Björn Ulvaeus: "Even though it's me, it's him at the same time."

 Björn Ulvaeus reveals what it would take to get ABBA to agree to a biopic

They haven't agreed to one yet

Björn Ulvaeus and Mark Goodier © Greatest Hits Radio

Björn Ulvaeus and Mark Goodier

Author: Anna Sky Magliola

Published 30th May 2023

Celebrating a year of ABBA Voyage, Björn Ulvaeus joined Mark Goodier on Greatest Hits Radio. The ABBA singer revealed to Mark why the band haven't had a biopic made, and what they would need in order to agree to one.

When Mark asked: "There was ABBA the movie, and the Mamma Mia movies, but there's never been an ABBA biopic, we've been in this Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody era, will we ever see an ABBA biopic, or are you doing your legacy by other means?"

"By other means!" Björn responded: "I think our story is boring, yes it is.... Two couples. No, we've been approached obviously, you know many times, somehow we always say no. But who knows, someone comes up with a great idea of doing it maybe, some great talent, some talented writers, some talented director, who knows!"

Björn and the rest of ABBA are celebrating a year of their amazing ABBA Voyage, which sees their ABBA-tars entertaining fans on stage accompanied by a live band. The concert has now welcomed more than one million visitors and has already been extended to May 2024.

Earlier this month, Björn spoke to Ken Bruce and revealed how he felt when he watched ABBA Voyage. He told Ken: "I feel it's HIM from the 70s. I've felt that for a long time, because I've been exposed to him almost daily for the past 40 years. It was easier to do it if I looked at myself as a kind of historical figure, as 'him'."

He went on to say: "Even though it's me, it's him at the same time."

You can hear songs by ABBA on Greatest Hits Radio.

https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/entertainment/music/abba-biopic-mark-goodier-interview/

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Björn Ulvaeus reveals how he felt when he watched ABBA Voyage

He joined Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio

Björn Ulvaeus and Ken Bruce

Author: Anna Sky MagliolaPublished 26th May 2023

Last updated 30th May 2023

As ABBA Voyage celebrates a year since it launched in London, and a million fans passing through the doors, ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus joined Ken Bruce to reveal what it felt like to see his past-self on stage.

As fans will know, ABBA Voyage takes place in a purpose-built arena and uses state-of-the-art technology to project holographic images of ABBA in their iconic 70s outfits, while 'performing' their hits, accompanied by a live band.

"I feel it's HIM from the 70s," Björn explained. "I've felt that for a long time, because I've been exposed to him almost daily for the past 40 years. It was easier to do it if I looked at myself as a kind of historical figure, as 'him'.

"Even though it's me, it's him at the same time," he continued.

When asked about what it was like to watch, Björn revealed there is a 'lot of emotion in the air' and people get 'pulled in'.

Watch the full interview below:

The iconic ABBA singer, who is known for songs such as 'Waterloo,' 'Mamma Mia' and 'Dancing Queen', also opened up about future projects. Björn explained: "I'm constantly on the look out for new things, new interesting technology to explore.

"AI is exploding this year, really taking off, for good and for bad. I follow that very closely. If there's something new interesting happening, we might be able to now include in the Voyage concert, we will!

"There's always the metaverse, people keep talking about it, maybe soon we'll know what it is!"

You can hear songs by ABBA on Greatest Hits Radio.

Take a look at the ABBAtars:

Benny Andersson

Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Look through ABBA's amazing career:

Career beginnings: How did ABBA meet?

Each member of ABBA was already a musician by the time they came to meet. Benny and Björn's paths had crossed in their former bands, Benny met Anni-Frid at Melodifestivalen 1969 - the national annual festival to select Sweden's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. Björn and Agnetha met whilst filming a Swedish TV special in May 1969, and once Benny and Björn began working more frequently together, their wives got involved too... And the rest is history.

