Abba ..........................................
 

WOW.It looks like ABBA is having a reunion .:]:]:]:]:]:]:]:]:]:]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...enny-andersson

Abba reunite for first public performance in 30 years

Fans delighted by impromptu singalong to Me and I at a Stockholm gala to celebrate 50 years since Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson met
Super troopers … the original members of Abba line up at the opening of Mamma Mia! The Party in January.
Super troopers … the original members of Abba line up at the opening of Mamma Mia! The Party in January. Photograph: IBL/Rex/Shutterstock

Guardian music
@guardianmusic

Monday 6 June 2016 13.01 EDT
Last modified on Monday 6 June 2016 17.00 EDT


The four members of Abba performed alongside one another for the first time in over 30 years in Stockholm this weekend.

On Sunday, at a private gala to mark 50 years since songwriting duo Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson met for the first time, the pair were joined by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstadon stage at Berns Salonger in Stockholm. As well as discussing their career, the group sang their 1980 hit Me and I, according to Swedish newspaper Expressen – an event many fans never foresaw happening.
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The impromptu performance reportedly began when Lyngstad and Fältskog recited the track as a tribute to Andersson and Ulvaeus, before the other half of Abba joined in and made the reunion official. Footage of the performance hasn’t yet surfaced, but images appeared on social media.

Although the group’s last tour took place in 1982, the four-piece were last publicly seen together in Stockholm for the opening of a new entertainment venture, Mamma Mia! The Party.

Despite their occasional individual performances, the group – made up of two former married couples – decided they would not reunite for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. “Agnetha is not flying, so I don’t know how she’s going to get to New York,” Andersson told Rolling Stone at the time.
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Speaking to Expressen, Lyngstad said of their 2016 reunion: “It was absolutely amazing. A lot of emotions.

“We’ve made this journey throughout our history. Benny and Björn in particular. It’s been very nostalgic.”

“We took a break in ‘82, and it was meant to be a break,” Ulvaeus said in 2014. “It’s still a break and will remain so. You’ll never see us on stage again.”

This makes me soooo happy!!! love abba

Unfortunately I don't think Agnetha will ever get over her fear of flying.

There are obviously many comparisons between ABBA and FM. Two couples in the band, break ups, songs written on truthful themes. Two female singers with an interesting contrast in their vocals. A bunch of very different personalities who together were more than their sum of parts.

They were dismissed by many as pop fluff, but their work did mature over time. You know John Lennon was an ABBA fan. So were the Sex Pistols. Listen to 'Pretty Vacant' and you can hear the riff from ABBA's S.O.S.

I think Bjorn wrote many lyrics and Benny crafted the melodies. Benny can play the accordian and here's a random fact - if you listen to many ABBA songs played on accordian, they actually sound quite suited to that instrument. So I think that helped him develop that sense of melody.

Wow in this day and age there is not even a clip for this:shrug:I 'm sure this is a one off. From everything I know about this group they will not reunite.

Back in their hayday, Abba was my guilty pleasure, and The Carpenters, too. I still enjoy (and miss) Karen's angelic voice. I always melt when I hear "A Song For You". :)

I don't feel a shred of guilt listening to either of these groups. Two of the most musically accomplished pop groups of all time. ABBA is neck and neck with Fleetwood Mac as my two favorite groups of any genre. In fact with the way that Fleetwood Mac has been behaving as of late ABBA might take the top spot.

I'm surprised there was even this much of a performance/reunion! Agnetha had some really hard times with travel and an obsessed fan unfortunately. I can't blame her for wanting nothing to do with any sort of larger scale reunion. I tuned Abba out for awhile in the late '70s, like the Bee Gees, but am glad that later on I went back and listened to all the great work I missed because of that from both groups, especially from the 1980s (and the Chess musical). There are also a lot of pre-Abba and other Swedish releases... they are mostly in Swedish but there are some great pieces of music in there too.

The Carpenters had a few tracks where they decided to do a more mechanical voice doubling effect and those are the only ones I could call a guilty pleasure. Because of the huge amount of time it used to take to overdub all the vocals Richard tried something that was quicker but you can really tell the difference. I wish he'd release more of the pre-Carpenters 1960s demos when they were called Spectrum and Summerchimes, they were more like the Mamas & Papas.

Too bad this was a simple get together.I have to give them credit for doing this .I did not know or remember that Agnetha is afraid of flying.May she should talk to Christine about flying.My dad always love the Carpenters.I do enjoy their music too since I'm a big easylistening music fan .

Top 5 ABBA

1) Fernando
2) Chiquitita
3) Lay All Your Love on Me
4) Soldiers
5) SOS

I like 4 out of the five you listed (Soldiers), I'd replace it with The Name Of The Game.

I think that when they were at the height of their popularity, they had a particularly terrifying flight with turbulence and Agnetha was very traumatized about it. She has said she also hated being separated from her young children, to tour with the band.

I don't think she will ever be able to fly regularly again, but I found this report that she was seeking some therapy for it http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.1339082

I don't blame her either. Agnetha was really the focal point of the group. Even though Frida was attractive too and had a lovely voice, Agnetha seemed to receive most of the attention, but she did not deal with it very well and started getting stage fright.

I think we were very spoilt by the standard of music back then, and began to take it for granted. ABBA seemed to be distinctly 'uncool' for a period of time, but then there was a revival of sorts with the musical.

When I was a kid I liked their classic pop work first and foremost, but since then I started listening to and appreciating other parts of their catalog. They could have done their own version of 'Rumors'.



Perfect break up song. Yeh, it's had meaning for me. Also 'Knowing Me Knowing You'

I'm glad that Agnetha is getting help.


As a teen .I only flew once in my life which was 40 years ago to this month to Florida.The flights were OK.When I travel .I love to be on the ground and see something like sight seeing.You cant do that 30,000 feet in the air.

Dancing Queen is one of my favorites .



Heres a whole concert from 1979.

Five great but maybe under-heard '80s Abba songs...

One Of Us
Under Attack
I Am The City
Our Last Summer
Just Like That

and solo by Anni-Frid 'Frida' Lyngstad...

(I Know) There's Something Going On

https://youtu.be/372436tJiaM

and from Tim Rice and Benny & Bjorn's Chess...

I Know Him So Well
(Barbara Dickson and Elaine Paige)

https://youtu.be/sBSPUbtdM6I

(Warning: Heavy '80s production on those last two). :)