1. ABBA on Swedish TV January 1975
3. I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do - the single
4. The promotion in Europe & the videos
6. The promotion in Germany, Denmark & Holland
8. More TV promotion - Autumn 1975
10. ABBA in USA - November 1975
11. Mamma Mia - one more successful single
ABBA on SVT January 3, 1975
On 3 January 1975 Swedish TV broadcasted the TV special "Nygammalt" where ABBA performed So Long and I've Been Waiting For You. It was ABBA's first appearance on Swedish TV since the victory in Brighton in April 1974!!!
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The red chair session
This session was taken at the end of 1974 or the beginning of 1975. One of the shots was used as a cover picture for the Australian compilation LP "The best of ABBA" released at the beginning of 1976.
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The Panther session
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The "Hey" session
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Bang-A-Boomerang
The next project that involved Björn and Benny was Svenne & Lotta's participation in Melodifestivalen. Benny's old friends from Hep Stars covered the ABBA song "Bang-A-Boomerang" and performed it in the Swedish outtake to the Eurovision Song Contest. The song appeared in two versions - Swedish and English - on Svenne & Lotta's album called "2". Five songs on the album were produced by Björn and Benny and the duo covered more B & B compositions on this album. Among them ABBA's "Dance (While the music Still Goes On)" and "Kära Gamla Sol" originally recorded by Björn and Benny in 1970. Svenne & Lotta's version of it was recorded in English and entitled "Roly-Poly girl". Even the song "When You Walk in the Room" was covered by Svenne & Lotta on this album - Agnetha Fältskog would make her own version of it 29 years later on "My Colouring Book" in 2004. Björn and Benny as well as most of the ABBA musicians played on the album and Micke Tretow was one of the engineers engaged in this project. The Swedish version of "Bang A Boomerang" reached # 2 on Svensktoppen in February and Svenne & Lotta's cover of "Dance" became #2 in April 1975.
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The ABBA members were in the audience in the TV studio following Melodifestivalen.
ABBA 1975 - various photo sessions
One of the early 1975 photo session. The pictures were published mostly in Swedish papers which can mean that the photos were taken by a Swedish photographer. It can be quite difficult to place several photos in the right period of time under 1974-75 even if Frida's hair-do helps sometimes...
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The Honey Honey outfits
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An early 1975 session.
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On 10 January ABBA started their Scandinavian tour in Oslo (Norway). This leg of the tour continued in: Stockholm, Lund, Copenhagen (DK), Göteborg, Helsinki (F) and Umeå. The second leg of the tour was planned for the summer 1975.
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Germany and France
At the end of January ABBA went to Germany to promote their new single "So Long" in the TV Show "Disco"
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Bravo sessions
Wolfgang Heilemann took as usual exclusive photos of ABBA during their stay in West Germany.
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TV outfits
Great memory featuring ABBA in their early glitter and glamour outfits
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Paris
On 1 February 1975 they came to Paris for more promotion
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Photo session
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Recording sessions and holidays
In February and March ABBA continued recording the new album and at the end of the March it was time for holidays. Agnetha and Björn went to Greece and Frida and Benny to California
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I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do/Rock Me - the single
New single "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do" was released in April 1975. It entered the UK chart on 12 July 1975 and stayed there for 6 weeks reaching number 36. One more flop in England and one more disappointment for ABBA. But in West Germany the single was much more successful. It entered the chart on 14 April 1975 and topped at # 6. In France the single reached #14. The US release would wait until 10 December 1975. The single was on the chart for 8 weeks reaching #15. In Holland the single "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do" b/w "So Long" entered the chart in March 75 topping at #3.
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Dutch TV
The 1975 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Stockholm and ABBA were of course in focus during the Eurovision heat in the capital of Sweden. The group members gave several interviews for TV stations from all over Europe. Agnetha and Frida appeared on Dutch TV which followed the group Teach-In representing The Netherlands.
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Promotion in Europe 14-15 April 1975
In April ABBA promoted their new single in Holland, Belgium and France. In Holland ABBA appeared in the TV specials "Top Pop" & "Eddy Go Round" performing "I Do I Do I Do" and their forthcoming smash hit "SOS" which would be released as a single some months later.
Holland
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Belgium
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The photo session with on the boat
This photo session was taken in April in Paris during their promotional trip in Europe.
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The videos
Four new videos were filmed in April, all of them were directed by Lasse Hallström. The promo videos for "Mamma Mia", "I Do I Do I Do..." were made in the studio. "Bang-A-Boomerang" on various spots in Stockholm (City and Djurgården) and SOS partly in the studio, partly outside.
Mamma Mia
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Bang-A-Boomerang
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ABBA's third album called simply "ABBA" was released on April 21, 1975. It contained 11 songs including their latest by that time single hits: "So Long" and "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do". All songs from this album were released on singles. The album became the first international ABBA album reaching high positions in many countries all over the world.
