In Conversation: Björn Ulvaeus and Martin Österdahl

Podcast_ 

https://shows.acast.com/the-official-eurovision-song-contest-podcast/episodes/episode-16-bjorn-ulvaeus-and-martin-osterdah

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Article: In Conversation: Björn Ulvaeus and Martin Österdahl

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ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden. EBU

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In Conversation: Björn Ulvaeus and Martin Österdahl

In a very special episode of the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast, Steve Holden chats with ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus and Eurovision Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl.

My My! We're nearing 2024. And in Contest terms, all pop fans know what that means: the 50th anniversary of ABBA's historic Eurovision Song Contest win in 1974.

Ahead of all of the 2023 participants touching down in Liverpool, host of the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast Steve Holden saw now as the perfect opportunity to speak with ABBA's own Björn Ulvaeus, inviting Contest Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl to join in on the discussion too.

In the latest episode of the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast, the pair discussed everything from a public-service broadcaster's duties in today's age of fake media, to the Contest's role in acknowledging what is going on around us in Europe while we watch the Live Shows at home each year.

And of course, ABBA's Contest win in 1974 is also high on the agenda for the discussion. But does it really feel like 50 years ago for Björn? He tells Steve:

"Well, when I look at footage and pictures from that time, it looks of course like it's aeons ago. But somehow, when I hear the song, you know, on the radio; it's different. Then it seems like it's just a little while ago."

The conversation then turns to Björn pondering just how different the Eurovision Song Contest looks nowadays to when it did in the era of ABBA's iconic win with Waterloo:

"Well, the productions are much, much more lavish and elaborate now than they used to be - the actual TV productions. And that's a big change. I think it's taken away focus a little from the songs; onto the artists and the performance and the production itself. That's one difference that I see. I mean, when we won in '74, we were standing in front of four mics. And there was an orchestra. And that was it. It wasn't much of a TV production then. But now it seems countries compete with that as well."

Martin Österdahl adds to Björn's summation about the Eurovision Song Contest in this age, where a good song is often elevated even further by an impressive visual accompanying it on stage:

"As Björn says, it's a combination of visual stage performance, art, artistry, and a strong strong vocal is always key. And also songwriting. It's a combination of factors that creates the success these days, whereas in the past, it was more focused on the song itself."

As well as the evolution of the Contest over the years, Björn also recognises that up-and-coming artists are now able to use the event as a platform to launch their careers, much more so than in previous eras of the Eurovision Song Contest.

"I think I have seen the importance of the Eurovision Song Contest growing over particularly the past two, three years, where artists really seem to be able to take care of the fact that they have this fantastic launching pad. Whereas before, it was almost assumed that a Eurovision winner was a one-hit wonder, today artists can make careers out of it, which is a good sign. I think Eurovision as a pan-European phenomenon is more important today than perhaps ever."

Steve points out that the success of one song in particular last year, Snap by Rosa Linn, indicates that the Eurovision Song Contest can be a springboard for global hit songs, regardless of the song's result on the scoreboard.

Martin Österdahl is enthusiastic about the 2022 Grand Final's biggest success story outside of the Contest:

"That was breaking new territory for sure. In many, many ways. Usually the launchpad is reserved for the winner, or maybe another in the top three. But Rosa Linn finished in 20th place last year in the Grand Final. And what's even more great about this story is that she was a virtually unknown artist from Armenia. And I don't know if that's ever happened before. The song became a viral sensation on various social platforms. It's a phenomenal global hit, and one of the most played songs of the year. Her career has really taken off, which is great. I'm really happy about that."

You can listen to the full discussion between Björn Ulvaeus, Martin Österdahl and our host Steve Holden right here.

Listen to all 37 songs of the Eurovision Song Contest via your favourite streaming services, and watch the official music videos on our YouTube channel:

Don't forget to sign up to the official Eurovision Song Contest newsletter, subscribe to the official podcast, and follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook - to keep entertained and up-to-date.

https://eurovision.tv/story/conversation-bjorn-ulvaeus-and-martin-osterdahl

Happy Birthday Björn !!

