ABBA 'Arrival' Released Today In 1976

On the 11th of October 1976, ABBA's new album 'Arrival' was released in Sweden.

'Arrival' was the fourth album by ABBA and was originally released by Polar Records.

Upon its original 1976 release, 'Fernando', released as a single earlier the same year, did not appear on 'Arrival', but it was included on the South African, Australian, and New Zealand versions.

'Arrival' reached number 1 in Australia, Holland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and West Germany and charted in many other countries.

The only country to sell more copies of this album than Australia ( 900,000 copies ) was West Germany, with sales just over 1,000,000.

To date, it is ABBA's most successful album, producing mega hits such as 'Dancing Queen', 'Money Money Money' and 'Knowing Me Knowing You'. Not to mention 'Fernando' in the countries where it was included on the album.
In Australia, only 'The Best Of ABBA' sold more copies.

It even managed to reach the top 20 in the US !

ABBA Perform Waterloo On Eddy Go Round Show 1974 - Rare Unseen Clip !

This performance video was thought to be lost until now !

ABBA performing Waterloo on the Eddy Go Round Show 1974 (in Waterloo costumes - not the usual clip with the girls in Cat dresses)

Thanks to Craptastic70s for sharing this video.

If you cannot view this youtube clip due to restrictions in certain countries, check it out on this facebook link.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/332510913524768/

ABBA's Björn Reveals Plans For Mamma Mia Restaurant Experience

Swedish music icon Björn Ulvaeus revealed details of his upcoming project, Mamma Mia The Party, as he gave the keynote speech at the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in Gothenburg today (7 October).
The former ABBA member, who has successfully turned the pop foursome, their music and their story into a cultural IP, said his latest project will be an immersive four-hour dining experience in Stockholm.

This follows the success of ABBA The Museum, also in the Swedish capital a project that Ulvaeus spearheaded. It’s a concept that “everyone is doing”, Ulvaeus said, with The Edge from U2 and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones both visiting the ABBA museum and deciding to do something similar.

The new project, Mamma Mia The Party is “dinner entertainment” – a themed restaurant inspired by Mamma Mia! and set in a Greek taverna.

“We are going to treat people to wonderful Mediterranean food and drink in this taverna environment, and we are going to treat them to a real-time story with characters Nikos, the host of the tavern, his wife Christine, his daughter and other characters,” Ulvaeus said.

“Between courses there will be dramatic interludes where the story is played out. There'll be a little conflict, and hopefully a happy ending. Diners are part of the story, if they want to be. If they want to sit back and watch, they can,” he said. “It’s an evening of great fun in the Mamma Mia! world.”

Ulvaeus said the idea of the party experience – which opens at the Tyrol restaurant at Gröna Lund, Sweden, on 16 January 2016 – came from working with the production for so long and witnessing the ongoing excitement of the audience; this was the next step and a way to “have fun with copyrights”.

“When you have copyrights that are charged with positive feelings and joy, it’s only your imagination that’s in the way of further developing those and taking them into other fields,” he said.

Ulvaeus’s ABBA brand currently includes ABBA The Museum – which receives 300,000 visitors per year – and the musical Mamma Mia!, which has grossed US$2bn (€1.78bn, £1.31bn) worldwide and been seen by 60 million people since its premiere in 1999.

The Swedish sensation emphasised the importance of being protective of the ABBA IP, saying he believes the band’s legacy has been preserved by not letting anything “fall into the wrong hands”. Only once, in 1975, did they sell a song for a TV commercial, he said, which they would never do again.

He also said the ABBA museum is investing in a cutting-edge hologram to replace the current attraction, where visitors appear to dance on stage with holographic versions of band members Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

"That’s going to be enhanced so it’s absolutely life-like. You believe you’re standing beside them – it’s like an amusement park attraction. It will be the most fantastic hologram in the world," he said.

 See more at: http://www.leisuremanagement.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&CodeID=318456#sthash.3bqOBB8D.dpuf

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"Mamma Mia - which ABBA Party !"

From cottage to the Greek taverna - in January it will be premiered at the Tyrol at Grona Lund giant effort "Mamma Mia! The party".

