BIOGRAPHY: Abba Lifetime Born: 16 12 1946 Birth place: Stockholm, Sweden Both Benny Andersson's father and grandfather were musicians and he was introduced to the accordion at a very young age. Benny had no patience for regular music lessons, preferring to pick up the instrument and play it. With obvious musical talent, he was able to easily do this with almost any instrument. By the age of 18, Benny’s favourite was the piano. He was with girlfriend Christina Gronvall at this time. She had fallen pregnant with the first of their two children when Benny was only 15-years-old. After graduating from high school, Benny was invited to join The Hep Stars, a popular Swedish beat group with a huge teenage girl fanbase. It was during this time that he met fellow young songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus. Benny remained with The Hep Stars for a number of successful years, until they disbanded in the late 1960s. He then joined forces with Bjorn and they released an LP together. Shortly after that, Bjorn and Benny’s girlfriends, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, joined the duo.

They formed the touring folk act Festfolket, which was not much of a success. The foursome then transformed into the legendary ABBA, finding international stardom and remarkable success. Bjorn Ulvaeus Born: 25 04 1945 Birth place: Gothenburg, Sweden Bjorn's first foray into music was with the folk music act The Hootenanny Singers, who had strong jazz and blues influences. They made their television debut in a Swedish talent contest in 1963. Bjorn joined up with Benny Andersson to write songs. One of these, 'Isn’t it Easy to Say', was a hit for The Hep Stars, and Bjorn sometimes guested with the band when they were on tour. At one point, it was suggested that The Hep Stars and The Hootenanny Singers merge to form one band, although this never happened. Stig Anderson, manager of The Hootenay Singers and founder of Polar Music, saw Benny and Bjorn’s collective potential and encouraged them to write more songs in order to release an album. They followed his advice and Polar Music released their album 'Lycka' ('Happiness') in 1970.

Benny and Bjorn went on to release a further six singles. They also wrote a significant amount of music for the Polar label before joining with their girlfriends, Anni-Frid and Agnetha, to form ABBA, under the management of Stig Anderson. Anni-Frid Lyngstad Born: 15 11 1945 Birth place: Narvik, Norway Anni-Frid’s mother, young Norwegian Synni Lyngstad, had an affair with German officer, Alfred Haase, during World War II. It was at the end of the war, when he returned to his country, that Synni discovered she was pregnant with his child. She gave birth to Anni-Frid (Frida, as she was later known) in the small Norwegian town of Narvik. To avoid being punished as a collaborator, Synni took her baby daughter to Torshalla, Sweden. When Frida was only two-years-old, her mother died and her grandmother, who always encouraged her to sing, raised her. In 1957, at age 13, Frida made her stage debut at a Red Cross charity event.

She met her boyfriend, Ragnar Fredriksson, when she was 15 and they had a son, Hans, when Frida was only 17. Shortly after Hans’s birth, Frida and Ragnar married and they had their second child, Lise-Lotte, a few years later. Frida, a part-time cabaret singer, was fully committed to her burgeoning music career and was not prepared to give it up to be a full-time mother. This caused tensions in the marriage and eventually they divorced. Frida left her children in the care of their father, Ragnar, and her grandmother (“Mamma”), and went to live in Stockholm. It was here that Frida met Benny Andersson, at the folkpark tour, and they were soon a couple. Benny invited her to sing backing vocals with Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn’s girlfriend, on the 'Lycka' album. Both women were uncredited for this work. Soon after this, the foursome became ABBA. Benny produced Frida’s only solo LP during the ABBA years, 'Frida Ensam' (1975), which included an earlier, Swedish hit single version of 'Fernando'.

Agnetha Faltskog Born: 05 04 1950 Birth place: Jonkoping, Sweden Agnetha, the youngest member of the group, was a pop-phenomenon in her own right. She wrote and performed Swedish hits during her teens and played the role of Mary Magdalene in the Swedish production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. She was noted as an accomplished composer, although she saw it as a lot of hard work. Agnetha recorded covers of hit songs and toured the Swedish ‘folkparks’ live circuit. It was during one of The Hootenay Singers performances at a folkpark event, that Agnetha met Bjorn Ulvaeus. They soon fell in love and were married in 1971. It was the Swedish celebrity wedding of the year and was surrounded by much publicity. In the early 1970s, Bjorn and Agnetha, although married, continued to pursue their separate musical careers. The foursome was gaining stronger bonds and was about to explode onto the international pop circuit as supergroup ABBA.

ABBA 1972–1983 The Swedish pop music group formed in Stockholm in 1972. The band name was comprised of the first letters of the member’s names: Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid (better known as Frida). Stig Anderson, manager of The Hootenay Singers and founder of Polar Music, had encouraged Bjorn and Benny to write a song for the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest. Their contribution was 'Say It with a Song', which was performed by Lena Anderson. It won third prize in the selection rounds and was a hit in several countries. Stig was onto something here. A single they wrote, called 'People Need Love', featured backing vocals by Agnetha and Frida and brought them some success in Japan. Stig released it as single 'Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid'. It reached number 17 in the Swedish charts. The seeds of ABBA had been sown. A year later, the group entered the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Ring Ring', once again coming third.

In the studio, producer Michael B Tretow had been experimenting with a new production technique, called ‘wall of sound’, which was to become the whole new ABBA sound. The proto-group, still clumsily called 'Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid', released the album 'Ring Ring' in 1973. The album did well and the title single was a hit in many parts of Europe. Stig was hungry to break into the UK and US markets. He was becoming tired of the lengthy band name, so - using an acronym of the first letters of their names - started referring to the band as ABBA. It was actually a bit of a joke as, at the time, there was a fish-canning company in Sweden with the same name. Although Stig decided that, as the fish-canners were unknown outside of Sweden, they would keep the short and far catchier name of ABBA. The band had to later negotiate with the fish-canners for the right to use the name. On 6 April 1974, the group finally won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton with 'Waterloo'.

