Benny Andersson at Östermalms saluhall

 

source ABBA Newsflash

Världsstjärna i Hallen

SOS! Allt om allas spanare fick syn på en världskänd celebritet i anrika Östermalms saluhall. Det var virtuosen Benny Andersson i egen hög person. Det var strax efter klockan 16 mitt i veckan och gissningsvis skulle Abban handla lite gott till middag.

Estrella mundial en el Salón

¡SOS! Todos los exploradores avistaron a una celebridad mundial en el histórico mercado de Östermalm. Era el virtuoso Benny Andersson en persona. Eran poco más de las 4 pm. de un día laborable y Abba presumiblemente estaba comprando algo rico para cenar.

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https://ostermalmshallen.se

https://www.instagram.com/ostermalmshallen/

Frida's open letter about the romance rumors - 1983

 EXPRESSEN Onsdagen den 23 februari 1983

Fridas öppna brev om romansryktena:

Detta brev är skrivet med anledning av mina anmälningar till Allmänhetens pressombudsman av vissa artiklar i veckopress beträffande anledningen till min flyttning från Sverige.

Jag vill på samma sätt som Agnetha Fältskog protestera mot den lögnaktiga personförföljelse jag blivit utsatt för i Svensk Damtidning, Husmodern och Damernas Värld. Oskyldiga människor används som vapen i kampen om att sälja flest lösnummer. I det här fallet jag själv, men framförallt min kollega Phil Collins en professionell och seriös musiker och artist, som helt oskyldigt har utpekats som anledningen till min utflyttning från Sverige..

Jag är mycket upprörd å hans och hans flickväns vägnar. Dessutom skadar alla ihärdiga spekulationer mitt privatliv och de människor som står mig nära. Jag lider av att framstå som en oseriös kvinna som synes ha den ena historien efter den andra med olika män, när situationen är helt annan. Dessutom känner jag en stor leda över att inför inkompetenta journalister behöva försvara något som jag anser inte angår någon annan. Men jag kommer aldrig att ge upp kampen mot det hänsynlösa och speku-lativa utnyttjandet av det som jag anser mest heligt; människors behov av respekt och integritet.

22 februari 1983

Anni-Frid Lyngstad

translation google 

EL EXPRESS Miércoles 23 de febrero de 1983

Carta abierta de Frida sobre los rumores de romance:

Esta carta se escribe en respuesta a mis informes al Defensor del Pueblo de Prensa Pública sobre ciertos artículos en la prensa semanal relacionados con el motivo de mi traslado de Suecia.

Quiero protestar, al igual que Agnetha Fältskog, contra la falsa persecución que he sufrido en Svensk Damtidning, Husmodern y Damernas Värld. Personas inocentes son utilizadas como armas en la lucha por vender la mayor cantidad de ejemplares. En este caso, yo mismo, pero sobre todo mi colega Phil Collins, músico y artista profesional y serio, a quien, con total inocencia, se le ha señalado como el motivo de mi mudanza de Suecia.

Estoy muy molesta por él y su novia. Además, todas las especulaciones persistentes están dañando mi vida privada y la de mis allegados. Sufro que me vean como una mujer frívola que parece tener una historia tras otra con diferentes hombres, cuando la situación es completamente distinta. Además, estoy muy cansada de tener que defender ante periodistas incompetentes algo que creo que no le incumbe a nadie más. Pero nunca renunciaré a la lucha contra la explotación imprudente y especulativa de lo que considero más sagrado: la necesidad de respeto e integridad de las personas.

22 de febrero de 1983

Anni-Frid Lyngsta

This letter is written  with the intent of my accussations to the Pressombudsman by some of the articles i the tabloid magazines, because of my recent move to London.

I want to complain the same way Agnetha Fältskog has protested against the lying stalking I have been the subject of from Svensk Damtidningm , Husmodern och Dameras värld. Innocent people are you like weapons on the behalf of selling more issues of the magazines. In this case I can explain tha forethemost Phil Collins, my collegaue - a professional and serious musician and performer who has been named as the reason for my moving from Sweden.