The album contained the forthcoming hit "SOS" performed by Agnetha and the beautiful ballad "I've Been Waiting For You" with Agnetha on lead. Frida had lead vocals on the reggae ballad "Tropical Loveland". The biggest hit on the album which became ABBA's break through on the charts all over the world was the opening track on the A side "Mamma Mia".
The album "ABBA" sold very well in Sweden where it topped the chart for more than 16 weeks. It was re-released in March 1976 and one more time entered the album chart staying there for 2 more weeks.
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MC Polar Sweden |
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The UK release of the LP "ABBA featured a slightly changed cover with a frame. It entered the British chart first in January 1976 and stayed there for 10 weeks reaching #13.
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MC from UK with Bang-A-Boomerang Part 1 & Part 2 |
In USA the album was released on August 28, 1975. It appeared for 3 weeks on the album chart on November 15th, 1975 reaching #174. The album re-entered though the US chart in June 1976 where it stayed for 12 weeks reaching #202.
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The German record company Polydor released the album with two alternative cover versions. The second version of the album received the title "Mamma Mia". It entered the album chart in West Germany on March 15th, 1976 where it stayed for 6 weeks reaching #31.
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The album "ABBA" became a smash success in Australia where it entered the LP chart on September 8th, 1975 and stayed there for unbelievable 65 weeks reaching #1 (for 11 weeks).
 Australia |
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The French release of the album featured partly different layout on the back cover.
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The photo sessions
The cover photos were taken at the Castle hotel in Stockholm and in the car outside the hotel.
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Pick a bale of cotton...
Possibly the strangest musical ABBA project was the recording of American folk medley: Pick A Bale Of Cotton, On Top Of Old Smokey and Midnight Special. ABBA wanted to contribute to the German compilation album with the profits donated to the cancer fond. Slightly remixed version of the medley would appear 3 years later on the B-side of the SP "Summer Night City" (go.to.ABBA The Album+1978). The medley was recorded on 4 May 1975.
Before the tour
Agnetha and Frida gave an extended interview for the Swedish weekly "Hänt i veckan" in May 1975. Several pictures of Agnetha and Frida exercising their dance numbers before the forthcoming tour were taken at the ABBA head-quarter in Baldersgatan in Stockholm.
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ABBA went to Hamburg in West Germany for the second time on May 22-23, 1975 and participated in the TV show "Disco" where they performed "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do". The show was broadcasted by German TV on May 24, 1975. Wolfgang Heilemann took lots of new pictures which would soon be published by "Bravo" and other newspapers all over the world.
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During their stay in Hamburg ABBA were awarded at the restaurant "Die Gurke" for 2 million singles "Honey Honey" sold in West Germany.
See even: ABBA related places/Hamburg Die Gurke
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More photos taken in Hamburg
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The lion session
The session taken by German photographer Bubbi Heilemann in May 1975 in Hamburg.
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The photo session
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The Mamma mia session
One of the pictures taken during this photo session was later used for the cover of the Polydor single "Mamma Mia".
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Paris
Directly from West Germany ABBA wenet to the capital of France where they recorded their performance of "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do" which would be aired one week later on French TV.
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ABBA in Denmark 27 May 1975
At the end of May ABBA arrived in Denmark and made a TV special "Omkring et flygel" (which was shown on Danish TV on June 21, 1975). The host was Bent Fabricius-Bjerre.
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The Tivoli sessions - Copenhagen
ABBA received gold records for sales of the LP "ABBA" in Denmark.
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The Agnetha-ice-cream photo session
One more 1975 classical photo session featured Agnetha among puppets with a big ice-cream in her hand.
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Holland
ABBA went to Holland and did a performance in "Eddy go round" TV special on 11 June. They sang several songs from their latest album and gave an interview. One of the many "cat & dogs"-sessions was taken after the show.
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The TV Show
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The hotel "De hooge Vuursche" outside Hilversum
The garden photo sessions were taken outside the hotel where the group stayed. The hotel is called "De hooge Vuursche" and situated 6 km from Hilversum where the show was recorded. During that photo period Björn was very often seen in his "dog" sweater...
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In Hilversum
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Rehearsals - Stockholm
In June ABBA rehearsed at the Jarla Theatre in Stockholm before the second leg of their 1975 tour.
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New single "SOS" b/w "Man In The Middle" was released in Scandinavia, several countries in Europe and USA in June 1975. "SOS" became a huge hit all over the Europe and the first Top 10 hit in Britain since "Waterloo".
