Stacey’s Christmas Celebrity

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1O7hK7o93K

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1017615456001685

Stacey’s Christmas Celebrity crackers p7

As we come down to the last two celebrities for mt christmas crackers let’s go out with a bang! Here is the amazing @bjornulvaeus and we find out what Christmas means to him and who he would have over for Christmas Eve dinner…

Who else would love to have the same guest for dinner as @bjornulvaeus

Come back tonight to see my last guest

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Merry Christmas !!!

 Merry Christmas !!!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1OrhGVvpZy

Merry Christmas Björn !!

Bjorn2023

Kiss announce ‘new era’ as a virtual band

 AP reports that the avatars were made by George Lucas’ SFX company, Industrial Light & Magic. They were also made in collaboration with Pophouse Entertainment Group, which was co-founded by ABBA‘s Björn Ulvaeus.

Article https://www.nme.com/news/music/kiss-announce-new-era-as-a-virtual-band-3552477

https://twitter.com/perurban/status/1731163285628604432

Knitting With Friends

  Creative Direction: Svana Gisla

Director and Editor: Sophie Muller

Filming: Robbie Ryan

Sound: Otis Tree

Set design: Christopher Woodhams

Runners: Otis Faber and Holly Leaddley

With special thanks to Björn Ulvaeus, Ian McKellen, Kylie Minogue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DnH6Q33HQ8

Ian McKellen and Björn Ulvaeus now with Kylie Minogue

Watch “famous knitting brothers” Ian McKellen and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus agree to knit stagewear for Kylie Minogue

The duo are set to hand-make some festive garments for the band, dancers and Kylie herself

By

Liberty Dunworth

24th November 2023

Björn Ulvaeus and Sir Ian McKellen. CREDIT: Press

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A special request has come in this year for our famous knitting duo, Björn and Ian! Who could say no to Kylie?

Creative Direction: Svana Gisla Director and Editor: Sophie Muller Filming: Robbie Ryan Sound: Otis Tree Set design: Christopher Woodhams Runners: Otis Faber and Holly Leaddley With special thanks to Björn Ulvaeus, Ian McKellen and Kylie Minogue

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Sir Ian McKellen and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus have returned with another festive knitting video, this time, agreeing to create some stagewear for Kylie Minogue.

The new video was shared on the ABBA Voyage Twitter/X page earlier this morning (November 24), and shows the renowned actor and iconic musician continuing their annual tradition of coming together to knit festive jumpers for the Christmas season.

 

The collaboration between the two first sparked back in 2021 when the pair shared a video of them knitting ABBA-branded Christmas jumpers in silence – and the footage quickly went viral online.

A second instalment arrived last year too, with a video of them making a new set of festive attire being shared, followed by an ABBA merchandise range which also included Christmas cards and bobble hats.

Now, McKellen and Ulvaeus are back for a 2023 edition of the tradition, this time revealing that they will be teaming up with Kylie Minogue to knit some stagewear for her upcoming shows in Las Vegas.

In the video, the duo are seen knitting a new range of jumpers, before getting a surprise phone call from the Australian singer, who shares her love of their collaboration and asks them to “whip up something for the band, all the dancers and myself?”

More than happy to oblige, Sir Ian wipes away a tear and declares that the two will become “famous knitting brothers” by working with Kylie. Check out the full clip below.

The Nevada shows Kylie mentions in the clip refer to her residency at the Voltaire in Las Vegas, which she kicked off over the summer and went on to extend due to high demand for tickets.

The Australian pop star also released her long-awaited album ‘Tension’ earlier this year – her 16th studio album which contained the hit summer anthem ‘Padam Padam’.

As for Ulvaeus, ABBA are set to continue their hit Voyage shows into 2024. The virtual shows were first teased back in 2017 when it was announced that the band would reunite in digital form by 2019. After the reunion tour was delayed, ABBA Voyage was finally announced in September 2021.

Since launching, the virtual tour has been a huge hit at the purpose built ABBA Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – described by NME as “an epic avatar mega-mix from a brave new world” – and has been reported as preparing for a world tour.

The shows also welcomed the one millionth visitor earlier this year, and Ulvaeus told NME about what the future has in store for the ambitious live experience.

“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,” he told NME. “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.”