The glam-rock inspired song, once again produced by Michael B Tretow, put them firmly on the musical map. Britain was now fully aware of the distinctive ABBA group and 'Waterloo' became ABBA’s first UK number one. It reached number six in the US. It was with the release of their second album 'ABBA' (1975) and single 'SOS', a top ten hit, that they had truly made their presence felt in the UK. They were no longer considered ‘one-hit wonders’. So pleased were they with their success, that ABBA released a 'Greatest Hits' (1975) album, even although they had only had five Top 40 hits in the UK and US by that time. In January 1976, 'Mamma Mia' made number one in the UK. From 1976 onwards, the first ‘B’ in their logo version of the band name was reversed on all their promotional material.

The 1976 album 'Arrival' not only showed a new height of achievement in terms of song writing and studio work, but produced three huge hits, 'Money, Money, Money', 'Knowing Me, Knowing You', and 'Dancing Queen' (the latter arguably being their most enduring song). Other European pop groups, keen to share in the limelight, quickly copied ABBA’s sound, as well as their two-boy/two-girl format. These groups included Brotherhood of Man and Bucks Fizz who both won the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1976 and 1981 respectively, perhaps validating this formula. 'The Album' (1977) was released to coincide with 'ABBA: The Movie' (1977), a feature film made of their Australian tour. Hits from this album were 'Take a Chance on Me', 'The Name of the Game', and 'Thank You for the Music'. By 1978, ABBA could only be referred to as a megagroup. Their trendy label, Polar Music Studio, converted an old cinema in Stockholm into their new state-of-the-art premises.

Other well-known bands, such as Led Zeppelin, for their recording of 'In Through the Out Door', used the studio. ABBA was moving into the arena of disco, which had exploded in 1977 with the Bee Gees 'Saturday Night Fever'. ABBA released the single 'Summer Night City' (1978) and, after that, the album 'Voulez-Vous' (1979), both with a distinctly disco sound. The reaction to this album from the UK and Europe was not as strongly favourable as that of the US. However, singles from the album, 'Does Your Mother Know', 'Chiquitita', 'Voulez-Vous' and 'I Have a Dream', all found their way onto the charts. In January 1979, the group performed 'Chiquita' at the Music for UNICEF Concert, donating all royalties for the song to the children’s charity, in perpetuity. Their best-known disco hit 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)' was featured as a brand new track on the 'Greatest Hits Vol. 2' (1979) album.

Also that year, ABBA toured the US and Canada, playing to massive audiences. Moving into the 1980s, ABBA’s style shifted to more personal lyrics and more pronounced synthesisers. Releasing the single 'The Winner Takes it All' in January 1980 sufficiently piqued public interest in the upcoming album for 'Super Trouper' (1980) to set the record for the most pre-orders ever received for a UK album. The single was allegedly about Agnetha and Bjorn’s marriage, which was going through a rough patch at that time. Another hit single from this album was 'Lay Your Love on Me'. ABBA released their final studio album 'The Visitors' (1981). Whilst this album showed a newfound depth and maturity, it was the start of their commercial decline. The group’s last hit single 'One of Us' was a global hit in December 1981. The group was starting to show signs of personal distress with both marriages having ended in divorce. They came together in the summer of 1982 to record a new album, but settled instead for a double compilation album of past hits, with two new songs thrown in.

'The Singles: The First Ten Years' (1982) contained the new tracks 'Under Attack' and 'The Day Before You Came', which was the last song ABBA ever recorded together. They had recorded two other songs earlier in 1982, 'I Am the City' and 'Just Like That'. Of the two, only the former was ever released, on the compilation album 'More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits' (1993). Benny and Bjorn still refuse to release the latter single, much to the frustration of fans. ABBA disbanded at the end of 1983, collectively deciding to take a break and pursue their individual projects. Post ABBA Years Agnetha and Frida Agnetha and Frida both went on to work on solo albums. Frida released 'Something’s Going On' (1982), produced by Phil Collins, with hit single 'I Know There’s Something Going On'. Agnetha followed with her album 'Wrap Your Arms Around Me' (1983), which included hit single 'The Heat is On', and sold 1.2 million copies worldwide.

Frida’s second solo album 'Shine' (1984), produced by Steve Lillywhite, received a lacklustre reception and she decided to retire. In contrast, Agnetha’s second post-ABBA solo album 'Eyes of a Woman' (1985) did rather well in Europe and reached number two in the Swedish charts. She released 'I Stand Alone' (1987) and then withdrew from public life, refusing to give any more interviews. Almost a decade later, Agnetha released her autobiography 'As I Am', as well as a compilation of her solo hits. 'My Colouring Book' (2004) was an album of cover songs, going triple-platinum in Sweden, gold in Finland and silver in Great Britain. Frida came out of her twelve-year retirement to release her last album to date, the Swedish 'Djupa Andetag' (1996), which reached number one in Sweden but was unknown elsewhere. She recorded the song 'The Sun Will Shine Again' (2004) with Jon Lord, former Deep Purple band member, for his latest album, and made some rare television appearances in Germany.

Bjorn and Benny Bjorn and Benny wrote the music for West End show 'Chess' (1984), in collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice. The show ran successfully in London for three years but closed after only three weeks on Broadway. This was due to the fact that the storyline, the lyrics and the song order had all been changed for the US show. To follow, Bjorn and Benny wrote 'Kristina fran Duvemala' (1995), directed for stage by Lars Rudolfsson and based on a Swedish novel by Vilhelm Moberg. 'Mamma Mia!', the musical concentrated around ABBA’s songs, which Benny and Bjorn co-wrote and co-produced, premiered in London’s West End in 1999 and is still running. The production has spread to many other countries and enjoyed more than 1,500 performances on Broadway. Bjorn and Benny received recognition for their song writing in the form of an Ivor Novello Award in 2001. 2003 saw the release of a Swedish-language version of their first musical 'Chess Pa Svenska'. All Together The group’s popularity didn’t seem to wane after they broke up.