 

Iconic ABBA outfits go on display at British Music Experience

 24 APRIL 2023 

Iconic ABBA outfits go on display at British Music Experience

Last updated:22 April 2023

Floating with elegance and vintage glam, the ABBA Voyage hand-made ‘Phoenix Collection’ of outfits are on public display at the British Music Experience as part of the museum’s celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool.

The 1974 Swedish entry, ABBA, notably won The Eurovision Song Contest with their song ‘Waterloo.’ The group was formed by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group’s name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome.

Surprisingly, the UK awarded zero points for the ABBA entry in 1974 but since the supergroup won over the hearts and minds of the country, becoming a national treasure. So much so, ABBA Voyage chose the UK as its home building a custom performance space, The ABBA Arena.

Jaw-dropping, ground-breaking, phenomenal are just a few quotes from fans describing ABBA Voyage, the first live show of its kind. 40 years in the making, Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid have created the kind of concert they always wanted, performing for their fans at their very best: as digital versions of themselves backed by today’s finest musicians. Blurring the lines between the physical and digital, the magic of ABBA is brought to life using the latest technology.

The Costume Designer for ABBA Voyage was the acclaimed Swedish designer and “Fashion Activist” B. Åkerlund, best known for her iconic work with legendary artists including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. B collaborated with leading designers and studios from the worlds of fashion and entertainment including Dolce & Gabbana, Manish Arora, Erevos Aether and Michael Schmidt, to create looks for the band. Having been sketched and approved by the band, all costumes were then built as real outfits.

Costume designer B. Åkerlund said: “The Phoenix Look was created to represent ABBA’s limitless ability to transform and rebirth themselves in the world of Music. I dove deep into their archive to take inspiration from their past costuming, particularly their infamous Cat Looks. With that in mind, I wanted to approach these looks with a new metaphor, one that represents metamorphosis, and the phoenix was the perfect vessel to carry that idea forward. Each Garment was handcrafted and beaded with thousands of Swarovski crystals, all of which took months to complete.”

The symbolism of the outfits going on display at the British Music Experience captures and embodies the reinvigoration of ABBA’s music as this new form of live show. Each item designed by Indian designer, Manish Arora features hand sewn sequins of gold and vibrant colours, gems, iridescent hearts and gold laser cut leatherette feathers. Winged sleeves and caped jumpsuits allow for flashes of colour and bursts of movement on stage as the audience is astounded by the rebirth of group. The outfits show the group as a mythical phoenix rising up as its next incarnation, ABBA Voyage.

The concert’s producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson said “Rather than recreating a “nostalgic” 1970s look for ABBA Voyage, our vision, along with director Baillie Walsh, was to dress the band as the contemporary pop stars they are. Our designer B. Åkerlund was the perfect collaborator for this project, bringing together styles ranging from high fashion to fantasy.”

This will be the first time the outfits have gone on public display. As well as the phoenix collection designed by Manish Arora at the British Music Experience, The ABBA Museum in Stockholm will also feature costumes designed by Dolce Gabbana and Michael Schmidt Chair of the British Music Experience Trustees.

Harvey Goldsmith CBE, commented “We are thrilled to put the ABBA Voyage Phoenix Collection of display to run alongside our Eurovision celebrations and across the summer. We use iconic stage-worn outfits to tell stories of moments in the history of popular music. While we all know ABBA are not British, they may as well be. Their music is ingrained in the national psyche and with ABBA Voyage landing in London we know the feeling is reciprocated. ABBA Voyage is ground-breaking. These outfits symbolise the truly remarkable creative vision of the group and we can’t wait to give our visitors a little glimpse of the show.”

Head of UNESCO City of Music for Liverpool, Kevin McManus, commented “ABBA Voyage is the first of its kind and these outfits tell such an interesting story. This is great news for Liverpool, and for all the Eurovision fans that will be in the city in the build-up to the final. It is fabulous for the Museum to be able to display these incredible outfits. The British Music Experience is our Museum of Popular Music and I think it’s safe to say ABBA has achieved enormous popularity with such unrelenting success in the UK across 40 years.”

