- published: 08 Oct 2009
- views: 13091628
- author: AbbaVEVO
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- 10cc
- 18 Hits
- 20 Dynamic Hits
- 2nd Best to None
- A cappella
- A*Teens
- A-Teens
- AAMI Stadium
- ABBA
- ABBA (album)
- ABBA discography
- ABBA Live
- Abba Seafood
- ABBA The Album
- ABBA The Movie
- ABBA the Museum
- ABBA The Tour
- ABBA You Can Dance
- Abba-esque
- Abbacadabra
- Abbaesque
- ABBAMAIL
- ABBAmania
- Abbasalutely
- Adam and the Ants
- Adelaide, Australia
- Agnetha Collection
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- Ainbusk
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- Alphabeta
- Amsterdam
- Anders Ekborg
- André Claveau
- Andy Gibb
- Angeleyes
- Anne Sofie Von Otter
- Anne Sofie von Otter
- Anne-Marie David
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad
- Antwerp
- Apple Corps
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- Arrival (ABBA album)
- Arrival (song)
- As Good as New
- Atlantic Records
- Austria
- Authority control
- Azerbaijan
- B. A. Robertson
- Backing vocals
- Bad (album)
- Ballangen
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- BAO 3
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- Barry Gibb
- BBC 6 Music
- Bee Gees
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- Billboard 200
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- Bravo (magazine)
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- Brotherhood of Man
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- Cashbox (magazine)
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- Edmonton
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- Frida - The DVD
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- Gabba (band)
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- Kylie (album)
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- Latin pop
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- Led Zeppelin
- Lena Meyer-Landrut
- Lenny Kuhr
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- List of ABBA songs
- Lordi
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- Los Angeles Times
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- Manchester
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- Massiel
- Melbourne Town Hall
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- Melodifestivalen
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- Michael B. Tretow
- Michael Jackson
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- Mocedades
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- Money, Money, Money
- More Gold More Hits
- Muriel's Wedding
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- Music genre
- Music of Sweden
- My Colouring Book
- My Life as a Dog
- My Very Best
- Nassau, Bahamas
- National (brand)
- Neil Sedaka
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- Nippon Budokan
- NME
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- Nova (Swedish band)
- Olivia Newton-John
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- On and On and On
- One Night in Bangkok
- One Way Love
- One-hit wonder
- Oro Grandes Éxitos
- Oslo
- Our Last Summer
- Overdub
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- People Need Love
- Peter Cetera
- Phil Collins
- Playboy Records
- PlayStation 2
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- Polar Music
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- Pop music
- Pop rock
- Portal Music
- Portal Sweden
- PRS for Music
- På egen hand
- Ramones
- RCA Records
- Record label
- Record World
- Registered trademark
- Republic of Ireland
- Rexall Place
- RIANZ
- Richard Daniel Roman
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- Ring Ring (album)
- Ring Ring (song)
- Riva (band)
- Robert Plant
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- Rock Me (ABBA song)
- Rock music
- Rock'n Roll Band
- Roy Andersson
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- Salomé (singer)
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- Saturday Superstore
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- See My Baby Jive
- Serbia
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- Shapes (album)
- Shine (Frida album)
- Simon & Garfunkel
- SingStar
- SingStar ABBA
- Sinéad O'Connor
- Sissela Kyle
- Sjung denna sång
- Skiffle
- So Long (ABBA song)
- Som jag är
- Something's Going On
- SOS (ABBA song)
- Soul Militia
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- Spain
- Stephen Gately
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- Super Trouper (song)
- Svensktoppar
- Svensktoppen
- Sveriges Television
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- Swiss Alps
- Switzerland
- Séverine (singer)
- Take a Chance on Me
- Tanel Padar
- Tanita Tikaram
- Teach-In
- Teamtoppen 1
- Teddy Scholten
- Template ABBA
- Template Frida
- Template talk ABBA
- Template talk Frida
- Ten Good Reasons
- That's Me (album)
- That's Me (song)
- The Albums
- The Beatles
- The Carpenters
- The Corrs
- The Hep Stars
- The Hindu
- The Lemonheads
- The Name of the Game
- The Real Group
- The Stylistics
- The Visitors (song)
- The Way You Are
- Thriller (album)
- Tim Rice
- Tio år med Agnetha
- Tom Dowd
- Tommy Körberg
- Toto Cutugno
- Tre kvart från nu
- Tribute band
- Tu te reconnaîtras
- Turkey
- U2
- Ubisoft
- Udo Jürgens
- UK Singles Chart
- Ukraine
- Under Attack
- United Kingdom
- Universal Records
- Variety (magazine)
- Vicky Leandros
- Viktoria Tolstoy
- Voulez-Vous
- Voulez-Vous (song)
- Västervik
- Wall of sound
- Washington DC
- Waterloo (ABBA song)
- Waterloo (album)
- Wembley Arena
- Whitney Houston
- Wii
- Wikipedia Link rot
- Winter Symphony
- Wizzard
- WP Books
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- You're Summer
-
ABBA the Museum
ABBA the Museum is the planned official museum of the Swedish pop group ABBA, located in Stockholm, Sweden. The museum is currently under construction with an original scheduled opening of spring 2009 that has been delayed to 2010.