ABBA continued to release compilation albums of their greatest hits, from 'Thank You For The Music' (1983) to their most recent, 'The Complete Studio Recordings' (2005). On 6 April 2004, Bjorn, Benny and Frida travelled to London for the 30th Anniversary of their Eurovision Song Contest win in 1974. They appeared on stage after the 5th anniversary performance of 'Mamma Mia!'. In February 2005, for the first time since their disbandment in 1983, all four former ABBA members appeared in public together, at the gala of 'Mamma Mia!' in Stockholm. In October 2005, during the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest held in Copenhagen, 'Waterloo' was voted best Eurovision song in the history of the contest. ABBA’s use of videos to accompany their bigger hits, with bright costumes and early video image effects, is often viewed as being some of the first examples of the genre.

Promotional videos were still not an industry standard in the early to mid-1970s, despite the fact that The Beatles and the Rolling Stones had shot occasional video clips prior to that. Directing ABBA’s videos was the talented Lasse Hallstrom, who went on to direct films including 'My Life as a Dog', 'The Cider House Rules', and 'Chocolat'. The videos were a clever marketing tool, enabling quick and wide exposure of upcoming music releases or tour details, without the need for constant personal appearances. Some of these early ABBA music videos have come to be viewed as classics. Abba | Biography, News, Photos and Videos | Contactmusic.com Biography ABBA (formed 1972) ABBA was a Swedish pop band made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Formation: ABBA first began when Benny Andersson of The Hep Stars and Björn Ulvaeus of The Hootenanny Singers collaborated on an album in 1970.

Ulvaeus then married singer Agnetha Faltskog who also collaborated with the pair, and the line-up was completed when Anni-Frid 'Frida' Lyngstad met Andersson at Melodifestivalen and they began dating. The name ABBA is an acronym of the band members' first names (Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid). Before they were officially formed, they played their first live performance on holiday in Cyprus in front of some United Nations soldiers. There first hit was 'Hej, gamle man' though it was credited only to Björn & Benny. Musical career: ABBA released their debut album 'Ring Ring' in 1973 and it reached number 2 in the Swedish charts - the only album not to reach number one. They attempted to enter Melodifestivalen with the title single, but failed to qualify. The following year, they won the Eurovision Song Contest with their single 'Waterloo' which became a UK number one chart hit. Their follow-up single 'Honey Honey' was not as successful, and neither was their subsequent European tour during which some dates had to be cancelled due to lack of demand.

They were, however, warmly welcomed in Scandinavia. In 1975, their self-titled album and single 'SOS' brought them more UK recognition with the album reaching number 13 and the single reaching number 6. Their later single, 'Mamma Mia', reached number one. They gained popularity in Australia when the videos for 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' and 'Mamma Mia' were played on the music show 'Countdown'. In 1976, they reached number 1 in the UK charts with their first compilation album 'Greatest Hits'. On it was a new single, 'Fernando', which topped the charts in 13 countries, sold 10 million copies and tied with The Beatles' 'Hey Jude' for longest-running number one in Australia. That year they released their fourth album 'Arrival' - another number one which garnered much attention from rock based publications. It produced the hits 'Money, Money, Money', 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' and 'Dancing Queen which became their biggest selling single topping the charts across the world.

In 1977, they were nominated for a BRIT Award for 'Best International Album of the Year'. In 1977, they embarked on a major Europe and Australia tour which attracted much media attention and for which the box office received 3.5 million ticket requests for their Royal Albert Hall gig which would've been enough people to fill the venue 580 times. They played a gig at Sydney Showground in spite of a downpour of rain which caused Lyngstad to slip on stage. Later that year, the film 'ABBA: The Movie' was released directed by Lasse Hallstrom. They also released their fifth album 'ABBA: The Album'; another UK number one which included the hits 'The Name of the Game' and 'Take a Chance on Me'. In 1978, they converted a movie theatre into Polar Music Studio and performed with Andy Gibb on Olivia Newton-John's TV show in America. The following year, they performed 'Chiquitita' at the Music for UNICEF Concert and subsequently donated the single's copyright to the charity. That year, Ulvaeus and Fältskog announced their divorce but they insisted that it wouldn't affect the group.

The released the album 'Voulez-Vous' which included the songs 'Does Your Mother Know' and 'Angeleyes'. They also released 'Greatest Hits Vol. 2' debuting new single 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) ahead of their North American and Europe tour. In 1980, they released the single 'The Winner Takes It All' which was speculated to be about Ulvaeus and Fältskog's divorce, though Ulvaeus has strongly denied this. Their final UK chart-topping single was the title track from their seventh album 'Super Trouper'. In 1981, Ulvaeus married Lena Källersjö while Andersson and Lyngstad announced their divorced, after which Andersson married Mona Nörklit. The band also released their final album 'The Visitors' which was not as commercial successful as their previous works. They never officially split up, but they made their last performance together on 'The Late, Late Breakfast Show' in 1982.

ABBA have been revived in several movies including 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' and 'Muriel's Wedding' in 1994 and the 2008 box office musical hit 'Mamma Mia!' In 2010, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Biography by Contactmusic.com Abba Anni-frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaaus, Agnetha Faltskog Worldwide- 1970's Featuring: file abba reuniting 261016 When: 01 Jan 1970 BJORN ULVAEUS of Abba 'Mamma Mia' UK premiere - arrivals held at Odeon Leicester Square London, England - 30.06.08 Featuring: file abba reuniting 261016 Where: London, United Kingdom When: 30 Jun 2008 Search latest Anni-Frid Lyngstad news - TheCelebrityauction.co ABBA Performs for First Time in 30 Years â Lucky guests to a private party in Stockholm on Sunday witnessed what a guitarist calls “a piece of music history.” Swedish band ABBA performed together for the first time in decades, marking 50 years to the day that band members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson first met, reports Sweden’s Expressen.

At one point, female members Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad took to the stage to perform “The Way Old Friends Do,” but were soon joined by Ulvaeus and Andersson, who sang along. Pictures … read more Mamma Mia! ABBA Performs Together in Public for the First Time in 30 Years Dust off your sequined flares: ABBA is back! All four members of the Swedish supergroup performed in public for the first time in 30 years in Stockholm on Sunday. Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad made the surprise appearance at a party to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ulvaeus and Andersson’s friendship at the Berns Salonger Hotel in downtown Stockholm, according to The Expressen . It is the first time that all four members of the band have sung together … read more ABBA’s four members reunite on stage: will they ever sing together?

