LAST VIDEO FOR USA

I was just looking on the Universal Music website in the USA and saw that THE LAST VIDEO DVD will be released in USA on August 31st!

This is great news for people with Region 1 DVD players and who can only watch NTSC DVDs.

Thanks to ABBA fan Scott, Wisconsin, USA

AGNETHA SPECIAL FOR DENMARK

On Tuesday the 3 August at 23.10 (11.10 PM) AND Sunday the 8 August at 15.30 (3.30 PM) on Danish national TV station DR1, the 2004 Agnetha TV special will be broadcast. I think it will be the Swedish version since it's timed for 45 minutes and this TV station doesn't have commercial breaks.

DR1 can also be received by satellite.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Jan Bach, Copenhagen/Denmark

ABBA TRADING POINT

When ABBA - The Site was launched some time ago there was a big disappointment among many fans that there was a lack of a "swap" section in the forums. The team said that it could be possible that such a thing would come in future, but when FameStudios finished their work and all the feedback had been taken it seemed as if not much happened.

We waited and waited but nothing came. Then my idea of starting a "classified ads" system for ABBA-fans on the net began to take shape. I thought about it off and on; I asked myself why there would be a need for a site like this when there are auction sites like eBay. I though felt that it sometimes feels nicer to share your items that you might have doubles of with people of the same kind, and know that it goes "directly" to another fan. And then there was a need of something of a swapping corner - since that can't be done on eBay.

I have now finished the work with the site, and the result is "ABBA Trading Point". A place where you can join, put an ad, or respond to one already on the site. You can both put in things you've got for sale, things you want to swap or an ad for something you've been looking for for ages. Among the factilties on this site is also that you can put a picture (wow!) to your ad to make it more intresting.

I hope you who might use the site in the future will find it useful, and I hope you can finally complete your collection with that doll or that jigsaw puzzle you've been looking for. In a nice and friendly way and hopefully without horrible auctionsniping.

And everything is free of course. You register by clicking "Register" and then follow the instructions. There are 10 languages available - although the version I will keep under constant update is the English one. To add an ad is easy too. You just click "Add ad" and then you locate the approperiate category and then type in the information about it and if you want it to go for 1, 2 or 3 months. After that you can also choose to add a picture to your ad by uploading it from your harddrive.

Please ask if there's anything you want to know about "ABBA Trading Point".

http://www.allaboutabba.com/tradingpoint/ is the address.
http://www.allaboutabba.tk
http://www.allaboutabba.com

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

CHART NEWS

Charts for the week of 23-30 July 2004.

GERMANY:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - Up 3 to #74
German Cast album - Mamma Mia! - Down 2 to #12

SWEDEN:
Agnetha Fältskog - If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind - Down 11 to #60
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - Steady at #7
Agnetha Fältskog - When You Walk In The Room - Down 20 to #55
Benny Anderson Orkester - BAO! - steady at #3

FINLAND:
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring book - Up 1 to #6

DENMARK:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - Up 16 to #34 (Last week #50, previous
week unknown)

NORWAY:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - Down 5 to #13

OFF:
Australia - In Concert DVD
Sweden - ABBA - The Definitive Collection
France - The ABBA Story

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dean Scapolo, Wellington, New Zealand

ABBA STORY CD FOR UK

The ABBA Story is being released in the United Kingdom on 9th August. This is the CD & "book" hits compilation that has been released in several different languages around the world.

I found this on the HMV site:

http://www1.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=93;-1;-1;-1&sku=221317

HMV are also listing an import version for sale from next week:
http://www1.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1&sku=194654

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Charlie McNab, Port Glasgow, UK

LINKS TO MAMMA MIA! STUTTGATR PREMIERE

Here are some links to photos from the premiere in Stuttgart :

http://www.havlik.de/Dies%20und%20das/Galerie03/MammaMia/Premiere/MM-

Premiere1.html (three galleries)
http://www.havlik.de/Dies%20und%20das/Galerie03/MammaMia/Robert/MM-

Robert.html (one gallery)
http://www.ischok.de/aktuelles/MAMMA%20MIA.htm (scroll all
the way
down, there are three galleries)
http://www.mammamia-fanclub.de/PremiereS3.php
http://www.mammamia-fanclub.de/PremiereS2.php
http://www.mammamia-fanclub.de/PremiereS1.php

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Erik Menkens, Wangerland, Germany

ANOTHER WINNER TAKES IT ALL DOCO - OH JOY!

Hang on to your airsick bags, it's....

"Super Troupers - 30 Years of Abba"

"In previous newsletters it was reported that Iambic Productions gained access to film three of the four ex-members of Abba for their documentary "Super Troupers - 30 Years of Abba". Chris Hunt, Chief Executive of Digital Classics, is pleased to report that a new interview with the fourth member of the group, Agnetha, has been incorporated.

Agnetha, known as the "new Garbo", is a particular bonus to the film as she is a virtual recluse. The documentary shows the stars on and around their 30th anniversary and also looks back over their extraordinary careers. Footage includes the stars back-stage at smash west end show "Mamma Mia". Björn Ulvaeus, from Abba, is
one of the producers of this £3 million show which includes 27 Abba songs including
"Dancing Queen", "Take A Chance On Me", "Knowing Me Knowing You" and "Money Money
Money". The documentary is currently scheduled for a prime-time slot, early October
for ITV.

Furthermore, Chris Hunt will be meeting with his sales and marketing team in July to preview the film and target all potential TV and DVD customers here and overseas."

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

BBC PROGRAM EXPLORES ABBA'S MONEY

Liquid Assets
BBC3
Abba's Millions
Sunday 22nd August 8pm

A new program on BBC's digital television channel explores ABBA's money:

They came, they sang, they conquered. For a brief time in the seventies and
early eighties Abba were the super troupers of pop. From rural Swedish
beginnings to the biggest outdoor dates of the time - Rhodri Owen discovers
just how much Money, Money, Money they made.

