Vinnie’s ABBA Blog: Lets relive the Magic!

The Timeless Magic of ABBA: the iconic Swedish pop group, has left an indelible mark on the music industry since their formation in 1972. Comprised of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, ABBA quickly rose to fame with their catchy melodies, harmonious vocals, and engaging lyrics.

 Their unique blend of pop, rock, and folk elements resonated with audiences worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music acts of all time. The band’s breakthrough came with their victory in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the infectious hit “Waterloo.” This success propelled them into international stardom, and they followed it up with a string of chart-topping hits, including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Take a Chance on Me.” These songs not only showcased their musical prowess but also their ability to capture the complexities of love and relationships, often infused with a sense of joy and optimism. Despite their split in the early 1980s, ABBA’s legacy has endured. 

Their music has transcended generations, inspiring countless artists and leading to successful adaptations such as the “Mamma Mia!” musical and its film adaptations. Fans continue to celebrate their work, with ABBA’s songs being featured in movies, commercials, and various media. In 2021, the world was thrilled by the announcement of new music from ABBA after nearly four decades. 

The album “Voyage” marked a triumphant return, proving that their creative spark has not diminished over time. With a virtual concert residency set to debut in London. at the purpose built ABBA Arena. ABBA is set to enchant a new generation of fans while reminding longtime listeners of the magic that first captured their hearts. ABBA’s music remains timeless, a testament to their artistry and the universal themes they explore. As we listen to their songs, we are reminded of the joy of love, the pain of heartbreak, and the celebration of life—elements that will continue to resonate for years to come. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a newcomer, ABBA’s enchanting melodies and heartfelt lyrics guarantee an unforgettable musical experience.

Ive been an ABBA Fan since the age of 9, I first heard SOS at a Bonfire night in Jersey where I used to live. I thought what is that sound, it was fresh and new and I was on a mission to find out what it was. Suddenly ABBA had burst on to the Scene with Hit after Hit I could not keep up. But where did the come from? Well from Humble beginnings to Superstardom, check the video below out, something my Son Callum put together for me.

Yes from Humble beginnings before ABBA they were called Folkfest ! and so you know they all met by chance? Each member of ABBA was already a musician by the time they came to meet. Benny and Björn’s paths had crossed in their former bands, Benny met Anni-Frid at Melodifestivalen 1969 – the national annual festival to select Sweden’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest

My Connection to ABBA

If I told you ABBA saved my life, what would you say? Well, I believe it to be true, i came from what is called a very troubled childhood, my mother had died, and my father was struggling to cope being left with three small children wasn’t easy in those days, I was the oldest of the three of us being 9. 

As mentioned above I first heard SOS at a bonfire night and I thought what is that sound it was fresh it was new and unlike anything I had not heard before, I listened to the radio a lot you couldn’t just go on the Internet and listen because the Internet did not exist.

ABBA were played a lot on the radio, first SOS then Mamma Mia and of course the rest is history. The Arrival album came out in 1976 and I was hooked straight away, there’s not a bad song on that album and first of all I didn’t realise they were Swedish, there is a lot of other bands around at the time the brotherhood of man for one Boney M and others however ABBA had a sound that I loved and finding life so difficult back then I really threw myself into that music and I will say I believe if that music was not there I would not be here now telling my story. I must have played the Arrival until I wore it out, along with my best friend Jamie, also my Grandfather was also a very big music person and loved high-end hifi so I used to take this album to him and he became hooked also.

But after Arrival came ABBA’s fifth studio album, titled “The Album,” was released in 1977. It features a blend of pop and rock elements, showcasing the group’s signature harmonies and catchy melodies.Recorded at Polar Music Studios in Stcckholm ABBA The Album includes some of their most famous tracks, such as “Take a Chance on Me,” “The Name of the Game,” and “Thank You for the Music.”

“The Album” was notable for its ambitious structure, with several songs connected by themes of love and relationships. It also served as a soundtrack to the group’s film “ABBA: The Movie.” The album received critical acclaim and commercial success, solidifying ABBA’s status as one of the leading pop bands of the era. Its innovative approach and memorable tunes continue to resonate with fans around the world. this album is my personal favourite and I think this Album is ABBA’s finest hour, have a listen below to one of my favourite tracks Eagle.