The couples went on holiday together in 1970, and gave an impromptu group performance to United Nations soldiers - this gave them the inspiration to start making music together. Benny and Björn submitted songs to be considered for Melodifestivalen on their manager Stig Anderson's advice, and after two rejections for the 1971 contest, their song 'Säg det med en sång' ('Say It with a Song') came third, and became a national hit sang by Lena Anderson.

1973: Official naming, Eurovision attempt and debut album

They submitted a third song to Melodifestivalen, 'Ring Ring', which came third in the contest, and released their debut album of the same name. At this time, they were still credited as Björn Benny & Agnetha Frida, and manager Stig then christened the band ABBA, using the first letters of their first names. Submitting 'Waterloo' to Melodifestivalen for a fourth time proved to be a winner - not only at the festival but at the Eurovision Song Contest too.

1974: ABBA win Eurovision with 'Waterloo'

Beating off all the competition, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, which subsequently launched their career internationally. 'Waterloo' peaked in the charts of countries all around the world, including the UK, and their second album also called 'Waterloo' was released, featuring single 'Honey Honey'.

Later in 1974, the band embarked on their first major tour, which wasn't as successful as they'd hoped, and released third album ABBA in 1975 - spawning singles 'Mamma Mia', 'SOS' and 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do'. It peaked at Number 1 in Sweden, and got to Number 13 in the UK.

ABBA's Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were half of ABBA, one of the biggest pop acts ever and one of the best-selling groups of all time. They released hits including 'Mamma Mia', 'Dancing Queen' and 'Waterloo'.

The group made a spectacular return to music in 2021 with the release of their final album 'Voyage' and their 2022 concert experience which features digital recreations of theirselves which have certainly wowed fans.

1979: Agnetha and Björn's divorce plus sixth album ‘Voulez-Vous’

Sadly, Agnetha and Björn called time on their marriage in 1979. Although fans began to panic that this could spell the end of ABBA, the former couple remained amicable and the band released their sixth album 'Voulez-Vous' in April that year, featuring songs 'Chiquitita', 'Does Your Mother Know' and 'I Have a Dream'. They released their second compilation album 'Greatest Hits Vol. 2', which also had brand new song 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)'.

They went on tour again in September 1979, with six sold out nights at London's Wembley, and in 1980 travelled to Japan where they had a strong fanbase for some further concerts. ABBA scored their eighth Number 1 UK single in 1980 with 'The Winner Takes It All', which is widely thought to be about Agnetha and Björn's split, but they've both categorically denied this. It appeared on the band's seventh album 'Super Trouper', released the same year.

1981: Anni-Frid and Benny divorce, and ABBA release their eighth and final album

Sadly, Anni-Frid and Benny's marriage lasted only two years longer than their bandmates', and they divorced in February 1981. That year, both men in the band remarried, and they released their eighth and final album, 'The Visitors'. It featured songs 'When All Is Said and Done', 'One of Us' and 'Slipping Through My Fingers', and the album as a whole dealt with the themes of relationships ending but in an optimistic way.

1982: Final performance and unofficial split

The band tentatively began work on a ninth album in 1982, but the recording sessions did not pan out as they'd hoped, and only three songs were recorded. After a break, they returned to the studio with a new idea - releasing a compilation album of all their singles from throughout the years. Entitled 'The Singles: The First Ten Years', it was released in November 1982, and the following month saw the band's final ever performance which was transmitted to the UK and shown on TV through a live link from Stockholm.

Although an official split was never announced, the band is thought to have unofficially broken up after this performance. Agnetha and Anni-Frid enjoyed solo success, and Benny and Björn continued to write music together - eventually working with lyricist Tim Rice for musical project Chess. They also created Abbacadabra, a children's musical which appeared on French TV featuring 14 ABBA songs. ABBA reunited in 1986, recording a video of themselves performing an acoustic song in tribute to their manager, Stig Anderson, for a Swedish TV show in honour of him.

