: The Album, released to coincide with ABBA's debut: The Movie. Although the album is less accepted by British reviewers, the album spawned more hits worldwide: "Game Names" and "Take a Chance on Me", which topped the UK charts, and peaked at number 12 and number three, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. Although "Take a Chance on Me" did not occupy the American charts, it proved to be ABBA's biggest hit hit there, selling more copies than "Dancing Queen". The Album also includes "Thank You for Music", B-side "Eagle" in countries where the latter has been released as a single, and was late released as an A-side single in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 1983. "Thanks to Music" has become one of ABBA's most beloved and famous songs without being released as singles during the group's lifetime.
Polar Music Studio Formation
In 1978 ABBA was one of the largest bands in the world. They turned an empty movie theater into Polar Music Studio, a sophisticated studio in Stockholm. This studio is used by several other bands; especially Genesis' Duke and Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door were recorded there. During May, the group went to the United States for a promotional campaign, performing with Andy Gibb on the Olivia Newton-John TV show. The recording sessions for the single "Summer Night City" were a tough struggle, but once released, the song became another hit for the group. The track will set the stage for ABBA's foray into the disco with the next album.
On January 9, 1979, the group held "Chiquitita" at the Music for UNICEF Concert held at the UN General Assembly to celebrate the UNICEF Children's Year. ABBA contributed copyright from this world hit to UNICEF; see Music for the UNICEF Concert. The single was released the following week, and reached number one in ten countries.
North America and Europe Tour
In mid-January 1979, Ulvaeus and FÃÆ'¤ltskog announced they were divorced. The news caused interest from the media and caused speculation about the band's future. ABBA assures their press and fan base, they continue their work as a group and the divorce will not affect them. Nonetheless, the media continues to confront them with this in interviews. To avoid a media vortex and concentrate on their writing, Andersson and Ulvaeus secretly travel to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, where for two weeks they prepare their next album songs.
The group's sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous , was released in April 1979, the title song recorded at Miami's famous Criteria Studios, with the help of engineer Tom Dowd among others.. The album topped the charts across Europe and in Japan and Mexico, reaching the Top 10 in Canada and Australia and Top 20 in the United States. None of the singles from the album reached number one on the UK charts, but "Chiquitita", "Do You Know", "Angeleyes" (with "Voulez-Vous", released as double A-side) and "I Have a Dream "are all hit Top 5 England. In Canada, "I Have a Dream" became ABBA's number two on the Adult Contemporary RPM chart (after "Fernando" reached the previous peak). Also in 1979, the group released their second compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. 2 , featuring a new song: "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!", Another hit number three in the UK and Germany. In Russia in the late 1970s, the group was paid in oil commodities because of an embargo on rubles.
On September 13, 1979, ABBA started ABBA: The Tour at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Canada, with a full house of 14,000. "The voices of the band, Agnes is tall with sharpness combined with rounds, rich undertones of Anni-Frid, very good... Technically perfect, melody is true and always in perfect tone... Anni- Frid and high vocals and edgy from Agnetha are stunning, "Edmonton Journal rave .
Over the next four weeks they played a total of 17 sold-out dates, 13 in the US and four in Canada. ABBA's last scheduled concert in the United States in Washington, DC was canceled due to emotional pressure FÃÆ'¤ltskog suffered during a flight from New York to Boston, when the group's private plane was subjected to extreme weather conditions and could not land for long. They appeared at the Boston Music Hall for a late 90 minute show. The tour ended with a show in Toronto, Canada at Maple Leaf Gardens before a crowd of 18,000 capacity. "ABBA plays with surprising powers and volumes, but although they are hard, they are also clear, who do justice to the vocal sound of autographs... Anyone who has waited five years to see Abba will be satisfied", wrote Record World .
On October 19, 1979, the tour continued in Western Europe where the band played 23 sold-out shows, including six sold-out nights at London's Wembley Arena.
