Stockholm April 1979
ABBA - NEW LP - ABBA
We are very happy to present
ABBA's new LP "VOULEZ-VOUS" finally. Not only because it is an eagerly
awaited album, but also because we believe this is the best and strongest
LP ABBA ever released. It contains ten tracks - AS GOOD AS NEW / VOULEZ-VOUS
/ I HAVE A DREAM / ANGELEYES / THE KING HAS LOST HIS CROWN / DOES YOUR
MOTHER KNOW / IF IT WASN'T FOR THE NIGHTS / CHIQUITITA / LOVERS (Live
A Little Longer) / KISSES OF FIRE. The single to be released in connection
with the LP-release is DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW c/w KISSES OF FIRE. Release
date in England is April 20th and in Germany May 7th. As usual there is
a promotional film available of ABBA performing this number. The international
shipping date for the LP is April 30th.
Most of the songs are recorded
with ABBA's usual musicians, i.e. Lasse Wellander, guitar, Rutger Gunnarsson,
bass and Ola Brunkert, drums. On some of the tracks, probably one of Sweden's
most well-known guitar player, Janne Schaffer, is playing. On I HAVE A
DREAM ABBA also have the help and assistance of 40 pupils from the choir
of the International School of Stockholm.
More than a year has passed since the release of our previous LP "ABBA-THE
ALBUM". Months filled with openings of our film "ABBAThe Movie", writing
and composing, TV appearances, promotional visits to various countries,
opening of our own studio in Stockholm - one of the most modern equipped
in the world - recording of TV-specials and so on, and so on ....
So far "ABBA-The Movie" has
been seen by more than 5 million people. And this does not include Canada.
the United States and Mexico. The movie opened up in Canada in middle
of March, and the reception was very positive. It is planned for release
in Mexico in May and in the U.S. later on this year.
In November last year ABBA
went on a promotional tour to Tokyo for seven days. They did many interviews
for radio, TV and press and also recorded also their own 60-minutes TV-special.
The reaction ' after their visit was enormous!! In less than six months
ABBA sold over 1.5 million records in this territory, and their
various albums have all been high on the Japanese charts. So by now ABBA
are the happy owners also of golden records from Japan.
More news from the Far East:
Our record licensee in Hongkong, Polydor Records have awarded ABBA with
platinum records for "ABBA-THE ALBUM" and "THE VERY BEST OF ABBA-DOUBLE
LP".
From Hongkong to France. In August last year our French licensee visited
ABBA and Polar and presented us with a gold record for "ABBA-THE ALBUM"
- the third gold records from France.
From Atlantic in Canada we
have also received the good news about "ABBA-THE ALBUM" passing the DOUBLE
platinum mark.
During Midem this year -
at a surprise party for Stig Anderson arranged by all the ABBA subpublishers
- Stig was presented with gold records from Music Box in Greece for both
"ABBA-THE ALBUM" and "GREATEST HITS-LP".
During the Eurovision Song
Contest in Jerusalem, Stig was presented with silver and gold records
from our Israelian licensee, CBS for "ARRIVAL" and "ABBA-THE ALBUM".
Even if ABBA not yet is a
household name in the U.S., their popularity is increasing steadily, and
last autumn we received from Atlantic Records a platinum record for "GREATEST
HITS" and a gold record for "ABBA-THE ALBUM". Their appearance on the
Olivia Newton-John TV-special in May last year was not only a success
for ABBA, but it also led to Olivia becoming an artist on the Polar label
in Scandinavia. Also that being a success for everybody involved.
ABBA's records are a success
not only in the Western world but also in Easter Europe. As a result of
Stig Anderson's visit to Moscow in May last year, ABBA's two LP:s "ARRIVAL"
and "ABBA-THE ALBUM" are now released in the Soviet Union by Kniga. Also,
the TV station has acquired the rights to show all ABBA's promotional
films on TV during the spring of 79. In September last year Stig visited
Budapest, Hungary and made lots of promotion for ABBA's releases, all
of which have been on top in the Hungarian charts. From Poland ABBA received
a gold record for the fantastic sale of their LP "WATERLOO". And it continues
....
Just to mention a few of
all the golden records that are hanging on the walls at the Polar headquarters
in Stockholm......
ABBA started off this year
by appearing on the big Unicef gala "A Gift Of.Song" in New York. They
did not only perform their song "CHIQUITI'FA" but also donated it to Unicef
and "The Year of The Child". It was a great success not only on stage
in United Nations' General Assembly Room, but in every territory where
it has been released. It reached the gold record mark immediately after
its release in England!!!!! ABBA have now also recorded CHIQUITITA in
Spanish, and it seems this recording will be a monster hit in Spain, Mexico
and South America.
Back from New York to Stockholm, Björn and Benny felt they wanted to go away again - to some place where they could concentrate on writing and composing. After a few days they were off again - to sunny Bahamas. Apparently a very inspiring place, because after a week they ended up at the Critera Studios in Miami recording the backing tracks for VOULEZ-VOUS - one of the strongest track on the new LP. And they returned to Stockholm with several new themes and ideas. Now the work on the new LP continued with ease and happiness - everybody felt as if the boys' short trip to the Bahamas opened up new dimensions.
The studiowork was interrupted only for a week in the middle of February, when ABBA went down to Leysin in Switzerland to record their one hour TV-special. As guest artists they had invited Roxy Music with Bryan Ferry, Kate Bush and Ted Gardestad (a young, promising guy from the Polar-family). On this special they perform five of the songs from their new LP: CHIQUITITA / LOVERS (Live A Little Longer) / THE KING HAS LOST HIS CROWN / KISSES OF FIRE / DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW. The show is scheduled for airing in many countries at Easter or shortly after.
Right now ABBA are on a well deserved holiday, but soon they will be back at work again. In the middle of May they will have the first rehearsals for their forthcoming tour. They will also go into the studio and record some more singles to have in the can for the autumn, when they will be on tour. End of July they will continue the rehearsals and from second week of September until end of November they will be touring Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland, Canada and the United States. The places and the dates will be definitely confirmed by end of April.
Even if the year so far has been more than hectic for the group, the girls still have had the time to try something outside of the ABBA-life. Agnetha is celebrating her 10th anniversary as a recording artist, and her previous record company CBS will later on this year release a solo-LP with Agnetha's greatest hits - including a newly written and recorded song by her.
Frida spent a few days in
Sevilla, Spain (while Bjorn and Benny were busy composing at the Bahamas)
making her debut as an actress on the movie screen. (Apart from our own
movie of course.) A small part but very much a dream coming true for Frida.
However, only as long as it does not interfere with her life as "one of
the ABBA's, she is prepared to try new ventures.
Looking at ABBA's schedule,
they are fully booked until the end of this year. Hopefully this will
kill all rumours of ABBA splitting up. The divorce between Agnetha and
Bjorn has in no way affected ABBA as a group. All four are still very
good friends, and it seems the group's work has reached a more relaxed
atmosphere since Björn and Agnetha decided to put an end to their
marriage.
For 1980 we are planning to release a double album with ABBA's greatest hits from the very beginning up to the release date of this LP. There is a possibility one of the LP:s will be live from the tour - however, this is not yet decided. And at the end of next year, we hope to have a completely new LP ready for release again - ABBA will continue as long as they enjoy what they do - and they enjoy every second of their present lives!!
Stockholm April 1979 görel
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