ABBA News

Latest update:

• 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

• Agnetha will be interviewed on the German TV programme "Leute Heute" on ZDF TV, May 2 at 5:45 PM local time!
  Thanks to Peter Kauczor!
  



• 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.
  

• German TV SAT 1 has announced a 25 minute special about Agnetha the night from Monday, May 13 to Tuesday, May 14 at 1:30 AM local time.
  Special thanks to Peter Kauczor!
  

• 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.
  

• The ABBA tribute show "ABBA Fever" will take place at the Schlosspark Bad Bentheim in Germany on June 28, 2013 at 9:00 PM local time.
  






• "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.
  

• The ABBA tribute show "Dancing Queen" will take place on August 30, 2013 at 8:00 PM local time at the Berlin Tierpark in Germany. Tickets for 22 Euros can be bought via phone +49 30-51 53 14 07, from the Tierpark box office Schloss Friedrichsfelde, from all ticket agencies and from Eventim.
  

• 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."
  

• German TV will repeat these ABBA programmes on December 31 and January 1:
  
  
  • VOX TV: Thank You For The Music - 40 Jahre ABBA on December 31 from 20:15 to midnight
  • ZDF TV: Kultnacht - Greatest Hits of the 80's (with many artists) on January 1 from 0:35 to 3:00 AM
  • ZDF TV: Kultnacht ABBA on January 1 from 3:00 to 5:00 AM
  
  Thanks to Peter Kauczor!
  

• We wish you a very merry Christmas filled with joy and love, and all the very best for a very happy and healthy new year in 2013. A big Thank You to all ABBA Fan Club members for your great support in 2012!
  
  
  

• Many thanks to Pentti Koponen for the following Kristina från Duvemåla news from Finland:
  
  The second of the three Kristina från Duvemåla performance cycles at Svenska Teatern in Helsinki has wrapped up. The theatre has installed two large screens outside the building showcasing current and coming plays; Kristina is presented with the most screen time as it is the theatre's main production at present.
  
  During the second to last performance, the original conductor of the Helsinki production, Hans Ek, was on duty; the main cast was on stage while a few supporting roles had understudies performing. Elin was played Thilia Tamminen (who usually plays Danjel's daughter Fina) and Fina-Kajsa by Helen Elde (actress-director-painter, not part of the regular Kristina ensemble).
  
  In addition, Peter Arnoldsson first played Karl-Oskar's father as usual and many other small parts, but also put on a wig and played Pastor Jackson! Robert Noack's (Karl-Oskar) and Oskar Nilsson's (Robert) hair was styled a bit differently than before, as was Nilsson's wig during the second act.
  
  
  

• ABBA No. 68 has been published and is now being mailed to our members – just in time for the Christmas holidays!
  
    
  
    
  
  Our 36-page, full-colour A4 size magazine is as always full of news, special features, rare and exclusive photos, an A3 sized ABBA 2013 poster-calendar and great prizes to be won. We're also proud to bring you several new and exclusive interviews. In No. 68, you'll find:
  
  
  • All of the latest news and ABBA/ABBA-related releases
  • Benny at Piteå's Studio Acusticum: Full Report
  • Exclusive Interview with Caj Högberg, ABBA's 1974-75 Tour Bassist
  • Continuation of our special 30th anniversary feature on Frida's Something's Going On album – this time looking at Frida's promotional activities surrounding the release
  • Exclusive interview with Owe Sandström, ABBA's well-known costume designer
  • Exclusive interview with Tom Oliver, ABBA's "bodyguard" from ABBA–The Movie
  • Celebrating 30 Years of The Visitors, Part 3: An in-depth look at the making of the album cover plus the second part of Björn's interview from November 1981
  • More Readers' Stories from our members
  • Special Posters Series Launch: Agnetha
  • Our competition with exclusive prizes to be won: ABBA Deluxe Version CD/DVDs, official ABBA notebooks and 12 Points CDs (including ABBA's "Waterloo" in German)
  • Our Christmas gift to you: a special A3 sized ABBA 2013 poster-calendar
  
  
  We hope you enjoy our festive issue with which we close out another great ABBA year. Once again, many thanks to all our members for your support and we look forward to your feedback!
  



• Here are photos of the setup of the special ABBA The Museum exhibition at Arlanda Airport. As part of the partnership, Arlanda has also launched an online competition; participants can enter to win the opportunity to visit the storage space where the museum items are kept along with the museum's curator on Monday, February 4, 2013 at 3.00 p.m. The competition deadline is Thursday, January 17th.
  
    
    
  
  
  Above: ABBA The Museum Managing Director Mattias Hansson and curator Ingmarie Halling. Thanks to Micke Bayart!
  

• As reported in No. 67, travellers and visitors to Stockholm will soon be able to get a unique preview of ABBA The Museum at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, one of the museum's key partners. A special exhibit opens this Monday, December 17, 2012 at 5.00 p.m., during which visitors will be able to enjoy exclusive parts of the museum in the baggage hall and the Tourist Information Centre in Terminal 5.
  

• In an interview given to Reuters published yesterday, Björn repeated that the four members of ABBA would never reunite on stage musically, adding: "For the opening of the museum I cannot say. I will have to give everyone (each group member) a preview and take it from there."
  
  About the museum, he said: "We weren't entirely sure if there was going to be one, whether we wanted one, becoming artifacts and relics while we are still alive", adding: "It is such a long time ago that ABBA was active … the guy I see when I look at all the videos, on stage, it is almost that he is a stranger. It is almost that I didn't know him anymore. I thought it would be interesting to get to know him a little better."
  
  Björn also told Reuters that Catherine Johnson, who wrote the script for "Mamma Mia!", is helping to write the audio guide which will feature the ABBA members telling visitors about the exhibits.
  



• Meanwhile, the museum's website has updated its FAQ with some more information. The museum will have a membership program called "Friends of ABBA the Museum", and there will be a hotel inside the larger building called the Melody Hotel. The ticketing system will work with time slots, which means that visitors will generally only be able to enter during the time slot written on their ticket.
  

• The opening date for ABBA The Museum is Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Premiere week tickets will be available beginning this Thursday, December 13 on SJ.se, the largest train operator in Sweden and one of the museum's partners.
  

• A new BAO tour in the summer of 2013 has just been announced. Here are the dates and locations:
  
  July 18: Göteborg, Trädgårdsföreningen
  July 19: Helsingborg, Sofiero Slott
  July 20: Kalmar, Skälby Gård
  July 21: Trosa, Hamnplan
  July 24: Piteå, Norrstrandsbadet
  July 25: Sundsvall, Norra Berget
  July 26: Leksand, Sammilsdalsgropen
  July 27: Stockholm, Sjöhistoriska Museet
  
  Tickets sales start this Wednesday, December 12 on Ticnet.se.
  

• A new production of the musical CHESS will start a 6 week run in London in February, at the Union Theatre. Tickets can be bought online from Ticketsource, 6 performances are already sold out.
  Thanks to Mark Derrington!
  

• ABBA The Museum has now announced a collaboration with Spotify, a digital music streaming service available in 15 countries. Björn said in the press release: "Online music streaming is one of the reasons that ABBA has a new young audience. Now music fans that weren't even born in the 70's are listening to ABBA. ABBA The Museum will be an innovative experience – physically, musically and interactively. I honestly can't think of a better interactive music partner than Spotify."
  

