ABBA reunite on a virtual tour for pre-millennials
mainThe Swedish pop group are back, a little older but you’d never guess.
Press statement:
The decision to go ahead with the exciting Abba avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence. We all felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time had stood still and we had only been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!
Editor’s note: If you remember Abba, you’re probably too old to enjoy this.
I thought it was an entirely female groups. And–I heard that although they sang in English that in reality they did not know a word of it.
As far as remembering ABBA is concerned. For many years a Broadway show ran called Mama Mia! which was based around ABBA songs so young people might have some familiarity. It just closed two or three years ago
They understood English perfectly. As do most Swedes.
You heard mostly wrong.
The men wrote the songs and the women usually sang the lead vocals. For a brief time they were two married couples.
Here’s a TV interview in their heyday, conversing in complete English sentences. They seem to have known a word of it or two…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFN9KHsRyw
In to-day’s climate of fake news, one really needs to use some critical faculty when “someone” tells you something before you repeat it to the world. As Robert Holmen shows, it is not difficult to verify if the members of ABBA can speak English. In addition, Nordic countries’ citizens are well known for their knowledge of English.
PS I love ABBA!
I presume this comment was in jest as, not only is Mama Mia still playing to packed houses in London (including visitors from many overseas countries), but it was also made into a very successful movie starring Meryl Streep and Piers Brosnan, amongst others. Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson also scored the musical theatre work “Chess” which is currently enjoying a short season at London’s Colosseum Theatre as well as being presented in Washington DC.
A “little older”? How about ‘senior citizens’?
Will they perchance be covering “Time To Say Goodbye”?
Just wonderful news.
Anyone who has listened to Benny Andersson’s solo Piano recordings will understand what an extraordinary gift for melody he has as a composer. The combination and quality of Anni-Frid & Agnetha’s voices has never been matched in pop music. Their reunion after 35 years says so much about the life enhancing power of music and friendship.
I cannot wait!
This is their best song, by far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dcbw4IEY5w
The arrangement of ABBA is rather saccharine but it could be arranged better for an orchestra:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA9sY7w3I8o
Re: Thank You For The Music
It is 1 of 4 songs in a 4 scene mini-musical called, ‘The Girl With The Golden Hair’ . It was performed in 1977, Australia.
Scene:
1. Thank You For The Music
– girl loves singing/music and dreams
of becoming a star.
2. I Wonder (Departure)
– to become a star she must leave home
but she has doubts about leaving
3. I’m A Marionette
– she is now a star but soon realizes that
she is being controlled by the puppeteer’s
4. Get On The Carousel
– music industry demands, photo shoots,
media obligations, …. but all she wants is
to Get OFF the Carousel
This was ABBA having a fun “go” at the music industry “police”, along with dipping their toe into the world of music theater.
ABBA were unique as they were largely self contained and managed to get heard outside of Sweden.
– wrote their own music
– wrote their own lyrics
– produced their own records
– produced their own music videos
– built and owned their own studio (Polar)
– they own and control their own music
ABBA had high level of musicality.
DJ
ABBA. They checked all the boxes:
Melody √
Harmony √
Rhythm √
Timbre √
ABBA recorded their songs in English, Swedish, French, German & Spanish. First artist to release a music laser disc in the world. First artist to release the compact disc (The Visitors) 1981 in Japan. The most amazing thing about ABBA especially Björn & Benny they can’t read or write music! Everything they did was memory based. True fact. When Mamma Mia the musical was to start they asked Björn & Benny for the official music sheets they said “ we don’t have any it’s all memory “. That’s how brilliant ABBA were and we will never see a group like this again.