Liquid Assets talks to those who played with the Abba members, before their
big Waterloo moment; to the UK Eurovision judge who admits to giving Abba an
embarrassing 'nil point'; and to Chocolat director Lasse Hallstrom who
exposes some of the cheap tricks they used in those infamously cheesy Abba
videos. Rhodri also works out how much of the Mamma Mia! musical takings of
£½bn, has ended up in the band's pockets.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

------------------

There's a bit more information about the Liquid Assets program at Carl Magnus Palm.com:

August 22: Broadcast of an episode about ABBA on the BBC 3 television program Liquid Assets. I am interviewed along with people like HansiSchwarz, Svenne Hedlund, Anders Hanser, Rune Söderqvist and Owe Sandström. BBC3 is only available as a digital channel, but some episodes of Liquid Assets are also broadcast on BBC1 and the cable channel BBC Prime. According to the production team, the ABBA program is likely to be aired on at least BBC 1. More details as soon as I have them.

http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/current/projectsandevents.html

Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Ian Cole, Sydney, Australia

MAMMA MIA! SCOTLAND BREAKS RECORDS!

There was a feature on Scottish TV about Mamma Mia! It has broken all box office records for the Edinburgh Playhouse which is the largest theatre (capacity) in the UK. There were interviews with the theatre manager etc. It has taked £2.5million in advanced tickets alone!

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Charlie McNab, Port Glasgow, UK

MSNBC ARTICLE

MSNBCnbc has an article on how big musicals in Las Vegas are turning it into a new sort of Boradway, and ofcourse Mamma Mia! is promenenlt featured in the article, plus it has a picture of the Mamma Mia! Vegas finale.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5426435/

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Liesbeth Lobato, Vista, California, USA

BENNY REVIEWED IN RECORD COLLECTOR

If you're in the UK, check out next month's record collector as there will probably be a review of the new Benny book "Benny's Road To ABBA".

Graeme Read
ABBAMAIL Administration

BENNY'S ROAD TO ABBA!

Nobody seems to have said too much about this important piece of ABBA-history that was recently published.

I finished reading it some time ago, and it really is essential for anyone interested in Benny's career and path to ABBA and how he became a songwriter in the first place.

The Hep Stars career can be a little complicated unless you read Swedish, as there's not been much published before in English. The chapters in BL, DS were the first more in-depth look, but this is really the complete history that you need to know as an ABBA fan (the Swedish equivalent, as I understand it, focuses on the career of the entire band, while the English version is more geared towards Benny). You can trace the Hep Stars career as it progressed.

There was so much that I learnt while reading this book, and I found it to be both readable and informative. All the key players in the Hep Stars story were interviewed for the book and there are plenty of anecedotes and background information that illuminate the whole story, plus of course, many interesting pictures that are mostly unfamiliar. There's also a full discography.

So, I would recommend this book as being essential to anyone who wants to know about Benny's pre-ABBA career and influences.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

BJÖRN BUYS A PRIVATE PLANE!

From Dagens Industri (Daily Industri) [22th July]

ABBA-Björn flies his own plane

Music maker Björn Ulvaeus has bought his own business jetplane for 55 million SEK.

The two-engined jetplane is a Cessna Citation Excel that can take nine passengers.

"The organisation for the musical Mamma Mia! is so extensive that it takes an own plane to fly to all the productions in Europe", says Björn Ulvaeus' advisor Sven Rygaard.

The maiden voyage took off this Sunday from Bromma to Stuttgart, to the première of MM.

And it is worth having a jet of your own. The head office for Mamma Mia! is in London, Björn Ulvaeus lives in Sweden and the amount of stagings are increasing all the time.

But there is another advantage to having an airplane of your own.

"It's both fun and intresting thinks Björn", says Sven Rygaard.

The airplane is going to be used for other customers than Björn Ulvaeus.

"We are actually counting on the taxi and charter flight activity to ensure longevity of the plane", says Sven Rygaard.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

MAMMA MIA! STUTTGART - ARTICLE & PICS

Check out these German language sites for pictures and words about the Mamma Mia! premiere in Stuttgart:

http://www.swr.de/lebensart/events/mammamia1/index1.html

http://www.stuttgarter-wochenblatt.de/stw/page/detail.php/769439/artikel_bildlinks_druck_stw

 
Thanks to ABBAMAILer Monique Hoevens, Tilburg, the Netherlands

CLIFF ON "THE LAST VIDEO"

My copy of The Last Video arrived this morning and very nice it is too :)

There's a nice little booklet inside with some stills and notes from the making of the video which complements the extras on the disc, but it's quite thin compared to the extensive CMP liner notes we've come to know and
respect but it's enough to for this particular project.

As you know, the disc contains the video together with the original videos for the four featured songs plus a 'making of' short documentary and a stills gallery.  First off then is the video which is crystal clear and sparkling. 

I'm no connoisseur or tech-head when it comes to DVD but this really is super clear and very sharp compared to a lot of what's in my collection so a good job has been done with the mastering and compression and intelligent sounding things like that. 

The one big disappointment is that the film was shot in 16:9 TV widescreen but it's presented at in 4:3 letterbox format which means you have to zoom the picture with a resulting loss of quality.  Given how clear the video is it's not too bad when you do that but a great shame considering the quality they achieved in the first place.

The 'Making Of' is very good and about 10 minutes long. At one point there's an alarming shot of the four ABBA members in body bags, or perhaps I should say the four ABBA puppets, but it's just a tad unsettling.
Mind you, later on we get Frida with a black pole up her behind so be prepared for more shocks.  I wonder if these shots were intentional? I reckon so. 

The documentary also shows how Agnetha and Frida were superimposed in that window scene, and show the original bit of film Agnetha shot walking across the set.  Which incidentally, you discover she committed
that most shocking of female fashion mistakes (or so I'm told by women who know about these things).  She's wearing an off-white top with A BLACK BRA underneath.  You can clearly see her straps.  I mean honestly, what was she thinking?

There's also a cute sketch between the Benny and Bjorn puppets which will just about go over the heads of any casual viewers because it's so full of in-jokes it could only be aimed at the fans.  Funny how even in puppet land the ladies still fail to appear ;-)

The picture gallery is a bit disappointing.  There's not many pictures and as they are put together in a video sequence you can't scroll through them, but nevertheless they are still nice to have.

And that's it! Well worth the price.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Cliff Docherty, Wembley UK

THE LINGONBERRIES!

ABBAMAIL has received the following email. Some of you may be interested in checking the group out:

"Hi Graeme, Grant and Ian,

What a great website! I just came upon it while doing some research on the internet.