ABBA Voyage outfits will go on display at the British Music Experience and they will be in excellent company as the Museum charts the history of rock and pop music from 1945 to present day through instruments and stage outfits worn by some of the UK’s most popular artists. Eurovision successes such as Lulu, Sandie Shaw and Bucks Fizz are represented already in the archive and the collection as well as all the heritage greats such as David Bowie, Queen and Elton John.

The British Music Experience has a planned season of activity scheduled to celebrate Eurovision in Liverpool and beyond. The content will feature Eurovision related stage outfits such as Sam Ryder’s epic jumpsuit from last year’s final, an interactive archive display allowing visitors to delve deep into the history of the song contest and stage shows of related content. There will be a supporting public event programme including a VIP screening of the Eurovision grand finale, a Eurovision Quiz and panel discussions with past contestants. BME is also launching its new education workshop entitled Euro-Pop Culture which examines social and political changes over the past 6 decades concluding with the war in Ukraine.

The British Music Experience is in The Cunard Building, the middle of the Three Graces on the Mersey in the heart of the planned Eurovision village.

ABBA Voyage Outfits will be on display through 31 August 2023.

All general entry tickets purchased are valid for 12 months and each eligible visitor has the opportunity to support the Museum by Gift Aiding the cost of admission.

To purchase general entry tickets, go to 

https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/abbavoyage

https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/iconic-abba-outfits-go-on-display-at-british-music-experience

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Pippi på Cirkus

 

Björn Ulvaeus at This Morning -18 04 2023

 Björn Ulvaeus at This Morning

Broadcast on 18/04/2023

video: This Morning YouTube Channel

Read about this here: article: https://metro.co.uk/2023/04/18/bjorn-ulvaeus-worried-that-abba-voyage-would-go-badly-wrong-18631129

 

Björn talked about the future of ABBA Voyage Concert - 18 04 2023

 Björn talked about the future of ABBA Voyage Concert

In an interview with NME He said: “We hope to stay in this venue for as long as we can. We hope they’ll have us for many years, and we might build other replicas of this in other places: Asia, Australia, North America. There are lots and promoters and cities that we’re talking to at the moment about that.

“Each one would take at least two years to build, but there will be announcements towards the end of this year or the beginning of next about where we actually are going. That’s if we’re going somewhere, which we will.”

source: https://www.nme.com/news/music/abbas-bjorn-ulvaeus-on-the-future-of-the-voyage-live-show-and-if-theyd-ever-play-glastonbury-3432105

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ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus on the future of the 'Voyage' live show and if they'd ever play Glastonbury
Andrew Trendell — Tiempo de lectura: 4 minutos

ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus on the future of the 'Voyage' live show and if they'd ever play Glastonbury
NME went down to ABBA Voyage where Björn Ulvaeus surprised the one millionth visitor, before he told us about what the future has in store for the ambitious live experience, where in the world they'll be heading next, if we might see the 'ABBAtars' down at Glastonbury, and the chances of new music from the pop icons
ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus on the future of the ‘Voyage’ live show and if they’d ever play Glastonbury
Björn Ulvaeus tells NME about what the future has in store for the ambitious live experience after entertaining one million people, and if we'll ever hear new music from the band

ABBA have welcomed the one millionth visitor to their Voyage show, with Björn Ulvaeus telling NME about what the future has in store for the ambitious live experience. Watch our video interview with Ulvaeus above.

Last night (Monday April 17) saw young ABBA fan Josie Felix chosen as the winner to the one millionth visitor to see the show at the purpose-built ABBA Arena in London. She had been selected from scores of competition entries for writing her own song about how her dad would play ABBA on the school run when she was a child.

After their meeting, Ulvaeus sat down with NME to reflect on the show’s success.

“It’s amazing – it has surpassed any dream I could have ever had,” he said of reaching the milestone of entertaining one million people in less than a year since the Voyage first opened. “We’ve somehow reached new generations by some miracle. I don’t know how, but there you are. [2008 musical movie] Mamma Mia, I suppose played a role in that. There are new generations coming along.”