He also opened up about the possibility of bringing ABBA Voyage to Glastonbury, stating: “I don’t think that’s possible, yet. 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.”

https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-famous-knitting-brothers-ian-mckellen-and-abbas-bjorn-ulvaeus-agree-to-knit-stagewear-for-kylie-minogue-3548811

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Kylie Minogue y ABBA no dan puntada sin hilo

Por

Jordi Bardají

24 noviembre, 2023

0

En 2021, Björn Ulvaeus de ABBA, y el actor británico Ian McKellen, protagonizaron un curioso gag en el que tejían juntos ropa navideña, como gorros o jerséis. En 2022, Björn y Ian volvieron a sentarse juntos en el sofá para tejer y felicitar las fiestas a sus seguidores.

A punto de convertirse en una tradición navideña, como la canción de Mariah Carey, Björn y Ian se han vuelto a reunir en 2023. Y esta vez, han recibido una inesperada llamada, la de Kylie Minogue.

- Publicidad -

Kylie llama a Björn para pedirle un favor. «Estoy en Las Vegas, es Navidad… ¿Podrías improvisar algo para la banda, los bailarines y para mí? Lo que has estado haciendo últimamente es increíble». Björn contesta a Kylie que no puede hablar y promete que le llamará más tarde.

En redes, ABBA ha anunciado que «un pedido especial ha llegado este año para nuestro famoso dúo de tejedores. ¿Quién le diría que no a Kylie Minogue?» Ni Kylie ni ABBA confirman el motivo exacto de esta colaboración navideña. En el vídeo, Björn explica a Ian que Kylie le ha llamado para «hacer algo para el estreno de su show en Las Vegas», a pesar de que el show se inauguró hace semanas. Björn anuncia que viajará a Las Vegas para ayudar a Kylie y pide a Ian que le acompañe, y este acepta encantado.

Por supuesto, Kylie Minogue tiene su historia con ABBA, pues en el año 2000 cantó ‘Dancing Queen’ durante la ceremonia de inauguración de los Juegos Olímpicos en Sídney. En 2009, Kylie apareció como artista invitada en el concierto tributo a ABBA celebrado en Londres, y cantó ‘When All is Said and Done’ de ABBA acompañada de Benny Andersson. Además, existe una foto de Kylie y Anni-Frid Lyngstad juntas y cogidas de la mano, pues ambas se conocieron hace años.

‘Voyage‘, el último álbum de estudio de ABBA, vio la luz en 2021, 40 años después del último. ‘Voyage’ contenía un tema navideño, ‘Little Things’, que era lanzado como single en diciembre de ese año. En mayo de 2022 se estrenaba el espectacular concierto de ABBA protagonizado por avatares digitales.

https://jenesaispop.com/2023/11/24/466494/kylie-abba-navidad/

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Björn in Slottsholmen, Västervik

 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz3nAKmodV_

Björn and Christina

 16 , 22 november

Björn with John Mellkvist

 Björn with John Mellkvist

Conversación inspiradora durante el almuerzo de hoy con Björn Ulvaeus. Hablamos sobre la creatividad y cómo se desarrolla con el tiempo, la colaboración entre generaciones, la edad sueca en comparación internacional, la edad de jubilación, la necesidad de una mayor flexibilidad en la vida laboral, así como una mejor representación de la edad tanto en la política como en las empresas, y mucho más.

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Inspirerande lunchsamtal idag med Björn Ulvaeus. Vi pratade om kreativitet och hur den utvecklas över tid, samarbete över generationsgränser, svensk ålderism i internationell jämförelse, pensionsålder, behovet av mer flexibilitet i arbetslivet liksom bättre åldersrepresentation både i politiken och på företagen – med mycket mera.

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bjorn2023 instagram

Björn ... the haircut as good as new...

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzofCMmIpBK/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzozmiHt2oT/

https://barbersofsweden.se

Björn...

 Kadirpresso Photography instagram

11 11 2023

Take a chance on AI, says Abba’s Björn

 

Björn has written an article about AI in music in financialtimes.

► https://www.ft.com/.../e4c43938-43d7-462b-bcff-70404fe44e5a

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzOLKL1I2DY

photo: Bjorn´s instagram

Post in Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/abbaregistro/posts/1391753988217787/

Take a chance on AI, says Abba’s Björn, but protect the musicians

My songwriting skills were ‘trained’ on Beatles tracks that I paid for. Tech tools should follow this principle

Björn Ulvaeus NOVEMBER 4 2023

Simply sign up to the Artificial intelligence myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox.