We're are four Swedes/Canadians who many years ago formed an a cappella quartet. Our repertoire was in
the beginning mainly Swedish folkmusic but we quickly branched out to do jazz, barbershop, madrigals etc.
Whenever we performed we would always get requests for ABBA songs so we decided to produce an ABBA a cappella show, ABBsolut Berries.

After about a year in the works it's finally coming together and the shows dates are August 17-18 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada. We are all of course ABBA-fans (how could we not be, we're Swedish!) so this is really a labour of love.

I don't know if this will reach out to any ABBA-fans who may plan a trip to Canada for this but I thought I would let you know. Maybe we could do a world tour in the future...

Check out our website for pics and info:
www.thelingonberries.com

Best regards,
Marianne

LAST EVER VIDEO AT CDON.COM

On-line retailer, CDON, are advertising the new commercially released DVD for "The Last Video" for Euro10.95.

This is the ABBA puppet video that was featured in the semi-final telecast of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Anne Meski, Finland.

NEW JÖBACK SINGLE

A second single is being released from Peter Jöback's current album.

"Sommarens Sista Sång" (The Last Song of Summer) will be in the Swedish record shops on 11 August.

Peter will perform the song on the "Allsång på Skansen" show on 3 August.

The single will have two tracks but it is not yet known what the second track will be.

Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Grant Whittingham, Sydney, Australia

UK VOULEZ-VOUS COVER BAND SHOWS

VOULEZ VOUS - 4th and 5th November 2004
at the Gala Theatre, Durham, UK

The Gala Theatre is delighted to say that Voulez Vous will be appearing for two nights in November.

New for the 2004 season, audiences will see the Voulez Vous production include narration and multi-screen projection telling the story of ABBA, from"Waterloo" to their eventual split, featuring all of ABBA's greatest hits.

The group have performed in such diverse places as the Conservative PartyConference, and on BBC Television's "Noel's House Party".

The full ticket price for this concert is£15.00. However, if you bring along eight or more friends, the ticket price is£12.50 - an amazing saving of £2.50 a ticket.

If you wish to book for this event, or require any further information please donot hesitate to contact me on (0191) 332 4045. You can also e-mail me at groupbookings@galadurham.co.uk

Chris Armstrong, Group Bookings Co-Ordinator

Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Ian Cole, Sydney, Australia

FRIDA FOR GERMAN TV

Frida will attend the " ZDF - Fernsehgarten " on TV in Mainz / Germany next Sunday, 25th July for a short interview!
There will be also a performance from the Hamburg MAMMA MIA! cast.

Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Ian Cole, Sydney, Australia + Mathias from Germany

WORLD CHARTS JULY 16-23

Here are the latest chart stats for the week of 16-23 July.

GERMANY:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - up 8 to #77
Soundtrack - Mamma Mia! - Steady at #10

SWEDEN:
Agnetha Fältskog - If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind - Down 9 to #49
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - Down 1 to #7
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - back on the top 60 at #53
Agnetha Fältskog - When You Walk In The Room - Down 9 to #35
Benny Andersson Orkestra - Stable at #3

FRANCE:
ABBA - The ABBA Story - Back on the Compilation chart at #39

FINLAND:
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - up 1 to #7

AUSTRALIA:
ABBA - In Concert DVD - Up 3 to #31

NORWAY:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - up 4 to #8, last week was up 9 to #12.

OFF:
Switzerland - ABBA - The ABBA Story
Germany - Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book
Belgium - ABBA - The ABBA Story
Ireland - ABBA - The Name Of The Game (Album)

Thanks to ABBAMAILer  Dean Scapolo, Lord of the Charts, Wellington, New Zealand

FRENCH ABBA SPECIAL

There will be a special on ABBA on RFM TV, a French television station today, Wednesday JUly 21 at 7pm. It will be repeated at 10pm.
same day).

The link:
http://www.rfm.fr/rfmtv/index.php?date=20040721&jour=21

Thanks to ABBA fan Roch Dourcy , France

BENNY & FRIDA AT MAMMA MIA! IN GERMANY

ABBAMAILe r Erik Menkens has been in Stuttgart for the premiere of Mamma Mia! and reports that Frida and Björn arrived together in a limo and spent a lot of time with the fans before entering the theatre.
 
Thanks to ABBAMAILer Samia Jalal, Germany

SOFT PORN DVD SET FOR RELEASE

The Seduction of Inge, the soft porn film that Björn & Benny contributed music for way back when...is being released in the USA on September 28th. Amazon.com has the details and a shot of the cover.
 
Thanks to ABBAMAILer Filip Jensen, Copenhagen, Denmark

UPDATE ON POSSIBLE SWEDISH BOOK

Further down the news page there is a report of a new book featuring Björn & Benny. The title is "Vem är Björn och vem är Benny" (Who is Björn and who is Benny).  The description goes something like this:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this book, Hasse Pihl and Fredrik Lindström take up the mysteries that have long confused modern man.  For example, a large proportion of our population cannot distinguish between Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. 
 
Who is really who out of the two bearded ones from ABBA?  Is it possible to tell them apart and if so, how? 
 
Further more, Pihl and Lindström cast light on questions like: Why are funny stories not funny?  Why do people put down the telephone receiver without saying goodbye in American films?  Why is it really so hard to lie?  What do they do at the Vitamin Institute in Switzerland?  Are there really parallel universes?  Why are the Danes so happy when they don't have anything to be happy about? 
 
And then we get the answer to the most insoluble question: Why do young families list babies and pets on their telephone answering message?

In this inspiring and entertaining book, which gives you whole new perspectives on life, shares humour, recognition and sharp social analysis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Doesn't really sound as interesting as we first thought. 
 
Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Grant Whittingham, Sydney, Australia

THAT'S LIFE MAGAZINE AUSTRALIA

I had lunch with someone yesterday who works for the Australian magazine That's Life and this coming Wednesday (the 21st) the issue is  dedicated to the 70s.

She was able to give me a copy and it's unreal, heaps of trivia.  Stuff about television, music and just general stuff about the 70s.  There is quite a bit about ABBA as well. They take up two whole  pages plus other little snippets throughout the magazine. 