1999: Mamma Mia! The Musical opens

A jukebox musical based on ABBA songs premiered in 1999 entitled Mamma Mia!, featuring some of the band's biggest hits over the years like 'Super Trouper', 'Lay All Your Love on Me', 'Dancing Queen', 'Knowing Me, Knowing You', 'Take a Chance on Me', 'Thank You for the Music', 'Money, Money, Money', 'The Winner Takes It All', 'Voulez-Vous', 'SOS' and 'Mamma Mia'. Produced by Judy Craymer, it is the seventh longest-running show in West End history and ninth in Broadway history.

2008: Reunion at the Mamma Mia! film premiere

In 2008, a film of the Mamma Mia! musical was released, starring Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski among others, and was hugely successful. Based on the musical of the same name, the film became the fifth highest-grossing film of 2008, and was the fastest-selling DVD of all time in the UK.

All four members of ABBA turned up to the film premiere in London, being only the second time that each of them had been together since their unofficial split in 1982.

2010: ABBAWORLD exhibition

The ABBAWORLD exhibition opened at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London in January 2010. Fans could walk through 25 rooms with 'interactive and audiovisual activities' as well as 20 costumes worn by the group including their iconic outfits from the 1974 Eurovision win, and was "approved and fully supported" by all four of the band's members. There were rooms which allowed fans to get on stage with 3D holograms of the band, an ABBA quiz and visitors could even film themselves to be included in an ABBA music video.

2016: ABBATAR tour announced

In 2016, ABBA announced via a statement on their website that they would be going ahead with a virtual tour, saying, 'The decision to go ahead with the exciting Abba avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence. We all felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time had stood still and we had only been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!'

The four of them will apparently appear as computer generated versions of their younger selves from the 70s. Although the crew were reportedly supposed to begin work on the tour in 2020, everything has been delayed due to the global pandemic.

2018: Release of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

After the success of the first film, it was no surprise that a sequel was made! Following the life of Donna Sheridan as a young woman and how she came to meet the three potential fathers of her daughter, Sophie, this film had more creative license than the first as it was not based on anything. The soundtrack album hit the Number 1 spot on the UK albums chart and has been certified Platinum. Judy Craymer has also spoken out about a potential third film, making it a trilogy... Watch this space!

2020: Björn confirms the new music is still on the way

Although progress was delayed due to the global pandemic, Björn confirmed that new music was still on the way. Speaking to journalist Geoff Lloyd, Björn apparently confirmed that five new songs will be released very soon, as Geoff spoke out on his podcast, "I got to spend an hour with Björn Ulveaus from ABBA via Zoom. They've recorded five new songs. They should have been out at the end of last year.

"They're going to these holograms out on tour. Because of technical difficulties and the pandemic, it's delayed things. But he promised me that the new ABBA music will be out in 2021." It's understood that one of the songs is called, 'I Still Have Faith in You', and the other 'Don't Shut Me Down'.

2021: ABBA announce 'ABBA Voyage' album

On 2nd September 2021, it was announced that ABBA were officially releasing new music in 2021. Released on 5th November, their latest album is called 'Voyage', and the tracks 'I Still Have Faith in You' and 'Don't Shut Me Down' were released in the lead up to the full album coming out.

2021: ABBA 'Voyage' is announced with virtual tour

The group also announced that ABBA would be heading on a virtual tour hosted at a custom-built venue in London, starting in May 2022. The show sees digital versions of ABBA as their 1977 selves, called ABBAtars perform their greatest hits.

2022: BRIT Award nomination

In 2022 ABBA were nominated for the International Group Award at The BRIT Awards, marking their first nomination at the ceremony in 45 years.

This was their second nomination at The BRITs, as they were also put forward for International Album in 1977.

2023: ABBA Voyage extended to 2024

The opening night for 'ABBA Voyage' took place on 26th May 2022, and in May 2023 tickets went on sale up until May 2024!
On the opening night back in 2022, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, and Agnetha Faltskog appeared all together in public for the first time since the Mamma Mia! premiere in 2008.

Speaking about watching his 1977 self perform as a digital ABBA-tar, Bjorn said: "It was a special moment for me and my entire family who are coming over to watch. Many are too young to have seen me on stage. It was very emotionally charged to say the least."

https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/station/on-air/abba-voyage-bjorn-ulvaeus/

Björn Ulvaeus on one year of ABBA Voyage: ‘It’s blown my mind!’

