АББА: версисем пӗр-пӗринчен уйрӑлса тӑни

 

'''АББА''' [[Швеци]] [[поп]] ушкăнĕнче [[Бенни Андерсон]], [[Бьёрн Ульвĕс]] , [[Анни-Фрид Лингстад]] тата [[Агнета Фĕлтског]] пулса. Вĕсем 1970 - 1980 çулсенче чи çӳльте чи чаплă та хисеплĕ музыкă туса кăларчĕç. "АББА" ят вара [[акроним]] ушкăн халăх ячĕсенчен ('''А'''гнета, '''Б'''ьёрн, '''Б'''енни, '''А'''нни). Бенни па Анни, тата Бьёрн па Агнета пĕрлешсе, анчах та вăхăтран уйăрăлнă.

 

 

They remain a fixture of radio playlists and are one of the world's best selling bands, having sold over 370 million records world wide;<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23673187/ Former ABBA drummer found dead in garden] Amol Rajan; ''[[msnbc]]''; accessed 18 July 2008; claims 400 million </ref><ref> [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2140612,00.html It's ABBA on the phone making a lot more money, money, money] Sherwin, Adam; ''[[The Times]]''; [[April 19]], [[2006]]; accessed December 2006; claims over 750 million </ref> they still sell two to four million records a year.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.thelocal.se/10536/20080317/|title= ABBA drummer found dead in pool of blood|accessdate= 2008-03-30|date= 2008-03-17|publisher= [[The Local]]|quote= Despite having broken up a quarter of a century ago, the group still sells between two and four million albums a year.}}</ref> ABBA was also the first pop group from [[Continental Europe|mainland Europe]]<!--to distinguish from Europe including the UK--> to enjoy consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries, including the [[UK Singles Chart|United Kingdom]], the [[Hot 100 Singles Sales|United States]], [[Canada]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[South Africa]], [[ARIA Charts|Australia]] and [[RIANZ|New Zealand]]. Their enormous popularity subsequently opened the doors for other Continental European acts.<ref> [http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/blds.html] Palm, Carl Magnus, page 527 </ref>

[[Anni-Frid Lyngstad|Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad]] (born on 15 November 1945 in Bjørkåsen in [[Ballangen]], [[Norway]]) sang from the age of thirteen with various dance bands, and worked mainly in a jazz-oriented cabaret style. She also formed her own band named Anni-Frid Four. In the summer of 1967, she won a national talent competition with the song "''En ledig dag''" ("A Day Off"), included in the EMI compilation ''[[Frida 1967-1972]]''. The first prize was a recording contract with [[EMI]] Sweden and to perform live on the most popular TV show in Sweden. This first TV performance, amongst many others, is included in the 3 1/2 hour documentary ''[[Frida - The DVD]]''. Lyngstad released several singles on EMI and had many hits in the Swedish charts. When Benny Andersson started to produce her recordings in 1971, she got her first #1 single, "''Min egen stad''" ("My Own Town"), for which all four future ABBA members sang the backup vocals. Lyngstad toured and performed regularly in the folkpark circuit and made appearances on radio and TV. She met Björn Ulvaeus briefly in 1963 during a talent contest, and Agnetha Fältskog during a TV show in early 1968.

 

 

=== First live performance and the start of "Festfolk" ===

 

=== First record together "Hej, Gamle Man" ===

 

=== Their first hit as 'Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid' ===

Ulvaeus and Andersson persevered with their songwriting and experimented with new sounds and vocal arrangements. "[[People Need Love]]" was released in June 1972, featuring guest vocals by the women, who were now given much greater prominence. Stig Anderson released it as a single, credited to '''Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid'''. The song reached #17 in the Swedish combined single and album charts, enough to convince them they were on to something.<ref> [http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/blds.html] Palm, Carl Magnus, page 185 </ref> The single also became the first record to chart for the quartet in the United States, where it peaked at #114 on the [[Cashbox]] singles chart and #117 on [[Record World]]'s singles chart. Billed as Björn & Benny (with Svenska Flicka), it was released there on [[Playboy Records]]. However, according to Stig Anderson, "People Need Love" could have been a much bigger American hit, but a small label like Playboy Records did not have the distribution resources to meet the demand for the single from retailers and radio programmers.<ref>Interview with ''Songwriter'' magazine, 6, 1981, pp.23-25.</ref>

The foursome decided to record their first album together in the autumn of 1972, and sessions began on 26 September 1972. The two women shared lead vocal on "Nina, Pretty Ballerina", on this day, and the two women's voices combined in harmonies for the first time gave the foursome an idea of the qualities of their combined talents.