Keep a look out for it - it comes out Wednesday

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Mark Hannam Sydney, Australia 

WHO'S WHO?

Hasse Pihl(?) and Fredrik Lindström, members of the Swedish Academy are releasing a new book entitled "Vem är vem av Björn och Benny" ("Who is who of Björn and Benny")
 
This book will bring up, for example, the big mystery of who is actually whom in the team of  two A`s of ABBA. Apparently a great part of the population can actually not distinguish between them.

 Thanks to ABBAMAILer Malin Westerberg Halmstad, Sweden

REMINDER RE SWEDISH MAMMA MIA!

A reminder for those thinking of attending the Swedish language premiere of Mamma Mia!...
 
The venue is Cirkus, Stockholm (same as Chess/Kristina) and the date is 12 February 2005.

Tickets for the musical are on sale from 25 August 2004.
 
Thanks to ABBAMAILer Anne Meski, Turku, Finland

FRENCH MENTION

This month, the French music magazine "Platine" published a one page advertisement for the ABBA STORY CD.
 
In the same issue, a few pages later, there were two or three lines mentioning that Agnetha's album had been officially released in France on June 1st.  Yet they put the photograph from the ABBA STORY CD cover to illustrate this!
 
They said "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" would be released as a single - yet no single has actually been released in France for the moment. If you want to buy the singles, you have to get them on import from the major record retailers.
 
Thanks to ABBAMAIL web site regular Pascale Ranson, France

SOUND+VISION GOLD IN USA

The US released ABBA GOLD Sound+Vision last Tuesday. 
 
I picked up my copy at Best Buy which the sticker says $37.99 but from Tuesday through Saturday it is on sale for $26.99.  I am not sure if the ABBA GOLD & MORE GOLD CDs are remastered since we have never yet received remastered versions here in the US. 
 
Thanks to ABBA fan Mark Pudloski, Ohio, USA

FRIDA & BJÖRN - GERMANY BOUND

FRIDA and Björn are coming to Stuttgart in Germany for the MAMMA MIA! Premiere in the PALLADIUM THEATRE on July 18th.
 
This is a big surprise for all German fans, because until recently only Björn had confirmed his appearance.

Thanks to ABBA fan Stephan Koehn, Germany

CHARTS JULY 9 - 16

Here are the chart stats for the week of 9-16 July, getting smaller.

SWITZERLAND:
ABBA - The ABBA Story - Down 13 to #98

GERMANY:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - Down 8 to #85
Agnetha Faltskog - My Colouring Book - Down 6 to #96
Soundtrack - Mamma Mia! (German) - down 7 to #10

SWEDEN:
Agnetha Faltskog - If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind - down 18 to #40
Agnetha Faltskog - My Colouring Book - Down 1 to #6
Agnetha Faltskog - When You Walk In The Room - Down 14 to #26
Benny Anderson Orchestra - BAO - Down 1 to #3, last week was new in at #2

FINLAND:
Agnetha Faltskog - My Colouring Book - up 5 to #8

BELGIUM:
ABBA - The ABBA Story - down 15 to #50

AUSTRALIA:
The Australian chart site www.aria.com.au/index has undergone a major facelift and looks great, the DVDs now have their accreditations listed and they also have the accreditations for 2003 DVDs, although ABBA are not there.
ABBA - In Concert DVD - up 1 to #34 (Gold)

NORWAY - Albums top 40 not updated

IRELAND:
ABBA - The Name Of The Game (Album) - New in at #59

OFF:
France - ABBA - The ABBA Story
Denmark - ABBA - The Definitive Collection
Sweden - ABBA - The Definitive Collection
 
Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dean Scapolo, Wellington, New Zealand

ANONYMOUS AGNETHA NEWS

The following has been received by one of ABBAMAIL's web site regulars who has provided news and information before. We have been asked not to reveal their identity and we cannot say the information has been confirmed by other sources.
 
1- Sometimes When I'm Dreaming to be 3rd single for Scandinavia so far, no news on rest of world.

2- What Now My Love is as we speak being discussed to be the end theme to a forthcoming blockbuster film(details of film not given). My source says it  cannot be released or anything and has its own special project.

3- Fly Me To The Moon was to be filmed like If I Thought... When You Walk... and Sometimes...but was put on hold and not shot.

4-  DVD release for Autumn will have full length videos to If I Thought,  Sometimes, When You Walk, Past Present and Future and What now My Love, doco and extra features.

BENNY AT CDWOW.COM

Both Benny Anderssons Orkester CDs are available from www.cdwow.com for £8.99 and free delivery to anywhere in the world!

I have ordered many CDs over the years from this site with no problem, and if a CD has ever been lost in the post they happily supply another for free! I haven't searched for any other Swedish releases yet but they have opened www.cdwow.se although it seems that you don't need to go to the Sswedish site to access the Swedish catalogue!

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Andrew Harden, London, UK

BENNY INTERVIEW TRANSLATION

Here is a transcription of the interview with Benny recently mention on the news page:

Annika Jankell: Congratulations Benny Andersson!
Benny: Yeah, thanks!
AJ: What does a first place on "Svensktoppen" mean to you?
B: I think it's unbelieveably fun!
A: How fun!
B: Yes, I think so.
A: But is it really as fun every time you get a first place?
B: It doesn't work like that. Every project is a new project, you hope for yourself and for everyone else involved that it will turn out well.
A: If you and your orchestra is going to celebrate this how do you do then?
B: Then we go on tour I think!
A: That's exactly what you are going to do!
B: Yes, that's correct.
A: How many concerts will you be doing with BAO this time?
B: We will do double up than last year - six. So we start in Stockholm 6th
of August, and ends in Gothenburg.
A: This song is very dance-friendly. Have you tried to dance to it yourself?
B: Hmm. Perhaps with Mona in the kitchen sometime but I can't really recall if I've done that with this song. I don't think so because I haven't heard it on the radio.
A: But when you are going to play this song this summer, do your audience dare to dance?
B: Absolutely, they dance all the time throughout the concert.
A: Oh, really? So they don't stand just in front of the stage just watching?
B: Some does, many does because there isn't room for everyone to dance on the floor. They can dance everything.
A: I belive you. Is there a diffrent way of working when you make music like the one you do for BAO than the one you make for example for Kristina Från Duvemåla?
B: No, it isn't, but you are aiming in a different way. You see, you think: "this is a fun orchestra, then you have to make fun music". If you have "The Emmigrants" on your table you don't think the same way. Otherwise it's not possible.
A: The lyrics, how did you think when you wrote them?
B: You ought to talk to Björn about that! Because it's he who has written it... I can't answer that one, but I think it's quite cool...
A: It's really cool. Now you really feel like dancing to this.
B: Do that! And you: I really think this is fun.
A: Yes, you sound happy!
B: Yes, I am.
A: But you have to tell and congratulate your friends in BAO and Björn and Helen of course!
B: Of course. Of course I will.
A: Now are to listen to it! Bye!
B: Bye! Great fun!