Progression
In March 1980, ABBA traveled to Japan where when they arrived at Narita International Airport, they were surrounded by thousands of fans. The group played eleven concerts to full houses, including six performances at Budokan, Tokyo. This tour is the last "on the road" adventure of their career. In the mid-1980s, the group released the single "The Winner Take The All" which is the eighth chart of the UK (and the first since 1978). The song is widely misunderstood as written about Ulvaeus and Fasikulasi marriage FÃÆ'¤ltskog; Ulvaeus wrote the lyrics, but declared that it was not about his own divorce; FÃÆ'¤ltskog has repeatedly stated he is not a loser in their divorce. In the United States, the single peaked at number eight on the Billboard chart Hot 100 and became the number one ABBA Contemporary ABC's Billboard . It was also re-recorded by Andersson and Ulvaeus with a slightly different back-track, by chanteuse Mireille Mathieu in the late 1980s - as "Bravo tu as gagnà © Ã… ©", with French lyrics by Alain Boublil. November of the same year saw the release of ABBA's Super Trouper seventh album, which reflects certain changes in ABBA style with the use of more prominent synthesizers and increasingly personal lyrics. It sets a record for pre-orders ever received for UK albums after a million copies are ordered before release. The second single from the album, "Super Trouper", also hit number one in the UK, became the top of the ninth and final UK charts. Another song from the Super Trouper album, "Lay All Your Love on Me", was released in 1981 as a 12-inch (300 mm) single only in the selected region, made it to the top of Billboard Hot Dance Club Play charts and peak at number seven on the UK singles chart, then, at the moment the highest, 12-inch (300 mm) chart ever in UK chart history.
Also in 1980, ABBA recorded a Spanish-language compilation of their hits called Gracias Por La MÃÆ'ºsica . It was released in Spanish-speaking countries as well as in Japan and Australia. The album became a huge success, and along with the Spanish version of "Chiquitita", this marks a breakthrough group in Latin America. ABBA Oro: Grandes × xitos , Spanish equivalent to ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits , was released in 1999.
1981-1982: Album and final appearance
In January 1981, Ulvaeus married Lena KÃÆ'¤llersjÃÆ'¶, and manager Stig Anderson celebrated his 50th birthday with a party. For this occasion, ABBA recorded the song "Hovas Vittne" (a name for Sweden's name for Jehovah's Witnesses and Anderson's birthplace, Hova) in honor of him, and released only on 200 copies of red vinyl, to be distributed to guests attending the party. This single has become a much sought-after collection. In mid-February 1981, Andersson and Lyngstad announced they filed for divorce. Information surfaced that their marriage had been a tough struggle for years, and Benny had met another woman, Mona NÃÆ'¶rklit, whom he married in November 1981.
Andersson and Ulvaeus had a songwriting session in early 1981, and the recording sessions began in mid-March. In late April, the group recorded a special TV, Dick Cavett Meet ABBA with US talk show host Dick Cavett. The Visitors, the eighth and last studio album ABBA, show the maturity and depth of songwriting that is clearly less than the previous recording but still puts the band honestly in the pop genre, with the tone and a catchy harmony. Although not revealed at the time of release, the album's title track, according to Ulvaeus, refers to a secret meeting held against totalitarian government approval in predominantly Soviet states, while other tracks discuss topics such as failed relationships, threats of war, aging, and loss innocence. The album's only major release, "One of Us", proved to be the last of the nine ABBA's number one single in Germany, this in December 1981; and swansong of their sixteen Top 5 singles on the South African chart. "One of Us" is also the Top 3 ABBA final in the UK, reaching No. 1 on some charts (such as Record Mirror).
Despite topping the album charts in most of Europe, including Ireland, England and Germany, The Visitors is not as commercial as its predecessors, showing a commercial decline in previously loyal markets such as France, Australia. and Japan. A song from the album, "When All Is Said and Done", was released as a single in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and deserves to be ABBA's last 20 hits in the US (debuting on the US charts on December 31, 1981), while also reached Adult Contemporary Top 10 US, and number four on the Adult Contemporary RPM chart in Canada. Song lyrics, such as "The Winner Take It All" and "One of Us", discuss the painful experience of separating oneself from long-term couples, despite seeing the trauma more optimistically. With the now-published story of the divorce of Andersson and Lyngstad, speculation heightens the tension within the band. Also released in the United States is the title song of The Visitors , which reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Final recording sessions
In the spring of 1982, the songwriting session began and the group came together for more recording. The plan is not entirely clear, but a new album is discussed and the prospect of a suggested small tour. The recording sessions in May and June 1982 were a struggle, and only three songs were finally recorded: "You Owe Me One", "I Am the City" and "Just Like That". Andersson and Ulvaeus were not satisfied with the results, so the tapes were kept and the group rested for the summer.