• German ZDF TV had an ABBA report in yesterday's programme "Hallo Deutschland" featuring clips from "Disco" and "Starparade". The 8:53 long video can be viewed at Mediathek for one week.
  Thanks to Michael Nichelmann!
  

• Author and noted ABBA historian Carl Magnus Palm has announced he has co-produced and co-directed three different ABBA documentaries to be broadcast on SVT in Sweden over the holiday season. It is the first time in several decades that Swedish-produced programmes about ABBA will be broadcast in the group's home country. The programmes have been made for an international market and will, in all likelihood, be broadcast in many other territories. The documentaries are:
  
  
  • ABBA - Dancing Queen, covering the making and impact of ABBA's most famous song and ABBA's success story, with a special focus on the Australian phenomenon (air date: December 26, 2012 at 8.00 p.m.)
    
    
  • ABBA - When Four Became One (Swedish title: ABBA - Vägen till Waterloo), which takes a look at the pre-ABBA lives and careers of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida (air date: January 2, 2013 at 8.00 p.m.)
    
    
  • ABBA - Absolute Image, which approaches the ABBA phenomenon from a visual point of view, telling the story of how ABBA's stage costumes, album sleeves and promo clips were made and the part they played in the construction of the group's image (air date: January 9, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.)
  
  Many more details on the background and production of the three documentaries can be found on Carl Magnus Palm's website.
  



• The documentary Thank You For The Music - 40 Jahre ABBA will be rebroadcast on the VOX channel in Germany on December 31, 2012 from 8.15 p.m. to midnight.
  

• Görel Hanser has been nominated for a Tenzingpriset, a Swedish award launched by financial consulting company Tenzing in 2009 that acknowledges "behind the scenes" advisors who have contributed to a great achievement. She is the only woman to be nominated this year. The award ceremony takes place today; here is an interview in Swedish to P4 Radio's Lotta Bromé broadcast yesterday and a related article in Svenska Dagbladet.
  



• Björn has formally joined the creative team of "Hjälp Sökes", debuting on February 8th, 2013 at the Orion Theatre in Stockholm. In a press release, producer Agnes Rosenberg said: "With Björn and Benny's patented lyrical and musical creations, Kristina Lugn's poetic playwriting and Lars Rudolfsson's magical designs, 'Help Wanted' will be a unique project", noting that Björn had expressed interest in the project from the outset so it was natural for him to join the team. Rehearsals begin on December 3.
  

• Benny formally received his honorary doctorate (Philosophical Faculty) from Luleå Technical University during a ceremony this past Saturday, November 10. Three other honorary doctorates were conferred on author Margaret Kempe; Eva Karlsson, president of manufacturing company SKF; and bridges expert Tore Lundmark. Each doctorate received a special hat, ring and diploma. Parts of Benny's new composition "En skrift i snön" were sung by the School of Music Chamber Choir during the ceremony.
  
  The day before, the honorary doctors gave lectures to the university. Instead of a traditional lecture, Benny answered questions by Professor Jan Berg (see photo). He talked about his father and grandfather, both of whom played accordion, and that he had been playing music every day since childhood. He also spoke about his first hit, 1966's "Sunny Girl" with Hep Stars, and how he thought back then at the age of 20 that his future was likely in music. Other milestones he referenced were of course the formation of ABBA, building Polar Studios, CHESS, Kristina, as well as the 1987 album "Klinga Mina Klockor", which he released against the advice of many but still became a success. His comments were interjected with pieces of music he is inspired by.
  
  "Music that speaks directly to your stomach, that's what you want to keep. Sometime's it's just rubbish when writing, but when four bars turn up that speak to me, I'll know right away, thankfully. It's the selection I make that others then hear. But I don't really know how it's all done and I have to be content with that, so you have to be as well." Here is a report by Norbottens Kuriren which includes a short video interview.   Photos: Leif Nyberg
  
  
  
  
    
  



• Benny along with Helen Sjöholm, Göran Arnberg and Olle Moreaus will be performing during this year's morning celebration of Lucia (Saint Lucy) day at Uppsala Cathedral. The ceremony will take place on December 13, St. Lucia Day, and will be broadcast on SVT. The celebration will air on SVT2 at 7:00 a.m. and will be repeated on the same channel at 6:00 p.m. as well as on SVT24 at 10:15 p.m.
  



• Björn attended a tribute concert to the Hootenanny Singers given by former band mates Hansi Schwarz and Tony Rooth at the Lund City Theatre on Wednesday 14 November.
  
  In a short interview with Skånska Dagbladet given before the concert and published yesterday, Björn said that "Kristina från Duvemala" will likely return to Sweden in one to two years. He added he hasn't really thought about the Hootenanny Singers over the past 40 years as their music isn't played on the radio, and that he couldn't remember the songs well enough to sing them, even the ones to which he had written the lyrics. Surprisingly, he also mentioned that he is now working with Benny on the new musical "Hjälp Sökes" (see No. 67), debuting in February 2013 at the Orion Theatre.
  



• Björn and Görel Hanser attended the 2012 Swedish MPA Awards ceremony, hosted by Musikförläggarna (the Swedish Music Publisher's Association) at the Berns Hotel in Stockholm on November 9. The annual event honours Swedish songwriters, lyricists and composers of both popular and classical music in 9 different categories. This year's winners included "Euphoria" for Song of the Year, while pop musician Eva Dahlgren won this year's Honorary Award and DJ/record producer Tim Bergling (Avicii) won the year's International Success Award.  Photos: Ivan da Silva
  
    
  



• "Dancing Queen" was the #3 song on Belgian Radio 2's Top 70 list for this year. "Chiquitita" took the #7 spot, while the year's #1 went to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Thanks to our Belgian correspondent Stany!
  

• Agnetha met and had a brief chat with Jennifer Lopez backstage after her concert performance at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena on Monday night. Jörgen Elofsson, who is producing Agnetha's new album, co-wrote the song "Until It Beats No More" for Jennifer Lopez in 2011. Here is Expressen's short report.
  
  
  
  
  
  Photos: Tommy Pedersen
  

• Björn and Lena are donating SEK three million (app. 348.000 euro) to a research project at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, one of the world's leading medical universities. The donation will be divided over three years to finance research into blood diseases. "I'm delighted that we are to receive this donation, as it will enable us to develop and carry out new research projects," said Professor Eva Hellström Lindberg, who will be leading the project with a group of researchers. "We understand how complex these diseases are and that there is so much more for research to uncover," said Lena and Björn. "So we're particularly pleased to be able to make this very concrete contribution to the research."
  



• The Friends Arena, a new retractable roof multi-purpose stadium in Stockholm and the largest in the Nordic countries, had its grand opening on October 27th. The opening ceremony was attended by 45000 people including Björn and Lena. The theme of the opening ceremony was "Swedish Moments" and performers included Roxette, Loreen and The Hives. It was broadcast live on SVT1. Tommy Körberg performed his new duet with Danny Saucedo, "I Can See Myself With You" with lyrics by Björn, and he also performed "Anthem" from CHESS. Aftonbladet's short report includes many photos.
  