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

SWEDISH CHARTS

Here are the new Swedish singles and album charts...

ALBUMS
Benny Anderssons Orkester - BAO! - down from 2 to 3 (in it's 2nd week)
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - down from 5 to 6
Peter Jöback - Det Här Är Platsen - stays at #15

SINGLES
Agnetha Fältskog - When You Walk In The Room - down from 12 to 26
Agnetha Fältskog - If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind - down from 22 to 40


Thanks to ABBAMAILer Harry Ehler, Linz, Austria

ABBA RECORD OF THE WEEK IN SYDNEY

Sydney Radio 2GB Alan Jones' "record" of the week is The Abba In Concert *DVD* and The ABBA Story CD.

Each morning all this week just prior to the 6.00am news, listeners are invited to ring in to win the above prize package.

The strains of Waterloo woke me this morning...and I really can't remember
the last time I woke to an ABBA song on Sydney radio for a l-o-n-g time.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Harold Hanlon, Sydney, Australia

PRESS RELEASE FOR BENNY BOOK

This is the press release for Carl Magnus Palm's new book "Benny's Road To ABBA"

+++

PRESSINFORMATION 4th of July 2004

Premium Publishing is releasing a new book in the United Kingdom called:
BENNY'S ROAD TO ABBA by Carl Magnus Palm

ABBA superstar Benny Andersson's early years with The Hep Stars now portrayed in a lavishly illustrated new book by ABBA authority Carl Magnus Palm "Benny's Road To ABBA" tells the true prelude to ABBA...

In the 1970s, Benny Andersson reached worldwide fame as the genius songwriter and keyboard player in ABBA, one of the all-time classic pop acts. However, his first taste of stardom came a decade earlier, when he was a member of The Hep Stars - Sweden's biggest pop band of the 1960s. In a marked contrast to ABBA's studio-based career, The Hep Stars swept through the country like a tidal wave, scoring hit after hit and playing hundreds of gigs each year in front of hordes of screaming teenagers.

Benny's Road To ABBA is a new book and tells the amazing story of Benny's life, from his first discovery of music as a young child, through the whirlwind Hep Stars years, and up until the very first ABBA recording.

Author Carl Magnus Palm describes how a fresh-faced teenager became one of Sweden's most celebrated pop stars, the life-changing discovery of his songwriting talent, the chaotic Hep Stars tours, and the inevitable crash after the mismanagement of the group's finances. Along the way, Benny met up with Björn Ulvaeus, forging a partnership that continues to this day - the book vividly relates the events that led up to the formation of ABBA.

Benny's story is told by the superstar himself, in an interview made especially for this project, and by eyewitnesses such as his fellow Hep Stars members and the group's many associates. Benny's Road To ABBA is richly illustrated with photographs from these early years, many of which are previously unpublished.

The book comes with a detailed Hep Stars discography, telling the story behind each and every song the group recorded. There is also an overview of the records released by the duo Bj"rn & Benny. Benny's Road To ABBA is a highly entertaining story of the ups and downs of a 1960s pop star - an essential read for anyone who wants to discover the life's journey of one of the most successful songwriters and performers of the rock and pop era.

Author Carl Magnus Palm was born in Stockholm in 1965. His earlier books include From ABBA To Mamma Mia! - The Official Book (with Anders Hanser, Virgin Books 2000) and Bright Lights, Dark Shadows - The Real Story Of ABBA (Omnibus Press 2001). He has also written books about The Beatles and Swedish jazz singer Monica Zetterlund, and contributed research and liner notes for several ABBA CDs and DVDs.

+++

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Lex Corbach, Ten Boer, The Netherlands

SPANISH MAMMA MIA!

The Spanish production of Mamma Mia! is scheduled to open in November 2004 at the Lope De Vega Theatre, Madrid and tickets will be on sale to the general public in July 2004. The story will be translated into Spanish by Juan Martinez Moreno and the lyrics of the songs by Albert Mas-Griera. One source puts the premiere date as being either 10 or 11 November.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

BENNY'S HOTEL HOSTS TV SHOW

From Aftonbladet

Stand-up Tv from Hotel Rival

Benny Andersson's hotel will become the stage for a new TV-programme. 23 August is the premiere for "Stockholm live" on SVT 2. The programme gives four Swedish stand-up comedians, Özz Nûjen, Jakob Öqvist, Shan Atci and Janne Westerlund, the chance to entertain from the Hotel Rival stage. Ten program will run and the public are welcome to participate in the festivities at the hotel.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

ABBA IN SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Like much of the worldwide media this week, the Sydney Morning Herald has been running a series of articles on the history of rock'n'roll to commemorate the alleged 50th anniversary of the genre (as if it magically started the day some white guy recorded a particular song). Each day they ran an article on each decade from the 50s to now.

So of course, Wednesday it was the turn of the 70s. And surprisingly, ABBA actually received two positive comments.

First this one, talking about some dominant trends:

"And when women, even of the quality of Joni Mitchell (whose singer/songwriter footprint has never been more imprinted on the culture than today, albeit often diluted into pastel earnestness) were still being relegated to the sidelines. "This was particularly so in Australia where female success tended to be fleeting and confined to a few singles, unless it was as a member of the finest pop band of the '70s, Sweden's ABBA."

and the final paragraph, talking about the end of the 70s leading to the coming decades:

"Already formed were the likes of INXS and Midnight Oil. Still to come were Kylie Minogue, Jet, Savage Garden and Delta Goodrem. All of them learnt the lessons of the 1970s, whether those lessons came from ABBA or Neu!, AC/DC or Joni Mitchell, the Ramones or David Bowie."

