Subido por abbafanglosuk el 22/11/2009
It was Frida's 64th birthday last week on November 15th. This is William Orbit's remix for Madonna's unreleased 1999 cover of Like An Angel Passing Through My Room and is set to Frida's original 1981 singing. Madonna's version did not make her album Music, but was leaked onto the internet in August 2008. It can be found on youtube, giving an opportunity to directly compare the 2 singers with the same backing track. This video is provided courtesy of Philippe Dupont at abbainter.net.
Abba commenced work on Like An Angel Passing Through My Room on May 26 1981 and recorded 3 versions on June 5, October 23 and November 8 before the final version was recorded on November 10. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room was released as the last track of Abba's final album The Visitors on November 30 1981. It is the only Abba song to feature a completely solo vocal. Initially the track featured vocals from both Agnetha and Frida and at one point it was turned into a disco track. Frida recalls: "This song means a lot to me. Benny and I were alone in the studio. Alone with the 'tick-tock' of the metronome. I love this kind of song."
Unlike many other ABBA songs, the final mix of the track was sparsely produced. The entire track consists of the soloist's vocals and the music box sound effects of the synthesiser with the sound of a ticking clock throughout. Rune Söderqvist's design of the album sleeve for The Visitors was partly inspired by this song's theme. He recalls: "I knew the painter Julius Kronberg's studio in Skansen very well and immediately thought of this place when I found out one of the songs was called 'Like An Angel Passing Through My Room'. He had painted this huge angel called Eros which you can see on the sleeve. I love the atmosphere created by photographer Lars Larsson, although I have bad memories of the photo shoot because it was very cold. Benny arrived late, there was no heating and the atmosphere was tense. You could feel that it was the end of the group. When you look you can see that they are all standing away from each other. Without anyone of us being aware of it, it looks like they're living in separate worlds on the sleeve. The photo shoot was very brief that day because everyone was in a hurry to leave."
Frida and Benny had seperated in February 1981 and were divorced on November 26 after 12 years together and 3 years of marriage. One week later and three days after the release of The Visitors, Benny married Mona Norklit in a secret ceremony in Stockholm on December 3. Frida recalls "This was a very sad time personally, because I split up with Benny. We still went on because we wanted to finish The Visitors album. We never mentioned it, but there was a certain atmosphere between the four of us."
Frida's grandmother Agny brought her up after her mother died young and often sang songs to her (notably old Norwegian songs) which resulted in her love for music. She soon showed musical talent at an early age, beginning in her first years at school. On Fridays she was often asked by her teacher to sing in front of the class and soon became known in school and in the neighborhood for her beautiful voice. At 13 she got her first job as a dance band and schlager singer in 1958 with The Evald Eks Orchestra. The sets often lasted up to five hours at weekends. Evald Ek remembers: "It was hard to believe such a young person could sing that well. She was so easy to rehearse with and she was never shy onstage. The only thing I taught her was to sing out." Later she teamed up with a 15-piece 'jazz big band' covering Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Count Basie; her vocal idols being Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. In 1963 she formed her own band, the Anni-Frid Four. On September 3 1967 Frida won the Swedish national talent competition "New Faces" and a recording contract with EMI Sweden, and her career took off. In 1969 she participated in Melodifestivalen - the Swedish heats for the Eurovision Song Contest - and finished fourth. Backstage she met Benny who participated in the contest as a composer and they soon became a couple. Today Frida engages in charity work and environmental issues and lives in Switzerland.
Music / Lyrics: Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus
Lead vocal: Frida
Long awaited darkness falls
Casting shadows on the walls
In the twilight hour I am alone
Sitting near the fireplace
Dying embers warm my face
In this peaceful solitude
All the outside world subdued
Everything comes back
To me again in the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
Half awake and half in dreams
Seeing long forgotten scenes
So the present runs into the past
Now and then become entwined
Playing games within my mind
Like the embers as they die
Love was one prolonged good-bye
And it all comes back
To me tonight in the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
I close my eyes and my twilight
Images go by all too soon
Like an angel passing through my room
The United Nations declared 1979 the Year Of The Child. Abba generously donated all royalties for Chiquitita to UNICEF, thus raising millions for them. It reached no. 2 in Britain, and had similar success across Europe.