- When you get into this, you get the feeling of stepping into the "Mamma Mia!" - The film, says the director Roine Söderlundh.

55 million people have seen "Mamma Mia!" - The musical around the world and the film of the same title has recorded over five billion.

Whether the "Mamma Mia! The party" will also be a success remains to be seen, but their ambitions are in any case enormous. During the summer, the Tyrol at Grona Lund in Stockholm undergone extensive refurbishment and now the premises barely recognizable.'

- It is not silenced quality. Everything is incredibly high standard, from the food to the set design and sound and light, says director Roine Söderlundh.He is behind the show with writer Calle Norlén and Abbas Björn Ulvaeus.- Bjorn is very involved, he's here, and agree and he is careful with everything. It's incredibly fun and inspiring to be with him, says Roine Söderlundh."Mamma Mia! The party" includes ABBA songs and the idea is to recreate the ambience of a Greek tavern in the film. The plot is not the same as in the musical and film - the party is just a party and the idea is that the audience should be with.- Guests will get feel very involved, they may be with. They do not set up any teaterlek but they might get to be in a quiz or a guess-intro-racing says Sussie Eriksson, one of the actors involved.She was also featured in the Swedish production of "Mamma Mia!" - Musical and says it was the music that attracted even this time.- But also the opportunity to be part of an original set, to be involved in creating the concept and crafting characters, said Sussie Eriksson.And they have plenty of time itself. It is a complicated production and rehearsals underway throughout the fall. When it is time for the premiere on January 20, the hope is to offer a full evening of rank.- We have no beginning and no end. It starts when you arrive and ends when you want to go home, you decide for yourself, and the way you've got this story, you've got to sing and dance and you've hopefully had a very nice, says Roine Söderlundh.

http://www.sydsvenskan.se/kultur--nojen/mamma-mia-vilket-abba-party/ 

Swedish music icon Björn Ulvaeus revealed details of his upcoming project, Mamma Mia The Party, as he gave the keynote speech at the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in Gothenburg today (7 October).
The former ABBA member, who has successfully turned the pop foursome, their music and their story into a cultural IP, said his latest project will be an immersive four-hour dining experience in Stockholm.

This follows the success of ABBA The Museum, also in the Swedish capital a project that Ulvaeus spearheaded. It’s a concept that “everyone is doing”, Ulvaeus said, with The Edge from U2 and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones both visiting the ABBA museum and deciding to do something similar.

The new project, Mamma Mia The Party is “dinner entertainment” – a themed restaurant inspired by Mamma Mia! and set in a Greek taverna.

“We are going to treat people to wonderful Mediterranean food and drink in this taverna environment, and we are going to treat them to a real-time story with characters Nikos, the host of the tavern, his wife Christine, his daughter and other characters,” Ulvaeus said.

“Between courses there will be dramatic interludes where the story is played out. There'll be a little conflict, and hopefully a happy ending. Diners are part of the story, if they want to be. If they want to sit back and watch, they can,” he said. “It’s an evening of great fun in the Mamma Mia! world.”

Ulvaeus said the idea of the party experience – which opens at the Tyrol restaurant at Gröna Lund, Sweden, on 16 January 2016 – came from working with the production for so long and witnessing the ongoing excitement of the audience; this was the next step and a way to “have fun with copyrights”.

“When you have copyrights that are charged with positive feelings and joy, it’s only your imagination that’s in the way of further developing those and taking them into other fields,” he said.

Ulvaeus’s ABBA brand currently includes ABBA The Museum – which receives 300,000 visitors per year – and the musical Mamma Mia!, which has grossed US$2bn (€1.78bn, £1.31bn) worldwide and been seen by 60 million people since its premiere in 1999.

The Swedish sensation emphasised the importance of being protective of the ABBA IP, saying he believes the band’s legacy has been preserved by not letting anything “fall into the wrong hands”. Only once, in 1975, did they sell a song for a TV commercial, he said, which they would never do again.

