|
Post by Smurfie on Apr 27, 2018 17:19:13 GMT 1
Not sure where to put this - so in here for now: www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-43924609Pop group Abba have returned to the studio to record their first new music since the 1980s. The Swedish quartet said the new material was an "unexpected consequence" of their recent decision to put together a "virtual reality" tour."We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the studio," the band said on Instagram."And it was like time stood still."No release date has been set for the new songs - but one of them, titled I Still Have Faith In You, will be performed in December on a TV special broadcast by the BBC and NBC.Abba's spokesperson Gorel Hanser described the new songs, saying: "The sound will be familiar, but also modern."The studio sessions were "like old times", she told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet."Easy as anything. It didn't feel weird that they hadn't been in the studio together for 35 years."But Hanser said the group would not perform live, other than as holograms in the forthcoming Abba Avatar tour.In an interview with the BBC in 2013, Agnetha Faltskog said she preferred to leave the band in the past."It was such a long time ago, and we are getting older, and we have our different lives," she explained.A sequel to the film version of Mamma Mia!, starring Amanda Seyfried, Lily James and Cher, will be released on 20 July.Speaking to BBC News, Rod Stephen, founder of Abba tribute act Bjorn Again, described the new material as "a whole new beginning"."I heard about Abba releasing new songs and I was instantly, like everyone else in the Abba community, really excited to know what the songs were and how they're going to sound. Will it have that 1970s sound or will it be up to date?"It's brilliant really, because we love Abba's music to death. I just hope they're great songs, I hope they're equivalent to Dancing Queen or Mamma Mia.But, he added: "I know Benny and Bjorn wouldn't release something in this way unless they were good songs."News of the new material comes in a bumper year for Abba fans. An immersive exhibition based on the band's career is running on London's South Bank, while Chess, the musical Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson wrote with Sir Tim Rice, is being revived in the West End."No, you can not expect them to join forces on stage again," she said. "They will not do that."The band have resisted pressure to reform since they stopped recording together in 1982, despite a reported $1bn (£689m) offer for to tour in 2000.There is also a bit of an interview, but I’m sure you will click and read if you are interested.
|
|
|
Post by Shireblogger on Apr 27, 2018 17:45:31 GMT 1
This will be very interesting. Given how diligent Benny and Bjorn have been at protecting the Abba legacy, and refusing to start issuing barrel-scraping archive material, my assumption is that the two new tracks will be high quality.
Abba to get a 10th #1 single ? Abba for the 2018 Christmas #1 ?
|
|
|
Post by Smurfie on Apr 27, 2018 17:57:06 GMT 1
I am very excited about this - but scared it’s going to be huge or disaster chart wise. Do ABBA fans like streaming?
Either way it’s going to push Gold up the best selling albums of all time!
|
|
TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,560
|
Post by TheThorne on Apr 27, 2018 18:22:11 GMT 1
Well 'Dancing Queen' has 141 million streams which isnt bad, which is on the level of a typical current top 10 hit.
|
|
|
Post by raliverpool on Apr 27, 2018 18:26:55 GMT 1
This will be very interesting. Given how diligent Benny and Bjorn have been at protecting the Abba legacy, and refusing to start issuing barrel-scraping archive material, my assumption is that the two new tracks will be high quality. Abba to get a 10th #1 single ? Abba for the 2018 Christmas #1 ? Maybe they've seen how the pre-release review screenings of Mamma Mia 2 make it a seem like a multi Golden Raspberry Award contender; so they decided they needed to take urgent action to regain some legacy & integrity with Abba. Or maybe, they've seen how the revivals of Steps & The Fizz have gone ... along with Arcade Fire appropriating their sound; and a bunch of pop legends dying .... and decided they want to be contenders again. Either way I'm very curious as to what the outcome will be like; and I want it to be great.
|
|
|
Post by rubcale on Apr 27, 2018 18:29:00 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by rubcale on Apr 27, 2018 18:37:06 GMT 1
I'm excited about this but I wouldn't say the revival of Steps and The Fizz have been wildly successful.
|
|
|
Post by Smurfie on Apr 27, 2018 19:30:13 GMT 1
Perhaps not The Fizz, but certainly Steps did the job considering the time that had passed and the music climate. And album six on the way! I wouldn’t say that it was totally a disaster for them.
Either way, as much as I love Steps, completely in a different (lower) league to ABBA, and not quite sure I can wait eight months now!
|
|
|
Post by o on Apr 27, 2018 20:13:06 GMT 1
Will it do anything?
|
|
|
Post by Mic1812 on Apr 27, 2018 20:43:16 GMT 1
This is excellent news but although everyone wanted an album 2 tracks is better than nothing at all.
|
|
|
Post by Smurfie on Apr 27, 2018 20:56:21 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by lewis17 on Apr 28, 2018 18:44:36 GMT 1
Excited to hear the two new songs, fingers crossed I won't be disappointed ...
|
|
|
Post by DJ nordy on Apr 28, 2018 18:46:03 GMT 1
great news about 2 new songs
|
|
|
Post by jusboy7 on Apr 29, 2018 14:46:57 GMT 1
Im not certain itll hit high in the UK singles chart given the way its now compiled, but added to a new compilation ABBA the ballads for example, I think the album would sell well over Christmas. Then in 2019 when the uptempo DONT SHUT ME DOWN is released they could do a similar compilation of the uptempo hits?
|
|
LT
Member
Posts: 15,782
|
Post by LT on Apr 29, 2018 15:07:01 GMT 1
Pretty exciting stuff , I reckon the 2 tracks will be amazing , surely will be released as a single ?
|
|
|
Post by orthon7 on May 1, 2018 0:16:05 GMT 1
Jusboy7 - It won't happen that way. The 2 New Tracks will both be Singles.