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Denmark/Sweden |
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Norway |
The single was released in the UK on 14 September and it entered single chart two weeks later (on 27 September) on #31. The second week on the chart found '"SOS" on #16 and one week later on # 13. The highest position of the single on the British chart was #6 on 25 October and it was a real breakthrough for ABBA in Great Britain. "SOS" stayed on #6 for 2 weeks.
In West Germany the single entered the chart on 4 August and peaked at #1 on 15 September. "SOS" topped the German chart for 7 weeks. In Belgium "SOS" was #1 and in Holland #2.
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Belgium | |
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The Netherlands |
"SOS" was #1 in Australia, New Zealand and Mexico; #2 in Austria, Italy, Norway, Zimbabwe; #3 in Switzerland and #4 in Ireland.
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Portugal |
S.O.S. in France
In France the single was released with "Bang-A-Boomerang" on the A-side and "SOS" on the B-side. The single cover was re-edited by the record company Vogue later when "SOS" became a big hit in the UK and other countries. The title "S.O.S." was printed with bigger letters on the single cover. Probably because of all this mess the single reached only #59 on the French chart.
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The first edition |
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The second edition |
Other releases
The East German release of "SOS" by Amiga was backed with "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do". The cover photo featured a shot from ABBA's performance in DDR in November 1974. The Yugoslavian edition featured cover photo from the "Waterloo"-photo session.
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East Germany |
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Yugoslavia |
The "Lois" photo session
A photo session promoting "Lois" trademark producing jeans was arranged in the summer 1975 in Stockholm. The sessions were taken on two spots in Stockholm: on the Riddarholmen-island (go.to/ABBA related places for more info) and outside Grand Hotel.
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Summer on Viggsö
German TV went to Sweden and met ABBA having holidays on their island Viggsö in Stockholm archipelago. The footage featured an interview with the group and Stikkan and a video for "SOS".
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Even the German press got a possibility to meet ABBA on their island and take pictures.
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The blue session
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The Blaupunkt ads
Photo sessions for the ads of the German electronic company "Blaupunkt" were taken in the summer of 1975. The ads were published in the autumn the same year.
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In "Kamratposten" (Sweden)
The youth paper "Kamratposten" made an own interview with the group at the beginning of the summer. The feature was published in August 1975.
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Freizeit Magazin sessions
Even the "Freizeit Magazin's" readers got their "own" ABBA pictures. Some lucky people could win T-shirts signed by ABBA themselves.
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The tour 1975 part 2
The itinerary
Before the second leg of the tour ABBA had several rehearsals in the entertainment park "Gröna Lund" in Stockholm.
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Choreography
Agnetha and Frida were working hard with their choreography together with their teacher Graham Tainton. They did advanced gymnastics and aerobics exercises in the special room at the Polar Music office in Baldersgatan in Stockholm
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Rämshyttan
ABBA started their tour in the Swedish folkparks on June 21 in Skellefteå in northern part of Sweden. On their way to northern Sweden the group and their team with equipment stayed for a couple of days in the recreation center Rämshyttan near the city of Borlänge in the province Dalarna.
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Their show in Eskilstuna has been recorded by a fan in audience and nowadays it is available on bootleg CDs. The quality is quite good and it is fun to hear ABBA talking Swedish. ABBA performed: Hey Hey Helen, He Is Your Brother, Hasta Manana, Rock Me, SOS, King Kong Song, Gonna Sing You My Lovesong, Sitting in the Palmtree, Intermezzo no 1, Rock'n'Roll Band (leadvocal Frida!), I've Been Waiting For You, Honey Honey, Waterloo, Watch Out, I Do I Do I Do... and So Long.
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Momarkedet Norway, August 1975
ABBA went to Norway in August and performed "SOS" and "Waterloo" in "Momarkedet" in their cat-dog-outfits.
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The photo sessions
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Recording sessions - Fernando & Dancing Queen
At the beginning of September the group was in the studio recording their probably most successful songs ever: "Fernando" and "Dancing Queen". The Swedish Television prepared at the same time a TV special about Stikkan Anderson and some filming was done in the studio when the first version of "Dancing Queen" was being recorded.
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Platinum for "ABBA"
On 9 September Stikkan organized a party in a restaurant in Stockholm. ABBA were presented with platinum disc for sales of the album "ABBA" in Sweden.
Veckorevyn
ABBA became group of the year in the voting of the readers of the Swedish magazine "Veckorevyn". They were awarded with a painting of Hans Arnold and 5000 Swedish Crowns which the group decided to give for charity.
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In September SVT (Swedish TV) made a 45-minute special featuring the most popular artists in Sweden. The programme featured: ABBA, Lill Lindfors and Björn Skifs. ABBA performed 3 songs: Mamma Mia, I Do I Do I Do... and So Long. The show was presented on the MIDEM fair in Cannes in January 1976.
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More promotion, September 1975
At the end of September ABBA made short promotional trips to Italy, France and Germany.
