ABBA News

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/
story/0,2789,150273,00.html

HELEN SJÖHOLM TO RELEASE SOLO RECORD WITH SWEDISH BALLADS Story by Björn Solfors, Aftonbladet

Helen Sjöholm is releasing a solo record - and going out on tour. The material is drawn from the Swedish treasure(trove) of ballads and has as its producer Jojje Wadenius.

- I come from a tradition of ballads. There are so many good tunes that it's been a good while since one has heard, says Helen Sjöholm to PM.

Among the songs are "Hårgalåten" (The Hårga song) and "Vårvindar friska" (Spring breezes are freshening). The record is going to be released at/by a company owned by Benny Andersson, who also contributes as a musician.

The record will be released in May and into the autumn there will be a tour.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Cathy Olds, Sydney, Australia

Go to http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/
story/0,2789,150067,00.html and scroll to the bottom of the page. Under the heading "lyssna på skivan" you will see a list of songs. Just click on a song title to hear a snippet from the song. "Sinner" is the complete song.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham Sydney, Australia

Benny Andersson receives Taube's scolarship

The musician and composer Benny Andersson is awarded this years Evert Taube scolarship for his "major work as a musician, which includes creating music to exsisting lyrics for modern songs as well as for psalms, musicals, schlagers and mocie soundtrack".

The scholarship of 25,000 kronor, (SEK) was founded by Evert Taube himself and the magazin "Vi" and is handed out by the Evert Taube-society. - Evert Taube is one of my favourites, says Benny Andersson to "Vi", and names several favourite songs of his, incuding Vad vore livet (What would life be) Rosmari, förutan sång and dans (without song and dance) and Kom i min famn (Come into my arms).

Link: http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=96085

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Linda Granqvist Stockholm Sweden

http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=102519

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Claes Davidsson Orlando, Florida, USA

Nosei Hamigvat (Hat Carriers) "Who Killed Agnetha Faltskog?"

Hed Artzi Records, 1991 Reviewed by Gil Margulis

Nosei Hamigvat (Hat Carriers) burst onto the Israeli rock scene in the spring of 1991 along with other neo- psychedelic/garage groups such as the Ascot Mix. These bands represented a new wave in Israeli rock in which the studio production and musical playing developed and matured as contrasted to the Israeli bands of the 1980's such as Tislam and Benzene.

Produced by Mashina bassist Shlomi Bracha, the Hat Carriers album: "Who Killed Agnetha Faltskog?" contains 13 songs of high-energy, guitar driven tunes. The humor in the title is a bit obscure as Agnetha Faltskog was one of the lead singers in the Swedish pop group ABBA. The Hat Carriers are anti-ABBA in their addition of fuzz and distortion although at the very core, each song is a catchy 3-chord/3-4 minute pop tune.

Their radio hit "The next one in line is a horse" has a driving beat and lead singer Ehud Pishuf yearning for an interesting movie starlet while the guitars of "Fiction" rememble that of New York's Sonic Youth yet never drifts into the sonic stratosphere. Also on the album are songs about life on the road "Live in Beit Shemesh" and problems with the record company "Hat Carrier's PR woman".

Every song is listenable time after time. I have played the Hat Carriers album well over 300 times yet the energy stays fresh. For thoese who enjoy the genre that is dominated today by the likes of Pearl Jam and Live, the Hat Carriers music stands on its own.

Most Israeli bands (with the exceptions of Ethnix and the just disbanded Mashina) do not stay around very long. Unfortunately, this was the case of the Hat Carriers. "Who killed Agnetha Faltskog?" is their one and only album. Tzvika Pik was a big fan of theirs, and they opened up many of his shows during 1991-92. The Hat Carriers also performed at a variety of big concerts during the summer of 1991.

Since their release, a couple of Hat Carriers have gone on to form the Gingiot (Red Heads). They had some success in 1994 with their first release.