Ewa Wigenheim-Westman and Ulf Westman, the two entrepreneurs behind the museum, were inspired to create an ABBA-themed museum after visiting the Beatles museum in Liverpool, England. It took the pair two years to convince the members of ABBA that creating a museum would be a good idea.
The couple announced their plans for the museum on November 11, 2006.
On May 22, 2007, the founders announced the official site has been chosen for the museum. The 6,500-square-metre museum will be located in a renovated warehouse on the south quay of central Stockholm, walking distance across from the Gröna Lund amusement park. Four months later, in September, architects Peter Ullstad and Patrick Rehnberg were chosen to design the attraction.
ABBA the Museum was previously expected to open June 3, 2009, with tickets on sale as of March 2008. The founders estimate that once the museum opens its doors, it will attract half a million visitors per year.
wn.com/ABBA_the_Museum -
Amsterdam
Amsterdam (English /ˈæmstərdæm/; Dutch: [ˌɑmstərˈdɑm] (
listen)) is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The city's status as the capital of the nation is governed by the constitution. Amsterdam has a population of 790,654 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,289,762. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.
Amsterdam's name is derived from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were formed. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: 'Grachtengordel'), located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.
wn.com/Amsterdam -
Austria
Austria (
i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: 
Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
wn.com/Austria -
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (
i/ˌæzərbaɪˈdʒɑːn/ AZ-ər-by-JAHN; Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası) is the largest country in the Caucasus region located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The exclave of Nakhchivan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short borderline with Turkey to the northwest.
Azerbaijan has an ancient and historic cultural heritage. Aside from having been the first Muslim-majority country to have operas, theater and plays, Azerbaijan today is among the Muslim-majority countries where support for secularism and tolerance is the highest. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world, was established in 1918, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. Azerbaijan regained independence in 1991. Shortly thereafter, during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, neighboring Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, its surrounding territories and the enclaves of Karki, Yukhary Askipara, Barkhudarly and Sofulu. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which emerged in Nagorno-Karabakh, continues to be not diplomatically recognized by any nation and the region is still considered a de jure part of Azerbaijan, despite being de facto independent since the end of the war. Azerbaijan has come under repeated international criticism for its record on human rights.
wn.com/Azerbaijan -
BBC 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations. It was known officially as BBC 6 Music from its launch on 11 March 2002 until April 2011. 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available only on digital media: DAB radio, the Internet, digital television, and in northern Europe through the Astra 2B satellite.
It is claimed[by whom?] to be an alternative to the mainstream chart-oriented Radio 1 and Radio 2. It operates a playlist of similar 'A/B/C' structure to Radio 1. In actuality, it regularly shares selective tracks on its 'A' playlist with radio 1's 'A' list (and other tracks played on mainstream stations that have a high play), although less reliant upon than the more mainstream stations.
Evening and weekend programming, however, features a more diverse selection of tracks across genres both popular and on the fringes, with dedicated shows towards different forms of dance, jazz, soul, and Jamaican music, among others. The station also features performances from the BBC music archives, including the "Peel Sessions" put together by John Peel from the late 1960s to his death.
wn.com/BBC_6_Music -
Belgium
Belgium (i/ˈbɛldʒəm/ BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish (about 60%), and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons (about 40%), plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
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Berlin
Berlin ( /bɜrˈlɪn/; German pronunciation: [bɛɐ̯ˈliːn] ( listen)) is the capital city of Germany and one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.5 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city and is the second most populous city proper and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union. Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, which has 5.9 million residents from over 190 nations. Located in the European Plains, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes.
