Waterloo 50th / BBC Documentary / Other Anniversary Events

The Music Industry has been "bigging up" vinyl for quite some time. Interesting there's a separate Vinyl Chart but no CD only chart too.

In the UK vinyl has over taken CD in revenue - only because they are 3 or 4 times more expensive. They sell a lot less.

Many people who buy vinyl don't even own a record player. And many who do, just don't play them. They are ornaments.

I invested in a new turntable to play the vinyl I have. It sounds fantastic but - and the purists will no doubt shout - CD is still a better and more durable carrier of sound. I have old and new vinyl, including a half-speed remaster. I love vinyl - its warmth, the scale of the artwork, and how it seems to offer something visual to enjoy when playing the record. But its sound will deteriorate the more it's played and as the stylus gradually wears out. My old CDs still sound as good as new. We've been manipulated by fantastic marketing. 





That sounds eminently likely and plausible. As has been said earlier, though, they have to be careful that the tracklist doesn't clash too heavily with Gold - both in terms of the status of the iconic compilation but also in terms of what will be permissible with the charts. We've shown them that we're willing to sell kidneys to buy their stuff, so I hope ABBA/Universal are wearing their Thinking Caps. 

I was confused about what you meant by “new logo”. I was thinking you meant a new ABBA logo! Do you mean this?

That's precisely the reason why they don't need to. We will buy anything that will contain something new. Even the ugly 30th anniversary edition of Gold has apparently sold out, so why should they bother and make some effort?

Björn's hint that they need to be more inventive than releasing another reissue gives some hope but I would not expect a 180° turn in Universal's policy...

Like many others, I just want unreleased songs from their prime like JLT. Although of course I will eagerly listen to the unheard Voyage tracks.

I have a perfect copy of the logo, I just don't know how to add a photo here!

I have it with the blue background, but yes that's it! It has a mercury/ platinum vibe I think?

That looks very smart! But what does it mean!?

Now the news is public, here are the details...

50 years since Abba won - big gala evening in SVT

9 January 2024 05:44

50 years ago Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest.

It will be celebrated with a live gala evening on SVT this spring.

- This will be SVT's present to Abba and the Swedish people, says program manager Christina Hill.

On April 6, 1974, music and television history was made when Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo". It became the international breakthrough for the group and the rest is pop history.

SVT's gala evening to celebrate Abba takes place on the same day as the victory in Brighton, Saturday 6 April, 50 years later.

- It just so happens that April 6 is a Saturday, just like it was 50 years ago. So then we've cleared the slate and are going to make a kind of disco party for the whole of SVT that evening, says Christina Hill, program manager for culture, entertainment and lifestyle at SVT.
Gala at Circus

The gala evening will take place at Cirkus in Stockholm in front of an audience. Among other things, artists will perform Abbas' classic songs. SVT does not yet want to reveal who it will be.

But of course it will be an artist line-up called duga () There are very fine artists who will be on stage.

Abba continues to fascinate. Here at the premiere of Abba Voyage in London in May 2022. Now they will be celebrated on SVT.

SVT has been in contact with Abba and received the go-ahead for the gala, but it is uncertain whether the notoriously media-shy members intend to appear at Cirkus.

- We don't really know that. We want to pay attention and pay tribute to them. And of course it happens with their good memory and they know that we do it. They are very warmly welcome. But formal invitations haven't gone out yet, so we'll see.
Whole week celebration

Abba has continued to attract new generations of fans from all over the world thanks to the 'Mamma Mia' musical which led to two films and then the Abba Voyage show in London. They also inspire today's artists. SVT therefore hopes to be able to offer some international stars to the gala.

- We imagine that some of the participants will be faces from other countries, says Christina Hill.

The TV gala from Cirkus will be the culmination of a whole week of celebrating Abba on SVT in several different programs.

- It will really be felt all week in SVT that it is ABBA's anniversary.

The celebration comes fittingly for SVT, where the Abbagalan will be a sort of prelude to the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Malmö in May.

- It's very fun and full of joy and then it will be extra nice that we will also do an ESC final a month later, so it will be a very fun spring in SVT.

Facts
Facts: Abba and the Eurovision Song Contest

Abba tried to win the Melodifestivalen back in 1973 with the song "Ring ring", but only came third. The following year it went better. Abba won the Swedish selection with "Waterloo" and also the Eurovision Song Contest which was decided in Brighton.

Just a few weeks later, "Waterloo" became the first of a total of nine songs that Abba had at number one in the UK charts during their career.

I have to agree with Alan at this stage, nothing to get excited about, we’ve seen it all before in one form or another, so called artists performing usually sub standard covers,
So alas not for me at the moment..

Are we being to critical? Probably….

Oh yes, I do remember that now you mention it. And she was quickly hushed up and the comment removed after its original broadcast.

And of course, I Still Have Faith In You and Don’t Shut Me Down were premiered at that YouTube live stream.

OK, if that’s what’s planned then it’s exciting! I’ll keep my expectations low though.

You are assuming, of course, that plans are not already in place to stream it on YouTube for a larger audience.

If a new ABBA compilation emerges for 2024, it might be interesting to note what Queen's record company did a few years ago, in case ABBA's considers doing the same. You'll probably know that Queen's 'Greatest Hits' currently holds the title as the UK's best-selling album ever.

When the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' film and accompanying album came out, many album tracks were ones that also featured on 'GH'. As UK chart rules specify that one track can only count towards one studio album and one compilation for streaming, qualification for chart eligibility was transferred from 'GH' to 'BR' for the relevant tracks. The resulting success of 'BR' in the album charts was accompanied by a plunge for 'GH'. At an appropriate moment some time later, probably at the point where it was considered that the film and album had adequately supported each other commercially, the affected tracks were assigned back to 'GH', which then surged back up the charts.

This might be a relevant point if Universal plan to do the same but ultimately feel that 'Gold' is the 'definitive' compilation.

If they release a new anthology style release with songs out of their prime i.e. Voyage unreleased songs, and not JLT, it will be the ultimate trolling by Benny.