One of my favorite albums, "Who Killed Agnetha Faltskog?" is a little known gem by a great band whose music stands even with the passage of time.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Tatiana Boutenko Voskresensk, Russia

In answer to a recent post to ABBAMAIL's internet mailing list about Louise Plowright, I can confirm that she does "duck" the top note at the end of The Winner Takes It All every time...apart from once.

I've seen her in the part about 12 times and have always felt a sense of disappointment that she didn't end the song in the same dramatic manner as Siobhan McCarthy.

I'd often wondered if she'd been given the part on the basis of her personality which is quite bubbly and that the producers weren't bothered about her not being able to reach that one note.

However, at a performance in late May last year, I'd queued for returns and got one of the 'house' seats in Row L of the stalls about 30 seconds before curtain up. As I rushed to my seat I walked into Björn who was standing by the mixing desk - and just after the lights went down and the intro had started he slipped quietly into his seat in Row L - next door but one to me!

During the 2nd half I started wondering whether she would finish The Winner Takes It All properly, and sure enough she went for it. It was in tune and OK, even if she didn't hold the note long enough.

I wonder if Bjorn realises she doesn't do this at a 'normal' performance? As the performance progressed it was obvious he was enjoying the whole thing - I think it was Judy Cramer who was with him - and he was on his feet at the end like everyone else, making a very quick exit at the end of 'Waterloo'.

Finally, I did manage to chat to him briefly at the end of the interval (nobody else had noticed him) about an English translation and production of 'Kristina' - he said it was going slowly but OK.

I then asked if he'd considered staging it at the National Theatre in London as a short 'try out'. He immediately looked more interested and a little surprised, and said that he'd been having talks with Trevor Nunn (the director of the National at the time) that afternoon about such a possibility.

This year is 30 years since ABBA came to being. In order to celebrate this, a big gala is planned at Globen, with [the participation of] world artists who will fly to Sweden.

Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad started performing together in 1972, under the name of Björn, Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid. As everybody knows, later the group changed the name to ABBA. Thirty years have passed since the start and now a three-day grand gala is planned at Globen to honor to the group.

World artists will be flown in to Sweden for anniversary celebrations planned for August, reported Eventertain, a trade magazine dealing with entertainment and parties, on its website. According to the reports, the company Real Entertainment Group will act as the organiser.

The celebrations of ABBA's birth will continue for three days in the last week of August. Around 30,000 tickets will be issued to the three evenings and rights for TV-broadcasts will be sold all over the world.

"We can neither confirm nor deny [the information]" said Johan Englund form the company VD.

According to Eventertain, the organisers have received approval for the gala from all ABBA members. No names of artists have been revealed as yet, but naturally, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra have been asked to be there to accompany the stars on the stage.

ABBA has many admirers around the world, not least among artists. Among the musicians that have paid tribute to ABBA before are Erasure, The Corrs and U2. When Björn and Benny unexpectedly showed up on the stage during a U2 concert at Globen, the singer Bono was so happy that he fell to his knees.

(TT Spektra-Metro, Friday March 22, 2002)

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Jeffrey de Hart / Translation thanks to ABBAMAILer Gabriel Zubowski

It says that there will be three tribute concerts at Globen to celebrate 30 years since ABBA were formed.

Both Swedish and international artists will perform but the line up has not been announced. Both articles speculate who might appear. Very unimaginative since they have picked on artists that have already covered ABBA songs or admitted to liking ABBA. Aftonbladet stuffed up with the Pet Shop Boys. They must have been thinking about Erasure.

The Real Entertainment Group is organising it which is unusual in itself since official things are usually kept in the family with Thomas Johansson at EMA Telstar.

Görel is quoted in the Aftonbladet story to say that ABBA won't be involved and won't be there. Surprise!

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham Sydney, Australia

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dean Scapolo, New Zealand

http://premier.ticketek.com.au/ticketek/r.asp?PassID
=5309347&NT=MAMMAMIA01&SC=MAMMAMIA01

It also mentions near the bottom in its 'On Sale Soon' section that Sydney tickets will soon be available, though no date is given.