First documented in the 13th century, Berlin was the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918), the German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and the Third Reich (1933–1945).Berlin in the 1920s was the third largest municipality in the world. After World War II, the city became divided into East Berlin—the capital of East Germany—and West Berlin, a West German exclave surrounded by the Berlin Wall (1961–1989). Following German reunification in 1990, the city regained its status as the capital of Germany, hosting 147 foreign embassies.
wn.com/Berlin -
Birmingham
Birmingham (i/ˈbɜrmɪŋəm/ BUR-ming-əm, locally /ˈbɜrmɪŋɡəm/ BUR-ming-gəm) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 (2010 estimate), and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census). Birmingham's metropolitan area is also the United Kingdom's second most populous with a population of 3,683,000.
A medium-sized market town during the medieval period, Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of the Midlands Enlightenment and subsequent Industrial Revolution, which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide developments in science, technology and economic organisation, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. By 1791 it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world". Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly-skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation and provided a diverse and resilient economic base for industrial prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century. Its resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of broad-based political radicalism, that under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy.
wn.com/Birmingham -
Broadway theater
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City. Along with London's West End theatre, Broadway theatre is widely considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world.
The Broadway theatre district is a popular tourist attraction in New York. According to The Broadway League, Broadway shows sold approximately $1.081 billion worth of tickets in calendar year 2011, compared with $1.037 billion for 2010. Attendance in 2011 was 12.13 million.
New York did not have a significant theatre presence until about 1750, when actor-managers Walter Murray and Thomas Kean established a resident theatre company at the Theatre on Nassau Street, which held about 280 people. They presented Shakespeare plays and ballad operas such as The Beggar's Opera. In 1752, William Hallam sent a company of twelve actors from Britain to the colonies with his brother Lewis as their manager. They established a theatre in Williamsburg, Virginia and opened with The Merchant of Venice and The Anatomist. The company moved to New York in the summer of 1753, performing ballad operas and ballad-farces like Damon and Phillida. The Revolutionary War suspended theatre in New York, but thereafter theatre resumed in 1798, the year the 2,000-seat Park Theatre was built on Chatham Street (now called Park Row). The Bowery Theatre opened in 1826, followed by others. Blackface minstrel shows, a distinctly American form of entertainment, became popular in the 1830s, and especially so with the arrival of the Virginia Minstrels in the 1840s.
wn.com/Broadway_theater -
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( /ˈkoʊpənheɪɡən/ or /ˈkoʊpənhɑːɡən/; Danish: København pronounced [kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn] ( listen), Latin: Hafnia) is the capital of Denmark and its most populous city, with an urban population of 1,213,822 (as of 1 January 2012 (2012 -01-01)[update]) and a metropolitan population of 1,935,746 (as of 1 April 2012 (2012 -04-01)[update]). With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region. Within this region, Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmö are growing into a combined metropolitan area. Copenhagen is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager.
First documented in the 11th century, Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the beginning of the 15th century. During the 17th century, under the reign of Christian IV, it became a significant regional centre.
Copenhagen is a major regional centre of culture, business, media, and science, as indicated by several international surveys and rankings (see International rankings below). Life science, information technology and shipping are important sectors, and research & development plays a major role in the city's economy. Its strategic location and excellent infrastructure, with the largest airport in Scandinavia,Kastrup, located 14 minutes by train from the city centre, have made it a regional hub and a popular location for regional headquarters and conventions.
wn.com/Copenhagen -
Criteria Studios
Coordinates: 25°54′48″N 80°09′50″W / 25.913245°N 80.163905°W / 25.913245; -80.163905
Criteria Studios is a music-recording studio in Miami, Florida, started in 1958 by Mack Emerman.
In 1999, The Hit Factory purchased Criteria Studios, revamping and reopening the studios under the new name The Hit Factory Criteria Miami.
