ABBA News Archive 2013

• Dear ABBA website visitors,
  
  after spending four great days in Augsburg with my husband Ralf, I want to say a few more words. I already sent a short message about our experience in a mass mailing to our members. A detailed report will follow in ABBA No. 72.
  
  It was an exciting time at "Wetten, dass.." and somehow like a little dream! I could talk to Björn before the broadcast and he told me he was looking forward to the bet. Markus Lanz had informed him about this before. Björn even "cracked along" with his teeth during the bet and had a lot of fun. But the fun that Björn and also Ina Müller had was so loud that I almost couldn't hear anything during the first song! This was perhaps not so obvious on TV. Luckily it went well when everyone calmed down!
  
  Ralf and I are very happy about the third place and we thank you all so much for your wonderful support! We were very happy about this. We clearly saw Friedi Kühne with his slackline bet as the bet king. He was a really great "colleague" and we wish him all the best!
  
  A big thank you goes to Maria and Klaus-Peter from the ABBA team as well, who did the updates so quickly. I was very touched when I was looking for my mails and updates on my way home to Melle and saw the updates. You are great!!!
  
  With warm wishes and greetings,
  Regina & Ralf
  

• A new interview excerpt with Frida was aired on the SVT1 TV magazine show Go'kväll yesterday. Among the guests were Mauro Scocco, who sang in the pop duo Ratata in the 1980s. Ratata recorded a single with Frida in 1987 called "Så Länge Vi Har Varann (As Long As I Have You)"; the portion with Frida and Mauro begins at 7:15. SVT1 will air an hour-long documentary on the group this Saturday, December 21 at 7pm.
  
   
  



• Here is a link to Björn's full appearance on Wetten, Dass…last night which included an interview and his participation in Regina and Ralf's funny and successful bet. In his interview with host Markus Lanz, and speaking in fluent German, Björn said that the four members of ABBA had met two weeks ago to discuss 40th Anniversary ESC plans and had decided against a reunion.
  



• And here is a ZDF interview with Björn – once again practicing his excellent German – backstage at last night's Wetten, Dass… show. Look out for the latest issue of ABBA on the table which was given to Björn by Regina!
  
  
  

• Björn has just appeared on "Wetten, Dass…" in Augsburg, Germany where he "sponsored" Regina and Ralf's successful bet! Congratulations from your entire ABBA team, Regina!
  
  
  
  
  



• ABBA The Museum has launched a search for one chorus singer outside of Sweden for a 50-member chorus it is assembling. "ABBA The Museum – The Choir" will perform during April 4–6. The winner of the one international spot in the chorus will be flown to Stockholm and will stay at the Melody Hotel for four nights. More info and how to apply here.
  
  In an interview with Aftonbladet published today, Björn said that the choir effort is underway in connection with the 40th Anniversary of the ESC win, but in place of an ABBA reunion. "It's a complete impossibility that we will be reunited, so then they thought 'oh, let's do a choir instead'".
  
  The article and an accompanying short video interview with Björn can be seen here.
  

• German ZDF TV has put a little film about Ralf and me as candidates for "Wetten dass..." online on Youtube.
  A different film will be shown in the broadcast on Saturday.
  
  Local papers have two reports here and here (photos only).
  We already told you that Björn is a guest of the show, but not a supporter of one of the bet candidates as some of you thought. We really hope you will like our bet and have fun!
  
  We look forward to your support until the end of the show.
  
  Of course we are very excited.
  
  Kind regards
  from Regina & Ralf
  

• Dear ABBA website visitors and Fan Club members,
  
  in the next episode of the German TV game show "Wetten, dass.." on December 14, 2013 (at 8:15 PM local time) my husband Ralf and I will participate as candidates! We are not allowed to reveal what will be going on, but I may tell you it has something to do with ABBA. It's a funny bet and we really hope you will have lots of fun. Maybe you will try the bet yourself after the show!
  
  ZDF TV has now announced that Björn will be one of the guests of the show! Of course we (mostly myself) are even more excited now, but we are looking forward to the broadcast. With all the excitement, please keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well with the bet!
  
  If you can't watch the show on TV, there is a livestream on the internet!
  
  For us everything still feels a bit unreal and like a dream!
  
  With warmest wishes,
  Regina and Ralf
  

• Weekly U.S. entertainment-trade magazine Variety published an article yesterday on Benny's new project with his son Ludwig involving their bringing "The Circle" (the first opus based on the best-selling Swedish fantasy trilogy "Engelsfors") to the big screen. Production is slated to begin on March 31, 2014 through RMV Film. The article says that Benny and Ludwig are considering collaborating on the film score, which will be pop-rock oriented. Benny would supervise it, with Ludvig handling some pop songs.
  
  Benny told the magazine: "When I worked on 'Mamma Mia' I realized how much I enjoyed being involved in the film production process. It's a somewhat different experience from producing for the theatre, as the set-up for all the creative departments is much more elaborate. The big advantage, as I see it, is that once the film is in the can, your job is done! In the theatre (as a producer) you are only half way once the show has premiered."
  
  Thanks to our American correspondent Maria!
  

• Dear ABBA members,
  your magazines have all been sent out on Monday - out of Germany via air mail, of course. Unfortunately none of them seem to have arrived by now. Please have a little patience with the postal service. We really hope the magazines will arrive very soon and are looking forward to your feedback!
  

• The latest issue of ABBA , No. 71, has been published and mailed to all of our members! Our A4 size, 36-page, full colour issue is once again jam packed with all of the latest news, unique special features and rare photos. We have all of the latest on the new and interesting books scheduled to hit the market next year, new and exclusive interviews, and the conclusions of two celebrated in-depth series, among other features. Look for fliers for ABBA–The Official Photo Book and ABBA–The Dinner and Show in this mailing!
  
         
  
         
  
     
  
  
  
  Included in ABBA No. 71:
  
  
  • 8 pages of News Extra including all the latest CD and book releases; read an interview and see exclusive rare photos from Ingmarie Halling's new book "ABBA–The Backstage Stories" here and on our back cover
  • Interview with Jeppe Wikström, creative director of ABBA–The Official Photo Book
  • Interview with Janne Schaffer, ABBA’s “Man with the Guitar”
  • Exclusive interview with Bonnie St. Claire of Dutch duo Bonnie & José
    
  • Two new fan projects spotlighted in our Reader's Stories
    
  • Photo Report: Benny Anderssons Orkester, Summer 2013
    
  • Frida's Something's Going On conclusion: The Singles
    
  • The Visitors Series Finale
    
  • Our competition with exclusive prizes to be won, including Agnetha "A" Deluxe CDs, Ring Ring Deluxe CDs, other ABBA-related CDs, books and magazines, and tickets for ABBA–The Dinner and Show
    
  • Special A3 size ABBA 2014 poster-calendar featuring a rare outtake from one of ABBA's most famous photo sessions

We're glad to bring you this final issue for 2013 just ahead of ABBA's special anniversary year. 2013 has been fantastic for ABBA fans, and we'd like to thank each and every one of our members for their continuous support. We look forward to your feedback on No. 71 and a great ABBA-filled 2014!

 

November 13, 2013

• Here are some first links to Agnetha's surprise live performance with Gary Barlow last night.
  
  BBC link 1     BBC link 2    YouTube 1    YouTube 2    YouTube 3 (full performance)
  
  
  
• Unfortunately, the new interview with Agnetha was not aired on RTL's "Punkt 12" due to a last-minute programme change. RTL's "Guten Morgen Deutschland" will air Agnetha's interview next week; they couldn't give us an exact air time, so we recommend following the program regularly through next week.
  
