Dec 19, 2014
Dec 9, 2014
Dec 8, 2014
Dec 2, 2014
Nov 30, 2014
Nov 25, 2014
Agnetha's German pre-ABBA singles available again
Through the years Agnetha's singles which she released in Germany, all sung in the German language are hard to find. We recently found out that a fan (not us!) is selling very nice fan-cd's made of these eight singles. So grab a copy if you have been searching for this material, while you can. Click here: Ebay
Nov 16, 2014
Nov 14, 2014
Nov 6, 2014
Nov 5, 2014
Nov 3, 2014
Released soon: 'Gracias Por La Musica'
ABBA’s Spanish-language album, Gracias
Por La Música, receives the Deluxe Edition treatment and is available
from November 10th onwards. This could be perceived as slightly
barrel-scraping but there’s a certain logic to the reissue. The original record
was recorded in 1980 after the group had released a Spanish language version of
their 1979 hit Chiquitita. That single had been an attempt
to break into Latin America – a territory where ABBA were not yet enjoying the massive success they’d enjoyed everywhere else. The song
became their biggest hit ever in the region – and because it did very well the
album was commissioned.
The CD
features the original record along with five bonus tracks
including Spanish language versions of Slipping Through My Fingers and When
All Is Said And Done. Incidentally, neither of these tracks
were included on the most recent deluxe edition of 'The
Visitors'.
The album
features seven great songs with Agnetha on lead vocals:
-Gracias
Por La Musica (Thank You For The Music)
-Al Andar
(Move On)
-Dame!
Dame! Dame! (Ginmme! Gimme! Gimme!)
-Hasta
Manana
-Felicidad
(Happy New Year)
-Se Me
Esta Escapando (Slipping Through My Fingers)
-Chiquitita
And three
joint leads:
-La Reina
Del Baile (Dancing Queen)
-Mamma Mia
-Ring Ring
Frida sings
lead on five more songs. The album was recorded by Agnetha and Frida with
Michael B. Tretow while Benny and Bjorn were abroad working on new material. At
the time of the original release Agnetha said: "We love to record in the
Spanish language. Benny and Bjorn were not that eager, but Frida and I were so
they said ' if you want to do it, go ahead', and so we did and had a great time
re-recording all the vocals".
The deluxe edition includes a nice DVD that features the five official promo clips and three previously unreleased TV segments: two performances of Chiquitita from 1979 and a 1980 interview with the group made for Spanish TV which includes a unique performance of ' Dame! Dame! Dame!' And an ‘International Sleeve Gallery’.
At a later stage of her career Agnetha also recorded three of her solo hits in Spanish. Two of these are not yet available on cd or digital download.
Oct 31, 2014
Oct 25, 2014
Oct 22, 2014
Flashback meeting with Agnetha
By Peter Dahlgren.In 1974 the members of ABBA lived in two townhouses in Vallentuna. One was shared by Anni-Frid and Benny the other Agnetha and Björn. I was interested in prog at that time, therefore, before I was not that interested in the pop gang. But behind the facade, I was enthusiastic.
Norrtelje Magazine editor who is no ABBA fan, said that managing editor who likes ABBA, wants a centerfold. Lots of pictures, that is. But the moderately engaged the editors do not think it is worth sending a photographer. I may shoot myself. A decision he would later regret. As a local editor, I had to take the photos although I was barely knowledgeable of how to handle an SLR. Most photos I took were rarely good and the sharpness was not really my thing. But my protests didn't help. One of the photographers at the newspaper advised me to use the flash which would improve the sharpness of the photos.
When I spoke to Agnetha on the phone my heart beat a little faster. She sounded so nice and invited me at her home to do the story. When she opened the door she smiled sweetly and apologized because the place was a little messy. Besides her French bulldog she was alone. Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid qre next door to put a riff(?). They will come later.
I put the camera bag on the floor and sat down at the kitchen table. Agnetha offered me some tea. I asked about how she felt as well as a few others. She responds patiently while her dog snoops with his nose in my camera bag. I ask if I can take some pictures of her while waiting for the others to come. There is no problem. But, it becomes a problem when I discover what the dog has done. The cable to the important flash and one corner of a camera bag is chewed by the irritated disobedient dog.