Legendary Swedish supergroup ABBA, made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad made a rare appearance together in Stockholm, but no one left the reunion saying “Thank You For the Music”, because the quartet didn’t sing a note. The band members appeared together for the first time since 2008 for the opening of Mamma Mia! The Party, a Greek tavern-themed venue where diners interact with characters based on the ABBA musical Mamma Mia, which became a 2007 … read more ABBA Reunite For The First Time In YEARS At Restaurant Inspired By Mamma Mia! See What They Look Like Now! Mamma mia, here they go again! The original members of ABBA reunited on Wednesday to celebrate the launch of a Swedish restaurant inspired by the famous supergroup! Founding members Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, made a rare joint appearance for the grand opening of Ulvaeus’ new dining experience Mamma Mia! The Party!

The restaurant takes Stockholm diners to the Greek-island setting from the hit musical Mamma Mia! where musicians and actors interact with … read more ABBA Reunited Wednesday Night—Sort of The four former members of iconic Swedish pop group ABBA have made a rare joint appearance for the opening of a Stockholm restaurant inspired by the Mamma Mia! musical. Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad showed up Wednesday for the opening night of fellow former band member Bjoern Ulvaeus’ Greek taverna, where guests are invited to sing along to ABBA tunes. However, they did not sing or pose for photos together and rejected suggestions they would ever perform together again, … read more ABBA Reunites for Rare Joint Appearance at ‘Mamma Mia’–Inspired Restaurant: Photos! Night is young and the music’s high! The popular Swedish pop group ABBA reunited for a special Mamma Mia–themed event in Stockholm on Wednesday, January 20.

The former members — Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad — joined their former bandmate Bjorn Ulvaeus for the opening of his new Greek taverna restaurant. The venue was inspired by the Broadway show Mamma Mia, which features several of the band’s hit songs, including “Dancing Queen” and “Super Trouper.” “Mamma Mia” … read more ABBA: Where Are They Now?... - Jetsetting Magazine April 30, 2012 - Business , Entertainment , Health and Beauty , Latest News , NEWS , Political , Travel - Tagged: Where Are They Now?...ABBA Where are the members of ABBA now?

This Swedish pop supergroup made up of two married couples was one of the most popular bands in the world in the mid to late-1970s with such hits as “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Fernando.” In addition to their musical success, they were also known for their forays into feature films, including “ABBA: The Movie” and “Mamma Mia.” Today, the four original members of Abba, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, enjoy varying levels of success. Left to right: Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog, and Bjorn Ulvaeus. ABBA 1974. Björn Ulvaeus got divorced from fellow ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog in June 1980. The next year, he married current wife Lena Källersjö with whom he has two children. Throughout the decade, he has been deeply involved with the staging and music for the musical “Mamma Mia,” based on ABBA’s music.

Benny Andersson divorced fellow ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad in 1981. Days later, he married current wife Mona Nörklit with whom he has one child. Andersson turned to Swedish folk music after ABBA split, forming a new band that released several albums. He was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University Of Stockholm for his promotion of Swedish folk music and culture . His latest project, The Benny Andersson band, played its first show this summer. Anni-Frid Lyngstad has remained involved in music since ABBA split. She released several solo albums in the 1980s and 1990s, but today spends most of her time on charity work for environmental causes. However, she continues to provide guest vocals on albums for other artists, including former Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord. She married twice more after her divorce from Andersson; her third husband died in 1999. Agnetha Fältskog released three English-language solo albums in the 1980s after ABBA split and also did some film work.

She attempted a comeback in 2004 with a new album, “My Colouring Book,” but has since remained out of the spotlight. She married again after splitting from fellow band member Ulvaeus, but got divorced from her second husband in 1996. Andrea Miller Break Studios Contributing Writer. EDITOR: BLOG.JETSETTINGMAGAZINE.COM READ-IT FAST Mikory's ABBA-blog: Good to see Agnetha out partying again! Good for her. Expressen reports the following: ABBA-Agnetha's happy champagneparty last night. Agnetha Fältskog was partying early this morning at princess Madeleine's favourite hangout The Plaza Club. - I have never seen Agnetha so happy and content, an eyewitness reports. Agnetha Fältskog very seldom appears in the Stockholm night life. But this morning the ABBA-star made an exception. Just before 1.00 am Agnetha Fältskog and her group of friends arrived at The Plaza Club located on Birger Jarlsgatan in Stockholm. It's not the first time Agnetha has been there.

This is the same place were she has been seen before with the king's friend Bertil Nordström. THE WHOLE VIP-SECTION This morning she had reserved the whole VIP-section of the popular club, the same place were princess Madeleine frequently goes to party. There was champagne, vodka and Agnetha Fältskog laughed when other curious guests approached her. - She really had a good time, a person present reports. She was really outgoing. That's not something you are used to seeing. EVERYONE WERE PROUD Robert Hållstrand, the owner of The Plaza Club and a close friend of the royal children, took care of Agnetha personally this evening. - He and the others at the club are very proud that she chooses to come back to their night club, a source says. This article is from Vecko-Revyn, issue 45, 8 November 1978. One TV-show every day! No super group is that big that it hasn't to be extra promoted sometimes. ABBA are no exception. The first attack was against America this spring, the second against the Soviet Union - and last week it was France's turn.