 30 May 2023 11:31 AM

Björn Ulvaeus on one year of ABBA Voyage: ‘It’s blown my mind!’

Voulez-Vous! To mark a year since ABBA Voyage first launched in East London, Björn Ulvaeus sits down to tell Rolling Stone UK all about the journey so far.

By Nick Reilly



Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA (Picture: Alamy)

As ABBA celebrate the one year anniversary of their game-changing Voyage show, Björn Ulvaeus has opened up to Rolling Stone UK about the show’s huge success, and how game-changing developments in technology could allow it to evolve and adapt long into the future.

Ulvaeus and bandmates Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were all in attendance at East London’s ABBA Arena last Saturday (May 27th), to mark a year since the show’s arrival – which was first hailed by Rolling Stone UK as a ‘jaw dropping spectacle’.

The pioneering performance sees audiences greeted by CGI representations (ABBA-tars) of the Swedish pop icons, which are based on their motion-tracked movements. They are presented to appear like a representation of the group in their ’70s pomp, with their performance backed by a live band that is present in the room every night.

The show’s huge success has now allowed fans to dream that a legion of classic bands could rise from the musical graveyard once again – even if Björn believes it’s not quite that simple.

“I am pretty sure that among my contemporaries, a lot of people are talking about it,” he tells Rolling Stone UK.

“They’re wondering if they can do something like this and so I am really curious to see who comes next and what they can come up with, because it’s just too expensive to do a copy of it. You need to do something unique and it’s going to be so exciting to see who will come next.”

You can read our full Q&A with Björn below, as he waxes lyrical on the future of Voyage, AI and 50 years of Eurovision.

Hi, Bjorn! How are things?

I feel good! The summer has come to Stockholm. As usual, we didn’t have a spring, it just turned to summer and it’s a great feeling. I feel good.

All the more reason to celebrate, given that ABBA Voyage has passed the one year milestone and played to over a million visitors. How has the last year been for you?

It’s been a success beyond, you know, everyone’s expectations and it’s had such impact too, because it’s such a technological milestone. Everybody says that the technology could change live music and I guess it certainly has done something to the image of ABBA. I think we’re in the front of trying to do new daring things and I think that’s good.

When you split back in 1982, did you ever envisage getting to the point where there’s a digital version of yourself performing to thousands every night?



Of course not! Back in 1982 I had just bought my first IBM PC and there was no internet, there was nothing. We had 64K RAM and that was about it. At that point I thought that ABBA might come back together and do a new album maybe, but that never happened. What’s happened to us now is just mind-boggling.

Where does the success of Voyage rank in all the endless highs and success that you’ve experienced with ABBA?

It’s very difficult to compare because somehow, for some reason, ABBA seems to have become and remained part of the fabric of popular culture through these years. So when this happened, it was a result of that fact. That so many people have found some kind of relation to our music. Everyone knows that we haven’t been around for 40 years, but the fact that people have kept listening to us is why we’ve been able to do this, and it makes it very emotional for people have seen it. It’s the enduring influence of it.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson of ABBA joined by ABBA Voyage producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson, and Director Baillie Walsh (Picture: Press)

How gratifying is it to still be held in such high regard?

It’s been amazing because people used to come up for me and ask for photos because of their mother and grandmother. Nowadays, it’s completely changed. It’s parents asking for selfies because they’re telling me that their daughters won’t believe it.

We were from an era when so many bands were around and a few of them are still relevant, it’s definitely not just us. But it’s still very humbling that it has turned out the way it is.

Eurovision mania seems to be sweeping Sweden once again after Loreen won in Liverpool earlier this month. Next year’s event will coincide with 50 years since ABBA won. Any chance you guys could appear?

It might come to Stockholm again, but I won’t say anything about us being involved. It’s a typical no comment.