The writer is a member of Abba, founder of Pophouse Entertainment and president of CISAC

Expectations were sky-high. It was November 22 1968 when Benny Andersson carefully removed the plastic sleeve from The Beatles “White” album. We were in his small apartment in central Stockholm and we had just gone out and bought it. He placed it on the turntable and we listened reverently — to every note, every word, every instrument, every voice, every sound. We absorbed everything and when we had finished, we started again. As did millions of others around the world.

The Beatles inspired more young people to start writing songs than any other band in history. It is by listening again and again to the songs you love and admire that you learn. If one day you’re lucky enough to write a hit yourself, you can be certain that all those songs helped you along. They’ve been lingering in your subconscious in some form ever since you heard them for the first time. You could say that you’ve been “trained” by them.

If you actually then make a living as a songwriter you should humbly acknowledge that you stand on the shoulders of others. Apart from admiration and gratitude, in monetary terms what the Beatles got from me were royalties from the records I bought. But now there’s another kind of songwriter in town, even more keen on learning. Deep learning. With a neural network loosely imitating mine but not quite there yet.

Already, a few artificial intelligence models can generate music prompted by paragraphs of text and they’re getting more and more advanced. I was introduced to YouTube’s Music AI Incubator recently and was blown away. Mostly, it was astonishing for what it will be capable of in the future — and it made me realise how urgent finding answers to the emerging rights issues now is. How should original creators be properly remunerated for use of their works to train AI? Should creators have the right to refuse? Who, if anyone, owns the AI output?

The AI model has usually been trained on a multitude of individual works, each consisting of many different parts: sound, style, genre, voice, instrumentation, melody, lyrics and more. Some parts are better protected by copyright law than others. For instance, it is not clear whether a celebrated singer, their voice recreated by AI, can control or prevent the exploitation of works which use that recreation.

Protecting song rights (melody and lyrics) needs urgent attention. In almost all cases, training an AI model on unlicensed material is copyright infringement — unless the user can argue that an exception applies. Such exceptions generally allow for non-commercial use: this is not going to be the case for a significant amount of AI music. Who, then, should own it?

Copyright is the creator’s right to prevent their work from being, or to allow it to be, copied. Since the output may not technically contain any of the material that was originally protected, we’re in uncharted territory. As an artist, I think the overarching principle here must be freedom of expression. This may be controversial, but I’m beginning to think we must be open to seeing the prompter, however simple the prompt, as the creator and therefore the author of the output.

Entirely computer-generated output should not, of course, receive copyright protection. But human input should be protected — and my view is that humans will be involved most of the time.

AI tools in the right hands could result in amazing new artistic expression and the creator should have as much freedom as possible. I almost imagine the technology as an extension of my mind, giving me access to a world beyond my own musical experiences. The creator should not be boxed in by complicated rules about how much AI they have used or having to declare exactly who they were inspired by.

Instead I imagine a user entering a series of prompts, trying different styles, inspired by various composers and lyricists, perhaps even using parts of the generated melody and the lyrics. (It’s important to understand that these aren’t copies, they are original compositions).

In tandem with the user’s own input, this process could result in a decent — or even great — song. So how do you assign a percentage to the various different contributions? Even if it was technically possible to trace the origins, the amount of metadata needed to administer payments would be staggering. When it comes to that, the music industry is in disarray as it is.

Possible remuneration solutions are everywhere. One idea is a subscription model. As a songwriter, I would contemplate letting the Incubator (and other AI models) train on my works if I could subscribe to a professional version — and if a portion of this subscription went back to the creative community through publishers and collecting societies. This is clearly doable and should be considered.

The change coming in music, as in society as a whole, is monumental. No one knows what lies ahead. The tech companies will push to monetise and scale AI models rapidly, even as we only begin to understand their uses. But we need original creators to be both protected and fairly remunerated.

Björn in Stockholm

 Jonas Gardell´s birthday - Stockholm...

Nov2, 2023

date 2 november de 2023

Björn in Stockholm

 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_Jz6ZIdxh

"Sunday autumn walk in Stockholm"...

gloves and scarf

gloves and scarf

ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus warns of “challenge” AI will bring to music industry

https://www.nme.com/.../abbas-bjorn-ulvaeus-warns-of...

28th, October 2023

ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus warns of “challenge” AI will bring to music industry

"AI will radically change the world for creators and the creative industry", Ulvaeus said

ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus has warned of the “existential challenge” of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the music industry.

