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ABBA
ABBA musical training is a Swedish based in Stockholm in November 1970 by Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (known as Frida), which has so far sold over 370 million music formats (2007). The initials of 4 names forming the acronym and palindrome ABBA, it was not until 1976 that the now famous logo (with an inverted B) will be used (this logo is a ambigram).
History
Grand winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with Waterloo, No. 1 at the international level, ABBA began his career modestly with securities People Need Love in 1972, Ring Ring in 1973, Hasta Mañana (in some countries) in 1974 and , I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do and SOS in 1975. In addition, the group is a pioneer in the field of video clips and its image is rapidly eccentric costumes associated with kitsch.
Its members have already experienced the glory of an individual in Sweden in the sixties, knows ABBA music and was doing nothing in all aspects of production. Everything is done by the group, writing texts by Björn the musical composition by Benny through the vocal techniques of Anni-Frid and Agnetha. The arrangements, mixing, marketing and all important decisions passed into the hands of four members of the group, whether of a musical, artistic or business. The manager Stig Anderson, often called the fifth member of the group, co-authored texts on early albums, until 1977.
In 1976, this image and sound ABBA are now recognizable. The melodies are catchy and arrangements more than perfect, so as Mamma Mia and Fernando (despite a few errors of English grammar) occupied the first place ranking worldwide in the first half of this year. In June, ABBA is invited to perform at the Royal Palace in Sweden during the celebrations of the marriage of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia of Sweden. For the occasion, ABBA performs a new song whose title will make history, Dancing Queen, as a success from the album Arrival which will sell about him more than 10 million copies around the world.
At its output winners in the autumn of that year, instantly, Dancing Queen has been a worldwide success and is rapidly caving associated, wrongly, the wave disco of the time. The song holds the position of the first winners of some countries for several months and is now ABBAmania fury across the world to Australia, where the group should also meet the most success. The group multiplies TV appearances, young and old clothes are displayed with the effigy ABBA, sales of albums are increasing and radio stations do not dérougissent success of the group. Only North America is reluctant to ABBA phenomenon, Canada it was more favorable than its southern neighbor.
Other successes followed: Money Money Money, Knowing Me, Knowing You (as sublimated by John Lennon), The Name of The Game, Take A Chance on Me, Eagle (in some countries) and Summer Night City.
At that time, and in order to avoid national taxes by nearly 75%, ABBA invests and becomes a huge economic society. The group and its members are investing in the production company that has seen the birth, Polar Music AB that it becomes Polar Music International AB, injected 1 million USD in building its own recording studio, Polar Music Studios has even an old disused cinema and buys assembly plants, chain restaurants, cinemas, an art gallery, an oil company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The final coronation in 1978 arrives at the exit of the documentary film ABBA-The Movie (known in France under the title Vive Abba) shot in Australia during the tour The European & Australian Tour in 1977 and directed by Lasse Hallström, designer of the quasi - all clips of ABBA. The film screens creva the USA and the month of May 1978 was declared "month ABBA." At the end of the year, the film ranks in 5th position with over 20 million entries. However, a dark side emerges partially while Agnetha suffers from its popularity. She feared the crowds more and more and his fear of flying small commitments of the group. But the most difficult in his view remains néanmois the remoteness of her children who weighs him enormously. Agnetha and Björn divorce in mid-January 1979.
Despite these hardships, ABBA refutes rumours of separation and continued its momentum. In January 1979, the group participates in televised gala A Gift Of Song - A Unicef Concert organized jointly by UNESCO and the Australian producer Robert Stigwood on the occasion of the International Year for Children broadcast live on Building United Nations in New York. As a contribution, ABBA interprets the new song Chiquitita, then bequeathed to UNICEF all rights it generates sales until the end of time.
In the same year, no less than five songs that rush to success on the charts throughout the world. In addition Chiquitita, Voulez-Vous, Angeleyes (in some countries) and Does Your Mother Know - all excerpts from the album Voulez-Vous - Gimme Gimme Gimme (a man after midnight) added to the annual list in order to promote the compilation album The Greatest Hits Volume II and toured North American & European Tour. The success of the group reached its climax ...
In 1980, the quartet who knows a lot of success with I Have A Dream, Super Trouper and The Winner Takes It All, also records Gracias Por La Musica, a compilation album bringing together a dozen of its successes in Spanish. Throughout his career, ABBA has used the Swedish, English, Spanish, french and German for the needs of a powerful international marketing. Anni-Frid (Frida), Benny and Bjorn participate in the choirs to adapt to french by Mireille Mathieu The Winner Takes It All under Bravo, you've won (french text by Charles Level) which will be released early 1981.
In February 1981, Anni-Frid and Benny divorcing in turn and pleasure to create and sing eroded more and more within the group. Although described as a masterpiece, his last album, The Visitors Nevertheless, the flag end of race. Any song will be interpreted in solo and chemistry of votes there is present only by the harmonies, something for which ABBA is a past master. Moreover, only One Of Us manages to stand out well on the charts the difference When All Is Said And Done and Head Over Heels who enjoyed a brief stint on radio waves.
In the spring of 1982, without having made the decision, ABBA performs its last recording session. With the advent of electronic sound and interpersonal problems, the festival there is more and everything seems confused. Abba loses the key, and only 6 songs will be recorded: Just Like That, Cassandra, You Owe Me One, I Am The City and two singles The Day Before You Came in the fall of 1982 and Under Attack in Winter 1983 and who appeared at the end of the year on the double album compilation The Singles - The First Ten Years. But the success and popularity there are more, the two titles will office swan song.