I'm vey uspet on his behalf and his girlfriends. Besides it hurts all these "rumours" my private life -and the people who are close to me. I'm suffering from being portrayed as an unserious woman who seem to go from on relationship to another. Besides I feel a comptemt journalists need to defend something I have never ever to do with anyonelse. I also feel a great tiredness to be have asked questions by imcompent answers I have do not ove them at all. But I will never give up the fight infront of incopentent journalist when there are none of their business. But I will never give up the fight against the ruthless which I hold most sacred: peoples repect and integrity.

21 February
Anni-Frid Lyngstad

https://abbamikory.blogs.com/abbamikory/2013/01/fridas-open-letter-about-untrue-romance-rumours-1983.html

translation google

Abba rule out appearing at 50th anniversary of Eurovision win

 

Waterloo50th

En un correo electrónico a TT, Görel Hanser, escribe:

"Agnetha, Frida, Björn y Benny han decidido conjuntamente rechazar todas las solicitudes relacionadas con el aniversario".

Los miembros de Abba tampoco estarán presentes durante la velada de gala en Cirkus

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In an email to TT, Abbas' manager Görel Hanser writes: "Agnetha, Frida, Björn and Benny have jointly decided to decline all requests in connection with the anniversary".

The Abba members will also not be present during the gala evening at Cirkus

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I ett mejl till TT skriver Abbas manager Görel Hanser:

"Agnetha, Frida, Björn och Benny har gemensamt beslutat sig för att tacka nej till samtliga förfrågningar i samband med jubileet".

Abba-medlemmarna kommer inte heller att närvara under galakvällen på Cirkus

https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2024-03-21/abba-nobbar-svt-hyllningen

Abba nobbar SVT-hyllningen När Abba hyllas på en direktsänd gala från Cirkus i Stockholm väljer huvudpersonerna själva att inte dyka upp. Det meddelar gruppens manager Görel Hanser i ett mejl till TT. Öppna bild i helskärmsläge Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad och Benny Andersson hyllas i SVT i april, men kommer inte att delta i firandet själva. Bild från London 2022. Lördag den 6 april är det 50 år sedan Abba skrev musik- och tv-historia, när de vann Eurovision Song Contest med "Waterloo" 1974. Det firas med en galakväll i SVT, som sänds från Cirkus inför publik. Den livesända tv-galan blir kulmen på en hel vecka där gruppen hyllas i SVT, men de medieskygga Abba-medlemmarna kommer inte delta i firandet själva. I ett mejl till TT skriver Abbas manager Görel Hanser: "Agnetha, Frida, Björn och Benny har gemensamt beslutat sig för att tacka nej till samtliga förfrågningar i samband med jubileet". Abba-medlemmarna kommer inte heller att närvara under galakvällen på Cirkus, förklarar hon. Abba hyllas i SVT under hela veckan fram till lördagen den 6 april. Under galan ska "några av Sveriges mest framstående artister" uppträda och framföra gruppens klassiska låtar. Samma kväll släpps även dokumentären "Sagan om Abba", som fokuserar på perioden mellan albumsläppen "Arrival" (1976) och "Super trouper" (1980). 50-årsjubileet firas även i Storbritannien, där bland andra BBC satsar på dokumentärer, konserter och radioprogram för att uppmärksamma gruppen.

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In a recording for the BBC's Newsnight programme on Thursday evening, Andersson said there was “no way” the group was going to reunite or even walk on stage together during Eurovision. “I don't want to,” he said. “And if I don't want to, the others won't. “It's the same for all four of us

may 25, 2023

It’s a no’: Abba rule out appearing at 50th anniversary of Eurovision win Helen Pidd