Agnetha sits next to me on the floor, picking up her dog and says "Fy". She cuddles for a while with the beast, then she turns to me, puts her hand on my shoulder and says, "Sorry!" I smile matt and immediately forget the broken cord. But the spell is broken when the others come into the kitchen. It gets a little awkward, but Agnetha quickly explained what happened.I ask the other members of ABBA a few questions and take my photos without the flash. Later, back in the newsroom when the photographer came out of the dark room after developing my photo roll, he said the photo shoot didn't go very well.
"How bad is it?" I ask.
"It's bad, but I will do my best, "he says.
I tried to blame the French bulldog but got no sympathy ... Much better was the course ABBA took in the SM and in the European Championships in Brighton. But also that brief moment on the kitchen floor I shared only with Agnetha ... and a hot-tempered, ill-mannered bulldog..."
Oct 21, 2014
How do you feel about the new Live album?
Now that the CD has been out for a while we would like to know how you feel about the 'new' live album? What is your personal highlight? What is the lowpoint on the record?
And would it have been better to let someone else select the material and do the production in stead of Ludvig Andersson (perhaps releasing the Milwaukee concert is stead of Wembley) or did Ludvig do his job very well?
We are curious what your feelings are...
Sep 29, 2014
Finally released: "I'm Still Alive"
But I'm a winner now
I'd do it all again
Cause now I know how
How everything in life comes down to this
Surviivin' and living'
Determined not to give in
And
(chorus)
I'm still alive
My life is rollin' on
Gently from day to day
Memories will fade away,yes
I'm still alive
The agony has gone
Since my mind is slowly wakin'
And my heart has ceased its achin'
I took so many blows
I cried a sea of tears
And only heavens knows
How could I stand the fears
I think of all the nights I lay alone and scared
All shattered and cryin'
And thinkin' I was dyin'
AND
(repeat chorus)
Sep 22, 2014
Sep 10, 2014
GRACIAS POR LA MUSICA to be released as a Deluxe edition
Gracias por la música Deluxe Edition – ABBA’s Spanish recordings on CD and DVD
The celebrations of ABBA’s 40th Anniversary year of 2014 continue with the latest release in the acclaimed ABBA Deluxe Edition series. In April of this year, Waterloo Deluxe Edition was released, attracting 4-star reviews in the music press, and in November, ABBA’s Spanish-language 1980 album Gracias por la música will receive the Deluxe Edition treatment. The original album has been expanded with 5 bonus tracks, plus a 40-minute DVD featuring vintage promo clips and previously unreleased television material. Gracias por la música Deluxe Edition will be released November 10, 2014.
ABBA’s Spanish adventure began in 1979, when it was suggested that the group should record a Spanish-language version of their latest hit single, ‘Chiquitita’. This was in order to facilitate a breakthrough in Latin America, where ABBA hadn’t yet achieved success on the level of the Abbamania that gripped the rest of the world. The results of this single release were astounding: ‘Chiquitita’ rushed to the top of the charts all over Latin America, and became the biggest hit in 25 years in this part of the world.
In 1980, an entire album of Spanish-language ABBA songs was recorded. Appropriately entitled Gracias por la música (“Thank You For The Music”), this also became a huge hit – even entering the charts in the not-very-Spanish-speaking Japan! Since then, ABBA have been consistently popular in Latin America.
The first disc in the 2-disc Deluxe Edition of Gracias por la música is a CD, which features the original album plus five bonus tracks. The bonus selections are the remaining Spanish tracks recorded by ABBA, four of which were originally included on the albums Super Trouper and The Visitors in Spanish-language territories. The DVD features the five official promo clips ABBA did for ‘Estoy soñando’ (“I Have A Dream”), ‘Conociéndome, conociéndote’ (“Knowing Me, Knowing You”), ‘Gracias por la música’ (“Thank You For The Music”), ‘Felicidad’ (“Happy New Year”) and ‘No hay a quien culpar’ (“When All Is Said And Done”). Additionally, there are three previously unreleased TV items: two performances of ‘Chiquitita’ from 1979, plus a 1980 interview with the group made for Spanish TV, which also features a unique – in every sense of the word – performance of ‘¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!’ (“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! [A Man After Midnight]”).
