About My Blog

I created this blog to help share ABBA information with other fans and to show off my new collection items :)


Please note: Collection item photos are from my own personal collection. These are not stock photos. If you wish to use any of my photos elsewhere, please have the courtesy to ask first - Thank you :)

Friday 25 July 2014

ABBA Live At Wembley Arena - Pre-order CD Now !

For all those Aussie fans out there, you can now pre-order ABBA Live At Wembley Arena in CD format from WOWHD and from Video Ezy.

http://www.wowhd.com.au/CD/abba-live-at-wembley-arena/dp/39169641

http://www.videoezy.com.au/CD/abba-live-at-wembley-arena/dp/1150620

The 3LP set can be pre-ordered overseas, but no local avenues as yet.

And for those who are waiting for the Vinyl as I am, you can pre-order the digital version from Itunes, and download "Knowing Me Knowing You" right now !!

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/live-at-wembley-arena/id897952952

Thursday 24 July 2014

ABBA 40th Anniversary Messages - Museum

SAY THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC !It's ABBA's 40th anniversary. 40 years of spreading joy and inspiration. As on every anniversary, there should be a greeting card. A way of saying thank you. A link between you and ABBA!

Click here to send your message. Each one will be printed at an installation at ABBA The Museum, as well as saved in the greetings feed here.

At the end, each band member will receive the greetings in a beautiful packaged book !

http://www.thankyouabba.com/

The messages are printing out in real time at the Museum ! How lovely to be able to see this happening :)

Be sure to send your message !




Monday 21 July 2014

The ABBA Scania Truck - What A Beauty !

These photos have shown up recently of this absolutely beautiful Scania truck.
As can be seen in one of the pictures, ABBA are not the only ones featured on these amazing trucks.

Would love to know more about it - just gorgeous !

Check the last photo - obviously painted for the 40th Anniversary - now that's the way to celebrate ! :)





Sunday 20 July 2014

Waterloo Radio - Non Stop ABBA Music !

Welcome to Waterloo Radio, the online radio station dedicated to the music of ABBA, Sweden's greatest pop export. Completely free and broadcasting twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! Including classic singles, B-sides, album tracks, solo work from Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Frida, foreign language tracks and tunes from the early years before ABBA, tracks from Mamma Mia, Chess and Kristina, cover versions and much more. Broadcasting every hour of every day! ABBA-related features throughout the day.
Personally endorsed by both ABBA’s Benny and Bjorn and Agnetha via her official Facebook and Twitter pages!
Broadcasting via Radionomy and 100% legal including royalty payments.


This is a fan-based project and is NOT associated with Universal Music or Polar Music in any way.

http://listen.radionomy.com/waterlooradioonline.m3u

Follow Waterloo Radio via their facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/waterlooradio

 

Saturday 19 July 2014

ABBA 40: Say Thank You For The Music !

SAY THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC !It's ABBA's 40th anniversary. 40 years of spreading joy and inspiration. As on every anniversary, there should be a greeting card. A way of saying thank you. A link between you and ABBA!

Click here to send your message. Each one will be printed at an installation at ABBA The Museum, as well as saved in the greetings feed here.

At the end, each band member will receive the greetings in a beautiful packaged book !

http://www.thankyouabba.com/

I have left 3 greetings thus far. Very hard to say what you want to say in such a short amount of characters and once I started writing, I felt a strong need to express more - but I think I will restrict myself to just these 3 - maybe :)






Tuesday 15 July 2014

ABBA Official Photo Book Issues - Intermezzo Fan Club Report

Here is a full report by 'ABBA Intermezzo International ABBA Fan Club on the issues surrounding the release of the Official Photo Book. This is from their magazine Issue 73.

I would like to note that since this report was written, the documentary 'ABBA: A Life In Pictures' (the DVD included with the Deluxe editions) has aired on TV in Sweden and is now, of course, on youtube. The original advertisement for the Photo Book said the documentary was produced specially for the Deluxe editions - another reason for the hefty price. I don't recall the advertisement stating that it would end up on TV.

Just kind of completes the picture don't you think ?

Have I been over the top with my criticism of the book ? I don't think so.

I thank the Intermezzo Fan Club for this honest and comprehensive report. Spells everything out very clearly.








Thursday 10 July 2014

New ABBA Collection Items - ABBA Photos, ABBA Cushion

A couple of new additions to my collection:

First up are these fabulous photos from the 1977 Australian Tour.
From the West Australian Newspaper - just can't get enough of live shots !

(please respect that these images are from my personal collection - do not copy and post elsewhere without permission)




































Next we have this awesome cushion. This was homemade in the 70's using an Official transfer and features lace trim - the same as the official cushions - I just love it !