A selected list of artists who have recorded singles and/or albums at the studio include:
(in plain alphabetical order as if all are an entity, i.e., Eric Clapton under the letter "E")
wn.com/Criteria_Studios -
Cyprus
Cyprusi/ˈsaɪprəs/ (Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros, IPA: [ˈcipɾos]; Turkish: Kıbrıs, IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs]), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía, IPA: [cipɾiaˈci ðimokɾaˈtia]; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti, IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs dʒumhuɾijeˈti]), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria, Lebanon, northwest of Israel and north of Egypt. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union.
The earliest known human activity on the island dates back to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, which has been declared a World Heritage Site with an "enhanced protection" status in the event of armed conflict by UNESCO, along with the archaeological sites of Paphos and the Painted Churches of the Troodos Region. Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world.
wn.com/Cyprus -
Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark, pronounced [ˈkɔŋəʁiːəð ˈdanmɑɡ̊] ( listen)) is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting the country of Denmark in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The kingdom is a unitary state with some power being devolved from Denmark proper to Greenland and the Faroe Islands; this polity is referred to as the Danish Realm. Denmark proper is the hegemonial area, where judicial, executive, and legislative power resides. The Faroe Islands are defined to be a community of people within the kingdom, and the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.
Denmark is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, located southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland and many islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.
wn.com/Denmark -
Edmonton
Edmonton /ˈɛdməntən/ is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, Canada. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.
The city and its census metropolitan area had populations of 812,201 and 1,159,869 as of the 2011 Census respectively, making it Alberta's second-largest city, Canada's fifth-largest municipality and Canada's sixth-largest metropolitan area by population. Edmonton is the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.
The majority of Edmonton's metropolitan population lives within the City of Edmonton rather than in the surrounding suburban municipalities. Historically, Edmonton was surrounded by few other urban municipalities (Strathcona, Beverly and Jasper Place being the largest) but these were absorbed through amalgamation or annexation. Edmonton annexed a significant amount of land up until the early 1980s, and as a result it has sustained much of the region's suburban growth within its own boundaries.
wn.com/Edmonton -
Finland
Coordinates: 65°N 27°E / 65°N 027°E / 65; 027
Finlandi/ˈfɪnlənd/ ( Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland (help·info)), officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.
Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern region. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 336 municipalities, and an autonomous region of the Åland Islands. About one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area, which consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa, and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti and Kuopio.
wn.com/Finland -
France
France (Englishi/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
wn.com/France -
Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Glasgow, Scotland
Coordinates: 55°51′29″N 4°15′32″W / 55.858°N 4.259°W / 55.858; -4.259
Glasgow (i/ˈɡlɑːzɡəʊ/, locally /ˈɡlazɡo/, GLAZ-goh; Scots: Glesga listen (help·info); Scottish Gaelic: Glaschu ([ˈkɫ̪as̪əxu] listen (help·info))) is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands.
Glasgow grew from a small rural settlement on the River Clyde to become one of the largest seaports in Britain. Expanding from the medieval bishopric of Glasgow and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow in the 15th century, it became a major centre of the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century. From the 18th century the city also grew as one of Britain's main hubs of transatlantic trade with British North America and the British West Indies. With the Industrial Revolution, the city and surrounding region shifted to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of heavy engineering, most notably in shipbuilding and marine engineering industry, which produced many innovative and famous vessels. Glasgow was known as the "Second City of the British Empire" for much of the Victorian era and Edwardian period. Today it is one of Europe's top ten financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses. Glasgow is also ranked as the 57th most liveable city in the world.
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Gothenburg
Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg; pronounced [jœtəˈbɔrj] ( listen)) is the second largest city in Sweden by population and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 520,374, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 938,580 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. Gothenburg is classified as a global city by GaWC, with a ranking of Gamma−.
The City of Gothenburg was founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. It lies by the sea at the mouth of Göta Älv—the river running through the city—and is the largest seaport in the Nordic countries.
Gothenburg is home to many students, as the city includes both the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Volvo was founded in Gothenburg in 1927. The city is a major centre in Sweden for sports and home to the IFK Göteborg, BK Häcken, GAIS and Örgryte IS association football teams as well as the Frölunda HC ice hockey team.
Gothenburg is served by Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, located 30 km (18.64 mi) southeast of the city centre. It is the second largest airport in Sweden. The city is also served by Gothenburg City Airport, located 15 km (9.32 mi) from the city centre.