Given his popularity in decline and, without officially announce its dissolution, ABBA makes his last public appearance on television on December 11, 1982. However, during an interview with a Swedish magazine published on January 23, 1983, Agnetha confided that each member wanted to change his solo career and that it was unlikely that members of ABBA resumed where they had left.
In January 1986, ABBA meets the time of 2 songs Hovas Vittne and Tivedshambo interpreted during the celebrations made a televised tribute to the 50th birthday of Stig Anderson, then manager of the group (not to be confused with Benny Andersson, a member of the group).
After ABBA
Coup de theatre in 1990 after a struggle that ends in court with three members of Abba, Agnetha, Benny and Bjorn, who failed to pay high dividends, Stig Anderson sells Polar Music and the ABBA catalog at Polygram Records who In turn, passed into the hands of Universal Music. ABBA and his music will never received the same care and support between the hands of Universal Music. Nevertheless, and despite its renewed popularity, ABBA continues to claim that the group never did reformera.
In February 1999, a consortium of business ABBA offered the sum of one billion dollars for the reformation of the group, creating a new original album and a tour of farewell performances around the world, what Members of the group refused. It was not until February 2005 to find the four members of the group in one place, at the premiere of the musical Mamma Mia! in Stockholm.
Nevertheless, remarkable for a group inactive for over twenty years, even today, nearly 2 million ABBA albums are sold each year throughout the world. On April 6, 2004, 30 years to the day after his victory at Eurovision Song Contest, Universal Music ABBA offered a special certification attesting sales of more than 360 million media music (2004) since its inception in 1970. Unfortunately for fans, nothing of this memorable event was officially photographed, it is possible to see some movies on DVD "ABBA - Super Troupers." Moreover, the chances of one day review ABBA on stage are now invalid since a statement by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson: "We'll never play music together again" (We will never play together "). 4 July 2008 for the first time in 22 years, four members of the group met at the first at Stockholm Film Mama Mia and posed together for photographers.
Career solo members of ABBA
Anni-Frid resumed service with solo albums Something's Going On directed by Phil Collins in 1982, Shine in 1984 and Djupa Andetag, Swedish remarkable album recorded in 1996. On the other hand, blow on blow, in the late 1990, the misfortune strikes hit. His daughter Lise Lotte killed in a car accident the USA in 1998 and her husband, Prince Heinrich von Plauen Ruzzo Reuss extinguished as a result of cancer in 1999.
Frida part in the musical French Abbacadabra accompanied by Daniel Balavoine, while Björn and Benny write new tunes for the English version which will be played in London in December 1983.
Benny and Björn working on musicals including Chess in 1984 and Kristina Fran Duvemala in 1994 while creating and producing albums for artists Swedish. For its part, in addition to inaugurate its own house disc / recording studio Mono Music, Benny is also changing with solo albums Klinga Mina Klockor 1987 and November 1989 in 1989.
Agnetha records for its albums Wrap Your Arms Around Me on which it retains the style and sound ABBA in 1983, Eyes Of A Woman in 1985 and I Stand Alone directed by Peter Cetera in 1987 to eventually withdraw from the artistic community ' following year. Seventeen years will pass before seeing his return to disc with a compilation of songs that marked his youth and masterfully times on the album My Coloring Book in 2004.
The phenomenon ABBA-revival
This nostalgia in respect of ABBA will quickly take the name of 'ABBA-revival "in 1989, during the first concerts Björn Again, a group cloning with Australian humour appearance, as well as the d' ABBA. Soon, many other artists made ABBA tribute to incorporating some of their securities. In 1992, when a return is in the process of seeing the day in clubs in London and Sydney, the English group Erasure s'illustra with a mini-album tribute to ABBA (entitled Abba-esque) to be classified No. 1 in several European countries, including the United Kingdom and Sweden. The same year, ABBA released a compilation "Abba Gold" which sold over 26 million copies in the world and ranks No. 1 in the top 10 in several countries. Two years later, in 1994, Australian films Muriel (in which the young heroine listening tirelessly ABBA) and Priscilla, wild desert (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) (in which music and mimicry of ABBA are used and tenderly parodiées in a show transvestite cult of Sydney) began another boost to the renewed notoriety of ABBA.
Throughout the years 1990, the wave "-ABBA revival" will continue to worsen over the times (A * Teens, among others), reissues and compilations business (see discography), culminating in 1999, During a musical event, entitled Mamma Mia!.
On April 6, 1999, 25 years to the day after his victory at Eurovision Song Contest, ABBA y refaisait indirectly surface with 23 of his songs brilliantly inserted. According to the country, Mamma Mia! is presented in English, Swedish, Spanish, Korean and German. The show is resounding life, colour, humour and relive the great success of ABBA through a sentimental comedy written by Catherine Johnson and produced by Judy Craymer and three members of ABBA, in this case Anni - Frid, Benny and Björn. So far, Mamma Mia! was presented before 30 million viewers across sixteen cities.
In 2005, Madonna makes a Sample of the song "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" for his single "Hung Up".
Early 2006 is a German group, Abba Gold, incorporating point for point scenery, costumes and repertoire of ABBA and bring on stage the legendary group to be mistaken. Concerts at the Olympia in July 2006 and toured Europe.
The opening of a museum official in the group is planned in Stockholm on June 3, 2009.
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