The entire article can be read at
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/06/1089000148660.html

Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Ian Cole, Sydney, Australia

ABBAMAIL'S NEW FAVOURITE POST

This ultra-gossipy post on ABBAMAIL's internet mailing list has become a legend. It was sent in as part of our "Sex Degrees of ABBA Separation" thread. We'll never know how true it actually is because none of us were there. But the list had so much of a laugh that ABBAMAIL Administration thought we should share it with non-list members. Enjoy!

=============================

I have written this in before, but it is good and juicy...

From 1982 to 1986, I worked with a very pretty girl called Judy who had been a trolley dolley/space waitress/ air hostess for Ansett for many years. She was one of those kind of perfect people (except in her love life) - efficient, pretty, proffessional, always happy. She was a pursar (boss of cabin crew) at Ansett and you can see why she was always asked to work on all the star's flights. She had a great photo collection with many stars (not ABBA - read below). One photo is of her and Rod Stewart sitting down
together. Standing behind them is one of RS's entourage with his fly undone and letting his penis flop out - charming!!

One day in March 1977 she was given the exciting job of working on ABBA's special chartered flight from Adelaide to Perth. There are glimpses of her in news footage and photos of ABBA's arrival in Perth. She is the space waitress standing at the bottom of the stairs when ABBA walk down to the tarmac. Then she runs back to the top of the stairs to stand with other crew when everyone was off the plane.

Anyway, Judy (acting as head pursar) did not enjoy the flight. She said it was quite rowdy and they all drank a lot. Bjorn, Benny and Stig stayed up the front of the plane, talking business non-stop, all serious. Down the very back of the plane, Agnetha was all over Richard Norton (Blonde body guard), sitting on his lap. Judy says they were kissing when no-one else was watching. Neither Frida nor Agnetha seemed to have much to do with Bjorn & Benny, and the air was tense. Bjorn walked past Agnetha and Richard
to go to the loo but didn't seem to give a rat's that his wife was all over a hunky blonde. After a few hours into the flight, the dozen bottles of very expensive champagne were all gone. Frida would not believe Judy that they had all been consumed, and a row ensued. Frida thought that one of the Ansett crew had stolen a couple of bottles. Judy had to show Frida the original box filled with 12 empty bottles to prove they had all been consumed on board the plane - none had been stolen. Judy hates Frida -
"that bitch from ABBA". Judy hates ABBA fullstop.

So when Agnetha has tears in her eyes when she gets on board that plane in "The Movie", I don't think she is crying because she is leaving Australia at all. I think she is crying because she is leaving a certain Australian behind. Even in "The Movie", she is walking through Perth airport hand-in-hand with Richard Norton, minutes before the teary-eyed walk up the plane steps.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Philip Muytjens, Sydney Australia

PETER TOUR CANCELLED IN SWEDEN

This summer has been a very wet one in Sweden. So much so, that Peter Jöback's mini summer concert tour - due to start this Thursday - has NOW been postponed until the autumn. Indoor venues will be used. The rain had been affecting ticket sales for the outdoor shows.

Peter's "Storybook" concerts are still set for November in in Stockholm and Göteborg.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham, Sydney, Australia

FUNKY ABBA IS OUT IN OZ

I picked up a copy of "Funky ABBA" today at JB HI-FI in Perth today.

Ironically, the tracks I enjoy most are those which least resemble the originals, such as Money, Money Money, SOS and Knowing Me, Knowing You. I think that where they've stuck closely to the originals the tracks sound a little odd with the exception of Voulez Vous which sounds good. SOS is my favourite. And of course, I love When All Is Said & Done... gorgeous... due to its dramatic qualities, very musical theatre, it made me realise it should have been included in Mamma Mia somewhere.

The official release date is Monday June 12, but it's out now in Australia - at least in Perth.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer James O'Brien, East Perth, Western Australia

BENNY IS #1 IN SWEDEN!

From nowhere, directly to the #1 spot on the Swedish "Svensktoppen" chart today:

Du Är Min Man - Benny Anderssons Orkester and Helen Sjöholm!!

Svensktoppen is not about record sales - it is the result of a weekly voting by a jury
which is statistically selected to be equivalent to an average of the Swedish population.

If you've got Real Player intalled you can listen to an interview with Benny, followed by
the entire song, at: http://www.sr.se/p4/svetop/

In the purple square on the right hand side (Lyssna via webben) - click on del 3:
11.33-12.00 , and they will appear in the latter part.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Tony Becker, Helsingborg, Sweden

GUY ON ROBBIE ON ABBA

ABBA was mentioned in this article about Guy Chambers (ex-Robbie Williams songwriting collaborator) and Beverley Knight. Guy comments on Robbie songs:

"And the way we put the records together is very different," he continues. "Working on these songs with Beverley has led me to work in a much more stripped-down, less showy way. The Robbie records are very layered, and full of little gimmicks, in both sound and writing. They're more like Abba records, there's always something going on. But with Bev it's been about stripping it down and finding the absolute core of the song, which was exciting for me."

Full story here...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7948-1164545,00.html

Thanks to ABBAMAILer George Bourdaniotis, Kobe Japan

AGNETHA ON COMMUNITY RADIO

Agnetha appeared on a local Swedish radio station this week, Radio Viking 101.4. She also spoke to some callers live on air.

They have a website at: www.radioviking.mine.nu and the station appears to be a community radio station that apparently broadcasts in the Ekerö area.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

BENNY'S RECENT INTERVIEW WITH EXPRESSEN'S MAGAZINE

A few of the more interesting quotes/points from Benny's recent interview with Expressen's colour magazine:

- Björn and I wanted to write a musical and we met Tim Rice who had a lot of experience in the field. But we thought that, after the musical, ABBA would continue.

- It took two and a half years to write the musical and then another year before it was finally staged. Altogether, it was a long time and it was difficult to come back.

- Benny says that he has a good relationship with Agnetha. But they haven't seen each other since her 50th birthday, 4 years ago.