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Greece
Greecei/ˈɡriːs/ (Greek: Ελλάδα, Ellada, IPA: [eˈlaða] ( listen) historically in Katharevousa and Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas, IPA: [eˈlas] and [helːás] respectively), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Elliniki Dimokratia, IPA: [eliniˈci ðimokraˈtia]), is a country in Southern Europe, politically considered part of Western Europe.Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus). The population of the country is around 11 million.
Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
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Hamburg
Hamburg ( /ˈhæmbɜrɡ/; German pronunciation: [ˈhambʊɐ̯k], local pronunciation [ˈhambʊɪç]; Low German/Low Saxon: Hamborg [ˈhaˑmbɔːx]), officially Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, is the second-largest city in Germany, the thirteenth largest German state, and the sixth-largest city in the European Union. The city is home to over 1.8 million people, while the Hamburg Metropolitan Region (including parts of the neighbouring Federal States of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein) has more than 4.3 million inhabitants. Situated on the river Elbe, the port of Hamburg is the second largest port in Europe (after the Port of Rotterdam) and 11th-largest worldwide.
Hamburg's official name, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (German: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg), reflects Hamburg's history as a member of the medieval Hanseatic League, as a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire, and that Hamburg is a city-state and one of the sixteen States of Germany.
Hamburg is a major transport hub in Northern Germany and is one of the most affluent cities in Europe. It has become a media and industrial centre, with plants and facilities belonging to Airbus, Blohm + Voss and Aurubis. The radio and television broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk and publishers such as Gruner + Jahr and Spiegel-Verlag are pillars of the important media industry in Hamburg. In total, there are more than 120,000 enterprises.
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Hova, Sweden
Hova is a locality and one of the two seats of Gullspång Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden, the other is Gullspång. It had 1,288 inhabitants in 2010.
The main part of the municipal administration is located in Hova, thus constituting the municipal seat. However, the municipality avoids the term seat (centralort) due to the rivalry between Hova and Gullspång some 20 km north-west. Instead it is called one of the municipality's two "main localities".
Celebrities from Hova include Stikkan Anderson, Andreas Andersson and August Olsson.
Each summer there is a renaissance fair in Hova based around the battle of Hova in 1275.
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Israel
Coordinates: 31°N 35°E / 31°N 35°E / 31; 35
Israel, officially the State of Israel ( /ˈɪzriːəl/ or /ˈɪzreɪəl/; Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medīnat Yisrā'el, IPA: [me̞diˈnät jisʁäˈʔe̞l] ( listen); Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل, Dawlat Isrāʼīl, IPA: [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is defined as a Jewish and Democratic State in its Basic Laws and is the world's only Jewish-majority state.
Following the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 29 November 1947 recommending the adoption and implementation of the United Nations plan to partition Palestine, on 14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel, a state independent from the British Mandate for Palestine. Neighboring Arab states invaded the next day in support of the Palestinian Arabs. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Portions of these territories, including east Jerusalem, have been annexed by Israel, but the border with the neighboring West Bank has not yet been permanently defined.[neutrality is disputed] Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have so far not resulted in peace.
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Italy
Italyi/ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic or the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.6 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world.
Rome, the capital of Italy, was for centuries a political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the subsequent course of European thought.
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Jönköping
Jönköping (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈjœnːˈɕøːpiŋ]) is a city in southern Sweden with 89,396 inhabitants (2010). It is the 9th most populous city of Sweden. Jönköping is situated by the southern end of Sweden's second largest lake, Vättern. The original town Jönköping has grown together with Huskvarna and Norrahammar forming a contiguous urban area, since 1971 wholly within the same municipality.
The city is the seat of Jönköping Municipality which has a population of 128 305 (2011), and also the seat of Jönköping County which has a population of 331,539 (2006). Jönköping is the seat of a district court and a court of appeal as well as the Swedish National Courts Administration. It is also the seat of the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Jönköping is an old trading center (Köping), since it was located on a crossroad for the roads following along the rivers Nissan and Lagan, and the road between the provinces Östergötland and Västergötland. This was rather natural due to the geographical position of the city at the southern end of lake Vättern, which divided the two counties. On 18 May 1284, Jönköping received rights as a City in Sweden as one of the first communities in the country, by King Magnus Ladulås, who at that time largely ruled the nation from Vättern's largest island Visingsö. In the name of the city "Jön-" is derived from a creek, "Junebäcken", which was situated in the nowadays western part of the city, Talavid. This was the location of the first known settlement in the area. The second part of the name "-köping", as mentioned above, is an old word for a trading center or market place.