If you had figured out how to get a hologram to do your job, would you ever bother going to work again? Probably the only people in the world who can answer that question with any authority are Abba, who have played to more than a million people in London in the past year without even having to leave the house. It should perhaps be no surprise then, that the group have ruled out returning to the Eurovision contest for a final time when it is held in Sweden next year. Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, the band’s main songwriters, said they would not reunite with Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad to mark 50 years since they won the 1974 contest with Waterloo. There had been increasingly feverish speculation that the band would reform and perhaps even compete as Sweden’s entry, despite having not played together since appearing on Noel Edmonds’ The Late Late Breakfast Show on the BBC in 1982. In a recording for the BBC’s Newsnight programme on Thursday evening, Andersson said there was “no way” the group was going to reunite or even walk on stage together during Eurovision. “I don’t want to,” he said. “And if I don’t want to, the others won’t. “It’s the same for all four of us. Someone says no – it’s a no.” Ulvaeus, who also said it was a no from him, added: “We can celebrate 50 years of Abba without us being on stage.” Their comments do, however, leave the door open to an appearance from the quartet’s “Abbatars” – digital versions of themselves, which are currently playing to sold-out crowds every night in London as part of Abba Voyage. Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog and Benny Andersson arrive for the opening performance of Abba Voyage in May 2022. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters More than a million people have been to see the multimedia extravaganza since it opened last June in a purpose-built arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, many paying more than £100 a ticket. Abba, who have sold more than 400m albums and singles, were the first Swedes to clinch a Eurovision victory. This year Loreen sang Sweden’s seventh winning song, Tattoo, having already triumphed with Euphoria in 2012. Abba won Eurovision again in 2005 with Waterloo at a special edition of the contest to mark its 50th anniversary, but did not play live. For their last ever performance together on Edmonds’ show more than 40 years ago, they performed Thank You for the Music. While they were in killjoy mode for their fans, Ulvaeus and Andersson also poured cold water on rumours that a third edition of the hit musical Mamma Mia! was in the works. “People want to do it,” Andersson said. “Universal [Music Group] wants to do it. “[The Mamma Mia! producer] Judy Craymer wants to do it.” But he insisted that without changes to the script and setting – a fictional Greek island – “there’s not going to be a next Mamma Mia! film. That’s just wishful thinking.”

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/25/abba-eurovision-2024-stars-to-decline-50th-anniversary-appearance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGd-G3--LmA

Bjorn Ulvaeus !

images fans group on facebook 

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Friday 30 December 

BJÖRN ULVAEUS HAS sold more than 150 million records, written two hit musicals, co-produced a pair of Greek Island-set inter- generational romance movies you may have heard of and, in the UK alone, had nine number one singles. Among those hits are a good chunk of the songs you've been sing- ing along to tipsily, perhaps even tearfully, at Christmas parties over the last month. You know them: Mamma Mia; Knowing Me, Knowing You; The Winner Takes It All, Abba's mini masterpieces of relationship regret that echoed our own ill-fated love affairs, giving the heartbreak of being dumped by Lynne in accounts or Steve at the building society an ennobling Nordic lustre. They still do.

"It's amazing," Björn tells me in the back of a limousine driving him through the winter. streets of Stockholm. "That's all I can say. I can't explain why Abba has survived and stayed relevant. People often come up to me and say, 'You don't know what your music has meant to me through the years, the ups and downs.""

Björn is 77, but here in the dark- ened interior of the limo, he looks at least a decade younger. "I don't feel like an old man in my head," he says. "I'm lucky not to have health prob- lems. I feel full of life, energy and curiosity."   

He appears younger still in the stage show Abba Voyage, where he appears as an avatar alongside fellow Abba members Benny Andersson, i-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad and his ex-wife Agnetha Fältskog (Andersson Lyngstad were also married, but divorced in 1981). The AI-generated show uses motion- capture technology developed by Disney's Industrial Light and Magic to trap all four in the golden amber of their mid-30s greatness. 

It opened in London last May to universal acclaim: "Mind-blowing," gasped The Daily Telegraph; "Out of this world," purred The Times. And then, in November, the band was nominated for four Grammys for the 2021 comeback album Voyage. "This year has been momentous in so many ways," Björn ponders and shakes his head. "That I should experience something like that at this point in my life?"

There's more. In February, Björn separated from his second wife, Lena Källersjö, after 41 years of marriage, and began a relationship with 49-year-old Christina Sas. His new partner will be joining the family this Christmas Eve - "in Sweden, Christmas Eve is the big celebra-

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After a momentous year in which Abba reappeared as avatars, Björn Ulvaeus opens up about fame, guest-editing Today and having Agnetha round for herring...

INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL HODGES

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tion," he explains - as will Agnetha. "Yes, Agnetha will be there, my new partner and the whole family; four children, nine grandchildren - all in my eldest daughter's house. We will have a huge dinner with lots of food and laughter."

I don't ask if Källersjö will be there. Everything seems so complicated and, well, Swedish. The food certainly will be. "We'll eat a lot of marinated herring," he says. "Roughly the same thing we eat on Midsummer and Easter." And music? "Oh yes, there will be songs."

THEN, TO END the year, he will guest-edit Radio 4's Today programme on 30 December an honour previously bestowed upon Yoko Ono, Raheem Sterling and Stephen Hawking. Famously, Hawking's work explained how time and space work; Björn has actually reversed time, and other famous seniors have noticed. "I know Barry Gibb has been to see it, Björn says of Abba Voyage. "I hear rumours about Metallica.

I don't think Mick Jagger has been yet, but he has said something about it. Cher was going. S many of my contemporaries are now thinking 'Is there a way we can do it?""

There are plans for more Abba Voyages. T that end, Björn was in Singapore recently (be fronts Abba's projects; the more retiring Benny keeps busy with his own band). Eventually

------------------------------------------------

I've been exposed to my younger self daily for 40 years'

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millions might see his avatar, but what is it lik for him? "People say, 'Whoa! How do you feel But it's not weird for me any more. I've bee exposed to my younger self almost daily for years." And if he could talk to that younger self rather than watch an AI version of him? "I'd say 'Don't be so nervous about everything!"" Yet many things worry Björn now. The

page 2

prospect, for instance, of Donald Trump using Abba songs in his campaigns. Has he? "I think he has, I can't remember. It was probably The Winner Takes It All." Not a great success, then. "He's totally misunderstood it. Thank God it didn't work."

His concerns about threats to democracy are pertinent in Sweden where, following September's elections, the far-right Sweden Democrats joined the coalition government. "I mourn that trust in the democratic institu- tions is declining, and the trust of the citizens of Sweden in each other is also declining. And it's like that everywhere else in the world. It seems to me trust is never going to come back."

Björn's deeper fears become apparent when I ask about the Christmasses in the old social democratic Sweden of his boyhood. "I remem- ber Christmas in the late 50s and early 60s, when the future was incredibly bright. Some people say that [era] was the peak of humanity, at least in Western democracies. That's very different from celebrating Christmas now when  there is such darkness on the horizon - the fear of the US becoming an autocracy, climate change, war."

HE WAR IN Ukraine has now elevated the Eurovision Song Contest, where his own fortunes took off when Abba won with Waterloo in 1974, into a geopoliti- cal event. Will Björn be coming to Liverpool in 2023? "I haven't decided, but I hope that it unites Europe behind Ukraine. Eurovision may seem shallow and just for fun, but there is a deeper meaning to it. For those hours that it is on, Europe is unified. I like that about Eurovision, and I like the fact that it's songs, it's music, that can unite us."

Even in Britain, which has never taken Eurovision that seriously? "Terry Wogan and all that?" he laughs. "Well, you can't take it too seri- ously. I think Terry Wogan was very funny sometimes. But why not send your best songs?

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HERE HE GOES AGAIN

turned back the clock with the stage show

Björn Ulvaeus has Abba Voyage (inset left) Below: Abba filming the 1979 Snowtime

TV special

----------------------

Why not make an effort? I think the UK is doing that now, finally. And I'm glad."

Björn says he's excited about using Radio 4 journalists to interview "prime ministers and presidents" when he edits Today, but doesn't he already have a massive worldwide audience? Why not write some songs about politics? "I tried," he reveals. "In Sweden in the 70s, there was a niche movement called the Progressives; they were so annoyed with us because they said that we never wrote about politics, and all songs should be about politics! So I wrote lyrics that were more politically skewed, but they were so boring."