The package also includes a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring a personal greeting from Frida, as well as an essay on the making of the album. The essay includes brand new insights from Buddy & Mary McCluskey, who instigated the Spanish-language recordings and wrote the Spanish lyrics for ABBA, and Ana Martinez del Valle, who coached Agnetha and Frida in the studio. In the booklet, Frida’s greeting and the essay are featured in both Spanish and English.
Don’t miss out on this unique celebration of an often overlooked part of ABBA’s glorious career!
GRACIAS POR LA MÚSICA – DELUXE EDITION
Disc 01, CD:
1. Gracias por la música
– Thank You For The Music –
2. Reina danzante
– Dancing Queen –
3. Al andar
– Move On –
4. ¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!
– Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) –
5. Fernando
6. Estoy soñando
– I Have A Dream –
7. Mamma mía
8. Hasta mañana
9. Conociéndome, conociéndote
– Knowing Me, Knowing You –
10. Chiquitita
Bonus tracks
11. Ring ring
12. Andante, andante
13. Felicidad
– Happy New Year –
14. No hay a quien culpar
14. No hay a quien culpar
– When All Is Said And Done –
15. Se me está escapando
– Slipping Through My Fingers –
Disc 02, DVD:
1. Chiquitita (300 millones, TVE)
2. Chiquitita (Aplauso, TVE)
3. Estoy soñando (promo clip)
4. ABBA On Spanish TV (Especial Aplauso 100, TVE)
SONGS PERFORMED:
Conociéndome, conociéndote (promo clip)
Gracias por la música (promo clip)
¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!
5. Felicidad (promo clip)
6. No hay a quien culpar (promo clip)
Sep 8, 2014
Listen to a snippet of 'I'm Still Alive' ...
Please click the link below to listen to Agnetha's newly to be released song 'I'm Still Alive' from the ABBA album ' Live at Wembley Area'. Enjoy! To listen click here
Sep 3, 2014
Benny tries to persuade Agnetha to record new songs written by herself!
In Expressen Agnetha's former ABBA colleague said: "I like her latest album, but I like the song she wrote herself most of all". Benny has tried to persuade Agnetha to record a new album with her own songs Expressen published today. When the 30 journalists yesterday gathered in Benny's studio on Skeppsholmen to listen to the upcoming live album "ABBA live at Wembley Arena" Benny said about Agnetha: "While Agnetha was here to listen to the live material, I told her to record her own songs, but she would not listen to me", said Benny with a mysterious smile. On the upcoming live album by ABBA, which is published on the 29th September, you can listen to a "new" recording of Agnetha.
On the album, there's the song "I'm Still Alive", a rarity that has remained unreleased all these years. "It's a good song actually. I think Agnetha wrote it specifically for the tour", said Benny since he played it up."A preview playback of 35-year-old live material attracted journalists from England, Germany and Australia and is a proof that Abba is still hot news material overseas. "The basic idea for the new ABBA Live album was to keep everything as much as possible. Nothing has been changed or added afterwards, except the drum sound that was missing in one song."
In front of the international press Benny once again stated that a reunion of Abba will never happen. "We are all very proud of what we accomplished, and I was surprised by how good we sounded live when I listened to the old stuff, but we have no interest in being reunited and we have no unreleased songs left to give out."
Jul 22, 2014
Jul 21, 2014
I'm Still Alive available for download at 26th September
Itunes and Amazon both have released 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' as the first trailer for the upcoming album. We hope the album mix will better as the vocals are mixed to the back in stead of rebalanced... Hope this is not the sign of things to come. However we know that I'm Still Alive will sound wonderful!
Jul 16, 2014
Jul 14, 2014
No singles from 'Live'
Contrary to some rumors there will be no commercial single releases from the upcoming ABBA cd 'ABBA LIve at Wembley Arena'.
There will be however a promotional single which will include three live songs from the album.
Jul 13, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Because of the release of the wonderful ' Super Trouper' deluxe edition, I decided to look for some rare Agnetha pix from this e...