He also said the ABBA museum is investing in a cutting-edge hologram to replace the current attraction, where visitors appear to dance on stage with holographic versions of band members Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

"That’s going to be enhanced so it’s absolutely life-like. You believe you’re standing beside them – it’s like an amusement park attraction. It will be the most fantastic hologram in the world," he said. - See more at: http://www.leisuremanagement.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&CodeID=318456#sthash.3bqOBB8D.dpuf

Swedish music icon Björn Ulvaeus revealed details of his upcoming project, Mamma Mia The Party, as he gave the keynote speech at the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in Gothenburg today (7 October).
The former ABBA member, who has successfully turned the pop foursome, their music and their story into a cultural IP, said his latest project will be an immersive four-hour dining experience in Stockholm.

This follows the success of ABBA The Museum, also in the Swedish capital a project that Ulvaeus spearheaded. It’s a concept that “everyone is doing”, Ulvaeus said, with The Edge from U2 and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones both visiting the ABBA museum and deciding to do something similar.

The new project, Mamma Mia The Party is “dinner entertainment” – a themed restaurant inspired by Mamma Mia! and set in a Greek taverna.

“We are going to treat people to wonderful Mediterranean food and drink in this taverna environment, and we are going to treat them to a real-time story with characters Nikos, the host of the tavern, his wife Christine, his daughter and other characters,” Ulvaeus said.

“Between courses there will be dramatic interludes where the story is played out. There'll be a little conflict, and hopefully a happy ending. Diners are part of the story, if they want to be. If they want to sit back and watch, they can,” he said. “It’s an evening of great fun in the Mamma Mia! world.”

Ulvaeus said the idea of the party experience – which opens at the Tyrol restaurant at Gröna Lund, Sweden, on 16 January 2016 – came from working with the production for so long and witnessing the ongoing excitement of the audience; this was the next step and a way to “have fun with copyrights”.

“When you have copyrights that are charged with positive feelings and joy, it’s only your imagination that’s in the way of further developing those and taking them into other fields,” he said.

Ulvaeus’s ABBA brand currently includes ABBA The Museum – which receives 300,000 visitors per year – and the musical Mamma Mia!, which has grossed US$2bn (€1.78bn, £1.31bn) worldwide and been seen by 60 million people since its premiere in 1999.

The Swedish sensation emphasised the importance of being protective of the ABBA IP, saying he believes the band’s legacy has been preserved by not letting anything “fall into the wrong hands”. Only once, in 1975, did they sell a song for a TV commercial, he said, which they would never do again.

He also said the ABBA museum is investing in a cutting-edge hologram to replace the current attraction, where visitors appear to dance on stage with holographic versions of band members Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

"That’s going to be enhanced so it’s absolutely life-like. You believe you’re standing beside them – it’s like an amusement park attraction. It will be the most fantastic hologram in the world," he said. - See more at: http://www.leisuremanagement.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&CodeID=318456#sthash.3bqOBB8D.dpuf

Swedish music icon Björn Ulvaeus revealed details of his upcoming project, Mamma Mia The Party, as he gave the keynote speech at the Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in Gothenburg today (7 October).
The former ABBA member, who has successfully turned the pop foursome, their music and their story into a cultural IP, said his latest project will be an immersive four-hour dining experience in Stockholm.

This follows the success of ABBA The Museum, also in the Swedish capital a project that Ulvaeus spearheaded. It’s a concept that “everyone is doing”, Ulvaeus said, with The Edge from U2 and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones both visiting the ABBA museum and deciding to do something similar.

The new project, Mamma Mia The Party is “dinner entertainment” – a themed restaurant inspired by Mamma Mia! and set in a Greek taverna.

“We are going to treat people to wonderful Mediterranean food and drink in this taverna environment, and we are going to treat them to a real-time story with characters Nikos, the host of the tavern, his wife Christine, his daughter and other characters,” Ulvaeus said.

“Between courses there will be dramatic interludes where the story is played out. There'll be a little conflict, and hopefully a happy ending. Diners are part of the story, if they want to be. If they want to sit back and watch, they can,” he said. “It’s an evening of great fun in the Mamma Mia! world.”

