After nearly 20 years, they were back on stage together - and they sang!



AGNETHA IN TEARS OF JOY WHEN ABBA REUNITE

All old quarrels were forgotten for one night. The ABBA members hugged emotionally. And sang. Together.

For the first time in nearly 20 years. Our old classic hit: "Med en enkel tulipan" (With a simple tulip). For their friend Görel Hanser, who turned 50 years old.

The many guests hushed, an extremely attentive atmosphere spread across the restaurant.

First came Benny Andersson, self confident, smiling, standing on the small stage. Closely followed by Björn Ulvaeus. Several seconds passed - and suddenly there stood Anni-Frid Lyngstad and - to be sure - finally Agnetha Fältskog.

ABBA together. On stage. 25 years after "Waterloo" in London and for the first time in nearly 20 years after the final split.

- I felt myself get goosepimples on my arms, says one of the guests. It was history, short and good and a moment that you wanted to remember. The tears ran down my cheeks...

ABBA smiled harmoniously, the young, tense faces one remembered from before, when their stage career put them on top, had been changed to ones of inner calm.

They held each other's hands and they sang. Not one of their great hits, just the Swedish Harry Brandelius song "With a simple tulip on your birthday, we are honoured, we are honoured to congratulate you".

The guest of honour Görel Hanser turned 50. She has been everything to ABBA over the years - the happy, hard working, stressed years. She had invited her friends to a birthday party at the Modern Museum's restaurant on Skeppsholmen in Stockholm. From there, the guests were transported by
boat from Gustav III's statue to the royal castle on Skeppsbron.

As always when turning 50 is being celebrated, things become a little sad. People who have made careers start to look back on their life.

That the ABBA people became such a focus is no surprise. Görel Hanser stood and stands near them a lot. She started to work as a secretary to the late Stig Anderson, and later on was there when ABBA came into being, grew, exploded - and voluntarily melted away.

The world's ABBA sat there now in the Swedish summer night. They got on well together. All the fighting and nagging between them which has been described in books and evening papers, has become forgotten over the years.

Agnetha smiled, cracked jokes, appeared a long way removed from the Garbo-look she has sometimes taken on. Drank wine, clinked glasses and hugged each and everyone she met. She
danced, even asked people to dance with her, and had a sing along.

Anni-Frid, confident, attractive, chic, loved the attention and to meet all the industry people. 

Björn, clever, charming, amusing.

Benny, perpetual grumbler, not silent for many minutes, talked amusingly with the birthday girl.

There sat the gang of four. The world's theatre and record producers have begged them to make a comeback but they have refused. 

As Björn Ulvaeus said:
- We would just be pathetic. ABBA is over. Period.

But here was the generation which created ABBA. Even though the "good" music critics thought that their music was too "light and schlager-like".

- I became so emotional when I saw all four together, as friends, says one of the guests at the party. It reminds me sentimentally about the life which was such fun at the time. It was like sliding back in time.

The time after ABBA meant different things to each of them.

Björn and Benny continued writing music and had big success in another genre, writing the musicals "Chess" and "Kristina från Duvemåla".

Anni-Frid and Agnetha released a couple of their own records but without great success.

The boys became hot news while the girls created their own lives. Anni-Frid remarried and became a princess, Agnetha sought peace and quiet in her magnificent mansion outside Stockholm.

As a reminder that the new generation is taking over, Görel Hanser's two children, Calle, 15, and Carolina, 10, sang so beautifully and brought a tear to the eye.

And who should accompany them but Ludvig Andersson with an orchestra. Ludvig, the talented youngest son of Benny.

When the party was in it's last hours, Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Björn and Benny said farewell to each other. They hugged heartily before stepping out into the summer light.

Article written by Sten Hedman and appeared in Se och Hör.
Translation by ABBAMAIL's Grant Whittingham with assistance from Håkan Borg, Gustav Sandberg and a well-worn dictionary!