Mikory's ABBA-blog

ABBA 1976: TV Week January 3rd

Tour is the word for €˜'record'success in Australia

Last week we covered the Australian acts who made the Australian charts in 1975. So this week we are going to have a look at the international groups who dominated our charts throughout the same period.

Probably the group to make the biggest impression on the Australian charts for 1975 was the Swedish group ABBA. Not since The Beatles has a group achieved three singles at the one time on our charts, but ABBA did it with "Mamma Mia", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", and most recently with "S.O.S".

Not only that, it looks as if "Mamma Mia" could be the biggest selling single for 1975.

The odd thing about this group is that image wise we only know four members, the piano player, the bass player and the two female singers, but in fact when recording in Sweden the group use a lot of Swedish musicians to record their backing tracks. Session men or not, this certainly hasn'€™t stopped ABBA from becoming one of the top world sellers of today, and I would imagine that in 1976 we will still see this group dominate the charts.And don'€™t forget that there is a proposed ABBA Australian tour late this year.

ABBA 1976: TV Week 3 April

ABBA gets it on! 

Swedish pop group ABBA created a sensation with their clothes as well as their singing during their recent Australian visit.

Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog (Anna), Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) and Benny Andersson, who make up ABBA, brought with them over $30,000 worth of tailored outfits.

They had the clothes, pictured here, especially made for the Bandstand special they recorded during their nine-day visit to Sydney and Melbourne.

As well as recording in the TCN9 studios, the group also visited renowned Sydney beauty spots and filmed segments to be made into a show for international release.

Overseas countries will see ABBA cruising up the Hawkesbury River, taking a trip on Sydney Harbour, and visiting the koala sanctuary at Bobbin Head.

While ABBA were in Australia they also appeared on The Don Lane Show and Celebrity Squares.

The group will return to Australia in November for a concert tour.

ABBA 1975: TV-Week 15 Nov 1975

Samuel Inglles has provided me with lots of great old articles from Australia. I will publish them here, so keep coming back. Here's the first one:

TV Week – 15 November 1975 (Page 27) 

Meldrum’s Humdrum

ABBA - Australian success. By Ian Meldrum

Without a doubt the most successful group to make it on the Australian national charts this year just has to be the Swedish group ABBA because over the past three months they have come out of nowhere with a single titled "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do".

It shot into No.1 and then they had the audacity to release another almost at the same time titled "Mamma Mia" and shoot it to No.1 replacing "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do".

In fact on the top Melbourne charts 3XY, they are holding the No.1 and 2 positions. And what’s even more astonishing, the recording company RCA Records announced this week that they have released ABBA’s English and American hit "S.O.S." for the Christmas period…which could very well mean that within four weeks we could see ABBA on the national top ten with three hits.

Photo: Here’s ABBA, the great Swedish group we’re hearing so much of.

Björn attended Mamma Mia! in Essen

Annika in Germany were present when Björn attended the opening of "Mamma Mia!" in Essen on 6 May 2007. She was kind and sent me these pictures of Björn who just turned 62 years old. Here's what Annika has to tell us: 

"I first saw Björn when he left the rehersal at 3 pm, but he got into the car so quickly that I didn't even have a chance to get my camera out. Then I saw him again when he arrived at the blue carpet. Finally, I saw him for a third time after the show, when he got out of the theatre through a side door. The drivers, who were waiting there gave me some really good tips when and where to wait ;) Despite the bodyguards I managed to ask Björn "Could you sign this, please". After he had signes my scrapbook, I stuttered a "Tack så mycket" and he said "Varsågod". I think he was a little confused that I spoke Swedish all of a sudden ;) Anyway, it was a great event for me and I hope to meet him again in the future."

Annika took some more pics and you will find four more in the Björn Photo Album.

Frida, Twist In The Dark video

Here are some great pictures of Frida from the making of the video for "Twist In The Dark" in 1984. I hope you will enjoy them, I had never seen them before. Thanks to the friend who sent them to me.