- The best and the worst ABBA songs according to Benny:
BEST: Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, The Winner Takes It All, When I Kissed The Teacher

WORST: Watch Out and Hey Hey Helen

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

ABBAMAILER's FAB ABBA LOGO ARTICLE

In a fit of inspiration, I wrote a piece tonight about the ABBA logo. It's about the problems you can run into if you try to reproduce it yourself. Things like ugly variations of the News Gothic font, kerning and such. Well, not about so much more, but it's only about four letters...

A professional typographer would probably smack me, but it will do for amateurs like me I think. It's on a brand new homepage:

http://hem.bredband.net/b138451/logo/

I will keep it there for a while so check it out!

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Mattias Olsson, Mölndal, Sweden

TIM RICE ON DESERT ISLAND DISCS / MAMMA MIA!

Tim Rice was recently featured on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs" program (27 June).

He spoke quite a bit about Chess, saying that it would have been better all round if it had been a film, rather than a musical. He thought that the main reason that the New York production had failed was due to the inadequacies of the production team.

One of the songs he chose was "Heaven Help My Heart".

There was also an interview with Judy Craymer in the June 2004 issue of the Easyjet in-flight magazine. She speaks about the fact that Mamma Mia! is a 24-hour job, with productions all round the world, and that the Korean-language version also has subtitles. She has spent £8 million on marketing just in the UK. She says that "there will inevitably be a movie of the musical".

In other Mamma Mia! related news, the main concourse of the South Terminal at London Gatwick Airport has an unmistakable Mamma Mia! theme. There is a Mamma Mia! plane hanging from the ceiling, and something like "Mamma Mia! welcomes you to London" in about 7 or 8 different languages, as well as advertising and leaflets for the London production everywhere in sight.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

ABBA STARS SUE TRIBUTE SHOW

http://www.wokr13.tv/entertainment/story.aspx?content_id=EEB62E1F-9C06-445F-
9404-31D736056345

ABBA Stars Sue Tribute Show

Co-creators of the hit musical Mamma Mia! and ex-ABBA stars Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are suing the producers of a smaller-scale tribute touring show of the same name.

Producers of the $145.8 million-grossing show want the tribute concert to change its name and have accused it of infringing their trademarks.

Mike Taylor of Mamma Mia! - The Concert says, "It's a David and Goliath battle.

"I've owned the website (www.mammamia.co.uk) since 1999 but I haven't got the money to challenge them.

"It's in the hands of my lawyers."

--

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Sarah Marchant, Kent, UK

WATCH OUT FOR SCAM EMAIL

We've had reports of people ordering from Amazon.com and then receiving unsolicited spam email from someone called Pete Celie.

It wasn't a spam with a fake subject that looks like an Abba e-mail - it was a guy selling a bootleg. He was offering a DVD with the new Agnetha special on it, and some other bootleg material.

We are unable to confirm if this is a breach of Amazon's security, a rogue staff member at Amazon - or a complete co-incidence. But it has now happened to a number of fans who have ordered from Amazon recently.

Please watch out for scam email like this. You might end up with a lot more then a spam email: you might end up out of pocket with nothing to show for it and a virus or other security problems on your computer.

And it is also important to remember that Agnetha's TV special will be released officially and commercially later in the year - perhaps around September. No doubt it will have additional features and bonus material and have superior picture and sound quality.

Thanks to the various ABBAMAILers who reported this.

ABBAMAIL Administration

MORE ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF AGNETHA'S SINGLE

As an aside, I found I have yet another version of Agnetha's IF I THOUGHT YOU'D EVER CHANGE YOUR MIND in my collection.

Apart from Cilla's version and a version by Svenne and Lotta, I also have one by Swedish jazz singer Doris under the title "Flowers In The Morning". Apparently it was a b-side in 1969. A really good version too.

Svenne and Lotta's version is called "I Will Bring You Flowers In The Morning" which I believe is the original title.

Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Grant Whittingham, Sydney, Australia

NO SINGLE FROM BENNY'S ALBUM :(

It seems that unfortunately there is no commercially available single release after all from the BAO! album. A single of "Du är min man" was issued, but is only a promotional single sent to the radio.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

CAUTION RE SKIVHUGGET

We have had reports that there are problems with Sweden's on-line music retailer, Skivhugget.

We've now received quite a few reports that people have been waiting for months for their orders to arrive. And ABBAMAIL team members have experienced the same thing.

We are not sure exactly what is happening at Skivhugget. They were once the #1 on-line Swedish music store and had a reputation for reliability.

We suggest you exercise caution when ordering from Skivhugget just at the moment until the situation becomes clearer.

Graeme Read
ABBAMAIL Administration

Update - July 12, 2004:
We thank you for the feedback we have received in response to this entry on our news page. There seems to be some confusion about exactly what we are saying. We are NOT saying that Skivhugget has traditionally given bad service or has been disreputable - we freely acknolwedge that Skivhugget has been one of the best and most favoured sources of ABBA and related CDs/DVDs by fans for several years. Many fans have benefited from their service.

What we are saying is that there has been a problem with quite a few fans recently with their orders to Skivhugget. This has co-incided with the reduction of titles and stock levels on their web site and reports of financial problems in the company. ABBAMAIL is simply letting fans know about this. We have no beef with Skivhugget as a company.

Part of our role is to educate, inform and empower ABBA fans. What you choose to with the information or whether you even care about it is up to you - we are simply trying to do the right thing by ABBA fans as we always do and have done for over 7 years: let you know what we know.

POSITIVE REVIEW FOR AGNETHA'S ALBUM

This is the first actual CD review I've seen *anywhere* in Australia for My Colouring Book. It appears in the July 7th edition of "inpress" which is one of those free street music papers you pick up off the pavement of in record stores. I was very surprised to
see it as inpress is geared towards a young, grungey market...although the review is delegated to the "Oldies'corner" which is reserved for, quote, "reissues, covers and old farts"...hmmmmmm

Regardless, it's a very favourable review, accompanied by a small colour picture of the cover...which just looks like a little pink blob really !