The ticket packages at Traveltix.com.au are already advertising the Brisbane shows:

http://www.traveltix.com.au/

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Cathy Olds Newcastle, Australia

http://w1.370.telia.com/~u37000242
 

She's Like A Butterfly
Sinner
Help Somebody
Freeway
My Fatal Love
Crying On The Dancefloor
This Is The Year
Heal
Northern Guy
Time To Get Tacky
Undress Me
I'm Gonna Do It
I Feel Good (And I'm Worth It)

 It's going to be a great album. Lets just hope it's a sales success and is released internationally.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham, Sydney, Australia

Three hometowns are dear to the heart of Hansi Schwarz: Munich, where he was born and where he visits every year, Västervik that have made him citizen of honor to together with Ali Babs, Stefan Edberg and Björn Ulvaeus. And Lund, where he lives today.

The former singing artist, Lund review artist and tour leader for ABBA is today the arranger for chanson festivals. Hansi Schwartz' life in the world of music started by creating the group Hootennanny singers in 1961, first with the name West Bay Singers, together with his friends Johan Carlberg and Tony Roth. The last one had one condition to join, and it was that his buddy Björn Ulvaeus could join too. - Well all right then, said Hansi after some doubt.

The group was discovered by Stikkan Andersson and became hugely successful and long lived with number one hits like "Gabrielle", "Björkensa visa" and "Omkring tiggaren från Loussa". It was not uncommon that Hootennanny Singers had 160 concerts in one summer, sometimes about four gigs a day. The young boys dragged in 250 000 SEK each and yearly, which was a lot of money back then. And Hansi Schwarz has invested his money well. A gift for finances is one of the reasons that he has been able to arrange the Västervik chanson festival on an almost idealistic base since the start in 1967.

And Hansi Schwarz is one of Sweden's' major arrangers for chanson festivals of that kind. Thorough the years he has dragged out plenty of new talents together with old veterans at the festivals. A chanson artist doesn't like to miss the Västervik festival. But the history of Hansi Schwartz does not make him a natural actor in the Swedish chanson tradition.

He was born as a tailor's son in Munich during the time of the nazis and came to Sweden as a three-year-old in one of the white busses of Folke Bernadotte together with his Swedish mother Ingrid. The family returned to Germany when things were looking more normal there, but as a teenager Hansi returned alone to Västervik to study in a Swedish school. As a born entrepreneur he started his career as by arranging concerts for his own band at the high school of Västervik.

One time Hansi Schwartz agreed with the student's council about a payment that depended on the number of paying visitors. When five minutes was left the only a few persons were missing to fill the magic number for the band to get paid. - Then I bought these tickets left and so we could receive our payment. And of course he subtracted the payment with the cost of these tickets before splitting it with Ulvaues, Roth and the rest of the band.

He has been the first tour leader of ABBA. And he turned down a top job at a famous record company to continue his work on his own. And all Swedish chanson lovers are happy for that.

Right now there is a work going on in Västervik to give the chanson a real geographic home which a "House of the chanson" and a trade education for singers that is due to start this fall. Hansi Schwarz is there in the back ground as both critic and inspirator in this work to preserving the chanson as a cultural heritage and broaden the road for it into the future. The project is run by the town of Västervik together with the regional council of Kalmar and the European Union.

This summer Schwartz arranges the 37th festival in a row in Västervik, a record hard to break and a labour in itself. Right now he is busy with the planes of artists like Stefan Sundström, Freddy Wadling,. Åsa Jinder, Jenny Öhlund and Alice Bah.

Facts
Hansi Schwartz: Profession: Musician, arranger of song festivals. Age: 60 (16:th of mars)
Born: in Munich, grew up in Munich and Västervik
Lives: In Lund and Västervik Family:
Married to May, the kids Calle 34 and Anna 18
Plays: Four stringed guitar
Eats: typical Swedish food, likes to cook himself
Drinks: German beer and French wine.
Privately Hansi Schwarz plays with his secret hobby band Captain Whesk and sings the songs of his big role models in Kingston Trio.