Abba's manager Stig Anderson was a marketing genius. He realised that foreign speaking markets could be captured by recording in their own language. Abba re-recorded many of their best songs in Spanish for the South American fans. No other major group took the trouble to do this, but Abba did and that was typical of their considerate approach.
The Spanish version of Chiquitita was recorded on March 8 1979. The lyrics were written by Buddy & Mary McCluskey who worked for RCA in Argentine.
Buddy said "Abba were already popular here, but this record made the break for them. Both versions were hits, but the Spanish one was the biggest smash. I helped Agnetha and Frida with their Spanish pronounciation and found they were very good at languages already, now they are perfect."
This performance was recorded in Madrid on May 28 1979 for broadcast to Spanish speaking countries. The girls Spanish is indeed perfect here, they sing the difficult lyrics without any hesitations. They were presented with a gold disc for sales of this song afterwards.
The Spanish version was released as a single on June 12 1979, with colossal success. It reached no. 1 in Spain, Argentine, Mexico and most South American countries.
Abba had put their fans first again! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzkT57HpeUo
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ABBA performing Chiquitita in Germany,1979. This song is the most known ABBA song in my country (Colombia, but the spanish version),
Did you know...
*The royalities of this song were donated to Unicef.
*Chiquitita had a lot of working titles like"In the arms of Rosalita" "Three wise guys" "Chiquitita Angelina" and "Kålsupare"
*This song was in first place in 11 countries, being the most succesful ABBA song in Latinamerica.
ABBA presentando Chiquitita en Alemania, 1979.Esta canción es la más conocida de ABBA en mi país(Colombia, pero en la versión en español),
Sabias que...
*Esta cancion fue donada a Unicef.
*Chiquitita tuvo muchos titulos de trabajo como "In the arms of Rosalita"(en los brazos de Rosalita),"Chiquitita Angelina", "Three wise guys"(3 chicos sabios)and "Kålsupare"
*Esta cancion obtuvo el primer lugar en 11 paises, siendo la cancion mas exitosa de ABBA en Latinoamerica
Abba visited Paris on October 21-22 1980 to appear on the Stars tv show at the Pavillon Baltard in Nogent, which was broadcast on October 25. They performed The Winner Takes It All and Super Trouper after host Michel Drucker interviewed famous Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, who asked Frida a couple of questions at the end.
The Winner Takes It All was recorded on June 6 1980, and had the working title "The Story Of My Life". It was released as a single on July 21 1980. It reached #1 in Belgium (2 months), Ireland, South Africa, Holland and UK and made the top 10 in another 14 countries. It was voted Britain's favorite break-up song in 2006.
Bjorn went home with a tape of the backing track to write the lyrics. The layers of French chanson suggested something melodramatic and emotional. On this night Bjorn opened a bottle of Scotch whisky and drank freely during the writing process. "I was drunk" he recalled "and the whole lyric came to me in a rush of emotion in one hour". Tears flowed in the recording studio after Agnetha recorded her lead vocal. She called The Winner Takes It All "the best of all Abba songs. The lyrics are deeply personal, and the music is unsurpassed. Singing it was like acting a part. I mustn't let my feelings take over. It was quite a while afterwards before I realised that we made a small masterpiece."
Benny recalls "As a melody its the simplest ever. There are only two different melody lines in it that are repeated throughout the whole song, and yet I think we managed to avoid a feeling of repetition. The song includes a lot of emotion and their is a counterpoint thing going on with the vocals in the backing track. That's the Brian Wilson influence. Counterpoint harmony, thats what the Beach Boys did all the time and what I always liked a lot."
Bjorn admits the lyrics were inspired by the heartbreak with Agnetha, but says the basis of the song "is the experience of a divorce, but it's fiction. There wasn't a winner or a loser in our case. A lot of people think it's straight out of reality, but it's not". The couple decided to separate in late 1978, and Agnetha moved out of their home on Christmas night December 25 1978. In January 1979 they filed for divorce, which was finalised in June 1980.