 

=== Official naming ===

In early 1973, Stig Anderson, tired of unwieldy names, started to refer to the group privately and publicly as ABBA. At first, this was a play on words, as [[Abba Seafood|Abba]] was also the name of a well-known fish-canning company in Sweden. However, since the fish canners were unknown outside Sweden, Anderson came to believe the name would work in international markets. A competition to find a suitable name for the group was held in a Gothenburg newspaper. The group was impressed with the names "Alibaba" and "Baba", but in the end all the entries were ignored and it was announced in the summer that the name "ABBA" was official. Later the group negotiated with the canners for the right to the name.<ref>[http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/blds.html] Palm, Carl Magnus, page 210</ref> "ABBA" is an [[Acronym and initialism|acronym]] formed from the first letters of each group member's name: Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid (Frida).<ref name="official_bio_2" /> The first 'B' in the [[logo]] version of the name was reversed on the band's promotional material from 1976 onwards and became the group's [[registered trademark]].

The first time the name is found written on paper is on a recording session sheet from the Metronome Studio in [[Stockholm]], dated 16 October 1973. It was first written as "Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida", but was subsequently crossed out with "ABBA" written in large letters on top.

 

=== European and Australian tour ===

In January 1977, ABBA hit the road. The group's status had changed dramatically and they were clearly regarded as superstars. They opened their much anticipated tour in [[Oslo]], [[Norway]], on 28 January, and mounted a lavishly produced spectacle that included a few scenes from their self-penned mini-operetta "The Girl With The Golden Hair." The concert attracted immense media attention from across Europe and Australia. They continued the tour through Western Europe visiting Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Essen, Hanover, Hamburg, and ended it with shows in the UK in [[Manchester]], [[Birmingham]], [[Glasgow, Scotland|Glasgow]] and two sold-out concerts at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]]. Tickets for these two shows were available only by mail application and it was later revealed that the box-office received 3.5 million&nbsp;requests for tickets, enough to fill the venue 580 times. There were, however, complaints about the group's performance lacking the same intriguing qualities on stage as what was presented in the studio, as an article in ''[[The Times]]'' accused the show of being boring.<ref>Williams, Richard (15 February 1977). "Performance: ABBA – Albert Hall." ''The Sunday Times'' (London); p.&nbsp;9)</ref> One of the Royal Albert Hall concerts was filmed as a reference for the filming of the Australian tour for what became ''[[ABBA: The Movie]]'', though it is not known exactly how much of the concert was filmed.

 

 

=== Polar Music Studio formation ===

 

By 1978, ABBA was a megagroup. They converted a vacant theatre into the [[Polar Music]] Studio, a state-of-the-art studio in [[Stockholm]]. The studio was used by several other bands; notably, [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]' ''[[Duke (album)|Duke]]'' and [[Led Zeppelin]]'s ''[[In Through the Out Door]]'' were recorded there. During May, the group went to the US for a huge promotional campaign, and performed on [[Olivia Newton-John]]'s TV show. However, a lot of effort was put into the new recording studio in Stockholm. The recording sessions for "[[Summer Night City]]" were an uphill struggle, but upon release the song became another significant hit for the group. The track would also set the stage for ABBA's foray into [[disco]] with their upcoming album.<ref> [http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/blds.html] Palm, Carl Magnus, page 383-386</ref>

 

=== Last recording sessions ===

In the spring of 1982, songwriting sessions had started and the group came together for more recordings. Plans were not completely clear, but a new album was discussed and the prospect of a small tour suggested.

The recording sessions in May and June were a struggle, and only three songs were eventually recorded: "[[You Owe Me One]]", "I Am the City", and "[[Just Like That (song)|Just Like That]]". Andersson and Ulvaeus were not satisfied with the outcome, so the tapes were shelved and the group took a break for the summer.<ref> [http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/blds.html] Palm, Carl Magnus, page 455-56 </ref>

Benny Andersson has on several occasions performed old ABBA songs. In June 1992, he and Björn Ulvaeus appeared with [[U2]] at a Stockholm concert, singing the chorus of "[[Dancing Queen]]", and a few years later during the final performance of the B & B in Concert in Stockholm, Andersson joined the cast for an encore at the piano. Andersson frequently adds an ABBA song to the playlist when he performs with his [[Benny Anderssons Orkester|BAO]] band. He also played the piano during new recordings of the ABBA songs "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room" with opera singer [[Anne Sofie von Otter]], and "When All Is Said And Done" with Swede [[Viktoria Tolstoy]]. Andersson and Ulvaeus both did an a capella rendition of the first verse of "Fernando" as they accepted their Ivor Novello award in London in 2002. Frida Lyngstad performed and recorded an a cappella version of "Dancing Queen" with the Swedish group [[The Real Group]] in 1993, and has also re-recorded "[[I Have a Dream (song)|I Have a Dream]]" with Swiss singer Dan Daniell in 2003.