Universal will most likely then release a 'New' ABBA Compilation, with the 2 New Songs as 'bait', to attract buyers.
There is no way that they'd spread the 2 New Tracks between 2 ABBA Compilations.
Had ABBA only released the 2 New Songs in 1992, or 1994 or 1999. They'd both easily be No.1 Hits. However, 'Old' Acts struggle in the Main Singles Chart, due to Streaming, so that may cause ABBA to struggle to get close to No.1. It would be awful if they were No.1 in the Sales Chart, but not in the Main Chart. Only Main Chart No.1's count. It would feel like ABBA had been cheated out of their 10th No.1 Single. They've 'only' waited 38 Years to have it!
The 2018 ABBA - Real ABBA - will not be seen in either Video for the 2 New Songs. The ABBATars will be lip synching to the Songs - looking like ABBA did in 1979. Only th Real ABBA's voices, music & production will be used. The visuals will all be done by Holograms...
No doubt state of the art technology will be used in the 2 Videos - making them ABBA's most impressive Promo Clips ever. The irony being, that the Real ABBA will not be seen in either Video. They do not have to be in the Videos, so they won't be. They really have no intentions of performing again. They feel that they are far too old. The Holograms will do the performing.
There has been a load of nonsense about whether the Real ABBA would do Glastonbury etc. Not in a Million Years. I don't know where people get such fantasies from. ABBA have Zero interest in performing on stage, as they look in 2018. It is not going to happen.
|
|
|
Post by orthon7 on May 1, 2018 20:33:12 GMT 1
Benny & Bjorn have today - Tuesday 1st May - given an interview to the Swedish Newspaper 'Aftonbladet'.
I've translated the part where they discuss the 2 New ABBA Songs.
It is a pity that Bjorn cut Benny off, just as Benny was starting to fully describe, 'I Still Have Faith In You' - although Benny does go on to say more about the Song.
Here is the Translation:
"It's a pop band"
When did you play the two songs?
- In June last year, with Frida and Agnetha.
One of them is called "Don't Shut Me Down".
"It's a pop band," says Benny Andersson.
The other "I Still Have Faith in You" is quite ...
"It's not good to categorize it," says Björn Ulvaeus.
"It's 6/8 part, so you can not dance disco to it," says Benny Andersson.
|
|
|
Post by orthon7 on May 2, 2018 11:32:05 GMT 1
Today - Wednesday 2nd May - Benny & Bjorn have been interviewed by the BBC.
They have revealed more about the 2 New ABBA Songs. (I do hope that the one that sounds like they wrote it in 1972, is stronger than that! They make it sound like it could have been on the 'Ring Ring' Album, in 1973 - and most Fans regard that as being ABBA's weakest Album).
THE BENNY & BJORN BBC INTERVIEW
Benny Andersson has said he doesn't feel ABBA have "anything to prove" with their new material.
The band announced last week they have recorded two new songs, which will be released later this year.
Benny told BBC News: "I don't feel that we have to prove anything, or I don't feel we have to think about, 'Oh, what if it was better before', because maybe it was, but we can't care about that.
"We do it because we think it was a good thing to do."
He added: "We enjoyed it very much. We'll see. I hope you'll like them."
He said the songs came about while he and Bjorn Ulvaeus were in the studio working on a project where the band will tour as avatars.
"So we said, 'Hmm, maybe we should try and write a couple of songs, ask the ladies if they want to come in and sing'. And they said, 'Yeah, absolutely'. So it was just, out of pure joy I'd say."
He also revealed further details about the sound of the two new tracks - but added that they haven't been completed yet.
"One of the songs is like we would've written it [for] today. The other, we could've written in 1972. So I don't know, we'll see. I mean, they're not finished yet.
"We have the vocals, they're all recorded, we haven't mixed it, we haven't worked them through, really, but I think they're pretty good."
Asked whether he thought it would complement ABBA's legacy, Bjorn said: "I think so. It certainly sounds ABBA very much."
Benny added: "As soon as Frida [Anni-Frid Lyngstad] and Agnetha [Faltskog] start singing, that's when it sounds ABBA."
|
|
|
Post by orthon7 on May 5, 2018 2:19:23 GMT 1
From the NBC Site (A USA Broadcasting Network):
Friday 4th May 2018
After decades of fans saying “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” the original ABBA is reuniting for a TV special, and now NBC has a title and premiere date for it. The Peacock said today that it will air "ABBA: Thank You for the Music, An All-Star Tribute" will in December.