Agnetha and Bjorn explained the situation in an exclusive interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen on January 16 1979.
Agnetha: "What has happened only concerns the two of us. There's no point talking about what went wrong with our marriage. The fact is that Bjorn and myself can no longer live together."
Bjorn: "Its important to say this is an amicable divorce, if you can call it that. In the beginning it was all very romantic and we were in love. But after we got married bit by bit we began to move apart. Our tastes and opinions started to differ more and more. We thought that a second child would bring us closer together.
Agnetha: "Christian doesn't know about what's going on because he's too young but Linda understands. In the end the three of us sat down to talk about it. Its almost a month since we separated and I think she prefers to see that her two parents are happier now. And anyway I only live 7 minutes away from Bjorn. The news isn't a surprise to Benny and Frida because they're close to us and see how we work."
Bjorn: "Its not very nice to talk about all this in public. Which is why we won't be talking about our divorce any more in the future like we have done here. Its important that we stress that Abba is not going to break up. The group means so much to us."
Music / Lyrics: Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Lead Vocal: Agnetha
I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me
Now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play
The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
That's her destiny
I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there
I figured it made sense
Building me a fence
Building me a home
Thinking I'd be strong there
But I was a fool
Playing by the rules
The gods may throw a dice
Their minds as cold as ice
And someone way down here
Loses someone dear
The winner takes it all
The loser has to fall
It's simple and it's plain
Why should I complain
But tell me does she kiss
Like I used to kiss you
Does it feel the same
When she calls your name
Somewhere deep inside
You must know I miss you
But what can I say
Rules must be obeyed
The judges will decide
The likes of me abide
Spectators of the show
Always staying low
The game is on again
A lover or a friend
A big thing or a small
The winner takes it all
I don't wanna talk
If it makes you feel sad
And I understand
You've come to shake my hand
I apologize
If it makes you feel bad
Seeing me so tense
No self-confidence
But you see
The winner takes it all
The winner takes it al
Its Agnetha's 60th birthday on Easter Monday April 5th 2010. Agnetha says "Hello" to us all and we can say a Happy Birthday message back to Agnetha personally at this link:http://www.abbasite.com/agnethas-birt...
Han Lanmar Mig For Att Komma Till Dig was recorded on May 13 1971 and is to be played at full volume! It was released as the B-side of "Många Gånger An" on October 3 1971, which reached #5 on the Swedish Svensktoppen. It was also released as track 8 on Agnethas 4th Swedish solo album Nar En Vacker Tanke Blir En Sang (When A Beautiful Idea Becomes A Song) in November 1971. The album was recorded at Metronome Studios, Stockholm from May onwards. Agnetha wrote all the songs herself except one, and Bjorn was sole producer. Agnetha's career began at just 17 when her very first single "Jag Var Sa Kar" which she wrote herself topped the Swedish charts in January 1968, giving her instant fame in Sweden.http://www.youtube.com/user/abbafanglosuk
Agnetha Fältskog fyllde 60 år i går och firade i största hemlighet. Foto: Nils Petter Nilsson
Agnetha Fältskogs hemliga 60-firande
Grattis Agnetha, 60 år!
ABBA-stjärnan Agnetha Fältskog fyllde i går jämt- och firade den stora dagen i största hemlighet på okänd ort:
- Det gör hon nånstans där ingen vet var hon är, inte ens jag, säger Björn Ulvaeus.
Superstjärnan Agnetha Fältskog har genom åren gjort sig känd som en extremt skygg svensk superstjärna.
Det är sällan sångerskan dyker upp i officiella sammanhang, på premiärer, galor och fester. Detta på grund av att den före detta ABBA-profilen inte alls trivs med att stå i rampljuset med blickarna mot sig.
Och gårdagens 60-årsfirande var inget undantag.
Vet inte var
Agnetha Fältskog firade i största hemlighet, med noga utvalda gäster.
Inte ens allai hennes närmsta krets vet var, hur och med vem hon valde att fira 60-årsdagen.