It reads as follows:

"As a member of ABBA, Agnetha Faltskog worked with the two greatest producers of all time, fellow ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Her post ABBA career found her working with two other pop producing meastros, Mike Chapman and 10CC's Eric
Stewart, yet they bogged her down in MOR hell. My Colouring Book (Warner), Faltskog's comeback (swansong) album of covers (When You Walk In The Room, Sealed With A Kiss, Fly Me To The Moon) finds her in the production chair (mostly) and y'gotta wonder why she
wasn't there all along, she's learnt some neat trickes from her former ABBA buds. My Colouring Book soars when it should (A Fool Am I), pulls back when it should (I Can't Reach Your Heart), evokes 50's and 60's girl pop (Love Me With All Of Your Heart, End Of
The World), out-Pitney's Gene Pitney (If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind) and can even come on like Marc Almond at his French gutter crawling best (Past, Present and Future). Don't forget, this is the woman who sang The Winner Takes It All."

Andrew Mast

end of review.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Luke Rogers, Melbourne, Australia

ABBA THE MUSIC REPORT (AKA WATERLOO)

I just arrived home from seeing ABBA The Music (aka Waterloo) at the "arts amphitheater" here in Washington, DC, known as Wolf Trap. Great show, but this is my fifth time seeing them in three different years, so the luster is off a bit ... but still a great show.

Wolf Trap is not a typical amphitheater in that it has a large balcony and is made mostly of wood. They do everything from Broadway musicals to poetry readings in it, so it tends to be a versatile place to see a show. Unfortunately the age of the average attendee was 60+, but the place was completely packed to the rafters and out the lawn - quite surprising. As I was in the balcony, there was no chance to run to a dance floor, as we could when they played BB Kings in New York.

As each time before, they did the expected hits (including SOS half in Swedish and the early hits in medley form), but no Ring Ring this time (which had previously been done completely in Swedish in years passed). They did When I Kissed the Teacher this year instead of Tiger, but they kept the fantastic As Good As New in the show! Thankfully we didn't get "treated" to a children's chorus, so Thank You for the Music was bearable. And they still insist on doing NOTHING from The Visitors. Oh well.

As for faux-Agnetha's voice? I agree she is no Agnetha, but she does stay in tune when singing live, unlike the actual Agnetha. Katja, the woman who plays Frida, seemed to not be in full voice this time round, though she still brought the house down with The Winner Takes It All (yes, the faux-Frida sings this one).

All in all it was worth the rent car to get me out to the venue. Still, I missed not
having ABBAMAILers around me at this concert.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Jason Swan, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America

DEANO'S CHART UPDATE

Here are the latest chart placings.

SWITZERLAND:
ABBA - The ABBA Story - Down 8 to #85

GERMANY:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - Down 5 to #77
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - Down 17 to #90
Soundtrack - Mamma Mia! (German) - New in at #3

SWEDEN:
Agnetha Fältskog - If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind - Up 4 to #22
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - Down 1 to #5
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - Down 12 to #50
Agnetha Fältskog - When You Walk In The Room - Down 1 to #12

FRANCE:
ABBA - The ABBA Story - Down 12 to #26

FINLAND:
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - Down 4 to #13

DENMARK:
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - up 2 to #22 (current run:
5-3-3-8-9-17-24-22)

BELGIUM:
ABBA - The ABBA Story - Down 13 to #35

AUSTRALIA:
ABBA - In Concert DVD - Down 11 to #35

DENMARK update:
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - 5-7-8-15-22-37 full chart run.
ABBA - The Definitive Collection - Credited Gold. (same level as for Norway,
Argentina and Switzerland 20,000 Gold, 40,000 Platinum)

Off:
Netherlands - Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book #11 10wks.
Ireland - ABBA GOLD
Switzerland - ABBA - The Definitive Collection
UK - Agnetha Fältskog - When You Walk In The Room #34 2wks

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dean Scapolo, Wellington, New Zealand

MEANWHILE...ON THE SWEDISH CHARTS

From this weeks Swedish charts:

ALBUMS
Benny Andersson - BAO! - new at #2
Agnetha Fältskog - My Colouring Book - drops from #4 to #5
Peter Jöback - Det Här Är Platsen - up from #16 to #15

SINGLES
Agnetha Fältskog - When You Walk In The Room - drops from #11 to #12
Agnetha Fältskog - If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind - up from #26 to #22

Quite interesting that "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" is still
going that strong after more than 10 weeks in the charts while "When You
Walk In The Room" isn't able to get into the Top 10...

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Harry Ehler, Linz, Austria

LAST VIDEO ON DVD - 19 JULY DEFINITE

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but I just saw this on ABBA The
Site at page http://www.abbasite.com/news/index.php?id=1444

===============
ABBA's sensational puppet video will soon be available on DVD, featuring behind-the-scenes material.

June 29, 2004

On July 19, THE LAST VIDEO will be released on DVD in several European countries (including Germany and Sweden), with other territories to follow.

Speculation on an ABBA reunion during the current 30th Anniversary celebrations culminated in a most unexpected way at the Eurovision Song Contest in May. All four former members of ABBA teamed up exclusivly for the humorous film THE LAST VIDEO, sharing the stage with their look-a-like dolls along with a great crew of comedy actors.

Apart from the doll-size versions of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida, the film is starring Rik Mayall, Robert Gustafson, Sissela Kyhle, Cecilia Frode, Loa Falkman, Michael Nyqvist and Per Svensson, with special appearances by Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Cher and Eddie.

THE LAST VIDEO is written and directed by Calle Åstrand and produced by Radical Media UK.

The DVD of THE LAST VIDEO contains the film, as well as the four original videos of the songs featured in the film: Take A Chance On Me, Dancing Queen, Waterloo and The Winner Takes It All. In addition, there is an exclusive behind-the-scenes film, The Making Of The Last Video with Director’s Comments, plus a picture gallery.

Technical formats:

Running Time: Approx. 40 minutes
Region: All (0)
Menu Screens: English
Disc Format: DVD5
Playback Mode: Colour
Picture Format: PAL 4:3
Audio Format: Dolby Digital Stereo
PAL and NTSC

Storyline:

THE LAST VIDEO is the film about four hopeful musicians in search of a record contract. They pay a visit to the Big Record Company Boss and his oily assistant, performing one hit after the other, cheered on by their manager. But things don’t really work out as planned…

Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida look just like they did back then – or perhaps not, after all. Is memory playing tricks with us? Were they really this… small?

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robert Verbeek, in Duiven, The Netherlands