Even though Europe is more or less a safe market now for ABBA, France was honoured by a personal visit. Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Björn and Benny flew to Paris on the Wednesday the other week to record TV-performances during two days. The working schedule was comprised and it was just pure luck that the whole project didn't go to waste. As soon as ABBA had finished miming a strike broke out at French TV. The French strikes takes no consideration. ABBA are already big in France - really big. The French record market is by tradition tough and patriotic. Admittedly John Travolta and George Rafferty are topping the French hit list, but the bigger reason for ABBA to get the French TV-audience to notice them. We are talking about really strong promotion. Every night for a week (!) ABBA will enter the French homes via TV on primetime. They get five minutes on the "Guy Lux Show" at 7.30pm just before the news, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

One song each night, among them "Waterloo", "Fernando" (click here to watch the clip!), "Take A Chance On Me" and of course their latest hit, "Summer Night City". The whole works. But that's not enough. The five minute shows are culminating with a supershow called "Top Club" on the Sunday. It is one of the most popular TV-shows in France and ABBA get to perform no less than four songs! Six shows in two days. That explains the different costumes in the pictures. Shiny and glittery... don't they look a little Parisienne? What else then? Well, before ABBA left Paris they were invited to dinner by the French singer Mireille Mathieu (France's equivalent to Lasse Lönndahl) and her manager, at the restaurant "Grand Vefour". - The best meal we have ever had, according to Björn. And after dinner Björn and Benny decided to act as strikebreakers in the Paris night. The garbage collector of Paris happened to be on strike and lately the streets are filled with garbage. Something that happens almost every fall. But Paris is a fantastic city, ABBA says. The love the atmosphere.

After they came back to Sweden again they have locked themselves into the recording studio into to the early hours of morning. More than half of the new album is recorded, but there will not be a new album released before Christmas. TV-shows and travelling prevents that. In the middle of November it's time for Los Angeles again with an appearnce on the "Dick Clark Show". The USA-promotion tour this spring paid off. For the first time ABBA has received a diamond record for both "The Album" and "Greatest Hits". Straight from Los Angeles they will go to Tokyo for an intense week of promotion with radio, newspapers and a one hour TV-special. In Japan, the second largest music market, ABBA have no less than three albums on the Top 50-chart. Finally we can report that "Summer Night City" probably won't be released as a single in the US. Stikkan Anderson is there right now negotiating which song it will be. In the European market it hasn't been as successfull as earlier singles.

In England, for example, it only reached number 6 and in Sweden it only sold 50.000 copies, which is far less than "The Name Of The Game" (150.000 copies). It's because of the disco- and Travolta fever right now, Polar Music believes. This article comes from Svensk Damtidning, issue 40, 1984. On the TV-show Glädjehuset we got to see a new Frida - happier, cooler, more striking. The divorce from Benny gave me push - now I finally dare to live my life to the fullest. The years in London has been very good to Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 39. She radiates an inner security and is happier than she has been for years. The divorce from Benny Andersson has healed and she has established a distance to that difficult time, which meant she for the first time in her life was totally on her own. - When I moved to London I wanted to liberate myself from the routinley life I had been living, Frida said to Expressen's reporter Måns Invarsson.

And as "a bonus" I got a push from the divorce from Benny. Natuarlly I was depressed, how do you think one feels going through a divorce from a man you love. I knew that if I stayed in Sweden I would slowly suffocate to death, because I felt that there was nothing more holding me back here. LOVE IS IMPORTANT Something Frida has been very protective of since the divorce is her private life. The same year that the break-up between her and Benny was a fact she told an English paper that she had met a new lifepartner. Here in Sweden the speculations started immediately and the businessman Bertil "Bobbo" Hjert was pointed out as Frida's new man. Frida herself were and still are very secretive about who is the love of her life. But she doesn't mind talking about love, how important love is to her, but that it has hurt her many times. - Love is the most important thing in my life, I'm happy with the love I have, Frida said in an interview with a Danish reporter Kirsten Jacobsen who writes for Ekstra-Bladet. My music is all about feelings. In a way they can also be a work for mourning.

For example, it took me a long time to get over a relationship I had. - Lucky love, doesn't exist, according to me. Love is just a struggle and happiness is something you can only get to feel for fraction of a second. So what does she think it's the most important in a man? - He has to have warmth in his eyes and an open mind. His looks are not important, the main thing is that we can talk and discuss, - I know I can have almost any man I want, that's why I'm so careful. I'm terribly afraid a man might only be interested in my money. Since Frida sold her shares in ABBA's company she is now a very wealthy lady. She manages her finances herself and enjoys being financially independent. - The money makes me independant, I can live without checking every price tag, but I wouldn't agree that money makes you happy. Money can also bring a lot of troubles. But they can also mean freedom for Frida to buy clothes from the most exclusive fashion houses, expensive jewelery and trips all around the world.

A fur coat for only SEK 150.000 Frida considers "a bargain" when "you think of how much one of these really cost." Yes, Frida has the means to enjoy her life and she does. In London and in Paris, where she also lives every now and then, she can lead an independent, wonderful life. - Since I don't have any small children I'm able to sleep in in the mornings, she has said. Then I write alot, watch TV and listen to the radio. And of course she travels alot. Having her daughter Lotta, 17, in the US and her son Hans, 22 in Sweden it adds up to several long trips every year, Not to mention all the other friends she has around the world. - I enjoy living now, I make the most of every minute for as long as I can, because you never know what tomorrow brings. On her new LP "Shine" [released on 9/11 1984...] we get the proof that she has found a new sense of security.

One song for example "Slowly" is written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, something she would never had agreed to have on her first solo album just after ABBA split up, two years ago. Back then she said: - You might think that it's hard for me to work together with Benny because of our divorce, but that is not the case. But at the same time she wanted to prove to the rest of the world that she could make it on her own. - I'm happy I don't have a Björn and Benny song on this first album, I don't want reviewers writing that she couldn't make an interesting record without the help of her former band members' help. Today, it's a different matter, she can indulge herself with adding a Björn and Benny song to her new LP. - It took time to get used to working on your own, Frida admitted in an interview not long ago. But now I have found myself again and I feel strong. I Would like to thank my dear friend Sarah Russel for the two pictures of Frida performing songs from Shine 7 September 1984.Sarah Russel has the fatanstic ABBA On TV-site.