Björn Ulvaeus, som under åtta år, 1971 till 1979, var gift med Agnetha Fältskog och som har dottern Linda Ulvaeus tillsammans med sångerskan, säger att inte ens han vet hur upplägget för kalaset såg ut.
- Jag vet faktiskt inte. Det gör hon nog någonstans där ingen vet var hon är. Jag vet inte heller var hon är, säger Björn Ulvaeus.
Expressen har förgäves sökt Benny Andersson, Agnetas presstaleskvinna Görel Hanser, samt Staffan Lindé, mångårig medarbetare till stjärnan, för kommentarer.
From the UK show called "The Late, Late Breakfast Show" in 1982.
ABBA was broadcast live from Stockholm via satellite on the BBC in the UK.
Unfortunately this was the last ever public performance by ABBA as a group.
"I Have A Dream" in this version has a "cold ending".
More info can be found on ABBAonTV
www.abbaontv.com/1982/description-late-late-breakfast-show-december.html
------------------------------------------------- Abba - I Have A Dream
video and info: http://www.youtube.com/user/abbafanglosuk
Abba visited Madrid in Spain on May 27-28 1979 to record 2 tv shows at the Roma Studios. The first show was "300 Millones" introduced by Spanish actress Paca Gabaldon in which they performed I Have A Dream (this video), Does Your Mother Know, Voulez-Vous and Chiquitita (in Spanish). The second show was "Aplauso" introduced by Silvia Tortosa in which they performed Does Your Mother Know, Chiquitita (in Spanish) and Voulez-Vous. The two programs were shown in Spain and Spanish speaking countries in South America in June.
The release of I Have A Dream coincided with the International Year Of The Child in 1979, and fittingly Abba decided to use 40 pupils from the children's choir of the International School of Stockholm to enhance the chorus. Benny recalls: "We sang it on tour in the States that autumn, and arranged for a children's choir to take part in the show in every city we performed in. They were sent the song in advance, they rehearsed and they came on stage singing it. I Have A Dream is as bit more folky, it's a song which marks a bit of a move back towards the schlager tradtion. There is a sitar playing which gives the song a very Greek feel, it sounds like a bouzouki. It's a sitar guitar being played by Janne Schaffer, the guitarist who worked with us from the beginning. The electric sitar looks like a guitar but there is something about the way that the strings are mounted that gives it that distinctive biting noise. It's wonderful to have good instruments to hand because when it comes to creating sounds you don't want to use the same sounds everybody else is using. We had 32 tracks in later years, we needed extra space for all the backing vocals and the synthesizer stuff that I wanted to add."
Bjorn says: "I Have A Dream was an attempt to modernise folklore with that kids choir. There were many who thought the choir was a bit over the top, but I don't agree - it felt right to have them there and it did work somehow. The choir goes well with the Italian-like melody and the lyrics sound positive. The choirs were of varying qualities. In some cities they had interpreted the children concept a bit generously, they were just as tall as we were! I've encountered a few people in America since who come up and say 'I was in that choir that year in that place'. 'Good' I always say 'I remember you...'.
I had forgotten where we had found the children's choir for the recording of I Have A Dream. Many years later I sent my two daughters Emma and Anna to the International School of Stockholm where they could be taught in English, because we had been living in England. The first time I went into the school I saw a large picture on the wall of Abba with a bunch of kids and it dawned on me that this school was where we had found the children's choir back in 1979. We had specifically wanted British and American children, so that they had the right pronounciation. On the tour of the States, my 6 year old daughter Linda first came out to sing with the local choir when we played Las Vegas. And 20 years later she appeared as Elin in our musical Kristina. She had told me that working in the theatre was the only thing she could contemplate doing."
I Have A Dream was recorded on March 27 1979 and had the working title "I Know A Song". It was released on the album Voulez-Vous on April 23 1979 and as the 4th single from it on December 5 1979 as a commemorative follow-up to Abba's concert tour of North America and Europe, with a live version of Take A Chance On Me from Wembley as the B-side. Top 10 positions were: Austria 1, Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Holland 1, Ireland 2, South Afica 3, Switzerland 1, UK 2, West Germany 4 and Zimbabwe 7. A Spanish version called Estoy Soñando was recorded in September 1979 and also released as a single, reaching the top 5 in Argentine and Mexico and #9 in Spain. The final verse was sung in Japanese by a guest choir on the concert tour of Japan in March 1980.