  
• Here are updated publication dates for Agnetha's new German magazine interviews:
  
  - Das Neue (either this coming weekend or the following issue)
  - Neue Post (2 pages on Wednesday, November 20th, 2013)
  - Das Neue Blatt (2 pages on Wednesday, November 20th, 2013)
  

November 12, 2013

• Agnetha has performed on stage at London's Hammersmith Eventim Apollo tonight with Gary Barlow!
  
  
  
  The event was one of two concerts being held for BBC's annual Children In Need fundraising appeal; the charity was formed in 1980 and has raised over £600 million to help disabled children and young people in the UK. Gary Barlow is the organiser of this year's "BBC Children in Need Rocks" concerts.
  
  Agnetha arrived in London on Tuesday morning with Lolo Murray and Peter Nordahl; see a report with many photos from the Daily Mail here.
  
  There will be another concert tomorrow evening (Wednesday). Both concerts will be combined into one TV programme which will be broadcast on BBC One this Thursday, November 14 at 8pm. Tomorrow's lineup is listed here; view the gallery of photos from tonight here.
  
  
  
  
• Agnetha gave several interviews to the German press on Monday, November 4 to promote her upcoming Deluxe version of "A" at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm. The first interview appeared in Die Welt on Sunday, November 10. In the interview, and in response to a related question, Agnetha mentioned that there might be plans to do something on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of ABBA winning the ESC. She also said that she didn't know what exactly this would be.
  
  The quote was picked up out of context, and as a result, worldwide media have once again been reporting that an ABBA reunion is being considered and/or planned. However, it's worth mentioning that Agnetha did not say anything about a reunion, ABBA singing on stage, or anything related to a reforming of the group. As soon as we have confirmed news about any celebration for the 40th Anniversary of the ESC win, we will let you know immediately.
  
  Swedish Dagens Nyheter contacted Benny and asked if it was true that ABBA were reuniting. Benny told the newspaper: "It's probably best if you ask her [Agnetha]. I think that I probably would know if it was happening."
  
  Here is further information on airing and press times resulting from the November 4 interviews:
  
  
  • RTL, Germany will air a new interview during the programme "Punkt 12" at 12 o'clock tomorrow (November 13, 2013).
    
    
  • The RTL show "Guten Morgen Deutschland" will also air an interview later next week.
    
    
  • The following German magazines will also feature new Agnetha interviews: Das neue Blatt, Das Neue and Neue Post. The interviews will appear around the release of the Deluxe Version of "A".
    
    
    
    
• Swedish TV channel SVT1 will broadcast the Agnetha BBC documentary (Swedish title: "Agnetha – från ABBA till idag") on December 21, 2013 at 8pm.
  
  
• A filmed version of the "Hjälp sökes" musical will air on Swedish SVT1 on January 9, 2014 at 9pm.
  
  
• Ticket sales for the autumn 2014 season of Mamma Mia! in Helsinki start on Friday November 15 at 10am local time. Performance dates can be found here. The Finnish production will continue into the spring of 2015, with ticket sales for that season starting in spring 2014.
  
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  
  
  

October 28, 2013

• Universal has now confirmed that Agnetha's "A" Deluxe Version will be released on November 22, 2013. The CD does not include any bonus tracks or other bonus material. The DVD includes the BBC documentary "Agnetha: ABBA and after".
  
  
  

• Björn and his wife Lena attended the successful Mamma Mia! premiere in St. Petersburg. Many thanks to Dmitry Abrosimov and Dmitry Shipov.
  
  
  



• During the Swedish Film Institute's (SFI) 50th anniversary ABBA The Movie was shown as part of the ongoing festivities in Stockholm. Anna Serner, SFI's CEO, welcomed director Lasse Hallström and Benny Andersson prior to the screening and talking to both of them about the film and current ongoing projects. More about it in our next issue ABBA No. 71.
  
  
   Photo © Micke Bayart
  

• November 18, 2013 is the release date for Agnetha's CD single "I should've followed you home" (feat. Gary Barlow) with the following remixes:
  
  
  • I Should've Followed You Home (7th Heaven Radio Edit)
  • I Should've Followed You Home
  • I Should've Followed You Home (7th Heaven Club Mix)
  • I Should've Followed You Home (7th Heaven Dub)
  
  You can pre-order here. The CD single is released world-wide with the exception of the UK, Germany and Austria.
  



• On November 25, 2013 Agnetha's CD single "The One Who Loves You Now" is released in the UK. This CD single can be pre-ordered here.
  
  
  



• A Deluxe Edition of "A" will be released in the end of November (planned release date is November 22, 2013 but may be subject to change) including the CD and a DVD with the BBC documentary.
  



• Björn has given an interview for Swedish Volkswagen magazine on Monday. He has spoken openly about his past and present life. It has not yet been announced when the issue with the Björn interview will be published. Photo shooting was done in the autumn coloured Djursholm.
  
  Foto © Volkswagen magasin
  



• Members of Swedish Tourist Journalist's association have met Björn Ulvaeus at ABBA The Museum in September. This week the association has published an article of this meeting. Björn told that he invested 40 million Swedish Crowns into the museum. There have been 200,000 visitors so far, so ABBA The Museum is one of the most popular attractions in Stockholm. It is important to keep the place alive, so Björn is also involved in creating upcoming events.
  "It is important that things happen and that new things come in every year. Already today we have developed an English language course based on ABBA song lyrics."
  A real news item has come up when Björn was asked about writing something new. He replied:
  "Yes, absolutely, we have a new musical in the works. But I can't say more now."
  The tourist journalists wanted to know what is Björn's favourite trip.
  "Hard (to say). But I am just coming from Croatia. I chartered a motorboat and sailed for a week, it was unbeatable."
  



• For two years, Swedish brain surgeon Christian Brandt and his brother Carl-Johan Brandt have photographed 40 famous Swedes for a photo book called "We Can All Contribute". Also personal notes, excerpts from song lyrics and anecdotes from photo shootings are put along the photos. Profits of the project go to the organization "Läkare utan gränser" (Doctors without borders). One of the persons who has been photographed for this charity project is Björn. The book will be published by Fri Tanke, which is partly owned by Björn.
  
  Special thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  



• The book "Let's talk about ABBA" by our former Belgian correspondent Stany Van Wijmeersch will be published in November. It will be released in English and Dutch language.
  



• Prior to the "Ring Ring" 40th anniversary release, ABBA The Museum arranged its first Pop Talk session in order to commemorate and to learn more on the group's first album from 1973. The guests invited had a close connection to it and the museum's CEO Mattias Hansson talked to Owe Sandström, Janne Schaffer, Carl Magnus Palm and Claes af Geijerstam about how things were back in 1973 and what the Swedish music business was like. The event was filled with videoclips, songs being played and lots of personal memories of every guest.
  
  The overall experience of the "Ring Ring" album, according to Palm, is that one of a joyous album, somewhat messy yet full of energy - with the overall question of where these four individuals would be musically heading together to. He also pointed out that it marks a milestone in Swedish music history because of its Wall of Sound, which until then was only heard on American records. Claes af Geijerstam, who actually beat the quartet in the 1973 Swedish heat of the Eurovision Song Contest with his group "Malta", pointed out that the four didn't have that special sound during the TV performance when trying to represent Sweden in the international finals. As evidence, he played the only existing sound recording from the TV show proving that the live performance and the studio recording of "Ring Ring" were sound worlds apart.
  
  Thanks to Micke Bayart!
  