France - Ring parade 28.09.1975
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In the TV show "Musikladen" on German TV the group performed "SOS" live.
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The photo session
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Seaside Special/Top of the Pops
On 28 September in the UK TV special "Seaside" ABBA performed "Waterloo" and "SOS" live. The group performed even at the "Top of the Pops" which was aired on 2 October 1975.
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Photo session
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Greatest Hits in Belgium
Vogue in Belgium released a greatest hits compilation containing 12 ABBA hits from their first 3 albums.
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Both Frida and Agnetha were working on their solo projects during 1975. Frida released her success album "Ensam" (Alone) in November as well as she recorded one song together with Björn Skifs "Med varann" (With each other/Together) in September. This song was released on Björn's album "Schiffz!". Agnetha released her new LP "Elva kvinnor i ett hus" (Eleven women in one house) in December.
See the respective ladies' sections
go.to/Agnetha 75 go.to/Frida 75
At home
In the autumn 75 the German team from the music paper "Bravo" arrived in Stockholm and took series of new pictures called sometimes "ABBA intimate". the pictures were taken in the both couples' homes in Stockholm. By that time Frida and Benny had moved to a flat in the Old Town in Stockholm.
(All photos by Wolfgang Heilemann)
Frida and Benny
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Agnetha & Björn
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The blue session
One more late 75 session taken in the Polar office in Baldersgatan in Stockholm featuring Agnetha and Björn.
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At the beginning of November ABBA went to USA for a promotional trip. Agnetha became Anna because of pronunciation difficulties. They appeared in several TV shows including: "The Mike Douglas Show", "The Don Kirshner show", "The Dinah Shore Show" and "Saturday Night Show".
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In Saturday Night Live ABBA performed live "SOS" and "Waterloo" |
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rehearsals |
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| The Dinah Shore Show |
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Merv Griffin Show in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas |
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In the "Dick Clark Show" on November 15, 1975 they presented their latest greatest hits "SOS" and "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do". |
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In The Don Kirschner Show ABBA performed SOS, Hey Hey Helen, Waterloo, Rock Me and Mamma Mia |
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ABBA in USA the photo session
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Mamma Mia/Intermezzo No 1 - the single
The single "Mamma Mia" b/w "Intermezzo No. 1" was released in Europe in November 1975. The single had different covers from country to country. The Polar release in Denmark featured a photo taken in Copenhagen during ABBA's stay there in May 1975. The German release featured a photo from a session taken earlier the same year and the Dutch version the cat & dog session outside the TV house in Stockholm. For the French edition there was chosen a shot from the "Lois" photo session.
The song would become another smash hit after the success of "SOS" earlier in 1975. It did not do the Swedish chart though. In Norway "Mamma Mia" entered the chart on January 29th, 1976 and stayed there for 13 weeks reaching #2.
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"Mamma Mia" became ABBA's second no 1 in the UK. It entered the British chart on December 13, 1975 reaching the top in January 1976. It stayed on the British chart for 14 weeks. In Germany "Mamma Mia" appeared on the chart on December 15, 1975 and stayed there for 24 peaking at #1.
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"Mamma Mia" was not so successful in Netherlands as in the other European countries. The single did not even reach Top 10 ending up on #13. The single was released on November 5th, 1975.
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"Mamma Mia" became hit in Belgium where it peaked at #2.
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Top Hits in Germany
One year after the Eurovision victory ABBA were already big stars in West Germany. At the time of the release of the single "Mamma Mia" the German record company Polystar released a compilation album "20 Original Top Hits" where ABBA appeared among the biggest pop stars as Bee Gees, Elton John, Leo Sayer and many others. The smash hit "SOS" was the opening track on the side A of the compilation.
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ABBA in Hamburg, December 75
On December 5th ABBA recorded their performance for the New Year's show in Bremen. The day after they arrived in Hamburg and performed their current great hit "SOS". "Bravo" photographer Wolfgang Heilemann arranged some photo sessions with the group as well as he took pictures during the TV performance.
The show
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Photo sessions
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One of the photo sessions arranged by Heilemann featured ABBA with four big dogs.
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SOS/Mamma Mia - SP in Italy
At the end of 1975 the single "SOS" b/w "Mamma Mia" was released by Dig-It in Italy. The single cover featured a picture taken during ABBA's stay in Italy in September the same year. The single would become the sixth most successful single in Italy in 1976. It reached #2 on the Italian chart.
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Mamma Mia - SP in Belgium
The single "Mamma Mia" b/w "Intermezzo no 1" was released in Belgium in November 1975. It entered the Belgian single chart in December where it stayed for several weeks reaching #2.
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At the office
Lots of pictures were taken in December at ABBA's headquarter at Baldersgatan 1 in Stockholm by Danish and German press.
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