Featuring: International School of Stockholm Children's Choir
I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream - I have a dream
I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream - I have a dream
I'll cross the stream - I have a dream
I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream - I have a dream
I'll cross the stream - I have a dream
Görel steps into the fray! ABBA reunion is never going to happen
March 26, 2010
After The Times and then the rest of the world's press got all caught up with Benny's casual remark about an ABBA reunion, Görel Hanser ABBA's super-woman behind the scenes steps in and publicly admits to telling Benny off and quashes the rumour.
UK Telegraph piece by Murray Wardrop: Fans of the Swedish pop quartet were offered a glimmer of hope when former band member Benny Andersson said they could reunite for a one-off show.
However, the group has now apologised for raising fans’ expectations and admitted that the comment had been nothing more than a “joke”.
Speculation over a comeback mounted after Andersson and former band mate Bjorn Ulvaeus were asked if they would consider a one-off ABBA performance that could be beamed around the world.
Despite having previously turned down a raft of lucrative offers to reunite, including a £600 million tour deal, Andersson replied: “Yeah, why not?”
During the interview with a newspaper, he continued: "I don't know if the girls sing anything any more. I know Frida (Anni-Frid Lyngstad) was in the studio," adding: "It's not a bad idea, actually."
Referring to the last song on the group's Super Trouper album, The Way Old Friends Do, Ulvaeus quipped: "We could sing The Way Old Folks Do."
But in a blow to millions of Mamma Mia! devotees, the band have swiftly backtracked on the idea.
Görel Hanser, the group’s manager, said: “It’s simply not true.
“It was a passing comment Benny made, almost as a joke – nothing more than that.
“I’ve spoken to Benny and given him a stern telling off. I have told him not to make such ridiculous suggestions anymore.
“There is no prospect of ABBA getting back together – it’s never going to happen. I think the fans know that deep down but we’re sorry if we got anyone’s hopes up.
“It was great in the good old days but we should remember them as they were.”
The band, who split in 1982, previously dismissed any suggestion of a reunion, insisting they would never take to the stage again.
In 2000 they rejected a $1 billion (£600 million) offer to play a 100-date world tour.
At the time Ulvaeus, 64, said: “This is the budget of a small country so we had to give it some thought.
“In the end we decided that, whatever offer was on the table, it would be stupid to re-form and utterly ludicrous to change the images people all over the world have of us.”
And two years ago Ulvaeus said: “We will never appear on stage again. There is simply no motivation to regroup. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were — young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition.
“I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head.”
Andersson has also previously dismissed talk of a reunion, saying: “We’d need a good reason to re-form and I just don’t see one. We could never recreate the old days. I’d rather be remembered for the way we were 30 years ago."
The group, whose hits include Dancing Queen, Take a Chance on Me and Money, Money, Money, has sold 370 million records.
Famed for the spandex costumes, they have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, helped by the success of the film version of Mamma Mia!, the musical based on their songs.
However, it remains to be seen whether former female band mates Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog would support the idea of a reunion.
Lyngstad, 64, who married a German nobleman, said in an interview in 2005 that she had no interest in returning to a music career.
Fältskog, 59, has enjoyed a solo pop career since ABBA split but has not hinted at a reunion. Staffan Linde, her spokesman, said that Fältskog was not aware of Andersson recent reunion suggestion.
Andersson and Ulvaeus are promoting their new musical Kristina which opens at London's Royal Albert Hall on April 14.
You Owe Me One
"I was taken by surprise
Now both of us are in a state of confusion
Hesitation in our eyes
Something unwanted has entered our existence
I think it's better to view it from a distance
Yes I really do"
Abba on new exhibition and Eurovision
Advertisement
Abba's Frida and Bjorn talk to BBC Radio 5 live's Colin Paterson at a new exhibition of the Swedish band's memorabilia
Eurovision winners Abba have admitted they were completely unaware that the UK gave them "nul points" at the song contest they won in 1974.