  
  

• The Stockholm University College of Music Education (Stockholms Musikpedagogiska Institut, SMI) has started a new one year's education programme for musical artists. The education is grounded and developed by Kinga Szabadváry, who was part of the ensemble and understudy of Ulrika in Kristina från Duvemåla in Helsinki. Benny liked Kinga Szabadváry's ambitions and visions. Benny Andersson Produktion AB gives annual economical support for SMI and the money will be spent for developing of the education as well as scolarships (covering half of the price of the education: 54.400 Swedish Crowns) for six students.
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  

• Here is a very interesting article (in German) about the CD "Hjälp Sökes" with songs written by Björn and Benny for the musical.
  

• The fourth Hep Stars album "It's Been A Long Long Time" including two bonus tracks will be available from October 21, 2013. UK distribution is done by Cherry Red and German distribution by Rough Trade.
  Many thanks to Björn Junga!
  

• A CD by Bryn Terfel published on September 13 includes a song written by Benny: "Give Me My Song" featuring Sissel and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
  Thanks to Frank!
  



• October 25, 2013 is the release date for the double CD "André Rieu celebrates ABBA - Music of the night".
  Many thanks to Martina Wiemar!
  

• Agnetha's album "A" has re-entered the German album charts at position 28!
  



• BAO's tour agency Blixten & Co will produce Kristina från Duvemåla's return to Sweden. First the production opens at GöteborgsOperan in Gothenburg on October 25, 2014. This is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opera house there. Kristina moves to Stockholm in the autumn of 2015, but the premiere date at Cirkus has not yet been announced.
  GöteborgsOperan plans to start ticket sales in March 2014.
  The Helsinki main cast will recreate their roles in Sweden. Maria Ylipää as Kristina, Robert Noack as Karl-Oskar, Robert Nilsson as Robert and Birthe Wingren as Ulrika. Lars Rudolfsson will direct.
  
  The Swedish Film Institute is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One of the celebration events is the screening of ABBA The Movie on October 19, at 20:15 at Bio Victor in Stockholm. Benny and Lasse Hallström will attend and introduce the film.
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  
  
  

• Here is a recent interview with Björn speaking about religion and music.
  Thanks to Jörn!
  



• "Ljudet från Norden" (The Nordic Sound) is a documentary film about Yana Mangi, a Sami rock singer who lives close to the North Pole in Sweden. Benny is interviewed in the film. The film has been screened at some culture/film festivals and events.
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  

• As already reported in ABBA No. 70, the well-known photographer Bubi Heilemann will present his most beautiful, partly unpublished photos in his 2-hour multimedia show "ABBA Hautnah" (ABBA Up Close), telling exciting stories about the photos in German. The dates will follow on www.abbahautnah.de .
  



• Now available as official download from iTunes Germany, Austria, Switzerland:
  
  Agnetha Fältskog "Dance your pain away (D.U.P. RMX)"
  (D.U.P. are Peter Plate + Ulf Sommer + Daniel Faust)
  A snippet of the remix can be found on Youtube.
  
  We had so many sensational feedbacks from fans all over the world, that was so amazing! Thanks a lot!!! And thank you all for asking for an official possibility to download the mix.
  Many greetings from Berlin
  Roberto Monden, pop-out music management & D.U.P.
  



• From the official ABBAsite:
  
  Expect exciting news at 12.00 GMT on Sunday about ABBA : THE OFFICIAL PHOTO BOOK. Get a sneak preview and exclusive info on how to pre-order the strictly limited Collector's editions. The book will be published in spring next year but pre-orders of the Super Trouper Limited edition and the Deluxe edition - with amazing extra material - can be made from Sunday at 12.00 GMT (13.00 UK time, 14.00 Central European Time, 22.00 Australia Eastern Standard Time, 08.00 EST).
  Stay tuned!   #Abbaphotobook
  
  
  

• www.waterlooradio.net is an online radio completely dedicated to ABBA. They play ABBA and related music (including Frida, Agnetha, Mamma Mia!, Chess etc.) 24 hours every day! Waterloo Radio is approved by ABBA! Benny has even sent personal greetings to the station. Give it a try!
  



• The application phase for the Helsinki production of Mamma Mia! is now finished and a total of 930 people have applied for roles. 500 people will be called for the first audition starting September 30.
  



• An event called "Magiska Möten" (Magical Meetings) will take place in Norberg in Sweden on Friday, September 13 from 7 - 11 PM. One of the activities is an outdoor interview with the authors of the book "Cirkeln", Strandberg and Sara Bergmark Elfgren in the park Kärrgruveparken. The host will be Ludvig Andersson from his and Benny's company RMV Films, which is producing a film of "Cirkeln". The events of the book take place in a fictional town called Engelsfors, resembling Norberg.
  



• Peter Jöback releases a new album "I love Musicals", which was recorded at Benny's Riksmixningsverket studio earlier this year. The album includes "Pity The Child" from CHESS and obviously the first officially released studio version of "Gold Can Turn To Sand", the English version of the Kristina hit "Guldet blev till sand".
  
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  



• The concert "An Evening for Anna Lindh" on September 11, 2013 included performances by Benny, Eva Dahlgren, Loreen and Moneybrother among others. BAO have played two songs: "Bortom sol och måne" and "Saknadens rum".
  
  
  Photos © Micke Bayart
  

• On September 9 a memorial service for Swedish foreign affairs minister Anna Lindh took place, who was murdered on September 11, 2003.
  Benny played "Kärlekens Tid" accompanied by a choir and the singers Irma Schultz Keller and Anna Järvinen Palme.
  
  
  Photos © Micke Bayart
  

• The CD from the musical "Hjälp sökes" (Mono Music MMCD 032) will be released on September 4. It includes 10 tracks written by Benny and Björn and sung by Sofia Pekkari, Johan Ulveson and Magnus Roosmann.
  The songs "Svarta silhuetter" and "Själv är bäste dräng" will be performed in the SVT1 TV talkshow "Moraeus med mera" hosted by BAO member Kalle Moraeus on Sunday, September 8.
  



• Benny will perform at a charity concert for Ersta barnhospice (child hospice) at Ersta Church in Stockholm on September 7 at 4:00 - 5:30 PM. The concert features music by Lars-Erik Larsson and Benny Andersson. The artists:
  Benny Andersson
  Gustaf Sjökvist's Chamber Choir
  Julia Dufvenius (recitation)
  Jeanette Köhn (soprano)
  Patrik Sandin (barytone)
  Henrik Alinder (organ)
  Gustaf Sjökvist (conductor)
  
  Benny Anderssons Orkester are among the artists performing at the concert "An Evening for Anna Lindh" on September 11 at 6:30 - 8:00 PM in Kungsträdgården in Stockholm. It is dedicated to the late minister of foreign affairs Anna Lindh.
  
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  

• Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan writes today about the massive Kristina concert with huge choir that will be done in Jönköping on September 7. In Malmö one hundred people are rehearsing the musical right now. Alltogether there will be closer to 700 singers in the choir! The one-time-only concert includes all the music from the musical and lasts 3.5 hours. According to the paper Benny Andersson has approved the concept and "he and his representatives are following the process." They don't mention whether Benny, Björn and/or Lars will attend the concert.
  