The last couple of days a rumour has been spread around the world about Frida and Agnetha recording new material with Madonna. ABBA's spokeswoman Görel Hanser has now, once and for all, put that rumour to rest: In a pressrelease on 12 November 2006 Görel says: the ABBA stars were to reunite - together with Madonna. Now the rumours are denied by ABBA. On last Saturday (12 November 2006) the English newspaper The Sun reported that Madonna was about to start a collaberation with Agnetha Fältskog, 56 and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 60. But according to ABBA's spokeswoman Görel Hanser the story is made up. - I have just spoken to Frida, and the rumours are not true, she says. Surely ABBA don’t need the money, money, money? | Express Yourself | Comment | Daily Express VIDS Surely ABBA don’t need the money, money, money? AS ABBA’s reclusive singer hints at a reunion, ADRIAN LEE recounts what made them such super troupers.

00:00, Tue, Jan 4, 2011 Anni-Frid, Benny, Björn and Agnetha in 1977. [] Fans of Abba are dusting down their Spandex and polishing their platform boots after the group’s most reclusive member hinted of a band reunion later this year. It has always been Agnetha Fältskog who has blocked a return but now, more than a quarter of a century after they last belted out their hits, she says: “I just feel it would be fun to meet, chat about the old days and perhaps perform together. I think we would all consider a one-off reunion, maybe for a good cause.” As bookmakers offer odds of 66-1 that they will perform at the royal wedding, we look at the enduring Abba phenomenon and discover what has happened to Agnetha, Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus since the band split up in 1983.

HIGHS AND LOWS In 1970 two singing couples from Sweden, Benny and Frida and Bjorn and Agnetha, went on holiday to Cyprus and toyed with the idea of forming a pop group. Abba was officially launched two years later, with the name taken from the first letter of each member’s Christian name. After bursting onto the scene at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, Abba sold more than 375 million records while topping the world’s charts for a decade. Abba mania peaked in 1977 when there were 3.5 million requests for tickets for two shows at the Albert Hall in London, enough to fill the venue 580 times. There was barely a country in the world untouched by these stars, remarkable for a band whose first language was not English. The last chart topper was Super Trouper in 1980 and their final single, The Day Before You Came, peaked at no 32 in the UK two years later. It’s rumoured that by then Agnetha was so stressed that she insisted on recording her lyrics in the dark.

An unfinished album was scrapped, with six songs written, and amid reports of a feud between the girls the four went their separate ways. For a while Abba went out of fashion but the 1994 film Muriel’s Wedding revived public appetite for the band and led to a reappraisal of music which had often been derided by the critics. The musical Mamma Mia!, featuring all the Abba hits, guaranteed the immortality of a group once written off as a one-hit Euro wonder. EARLY LOVE The love affairs within the band added to the appeal of Abba’s catchy songs. Before they teamed up with the band Björn and Agnetha had met at a Swedish music festival in the late Sixties and married in 1971. They have two children, Linda and Christian. Frida – who was born in Norway and had a failed teenage marriage – and Benny began dating after meeting at a competition to find Sweden’s Eurovision entry. They tied the knot in 1978 after a long engagement. They were initially worried about performing together and at the height of their popularity both relationships were under strain.

First to crack was the Ulvaeus-Fältskog marriage in 1979; the Andersson-Lyngstad marriage followed suit two years later. In January 1981 Björn married Lena Källersjö, a music journalist, while at the end of that year Benny married Mona Nörklit, a television reporter. After Bjorn came a succession of lovers for Agnetha including psychiatrist Hakan Lonnback, who had tried to save her marriage. She also had an affair with Stockholm detective Thorbjorn Brander, who was assigned to her case after kidnap threats were made towards her children. In 1990, Agnetha married for a second time, to surgeon Tomas Sonnenfeld but it was over within three years. Her personal life hit the headlines again after a relationship turned sour with Dutchman Gert van der Graaf, an Abba fan and a forklift truck driver. She accused him of stalking her and a Swedish court later banned him from entering the country. That episode made Agnetha, now 60, who struggled most to cope with fame, even more reclusive.

Yet she has recently been romantically linked to Bertil Nordstrom, 64, a close friend of King Gustaf of Sweden. Frida married Prince Heinrich Reuss, a German nobleman, in 1992 and became Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen, but was widowed seven years later. Recently she has been dating Englishman Henry Smith, 54, heir to the WH Smith fortune. WEALTH The pop group which once rivalled Volvo as Sweden’s most successful export is still a money, money, money making machine. The band members are notoriously private about their finances but in the Eighties the Abba empire had interests in everything from oil and property to a bicycle company and perfumes. Even now, by doing nothing, the former stars continue to grow richer by raking in a combined £2.5million a year in royalties and other Abba-related income. The stage and screen versions of Mamma Mia! have proved a gold mine for co-producers Benny and Björn. The film, featuring 22 Abba hits, is on its way to making more than £300million internationally.

Individually Benny is reported to have amassed a £100million fortune with Björn not far behind, helped by property investment. Frida, who inherited a £10million castle from her late husband, is said to be worth £75million. In comparison, reclusive Agnetha is a pauper with her wealth estimated at £4million. CAREERS AFTERWARDS Before Mamma Mia! Benny and Björn already had a brace of hit musicals under their belts, most notably Chess which was about the Cold War and was written with Tim Rice. They have also collaborated on another musical, Kristina, which is based on the work of a Swedish playwright. Benny, now 63, also runs a successful boutique hotel in Stockholm, the Rival, where each guest room contains a copy of Abba Gold, but his real passion is breeding racehorses, which are kept at Arundel, West Sussex. He was regarded as the driving force behind Abba and still tours with his 16-strong orchestra. He returned to the Swedish charts with You Are My Man in 2004.

In addition to his writing Björn, now 64, founded an IT company with his brothers and has a stake in an airline. He’s reported to have struggled with a condition which affects his memory and had a battle with the Swedish taxman over £10million – although he was later vindicated. He lives in Stockholm and has another home on the Swedish island of Vagaskar. Since the group’s members went their separate ways in 1983, Frida has combined a music career with environmental campaigning. She worked with Phil Collins on her first album and had a no 13 single in the US but, inevitably, struggled to follow Abba’s success. Now 65 and, like Agnetha, a grandmother, she divides her time between Sweden and Switzerland and is the most enthusiastic of the four about the reunion idea. Agnetha, who had a no 1 record in Sweden when she was 17, also embarked on a solo career after Abba’s demise. Like Frida, she was unable to replicate Abba’s global appeal, although she attempted a comeback in 2004 with an album of Sixties’ covers.