• A new premiere of Mamma Mia! took place in Moscow on Saturday, October 27th. Thanks to Dmitry Shipov!
  
  
  

• ABBA No. 67 has been published and is now being mailed to our members!
  
      
  
    
  
    
  
  Our 36-page, full colour A4 size magazine is as always full of news, special features, exclusive photos, an A3 sized poster showcasing a rare ABBA photo and great prizes to be won. We're happy to have secured a high-quality alternate shot from the 1982 photo session for "The Singles - The First Ten Years" for this issue's cover – your most requested session. In No. 67, you'll find:
  
  
  • A full report on ABBA The Museum with exclusive behind-the-scenes details and info you won't find elsewhere
  • All of the latest news and ABBA/ABBA-related releases (including new CDs and books, ABBA at Madame Tussauds, Agnetha's new album, Björn on the TV show Skavlan, interview with Björn for German press and much more)
  • Full report on Benny's new musical project, "Hjälp sökes", with exclusive info and photos
  • Exclusive interview with Peter Jöback, the Swedish star who originated the role of Robert in "Kristina från Duvemåla"
  • Report and exclusive photos on BAO's Uppsala concert this past August
  • Special feature launch: Frida—Something's Going On (including album discography)
  • Continuation of our feature on The Visitors, including an exclusive interview with Bertil Hjert about "Hovas Vittne"
  • Our competition with exclusive prizes to be won:
    • Tickets for the general rehearsal of "Hjälp Sökes" on February 7, 2013
    • Brand new ABBA merchandising – new official ABBA caps
  • A3 size poster featuring a rare unpublished outtake from ABBA's rehearsal for the "Dancing Queen" video in 1976
  We thank all members for their support and look forward to your feedback in our guestbook or via email!
  



• The release date for the Deluxe Edition of the "ABBA" album in Germany is now November 16th, followed by a worldwide release a few days later.
  



• Benny and Björn's "Du är min man", a 2004 BAO track sung by Helen Sjöholm that spent 60 weeks at the top of the Swedish charts, was recently voted the number one song in the 50-year history of Svensktoppen by listeners. Benny and Björn were presented with a cake by broadcasters Carolina Norén and Ulf Elfving. About the lyrics, Björn said: "I hadn't seen a lyric with this angle before – a woman singing about a man who feels he is a bit inadequate. My wife could have said this to me!" "Du är min man" received 38 percent of the vote, while "Guldet blev till sand" from Kristina från Duvemåla, sung by Peter Jöback, received 36 percent.
  
  See more photos and listen to short comments from Benny and Björn on Svensktoppen's page on the P4 radio website.
  

• As reported, Benny performed at Studio Acusticum in Piteå on Sunday, October 21, inaugurating the world's most modern organ. The choir of Piteå's School of Music performed the 11-minute-song "En skrift i snön" together with Benny, Orsa Spelmän and organist Gunnar Idenstam. After a break, Benny and Orsa Spelmän performed around 10 Swedish folk songs, giving an encore and receiving standing ovations from the audience. Read the full report in our ABBA issue No. 68. Meanwhile, here is a short video from SVT and a great review in Swedish by Norrbottens Kuriren.
  
  Special thanks to Heiko Siekmann!
  
    
  
  
  

• In addition to the new BAO Christmas album, a new box set of 6 CDs and 2 DVDs called BAO in Box is also scheduled to be released on November 14. It will contain a total of 87 tracks for over 5 hours of music as well as a booklet with photos, band history, member biographies and more. The CDs include previously-released material that has been re-organised thematically:
  
  - one CD with fiddle music (Spelmanslåtar)
  - one with orchestra tracks (Orkestermusik)
  - two CDs including all tracks with vocals (Sång, Helen Sjöholm and/or Tommy Körberg)
  - the "BAO på Turné" live CD
  - the "Tomten har åkt hem" Christmas CD
  
  The double DVD will feature the TV programme "10 Years of Benny Andersson's Orchestra" with live performances recorded at Helsingborg and Göteborg during the summer of 2011 as well as "Benny Andersson's Orchestra on new adventures", recorded at the Rabarber restaurant in Stockholm in 2001. The DVD contains two bonus tracks not aired on television.
  
  Please note that the new Christmas CD can be ordered separately as well.
  



• Here is the track listing for "Tomten har åkt hem (Santa has gone home)":
  Marsch Militaire / Tomten har åkt hem / Julvals / Tomtestomp / Knalle Juls vals / Tomtarnas vaktparad / Vinterhamn / Mössens julafton (När nätterna blir långa) / Trettondagspolkan / Julpotpurri / Nu tändas tusen juleljus
  



• Expressen ran an article with some new comments from Benny on the chances of an ABBA reunion or of them appearing at next year's Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. About going to ESC: "It's not on the map". About a reunion: "A reunion is incredibly far away. It has never been so far away. Light years."
  
  However, Benny was able to share that he has listened to some of Agnetha's new recordings. "It's great that she's doing it. I have listened to a bit. It sounds incredibly modern and good", he said.
  

• Benny Anderssons Orkester is releasing an album of both old and new Christmas music on November 14. The CD is titled "Tomten har åkt hem (Santa has come home)". We will post a track listing as soon as it is available.
  



• Björn has written the lyrics to a new duet by Tommy Körberg and Swedish Idol alumnus Danny Saucedo called "I Can See Myself In You". The music is by Tobias Gustavsson. The song will be released as a digital single by Universal on October 15.
  



• Benny will be performing in northern Sweden on October 21 at Studio Acusticum, a concert hall in Piteå, to premiere a new musical composition with Orsa Spelmän as part of the 2012 Piteå Organ Symposium & Festival. The centerpiece of the concert hall is a brand-new, state-of-the-art organ instrument, for which Benny was asked to compose a piece.
  
  Two days ago, he and close colleague Göran Arnberg visited the hall for rehearsals. Speaking to Piteå Tidningen, Benny said: "A couple of years ago I was asked to write an inaugural piece for the organ, and I am glad to say yes to things I have never done before. But when I thought about it, I realized I actually have no such knowledge, so I called and said it's probably not a good idea." However, the people involved in the project thought differently. "When they said I could do whatever I want and that I did not have to think about the organist, it felt easier. The result is a rhapsody story in folk music style. You can say it's a long polka of ten minutes."
  
  Asked about BAO's new Christmas CD, Benny said: "It's called 'Tomten har åkt hem' (Santa has gone home) but internally we call it 'BAO:s lilla röda' (BAO's little red one). We thought everyone else is releasing Christmas records, so we can do it as well. The orchestra is able to play things that a usual band can't do, this feels good."
  
  Benny's piece is titled En skrift i snön, Rapsodie för orgel, blandad kör, flöjt, flygel och fioler (Writing in the snow, Rhapsody for organ, mixed chorus, flute, piano and violins). The lyrics are by Kristina Lugn. The day's programme can be viewed here.
  

• Breaking Agnetha news! Staffan Lindé, Agnetha's spokesperson, has confirmed to Swedish media that Agnetha is in the studio working on a new album. Reports say the album is being produced by Jörgen Elofsson, a Swedish songwriter who has written or co-written hits for stars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson and Guy Sebastian. We will keep you informed. Here are reports from Svenska Dagbladet and Aftonbladet.
  