Sunday 6 July 2014

New ABBA Release - 40 Vinyl Singles Box Set - Update

ABBA The Singles - Vinyl Box Set
40 x 7" vinyl singles box set.
Includes a voucher to download all 80 songs in mp3 format.

ABBA celebrate 40 years with 40 singles!

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of ABBA's victory in the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo - the start of their career as one of the biggest pop bands of all time. Polar Music International celebrates the anniversary with several releases: one of the most exclusive is the box set ABBA The Singles.

ABBA The Singles features 40 vinyl singles released 1972-1982, the period when ABBA existed as a group. Out of these, 31 are the singles planned and conceived by ABBA's Swedish record company, Polar Music, and issued in Sweden and/or the rest of Scandinavia: from the debut People Need Love, through legendary hits such as Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Take A Chance On Me, Chiquitita and The Winner Takes It All, to the final single, Under Attack. The remaining 9 singles were only released by ABBA's local record companies around the world.

Five of the additional singles are the German versions of Ring Ring and Waterloo, the French version of Waterloo, and the Spanish-language versions of Chiquitita and I Have A Dream (Spanish title: Estoy So ando). The West German single Honey, Honey / Ring Ring features a 1974 remix of Ring Ring, also featured as an A-side on singles in Great Britain and Australia. The remaining three selections are ABBA songs that have become very popular over the decades, yet were originally only released as singles in a few countries. They are the Portuguese 'Happy New Year' single; the UK 12-inch single 'Lay All Your Love On Me' - presented here in 7-inch format - and the Australian release of 'When All Is Said And Done'.

The sleeve and label of each single in the box set are exact replicas of the original issues. Only the 9 singles not originally released by Polar Music have been given new Polar labels, corresponding to the design used by Polar during the era when each single was released. The sleeves for these singles have also been slightly modified. ABBA The Singles is a unique chance to own the classic and, in several cases, rare ABBA singles, exactly as they looked way back when. This celebration of ABBA as unsurpassable hit makers is released as a strictly limited edition - don't miss out on the chance to own a box full of some of the best pop songs ever made!

A real rarity is an alternate mix of "Andante Andante" from the replica of the Portugese single "Happy New Year" / "Andante Andante".





New ABBA Merchandise - Cat Beach Towels !

These 2 Cat design beach towels are available now from ABBA The Museum Webshop.

They cost about $62.00AUD each - plus postage.

What will they come up with next for these iconic Cat designs ?

My wish would be for them to just make replica Cat dresses :)

http://www.abbathemuseum.com/en/shop-en


Thursday 3 July 2014

ABBA Gold Limited Edition Steel Box

PRE-ORDER NOW - LIMITED EDITION

ABBA The Museum is proud to announce that Abba Gold will be released on 27th October 2014 in a unique collectors format as a steel box edition with magnetic lenticular cover.

287.00 Krona - approximately $44.00AUD

http://www.abbathemuseum.com/en/shop-en



OVERVIEW:
In this 40th Anniversary year, it is difficult to imagine a time when the music of ABBA wasn’t a regular soundtrack to our everyday lives, but when the group split up in 1982 a 10 year hiatus was to follow. ABBA was almost banished from the airwaves and their albums were listed as out of print and disappeared from the shops.
We were convinced it was all over, says Benny Andersson today. "We figured on royalties coming in during 1983, maybe until 1984, but after that? No way."
"In the 1980s we were off the radar," says Björn Ulvaeus. "The general attitude was that ABBA was totally uncool. If, like me, you’ve got poor self-confidence, it was hard to not figure that’s it. It’s over."
As everyone knows now, they could not have been more wrong, when in 1992 the rebirth of ABBA’s music began in earnest. U2 included a cover of Dancing Queen on the Zoo TV Tour and when Nirvana played that year’s Reading Festival, Kurt Cobain personally requested ABBA cover band, Björn Again as their support. That same year scripts were being put together for two Australian movies: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel’s Wedding, both featuring ABBA songs as an integral part of the plot.
The 1992 ABBA revival peaked when Erasure’s tribute EP, Abba-esque hit the top of the charts, rousing the record label Polygram to release the compilation album, ABBA Gold, with Dancing Queen as the opening track, at the end of 1992.
ABBA Gold has currently sold some 30 million copies around the world and in the UK last year, it overtook The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper on the all-time best-seller list to reach Number Two (Number One is Queen’s Greatest Hits).