Going back to ABBA Voyage, were you scared of what the public reaction might be?



When the previews started, we invited people from the area, from Stratford, who don’t necessarily have any relation to ABBA but they were invited because we really wanted to be part of the community.

So we invited a lot of them to come and have a look at the first previews and it was so reassuring because they were taken by it and they absolutely were not our fans. So that was great and that was such a relief when I saw that.

(Picture: Press)

As for the future of the show, is there the potential to change it and offer a switched-up set for people that want to come back and have a slightly different experience?

Yes, definitely. We used motion capture on more songs than what we have in the show. So that’s a possibility. Artificial intelligence, too, is taking quantum leaps right now so we’re carefully watching that and seeing whether some of that could be applied to Voyage.

As a songwriter yourself, what do you make of the argument that AI could threaten the future of the craft and theoretically put writers out of work?

In the beginning, I think it will be a tool. I can sort of think of ways of using an AI, like if I was going to write a tango for a musical, I could conceivably train an AI on the 100 best tangos in the world as a starter and then ask the AI to write a tango, having trained from that set. And it could well come up with something that’s not bad and you could tweak it yourself, so that the AI has given you the initial idea. That’s entirely OK and a bit like using our brains, really.

But that’s the first ten years of it and there will come a time when the AI itself can write conceivably original stuff and stuff that people won’t know if it’s come from an AI. That is going to happen.

The most important thing right now with democracy at stake and other things is that we need to learn between AIs and humans so that whoever sends a message, there should be a little box somewhere to differentiate between the two. If that could be achieved, it would be a big help.

So it’s all about learning to adapt and see how we can use it for good?

Yeah. Because I thought about that the other day, when I grew up the music I listened to back then created some kind of database and training set inside me that my own AI is working on and whenever I try to come up with something it is based on that training set of data that I have inside and have collected through the years.

Similarly, you can use an AI like that and some wonderful songs and other pieces might come from it!

Does that optimism almost explain how ABBA Voyage came to be? Are you always seeking out interesting innovations and technologies within music?

When we started recording albums with ABBA, the Beatles were our big idols and they always took daring steps, album by albums. They tried new things, not tech of course, but other new sounds. We wanted to be daring and take the next step, so yes, Voyage is part of that mindset that, that curiosity about what you actually can do when you challenge yourself.

The visitor numbers speak for themselves too, you recently personally greeted the one millionth visitor to Voyage. Have any other artists told you they want to do a similar thing now? one million visitors.

No, I haven’t spoken to anyone but I understand that there have been, you know, people my age, who have seen the show. I know that Barry Gibb was there, for instance, and other people have been there as well.

Mick Jagger spoke about Voyage at a concert in Stockholm recently too. So I am pretty sure that among my contemporaries, a lot of people are talking about it. They’re wondering if they can do something like this and so I am really curious to see who comes next and what they can come up with, because it’s just too expensive to do a copy of it. You need to do something unique and it’s going to be so exciting to see who will come next.

Baillie Walsh, who directed Voyage, recently said he believes it works so well because thankfully all four members of ABBA are still alive

That’s true, but I think technology is quickly making up for that. But there is another aspect of it, in that the ethics of it could affect its credibility. If you do something, you know, an avatar of someone who has been dead for a long time, then that credibility could well be in doubt.

I’m not saying necessarily that it will be, but of course it made it easier for us since we’re all still alive and everyone now knows that we are behind it.

Absolutely. Congratulations again Bjorn, here’s to the second year.

Yes! Thank you.

https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/bjorn-ulvaeus-one-year-of-abba-voyage-its-blown-my-mind-29655/

ONE FIGHT

 

Duke and Rubin BESUREIS would like to thank Bjorn Ulvaeus for his support today. We are absolutelly thrilled so please stay tuned! A dream come true. ONE FIGHT. UNITE

BESUREIS.com

https://www.facebook.com/besureis/posts/pfbid02YMxt4HzGTpsaXVFou8ZRdoXheceesrWLTnhEr1dm43CJ6DGVTrwCzjd5dpc6dR1Ql

ABBA VOYAGE 1-Year Anniversary

 

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Steve Jacks video

Photo ABBA Voyage

video ABBA Voyage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bed5oIYHRUU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UARb-wGA0U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQxRpo3laLA

abba Voyage phot0

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photo on twitter 

@Anjay89006318

before  Concert

 photo on Twitter @KaarinG

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photo Richard Mustonen-smith 

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may 27th, 2023

Photo Mark Simons...