The show sees CGI reincarnations (or ‘ABBA-tars’) based on the movements and performance of the living Swedish pop legends. These are then painstakingly presented to appear to be playing live with the appearance of the band in their ’70s prime, backed by a full live band present in the room.

The success of Voyage has kicked off a debate about which artists could adopt the format next, with members of the Sex Pistols and Spice Girls responding to the call.

“That feels good – to be in the front line of technology,” said Ulvaeus of the conversation the band have started, “but technology is just one part of it. There are so many other moving parts. Sometimes there’s talent, there’s good songs, there’s all of that behind it – but there’s also luck. You have to be lucky when something works as well as this, as well as having the resources artistically, financially and so forth.”

He continued: “We don’t know exactly what it is that we’ve done, which makes it hard to replicate. I don’t know it’s just for another band to do the same thing and expect the same kind of emotional effect that this has had. Not automatically – it’s not that easy.”

The ABBA Voyage virtual concert series is currently set to run in London into 2024, with plans reported for the experience to be taken on a world tour.

Asked about what the future of the show involves, Ulvaeus replied: “We hope to stay in this venue for as long as we can. We hope they’ll have us for many years, and we might build other replicas of this in other places: Asia, Australia, North America. There are lots and promoters and cities that we’re talking to at the moment about that.

“Each one would take at least two years to build, but there will be announcements towards the end of this year or the beginning of next about where we actually are going. That’s if we’re going somewhere, which we will.”

And what about Glastonbury? Is there the potential to do a mobile version of ABBA Voyage that could pop up at Worthy Farm?

“I don’t think that’s possible, yet,” he replied. “It might be in the future. As it is, it’s too complicated because the lighting, the sound, the visuals, everything is integrated and it’s so complicated.”

While the setlist for ABBA Voyage has remained the same since it first opened, Ulvaeus revealed to NME that they did work on more songs that could work their way into future iterations of the show. “We did motion capture more songs that we have in this concert,” he said. “There are songs in the pipeline which might be animated and ‘ABBA-tarred’ in the future. Who knows? There might be a new song every now and then somewhere – but I can’t give you any details as of right now.”

The last new music from band came on the 2021 accompanying ‘Voyage’ album containing the two recent singles ‘I Still Have Faith In You’ and ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’. Asked if there was a hope for more new music from the band to come, Ulvaeus said “No, ‘Voyage’ the album was the last you’ll ever hear from us” – but he did remain open to the idea of the band returning for more projects like the live show, making the most of new emerging technologies.

“There will be new exciting formats in the future that we know very little about right now,” he added. “AI, the metaverse, there are lots of interesting and exciting things happening creatively that ABBA might be involved in as well.”

Speaking to NME at the premiere, the show’s producer Svana Gisla and guitarist Dom John shed light on the future of Voyage. When asked if Voyage could be the last the world sees of ABBA, Gisla said: “I think this is the final thing. They’re quite genuine in that, but they’ve said that before. I think this is it. It took a lot to make and it was hard work, from us and from them.”

Meanwhile, John said he could see the show going on for “multiple years, maybe” when asked how long he expected to be performing as part of the show.

https://www.nme.com/news/music/abbas-bjorn-ulvaeus-on-the-future-of-the-voyage-live-show-and-if-theyd-ever-play-glastonbury-3432105

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ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus welcomes the one millionth customer Josie Felix and her family to ABBA Voyage. Credit: ABBA Voyage

1 Million Concert Tickets - 17 04 2023

1 Million Concert Ticket !! Congratulations !

ABBA have sold 1 million tickets

My, my! Björn Ulvaeus marks massive 1,000,000 guests at landmark concert Abba Voyage after less than a year

https://metro.co.uk/2023/04/18/bjorn-ulvaeus-worried-that-abba-voyage-would-go-badly-wrong-18631129

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A source recently told The Sun: ‘Everyone knows Abba has a seriously loyal fan base but the show was always a bit of a gamble.