In 2008, she made a rare appearance with her fellow band members at the premiere of Mamma Mia! the film in Stockholm. Known in Sweden as “Garbo the second”, she lives on the island of Helgö. ON BEING ABBA “It was horrible sometimes. It was fever, it was hysteria, it was sweaty, obsessed crowds. I felt like they would take hold of me and I would never be able to get away.” Agnetha. “A lot has been written about how Agnetha and I fought and quarrelled with each other. There is absolutely no truth in that. Abba wasn’t just about two married couples, you know. It was a little as though Agnetha and I were also married to one another.” Frida. “All I do is eat and sleep and sing, wishing every show was the last show.” Lyrics from Super Trouper, which is said to explain the reasons for the band’s demise. “Even if I were a carpenter and Agnetha an office employee, the inevitable would have happened as well.” Bjorn refuses to blame fame for the break-up of his marriage to Agnetha.

“I sometimes suffered enormously from a bad conscience and longing for my children. There were many mixed feelings and contrasts with Abba, such as tours when we lived a life of luxury, then came home to washing up and cooking,” Agnetha. “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.” Björn, after rejecting a £600million offer for an Abba world tour in 2000. “Who are we without our ladies? BB?” Benny, explaining why he and Bjorn didn’t press on without Agnetha and Anni-Frid. ENDURING APPEAL The Abba success story has spanned four decades, yet the band still sells up to three million albums every year. The greatest hits compilation, Abba Gold, is the UK’s fourth best-selling album of all time. Although the band hasn’t played live since 1980 there are an estimated 40 Abba tribute bands in the UK alone and scores more across Europe.

The smash hit musical and film Mamma Mia! has created a new generation of young fans who weren’t alive when the quartet first enjoyed success in the Seventies. The stage musical has been seen by more than 30 million people and has run more than 3,500 times on Broadway, while last year the screen version overtook Titanic to become the UK’s highest-grossing film. On any given day, it is claimed, there are at least seven versions of Mamma Mia! being performed around the world. At the last count, 82 artists have covered Abba songs. It’s suggested that if there was ever a full Abba reunion, a world tour could be worth £750 million to the four. 1000+ images about **ABBA** on Pinterest | Videos, Knowing you and Abba happy new year ABBA in costume in 1975: Bjorn and Benny smiling as if their life depends on it while all eyes go to Agnetha and Frida who just have to stand there... See More Is Abba's Agnetha Faltskog finally ready to forgive her bandmates for years of misery?

| Daily Mail Online Is Abba's Agnetha Faltskog finally ready to forgive her bandmates for years of misery? comments Mamma Mia: Abba's Agnetha Faltskog in her musical heyday Given she has a visceral dread of crowds, noise and open spaces, attending the Swedish film premiere of Mamma Mia! last week must have been torture for Agnetha Faltskog. Indeed, until the moment she turned up, even Abba's die-hard fans were dubious that Agnetha - pop's ultimate sex symbol - would make the journey from her self-imposed exile on one of Stockholm's rural outlying islands. In the event, she looked wonderful, displaying a shock of platinum hair and that gap-toothed smile which makes her instantly recognisable. Although she is now a 58-year-old grandmother, she sported the tightest of rock-chick trousers and a white vest - rather rebellious given that her bandmate Anni-Frid was in an evening gown, as were all the cast members. She girlishly linked arms with Anni-Frid and the film's leading lady Meryl Streep.

The three of them whirled around on the carpet outside Stockholm's Hotel Rival, in full glare of the onlooking paparazzi. But there the joy stops. Agnetha didn't pose with her other bandmates, Benny Andersson or Bjorn Ulvaeus - who also happens to be her former husband. And when it came to appearing on the hotel balcony with the cast, Agnetha kept her distance from the men who wrote the songs that made her famous. According to a Swedish source: 'She refused to do the picture which everyone wanted, which was the four of them together.' It's been 21 years since the Abba foursome were seen together in public - and the sticking point has always been Agnetha. Admittedly, she came when Mamma Mia! opened in Stockholm three years ago - but walked alone into the theatre, and then alone out of it. She also refused to show up at an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the Abba song Waterloo winning Eurovision.

Agnetha's spokesman, Steffan Linde, told me bluntly that, apart from Bjorn and Agnetha bumping into each other at the odd family event, there was really no contact between the band members on any level. 'They do not socialise with each other,' he snorted. 'They just happened to come to the same premiere. It was nothing they organised themselves.' Leading ladies: Agnetha Faltskog, Meryl Streep and Frida Reuss pose at the premiere of Mamma Mia! in Stockholm Mr Linde added that there was no chance of Agnetha being involved with making music with Abba again, and added: 'The movie people invited all the Abba members separately and all members decided to come.' It seems, bizarrely, that Agnetha hates to acknowledge her part in pop history - so much so that she's known as 'Garbo the second' in Sweden. She is reclusive, and told an interviewer that she doesn't like to go out, doesn't have many friends and likes to talk to her horses. The nickname, though, infuriates her. 'They spread that I am hiding, that I am the new Greta Garbo.

It's not the way it is. I just want to live in peace and quiet.' So why would she turn up to such a public media event, finally - but then refuse to cooperate with the rest of the band? Can she really have conquered her demons after so long? Make no mistake, the past 25 years have been difficult for Agnetha. She was emotionally ' mangled' by the split with Bjorn in 1979. They had two children, but divorced while the band was at the peak of its fame. Within a week, Bjorn had a new girlfriend and Agnetha had counselling. ABBA's great, deeply bitter song The Winner Takes It All was written during this period - and she had to find the emotional strength to sing: 'Tell me does she kiss/Like I used to kiss you?' After a tour, the band returned to the studio in 1982, but realised that, with both couples now divorced (Benny and Anni-Frid split in 1981), it was no longer any fun being Abba.