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Photo Svana Gisla

update photo 28 05 2023

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Photo ABBA Voyage

Photo ABBA Voyage

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foto abbaregistro

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ABBATARS

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 30 May 2023 11:31 AM

Björn Ulvaeus on one year of ABBA Voyage: ‘It’s blown my mind!’

Voulez-Vous! To mark a year since ABBA Voyage first launched in East London, Björn Ulvaeus sits down to tell Rolling Stone UK all about the journey so far.

By Nick Reilly



Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA (Picture: Alamy)

As ABBA celebrate the one year anniversary of their game-changing Voyage show, Björn Ulvaeus has opened up to Rolling Stone UK about the show’s huge success, and how game-changing developments in technology could allow it to evolve and adapt long into the future.

Ulvaeus and bandmates Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were all in attendance at East London’s ABBA Arena last Saturday (May 27th), to mark a year since the show’s arrival – which was first hailed by Rolling Stone UK as a ‘jaw dropping spectacle’.

The pioneering performance sees audiences greeted by CGI representations (ABBA-tars) of the Swedish pop icons, which are based on their motion-tracked movements. They are presented to appear like a representation of the group in their ’70s pomp, with their performance backed by a live band that is present in the room every night.

The show’s huge success has now allowed fans to dream that a legion of classic bands could rise from the musical graveyard once again – even if Björn believes it’s not quite that simple.

“I am pretty sure that among my contemporaries, a lot of people are talking about it,” he tells Rolling Stone UK.

“They’re wondering if they can do something like this and so I am really curious to see who comes next and what they can come up with, because it’s just too expensive to do a copy of it. You need to do something unique and it’s going to be so exciting to see who will come next.”

You can read our full Q&A with Björn below, as he waxes lyrical on the future of Voyage, AI and 50 years of Eurovision.

Hi, Bjorn! How are things?

I feel good! The summer has come to Stockholm. As usual, we didn’t have a spring, it just turned to summer and it’s a great feeling. I feel good.

All the more reason to celebrate, given that ABBA Voyage has passed the one year milestone and played to over a million visitors. How has the last year been for you?

It’s been a success beyond, you know, everyone’s expectations and it’s had such impact too, because it’s such a technological milestone. Everybody says that the technology could change live music and I guess it certainly has done something to the image of ABBA. I think we’re in the front of trying to do new daring things and I think that’s good.

When you split back in 1982, did you ever envisage getting to the point where there’s a digital version of yourself performing to thousands every night?



Of course not! Back in 1982 I had just bought my first IBM PC and there was no internet, there was nothing. We had 64K RAM and that was about it. At that point I thought that ABBA might come back together and do a new album maybe, but that never happened. What’s happened to us now is just mind-boggling.

Where does the success of Voyage rank in all the endless highs and success that you’ve experienced with ABBA?

It’s very difficult to compare because somehow, for some reason, ABBA seems to have become and remained part of the fabric of popular culture through these years. So when this happened, it was a result of that fact. That so many people have found some kind of relation to our music. Everyone knows that we haven’t been around for 40 years, but the fact that people have kept listening to us is why we’ve been able to do this, and it makes it very emotional for people have seen it. It’s the enduring influence of it.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson of ABBA joined by ABBA Voyage producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson, and Director Baillie Walsh (Picture: Press)

How gratifying is it to still be held in such high regard?

It’s been amazing because people used to come up for me and ask for photos because of their mother and grandmother. Nowadays, it’s completely changed. It’s parents asking for selfies because they’re telling me that their daughters won’t believe it.