Ulvaeus said the idea of the party experience – which opens at the Tyrol restaurant at Gröna Lund, Sweden, on 16 January 2016 – came from working with the production for so long and witnessing the ongoing excitement of the audience; this was the next step and a way to “have fun with copyrights”.

“When you have copyrights that are charged with positive feelings and joy, it’s only your imagination that’s in the way of further developing those and taking them into other fields,” he said.

Ulvaeus’s ABBA brand currently includes ABBA The Museum – which receives 300,000 visitors per year – and the musical Mamma Mia!, which has grossed US$2bn (€1.78bn, £1.31bn) worldwide and been seen by 60 million people since its premiere in 1999.

The Swedish sensation emphasised the importance of being protective of the ABBA IP, saying he believes the band’s legacy has been preserved by not letting anything “fall into the wrong hands”. Only once, in 1975, did they sell a song for a TV commercial, he said, which they would never do again.

He also said the ABBA museum is investing in a cutting-edge hologram to replace the current attraction, where visitors appear to dance on stage with holographic versions of band members Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

"That’s going to be enhanced so it’s absolutely life-like. You believe you’re standing beside them – it’s like an amusement park attraction. It will be the most fantastic hologram in the world," he said. - See more at: http://www.leisuremanagement.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&CodeID=318456#sthash.3bqOBB8D.dpuf

New ABBA Collection Items - Various

Some new additions to my ABBA collection:

ABBA Jumper - Australia 1976 - Reg Grundy Productions:

ABBA Cassettes - The Hits, The Hits 2, The Hits 3 - Poland:

The Definitive Collection - Box Set:

2 x 'Weekend' magazines from the UK:

Scania Muller Model Truck - just beautiful !

Greatest Hits LP - Hong Kong:

ABBA The Museum Presents “ABBA in Japan - The last tour” Exhibition

ABBA The Museum presents special exhibition “ABBA in Japan - The last tour” at Yasuragi !

ABBA The Museum and the Japanese spa and conference hotel Yasuragi are initiating a collaboration, presenting a special exhibition of ABBA’s last tour in Japan. The exhibition is based on the book ABBA The Backstage Stories by Ingmarie Halling. Costumes by ABBA’s costume designer Owe Sandström will also be on display. The exhibition will moreover feature brand new photographs of ABBA The Museum, captured by the keen eye and camera of award-winning photographer Mattias Edwall, who gives us his version of the story of ABBA.

Exhibition advertising in Japan

Ingmarie Halling presents the Exhibition

The Exhibition

ABBA’s last tour was in Japan in 1980, where they performed their final concert to a paying audience in Budokan, Tokyo. No one knew then that a few years later the world-renowned pop group would be taking a pause – never to perform together again. For the Japanese people, this was an unforgettable experience, with long-awaited concerts that had been publicized since 1978 during a promo tour to Tokyo. Ingmarie Halling, today director of ABBA The Museum, participated in the tour the following year, and in the exhibition she shares her experience of being costume manager for the major pop stars.

Ticket from ABBA's last Japan Concert

Replica of ABBA Kimono

“I have very special memories of the tour of Japan, the respectful audience, the food, the culture, the contrasts of a country that is both a pioneer in technology and a preserver of ancient customs. And I will never forget the visit that Frida and I made to an authentic Japanese bath house. ABBA has a special relationship with Japan and vice versa, there’s no doubt about that,” says Ingmarie Halling, Museum Director, ABBA The Museum.

Letter Of Appreciation from Japan

Since opening in 1997, one of Yasuragi’s goals is to lift Japanese culture and highlight the connection between Japan and Sweden. The hotel’s Gallery often features exhibitions that have a connection with Japan, as well as other themes linked to their operations.

“This is a unique collaboration between two of Stockholm’s strongest brands. Being able to work together in the hospitality industry and strengthen Stockholm as a destination is extremely enjoyable. The story of ABBA’s relationship with Japan, and the Japanese tribute to the group is worth telling, and doing so here in our Japanese milieu further enhances the experience. Our guests will be given fresh insight into the key part of our cultural heritage that ABBA represents,” comments Florence Cardell, Marketing and Sales manager at Yasuragi.