  Concert version of Kristina från Duvemåla
  Kinnarps Arena, Jönköping, September 7 at 6:00 PM local time
  Sanna Nielsen: Kristina
  Christer Nerfont: Karl Oskar
  Bruno Mitsogiannis: Robert
  Åsa Fång: Ulrika
  Marianne Mörck: Fina-Kajsa and narrator
  Anders Eljas: conductor for Jönköpings Sinfonietta
  
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  



• Svenska Teatern in Helsinki announced on Friday that they will stage Mamma Mia! with premiere on September 27, 2014. Svenska Teatern's ACE-Production and Swedish Per.se are the local producers.
  Auditions will begin September 30. They are open for everyone, but the wish is that there would be as many Finnish born, Swedish talking/singing artists as possible. Auditions are supervised by the MM! team from London. Björn will attend some of the auditions. It is believed that also Benny will be occasionally in Helsinki. The local director has not yet been announced. But it is very likely that Lars Rudolfsson's assistant for Kristina, Maria Sid, will be involved some way also in MM! During the last Kristina performance she said that B&B have asked her for another work project with them, but could not say what it will be.
  Ticket sales begin November 15, 2013.
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  

• German VOX TV will re-air the 40-minute Agnetha Documentary "Prominent Spezial" on September 8 at 11:15 PM local time. Thanks to Peter Kauczor!
  



• A new remix of Agnetha's "Dance Your Pain Away" by Peter Plate (of the German band Rosenstolz), Daniel Faust and Ulf Sommer has been sent out as an alternate version to all German radio stations. Peter said: "It was a great pleasure to work with the single files of the song, to find a new vision of the album version and create something that is different and surprising. We all feel very honoured that we got the allowance to work on this song. We did it with a lot of fun and full of respect. Agnetha is such a great artist and we really appreciate that she and her team gave us the chance to work on this song and create something different." The remix has been cleared for airplay starting today. Please note that it is not for sale so far.
  Thanks to Roberto Monden!
  
  
  

• ABBA No. 70 has been published and mailed to all of our members! Our new issue is packed with the latest news, rare and exclusive photos, special reports about the opening of ABBA The Museum as well as Agnetha's recent activies in promotion of "A". We are proud to publish a never-before-seen ABBA photo as our poster in this issue – special thanks to Bubi Heilemann for his exclusive permission! Members will find two flyers enclosed with their issues: one about Bubi Heilemann's new project (read our article for more details) and one about tribute act "Dancing Fever – The ABBA Tribute Show".
  
  Included in ABBA No. 70:
  
  
  • News Extra including all the latest CD/book releases and news on all four members' activities
  • Exclusive: ABBA Up Close – the new mulitmedia slide show by Bubi Heilemann
  • Extensive in-depth report on the opening of ABBA The Museum with detailed accounts of all four days during opening week, tons of exclusive photos of Frida, Björn and Benny, a new interview with CEO Mattias Hansson, and contributions from our members
  • Report on Agnetha promoting her new album "A" in London and Stockholm
  • Our competition with very special prizes to be won: exclusive items from ABBA The Museum, CD single copies of "When You Really Loved Someone", and a giant promotional poster for "A"
  • A3 sized poster with a previously-unpublished ABBA photo from 1978 taken by Bubi Heilemann
    
    We hope you enjoy our latest issue and look forward to your feedback!
    
      
    
     
    
     
    
      
    
    

August 9, 2013

• Universal Germany just informed us about the World premiere of Agnetha's new video clip on Monday.
  
  "Dance Your Pain Away" Video Premiere - On Monday, August 12 at 11:00 AM German time!
  
  Agnetha plus 10 winners will be seen who managed to get their self-recorded dance clips into the music video.
  

• Here are more photos of Agnetha at Stockholm Pride this past Thursday. More photos to follow in ABBA No. 70.
  
    
  
    
  

August 1, 2013

• Here are some first photos of Agnetha's appearance at Stockholm Pride this evening.
  
  
  
  
  

July 31, 2013

• Many thanks to Maik Dünkel and Daniel Pfeiffer for sending us these photos from the current BAO Tour. BAO presented their new track "Det föll en sten från mitt hjärta" during the concert, plus a Swedish version of "I Am Just A Girl" sung by Tommy Körberg and "One Man, One Woman" by Helen and Tommy.
  
  
  



• Agnetha's new CD single can be ordered from the Universal website.
  Thanks to Andreas!
  

• "Dance Your Pain Away" has been digitally released in Germany last weekend, here is the direct link to iTunes.
  Unfortunately there will be no physical CD single.
  



• Stockholm Pride, Sweden and Scandinavia's largest Gay Pride Festival, proudly announce that Agnetha Fältskog from ABBA will attend the festival on August 1st. Agnetha will make a very special guest appearance on the main stage in Pride Park, Stockholm, where she will be presented with a gold record for her critically heralded album "A". Stockholm Pride runs from July 30th to August 3rd. Tickets are available at Ticnet.se.
  

• Agnetha's new single "Dance Your Pain Away" will be available as a Maxi CD from the UK at Amazon.de . Shipping starts on July 29 and the price is 3.49 Euros right now.
  Thanks to Thomas Stierand!
  



• Björn and Tony Roth appeared at the Visfestivalen in Västervik to the surprise of the audience. Their performance with a medley of Hootenanny Singers songs was a tribute to the late Hansi Schwarz.
  

• Today is the premiere of a new musical in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: "Para Sempre ABBA" ("Forever ABBA"). It is a musical based on the ABBA songs, the story takes place in a hotel and the cast (all of them well-known in the Brazilian musical scene) play and sing about 40 songs.
  Thanks to Carlos Nunes!
  

• The Ring Ring Deluxe Edition will be released in October. Here is the tracklisting:
  
  
  • CD:
    1. Ring Ring
    2. Another Town, Another Train
    3. Disillusion
    4. People Need Love
    5. I Saw It In The Mirror
    6. Nina, Pretty Ballerina
    7. Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
    8. Me And Bobby And Bobby's Brother
    9. He Is Your Brother
    10. She's My Kind Of Girl
    11. I Am Just A Girl
    12. Rock'n Roll Band
    
    Bonus tracks:
    13. Ring ring (bara du slog en signal) (Swedish Version)
    14. Merry-Go-Round
    15. Santa Rosa
    16. Ring Ring (Spanish Version)
    17. Wer im Wartesaal der Liebe steht (German Version of Another Town, Another Train)
    18. Ring Ring (German Version)
    19. En hälsning till våra parkarrangörer
    
    Extra Bonus tracks - early versions:
    20. Hej gamle man! / Björn & Benny
    21. There's A Little Man / Billy G-son
    22. I Saw It In The Mirror / Billy G-son
    23. Jag är blott en man / Jarl Kulle
    24. Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan / Anni-Frid Lyngstad
    25. Välkommen till världen / Lill-Babs
    
    
  • DVD:
    1. People Need Love (Vi i femman, SVT)
    2. Ring Ring (Spotlight, ORF)
    3. Ring Ring revealed (Låtarna som förändrade musiken, UR)
    4. International Sleeve Gallery
    
  
  

• Swedish Radio P2 has an interview with Benny (including music) from Sunday, June 9.
  Thanks to Egbert from Hamburg!
  

• Today German OS1 TV had an ABBA-themed programme featuring Regina as a guest in their studio.
  You can see the interview here.
  
  
  



• "We write the story" is now available from Amazon.de as a 2 track single download.
  Thanks to Thomas Stierand!
  

• BBC 1 TV will air "Agnetha: ABBA & After", a one-hour documentary, on Tuesday 11 June at 10:35pm. It will feature exclusive access to Agnetha in the studio and interviews with Björn, Benny, Gary Barlow, English DJ Tony Blackburn, Jörgen Elofsson, Peter Nordahl and Sir Tim Rice.
  



• "Dance Your Pain Away" will be the next single to be released in the U.S. from Agnetha's "A" album. It will be available for digital download only this Tuesday 28 May as a 3-track release from Amazon.com. Included will be two remixes by Smash Mode. The tracks will most likely be available only to U.S.-based customers, similar to the orchestral version of "I Was A Flower" which is only available on Amazon.de to Germany-based customers.
  