The artwork for ABBA’s fifth album, “The Album,” was designed by Rune Söderqvist. The cover features a distinctive and memorable design that captures the essence of the band’s style during that era, to this day the cover does not date!

ABBA’s Nine studio Albums

ABBA VOYAGE A show like no other

The ABBA Arena.

1. **Performance Technology**:

Screens : The concert uses ROE Black Pearl 2 v2 LED screens, which are 2,262 tiles in total. The screens are 500mm x 500mm x 90mm deep, and the virtual stage is 9.5m high. 

Lighting : The concert uses over 500 moving lights, 4,200 ROE LED Strip panels, and 30,000 LED pixel points.

2. **Capacity and Design**:

The venue is designed to accommodate approximately 3,000 spectators, providing an intimate yet vibrant atmosphere. The layout is optimised for excellent sight lines and acoustics.

3. **Setlist**:

The concert features a mix of ABBA’s greatest hits, including classics like “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Take a Chance on Me,” reimagined for a modern audience.

4. **Cultural Impact**:

The ABBA Arena not only celebrates the band’s legacy but also represents a blend of music and technology, pushing the boundaries of live entertainment.

Above the ABBA Arena located at Pudding Mill lane Stratford London one stop from Stratford station on the DLR

As the lights go down we see a Swedish forrest, its snowing and the haunting sound of Benny’s solo composition ‘Skallgång’ from his ‘November 1989′ solo album is played before the crowd goes wild to the brilliant opening number The Visitors (Cracking’ Up).

A cinematic narrative told in two chapters

The Voyage concert is not just performances from ABBA, Directing trio Shynola were handpicked by the creators of the show to craft two short films for the tracks ‘Eagle’ and ‘Voulez-Vous’. The beautifully kaleidoscopic and painterly animations chronicle the tale of Rora, a valiant hero on a quest to find the legend and essence of ABBA.

Above my first trip to ABBA Voyage, The Arena looks like a Giant Heat Sink

The ABBA Live Sound

So what was the real ABBA Live sound like? ABBA The Movie was filmed in Australia in March 1977 this was a 12 date tour in which over 90 hours of Panavision footage was shot, ABBA wanted to create the studio sound on stage so they had with them tour party of 120 people including a 20 piece Australian orchestra, listen to this fantastic live sound below

A trip to the Island of Viggso

Where did ABBA Write and compose some of their biggest hits? on the Island of Viggso, five years ago we had a once in a lifetime trip to the very place where songs like Fernando and Dancing Queen were created, this is a magical place on the Island of Viggso in the Stockholm archipelago, travelling on the Very Boat that Benny Andersson used to own and was also used in the Summer Night City Video, ABBA Sure have a big legacy and this Summer House on Viggso is a big part of it.

The Boat Andante we travelled to Vigsso on was used in the filming of the track Summer Night City

Check out the Gallery of our trip below Organised by Vaughan Davies

Voulez Vous (Do you want in English) Can you believe this track is over 40 years old and still sounds as fresh as always unbelievable!!

Voulez Vous was the first ABBA album to be mainly recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm, and the only ABBA album to include a studio recording made outside Sweden: the instrumental backing track for the title track was partly recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami.

The sessions, at Criteria Recording Studios – famous for being where the Bee Gees were creating some of their biggest hits – kicked off at the start of February 1979 and saw the backing track for what would become “Voulez-Vous” laid down, but it was first known as “Song X,” before being given another working title: “Amerika.” The Florida disco act Foxy, who’d had a US hit with “Get Off” the previous year, were drafted in to support the sessions and veteran engineer Tom Dowd was recalled from holiday to work with the world’s then-biggest recording stars.

The local players helped shaped the Miami-disco base of a track that was completed in March in the band’s more familiar home, Polar Music Studio. The trickiest bit of the process for Björn was finding lyrics to fit the short riffs. “I tried a thousand things… then suddenly it just emerged in my head in French: ‘Voulez-Vous’. Bullseye!” he later recalled.

The horn section of Swedish singer Björn Skifs’ band, Vision, was brought in to work with ABBA, and their contribution has been sampled and re-used many times since, including in the stage and cinema productions of Mamma Mia!.