Ingmarie with the Japanaese Ambassador Seiji Morimoto

In conjunction with the exhibition, brand new photographs of ABBA The Museum by Mattias Edwall are being shown, titled ABBA The Museum + Mattias Edwall = true!

Photo By Mattias Edwall

Ingmarie Halling says, “With his eye and camera Mattias creates his own chronicle of our museum. And we are proud to show these photographs for the first time at Yasuragi. A keen eye, presence and precision are Mattias’s trademark, it’s like he sees things that others don’t and teaches us to see them.”

An exclusive collection of different products created in collaboration with ABBA’s costume designer Owe Sandström and inspired by the ABBA kimono will be launched on October 6. The collection will be available at Yasuragi and the ABBA The Museum shop.

The exhibition will open on October 6, 2015, inaugurated by the Ambassador of Japan to Sweden, H.E. Mr. Seiji Morimoto, and be on show at Yasuragi in Saltsjö-Boo through April 15, 2016.

Free entrance.

For more information please contact:
Kersti Olophsdotter, Press Contact Yasuragi
kersti.olophsdotter@yasuragi.se Tel: +46 (0) 72-233 05 28

Catarina Falkenhav, Sales & Marketing Director, ABBA The Museum
catarina@abbathemuseum.com Tel: +46 (0) 73-360 31 17

ABBA Kimonos - Available Now At ABBA The Museum Webshop !

Beautiful new ABBA Kimonos & mugs now available from ABBA The Museum webshop !

Inspired by the iconic ABBA Kimono costumes, these beautiful items are a must for any serious ABBA collection !

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

The Kimonos cost around $68.00AUD each plus shipping.

The mugs cost around $32.00AUD each plus shipping.

ABBA ended their last tour in Japan in 1980, finishing off with their final concert at Budokan, Tokyo. Little did we know then that a few years later the world famous pop group would take a break - never to perform together again. The tour was an unforgettable experience for the Japanese people who had longed for these concerts since the promotion tour in Tokyo in 1978. To celebrate the Japanese culture the group's costume designer Owe Sandström created a kimono, with flowers from the Swedish flora, for each member of ABBA. The outfits were used during the promotion tour, and today you can see two of the originals on display at ABBA The Museum.

ABBA The Museum are now happy to present an exclusive collection produced together with costume designer Owe Sandström, inspired by the original ABBA kimonos.

The motif decorating the Agnetha cup is the beautiful wild chervil flower (Anthriscus sylvestris).

The motif of the Frida cup is decorated with the sheer little chickweed flower (Stellaria media).

ABBA School Bags - Fake Reproductions - Buyer Beware !

An ebay seller 'hatwe2014' is selling her fake ABBA bags again !

Buyers Beware !

These bags are fake modern reproductions - not original Australian memorabilia.

I have posted about this before - the last time this seller sold 2 bags on ebay. I dealt personally with this seller - she is a liar and a fraud.

Her name is Chenayde Hatwell and she lives in Perth, Western Australia.

As a very serious ABBA fan and collector, I know for a fact that these bags are NOT original Australian merchandise.

Don't be fooled !

Please pass on this information as much as possible. This seller must be stopped !

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/252109712820?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The fake bags above - a genuine original below - the differences are very obvious:

ABBA Books By Carl Magnus Palm - Signed - Order Now !

Buy A Signed Copy !

This page lists a selection of titles that you can buy directly from this site – and if you want to, you can get your copy signed with a personal dedication by the author. For some of the titles the stock is extremely limited, so first come, first served... (The number of copies available, as listed for some titles, is accurate as of September 28, 2105.)

HOW TO BUY: Send me an e-mail stating which book(s) you want to buy, and I will send you a Paypal invoice (Swedish residents may pay via bank transfer; if you live outside Sweden and are not able or willing to use Paypal, this option is open to you as well). As soon as I have received payment, your signed book(s) will be mailed to you without any unnecessary delay.

Please note: All prices include postage, regular airmail. If you want your order to be sent via registered mail, this is possible, although the price will then be a little higher. Just mention this when you e-mail me and we will sort it out.

Buy two or more books and you will get a 10% price reduction!