Ulvaeus is the president of CISAC, a non-profit organisation that represents songwriters and composers around the world, collecting and paying royalties to its members whose music has been used in broadcasts, concerts, bars and on streaming services.

Graham Coxon & Rose Dougall on their debut as The Waeve

A new report from the organisation showed that royalty collections for songwriters and composers had recovered from pre-pandemic levels but Ulvaeus warned that AI could present greater challenges to musicians going forward.

In a forward to a new report from CISAC, Ulvaeus wrote: “This year’s results show that the collective management system, despite all the enormous challenges it faces in adapting to digital, is still robust and effective. CMOs (collective management organisations) have the backs of the creators they serve and are now delivering more money to more creators than ever before.

“And that is good news – because, fresh from Covid and the economic squeeze, what we now face is another very serious, existential challenge – that of artificial intelligence. AI will radically change the world for creators and the creative industry.

“It demands international leadership and a strong united front from all parts of the creative industry.”

Reflecting on 2022’s report, CISAC director general Gadi Oron added: “This is a remarkable return to growth as our whole sector fully recovers from the disastrous three-year pandemic.

“While live and public performance have bounced back strongly, the recovery is driven most of all by digital which has now become creators’ largest source of income. Streaming and subscription have not just revived the status quo, they have transformed the market, changed the game for creators and paved the way for future growth.”

Earlier this month, it was revealed that YouTube is working on a new AI tool that would allow users to create videos that use the voices of well-known musicians.

Billboard reported that the company is currently in talks with record labels to negotiate permission for the use of artists’ intellectual property.

If it goes ahead, the beta version of the tool would allow a “select group of creators” to use the voices of the artists that agree to participate to create new video content on the platform.

The role of AI in creating music is highly contentious among artists and music fans. Earlier this year, Grimes gave permission for fans to use her voice in their own music with the help of AI, provided they share the royalties with her, while Liam Gallagher recently praised an AI version of a ‘lost’ Oasis album as “mega”.

Nick Cave, however, described it as a “grotesque mockery of what it is to be human” and told platforms such as ChatGPT to “fuck off and leave songwriting alone”. Ed Sheeran and Sting are others that have spoken out against the perceived threat of AI.

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29 DE OCTUBRE DE 2023 BY JORGE QUIROGA Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA) advierte sobre el «desafío existencial» que la IA traerá a la industria musical Ulvaeus es el presidente de la CISAC, una organización sin fines de lucro que representa a compositores de todo el mundo, recaudando y pagando regalías a sus miembros cuya música se ha utilizado en retransmisiones, conciertos, bares y servicios de streaming. Un nuevo informe de la organización mostró que las recaudaciones de regalías para los compositores se habían recuperado de los niveles previos a la pandemia, pero Ulvaeus advirtió que la IA podría presentar mayores desafíos para los músicos en el futuro. La IA cambiará radicalmente el mundo para los creadores y la industria creativa. A principios de este mes, se reveló que YouTube está trabajando en una nueva herramienta de inteligencia artificial que permitiría a los usuarios crear videos que utilicen las voces de músicos conocidos. Billboard informó que la compañía se encuentra actualmente en conversaciones con sellos discográficos para negociar permisos para el uso de la propiedad intelectual de los artistas. Si sigue adelante, la versión beta de la herramienta permitiría a un “grupo selecto de creadores” utilizar las voces de los artistas que acepten participar para crear nuevo contenido de video en la plataforma.

https://www.kissfm.es/2023/10/29/bjorn-ulvaeus-abba-advierte-sobre-el-desafio-existencial-que-la-ia-traera-a-la-industria-musical

How it started, How it’s going....

 

How it started, How it’s going....

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyyBvSjtBUU/

Rehearsal time! Mamma Mia the Party

 Rehearsal time! Björn spent a few days with the Mamma Mia the Party cast in London

21 October 2023

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Published 22 October  2023

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cysuhc8IAGB

Björn Official account 

Björn in Italy

 

holidays

Björn answers

 Björn answers

Instagram stories Björn Official https://www.instagram.com/.../bjornu.../3212608348111443004/

Gimme, gimme, gimme... a global pop icon for The Business Day 2024!

 

Gimme, gimme, gimme... a global pop icon for The Business Day 2024!

ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus to headline Bridlington Spa event

Mamma Mia! Organisers of The Business Day have secured a music superstar as headline speaker for 2024.

The Humber region’s annual gathering will welcome ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus to Bridlington Spa next year. A musician, singer, songwriter and producer, he shot to global fame with the Seventies Swedish quartet, recording hits that have transcended decades.

