1. SP Take A Chance On Me (January)
2. ABBA The Album in Great Britain
3. ABBA The Movie premiere - ABBA in London (February)
6. BRAVO sessions in Stockholm (April)
7. The ABBA month in USA (May)
8. SP Eagle, ABBA in Germany (May)
9. Polar Music Studios in Stockholm (May)
10. Franck Pourcel plays ABBA - Summer
12. Benny & Frida getting married (October)
JANUARY
Take A Chance On Me/I'm A Marionette
The biggest hit single from "ABBA - The Album" - "Take a Chance On Me" b/w "I Am A Marionette" was released at the beginning of 1978. The single entered the UK chart on February 4th, 1978 and two weeks later it topped the chart (for 3 weeks). Totally it stayed on the chart for 10 weeks. In Norway "Take A Chance On Me" became #8 in March 78. The single was no 1 in Austria, Ireland and Belgium.
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In West Germany the single entered the hit chart on January 30th and it stayed there for 25 weeks reaching #3. In Holland "Take A Chance On Me" became #2 and in Switzerland #3. The single was even successful in USA where it entered the Billboard chart on April 22, 1978 where it reached #3, in Canada #7 and in Mexico #1. The photo session was taken in autumn 1977.
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The Name of the Game - SP in Mexico
In January 1978 the single "The Name of the Game" saw its release in Mexico. It reached #10 on the Mexican hit chart.
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ABBA The Album in South Africa
ABBA The Album was released in South Africa and Zimbabwe in January 1978. It featured the same cover as the European version (except the UK) with some slight differences. Copyright for these territories was owned by Breakaway Music Co Ltd in Johannesburg.
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BBA in France
At the end of January Björn, Benny, Frida and Stikkan attended the Midem fair in Cannes in France. On their way back they stayed in Paris where they participated in a TV show "Loto chancons".
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The promotion of ABBA The Album
The Album was promoted by the group in TV at the beginning of 1978. The promotional campaign was carried out even by special posters and ads.
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Bertold Brecht in Stockholm
The German singer Gisela May came to Stockholm at the beginning of February and performed songs of Bertold Brecht in "Konserthuset" (Concert hall). Anni-Frid and Benny were in the audience.
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FEBRUARY
ABBA The Album in Great Britain
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"ABBA The Album" (with a gatefold cover) was released by Epic in Great Britain on January 13, 1978 and it entered the UK chart on February 4, 1978 and went directly to the top where it stayed for 7 weeks and totally on the chart for 61 weeks.
LONDON, February 15-16, 1978
On February 16th, ABBA attended the British premiere of "ABBA The Movie" at the Warner Theatre in Leicester Square. Benny said: "We are always delighted to come to Great Britain. After all, it was here that we won the Eurovision Song Contest and that's something we'll always remember as the biggest milestone in our career".
British critics had always been generous to ABBA and this occasion was not to prove any different. Daily Mirror wrote: "Now the fans can enjoy the sight as well as the sound of wholesome Swedes... It's a film that is as pure as freshly churned butter." Daily Mail wrote: "One good reason for devoting a whole 95 minute film to these Swedish idols is that they project a wholesome, natural vitality and look as if they wash. Another is that they sing better music than most of their British rivals and also whenever their shrill electronic accompaniment allows us to hear the words, better English."
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The British press reported: "Young and not-so-young, they'd come in their thousands to see Björn and Benny, Agnetha and Frida arrive for the gala premiere of "ABBA - The Movie", at the world-renowned Warner Cinema. At last, it happened - the voice boomed out through the public address -Ladies and gentlemen! The moment you've been waiting for! Will you welcome... ABBA! A battery of spotlights turned on one of the entrances, and there, caught in the glare, staring about them in utter bewilderment stood a party of guests. And suddenly, there they were. Nicely suited and immaculate, unflappably acknowledging the applause that swelled up from the onlookers. Waving and smiling like true showbiz royalty as they made unhurriedly for the special seats reserved for them. Four totally relaxed people with that indefinable something - that charisma that sets apart the stars from the strugglers. Now the lights dimmed, and the audience settled down for two hours of thrue spectacle. A film beautifully directed and photographed, which as it goes from cinema to cinema around the country, will amply fulfil its declared aim. To quote Benny: -You can say that the film will take the place of an ABBA concert tour this year. Says Agnetha: - We really do need a rest this year, and the movie will provide it for us. There is a limit to what we can take in the way of touring, and just to grab ourselves some releaxation, some family life, will be pure heaven.
After the film, there was a reception in one of the largest suites in the Cafe royal, Regent Street. Familiar faces from the pop world seemed to be everywhere.
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The photo sessions at the Dorchester hotel
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ABBA's brief trip to the UK for the launch of The Movie included a visit to the Lyceum Ballroom where Princess Margaret presented them with the Carl-Alan award for top group of 1977. "She was very nice," commented Björn. "But she didn't say whether or not she was an ABBA fan!"
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TV Special "Blue Peter"
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The casino sessions
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The hat session
This session was taken at the beginning of 1978 possibly in connection to their promo visit in London.
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Directly from England ABBA came to Germany to made promotion for their new SP "Take A Chance On Me" and "ABBA The Movie. They performed in the TV show "Auf laufenden Band".
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Anni-Frid's father was in the audience in the TV studio when ABBA performed their latest smash hit "Take a Chance On Me". She met her father after the show. Several photo sessions were taken on different spots.
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Press conference
A press conference promoting both the group's latest album "ABBA - The Album" and their film was held at the hotel where the group stayed.