TRACKLIST:

CD 1: ABBA GOLD

1. Dancing Queen
2. Knowing Me, Knowing You
3. Take A Chance On Me
4. Mamma Mia
5. Lay All Your Love On Me
6. Super Trouper
7. I Have A Dream
8. The Winner Takes It All
9. Money, Money, Money
10. SOS
11. Chiquitita
12. Fernando
13. Voulez-Vous
14. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
15. Does Your Mother Know
16. One of Us
17. The Name of The Game
18. Thank You For The Music
19. Waterloo

CD 2: MORE ABBA GOLD

1. Summer Night City
2. Angeleyes
3. The Day Before You Came
4. Eagle
5. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
6. So Long
7. Honey, Honey
8. The Visitors
9. Our Last Summer
10. On And On And On
11. Ring Ring
12. I Wonder (Departure)
13. Lovelight
14. Head Over Heels
15. When I Kissed The Teacher
16. I Am The City
17. Cassandra
18. Under Attack
19. When All Is Said And Done
20. The Way Old Friends Do

CD 3: B-SIDES

1. She’s My Kind Of Girl
2. I Am Just A Girl
3. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
4. King Kong Song
5. I’ve Been Waiting For You
6. Rock Me
7. Man In The Middle
8. Intermezzo No.1
9. That’s Me
10. Crazy World
11. Happy Hawaii
12. I’m A Marionette
13. Medley: Pick A Bale of Cotton/...
14. Kisses Of Fire
15. The King Has Lost His Crown
16. Elaine
17. The Piper
18. Andante, Andante
19. Should I Laugh Or Cry
20. Soldiers

New ABBA Collection Items

I now have 3 of the UK mugs from 1979 - these are the latest 2.
Still hoping to one day get the boxed set :)

Also have added the great 'Little Book Of ABBA' - this was a gift from a very nice ABBA fan :)



ABBA Gold Limited Back To Black Heavyweight 180gram Vinyl 2LP Set

ABBA Gold On Vinyl - 2LP

Released in the 'Back To Black' series.

Pre-order here:

http://www.whatrecords.co.uk/items/61991.htm

Details here:

http://www.backtoblackvinyl.com/vinyl/ABBA-GOLD.php















Tuesday 1 July 2014

Mick Jagger Visits ABBA The Museum !

The Rolling Stones legend knows what's really important.
The Rolling Stones are currently in Stockholm, where they will do a concert at the Tele2 Arena tonight. Last night Mick Jagger visited ABBA The Museum, where museum curator Ingmarie Halling showed him around the premises for 45 minutes.
According to Expressen, who talked to Ingmarie Halling and Björn Ulvaeus, The Rolling Stones are planning a similar museum dedicated to their own career in London. Mick took a lot of pictures with his mobile, "asked a thousand questions" and also tried out the hologram where you can perform with the four ABBA members.
But now to the really important stuff: Mick Jagger left the premises with a tour t-shirt and a copy of ABBA - The Backstage Stories, the book written by Ingmarie Halling and me. So if you want to be like Mick, click here to learn more about the book and to order your copy.

Carl Magnus Palm

http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/news-container/mick-jagger-has-a-copy-of-ingmaries-and-my-book

From Expressen:

Now, Mick Jagger copy ABBA
Mick Jagger tested ABBA Museum and sang with hologram ABBA.

Now, Expressen tell about the secret plan for a Rolling Stones museum in London.

- That's why he wanted to come and watch, says Björn Ulvaeus.

After Sunday's nocturnal adventures at Café Opera took the Rolling Stones lie.

Then began the build-up to tonight's gig at Tele 2 Arena.

Mick Jagger left the Grand Hotel first at eight o'clock in the evening.

He was escorted out the back door into a raven Mercedes.

A bunch of guards beating an iron ring around Jagger to protect him from the fans.

- Hello there! he shouted.

Then they traveled against Djurgården in Stockholm.

Where swung the car up outside a hotel located adjacent to the ABBA museum.

Mick Jagger had arranged a private tour with the requirement to have come after closing.

- I heard that he would go there. I suspect it will be like for them in London. That was why he wanted to come and watch, says Björn Ulvaeus.

Curator Ing-Marie Halling was the one who showed up around rock star.

"Did thousand questions"

She confirms plans for a Rolling Stones museum.

- It was an inspirational visit. He said they have saved a lot of clothes, they'll show up. He was really cute, and asked a thousand questions, she says.

Mick Jagger took many pictures with his smartphone during the hour-long visit.

But he also took the opportunity to play ABBA.

Rock Star stood namely the stage where one can perform with ABBA projected as a hologram.

- He was very curious and asked practical questions, says Ing-Marie Halling.

http://www.expressen.se/noje/nu-ska-mick-jagger-kopiera-abba/

Djurgården stayed Jagger's car right outside the entrance to the Melody Hotel, which is adjacent to the ABBA museum.
Photographer: Stefan Söderström