• The official sites for both ABBA - The Museum and the Swedish Music Hall of Fame have launched today with new information concerning the new permanent ABBA museum after today's press conference. The museum will take up the majority of the Swedish Hall of Fame at Djurgårdsvägen 68, next to the Gröna Lund amusement park and a 5 minute walk from the Vasa Museum.
  
  The building will house three permanent exhibitions: ABBA The Museum, The Swedish Music Hall of Fame and The History of Swedish Popular Music, with entrance tickets valid for access to the entire building.
  
  The new format is a continuation of the plans originally developed with Touring Exhibitions, the company originally formed to operate ABBAWORLD. Mattias Hansson is the museum's new CEO.
  
  The new opening date has been listed as sometime in April or May of 2013, and tickets will be available on the website as well as by phone at +46 771 75 75 75. Complete details can be found on abbathemuseum.com; we will inform you as soon as we have further information.
  

• A press conference to announce the plans for a permanent ABBA exhibition at the upcoming Swedish Music Hall of Fame at Djurgården will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 3 October in Stockholm. The event will be attended by Björn and the new museum concept will be unveiled at this time. Organisers have said that the ABBA members will be donating instruments, clothing and more. We will update you as soon as we have more information.
  




• ABBA Gold has been confirmed as the UK's biggest selling Compact Disc of all time yesterday, as the musical format celebrated its 30th birthday. The compilation has sold 4 million copies according to the Official Charts Company. Adele follows in the #2 spot, with her 21 album having sold more than 3.5 million copies so far.
  





• Here are the completed Madame Tussauds waxwork models of ABBA as displayed at a roller disco in the Renaissance Room at the museum's London location. The figures will embark on a world tour to other Madame Tussauds locations including Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam and Blackpool. Each figure cost £150,000 and took four months to create. After the tour, the ABBA waxworks will take up their permanent position in the Music Zone of Madame Tussauds London alongside Michael Jackson and the Beatles.
  

• A press conference was held today for the new musical "Hjälp sökes (Help wanted)", with music written by Benny and premiering at Stockholm's Orion Theatre in February 2013. Benny, playwright Kristina Lugn, director Lars Rudolfsson as well as participating actors were present for interviews and photos. More exclusive photos and a full report to follow in our next fan club magazine (No. 67).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Universal have just announced the release of the Deluxe Edition of the "ABBA" album this November. The package will include a CD with three bonus tracks as well as a DVD with 60 minutes of previously unreleased TV performances including 1976's ABBA in Australia programme, 1975's Made In Sweden - For Export, two performances from the BBC archives and two vintage commercials. There will also be a 24-page booklet with fresh insights fron Benny and Björn. The complete track listing can be found here.
  



• As reported in June, Benny has composed the music for an upcoming documentary about former Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. The music is performed by Benny Anderssons Orkester. Here is the official trailer for the documentary, which includes the song "Sorgmarsch" from BAO's O Klang och Jubeltid album. The documentary will premiere in Swedish cinemas this Friday, September 14.
  



• German digital TV ZDF Kultur will repeat 11 old episodes of "Vorsicht, Musik!" in the morning and in the afternoon starting Thursday, September 13. Frida performed "To Turn The Stone" in one of the shows, which is scheduled for Tuesday, September 18 from 6:15 - 7:00 and 14:15 - 15:00 local time.
  Thanks to Thomas Stierand!
  

• Famed wax museum Madame Tussauds is creating waxworks of the four members of ABBA to be unveiled this autumn. The four sculptures will be unveiled in the Music Zone portion of the London location before traveling to other Madame Tussauds branches around the world. The group will be captured in their iconic 1975 "S.O.S./cat" era costumes and hairstyles.
  
  
  



• Björn took part in the eighth season premiere of Norwegian-Swedish television talk show Skavlan. Hosted by journalist Fredrik Skavlan, Skavlan is the most watched talk show in Scandinavia. The episode was taped on Thursday and aired last night; it is viewable here (in Norwegian/Swedish) through October 7.
  
  
  

• A new contemporary musical titled "Hjälp sökes (Help wanted)", featuring music by Benny, lyrics by Kristina Lugn and direction by Lars Rudolfsson, will be premiering at the Orion Teatern in Stockholm on February 8, 2013 as part of the theatre's 30th anniversary celebration. Tickets will be available beginning September 17th at 12 a.m. Swedish time. Tickets will be available at the theatre, the theatre's website and on Ticnet.
  

• Frida is auctioning off a collection of designer clothing and accessories from her wardrobe through Stockholms Auktionsverk, the world's oldest auction house, founded in 1674 in Sweden. Titled Frida's Collection, and part of the house's broader Fashion & Lifestyle series, the set includes around 70 pieces consisting of dresses, costumes, footwear and handbags designed by Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, Donna Karan and others. There will be a viewing from 7 to 10 September at the auction house on Nybrogatan 32 in Stockholm, with the auction taking place on 11 September at 4:00 p.m. The items can also be viewed online via high-resolution images, and it is also possible to place bids online.
  
  Proceeds from the auction will go to a charity which will be unveiled on the day of the auction.
  
  Thanks to Anna Hamilton of Stockholms Auktionsverk!
  

• BAO performed their only concert this summer in Uppsala yesterday as part of a tribute to Swedish fiddler Eric Sahlström. Performing to an audience of about 7.000 at Vaksala Square, Benny mentioned that the last time he had appeared in Uppsala was back in 1965 with Hep Stars. Once again, the band performed several ABBA songs including "Kisses of Fire". Here is a report by Uppsala Nya Tidning (in Swedish); a short audio interview with Benny, also in Swedish, can be found here. More photos in our next issue.
  
  
  
      
  

• Benny has been appointed an honorary doctor by the Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. From the press release: "With his musical works he is top world class. For half a century he has developed an unique skillfulness crossing many boundaries when it comes to music, technique, acting and dance, which matches the philosophical faculty's profile very well." Thanks to Egbert!
  
  As noted on its website, Benny will be in the vicinity of the university in October, when he will visit the Studio Acusticum in Piteå to premiere a new musical composition (with Orsa Spelmän).
  

• A new documentary about the history of the Polar Music Prize over the last 20 years, produced by Sweden's TV4, is available for viewing here. Thanks to Carl Magnus Palm!
  
  Additionally, and in connection with the Polar Music Prize's 20th anniversary, a virtual exhibition will be launched on the prize's homepage. The exhibition will span the 20-year history of the prize as well as present Stig Anderson's founding vision for it.
  
  As a reminder, this year's ceremony will take place on Tuesday 28 August at the Stockholm Concert Hall; recipients of the 2012 prize are Paul Simon and Yo-Yo Ma.
  



• German TV Phoenix will show "Stockholm – Sommergeschichten aus Schwedens Metropole" featuring Benny on Sunday, August 19, 2012 from 11:50 AM – 12:00 local time.
  Many thanks to Petra Zufelde!
  

• From February 2013 on the musical "Mamma Mia!" will be played in Stuttgart again for 6 months. Tickets are available from Stage Entertainment.
  

• The new issue of German magazine Good Times (4/2012) shows ABBA on the cover and includes two pages with the article, two pages discography and a single page interview with Bubi Heilemann.
  Thanks to Norbert Klammt!
  