‘No one really knew how the Abba-tars were going to be received, as similar hologram-style concerts were a mixed bag. But for Abba the reaction was amazing. Even those most sceptical about the tech have walked away impressed.

‘The plan is to refresh the show with new songs that have already been shot by the group.’

It’s even said that talks are still in place for the show to transfer to the Las Vegas strip due to overwhelming popularity".

Source: Metro.uk

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photos ABBA Voyage

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Björn Ulvaeus marks massive 1,000,000 guests at concert Abba Voyage
Emily Bashforth — Tiempo de lectura: 3 minutos

My, my! Björn Ulvaeus marks massive 1,000,000 guests at landmark concert Abba Voyage after less than a year

Less than a year after opening, Abba Voyage has welcomed one million visitors!

Earlier this evening (April 17), the lucky one-millionth fan was welcomed into the Abba Arena in London following its grand unveiling on May 25, 2022, to widespread critical acclaim.

Abba Voyage is the long-awaited concert from one of the biggest pop acts of all time, featuring a setlist of Abba’s biggest, most popular hits – each handpicked with great care by the band.

Next month will mark the concert’s first anniversary in London.

To celebrate the milestone, one audience member won the chance to have an exclusive, surprise meet and greet with Björn Ulvaeus.

Ticket holders for this evening’s concert were invited to nominate themselves, or someone they know, to be the official millionth visitor by submitting a short video explaining what it would mean to them.

ABBA star Björn surprises millionth customer of ABBA Voyage

Josie Felix was chosen as the winner and surprised her family after writing her own song about how her dad would play Abba on the school run when she was a child.

Adorable snaps from the once-in-a-lifetime moment saw the Waterloo hitmaker beam as he greeted the adoring fans with handshakes and hugs.

Abba Voyage has received nothing but glowing reviews since doors first opened, with ‘jaw-dropping’, ‘ground-breaking’, and ‘phenomenal’ just a few quotes from fans describing the experience.

An incredible 40 years in the making, Björn, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and Benny Andersson have created the kind of concert they always wanted, performing for their fans at their very best: as digital versions of themselves backed by today’s finest musicians.

Blurring the lines between the physical and digital, the magic of Abba is brought to life using the latest technology.

The show has been so successful, in fact, that its run has been extended – to 2026!

A source recently told The Sun: ‘Everyone knows Abba has a seriously loyal fan base but the show was always a bit of a gamble.

‘No one really knew how the Abba-tars were going to be received, as similar hologram-style concerts were a mixed bag. But for Abba the reaction was amazing. Even those most sceptical about the tech have walked away impressed.

‘The plan is to refresh the show with new songs that have already been shot by the group.’

It’s even said that talks are still in place for the show to transfer to the Las Vegas strip due to overwhelming popularity.

There are even talks of taking the show to Vegas 

Celebrating the launch together earlier this year, the band reunited in the capital together for the first time in four decades, reminding everyone just how much we missed them.

The Mamma Mia! pop superstars were last together in London for an appearance on The Late Late Breakfast show, hosted by Noel Edmonds in 1982, so it had been a hot minute!

Speaking on the red carpet outside a purpose-built stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London, Agnetha enthused: ‘It’s amazing to see all the English fans.’

Benny admitted he expected himself to cry during the concert, saying: ‘Oh definitely, all the time.’

ABBA Voyage is now booking until January 29, 2024 at the Abba Arena, London. For information and best availability of tickets go to www.abbavoyage.com.

The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson

 

read more here: https://abbaregistro.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-symphonic-touch-of-benny-andersson.html

https://abbaregistro.blogspot.com/2023/02/money-money-money-symphonic-touch-of.html

https://abbaregistro.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-symphonic-touch-of-benny-andersson.html

CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus at JASRAC Creators’ Seminar: “no one backs songwriters like societies do”

CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus has urged creators to unite around their societies worldwide to ensure that the rights of creators are effectively protected. “Societies such as JASRAC and CISAC are the only organisations that have the songwriter's back and loyalty at all times,” he said. “They are working exclusively for you as a songwriter at all times.”