We were from an era when so many bands were around and a few of them are still relevant, it’s definitely not just us. But it’s still very humbling that it has turned out the way it is.

Eurovision mania seems to be sweeping Sweden once again after Loreen won in Liverpool earlier this month. Next year’s event will coincide with 50 years since ABBA won. Any chance you guys could appear?

It might come to Stockholm again, but I won’t say anything about us being involved. It’s a typical no comment.

Going back to ABBA Voyage, were you scared of what the public reaction might be?

When the previews started, we invited people from the area, from Stratford, who don’t necessarily have any relation to ABBA but they were invited because we really wanted to be part of the community.

So we invited a lot of them to come and have a look at the first previews and it was so reassuring because they were taken by it and they absolutely were not our fans. So that was great and that was such a relief when I saw that.

As for the future of the show, is there the potential to change it and offer a switched-up set for people that want to come back and have a slightly different experience?

Yes, definitely. We used motion capture on more songs than what we have in the show. So that’s a possibility. Artificial intelligence, too, is taking quantum leaps right now so we’re carefully watching that and seeing whether some of that could be applied to Voyage.

As a songwriter yourself, what do you make of the argument that AI could threaten the future of the craft and theoretically put writers out of work?

In the beginning, I think it will be a tool. I can sort of think of ways of using an AI, like if I was going to write a tango for a musical, I could conceivably train an AI on the 100 best tangos in the world as a starter and then ask the AI to write a tango, having trained from that set. And it could well come up with something that’s not bad and you could tweak it yourself, so that the AI has given you the initial idea. That’s entirely OK and a bit like using our brains, really.

But that’s the first ten years of it and there will come a time when the AI itself can write conceivably original stuff and stuff that people won’t know if it’s come from an AI. That is going to happen.

The most important thing right now with democracy at stake and other things is that we need to learn between AIs and humans so that whoever sends a message, there should be a little box somewhere to differentiate between the two. If that could be achieved, it would be a big help.

So it’s all about learning to adapt and see how we can use it for good?

Yeah. Because I thought about that the other day, when I grew up the music I listened to back then created some kind of database and training set inside me that my own AI is working on and whenever I try to come up with something it is based on that training set of data that I have inside and have collected through the years.

Similarly, you can use an AI like that and some wonderful songs and other pieces might come from it!

Does that optimism almost explain how ABBA Voyage came to be? Are you always seeking out interesting innovations and technologies within music?

When we started recording albums with ABBA, the Beatles were our big idols and they always took daring steps, album by albums. They tried new things, not tech of course, but other new sounds. We wanted to be daring and take the next step, so yes, Voyage is part of that mindset that, that curiosity about what you actually can do when you challenge yourself.

The visitor numbers speak for themselves too, you recently personally greeted the one millionth visitor to Voyage. Have any other artists told you they want to do a similar thing now? one million visitors.

No, I haven’t spoken to anyone but I understand that there have been, you know, people my age, who have seen the show. I know that Barry Gibb was there, for instance, and other people have been there as well.

Mick Jagger spoke about Voyage at a concert in Stockholm recently too. So I am pretty sure that among my contemporaries, a lot of people are talking about it. They’re wondering if they can do something like this and so I am really curious to see who comes next and what they can come up with, because it’s just too expensive to do a copy of it. You need to do something unique and it’s going to be so exciting to see who will come next.

Baillie Walsh, who directed Voyage, recently said he believes it works so well because thankfully all four members of ABBA are still alive

That’s true, but I think technology is quickly making up for that. But there is another aspect of it, in that the ethics of it could affect its credibility. If you do something, you know, an avatar of someone who has been dead for a long time, then that credibility could well be in doubt.

I’m not saying necessarily that it will be, but of course it made it easier for us since we’re all still alive and everyone now knows that we are behind it.

Absolutely. Congratulations again Bjorn, here’s to the second year.

Yes! Thank you.

https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/bjorn-ulvaeus-one-year-of-abba-voyage-its-blown-my-mind-29655/