• Here are some more photos from the ABBA mini exhibition "Thank You For The Music" at the Music and Theatre Museum in Stockholm.
  
  

• With great sadness we have to inform you that Jon Lord has died of pancreatic cancer this morning, July 16, 2012. Jon Lord has recorded the song "The sun will shine again" together with Frida in 2004, he was a member of the legendary group Deep Purple ("Smoke on the water") until 2002. Our deepest sympathies go to his family.
  

• The Music and Theatre Museum in Stockholm has removed the long-running exhibition "Ensembler i Sverige" (1996 - 2011) which included the old ABBA corner built with the help of . But now there is a new mini exhibition "Thank You For The Music" to be seen until November 4, 2012! They have stage costumes from the 1979 tour and one of Frida's dresses.
  Thanks to Ralf Hendricks for the photos!
  
  

• Melanie C. and Emma Bunton (of the Spice Girls) have recorded a cover version of "I know him so well" from the musical "Chess" for Melanie's new album "Stages".
  Many thanks to Adriaan A.T. Hout from Holland.
  

• German ZDF TV will show "Die ZDF-Kultnacht" the night from July 7 to 8, 0:05 - 2:05 local time with many old summer hits, including Agnetha's "The Heat Is On" and on July 12 the "Mamma Mia!" movie (German audio, HD) from 20:15 to 21:55 and 2:35 - 4:15.
  

• ABBA No. 66 has now been published and is being mailed to our members!
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
  Our 36-page, full colour A4 size magazine is as usual full of news, special features, exclusive photos, a poster with a rare unpublished outtake from ABBA's May 1974 photo session in Spain, and great prizes to be won. We are very proud to announce that Frida has given an exclusive interview to us for this issue. In No. 66, you'll find:
  
  - All of the latest news and ABBA/ABBA-related releases (new CD and book releases, Frida at Zermatt Unplugged, Agnetha at the Marianne & Sigvard Bernadotte Art Awards gala, Björn in Sans magasin, interviews for Day 6 and European Broadcasting Union Radio, Benny at Grimstaskolan, and the latest news on CHESS and Kristina från Duvemåla)
  - Frida talks to about 40 years of ABBA, 30 years of Something's Going On and more
  - Exclusive interview with Ingmarie Halling, ABBA's "wardrobe lady"
  - Exclusive interview with Plastic Bertrand, the punk legend from ABBAcadabra
  - Behind the scenes: "Thank You for the Music – 40 Years of ABBA" VOX documentary
  - Special feature launch: The Visitors
  - More Reader's Stories
  - The last part of our series "ABBA in Spain" featuring posters published in Spain
  - Our competition with exclusive prizes to be won; this time, promotional ABBA posters from the Lois Jeans campaign plus copies (limited edition box set, CD sets and DVDs) of the new release ABBA – The Essential Collection
  - An A3 size poster featuring an alternate shot of ABBA during their visit to Spain in May 1974
  
  We thank all our members for your support and look forward to your feedback in our guestbook or via email!
  

• Between 14:00 and 16:00 local time on Sundays, German local station Osradio 104,8 will broadcast the Oldie Charts. You can vote on their website until Thursday evening. Every user has 5 votes for tracks already in the charts or newcomers, including ABBA of course.
  

• Benny along with Orsa Spelmän and concert organist Gunnar Idenstam will be playing at the 2012 Piteå Organ Symposium & Festival in the north of Sweden on October 21. Tickets are now on sale at Ticnet.se.
  



• Benny has written the score for PALME, a feature film about Olof Palme, the pivotal Swedish prime minister whose 1986 murder has never been resolved. Produced by B-Reel Feature Films, the film will be released on September 14 by Scanbox Entertainment Sweden.
  



• Benny attended the annual Spring Festival held by SKAP (Svenska Kompositörer Av Populärmusik), the Swedish association for professional composers, lyricists and arrangers, on Monday 28 May at Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel. Here is a video with a short interview (in Swedish) from that evening.
  



• Here is a newly-posted video of Benny participating in the recording sessions for the new album by Swedish singer Frida Hyvönen, recorded at Benny's Rixmixningsverket studio last fall. An older video shot during recording sessions for singer-songwriter Anna Ternheim at Rixmixningsverket, also featuring Benny, can be seen here.
  



• Agnetha attended the 30th Anniversary of the Marianne & Sigvard Bernadotte Art Awards gala at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm on Thursday 7 June. The winner of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Loreen, was honoured. Other guests included Prince Carl Philip, Carola, Tommy Körberg and other celebrities and Swedish/foreign royals. Commenting on Loreen, Agnetha said: "Fantastic! I wish her success. She is an exciting artist in every way." You can see photos in our upcoming issue, ABBA No. 66.
  

• The programme "Oldie Charts" will be aired on www.osradio.de on Sundays from 14:00 to 16:00 local time. You can vote for one song online until Thursday. ABBA are at number 15 with the Swedish original version of "Waterloo" right now. Please vote to keep ABBA in the charts.
  

• ABBA - The Essential Collection is up to number 16 on the German album sales charts. ABBA Gold has re-entered the charts at position 34.
  

• German local radio www.osradio.de will do an interview with ABBA /Regina this coming Sunday from 12:00 - 13:00 local time (you can listen to it via livestream). Of course there also will be a lot of (ABBA) music.
  

• Björn and Benny will be in Finnish TV on June 11 at 21:00 local time, in a show called En kväll med Anne och Hannah (an evening with Anne and Hannah) on the channel YLE TV5. They will talk about their friendship. The programme can be viewed on the website after the broadcast.
  Thanks to Marina Högström!
  

• A warm welcome to all our new members who have joined us since the ABBA documentary aired on VOX TV! And a big thank you for all the mails, comments, guestbook entries etc.
  The mails will be answered in the next few days.
  



• The ABBA documentary on June 2 had sensational TV ratings: More than 1 million viewers (around 12%) have watched the 4-hour show.
  

• Lars Rudolfsson and Görel Hanser have attended the final spring season performance of Kristina från Duvemåla in Helsinki. Benny and Björn were not there, the main roles were done by the original cast members, only Nöjd was played by an understudy and an alternative conductor was leading the orchestra. A new poster for 5 Euros was sold at the merchandise desk.
  Thanks to Pentti Koponen!
  

• ABBA Gold has now sold more than 5 million copies in the UK.
  Thanks to Alan and Thomas!
  

• English-language newspaper The Local reports that a rock-and-roll museum dedicated to 400 Swedish music acts that have influenced the Swedish music industry over the last 90 years - naturally to include ABBA - is being planned in Stockholm. It is unclear if or how this new museum, to be opened in Djurgården next year, will relate to the anticipated permanent ABBAWORLD exhibition, also planned for Stockholm. The new "Swedish Hall of Fame" is being privately and anonymously funded and is intended to operate as a non-profit organisation. Thanks also to Micke Bayart for the link to this report from SVT today (in Swedish).
  

• Apart from the big ABBA special "Thank You For The Music - 40 Jahre ABBA" on German TV VOX on June 2, there will be another documentation on the encrypted "Goldstar TV", included in the Sky pay-TV bundle, on June 15.
  Thanks to Carl Magnus Palm!
  