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Latvia
Latviai/ˈlætviə/ (Latvian: Latvija), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (border length 343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), to the southeast by Belarus (141 km), and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden. With 2,067,887 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The official language is Latvian and the currency is called Lats (Ls). The country has a temperate seasonal climate.
The Latvians are a Baltic people, culturally related to the Lithuanians. Together with the Finno-Ugric Livs (or Livonians), the Latvians are the indigenous people of Latvia.Latvian is an Indo-European language and along with Lithuanian the only two surviving members of the Baltic branch. Indigenous minority languages are Latgalian and the nearly extinct Finno-Ugric Livonian language. In terms of geography, territory and population Latvia is the middle of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia share a long common history: historical Livonia, times of German (Teutonic Order), Polish-Lithuanian, Swedish, Russian, Nazi German and Soviet rule, 13th century Christianization and 16th century Protestant Reformation. Both countries are home to a large number of ethnic Russians (26.9% in Latvia and 25.5% in Estonia) of whom some are non-citizens. Latvia is historically predominantly Protestant, except for the region of Latgalia in the southeast which is historically predominantly Roman Catholic.
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Luxembourg
Luxembourg (i/ˈlʌksəmbɜrɡ/ LUKS-əm-burg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg, Dutch: Groothertogdom Luxemburg), is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland ("good country") in the south. Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi). A representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is ruled by a grand duke. It is now the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the world's highest GDP (nominal) per capita according to the IMF. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish Road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 16th–17th centuries.
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Malmö
Malmö (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈmalːˈmøː] ( listen)), in the southernmost province of Scania, is Sweden's third largest city by population after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and is one of the largest cities in Scandinavia.
Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County. The administrative entity for most of the city is Malmö Municipality which has 300,515 inhabitants in eight different localities, with 30% being of foreign origin (either born outside of Sweden or having both parents born abroad). Malmö is also a bimunicipal locality, as part of it is formally situated in Burlöv Municipality. The total population of the urban area was 280,415 in December 2010.
Greater Malmö is one of Sweden's three officially recognized Metropolitan areas (storstadsområden) and since 2005 is defined as the municipality of Malmö and 11 other municipalities in the southwestern corner of Scania. On 30 June 2008, its population was recorded to be 628,388. The region covers an area of 2,535.76 square kilometres (979.06 sq mi). The municipalities included, apart from Malmö, are Burlöv, Eslöv, Höör, Kävlinge, Lomma, Lund, Skurup, Staffanstorp, Svedala, Trelleborg and Vellinge. Lund, with a municipal population of over 100,000 and home to one of Scandinavia's major universities, is together with Malmö the region's economic and education hub.
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Manchester
Coordinates: 53°28′N 2°14′W / 53.467°N 2.233°W / 53.467; -2.233
Manchesteri/ˈmæntʃɛstər/ is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England with an estimated population of 498,800 in 2010. Manchester lies within one of the United Kingdom's largest urban areas; the Greater Manchester Urban Area which has a population of 2.2 million. The demonym of Manchester is Mancunian and the local authority is Manchester City Council.
Manchester is situated in the south-central part of North West England, fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east. The recorded history of Manchester began with the civilian settlement associated with the Roman fort of Mamucium, which was established in c. 79 AD on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. Historically, most of the city was a part of Lancashire, although areas south of the River Mersey were in Cheshire. Throughout the Middle Ages Manchester remained a manorial township, but it began to expand "at an astonishing rate" around the turn of the 19th century. Manchester's unplanned urbanisation was brought on by a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, and resulted in it becoming the world's first industrialised city. An early 19th-century factory building boom transformed Manchester from a township into a major mill town and borough that was granted city status in 1853. In 1894 the Manchester Ship Canal was built, creating the Port of Manchester.
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Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne ([ˈmelbən, -bn̩, ˈmæl-],rhotically /ˈmɛlbərn/) is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2010, the greater geographical area had an approximate population of four million. Inhabitants of Melbourne are called Melburnians or Melbournians.