Back in the studio again in early August, the group has changed plans for the rest of the year: they settled for Christmas releases from a double album compilation of all releases of their last single to be named The Singles: The First Ten Years. New song and recording sessions took place, and during October and December, they released the single "The Day Before You Came"/"Cassandra" and "Under Attack"/"You Owe Me One", A-sides included on the compilation album. No one has made it to the Top 20 in the UK, even though "The Day Before You Come" became the top 5 in many European countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The album went to number one in England and Belgium, Top 5 in Holland and Germany and Top 20 in many other countries. "Under Attack", the group's final release before disbanding, is the top 5 hit in the Netherlands and Belgium.
"I Am the City" and "Just Like That" were not released on The Singles: The First Ten Years for possible inclusion in the next projected studio album, though this never worked. "I Am the City" was finally released on the ABBA Gold Compilation album in 1993, while "Just Like That" was recycled in a new song by another artist produced by Andersson and Ulvaeus. The re-version of the verses ends in music Chess . The chorus section of "Just Like That" was finally released on the retrospective set of boxes in 1994, as well as in the ABBA Undeleted medley shown on disk 9 of The Complete Studio Recordings . Despite numerous requests from fans, Ulvaeus and Andersson still refuse to release the ABBA version of "Just Like That" as a whole, even though the full version appears in pirated.
The group went to London to promote The Singles: The First Ten Years in the first week of November 1982, appearing on Saturday Superstore and The Late, Late Breakfast Show , and also to West Germany in the second week, to appear on Show Express. On November 19, 1982, ABBA appeared for the last time in Sweden on the NÃÆ'¶jesmaskinen TV program, and on December 11, 1982, they made their last appearance, transmitted to England at Noel Edmonds' The Late, Late Breakfast Show >, via a direct link from the TV studio in Stockholm.
Final appearance
Andersson and Ulvaeus began collaborating with Tim Rice in early 1983 to write songs for the Chess music project, while FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Lyngstad both concentrated on an international solo career. While Andersson and Ulvaeus are working on musicals, further cooperation between the three of them comes with Abbacadabra musical produced in France for television. It is children's music that uses 14 ABBA songs. Alain and Daniel Boublil, who wrote Les Misà © à © rables, have been in touch with Stig Anderson about the project, and the TV musical aired over Christmas on French TV and then the Dutch version is also broadcast. Boublil had previously written French lyrics for the Mireille Mathieu version of "The Winner Take It All".
Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who recently moved to Paris, participated in the French version, and recorded the single, "Belle", a duet with French singer Daniel Balavoine. This song is the cover of ABBA's instrumental song of 1976 "Arrival". When the single "Belle" sold well in France, Cameron Mackintosh wanted to feature an English version of the show in London, with French lyrics translated by David Wood and Don Black; Andersson and Ulvaeus were involved in the project, and contributed with a new song, "I Am the Seeker". "Abbacadabra" premiered on December 8, 1983 at the Lyric Hammersmith Theater in London, for various reviews and a full house for eight weeks, closed on January 21, 1984. Lyngstad was also involved in this production, recording "Belle" in English as "Left" , a duet with actor and singer BA Robertson: the single sold well, and produced and recorded by Mike Batt. A year later, Lyngstad performed "I Have A Dream" with a children's choir at the Gala Organization of the United Nations, in May 1984 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The four members made their public appearances (at the time of their final) four more friends than ABBA in January 1986, when they recorded a video of themselves performing an acoustic version of "Tivedshambo" (which was the first song written by their Stig manager Anderson), for a Swedish TV show that honors Anderson on his 55th birthday. The four did not meet each other for more than two years. In the same year they also appeared personally on the 40th anniversary of another friend: their old tour manager, Claes af Geijerstam. They sang a self-written song entitled "Der Kleine Franz" which then reappeared in Chess . Also in 1986, ABBA Live was released, featuring live show choices from group tours of 1977 and 1979. The four members were guests on the 50th anniversary of GÃÆ'¶rel Hanser in 1999. Hanser is an old friend of the four, as well as former secretary of Stig Anderson. Honoring GÃÆ'¶rel, ABBA performed the Swedish birthday song "Med En Enkel Tulipan" a cappella.
Benny Andersson has performed several old ABBA songs. In June 1992, he and Ulvaeus performed with U2 at the Stockholm concert, singing the refrain of "Dancing Queen", and a few years later during the last B & B in Concert in Stockholm, Andersson joined the cast for an encore at the piano. Andersson often adds ABBA songs to the playlist as he performs with his BAO band. He also played the piano during a new recording of ABBA songs "Like Angel Going Through My Space" with opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter, and "When All Was Said and Done" with Swedish Viktoria Tolstoy. In 2002, Andersson and Ulvaeus both performed the acappella song from the first stanza "Fernando" as they received their Ivor Novello award in London. Lyngstad featured and recorded an acappella version of "Dancing Queen" with Swedish group Real Group in 1993, and also re-recorded "I Have a Dream" with Swiss singer Dan Daniell in 2003.