Ulvaeus was speaking at the Creators’ Seminar “Music in the Digital Era”, an event organised by Japanese society JASRAC, in partnership with CISAC, in Tokyo on Thursday April 6th.

Improving streaming metatada

One key issue discussed by the panel was data. Ulvaeus invited creators and stakeholders in the music sector as well as digital services to fix data issues to ensure that works get properly identified and creators get paid. Ulvaeus said creators need help from other stakeholders in the industry, like publishers and labels, to make sure that the relevant metadata is included in all tracks. “This is something I think should even be regulated so that no streaming service would allow music to be uploaded without the metadata,” said Ulvaeus.

CISAC Director General Gadi Oron said data is “one big challenge that we are facing.” CISAC has a major educational effort to encourage adoption of the music works identifying code ISWC, enabling efficient and accurate identification of music works and payment of creators. CISAC and its members around the world, said Oron, are “working at an international level to help improve the systems so that societies can deliver accurate identification of the works and the rights holders, and help process the payments much quicker.”

The songwriter is the “poor cousin from the country”

The panel addressed concerns over the low revenue share earned by creators from the digital use of music. Japanese authors, composer, and music producer Kanata Okajima, who had over 120 No.1 hits in Japanese charts, concurred that the industry was changing from physical to online subscriptions. “If you want to make a living, you have to write a huge hit or you have to write a bunch of songs to get enough copyright to make enough income to make a living,” said Kanata.

Ulvaeus noted that too small a share of the income from DSPs goes back to authors and composers. “That’s what I call the songwriter being marginalised, especially in view of the fact that this industry is a song economy. It all revolves around songs. And yet the songwriter is treated like the poor cousin from the country, and I don't think that's right. I think the songwriter is the star, together with the artist, and should be treated as such.”

To achieve such goal, creators have to be unified. He invited “old songwriters and young songwriters to unite under one organisation like a collecting society, such as JASRAC, to engage and involve themselves more in these organisations and make themselves heard. That is one way of making an impact for change.”

AI and copyright implications

The discussion also focused on the changes brought by the development of Artificial Intelligence-powered tools. Ulvaeus, who used AI for ABBA's virtual show 'Voyage' in London, said AI can be an exciting tool for creators. “When used to help write a song, or lyrics, it is not a threat, it is a tool,” he said, adding that AI also raises important copyright issues. 

“These issues need to be discussed at the highest level because it is global,” he explained. “It concerns us as human beings.” For Ulvaeus, the debate on AI and copyright “is still to be had and it is very urgent. There is nothing we can do to stop it. We have to accept that it is happening, but we need to discuss the copyright issue.”

“Are works created by AI works of authorship?” asked Oron. “Should they be registered with societies, and should societies collect royalties for them? Are they even protected under copyright law? It is a major challenge and there are no clear views on that yet.”

JASRAC President Izawa Kazumasa suggested that AI could also be used to improve collection and distribution systems. “We started using a lot of computers and we went into the cloud, and used automated machines,” he explained. “Technology has played a role to make things efficient.”

He added: “I don't think AI is going to change JASRAC's copyright management. If a creator or a publisher says this is a work that has been created by a human being, we will protect this copyright and the rest is of the responsibility of that person. I think creators are going to use this technology as a tool and will have to explain if they use that technology. This will be the responsibility of the creator.”

To see a recording of the full discussion, go here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g35KjiipJ-M

https://www.cisac.org/Newsroom/articles/cisac-president-bjorn-ulvaeus-jasrac-creators-seminar-no-one-backs-songwriters

https://www.jasrac.or.jp/ejhp/release/2023/0419.html

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On April 4, 2023, Prime Minister Kishida received a courtesy call from Mr. Björn Ulvaeus, President of CISAC, at the Prime Minister’s Office.

https://abbaregistro.blogspot.com/2023/04/cisac-delegation-meets-in-tokyo-with.html