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Two more videos - "One Man One Woman" and "Eagle", were filmed at the end of February. "Eagle" would be released as a single in certain territories a couple of months later. Lasse Hallström who directed the videos used his famous face tricks especially in the "One Man One Woman" video. Totally 5 of 9 songs from "ABBA The Album" has a video version.
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Åre
The new show of Björn Skifs had its premiere in Åre in northern Sweden. Benny and Frida arrived with helicopter.
The "city orient" session
Frida was getting wilder and wilder...
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Promotion: Switzerland & Finland
Relatively unknown interview for Swiss TV was given at the end of February. The interview was filmed at the Polar Music offices in Stockholm in Baldersgatan. Even Finnish press team met ABBA the same day. One more interview was done and several photos taken. The Finnish team awarded ABBA with gold records for "ABBA The Album".
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MARCH
The ABBA prize
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The group sponsored the junior skiing competition in Stockholm in 1978. The winner was seven-year-old Agneta Hjort who was awarded with a trophy and a cheque by Agnetha and Björn on March 4th.
Parties in Stockholm
Benny and Frida were two of the many guests at Berns in Stockholm when Lill-Babs celebrated her 40th birthday with a big show at the beginning of March. Agnetha and Björn at the same time attended the home-coming-party arranged by a good friend to the Queen Silvia, Beata Magnuson.
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Frida and Benny attended even Lill-Babs' private 40th birthday celeberation.
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All members of ABBA were there at the Björn Skifs' show in the middle of March.
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APRIL
BRAVO sessions in Stockholm April 3, 1978
The "Bravo" team came to Stockholm at the beginning of April and took several photo sessions which would be published in "Bravo" in West Germany and lots of other musical publications all over the world.
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If you want to see the pictures
Take A Chance On Me - the single in USA
The US release of the single "Take A Chance On Me" followed its European issue very quickly. It depended on "ABBA Month in USA" planned for May 1978. The group would come and promote both the new single and the latest album. The single entered the US chart on April 22, 1978 and stayed there for 18 weeks with peak position #3. It was the second most successful ABBA single in USA after "Dancing Queen".
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Lasse Berghagen at Berns
Frida and Benny attended the show of Lasse Berghagen at Berns at the beginning of April.
In Paris
On April 12 the group arrived in Paris. In the TV show "Rendez-Vous du Dimanche" ABBA promoted their film which in France was entitled "Vive ABBA". The group performed their latest single "Take A Chance On Me".
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MAY
May 1978 - The ABBA Month in USA
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At the beginning of May 1978 ABBA went to USA for a big promotion trip. Even if the group had already lots of fans in USA they still weren't successful enough on the US charts with up-to-date only one #1 hit: "Dancing Queen". This trip was thought as the biggest promotional investment in 1978.
The highlight was a TV special with Olivia Newton-John and Andy Gibb. ABBA performed their greatest hits and sang together with Olivia and Andy. They had a jamming session and Frida sang opera. All the promotion made that ABBA's latest single "Take A Chance On Me" reached number 3 on the Billboard chart.
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"Eagle"/"Thank You For The Music" - SP May 1978
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The single "Eagle" b/w "Thank You For The Music" was released in some European countries (Germany, France, Holland, Belgium and Spain). The edited version of "Eagle" was shortened to 4.23. The single reached #6 on the German chart which it had entered on May 22, 1978. It was quite successful in other European countries: #4 in Holland, #7 in Switzerland and #17 in Austria. In France the highest position on the chart was #36.
The single was not released either in UK or USA. In Australia it reached no 82, in Japan no 62.
Eagle/Thank You For the Music in Sweden
Polar Music in Sweden released the single "Eagle" b/w "Thank You For The Music" in May 1978 and it is probably the rarest single release by Polar. The single was released in limited edition and it disappeared almost immediately without entering any Swedish chart. The single contained an alternative short mix of "Eagle" which was 3.36.
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Starparade German TV, May 11, 1978
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Anni-Frid & Benny behind the stage |
ABBA made a promotional appearance on German TV. They performed "Take A Chance On Me", "Eagle" and "Thank You For The Music". ABBA posed for the German photographers and Frida met her father Alfred Haase.
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The classic 1978 session
One of the most classical '78 sessions with several shots featuring only Frida & Agnetha.
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Polar Music Studios, May 18, 1978
The new studio inauguration took place on May 18, 1978. ABBA invited 300 guests to Sankt Eriksgatan in Stockholm. There were speaches and lots of champagne. Among the guests were: Ulf Lundell, Frida's daughter Lise-Lotte, Anders Glenmark and Lena Andersson.
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Polar Music Studios in Stockholm belonged to the most modern recording studios in the world from the very beginning to the end in 2003.
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Studio A
On the 300 square metre area of this studio, five acoustical rooms were grouped around the control room, which had glass walls providing full vision from room to room. This division into five rooms gave optimal rendition of all various typer of instruments without changing furnishings. The control room, with its panorama view over the whole studio could comfortably accommodate 15 persons who could work comfortably there in a fresh, air-conditioned atmosphere. ABBA recorded all their songs in the Studio A (between 1978-82). Even Frida recorded her solo album "Something's Going On" in the spring of 1982. Thinking about Phil Collins' heavy smoking and drinking during the recording sessions it was good for Frida and her voice to be in a air-conditioned studio. Even Agnetha Fältskog recorded her albums "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" and "Eyes of a Woman" in Studio A.
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