• Agnetha's pre-recorded interview with Graham Norton on BBC Radio 2 aired this morning in the UK. You can listen to it here (the interview with Agnetha starts at approximately 1:25:00).
  



• Read Paris Match's interview with Agnetha (in French) here.
  

• The final Kristina från Duvemåla at Svenska Teatern in Helsinki was a success. The original main cast was on stage and in very good form. The ensemble did and said funny things that they don't do in reqular performances. Benny, Björn and Lars (who arrived with a private flight half an hour before the show time) watched the show from the first row of first balcony, but did not go on stage at the end of the show.
  Attending the performance were Helen Sjöholm, Anders Ekborg, Anders Eljas & Wenche Myhre, Maria Sid and families of many of the actors.
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  
  
  



• The final Kristina från Duvemåla week at Svenska Teatern in Helsinki began with understudy Nina Kronlund doing the role of Ulrika. On Tuesday the whole original main cast was on duty. Some minor changes have been done due to Maria Ylipää´s advanced pregnancy. Musical director Markku Luuppala had his final day on Tuesday, the last two Kristina performances will be lead by original musical director Hans Ek. The mayor of Helsinki attended Tuesday´s performance.
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  
  
  

• A release party for Agnetha's new album "A" was held last night in Stockholm. During the party, Agnetha received the Swedish Society of Popular Music Composers (SKAP) 2013 Kai Gullmar Memorial Award, given to her by board member Johan Ekelund for "always being present and having an unparalleled position in Swedish music history and its future". Kai Gullmar is known as Sweden's first popular female composer and was one of the 20th century's most successful and beloved composers in Sweden. She wrote over 500 songs including ballads, film music and popular standards.
  
  Watch a short video of the presentation here.
  
  Agnetha is pictured below with Johan Ekelund and album producer Jörgen Elofsson. Photo © Kjell Holmstrand
  
  
  

• A 25-minute ABBA special will be shown on May 19, 2013 on German VOX TV at 10:40 PM local time on the show "Prominent". It is about ABBA's ESC victory, but also features a new Agnetha interview plus Carl Magnus Palm and Ingmarie Halling.
  

• Björn gave an interview to CBC Radio's Jian Ghomeshi (Canada) a week after the opening of the ABBA Museum. You can listen to the interview here.
  
  
• A few days after her return to Stockholm last Friday, a large number of articles and features on Agnetha continue to appear in the worldwide press, including reviews of "A". Here are some highlights from the last week:
  
  
  • Associated Press/The Washington Post (US)
  • The Big Issue (UK)
  • Belgian TV
  • Dziennik.pl (Polish news site, includes new photos)
  • NBC News (US)
  • German Vogue
  • The Sun (UK)
  • NRK (Norway)
    
    
• Amazon.de has an exclusive bonus track from "A" available for download: "I Was A Flower (Orchestral Version)". You must reside in Germany in order to be able to purchase the track.
  
  
• The streaming of "A" through digital music service Spotify features commentary from Agnetha and Jörgen Elofson in between the 10 songs on the album.
  
  
• A new French magazine dedicated to ABBA published by Nova Presse (May-June-July 2013, 82 pages) is available on newsstands in France. Thanks to Annie Legrand!
  
  

May 11, 2013

• We have posted some exclusive video clips of Frida, Björn and Benny on the red carpet at the gala opening of ABBA the Museum this past Monday on our Facebook page.
  
  

• Issue No. 2 of Företagsminnen, a periodical about Swedish business history, is dedicated to Swedish music and includes a 3-page article on Stig Anderson. The cover callout reads "Stikkan: The 5th Member of ABBA", while the article is titled "Without Stig, no music industry". The magazine is available now on Swedish newsstands and more info can be found on the Centre for Business History's website.
  
  
  
  

May 9, 2013

• Agnetha's "When You Really Loved Someone" has officially been remixed by The Alias. You can listen to the results on Agnetha's official website.
  
  
• Read the New York Times' interview with Agnetha published on Monday.
  
  

• Here are additional photos from the events of earlier this week, starting with the press conference and photo opportunity on Monday afternoon, the gala in the evening, the museum opening on Tuesday morning, and immediately following the taping of The Today Show on Tuesday afternoon.
  
  In addition to the three ABBA members, guests on Monday night included Peter and Nanne Grönvall, Ludvig Andersson, Linda Ulvaeus, Svenne and Lotta, Owe Sandstrom, Tommy Körberg, and a rare apperance by Micke B. Tretow with his wife.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

May 8, 2013

• Amid much fanfare and worldwide press coverage, ABBA the Museum (and the Swedish Music Hall of Fame) opened its doors yesterday in Stockholm. The opening was preceded by a gala VIP event on Monday evening attended by Frida, Benny and Björn in addition to other Swedish celebrities. Both Frida and Björn spoke to the press on the red carpet and signed autographs. There was no formal ribbon cutting, but the members observed a light and music show outside the museum with the rest of the invited guests.
  
  Footage of Benny's arrival can be viewed here, while more footage and comments by the three members can be viewed here, here and here.
  
  There was no live video link with Agnetha, but a short video greeting taped in London was posted on ABBA the Museum's Facebook page a couple of hours before the start of the gala. This video can also currently be seen inside the museum.
  
  Earlier on Monday, a press conference was held attended by Björn and museum CEO Mattias Hansson. On Sunday, a VIP tour of the museum was held attended by Frida and Benny, who met with fans and signed autographs afterwards.
  
  Here is one of the many articles that have appeared in the press that includes a video from the gala event. Footage can also be viewed on the museum's homepage.
  
  On opening day, Björn and Mattias were on hand at 10:00 to welcome the first museum visitors. Björn officially opened the museum with 2012 ESC winner Loreen. At about 14.00, Frida and Björn did a short interview outside the entrance with Natalie Morales and Keir Simmons of American TV morning programme "The Today Show" which was broadcast live in the United States. Agnetha was interviewed separately by Keir Simmons in London for the segment. Frida signed more autographs after the taping.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

May 5, 2013

• Here is fan footage of Agnetha's appearance at G-A-Y @ Heaven in London last night.
  
  

• Björn, Joakin Alm of ALM Equity and Michael Wolf of Swebank have bought the old Ericsson headquarters near Telefonplan in Stockholm. Their plan is to build a housing complex of several hundred flats for young people and people who want to buy their first own flat. The project is called The Brick. Björn met King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia during their visit to The Brick yesterday as part of the the King's tour around Sweden to celebrate 40 years of reign. Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  
  

May 4, 2013

• Here is another interview with Björn ahead of the museum opening on British financial website This is Money.co.uk.

• You can listen to Agnetha's interview from yesterday to BBC Radio 4 here.
  
  
• Another extensive Agnetha interview appearing in this weekend's edition of British tabloid Daily Mail is here.

May 3, 2013

• Agnetha has given interviews to the press today from inside Abbey Road Studios in London, including to U.S. morning TV programme The Today Show and to John Wilson of BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme. That interview will be aired today at 19.15 local time.
  
  

• Meanwhile, Björn's press activities in promotion of ABBA The Museum continue, including articles in the May 2013 editions of Kupé (the magazine of Sweden's SJ railways) and Traveller (the inflight magazine of easyJet Airlines).
  
  

• The next edition in the series ROCK CLASSICS, published by the team behind German SLAM Alternative Music Magazine, will be dedicated to ABBA. ROCK CLASSICS #10 goes on sale this Monday, May 6 and is an ultimate ABBA special edition with 100 pages of biographies and news, interviews, rarities and memorabilia, four posters and much more. The magazine includes a two-page feature on the Fan Club with an interview with editor Regina.
  