Permanent termination
ABBA never officially announced the end of the group, but has long been considered dissolved. Their last public performance together as ABBA was on the British TV program The Late, Late Breakfast Show (live from Stockholm) on December 11, 1982. While recalling "The Day Before You Came", Ulvaeus said: We may continue for a while longer if it is number one ". In January 1983, FÃÆ'¤ltskog started a recording session for a solo album, as Lyngstad had successfully released his album Something's Going On a few months earlier. Ulvaeus and Andersson, meanwhile, started a songwriting session for Chess musicals. In an interview at the time, BjÃÆ'¶rn and Benny denied the ABBA split ("Who are we without our woman? Brigitte Bardot's initials?"), Dan Lyngstad and FÃÆ'¤ltskog continue to claim in interviews that ABBA will come together for a new album over and over times during 1983 and 1984. Internal feuds between the group and their managers increased and band members sold their stake in Polar Music during 1983. Except for TV appearances in 1986, the four did not unite openly until they reunited in the premiere of the movie < i> Mamma Mia! in Sweden on July 4, 2008.
In an interview with Sunday Telegraph, after the premiere, Ulvaeus and Andersson confirmed that nothing could pull them back on stage again. Ulvaeus said: "We will never appear on stage again. [...] There is no motivation for re-grouping Money is not a factor and we want people to remember us like us Young, excited, full of energy and ambition "I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin is the closing band now because they cover all their own stuff I think it's about the nails in the head." However, on January 3, 2011, FÃÆ'¤ltskog, which has long been considered the group's most closed members and the main obstacle to any reunion, increasing the chances of reuniting for a one-time engagement. He admits that he has not brought the idea to the other three members. In April 2013, he reaffirmed his hope for a reunion during an interview with Die Zeit, stating: "If they ask me, I will say yes."
In an interview in May 2013, FÃÆ'¤ltskog, 63, at the time, asserted that the ABBA reunion would never happen: "I think we should accept that it will not happen, because we are too old and each of us has them life itself. It has been many years since we stopped, and no means to bring us together again. "FÃÆ'¤ltskog further explained that the band members remained on friendly terms:" It's always fun to see each other now and then and talk a little and be a bit nostalgic. " In an April 2014 interview, FÃÆ'¤ltskog, when asked about whether the band might be reunited for a new recording said: "It's hard to talk about this because then all the news will be: 'ABBA will record another song!' But as long as we can sing and play, why not? I'd love to, but it's up to BjÃÆ'¶rn and Benny. "
2016-present: Reunion and hologram upcoming projects
On January 20, 2016, the four original members of ABBA appeared publicly at Mamma Mia the Party in Stockholm.
On June 6, 2016, four ABBA members performed together at a private party at Berns Salonger in Stockholm, which was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Andersson and Ulvaeus meetings. FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Lyngstad sang ABBA's song "The Way Old Friends Do" before they joined the stage by Andersson and Ulvaeus.
British manager Simon Fuller announced in a statement in October 2016 that the group would reunite to work on a new 'digital entertainment experience'. The project will feature members in their "live-like" holographic form based on the late 1970s tour and is planned to be launched in the spring of 2019. On April 27, 2018, the members announced that they have recorded two new songs, one entitled "I Still Have Faith in You ", to be featured on a special TV that will be aired later in the year. Another new track called "Do not Shut Me Down".
Solo Career
Benny Andersson and BjÃÆ'¶rn Ulvaeus
In October 1984, Ulvaeus and Andersson together with lyricist Tim Rice released the concept of double-album music Chess . The single "One Night in Bangkok" (with vocals by Murray Head and Anders Glenmark) and "I Know Him So Well" (duets by Barbara Dickson and Elaine Paige, and later also recorded by Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston) are both very successful. The first reached number one in Australia, Germany, Spain and Switzerland; number two in Austria, France and New Zealand; number three in Canada, Norway, Sweden, and the US, and reached the top 10 in several other countries. In May 1986, the musical was premiered in London's West End, and lasted for nearly three years. Chess was also opened on Broadway in April 1988, but closed in two months due to bad reviews. In Stockholm, the composers performed Chess pÃÆ' Â¥ svenska ( Chess in Sweden ) in 2003, with some new material, including musical numbers "Han ÃÆ' ¤r en man, han ÃÆ'¤r ett barn " (" He's a Boy, He's a Child ") and " GlÃÆ'¶m mig om du kan " (" Forget Me If You Can "). In 2008, the musical was revived for a successful performance at Royal Albert Hall London which was later released on DVD, and later on two successful touring tours in the United States and Britain, in 2010.