By Ivan Sjögren /
Thanks to ABBAMAILer Linda Granqvist,  Stockholm, Sweden

http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=101701

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Cathy Olds Newcastle, Australia

A*TEENS RECORDED 50 MILLION TO BJÖRN AND BENNY
Story by Dan Edström, Expressen

A*Teens successes have given Björn and Benny income/earnings of up to 50 million kronor. That the man behind the band, record company director Ola Håkansson, reveals in an interview in Dagens Industri.

When A*Teens were created Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus forced the team behind the teenagers to change the name of the quartet to A*Teens. Today A*Teens are one of Sweden's most successful bands and the ABBA members have received their share of the cake.

- Apart from strongly increased sales of ABBA's own records and a radio exposure with everything that means in remuneration, A*Teens "The ABBA Generation" sold nearly 3,5 million copies to a generation ABBA otherwise would never reach. The songs also appeared on many compilation records. Depending on how one calculates they received 30-50 million kronor merely in royalties, says Ola Håkansson to Dagens Industri. Today the ABBA songs however are a past chapter for A*Teens. Later this year will come the band's third album.

Must become million seller Ola Håkansson is CEO for Stockholm Records, that will issue the expensive record. It needs to sell a million copies for the business to break even. The same thing is true for Cardigans' upcoming record.

- Had they been at a foreign company break-even would have been around two million. Compare with big artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna, they must sell three to four million. Therefore it is a catastrophe/disaster if they only sell a couple million, says Håkansson in the interview.

If the records with A*Teens and Cardigans sell three million copies together, Håkansson calculates that it will give a turnover of 200 million kronor. Ten million records sold would give a thousand million.

Canada: 20th Century Masters, down 13 to #81.
Austria: The Definitive Collection, down 7 to #68.
USA: ABBA GOLD, down 4 to #15.
Germany: The Definitive Collection: down 2 to #44.

The Definitive Collection has a new worldwide highest chart position.
New Zealand: The Definitive Collection: up 5 places to #9, its second top ten showing (peaking at #10 in Italy) and now its highest position.
Italy:
Debuted: 12 November 2001 Peak: #10  Week: 17
Accrediting not shown on chart. (Gold/Platinum).

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dean Scapolo, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

MAMMA MIA! - LONDON PRODUCTION CELEBRATIONS

The London production of MAMMA MIA! will soon celebrate its third birthday. It opened at the Prince Edward theatre on 6 April 1999, following previews from 23 March. Since opening, it has sold 2 million tickets.

The lucky two millionth customer was welcomed on stage at the end of the show on Wednesday 13 March and offered two tickets to fly to New York and enjoy the show again on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre.

On 18 March, there will be major changes to the London cast. Susannah Fellows joins the cast to play 'Tanya' and Myra McFadyen 'Rosie'. Laura Michelle Kelly and Paul Basleigh take over the ingénue roles of 'Sophie' and 'Sky'.

Susannah Fellows comes directly from starring as 'Mama Morton' in Chicago in London and has numerous West End stage credits including Me and My Girl, Lend Me A Tenor, City of Angels and Aspects of Love. Myra McFadyen's extensive theatre career includes roles at the Royal National Theatre in Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme and Macbeth. Laura Michelle Kelly starred in Whistle Down The Wind and has also played 'Eponine' in Les Misérables in London. Paul Basleigh's many West End musical credits include Saturday Night Fever and Grease.

Louise Plowright will continue to play 'Donna', with Peter Forbes as 'Harry', Simon Slater as 'Sam' and Rohan Tickell as 'Bill'.

Thousands of new tickets have just gone on sale for performances until 15 March 2003 and are available from the Prince Edward Theatre Box Office on +44 (0) 20 7447 5400 or by visiting http://www.mamma-mia.com

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter London, UK

Britney does a Frida!