  The magazine will be available on newsstands in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg and can also be ordered online here.
  
       
  
        
  

April 30, 2013

• One week ahead of its opening, ABBA The Museum's website has just relaunched with a new design. A new commercial promoting the museum can be viewed on the website or here.

• Here is a roundup of the rest of Agnetha's press activity over the past week. The majority of these interviews were conducted in Stockholm in earlier this year; album reviews are also starting to appear in the press.
  
  Agnetha is currently thought to be in the UK for further promotion of her new album and a series of interviews with UK, US and other European outlets.
  
  
  • Interview in the May 2013 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly (currently on newsstands)
  • Interview in Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish)
  • Article, interview and new information in Musikindustrin, a Swedish trade site (in Swedish)
  • Interview in the summer 2013 edition of Attitude, Britain's leading gay magazine; "A" gets 3.5 out of 5 stars (currently on newsstands and available as a digital download for mobile or tablet devices)
  • Interview in British music magazine Q with new pictures; "A" gets 3 stars (currently on newsstands and available as a digital download for tablet devices)
    
    

In addition, the following two items have been confirmed:

• An exclusive interview on Australian TV Channel 7's Sunday Night Special filmed in Stockholm to air this Sunday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m.; watch a TV commercial promoting the show here.
  
  
• An in-person appearance at the G-A-Y at Heaven night club in central London at 12:30 a.m. this Saturday, May 4; wrist bands for entry available from G-A-Y Bar at 30 Old Compton Street. Ten fans will be selected to meet Agnetha in person backstage. Tribute band Björn Again are also scheduled to perform.

 

April 28, 2013

• New interviews with Agnetha can be found in the German magazine Brigitte Nr. 10 and in the newspapers Zeit Nr. 18 and Berliner Zeitung. Thanks to Susanna!
  



• There are no Agnetha appearances planned for Germany. But she will give various interviews in London and some of them will be featured in German TV programmes like Leute Heute, Brisant, Prominent etc. This is all the information we have at the moment.
  

• To all ABBA Fan Club members!
  
  The ABBA waxwork models were unveiled by Bonnie Tyler in Berlin. They will be displayed there until June 28, 2013 before going to Amsterdam. We have 2 x 2 free tickets for Madame Tussauds in Berlin to give away. All fan club members will get an e-mail with further information.
  We also got the following ticket offer from Madame Tussauds for you:
  
  Hello ABBA fans!!
  The capital becomes the "Dancing Queen" - Madame Tussauds Berlin gets the ABBA waxwork models.
  See the figures of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid until June 28, 2013 as a group of at least 6 persons and pay just 14 Euros with the booking keyword "Dancing Queen" (instead of 21 Euros) per person.
  Enjoy preferred admission without queueing.
  If you donate us an ABBA fan item as a group, you will get free admission for one additional person.
  Bookings and further infos via phone 0180-5545800 (within Germany: 14ct./min from the German network, mobile phone rate from German providers max. 42ct./min) or this link.
  
  
  

• Agnetha gave an in-depth interview to Norwegian tabloid VG Helg which appears on newsstands this weekend. The interview is by Karin Muri and features new photos by Sara Johannessen.
  
  As reported on her official website earlier this week, Agnetha also filmed an exclusive documentary for the BBC in Stockholm's Atlantis Studios last week.
  
  
  
• In addition to a CD single, a limited edition 7" vinyl picture disc edition of Agnetha's single "When You Really Loved Someone" is now available for purchase.
  
  
  
• Ahead of the HARPA (Nordic Film Composer Award) ceremony in Norway tomorrow (as reported, Benny is nominated for his score for the documentary Palme), here is Benny in a recent interview discussing the project.
  
  
  
• Here is the entirety of Frida's touching tribute to Jon Lord during Zermatt Unplugged 2013 earlier this month.
  
  
  
• Benny has launched a new film production company, RMV Film, with his son Ludvig to adapt award-winning young adult Swedish novel The Circle, the first of the Engelsfors trilogy. The novel follows six teenage girls who discover they are witches and have been chosen to save the world from an alien evil.
  
  It was originally acquired by Sweden’s Filmlance, but according to Dagens Nyheter, the authors lost faith in the project and withdrew from the production. Ludvig then read the book and suggested a big screen adaptation to his father. RMV Film will be run by Swedish producer Cecilia Norman Mardell, with shooting scheduled to get underway in early 2014. Ludvig said: “We are not interested in just standing there with the money – we will be actively involved in the work, and I think we have experiences that could be useful.”
  
  
  
• The New York production of Mamma Mia! will leave the Winter Garden Theatre and move to the slightly smaller Broadhurst Theatre some six blocks away later this year. The Winter Garden seats 1,498 people, while the Broadhurst accommodates 1,182. Both are run by the Shubert Organization. Mamma Mia! is now the 10th longest-running show on Broadway.
  

April 19, 2013

• Björn and Mattias Hansson were in Moscow on Thursday, April 18, 2013 to promote ABBA The Museum. The press conference is here. Björn also appeared on the TV talk show "Evening Urgant" on Russia's Channel One. Many thanks to Dmitry Shipov, Maria Davydov and Konstantin Ischenko.
  
  Björn's Moscow appearance followed a rushed interview with BBC One Breakfast in London this past Tuesday, April 16, after which he apologised for a slip of the tongue concerning the terrorist bombings in Boston, USA in reply to a question about how he stays in good shape. In a statement released the same day through ABBA The Museum, Björn said: "This morning on BBC Breakfast I let my tongue slip with terrible results. I feel very, very bad about it, I am truly sorry and I hope that everybody understands that it was an unbelievably stupid slip of the tongue. As everyone else I feel sorrow about what's happened and deep compassion with the victims of this atrocity."
  
  
  

• Swedish Television SVT has now confirmed that Benny, Björn and the well-known Swedish DJ Avicii have written a new anthem for the 2013Eurovision Song Contest , titled "We Write the Story".
  
  The song will be performed at the ESC in Malmö on May 18. Executive producer Martin Österdahl said the song could be described as a mixture of Benny and Björn's greatest hits plus a typical Avicii instrumental soundscape like "Fade into Darkness", adding that the subject of an ABBA reunion was not brought up by SVT.
  

• The 2013 Zermatt Unplugged music festival wraps up today in Switzerland. Frida appeared on stage on Thursday 11 April to pay a heartfelt tribute to her friend and past festival co-patron Jon Lord, who passed away last July. Frida also attended the concert of British band Morcheeba with singer Skye Edwards last night. This year's performers included Bryan Ferry, Mando Diao and Marianne Faithfull.
  
   
  
  Thanks to Michael Scheiber
  

• Björn visited Helsinki, Finland this past week for some more promotion for ABBA The Museum. On Wednesday 10 April, he watched the performance of Kristina at Svenska Teatern. On Thursday 11 April, along with Mattias Hansson and Visit Sweden, he held a press conference for ABBA The Museum at Finlandia Hall´s café. Björn said that since so many Finns visit Sweden, it is important to spread the information about the museum in Finland. When asked if was there any item from the ABBA era he did not want to give to the museum, Björn said that he had never been the collecting type, so he has given away everything that he has found.
   
  Appearing live on the Finnish morning programme "Min Morgon" the same day, Björn said that he and Benny have been very pleased with the Kristina production at Svenska Teatern. He said he will also attend the final performance on 23 May. The interview (with English subtitles) can be viewed here.
  
  When asked if the members will be attending the opening, Björn told Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat: "Agnetha will be in London promoting her new album. But the other three will all be there."
  