The Swedish pop juggernaut’s two-hour special will feature Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Anderson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad performing their brand-new song “I Still Have Faith In You” — with a twist. It will be “sung” by a virtual ABBA: digital representation of the band in 1979 but voiced and recorded by the band members today.
The special — which will be broadcast around the world, with BBC Worldwide handle international distribution — also will feature “specially invited artists” playing ABBA classics including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” The Winner Takes It All” and “Take a Chance on Me.”
The band formed in 1972, broke out with the Eurovision-winning “Waterloo” two years later and went on to sell tens of millions of records and storm charts worldwide before splitting up in 1982. The band has been dormant ever since, other than a one-off private party in 2016. Rock fans of a certain age might remember Lyngstad 1982’s solo hit “I Know There’s Something Going On,” which she recorded as Frida and featured its producer Phil Collins on drums.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
From Broadway World (USA Entertainment Site):
NBC to Present "ABBA: THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE" This December
by BWW News Desk May. 4, 2018
Paying homage to one of the most influential groups of all time, NBC is celebrating Sweden's most popular export with "ABBA: Thank You for the Music, An All-Star Tribute." The two-hour special, set to air in December, will showcase specially invited artists performing classic songs made famous by ABBA, including "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia", The Winner Takes It All" and "Take A Chance On Me".
The once-in-a-lifetime event will be broadcast around the world to a global audience. BBC Worldwide will handle the international distribution.
One of the bestselling music groups of all time with album and single sales of 380 million, the four members of ABBA - Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Anderson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad - will be debuting their first new song in 35 years, written by Andersson and Ulvaeus. It is set to be performed by virtual ABBA, a state-of-the-art digital representation of the band in 1979 but voiced and recorded by ABBA today.
Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni-Frid said: "The decision to go ahead with the exciting ABBA avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence. We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time had stood still and that we only had been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience! It resulted in two new songs and one of them "I Still Have Faith In You" will be performed by our digital selves in a TV special produced by NBC and the BBC aimed for broadcasting in December. We may have come of age, but the song is new. And it feels good".
The telecast will be produced and directed by Johan Renck and executive produced by Simon Fuller, with Es Devlin on board as set designer.
"There is a lot of music in the DNA of NBC and we are so proud that the iconic members of ABBA and world-class producer Simon Fuller chose us to bring this incredible tribute special to the world," said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment.
Added Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment, "This network is also thrilled to be the home of brand new ABBA music for the first time in decades. It's a gift."
Simon Fuller said: "It has been such a pleasure to work with ABBA. To see their unique talent, passion and attention to every detail has been enlightening and a true honor. In this global TV event we will be able to celebrate the music of ABBA and see other incredible artists perform their wonderful songs. I still can't believe we will also be showcasing a new song, the first in over 35 years, which is set to ignite a whole new TIMELESS journey in their incredible career."
Johan Renck said: "As an adult, to find a new relation and perspective to the music that formed your childhood is a formidable thing, I feel tremendously fortunate to engage in this journey with a group that played such an integral part of my upbringing. We can't wait to make this event come to life"
The ABBA story began in the 1960s when Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson first met in Sweden and became songwriting partners. By 1969, they had met Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and, after musical collaboration on each other's solo and duo acts, they began their career together as ABBA, achieving superstardom with their breakthrough hit "Waterloo," winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, charting at No. 1 across Europe and reaching the Top 10 in the U.S.
In the years that followed, ABBA became successful around the world, releasing eight studio albums, two live albums, seven compilation albums, four tours and 73 singles. To date they have sold 380 million albums and singles worldwide. They became the first music group from a non-English speaking country to top the charts in English-speaking countries and their distinctive '70s-style costumes became synonymous with their unique look and sound.
Topping the charts globally from 1974-82, many of ABBA's songs have become TIMELESS classics internationally. ABBA placed 20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with 14 making the Top 40 and 10 soaring to the Top 20. "Dancing Queen" became a No. 1 hit in 1977 in the U.S. while "Take a Chance on Me," "Waterloo" and "The Winner Takes It All" peaked at No. 3, No. 6 and No. 8, respectively. In the U.K., ABBA had nine No. 1 singles, including "Dancing Queen" and "Super Trouper," 19 Top 10 hits and 26 in the Top 40s. Collectively, their singles retained entries in the U.K. Top 75 chart for a total of 260 weeks. They were named Vocal Group of the Year by the American Guild of Variety Artists in 1981 and won nine Bravo Otto Awards between 1974-82. In 2010, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by BARRY and Robin Gibb.
In 1999, ABBA's songs were the inspiration for the West End and Broadway hit musical "Mamma Mia!" and the film that followed, "Mamma Mia!" became a box office smash, and became the fifth highest-grossing film of 2008. The 2018 seque,l "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again," starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters and Dominic Cooper, is set for global release in July.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|
|
Post by jusboy7 on May 9, 2018 22:41:50 GMT 1
Gorel Hanser has suggested that both singles will be released in CD and vinyl format with new photos for the covers. Footage of the band recording seems also to have been made...
|
|