The next project Andersson and Ulvaeus, Kristina frÃÆ'  ¥ n DuvemÃÆ'  ¥ la , an epic Swedish musicals, premiered in MalmÃÆ'¶, in southern Sweden in October 1995. The musical lasted for five years in Stockholm, and an English version has been developed for some time. It has been reported that the Broadway production is in the early stages of pre-production. Meanwhile, following some of the previous workshops, the full presentation of the English translation of the music in concert, now under the shortened name "Kristina", took place at a capacity crowd in September 2009 at New York Carnegie Hall, April 2010 at Royal Albert Hall London, followed by a CD release of the New York recordings.
Since 1983, in addition to
During the 1990s, Andersson wrote music for the popular Swedish cabaret quartet, Ainbusk Singers, giving them two hits: "Lassie" and " ÃÆ'â € ž lska mig " ("Loved me"), and then produced Shapes , an English album by Josefin Nilsson group with new material by Andersson and Ulvaeus. Andersson also regularly writes music for movies (especially for Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor ). In 2001, Andersson formed his own band, Benny Anderssons Orkester (BAO), which released three successful albums in 2001, 2004 and 2007. Andersson has the longest remaining difference on the Swedish Radio Svensktoppen chart; the song "Du ÃÆ'¤r min man" ("You Are My Man"), sung by Helen SjÃÆ'¶holm, spent 278 weeks there between 2004 and 2009. Andersson released her third album BAO 3 in October 2007, new material with his band BAO and vocalists Helen SjÃÆ'¶holm and Tommy KÃÆ'¶rberg, as well as playing for a full house at two of Sweden's biggest concert venues in October and November 2007, with an audience of 14,000.
Ulvaeus has not appeared on stage musical performances since ABBA, but had a reunion with his colleagues from Hootenanny Singers on July 16, 2005 at a music festival in his home town of VÃÆ'¤vikvik, singing their 1966 hit "Marianne".
Andersson and Ulvaeus have been heavily involved in musical production worldwide Mamma Mia! , with Lyngstad attending the premiere. They are also involved in the production of a successful musical version of the film, which opened in July 2008. Andersson produced a soundtrack that leverages many ABBA musicians used in their albums and tours. Andersson made a cameo appearance in the film as a "fisherman" piano player in the "Dancing Queen" scene, while Ulvaeus was seen as a Greek god playing lyre during closing credits.
Andersson and Ulvaeus continue to write new material; Recently both wrote seven songs for BAO's 2011 Anderssons 'O Klang Och Jubeltid' album, performed as usual by SjÃÆ'¶holm, KÃÆ'¶rberg and Moreus vocalists. In July 2009, BAO released their first international release, now named Benny Andersson Band, with the album The Story of a Heart . The album is a compilation of 14 songs from five Swedish-Andersson releases between 1987 and 2007, including five songs now recorded with lyrics by Ulvaeus in English, and a new song title aired on the BBC2 Ken Bruce Show . The Swedish version of the title track, "Sommaren Du Fick" ("The Summer You Got"), was released as a single in Sweden before the English version, with a vowel by Helen SjÃÆ'¶ small island in the river. In May 2009, Andersson also released a recording by staff at his own Stockholm Hotel Rival Hotel, titled "2nd Best to None", accompanied by a video showing staff at work. In 2008, Andersson and Ulvaeus wrote songs for Swedish singer Sissela Kyle, titled "Jag vill bli gammal" ("I Wanna Grow Old"), for her stage show in Stockholm Agnetha FÃÆ'¤ltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Both ABBA female members pursued a solo career in the international arena after working with the group. In 1982, Lyngstad selected drummer and vocalist Genesis Phil Collins to produce Something's Going On and released his hit single "I Know There Something Going On" in August of that year. The single became the number one hit in France (where he spent five weeks on top), Belgium, Switzerland and Costa Rica. The track reached number three in Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Poland, and was also a top 10 hit in Germany, Italy, Finland, South Africa and Austr
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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