Mikory's ABBA-blog

New ABBA book 2014!

Official news from abbasite. com:

We are delighted to announce the production of the first major official photographic book on ABBA. This 400-page book will feature iconic images of the band, unseen shots by leading professional photographers of the era, as well as a selection of private pictures. The title is ABBA – THE PHOTO ALBUM.

Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid are contributing with their foreword and providing comments and personal insights to accompany the 500 classic, rare and previously unseen images in the book that document the complete story of the band.

The book’s images will document the early years, the formation and rise in popularity of the group, the international breakthrough performance at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton and subsequent global superstardom. The book will also feature photographs that provide insight into the four band members’ subsequent careers, including the international success of the musicals Chess and Mamma Mia.

We have chosen to work with Max Ström, one of Europes finest illustrated publishers, to produce the book. The book will be created by the award-winning picture editor Bengt Wanselius and the text is written by Petter Karlsson, one of Sweden’s most talented writers. They have so far gone through more than 20,000 pictures to find the best for the book!

ABBA The Photo Album will be published in April 2014, marking precisely 40 years to the month since the band’s international career was launched by its winning performance of Waterloo at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

It will be a great book and we can promise you pictures you’ve never seen before!

New ABBA Book "ABBA By Micke"

A German fan, Micke Bayart, has written a new fan book about ABBA. You can read more about his book and how to order it on his web page abbabymicke.com.

Revised verison of "From ABBA to Mamma Mia!"

Premium Publishing is presenting a new revised version of their book "From ABBA to Mamma Mia!" in January 2010.

Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid were the biggest global pop phenomenon of the 1970s. Their 1974 Eurovision win led to an unbroken string of hits around the world, and in recent years their music has enjoyed an unparalleled revival with the bestselling compilation ABBA Gold and the phenomenal success of the musical Mamma Mia! – based on ABBA's songs.

Despite their global fame and the continuing fascination with all things ABBA, since their split the group have never given their blessing to an official book – until now.

From ABBA to Mamma Mia! features more than 500 photographs taken by Anders Hanser, a close friend of the band who has had unprecedented access over more than twenty years. Where other books have only been able to portray the public face of ABBA, this book is a snapshot of life with ABBA behind closed doors: relaxing in a private jet between US shows, departing from Wembley Arena by limo surrounded by fans, and backstage at the video shoot for ’Super Trouper’.

The authoritative text is by Carl Magnus Palm, recognized as one of the world's fore-most ABBA historians, who has worked closely with the group and interviewed many of their entourage, including costume designers, sound engineers and video directors. He paints a complete and vivid portrait of the world within ABBA's inner circle of friends and colleagues.

Official, definitive and essential, and with a foreword by the four band members themselves, From ABBA to Mamma Mia! is every fan's dream book.

• In English
• Hardbound cartonnage
• 264 pages
• Illustrated in colour
• Size 280 x 226 mm
• ISBN 978-91-89136-62-5

New book: "ABBA in America"

The excellent pop/rock photo publisher Premium Publishing will publish a new ABBA book in January 2010. "ABBA in America - a pictorial travelouge" is the title.

This was going to be ABBA's last big tour, their last live performace as a group on the world stages. The US tour in fall of 1979 and the Japan tour during winter/spring 1980 became a triumphant tour for Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni.Frid.

Journalist Leif Schulman and royal photographer Charles Hammarsten covered this tour for the weekly magazine "Hänt i Veckan". The intention was to make a book about the US tour. It became an unbeatable adventure for ABBA, but also for Leif and Charles who closely got the privilege to closely observe how our country's biggest music export finally conquered America.

Today the book meets a new audience. The original book has been completely rewritten and lots of colour photos have been added - all presented in a fresh, modern design. A book that focuses on the American adventure but also takes the reader on a special experience with ABBA in Japan. It was in Japan ABBA were on stage together for the last time...

The book will be available in both Swedish and English.

Facts about the English book:

• In English
• Hard cover laminated
• 148 pages
• Size 230 x 280 mm
• ISBN 978-91-89136-65-6

Thanks to Greg in Australia for the information.

ABBA Let The Music Speak

Samuel Ingless was very kind and sent me a copy of the ABBA book "ABBA Let The Music Speak". An extraordinary analytic book about ABBA's music. Here's an article from The Herald Sun, from 19 April 2009

The Sun-Herald (Sydney) – Sunday, 19 April 2009 (Page 23) 

Thank you for ABBA music book. By Christine Sams – Entertainment Reporter

It’s the secret behind why we still love ABBA songs - and it goes beyond the glamorous white suits and cheeky dance numbers. 

Not only do many of the songs have a simple but a striking chord structure based on variations of do-re-mi, but the choruses are purposefully repetitive so people always remember the song names. 

“The titles of all the ABBA songs were always the actual hook as well – that was one of their secrets,” said Christopher Patrick, who has spent four years researching the structure of ABBA’s music. 

The musicologist, who is based in Brisbane, is one of the first people in the world to provide an expert study of ABBA’s songs. 

“My hope is to basically make both a lay person and the serious musician know what makes ABBA work and why,” said Mr Patrick. “Of course there is a divine simplicity about it. Sometimes the melodies themselves might seem quite straightforward, but the arrangements and the production are quite intricate. That’s what makes the songs stand the test of time.” 

Mr Patrick’s new book ‘ABBA: Let The Music Speak’ has the potential to be read by millions of ABBA fans worldwide, such is the popularity of the Swedish pop group. 

Some internet fan sites are already recommending it. And it seems at least two of the band may have checked out the research: “Both Benny [Andersson] and Björn [Ulvaeus] both have a copy.” 