• German TV stations SWR BW and SR will show the programme "Stockholm, da will ich hin!" mentioning Benny's Hotel Rival on Sunday, May 13 at 15:30 local time. 3SAT will repeat it on May 25 at 14:50.
  Thanks to Petra Zufelde!
  

• The release dates for the upcoming compilation The Essential Collection have changed worldwide except for Germany, in order to coincide with the upcoming 4-hour ABBA documentary which will be broadcast on the German VOX channel on June 2nd. The release date for Germany remains May 25th, while elsewhere the three configurations (CD only, DVD only, or limited-edition CD+DVD) will now be released in early September.
  



• The recipients of this year's Polar Music Prize were announced today; singer-songwriter Paul Simon and cellist Yo-Yo Ma will receive 1 million kronor each and an invitation to the prize ceremony in Stockholm on August 28th. The prestigious award was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson and is usually shared by a pop/rock musician and a classical musician. The Award Committee is comprised of experienced members of the music industry.
  

• ABBA are featured in a special 50th anniversary campaign for Spanish denim maker Lois Jeans, founded in 1962. The jeans became popular in the 70s, with many celebrities endorsing the label. ABBA were photographed wearing Lois Jeans and T-shirts in Stockholm in the summer of 1975, though the website lists the year as 1973.
  

• As reported in No. 65, the German TV channel VOX will show the ABBA documentation "Thank You For The Music - 40 Jahre ABBA" on June 2, 2012 at 20:15 local time. The programme will cover the history of ABBA featuring interviews with Cindy and Bert, Carl Magnus Palm, Peter Maffay, Jürgen Drews, Marianne Rosenberg, Ingmarie Halling, Bubi Heilemann, Owe Sandström, Mando Diao and others. There is a possibility the work of will also be mentioned.
  

• Youtube has a video about the German CHESS staging in Bielefeld. Thanks to Daniel!
  

• German digital TV ZDF Neo will repeat "ABBA - Die besten Songs der legendären Kultband" on Monday, April 30 from 23:35 to 01:20 local time. The show features Carolin Fortenbacher ("Donna" in Mamma Mia! Hamburg), Wolfgang "Bubi" Heilemann, Georg Uecker, Olivia Jones and Il Divo.
  Thanks to Petra Zufelde!
  

• The four ABBA members are joining forces to sponsor a family in the Central African Republic in support of the SOS Children's Villages organisation, reports Swedish newspaper Dagens industri. Along with Polar Music and Union Songs, the ABBA members will sponsor the construction of a home for ten orphans in the town of Bossangoa.
  
  "SOS Children's Villages has a very serious and long-term approach. We were impressed by it and thought it would be nice to have a house in the village", said Björn. He has never been to the Central African Republic (CAR), but the house that will be built has inspired him to find out more about the country and possibly visiting there in the future. "It will be difficult to get all four ABBA members to go there at once. We have not talked about it, but it's something I want to do eventually."
  
  When asked about his philosophy regarding private money donations to charity, Björn said: "You have to be convinced that the money really goes where it should. That was what convinced us. This project will happen and it's real - and it's not a lot of middlemen who take away some of the funds along the way."
  
  Thanks to Carl Magnus Palm!
  

• This year's Zermatt Unplugged festival, an annual music event held in Zermatt, Switzerland and partly produced by Frida, wraps up today. Among this year's performers were Lauryn Hill and Chris de Burgh, who sang "S.O.S.". Frida can be seen taking pictures of the preparations on a balcony here, while she can also be seen at a dinner party kicking off the event in this video (briefly at 00:25 and then again at 1:35, where she talks about the evening and Chris de Burgh).
  
  Thanks to Susanna Staritz and Ursula Frühwirt!
  

• An update from Touring Exhibitions: Due to a few difficulties with the planned exhibition site in Stockholm, there is still no date for the opening. Plans are now for the end of 2012, but it is likely the opening will not take place before 2013. We will keep you posted!
  



• For the second year in a row, ABBA's "The winner takes it all" occupies the No. 1 spot on Belgian Radio 2's TOP 80 of the '80s, voted for by the listeners. "The day before you came" is at No. 15, "Super Trouper" is at No. 22, and Agnetha's "Wrap your arms around me" is at No. 28. Thanks to our Belgian correspondent Stany!
  



• ABBA Gold holds the No. 3 spot in a newly-compiled chart of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom, having sold 4.9 million copies since its 1992 release. The Top 40 list of top selling albums was compiled for the BBC by the Official Charts Company. The No. 1 and No. 2 spots are held by Queen's "Greatest Hits" (5.8 million) and the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (5 million) respectively.
  



• Dutch oldies TV channel 192 TV will air an ABBA special on Saturday 22 April. The programme will include the episode of ABBA on the Eddy Go Round Show, first broadcast in August 1975 and ABBA's first TV special outside of Sweden.
  



• Björn has written a column for the April 2012 issue of Sans magasin, the existential Swedish journal promoting secular ethics and politics. In the article (titled "Du måste finnas") and on the occasion of the new Finnish production of Kristina från Duvemåla, Björn examines the possibility of genetic pre-disposal to religious impulses and how these impulses can vary from person to person. Read the article (in Swedish) here.
  



• Björn gave a brief phone interview from Stockholm to Day 6, a Canadian weekly news magazine broadcast on CBC Radio One and hosted by Brent Bambury. Episode 73, "The End of Money", was broadcast on 14 April and examined the prospect of a cashless society, something for which Björn has previously advocated.
  
  Björn explained that he first became interested in the movement to make Sweden a cash-free society after his son Christian was robbed three times in Sweden. "Sweden is a small country," he said. "Swedish krona is a small currency and it's only used between these borders, which means we could be the first ones out. Some people are like Uncle Scrooge types who like the money itself, the coins and the bills, but they are very few. And they're getting fewer."
  
  The podcast of the programme is available for download here; the interview with Björn begins about a minute into the show.
  

• 
  Universal have announced the release of ABBA - The Essential Collection on May 21, 2012 (Catalogue No. Polar 00602527993720), which will be replacing 2001's The Definitive Collection and feature updated liner notes from ABBA historian Carl Magnus Palm. The release will come in three different configurations: a double-CD, a DVD, and a Limited Edition package featuring the two CDs, the DVD and an illustrated 28-page booklet.
  
  The DVD features all official ABBA promo clips in remastered form as well as two previously unreleased videos: "Conociéndome, Conociéndote" and "Gracias por la música" (Spanish versions of "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Thank You For The Music"). The track listing can be found on the official website.
  

• The full demo medley "From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel" from the upcoming Deluxe Edition of The Visitors aired yesterday on BBC Radio 2. Here is the link to listen to it (available through April 9). The track begins around 1:40.
  



• There has been another schedule change at SVT, and the "ABBA - Dancing Queen" programme no longer appears to be listed for broadcast this month. We will inform you should anything change.
  

• The Record Store Day web site now has a list of participating record stores in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. These stores will sell the limited edition 12" single with the Extended Dance Remix of ABBA's "Voulez-Vous" from April 21 on.
  



• The broadcast dates for "ABBA - Dancing Queen" on Swedish TV have changed, the programme is now planned for April 11 at 15:00 and April 15 at 1:30 local time on SVT World. Please keep an eye on the schedule.
  