 

ABBA has never officially announced the end of the group, but the group has long been considered dissolved. Their last public performance together ''as'' ABBA was on the British TV programme ''[[The Late, Late Breakfast Show]]'' (live from Stockholm) December 11, 1982. In January 1983, Agnetha started recording sessions for a solo album, as Frida had released her ''[[Something's Going On]]'' a year earlier to great success. Björn and Benny started songwriting sessions for the musical ''Chess''—and ABBA was shelved in the meantime. In interviews, Björn and Benny denied the split of ABBA ("Who are we without our ladies? Initials of Brigitte Bardot?" ) and Frida and Agnetha kept claiming in interviews that ABBA would come together for a new album repeatedly during 1983 and 1984. Internal strife between the group and their manager escalated and the group sold their shares in [[Polar Music]] during 1983. With this, the foursome did not come together publicly until all four members were reunited at the Swedish premiere of ''Mamma Mia!'' on 4 July 2008. In an interview with the ''[[Sunday Telegraph]]'', following the premiere, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson confirmed that there was nothing that could entice them back on stage again. "We will never appear on stage again", Ulvaeus said. "There is simply no motivation to re-group. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were. Young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition. I remember [[Robert Plant]] saying [[Led Zeppelin]] were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/05/bmabba105.xml] Hastings, Chris, Sunday Telegraph, 5 July 2008 </ref>

 

=== Andersson and Ulvaeus ===

{{main|1=Björn Ulvaeus|2=Benny Andersson}}

 

In October 1984, Ulvaeus and Andersson together with lyricist [[Tim Rice]] released the musical concept double album ''[[Chess (musical)|Chess]]''. The singles "[[One Night in Bangkok]]" (with vocals by [[Murray Head]]) and "[[I Know Him So Well]]" (a duet by [[Barbra Dickson]] and [[Elaine Paige]] and later also recorded by both [[Barbra Streisand]] and [[Whitney Houston]]) were both huge successes. In May 1986, the musical premièred in the [[West End theatre|West End]] of London, and ran for almost three years.

What is considered to be Andersson and Ulvaeus' masterpiece {{Fact|date=December 2008}}, however, is ''[[Kristina från Duvemåla]]'', an epic Swedish musical which the composers premiered in [[Malmö]] in southern Sweden in October 1995. It was directed for the stage by Lars Rudolfsson and based on the ''[[The Emigrants (novels)|The Emigrants]]'' [[tetralogy]] by Swedish novelist [[Vilhelm Moberg]]. The musical ran for five years in Stockholm, and an English version has been in development for some considerable time. It has been reported that a Broadway production is in its earliest stages of pre-production.<ref>[http://www.icethesite.com/content/kristina.aspx icethesite | Kristina från Duvemåla - The Musical<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

 

Since 1983, besides ''Chess'' and ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', Benny Andersson has continued writing songs with Björn Ulvaeus. The pair produced two English language pop albums with Swedish duo [[Gemini (band)|Gemini]] in 1985 and 1987. In 1987, Andersson also released his first solo album on his [[own label|Mono Music]], called "''[[Klinga mina klockor]]''" ("Ring my bells"), all new material inspired by Swedish folk music - -and followed it with his 2nd album titled ''[[November 1989 (album)|November 1989]]''.

In the 1990s, Andersson wrote music for the popular Swedish cabaret quartet [[Ainbusk Singers]], giving them two hits: "[[Lassie (song)|Lassie]]" and "''Älska mig''" ("Love me"), and later produced ''[[Shapes (album)|Shapes]]'' - an English language album by the group's Josefin Nilsson with all-new material by Andersson and Ulvaeus.

 

In 2008 all four ABBA members were reunited at the Swedish premiere of the film ''Mamma Mia!'' on 4 July. It was only the second time all of them had appeared together in public since 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7491246.stm|title= Abba quartet at Mamma Mia showing|accessdate= 2008-07-16|date= 2008-07-05|publisher= [[BBC News]]}}</ref> During the appearance, they re-emphasized that they intended never to officially reunite, citing the opinion of [[Robert Plant]] that the re-formed [[Led Zeppelin]] was more like a [[cover band]] of itself than the original band. Ulvaeus stated that he wanted the band to be remembered as they were during the peak years of their success. <ref>{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7491908.stm|title= Abba will 'never' perform again |accessdate= 2008-08-07|date= 2008-07-06|publisher= [[BBC News]]}}</ref>

The compilation album ''[[ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits]]'', originally released in 1992, returned to number one in the UK album charts for the fifth time on August 3, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20080804_abba.shtml|title= Abba are No. 1|accessdate= 2008-08-07|date= 2008-08-04|publisher= [[BBC 6 Music]]}}</ref>. On August 14, 2008, the [[Mamma Mia! The Movie]] film soundtrack went to number 1 on the USA Billboard Charts. While ABBA were together, the highest album chart position they ever achieved in America was No. 14. The year 2008 was the first time an "ABBA" album went to the top of the American record charts.

 

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