Photo: Björn again…musicologist Christopher Patrick with his book analysing the structure of ABBA’s music.

The POSTER book

For us Swedish ABBA fans, who suffered an almost complete silence of ABBA related stories in the newspapers and any other publications, the POSTER magazine came as a big relief.
     Now POSTER's importance has been revealed in a great book from Premium Publishing. It is interesting to know that neither Stikkan Anderson, nor ABBA were that interested in being portrayed in the magazine. ABBA, because they were struggeling to get accpeted as part of the Swedish music culture and Stikkan, for not getting any money out of it. Many of the posters published in POSTER were taken by Bubi Heilemann, the German photographer.
     There is now a book available about POSTER's history. It's a nice colour book that even includes a  poster of  Agnetha (see picture) and Kiss in A2 format. POSTER published no less than 2 special ABBA issues, one in 1977 and one in 1978. The book is in Swedish, but I think it's a collectable for any ABBA fan. Ten pages (plus the A2 poster of Agnetha with the lollipop) is worth it. POSTER helped the people that were teenagers in the 70's and 80's to cover their walls with great posters of their idols (even a nude picutre of Mike Tucker, member of Sweet!) who would'nt want to see that?.
    If you would like to order the book, it's available from Premium Publishing and other book webstores online.
It's a great complete work of what was "in" in the 70s and what we all put on our bedroom walls.

ABBA - The Scrapbook: J-M Potiez has done it again!

About a week ago I received my copy of "ABBA - The Scrapbook", beautifully put together by famous ABBA-author Jean-Marie Potiez (visit his webpage here). He wrote this in his foreword to the book:

"Since writing ABBA: The Book, I have wanted to create the most beautiful book published on ABBA, to pay homage to Anni-Frid, Björn, Benny and Agnetha and to thank them in my own way for all the pleasure they have given me since 6 April 1974. It is true to say that they actually changed my life! Even though they separated in 1982, the magic of ABBA lives on and their songs have the same emotional impact on me.

If since the 70s they have made the whole planet sing and dance, it is not by chance but because their music and good humour have put colour into our often grey and aggressive world. The cinema has paid them homage, their songs are sung by numerous artists and a new generation has fallen under the spell of ABBA. So allow me, through this book, to thank them in the best way I can and to share with you my passion and enthusiasm for the ABBA years!

I have put together ABBA: The Scrapbook with all my heart and energies and I wanted this new book to be a visual celebration that would take us back to the mid-70s when ABBA were performing and travelling the world with their magical music. I hope that ABBA: The Scrapbook will make you live (or relive) those wonderful times!

Thank you ABBA and thank you readers!"

Jean-Marie has definitely succeded in what he wanted to achieve with this book. It's full of hundreds of pictures, some that I have never seen. He has done a great research and I find myself going back to the book time after time finding new details I haven't noticed before.

     This book is definitely a must-have for the serious ABBA-fan. I ordered my copy from www.amazon.co.uk, right now they have a special price of £11.89, you can order it here.

Thank YOU, Jean-Marie - you really brightened up the cold, dark and snowy winter we here in Sweden are trying to get through right now.

Former ABBA stars reach settlement over script of "Kristina från Duvemåla"

     — Former ABBA stars Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson said Monday they have reached a settlement with a Swedish playwright in a copyright dispute over one of their musicals.
     In a joint statement, the two musicians and Carl-Johan Seth said they had requested the case be recalled from an appeals court that was supposed to hear it this week.

Both sides had been feuding over who wrote the script for the musical "Kristina from Duvemåla", which has been seen by more than one million people in Sweden.

Seth appealed a lower court ruling last year in favour of Andersson and Ulvaeus, who rejected Seth's claims that he was the main writer of the script.

However, both sides agreed to drop the case after reaching a settlement that made it possible to "move on as friends," Monday's statement said. It did not give other details.

Seth's lawyer, Staffan Michelson, said his client's reputation as a playwright has been "completely restored" and that the scheduled court hearing this Wednesday had been cancelled.

The musical is based on novels by Swedish writer Wilhelm Moberg, which depict the journey by Swedish emigrants to the U.S. in 1850.

ABBA, which also included singers Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, gained worldwide fame in the 1970s and early 1980s.

ABBA & Me

Robert Verbeek of ABBA Plaza fame has written a book about ABBA fandom. From his press release:

"What does it mean to be an ABBA fan? What was (and still is) the impact on someone’s life? Some subjects covered in the book are: why is ABBA so good, collecting ABBA items, creating websites, visiting fan club conventions, releasing bootleg albums, meeting ABBA, working for ABBA, editorials and much, much more.
     It's a personal book about my ABBA fandom, but if you read it, it will remind you of the effect that ABBA has on YOU.
     The book will be available in English and in Dutch (title: ABBA & Ik). It's a 15.6 cm x 23.4 cm paperback of 190 pages with a glossy full colour cover and lots of photographs in black and white. The book will be published in April 2008 and will be available through my ABBA Plaza site. The proposed price is € 18 (excl. shipping and handling).
     Are you curious yet? Feel free to read the previews here. "
     Sounds like a very interesting book, Robert. I'm looking forward to reading it.

ABBA Quotes - new book

A tiny little book called "ABBA Fakta/Citat" has beem released as a part of a series of quotes from famous icons like Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and others. The publishing company is Ikonbok, you can find their webpage here.
      Here's a couple of examples from the ABBA book:

»I had a dream and it was fullfilled when
I met Benny, Björn and Agnetha.« Anni-Frid
»ABBA will never reunite!« Benny