• Swedish TV SVT1 will show "ABBA - Dancing Queen" featuring an interview with Frida and Björn about the making of "Dancing Queen" and the Australian tour on Easter Monday, April 9 from 20:00 - 21:00 local time. The programme will be repeated on April 10/11/14 by SVT1.
  Thanks to Christiane!
  

• Agnetha's performance "One Way Love" from the German TV music show "Känguru" will probably be shown on March 31 on the digital channel "Eins Festival". Here is a list of all episodes and artists.
  Thanks to Norbert!
  

• UR, the Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company, recently produced a series for Swedish television called "The songs that changed music (Låtarna som förändrade musiken)". The multi-part series takes a closer look at the last 50 years of music history by analysing the songs that most influenced its development. On one of the shows in the series focusing on music from Sweden, broadcast on 13 March on SVT2, Benny discusses how 1973's "Ring Ring" was the first ABBA song to employ the famous Phil Spector-pioneered "wall of sound" technique. The segment includes a dissection from Benny in the studio, where parts of the instruments used on the track as well as some amazing a capella harmonising from Frida and Agnetha can be heard.
  
  The programme is viewable here until 13 September 2012; visitors outside Sweden can watch the segment here (with English subtitles).
  

• ABBA No. 65 has now been published and is being mailed to our members!
  
    
  
    
  
    
  
  Our 36-page, full colour A4 size magazine is once again full of news, special features, exclusive photos, a poster with a rare unpublished outtake from "The Visitors" photo session, and great prizes to be won. Inside this issue, you will find:
  
  - All of the latest news and ABBA/ABBA-related releases
  - An interview with Carl Magnus Palm
  - A full report on the preview, press premiere and public premiere of Kristina från Duvemåla in Finland, including special fan reports and photos
  - An interview with Anne Wood, Mamma Mia! Australia's original Donna, about her new CD of ABBA cover versions
  - Part 4 of our series "ABBA in Spain" featuring a complete Spanish discography
  - An interview with Chris Norman about his work with Agnetha on the album "Wrap Your Arms Around Me"
  - The last instalment of our special feature on Super Trouper, this time about posters of that era
  - An interview with Nils Landgren, "The man with the red horn", about his collaborations with ABBA and Benny
  - More readers' stories
  - Our competition with exclusive prizes to be won; this time, copies of the new Deluxe Edition of "The Visitors" and signed CD copies from our interviewees, Anne Wood, Chris Norman and Nils Landgren
  - An A3 size poster featuring an alternate shot of ABBA during their "The Visitors" album photo session
  
  We thank all our members for your support and look forward to your feedback!
  

• With all performances sold out, Chess is the most successful musical production in Bielefeld, Germany over the last years. Though the previous musicals at the Stadttheater were also very successful, no production reached the dreamlike 100% sold out seats at all 15 performances given so far. 10,000 have seen the musical around the popular actors Veit Schäfermeier, Roberta Valentini and Alex Melcher. The next planned performances are also sold out. Therefore Theater Bielefeld will add an extra final (!) run of four more performances: Saturday, 12.05. (7:30 PM), Sunday 27.05. (3 PM), Sunday 03.06. (7:30 PM) plus Tuesday 19.06. (8 PM local time). Tickets are available at the box office, Niederwall 23 (phone +49 521/51 54 54), all ticket agencies and online from www.theater-bielefeld.de.
  

• Many thanks to Ronald Winter, who told us about an error. Unfortunately the German music TV show "Känguru" with Agnetha's appearance already aired on March 10, 2012 and the station "Eins Festival" gave us the wrong information. We apologize for the mistake. Have a look at the next episodes as one of them will have one more performance by Agnetha singing "One Way Love".
  

• An avant premiere of the Argentinian production of Mamma Mia! took place March 4 at the Teatro Opera Citi in Buenos Aires. The cast:
  
  Marisol Otero (Donna Sheridan) / Paula Reca (Sophie Sheridan) / Gabriela Bevacqua (Tanya) / Silvana Tomé (Rosie) / Germán Barceló (Sam Carmichael) / Diego Bros (Harry Bright) / Mariano Muso (Bill Austin) / Luciano Bassi (Sky) / Adrián Scaramella (Eddie) / Celeste Sanazi (Ali) / Anabella Simonetti (Lisa) / Julián Rubino (Pepper) / Mariano Taccagni (Father Alexandrios)
  
  Tickets are available through Ticketek in Argentina.
  
  Here is a nice picture of Argentinian ABBA fans outside the theatre on the day of the preview. Special thanks to Nancy Digiácomo (in her self-made 1977 tour blouse)!
  
  
  



• Jean-Marie Potiez, well-known among ABBA fans for his French-language books about the group, has just published a new Swedish cookbook aimed at the French-speaking market called "La Suede A Table (Sweden On the Table)". It features 50 traditional Swedish recipes (starters, main courses and desserts). The book also contains many beautiful photos of Sweden and Stockholm.
  
  
  

• Finnish TV has a few nice videos of Kristina från Duvemåla in Helsinki.
  

• Benny and Björn's new production of Kristina från Duvemåla opened officially to the Finnish public this evening. Tonight's guests included Peter and Nanne Grönvall, the Finnish representatives to the ESC for this and last year, as well as politicians and other dignitaries. More details, photos and reports in our next issue. Meanwhile, here is a review from Finnish newspaper Kainuun Sanomat (in Finnish), which notes that 62 000 tickets have been sold so far, with demand coming from as far as South America, Japan and Australia.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



• Last night saw the press premiere of Kristina in Helsinki. Among the attending celebrities were Anders Eljas, Gunilla Backman (Donna in the Stockholm production of Mamma Mia!) with husband Christer Sturmark, and Swedish actress Sissela Kyle. The new production is more compact; as a result, the pace of the show is faster, which should be an advantage for future foreign language productions. There was much applause during the show as well as during the curtain call, at which time Benny, Björn and Lars Rudolfsson stepped on to the stage. Before the performance, Björn stopped for a few autographs, while afterwards, Benny made time for the fans after press photos, signing autographs and posing for more photos. Actors Maria Ylipää, Robert Noack and Oskar Nilsson came out of the theatre together and also gladly posed for photos and signed autographs.
  
  Here is a report in Swedish from Hufvudstadsbladet which includes photos; Aftonbladet's report includes photos and video.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• A special private performance of Kristina took place at Svenska Teatern on Monday for guests of Helsingin Sanomat newspaper and fashion magazine Gloria, both sponsors of the production. Meanwhile, a huge promotional campaign for Kristina has begun in Helsinki, with ads appearing on buses and trams; a jumbo David Beckham advert on the corner of the Forum shopping centre has just been replaced with a full-size photo of Maria Ylipää as Kristina.
  
    
  

• German TV program "Hallo Deutschland" will broadcast a 10-minute report about ABBA's 40th anniversary on Monday, February 27. The program starts at 5.10 p.m.
  



• "Divine Discontent", the new album of ABBA cover songs by Anne Wood (Australia's Donna from 2001-2002 and 2009-2010), has now been released. The album is a jazz-inspired, stripped-down work of particular interest as it contains the first official recording of an unreleased Benny and Björn song, "The Day the Wall Came Tumbling Down", previously performed in concert by Barbara Dickson. Here is the track listing:
  
  1. S.O.S.
  2. The Day Before You Came
  3. Knowing Me, Knowing You
  4. I Wonder (Departure)
  5. Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)
  6. Money, Money, Money
  7. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
  8. The Winner Takes It All
  9. When All Is Said And Done
  10. I Have A Dream/Slipping Through My Fingers
  11. The Day The Wall Came Tumbling Down
  
  The album can be purchased on iTunes or directly from Anne Wood's website.
  