So there's an album's worth of boring left- wing Abba songs. Where are they? "In the wastepaper basket. They were no good. We wanted to touch people, to move people, and I found it much more interesting to explore relationships than party politics." It was the often-fraught nature of his relationship with Agnetha that gave those songs their great power. Now they share plates of marinated herring together, how will he write? "There are other relation- ships," he says. "So many still to explore. You don't ever stop writing songs. You do it until you die."

RadioTimes24 December 2022-6 January 2023

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Christmas on Today

Today's guest editors and the subjects they will focus on

IAN BOTHAM Boxing Day

The former cricketer looks at advances

in treating childhood leukaemia.

JAMIE OLIVER Tue 27 Dec

The chef on improving child health.

NAZANIN ZAGHARI-RATCLIFFE 28 Dec The British-Iranian national (below) who was detained in Iran will explore freedom.

SIR JEREMY FLEMING Thu 29 Dec The director of GCHQ looks at data opportunities and risks.

BJÖRN ULVAEUS Fri 30 Dec The Abba legend addresses Europe's future.

ANNE-MARIE IMAFIDON

New Year's Eve

Th
e technologist on

science, problem-solving - and comedy.

DAME SHARON WHITE Mon 2 Jan The chair of John Lewis on helping young people in the care system.

RadioTimes24 December 2022-6 January 2023

 article: Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus hopes Eurovision 2023 unites Europe around Ukraine

12th December

By PA News Agency

Bjorn Ulvaeus has said he hopes Eurovision 2023 “unites” people in Europe around Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia earlier this year.

The 77-year-old member of hitmaker Abba, who won the song contest for Sweden with Waterloo in 1974, added the competition may “seem shallow” but it has a “deeper meaning”.

He was asked in an interview with Radio Times for its Christmas issue if he would be going to Liverpool, which is hosting Eurovision as the UK was the runner-up in 2022 with Sam Ryder.

Ulvaeus said: “I haven’t decided, but I hope that it unites Europe behind Ukraine.

“Eurovision may seem shallow and just for fun, but there is a deeper meaning to it. For those hours that it is on, Europe is unified.”

Ukraine, who won in 2022 with Kalush Orchestra, could not host due to the Russian invasion.

Ulvaeus also said: “Why (does the UK) not send your best songs? Why not make an effort?

“I think the UK is doing that now, finally. And I’m glad.”

He will also look ahead to Eurovision 2023 and why Abba means so much to the LGBT+ community when he guest edits BBC Radio 4’s Today programme over the Christmas period.

Ulvaeus wants journalists on the radio show to interview “prime ministers and presidents”.

He added that Abba always steered clear from politics because his “politically skewed” lyrics were so “boring”.

Abba Voyage

Ulvaeus said: “We wanted to touch people, to move people, and I found it much more interesting to explore relationships than party politics.”

Meanwhile, Ulvaeus and fellow Abba member Benny Andersson, along with a choir, have recorded a new arrangement of a track from Abba’s 2021 album Voyage for the show.

The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in May 2023 at the ACC Liverpool.

date: 12 december 2022

https://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/leisure/national/23187075.abbas-bjorn-ulvaeus-hopes-eurovision-2023-unites-europe-around-ukraine/

Bjorn photo with Fan

 photo from James Cimino with this info:

https://www.facebook.com/.../13034.../posts/1491367321292865
"You won’t believe, but I have witnesses! What are the odds of me walking around Copenhagen meeting the legend himself! Isn’t Bjorn Ulvaeus Swedish, anyway?  I need to write a great review for the cruise company that stopped here today, because I am in town for 12 hour only and this was worthy the entire trip! The picture was taken 2 hours ago by his new girlfriend. The man is very charming and she is very nice and offered to take the picture! And today is Madonna’s birthday and the day I started working as a professional journalist. What a day!"

‘It was the best day of my life!’ Guardian readers on Abba Voyage

 It was the best day of my life!’ Guardian readers on Abba Voyage

Our readers give their verdicts on the pop legends’ digitised concert series in east London – and they are overwhelmingly positive

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jun/09/guardian-readers-on-abba-voyage