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Abba's Eurovision win in Brighton remembered 40 years on
bbc ^ | 5 April 2014 | Libby Sutcliffe

Posted on 04/06/2014 1:46:30 AM PDT by JoeProBono

It is 40 years since Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton - a victory that started their meteoric rise to super group status with millions of fans around the globe.

When the four-piece stepped on to the stage accompanied by a man dressed as Napoleon to deliver their country's entry for the competition, they were virtually unknown.

The audience at the 1,700-seat Brighton Dome on 6 April, 1974, had no idea how huge the Swedish group, which performed Waterloo, would become. Most of them were concentrating on the UK entry - Olivia Newton John with her song Long Live Love.

John Henty, who lives in Lewes, East Sussex, was one of those watching and describes the instant impact the band had on the crowd.

He said: "Nobody knew Abba. Who were Abba? They were an unknown quantity.

"But clearly the moment they went into the number and the style of it and the outrageous costumes and the guy wearing Napoleon gear and you suddenly thought, 'this is something'."


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: abba; eurovision
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To: Alas Babylon!


21 posted on 04/06/2014 8:18:54 AM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: JoeProBono

I don’t know how it’s possible, but here’s one I’d never heard before I happened across “ABBA, The Movie”. It’s not been often that I fell in love with a song the first time I heard it, but I did with this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dcbw4IEY5w

It wasn’t “cool” in my circle to like pop stuff like ABBA when I was young, but now I’m old and I don’t care.

Like Agnetha asked, “what would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me.”

My daughter looked a lot like the little blonde girl the camera focuses on beginning at about 2:10 of the video at that age, and every time I see the joy on her face, it reminds me of her when she was still a child. If for no other reason, this song will always be among my favorites.

So I say, ABBA, thank you for the music.


22 posted on 04/06/2014 10:03:29 AM PDT by Nacho Bidnith (The Govt's war on drugs was the setup for war on the American People)
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To: Everybody
Birthdays today [April 5]: Agnetha Fältskog, 64

Click for picture

23 posted on 04/06/2014 10:04:57 AM PDT by deks (Sent from my BlackBerry Q10 smartphone :)
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To: JoeProBono
When I was growing up, it was considered "gay" to listen to Abba. Never understood that connection as the four members were heterosexuals who were married to each other (at least for a while). Sure, their costumes were a little strange but hey, it was the 1970s. Considering acts like Elton John, David Bowie, Kiss, Alice Cooper, etc., Abba was rather tame by comparison.

Their music still holds up well today.

24 posted on 04/06/2014 10:20:34 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: deks


25 posted on 04/06/2014 12:28:05 PM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: miss marmelstein

“The music from that show is remarkably pretty.”

I love, “Bangkok” and “I Know Him So Well”. Great album. Never saw the play.


26 posted on 04/06/2014 12:32:52 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: JoeProBono

Frida or Agnetha?

Put me in the Frida camp.


27 posted on 04/06/2014 12:33:36 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: JoeProBono

Frida actually isn’t Swedish, she’s half-Norwegian half-German. Her father was a Wehrmacht soldier serving in Norway during the war....They had to flee to Sweden, because obviously “collaborators” weren’t going to be treated very well in Norway after the war.


28 posted on 04/06/2014 12:36:02 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jun/30/kateconnolly.theobserver


29 posted on 04/06/2014 12:43:20 PM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: ArmstedFragg

Frida had a hit in the 80s with “I Know There’s Something Going On”, which featured the unmistakable drumming of Phil Collins.


30 posted on 04/06/2014 12:46:21 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator
I remember that song!

I think Phil Collins either sang or drummed on at least half of the Top 40 songs from 1980 to 1985.

31 posted on 04/06/2014 12:49:14 PM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: MayflowerMadam

I Know Him So Well is my favorite. Judy Kuhn sings on the B’way album.


32 posted on 04/06/2014 12:50:31 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: miss marmelstein

Oops! I Know Him So Well, of course, is a duet. I forget the other singer’s name.


33 posted on 04/06/2014 12:52:22 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: Norm Lenhart

I went to the Abba museum in Stockholm last summer. It was a great 3 hour escape from reality. Sweden in the 1970s—that’s where I want to live.


34 posted on 04/06/2014 12:52:35 PM PDT by riri (Plannedopolis-look it up. It's how the elites plan for US to live.)
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To: SamAdams76

LOL, that’s true.

I remember during the mid-80s, there were Genesis-related acts all in the Top 40 at the same time

Peter Gabriel
Mike and the Mechanics
Phil Collins
GTR with Steve Hackett even had a hit with “When the Heart Rules the Mind”


35 posted on 04/06/2014 12:53:17 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: riri

If it wasn’t for the platform shoes and bell bottoms I might agree...Of course since it was us that unleashed that insanity on them we should go there and offer profuse apologies ;)


36 posted on 04/06/2014 12:57:01 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart (How's that 'lesser evil' workin' out for ya?)
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To: dfwgator

I Know There’s Something Going On

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=372436tJiaM


37 posted on 04/06/2014 1:00:24 PM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: dfwgator

ABBA Frida Lyngstad at 65 Years Old

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ursQ9h0ckk


38 posted on 04/06/2014 1:02:43 PM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: JoeProBono

I served in the US Army during 69-70 in Germany, and when ABBA hit the scene in America I recognized it as what I called “Euro-Pop.”

In retrospect it was also along the lines of the coming Disco era.


39 posted on 04/06/2014 1:47:51 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: truth_seeker

My little brother was stationed at the Gutleut Kaserne, Frankfurt in ‘69. I was in the USAF stationed in Libya and visited him there - which has nothing to do with ABBA ;-{)


40 posted on 04/06/2014 2:05:23 PM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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