From Hänt I Veckan issue 37, 1978. Now you will be able to see ABBA on TV - twice!
The most requested TV-show in Sweden is ABBA in their own show. And now it's becoming a reality. The pressure from the Swedish viewers has been very strong, ABBA are the last to deny it. It hasn't been a matter of the group asking for too much money, though, but only lack of time.
But now, Hänt can reveal the plans for a new co-production between Swedish TV1 and British BBC. A 30-minute TV-special will be aired before Christmas.
ABBA-fans don't have to wait that long though to see their idols. In November TV1 will air the talked about show ABBA recorded with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, The show was aired in the US in May of this year as a start of the campaign of promoting ABBA as "The Swedish Super Group ABBA", which resulted in a huge success: two platinum awards for the albums ABBA Greatest Hits and ABBA - The Album, both sold over 1 million records.
So now when America has been conqured Stikkan sets his eyes on Japan.
- Things have started to take off there, he tells us at Hänt I Veckan. In June of this year no less than three ABBA-shows were shown on Japanese TV, among them the Olivia Newton-John show and now we have been invited to Japan to record an hour long show.
In the middle of November the group will travel to Tokyo, with some quick stops in the US for guest appearances on American shows.
In Tokyo the Swedish embassy will host a reception for 250 journalists, radio- and TV-people.
There will not be any concert tours this year. Maybe next year, 1979.
- We have plenty of offers and it would be impossible to do them all, says Stikkan. We have also received an offer of a Far Eastern tour that we are considering. It would include Bangkok, Hongkong, Singapore, Manila, Tokyo and Osaka. If it happens we would like to end the concert tour in Moscow.
At the moment ABBA are working hard in their own studio. A new single "Summer Night City" has already been released and the new album is expected to be available in the shops before Christmas.
The summer of 1978 has been a special time for ABBA. For the first summer in many years they have treated themselves to a proper holiday. Ever since 1974, with their big break with "Waterloo" every summer has been spent travelling around making TV-appearences abroad and most of all they have worked, writing new material for upcoming albums. In the dark recording studio ABBA hardly notices that there's summer outside. They spend up till 12 hours a day in the studio. Several times Björn has joked with Hänt I Veckan saying that he should have become a teacher instead so he would have been able to have eight weeks free every summer. That would have meant I could have been out sailing now.
This summer it was decided to plan the work so a long summer holiday would be possible. Since ABBA now have their own recording studio they don't have to wait their turn when they want to record something.
The summer has mostly been spend on the groups island in the Stockholm archipelago. Benny and Frida started their holidays with a couple of weeks in the West Indies. Agnetha and Björn has spent that time together with their children on the island.
When the weather has allowed them, they have been out sailing. Björn Ulvaeus is born and raised in Västervi and has always been keen on sailing.
Benny and Frida live their lives a little more intense and quick, In the middle of July they bought their high speed motor boat for a couple of millions. With their new boat Frida and Benny have travelled around the West coast of Sweden, from the Stockolm archipelago down to Båstad and the West cost.
Every now and then the two couples have met up at their island in the Stockholm archipelago, where Björn and Benny has made good use of the time and spent some time writing new material together. The result of these summer work we will all be able to hear, before Christmas.
Just one comment from me - Björn what were you thinking when you wore thos red short-shorts...? :D
Dear readers,