Bjorn Ulvaeus and Frida Lyngstad revealed their surprise after being informed of the fact by BBC 5 live.
"All these years and I thought the Brits were our best friends," Ulvaeus joked at the launch of a new Abba World exhibit in London.
Abba won the contest for Sweden with their song Waterloo with 24 points.
Ulvaeus said he was surprised to learn the news from reporter 5 live reporter Colin Paterson, particularly as Waterloo hit number one in the UK singles chart two weeks later.
Voting changes
In 1974, the voting rules were completely different to the current system. Each country had just 10 jurors, who gave one vote apiece to their favourite song.
Of the 10 points available to distribute, the UK gave five to Italy, two to Israel and one each to Finland, Ireland and Switzerland.
The UK's entry, sung by Olivia Newton John, finished in fourth place with 14 points.
The rules changed in 1975, when the juries began to award a maximum of 12 points to their favourite songs.
Abba fans at a screening of Mamma Mia! at the O2
Mamma Mia! based on the music of Abba has been smash hit with fans
In 1998, the format changed again, allowing fans in all competing countries to vote in their millions.
The same voting system is still in use today.
Following Eurovision, the UK's love affair with Abba continued with nine number one songs between 1974 and 1980 and Abba's Gold: Greatest Hits album has sold 3.9m copies.
The hit film Mamma Mia!, based on Abba's songs, also become the highest grossing movie cinema release in the UK ever last year.
Abba are due to be inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March, but when asked if there was any chance Abba could reform, Lyngstad said she enjoyed being a grandmother and needed "the musical motivation to go back".
--------- A world full of Abba in London
They sold millions of records and still have millions of fans worldwide. Now a large number of Abba treasures are on display as part of the ABBAWORLD exhibition at Earls Court in London.
Everything from instruments to costumes can be seen on show as reporter Jane Witherspoon discovered.
---------------------------------- Världspremiär för utställningen Abba world
Mamma Mia! Parque temático ABBAWORLD abre en Londres
LONDRES (AP) — ABBA, el cuarteto sueco que produjo éxitos como "Waterloo" y "Dancing Queen", vendió 400 millones de discos desde los años 70 e inspiró el musical llevado al cine "Mamma Mia!" ahora tiene un museo-parque temático con suficiente música y recuerdos para satisfacer al más ferviente de sus fans.
Los integrantes del grupo pop sueco ABBA, de izquierda a derecha Bjorn Ulvaeus y Benny Andersson arriba y Agnetha Faltskog y Anni-Frid Lyngstad abajo, posan tras su victoria en el concurso de la canción Eurovisión, en una fotografía de archivo del 14 de junio de 1974. (AP Foto, Archivo)
LONDRES (AP) — ABBA, el cuarteto sueco que produjo éxitos como "Waterloo" y "Dancing Queen", vendió 400 millones de discos desde los años 70 e inspiró el musical llevado al cine "Mamma Mia!" ahora tiene un museo-parque temático con suficiente música y recuerdos para satisfacer al más ferviente de sus fans.
Los organizadores de ABBAWORLD prometen que la exhibición, que abre el miércoles en Londres, será "un lugar de total interacción" con la banda.
"Todo empezó con un, '¿Cómo le damos al visitante un gran abrazo en cada sala?''', dijo Magnus Danielsson, presidente de Touring Exhibitions, la compañía detrás de ABBAWORLD. "Esto será más como ir a 'Mamma Mia!' que como ir a una exposición. Queremos que la gente cante y baile".
La música de ABBA es ineludible a lo largo de ABBAWORLD, desde la exuberante "Dancing Queen" hasta la melancólica "Knowing Me, Knowing You" y la desgarradora "The Winner Takes It All" recuerdan que la agrupación comenzó como dos parejas casadas que terminaron en divorcio.
La muestra cuenta la historia de la banda en 25 salas que suman más de 2.800 metros cuadrados (30.000 pies cuadrados). Vitrinas contienen trajes con lentejuelas de seda, satén y spandex y los visitantes podrán ver recreaciones de los Polar Studios, donde ABBA grabó, y la cabina cerca de Estocolmo donde Bjorn Ulvaeus y Benny Andersson compusieron sus éxitos.