• The preview of Kristina took place last night. Finnish president Tarja Halonen was in attendance and went backstage after the performance to meet the performers and creators.
  
  
  

• Here are some exclusive photos from the press conference for the new production of Kristina in Helsinki that took place this past Tuesday, February 21 at Svenska Teatern. Stay tuned for our next issue, No. 65, for a full report on the show's opening.
  
  
  

• In honour of this year's Record Store Day, a new limited edition 12-inch vinyl ABBA single will be released on Saturday, April 21. Side A will feature the extended dance remix of "Voulez-Vous", originally released as a promo-only single in the United States and France, while side B will feature "If It Wasn't For The Nights". This special release will be pressed on blue glitter vinyl, packaged in a cardboard sleeve and limited to 5,000 numbered copies (catalogue number 00602527957302). It will be available for sale exclusively in participating stores.
  
  Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day founded in the U.S. in 2007. It is observed the third Saturday of April each year and celebrates the art of music, bringing together fans, artists, and the hundreds of independent record stores across the world.
  

• Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat has published an interview with Benny and Björn today as they prepare to launch Kristina in Finland. When asked about the supposed "new" ABBA song on the upcoming Deluxe edition of The Visitors, the men said that was an exaggeration. "It's just a demo of 'Like An Angel Passing Through My Room'. It's a good illustration of the process through which the song developed," said Benny. When asked if there would be anything more from the ABBA archives released, he said "No, thank God".
  

• Swedish TV4 aired a segment on its Nyhetsmorgon show today on the upcoming production of Kristina från Duvemåla in Finland. It includes an interview with Björn and Benny, new rehearsal footage, and comments from the main actors; a lucky theatre painter even gets her old Björn and Benny ABBA Matchbox dolls signed by the men. Watch the segment here.
  
  
  
  

• In response to the many fan and media enquiries we have received as well as widespread but misguided press coverage, please note that there is no "new" complete unreleased ABBA song on the forthcoming Deluxe edition of The Visitors. "From A Twinkling Star to A Passing Angel" is a new title given to a string of previously-unreleased demo outtakes woven into one track on the new CD, similar to the track called "ABBA Undeleted" consisting of demos which was released in 1994.
  

• Universal have just announced the release of The Visitors Deluxe Edition on April 23, 2012. It will include a demo medley called "From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel", the first previously unreleased ABBA recording since 1994. The track listing:
  
  

  DISC 01: CD 1.  The Visitors 2.  Head Over Heels 3.  When All Is Said And Done 4.  Soldiers 5.  I Let The Music Speak 6.  One Of Us 7.  Two For The Price Of One 8.  Slipping Through My Fingers 9.  Like An Angel Passing Through My Room Bonus Tracks: 10. Should I Laugh Or Cry 11. I Am The City 12. You Owe Me One 13. Cassandra 14. Under Attack 15. The Day Before You Came Extra Bonus Track: 16. From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel (demos)

  DISC 02: DVD 1.  Two For The Price Of One (Dick Cavett Meets ABBA) 2.  Slipping Through My Fingers (Dick Cavett Meets ABBA) 3.  When All Is Said And Done (Original Promo Clip) 4.  ABBA In London, November 1982 (The Late Late Breakfast Show, BBC) 5.  ABBA In Stockholm, November 1982 (Nöjesmaskinen, SVT) 6.  The Visitors TV commercial I (UK) 7.  The Visitors TV commercial II (Australia) 8.  The Singles – The First Ten Years TV commercial I (UK) 9.  The Singles – The First Ten Years TV commercial II (Australia) 10.  International Sleeve Gallery

  
  
  

• Anne Wood, who played Donna in the Australian production of Mamma Mia! in 2009-10, is releasing an album of ABBA cover songs in a few weeks. She told : "The album has a kind of late night sound, with a small band and moody arrangements." Anne also told us that Benny and Björn have given her permission to have a go at a composition that has never been recorded before: "When the walls came tumbling down", a song originally written for an Elaine Paige/Barbara Dickson collaboration album that never materialised (see No. 55).
  
  More about Anne's new album in our next issue. Thanks to our Belgian correspondent Stany!
  



• Swedish newspaper Göteborgs Posten reported yesterday that Björn will be one of the 2000 guests present at the opening of a large new business hotel in Gothenburg's Drottningtorget (Queen's Square) this Thursday, January 26th. The Clarion Hotel Post is located in the heart of Gothenburg, in the old post office building next to the central station.
  



• Björn took part in a BBC4 documentary series on the history of musicals called "The Story of Musicals" airing in three episodes this month.
  
  Episode 2 – detailing the rise of British musical talent in the West End in the 1980s – references CHESS, with Björn discussing the genesis of the musical, the reviews it received and how the end of the Cold War affected its long-term prospects. Björn jokes: "The bloody Iron Curtain had to come down and ruin the whole thing for us! So it was bad timing." Tim Rice and Elaine Paige are also interviewed, and the episode includes footage from the London and Broadway openings. You can watch this segment here.
  
  In episode 3 about the rise of the "jukebox" musical, Björn discusses the creation of "Mamma Mia!". Judy Craymer and Catherine Johnson are also interviewed. Parts of the video for "Waterloo", rehearsal footage, and footage from the London and New York opening nights are shown. "I was ready at any point to put a stop to it, if I had felt that this isn't going the right way, this is not good for ABBA", Björn said. Watch this segment here.
  

• German MDR TV will show "ABBA - Die Poplegende" on February 5 from 20:15 - 22:00 local time.
  Thanks to Ulrike Kerrinnes!
  

• Here is a link to the full presentation of the ELLE Fashion Legend Award to Agnetha and her acceptance speech. Thanks to Karin Wolters!
  

• Agnetha was given the "ELLE Fashion Legend" award by the Swedish edition of ELLE magazine during its annual gala in Stockholm last night. The award was the last to be handed out at the ceremony, and a moved Agnetha received a standing ovation from the audience. The statement from the jury read: "A brilliant superstar – one voice in a million. A fashion legend, just as stylish now as then. Thanks for all the glittering outfits. Thank you for the music. You are forever our dancing queen – Agnetha Fältskog." More pictures are available on the ELLE website here, and here is a short video of Agnetha's acceptance speech taken by a member of the audience.
  



• Benny appeared briefly in a Swedish TV documentary called "Året var 1962" (The Year was 1962) broadcast on SVT on New Year's Day. He was shown in short segments about singer Anita Lindblom and famous chess player Bobby Fischer, who won a chess tournament in Stockholm that year. The programme can be viewed here through January 31.
  

• Both parts of last year's summer concerts by Benny Anderssons Orkester can now be viewed online on Swedish web TV until February 7.
  Thanks to Ralf Hendricks!
  



• We have deleted some older messages. If you found this page by a search engine, don't miss the whole site!
  
  You will find the old messages from the last years in our News Archive 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004.