The following titles are currently available. Click on the title to read more about the book:

Bright Lights Dark Shadows - The Real Story Of ABBA (revised and updated paperback edition published January 2014, English language) Price: USD 58

ABBA - The Story: Berättelsen om supergruppen (hardback, first edition, Swedish language) Price: USD 58

ABBA (hardback, first edition, Finnish language). The Finnish edition of ABBA - The Story. Click here to see the cover of the book. Price: USD 50

ABBA Lugu (hardback, first edition, Estonian language, only 2 copies left). This Estonian version of ABBA - The Story features a picture selection that's almost completely different to the Swedish edition. Price: USD 58

ABBA - Ljodi i mozika (hardback, first edition, Russian language; only 1 copy left). This Russian edition of ABBA - Människorna och musiken adds plenty of pictures from the Premium Publishing archives, plus an illustrated discography. Price: USD 58

Benny's Road To ABBA (hardback, first edition, English language). Price: USD 58
Cadillac Madness - den otroliga berättelsen om The Hep Stars (hardback, first edition, Swedish language; contains CD featuring previously unreleased Hep Stars recordings; co-authored by Dan-Eric Landén) Price: USD 58

ABBA - The Backstage Stories (Swedish version). Price: USD 53

ABBA Backstage (German version of ABBA - The Backstage Stories). Price: USD 53

ABBA - Backstage-historierne (Danish version of ABBA - The Backstage Stories; only 2 copies left). Price: USD 53

ABBA (Italian version of ABBA - The Backstage Stories; only 2 copies left). Price: USD 53

Send an e-mail for more information.

http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/books/buy-a-signed-copy

 

ABBA Charity Auction - Book Signed By All 4 Members ! Plus Much More !!

ABBA The Museum:

"We're auctioning a copy of "ABBA The Backstage Stories" SIGNED BY ALL FOUR ABBA MEMBERS.
You will also get to stay at Pop House Hotel and much more!

The money raised will be donated to the foundation Världens Barn (Children of The World). Take part in this unique opportunity, and help the ones who need it the most.

Link to the bidding page: http://goo.gl/rUcZOn

Here you can listen to Björn talking about his commitment to help children, and why he donated Chiqitita royalties to UNICEF: https://goo.gl/pQNaof

Both links are in swedish, but we hope you'll find your way to translate : )"

The auction is being run on Tradera and is in Swedish. It also says it is open only to Swedish bidders, but the Museum has confirmed anyone can bid.
Planning a visit to Sweden ? How perfect to win this auction before you go ! :)

Rough translation of auction page:

The book is called of course "ABBA The Backstage Stories" !!
Check out the picture book and signatures on Vakens website: http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2689...http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2689&artikel=6258839
Added in the property description September 24 09:48
The dinner is taken on Pop House Hotel. The pot is also a book "ABBA The Background Stories" IngMarie Halling, the band's costume designer and now curator of ABBA: The Museum. And hold on tight - the book is signed all four ABBA!

One gets fun when you help!

Welcome to place your bid on this year's Funniest auction. The pot is a really smash weekend in Stockholm:
You and a friend will get two nights at the Pop House Hotel. Along with Vakens host Richard Herrey you will experience the Swedish music tax on ABBA the Museum. Another listening favorite, Isabelle Berglund, connect three course dinner and then there will be laughter party at the famous Oscar Theatre .. You will see autumn's big idea Ladykillers, with among others Leif Andrée, Jonas Karlsson, Johan Rheborg and Suzanne Reuter.

Then it's off to the Radio Hall for a guided tour and a visit to us in direct sending Awake studio.

This will be something to write home about!
And best of all: all the money you spend will go to the children of the world!

https://www.facebook.com/AbbaTheMuseum?fref=nf  

ABBA's Dancing Queen Hits Number 1 In Australia 1976

On this day in 1976, ABBA's Dancing Queen hit number 1 in Australia.

It stayed at number 1 for 8 weeks and sold 322,000 copies, making it the 3rd biggest hit single of 1976 in Australia, with Bohemian Rhapsody at number 2 and Fernando at number 1.