Thank you for the music: The original cast of Abba, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad Agnetha now admits she found the closing years miserable. Terrified of flying, after being caught in a storm on a private jet, she was still obliged to tour the world by plane. Today, she hasn't taken a flight in more than 20 years and is terrified when she knows her family are flying. She also found the Abba fans alarming and would have terrible daydreams in which they set upon her and consumed her alive. More prosaically, she was troubled by guilt at being away from her children, Linda and Christian, when they were so young. And she was never as at ease socially as the others - her English was not as good, so she sometimes struggled. So while Anni-Frid partied, her rival on stage, Agnetha, was in hell: anxious, shy and overwhelmed. No wonder the girls were not always the best of friends. A substantial amount of time has had to pass for Agnetha to forgive her bandmates for their part in her torment.

Gorel Hanser, who works for Benny and Bjorn, confirms there was no personal appeal to Agnetha to come to the premiere - despite gossips suggesting it was down to Benny, because he owns the Rival Hotel where the event was held. Ms Hanser, who managed the group until it split in 1982, said: 'Agnetha came because she was invited by the film company. She comes to certain events, but not many, because she does not like to fly, and you just respect that. 'As far as a photo of the four of them together, I don't know that it was requested or that anyone said "no". But this was not an Abba event, it was a Mamma Mia! event. They are not pictured as a group for obvious reasons, to not upstage the film.' Ms Hanser went on to say that Agnetha attended with her children and some friends, and that her granddaughter Tilda, eight, also came along. 'They sat at the table next to Bjorn at the party afterwards and everything was fine.

It was a great, relaxed evening, everyone had a glass of champagne.' Indeed, speaking to friends and associates of Agnetha in Stockholm, what becomes clear is that she is finally, but slowly, emerging from her ultra-private existence. The influence behind this move, says everyone, is urbane socialite Bertil Nordstrom whom many expect will be her third husband. Nordstrom, 64, a close friend of King Gustaf of Sweden, has been dating Agnetha on and off for three years. Not that he will admit it - he told me yesterday: 'We are not together in any way.' But pictures of the two of them arm-in-arm at a society party this summer tell their own story, as do eyewitness accounts of them smooching in nightclubs. They have been seen out increasingly, with Nordstrom chaperoning her with evident pride. Swedish gossip magazines describe them as 'love-birds' and say that they are 'fascinated' by one another. They are even reported to have bought a £300,000 love nest in Bastad, the seaside resort which hosts the Swedish Open tennis championships.

'Don't tell me Aggie is going to marry that old fart!' said one fan on an Abba site, but in truth no one could begrudge her some romantic happiness, especially since under the influence of this wealthy and well connected man she is breaking free of two decades of self-confinement. As for the secrecy and denial? Well, that's just the way Agnetha likes to do it. One source in Sweden says she is fearful of having her private life exposed, and insists any boyfriend pretends there is no romance. It wasn't always so complicated: Agnetha Faltskog was a shy little girl born in Jonkoping in April 1950. Her father worked in an electrical factory, her mother was a shop cashier. Agnetha fell in love with Bjorn Ulvaeus at 19, after meeting him in a cafe. They were married in 1971 and Abba won Eurovision in 1974. They sold 350 million records, and their recent greatest hits compilation album, Abba Gold, stayed in the charts for more than 400 weeks.

(Despite this, Agnetha is worth £4million - whereas Bjorn and Benny are worth more than £100 million each, thanks to royalties and Mamma Mia!). The success was so extreme that Agnetha still has difficulty believing it. 'It's nice to look back on it and sometimes I can't comprehend it. It feels like another life.' After Bjorn came a succession of lovers - including psychiatrist Hakan Lonnback, who had tried to save her marriage. She even had an affair with Stockholm detective Thorbjorn Brander, who had been assigned to her case after kidnap threats towards her children. In 1990, Agnetha married for a second time - to divorced surgeon Tomas Sonnenfeld. The marriage was conducted, at Agnetha's insistence, in secrecy, and became public knowledge only as it disintegrated three years later. At this time Agnetha also had to cope with the suicide of her mother Birgit, who threw herself from their sixth-floor flat. A year later, her father died, too, and she felt very alone. Again, Agnetha kept everything secret. Her biographer was told her mother died in an accident.

Those who are close to her say everything changed from this point, and her reclusiveness became more pronounced. Certainly she must have been troubled as the oddest chapter of her life now followed: an affair with a man who had been stalking her. Overweight Dutch forklift truck driver Gert van der Graaf was an Abba fan who had pursued her for two years. She complained to the police, but in 1997 they started a romantic relationship. 'It was a very intense attention from him and after a while I felt I could not resist any more. I wanted to know him,' Agnetha said. Two years later, they had split up and by 2000 Agnetha was seeking an exclusion order. After the disaster of her dalliance with Gert, she moved deeper into the forest, building a smaller house around a private courtyard garden. Neighbours say she barely exchanges greetings with them. For years Agnetha hadn't sung or even listened to music. But, to general astonishment she released a record in 2004, a collection of Sixties covers, and embarked on some limited publicity for it, saying she yearned to find lasting love.

The album, My Colouring Book, spent 25 weeks in the charts in Sweden, and then it and she dropped out of public view again. But in 2005, that all seemed to change when a 20-year friendship with Bertil Nordstrom blossomed into romance. Nordstrom, a successful businessman, may not look glamorous - permanently besuited, tall, with grey hair and glasses - but he is seriously wealthy. A few weeks ago the happy pair arrived together for a high-society party in Stockholm. 'Agnetha and Bertil are very much in love and it is expected they will marry soon,' said a source in Sweden. Pictures from the party show them looking absolutely the contented couple. But, given Agnetha's avoidance of the spotlight, you wouldn't lay bets on Hello! doing the wedding pictures. And Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid probably shouldn't hold their breath for an invitation.

Question: Benny, Agnetha, Anni-Frid and ________ who made up ABBA?
Answer: BJÖRN