Una esquina alberga el helicóptero de la portada de su álbum de 1976 "Arrival".
Un elemento interactivo ambiguo le permitirá a los visitantes tomar exámenes, recrear el sonido de la banda en una mesa mezcladora o bailar y cantar junto con una versión de ABBA animada con tecnología de "video holográfico". La tienda de regalos incluye camisetas, osos de peluche, rompecabezas y figurines de ABBA, además de CDs.
Una audioguía narrada por el actor sueco Stellan Skarsgard, uno de los astros de la película "Mamma Mia!", sigue la historia de la agrupación, desde que sus miembros formaban parte de bandas amateur en la adolescencia hasta que alcanzaron el estrellato tras ganar en 1974 el Festival de la Canción de Eurovisión con "Waterloo".
Los miembros de ABBA —Andersson, Ulvaeus, Anna-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad y Agnetha Faltskog— se separaron en los años 80 y prometieron no volver a reunirse.
Los cuatro apoyan el proyecto y han donado artículos de colección y grabado entrevistas que forman parte de la exhibición.
Steve Hargrave, showbiz correspondent
Abba have finally been reunited on stage, but sadly it is only as holograms.
Two of the legendary Swedish group turned up in London for the launch of a huge exhibition called Abba World, which features memorabilia alongside computer recreations of the band on stage.
But having been bombarded yet again by the reunion question, Sky News wondered if they were thinking "Mamma Mia, here we go again".
"It is very boring to have that question asked, yes!" laughed Bjorn Ulvaeus.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus arrive at the premiere of the ABBA World exhibition at Earl's Court in London.
Frida and Bjorn arrive for the opening of the show, which will eventually tour Europe
"There's been Sheiks and all kinds of people trying to get us back together but we need a musical motivation.
"But it's nice for people to remember us as we were isn't it?"
According to pop folklore of course, they were offered a billion dollars for just one show but while other unlikely bands - like Led Zeppelin, and The Police - have given in to temptation, Abba have never been keen to take a chance.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad, aka Frida, says the reason is simple.
It's almost 30 years since we split up now, and here we are. It's weird and wonderful isn't it.
Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba
"If I picture myself on stage these days I really don't know what I would do there" she smiles. "I could never do the things I did when I was young. I'm just happy I have these memories."
Abba World will no doubt be a perfect for fans who have a dream to step through 25 rooms filled with costumes, photos and interactive gizmos.
For anyone else of course it may just be a journey through some decidedly brave outfit choices.
Lisa Snowdon arrives at the premiere of the ABBA World exhibition at Earl's Court in London.
Presenter Lisa Snowdon was among the many celebs at the event
"My costume is high fashion!" smiles Bjorn as we survey what he wore for the band's breakthrough 1974 Eurovision triumph.
"I think it would be slightly too big for me now, I was overweight. It's weird, it's like you become a spectator yourself, I mean it's almost 30 years since we split up now, and here we are. It's weird and wonderful isn't it."
"It's a nostalgia trip" agrees Frida.
"When you get older in a normal world you look back at photo albums but for us it's something you never get away from. It is weird in a way, I must say."
:: Abba World is on at Earls Court, West London, until March 28
------------- Abbaworld interactive exhibition to open in London
Abba have got behind the exhibition
Abba fans will get the chance to immerse themselves in everything about the band as an interactive exhibition has its premiere in London.
Abbaworld, which has the backing of the Swedish band, features 25 rooms full of memorabilia, behind-the-scenes footage and music dedicated to the foursome.
Fans will even be able to get up on stage with their "idols" as part of a 3D hologram installation.
The exhibition opens at London's Earls Court on 27 January.
Frida Lyngstad said: "On behalf of Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and I, we are delighted to be part of Abbaworld and to have the opportunity to share our amazing experiences with our fans."
As part of the interactive experience, visitors will also be able to appear in music videos, on album covers and take part in a sing-a-long.
The exhibition is expected to go on a world tour but no other dates have yet been announced.