  Speaking with Hufvudstadsbladet (Hbl), Finland's post popular Swedish-language newspaper, Björn said that the collobration with the theatre will continue as Mamma Mia! will premiere there in September 2014, though no contract has yet been signed.
  
  
• Björn also recorded an interview for "Hjalliksen kanssa", a Finnish TV talk show hosted by Hjallis Harkimo, which airs on Thursday nights on the MTV3 channel in Finland.
  
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen
  
  
  
    
  

April 10, 2013

• Special guest Bonnie Tyler will unveil the waxwork models of ABBA at Madame Tussauds in Berlin on April 20, 2013.
  
  Many thanks to Barbara Beenen!
  

• ABBA No. 69 has been published and mailed to all of our members! We've got another great issue for you chock full of the latest news, exclusive interviews, rare photos, special features, another A3 size ABBA poster, and our competition. Of course, we have all the latest on Agnetha's brand new singles and album, including a rundown of all her promotional activities to date.
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
  In No. 69, you'll find:
  
  - Agnetha Is Back: 5-page feature
  - An exclusive interview with Mattias Hansson, CEO of ABBA Museum, with the very latest on the museum's preparations
  - Report: Björn in Berlin and Cannes, including exclusive photos from the Berlin press conference
  - Report: Premiere of of Hjälp Sökes, Benny and Björn's latest success
  - Exclusive interview with Christer Borg, author of the seminal 1977 book on ABBA, "Fenomenet ABBA"
  - Part 3 of our special "Something's Going On" feature: Scrapbook featuring rare articles and memorabilia
  - Interview with Robert Noack and Oskar Nilsson of the Finnish production of Kristina från Duvemåla
  - Our competition and member ads – win copies of Agnetha's new CD, "A"
  - Poster Special: Agnetha Rolled Posters
  - A3 size poster with a great ABBA photo from 1975
  
  We would like to once again thank all of our members for their never-ending support. We look forward to your feedback on the latest fan club issue!
  
  
  
  

• In reference to the inquiries we have received about events ahead of the official opening of ABBA The Museum, Mattias Hansson has confirmed there will be no "traditional gala" opening for the ABBA museum, but a housewarming party for the entire Swedish Music Hall of Fame with specially-invited members from the Swedish music industry on May 6th.
  
  
  
  
  
• Here is some Kristina från Duvemåla news, courtesy of Pennti Koponen (thank you, Pennti!):
  
  Kristina från Duvemåla will soon leave Helsinki. The last performance will be on May 23, 2013. All in all, over 100.000 people will have seen Kristina during its run at Svenska Teatern. Maria Ylipää has publicly announced that she is pregnant, but will continue in the title role.
  
  In February 2012, Benny told Sweden's TV4 that a Finnish translation of Kristina is complete and that it will be staged in Tampere. No announcement yet as to when and in which of the two main theatres in Tampere it will be staged.
  
  Late last year, Björn told the press that Kristina will return to Sweden in about one to two years. This year, Kulturnytt (culture news of Swedish radio), reported that GöteborgsOperan in Gothenburg would be the location, and that it would be the shortened version created for Svenska Teatern in Helsinki. Görel Hanser told Kulturnytt that "there's interest" regarding Kristina in Gothenburg, but that discussions are still going on.

March 29, 2013

• Agnetha's CD single "When You Really Loved Someone" may be ordered from www.amazon.de for 3.49 Euros!
  Thanks to Andreas Hansen.
  

• "When You Really Loved Someone" by Agnetha will now be released as physical CD single on April 15, 2013, but not in Germany. The 1-track CD single may be preordered from www.abbasite.com/store .
  






• Benny has been nominated for the Nordic Film Composer Award HARPA 2013 for his film music for "Palme". The award ceremony will take place at the international film festival Kosmorama in Trondheim on April 21.
  

• Universal Music has confirmed there will be a vinyl issue of Agnetha's new album "A". The album will be released in Germany on May 10, in the rest of Europe on May 13 and in the U.S. on May 14.
  

• Here are photos of Agnetha during the taping of Skavlan yesterday. The show will be broadcast on SVT 1 tomorrow evening. The host, Fredrik Skavlan, conducted a nice interview with Agnetha; other guests were Norwegian novelist Dag Solstad, Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen and Swedish tennis champion Mats Wilander (pictured below with Agnetha and Fredrik). Agnetha said she will be in London for 10 days to promote her new album; she will spend an extended amount of time there as she is still afraid of flying after some bad experiences and needs a few days to recover from the flight. You can watch a short clip here.
  
  Read more about the interview and see more exclusive photos in our next ABBA issue, No. 69. Special thanks to Micke Bayart!
  
   
  
  

March 14, 2013

• In response to the many enquiries we have received and in order to avoid confusion, both of Agnetha's singles ("The One Who Loves You Now" in Germany and "When You Really Love Someone" in the rest of the world) are available for download only, not as physical singles.

March 12, 2013

• Agnetha will be a guest on the popular Scandinavian show Skavlan this week. The show is being taped on Thursday and will be broadcast on SVT1 Friday, March 15 at 21.00 local time.
  
  
• Agnetha gave an exclusive phone interview to Lotta Bromé of P4 Extra radio today. Radio Sweden has a summary in English here. The summary mentions that she is booked for promotional appearances in London at the same time as the opening of ABBA The Museum. The entire interview in Swedish can be heard here.

March 11, 2013

• Agnetha's new official website is now live containing brand new photos and the video for "When You Really Loved Someone".

• BBC News has interviewed Agnetha over the phone from Stockholm about her new album. Agnetha told the BBC she hasn't yet met Gary Barlow, with whom she duets on her new album, but hopes to meet him soon as she is planning a promotional trip to the UK. Read the entire article here.
  
  

• We are pleased to bring you confirmed news regarding Agnetha's much-awaited album and single releases at this time!
  
  In Germany, Agnetha's first single off her new album will be "The One Who Loves You Now", released today, March 11, 2013. It will be downloadable from iTunes as well as other digital outlets in Germany, and radio airplay will begin as well. Other countries will see "When You Really Loved Someone" as their single release today.
  
  The album, titled "A", will be released on May 10, 2013. It will contain 10 songs. Here is the track listing:
  
  1. The One Who Loves You Now
  2. When You Really Loved Someone
  3. Perfume In the Breeze
  4. I Was a Flower
  5. I Should’ve Followed You Home
  6. Past Forever
  7. Dance Your Pain Away
  8. Bubble
  9. Back On Your Radio
  10. I Keep Them On the Floor Beside My Bed
  
  "I Should've Followed You Home" is a duet with Gary Barlow of Take That, while "I Keep Them On The Floor Beside My Bed" has been co-written by Agnetha herself at home in the countryside. The thoughtful-sounding "Bubble" aptly expresses Agnetha's attitude towards glamour and the limelight, "Dance Your Pain Away" is a rousing disco number, "Back On Your Radio" is crystal clear pop, while "Past Forever" is a piano-based track with its chorus containing something kind of like Agnetha's life motto: "What can't be broken: the kind of love that lasts."
  
  Agnetha spoke about her new album at Stockholm's Grand Hotel. In the accompanying press release, she talks about how she felt when she went into the studio for the first time together with producers Jörgen Elofsson and Peter Nordahl: "The album as such didn't worry me, but my voice really did. I had not sung for such a long time, so I must have thought: What should I do if it's suddenly gone?"
  
  "It was a good friend of mine who got all this going", explains Agnetha. "She called me and told me that Jörgen Elofsson and Peter Nordahl wanted to play a few of their compositions for me. So they came by and played three songs for me, and I just thought: 'For heaven's sake, I just have to join in'. It felt exactly like the right kind of challenge. I asked my daughter: 'What do you think? Should I do it?' and she answered: 'You should think about this thoroughly. Everything could start all over again.' The recording sessions were wonderful, but you have to face that these recordings may have consequences afterwards."
  