Organisers have described the 78-year-old as “a true entrepreneur and thought leader”. Stephen Parnaby OBE, who heads up what is the climax to Humber Business Week, said his appearance will take The Business Day to a new level.

“Björn Ulvaeus will enthral delegates at Bridlington Spa with his knowledge, hands-on experience of artificial iIntelligence and The Metaverse as well as his journey through life,” Mr Parnaby, event director, said.

The event takes place on Friday, June 7, and he will not be the first global musician to grace the stage, with Bob Geldof KBE and Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, both having entertained in previous years. It is understood Bjorn will come to the UK specifically for the booking.

Prior to pop superstardom, he had studied business and law after national service, before joining a Swedish folk band, Hootenanny Singers. While touring he met keyboard player Benny Andersson of Hep Stars, and in the late Sixties met his future wife, singer-songwriter Agnetha Faltskog. The band, including Benny's partner Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad, broke up shortly after they divorced more than a decade later, with Bjorn and Benny going on to create the musical Mamma Mia!.

Most recently, the band has been behind virtual concert residency Abba Voyage, with Bjorn having business interests in music-related software.

Promoted Stories

Bjorn will be one of several speakers to take part in the event, this year headlined by Clare Balding, with Gyles Brandreth hosting. It attracts more than 700 people from the regional business community, with insight, inspiration and networking the aims.

https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/gimme-gimme-gimme-global-pop-27898178

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ABBA Legend for Bridlington Business Day

News Home

More from Yorkshire Coast News

Friday, 13 October 2023 10:46

By Matthew Pells

Founding member of ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus, has been announced as the keynote speaker for The Business Day at Bridlington Spa on Friday 7 June 2024.

Björn Ulvaeus is set to be the keynote speaker at The Business Day at Bridlington Spa as he talks about the creation of ABBA Voyage, leadership, entrepreneurship, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Technology, Innovation, Meta Data and the complexity of business in the music industry.

The event will bring together more than 650 regional and national business leaders, for a day of insights, creativity, and knowledge sharing.

Björn Ulvaeus, has delighted and touched the hearts of millions across the globe with his musical talents. As a founding member of ABBA, he played an instrumental role in shaping the sound of a generation and leaving an indelible mark on the music industry. His creative genius and ability to connect with audiences have earned him accolades and a place in the pantheon of music legends.

 Björn said: 

"I look forward to being a part of The Business Day at Bridlington Spa where I'll be talking about ideas, innovation, and collaboration."

Stephen Parnaby OBE, The Business Day Event Director said

"We are honoured and ecstatic to welcome Björn Ulvaeus to The Business Day as our keynote speaker. His contributions to music and culture are unparalleled, and his presence will undoubtedly elevate The Business Day to new heights. Delegates will have the opportunity to gain first-hand insights from a true visionary; his keynote address will be the highlight of the day.”

Mark Lonsdale, General Manager, Bridlington Spa and Producer of The Business Day said

“Bridlington Spa is renowned for attracting major names to the region and I am delighted that Björn will be gracing the stage of our Edwardian Theatre as our keynote speaker.

“Delegates can look forward to a thought-provoking and inspiring address that will delve into Mr. Ulvaeus' experiences, insights, and observations from his remarkable journey in the entertainment industry. With a career spanning decades, Björn will share valuable perspectives on creativity, collaboration, innovation, and the power of music to transcend boundaries.”

The Business Day is aimed at business leaders as an inspirational day with guest speakers, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. Delegates will have the opportunity to engage in dynamic discussions, networking, breakout sessions and more, all aimed at fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth within business. Organisers say that the inclusion of Björn Ulvaeus as the keynote speaker "adds an extra layer of prestige and excitement to the event".

Previous speakers at The Business Day include Gyles Brandreth, Jo Malone, Lord Sugar, Baroness Brady, Clare Balding, Bob Geldof, John Simpson, Alexander Armstrong, Naga Munchetty and Josh Littlejohn.

https://www.thisisthecoast.co.uk/news/local-news/abba-legend-for-bridlington-business-day/

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Björn in Greek

 

Björn in Greek,

October 11, 2023

"CISAC President Bjorn Ulvaeus and Director General Gadi Oron paid a visit to AUTODIA's head office and met with the CEO, Board and Supervisory Body members, as well as with acclaimed songwriters, composers and authors, members of the Greek Society".

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyS7Blvta29/