ABBA The Visitors

The cover photo for ABBA’s The Visitors album was shot in the Atelje Studio at Skansen Park in Stockholm, Sweden

The photo was taken in the studio of artist Julius Kronberg, who painted many angels. The cover features the band members in the shadows, with a giant painting of an angel as the backdrop. The band members are positioned apart, which was the first time they were depicted as individuals rather than a close-knit group.

The Album’s artwork was designed by Rune Söderqvist, who was inspired by the album’s title and closing track, “Like an Angel Passing Through My Room”. The cover has a classical and theatrical feel, and conveys a sense of fatigue.

The Visitors was ABBA’s final studio album, released in 1981. The song “The Visitors” is a protest against the persecution of political dissidents in the Soviet Union. the whole album is a masterpiece however its far apart from the tracks Dancing Queen and SOS

I was fortunate to be able to visit the room in Stockholm in the Skansen open air Museum opposite the ABBA Museum where The Visitors album artwork was shot.

Above me in the Room from the Visitors Album Cover and below the actual cover

Frida

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (born 15 November 1945), also known simply as Frida, is a Norwegian singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA. Courtesy titles Princess Reuss and Countess of Plauen are also in use because of her third marriage. Born in Bjørkåsen (in Ballangen Municipality), Norway, to a Norwegian mother and a German father, she grew up in Torshälla, Sweden, and started her first solo career there, as a jazz singer in 1967, through a talent competition called New Faces.

Frida is a Seperano and her stunning voice brings life to the ABBA sound (See Video below)

Frida’s full name is  Princess  Dame Anne-Frid Synni of Reuss, Countess of Plauen.

Agnetha

Agnetha Åse Fältskog was born in Jönköping on 5 April 1950 She was the first of two daughters of department store manager Knut Ingvar Fältskog (1922–1995) and his wife Birgit Margareta Johansson (1923–1994 Ingvar showed much interest in music and show business and Birgit devoted herself to her children and household. Agnetha Fältskog’s younger sister, Mona, was born in 1955.

Agnetha Fältskog wrote her first song at the age of six, titled “Två små troll” (“Two Small Trolls In 1958, she began taking piano lessons, and also sang in a local church choir In early 1960, Agnetha formed a musical trio, the Cambers, with her friends Lena Johansson and Elisabeth Strub. They performed locally in minor venues but soon dissolved due to lack of work Agnetha,s  first professional engagement came after she was taken on by a local dance band at the age of 15, following which she left school and worked as a telephonist whilst also performing with the band.

The Royal Order of Vasa

ABBA have been given one of the most prestigious knighthoods in their native Sweden – which has not been handed out to anyone in almost 50 years.

Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad received the Order of the Vasa in the capital Stockholm.

They became “Commander of the First Class” of the order for “very outstanding efforts in Swedish and international music life”.

The stars were given the knighthoods by King Carl XVI Gustaf in the gilded Vita Havet Assembly Rooms of the Royal Palace – in a ceremony aired live on Swedish media.

Dancing Queen including the missing Verse

Musically, “Dancing Queen” is a Europop version of American disco music. As disco music dominated the US charts, the group decided to follow the trend, replicating Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound arrangements, Benny and Bjorn have cited George McCrae’s “Rock Your Baby” as a source of inspiration for the style of the song. Both tracks are 104 beats per Minute

The song alternates between “languid yet seductive verses” and a “dramatic chorus that ascends to heart-tugging high notes”. It features keyboard lines by Benny Andersson, which accentuate the melody’s sophistication and classical complexity, while Benny and Bjorn interlace many instrumental hooks in and out of the mix.

Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s layered vocals have been noted for their dynamism negotiating the melody’s many turns flawlessly.” Lyrically, the song concerns a visit to the discothèque, but approaches the subject from the joy of dancing itself, Track recorded at Metronome studios Stockholm.

My Music Room

The way old Friends do one of my top 5 ABBA tracks

The Way Old Friends Do, The live recording from the 1979 UK and Japan appeared on the successful album “Super Trouper” (1980). While singing this song, the four ABBA members stood at the edge of the stage to be as close to their fans as possible. “The Way Old Friends Do” is a very emotional hymn to friendship, a deep and honest friendship that weathers differences and lasts a lifetime, through all ups and downs. Both Frida and Agnetha’s live vocals are totally flawless.

The Girl with the Golden Hair