  Read much more of Agnetha's comments on her new album in our next ABBA Fan Club issue No. 69! We will have single artwork for you later today.

March 9, 2013

• We have received many emails and enquiries regarding Agnetha's new single and album as there has been a fair amount of confusion about it online. We will have some confirmed news for you this Monday, March 11, so please check our website then!
  

March 7, 2013

• Correction: The show Musikladen - The Best of ABBA on March 10, 2013 at 18:45 local time is not on NDR, but on Radio Bremen TV.
  
  NDR1 Radio MV will broadcast an exclusive interview with Björn on March 10 at 9:00 AM.
  
  Thanks to Ralf!
  

• Björn visited the ITB in Berlin today with Mattias Hansson to promote ABBA - The Museum. A detailed report will follow in our next ABBA Fan Club Magazine No. 69. Many thanks to Micke Bayart.
  
  
  

• The U.S. Amazon site has listed Agnetha's brand new single on its website with a release date of March 11. The listing also includes new cover artwork. The single is titled "When You Really Loved Someone". We will let you know as soon as we have more information.
  
  
  
  
  

February 14, 2013

• As many of you have probably heard, there are new promotional photos of Agnetha circulating on the web, very likely related to her upcoming album release. We have been asked why we have not published these photos on our website. The reason is simple: although these appear to be official promotional shots, we have not been able to identify the source of the photos to date as they have only been seen on Facebook and a music forum.
  
  We have asked Universal for more details and for permission to publish the photos both on our website and upcoming fan club magazine, and are waiting for news on the album and surrounding promotional activity. We appreciate your understanding and respect of our editorial discretion, particularly concerning new promotional photos that have not yet been officially identified or endorsed.

February 8, 2013

• Benny attended the dress rehearsal of Hjälp Sökes at Orionteatern last night. More photos and reports in our next issue. Thanks to Maik Dünkel!
  
    
  

February 2, 2013

• A press conference for Hjälp Sökes, Benny and Björn's newest musical project, was held yesterday at the Orionteatern a week ahead of the premiere with ensemble cast and creative team present. Two scenes were performed, one featuring the two lead male characters and one with Sofia Pekkari singing the song "Bortom Sol och Måne (Beyond Sun and Moon)". Interviews were also held with the press. More photos in our next issue. Special thanks to Micke Bayart!
  
  Here is a short video by SVT featuring short statements by Björn and Benny and the rest of the team.
  
    
  
  
  
  

January 21, 2013

• Benny won the Guldbaggen Award for Best Music for his work for Palme at the 2013 Guldbaggen awards ceremony in Stockholm tonight. Here is a clip of Benny accepting his award. Congratulations!

January 20, 2013

• In obscure cover news, Swedish heavy metal band Ghost has recorded a version of "I'm a Marionette" as the b-side to their single "Secular Haze" off their forthcoming second album. Dave Grohl, founder of the Foo Fighters and former member of Nirvana, has produced and played drums on the track.
  
  "We are Swedish, and ABBA has always been a very, very strong part of our modern musical heritage. ABBA basically took a few hundred years of traditional Swedish music and made it into pop songs. So ABBA has a deeper meaning to us," said the band in an interview. The cover will be released as a 10" vinyl single and on CD on Loma Vista Recordings, while it is already available for purchase on Spotify. Here is the studio version, while a live version can also be viewed here. Thanks to our American correspondent Maria!
  
  
  
• SVT aired "Benny Andersson och orgeln med 9000 pipor (Benny Andersson and the organ with 9000 pipes)" yesterday; the show traced the history of the organ and included Benny's full performance of "En skrift i snön" at the Piteå Studio Acusticum last October. The full programme is viewable in Sweden here, while the performance can be viewed on YouTube here.
  
  
  
• Hansi Schwarz, Björn's former bandmate in the Hootenanny Singers and personal friend, unfortunately passed away on Friday, January 11 after a long illness. He was 70 years old. Hansi was also the founder of Västervik's Visfestivalen, which has become one of Sweden's most important folk music festivals; plans are already underway for the 47th annual festival this summer. Here is a report by Västerviks Tidningen. Björn wrote a heartfelt tribute to his friend which appeared in the same newspaper the next day.
  

January 18, 2013

• ABBA GOLD is the all time best selling album in Switzerland since the album charts started in 1982. It re-entered the charts last week, is now at position 33 and has spent 278 weeks in the charts.
  Thanks to Charly!
  

• ABBA GOLD has re-entered the U.S. Billboard Charts (January 12) at number 36, which is the all time highest position for this record. GOLD is in the Top 200 for 129 weeks now. It is also number 4 in the Catalog charts with 456 weeks.
  Thanks to Ralf!
  

• Benny has been nominated for a Guldbaggen Award for the music he wrote for Palme, the recent documentary about the late Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. Guldbaggen is an official Swedish film award given annually since 1964 by the Swedish Film Institute. The awards ceremony will take place on January 21st at 8:00 p.m. at the Cirkus arena in Stockholm.
  



• The final season of Kristina från Duvemåla at Svenska Teatern in Helsinki got underway on January 4. Matilda Ambre, Maria Ylipää's understudy, played the title role; she did not use a wig. Pastor Jackson was portrayed by Swedish actor Jonas Eskilsson, who is not in the reqular ensemble. The same goes for Helen Elde, who interpreted Fina-Kajsa. A new actor also played Karl Oskar's father, but his name was not on the screens where performing understudies are announced. Here are some photos of Ambre (with Robert Noack), Elde and Eskilsson. Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  
  
  

• Agnetha's spokesperson Staffan Lindé confirmed to Aftonbladet this past weekend that Agnetha has recorded a duet with Gary Barlow, member of the hugely successful British pop group Take That, for her new album. The song has reportedly been written by Barlow. The two were introduced by mutual friend Jörgen Elofsson, who is producing Agnetha's new album.
  



• Dagens Nyheter published a new interview with Björn on December 27th about his feelings on religion and God around the Christmas season. Björn discusses his views on rituals as well as the serenity he is able to find in cathedrals and churches from his childhood. He was also photographed in Stockholm's Hedvig Eleonora Church.
  



• The Guardian published an article about the new ABBA museum on December 29th containing some new details and quotes from managing director Mattias Hansson.
  
  About the origins of the idea for a museum: "Obviously, from a Swedish state point of view it should have already been around for many years, because it's one of the most famous Swedish brands ever. We know from the tourism office in Stockholm that each and every year they receive thousands of questions from tourists about where to go to see something about ABBA, and for years they have been forced to say, 'nowhere'."
  
  About Björn's involvement: "[Björn] has taken a much bigger stake in the company, and that means also intellectually, when it comes to putting his creative mind and time into this. For certain, Björn Ulvaeus is the brightest creative mind I've ever been in the same room with."
  
  Mattias and Björn are working together on the interactive aspect of the museum experience, also drawing on Mattias' experience as an internet entrepreneur.
  
  About ticket prices (195 SEK/€23/£18.50): "Given the experience we will provide, it's a pretty fair price."
  
  About the ABBA members' involvement: "[Frida has] cleaned out her closet. In some way, all four of them will give each and every visitor an extraordinary take on the history of ABBA. They've all been filmed and interviewed for the exhibition."
  
  About whether the members will attend the opening: "I will be wondering about that until 10 minutes before the opening ceremony, because they don't usually do things together … But I cross my fingers."
  



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