The metropolis is located on the large natural bay known as Port Phillip, with the city centre positioned at the estuary of the Yarra River (at the northernmost point of the bay). The metropolitan area then extends south from the city centre, along the eastern and western shorelines of Port Phillip, and expands into the hinterland. The city centre is situated in the municipality known as the City of Melbourne, and the metropolitan area consists of a further 30 municipalities.
Melbourne was founded in 1835 (47 years after the European settlement of Australia) by settlers from Launceston in Van Diemen's Land. It was named by governor Richard Bourke in 1837, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb—the 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Melbourne was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847. In 1851, it became the capital city of the newly created colony of Victoria. During the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it then served as the interim seat of government of the newly created nation of Australia until 1927.
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Minnesota
Minnesota (i/mɪnɨˈsoʊtə/) is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state on May 11, 1858. Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the state's name comes from a Dakota word for "sky-tinted water". Those waters, together with forests, parks, and wilderness areas, offer residents and tourists a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
Minnesota is the 12th most extensive and the 21st most populous of the U.S. states. Nearly 60% of its residents live in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area (known as the "Twin Cities"), the center of transportation, business, industry and education and home to an internationally known arts community. The remainder of the state consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; deciduous forests in the southeast, now cleared, farmed and settled; and the less populated North Woods, used for mining, forestry, and recreation.
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Monaco
Monacoi/ˈmɒnəkoʊ/, officially the Principality of Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque: Principatu de Múnegu; Italian: Principato di Monaco; Occitan: Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city state, located on the French Riviera in Western Europe. Bordered by France on three sides, with one side bordering the Mediterranean Sea, its center is about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Italy, and is only 15 km (9.3 mi) north east of Nice, France. It has an area of 1.98 km2 (0.76 sq mi), and a population of 35,986, making Monaco the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. Monaco has a land border of only 4.4 km (2.7 mi), a coastline of 4.1 km (2.5 mi), and a width that varies between 1.7 km (1.1 mi) and 349 metres (382 yards). The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires district, which is 161 metres (528 feet) above sea level. Monaco's most populated Quartier is Monte Carlo, and the most populated Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins. After a recent expansion of Port Hercules, Monaco's total area is 2.05 km2 (0.79 sq mi), with new plans to extend the district of Fontvieille, with land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea.
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Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau ( /ˈnæsɔː/) is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 (2010 census), 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas (353,658). Lynden Pindling International Airport, the major airport for The Bahamas, is located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of Nassau city centre, and has daily flights to major cities in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The city is located on the island of New Providence, which functions much like a business district. Nassau is the site of the House of Assembly and various judicial departments and was considered historically to be a stronghold of pirates.
Nassau's modern growth began in the late eighteenth century, with the influx of thousands of American Loyalists and enslaved Africans to the Bahamas following the American War of Independence. Many of them settled in Nassau (then and still the commerce capital of the Bahamas) and eventually came to outnumber the original inhabitants.
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Netherlands
The Netherlands (i/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] (
listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").
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Norway
Norwayi/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
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Oslo
Oslo (English pronunciation: /ˈɒzloʊ/, OZ-loh,Norwegian pronunciation: [²ʊʃlʊ] ( listen) or [²ʊslʊ]) is the capital of and most populous city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, the city was moved closer to Akershus Castle during the reign of King Christian IV and renamed Christiania in his honour. It was established as a municipality (formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. Following a spelling reform, it was known as Kristiania from 1877 to 1925, when its original Norwegian name was restored.
Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are amongst the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities programme.
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Republic of Ireland
Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ or /ˈɑrlənd/; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen)) is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. Its capital is Dublin. The population of the state was 4.59 million in 2011. It is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy, with an elected president serving as head of state. In the 1937 constitution, the name of the state is given as simply "Ireland". The Constitution of Ireland (Article 4) and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 provides that the "Republic of Ireland" (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is "the description of the state".
Ireland is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. A developed country with the seventh highest Human Development Index, Ireland is also highly ranked for press freedom, economic freedom and democracy and political freedom.
The modern Irish state was established in 1922 as the Irish Free State, a dominion within the British Empire, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought an end to the Irish War of Independence. The partition of Ireland had already been provided for in previous British legislation in 1921 in response to opposition to Irish Home Rule or independence by Unionists, who formed a majority in the north-eastern part of the country. Six of the nine counties in the northern province of Ulster were established under that legislation as Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, with which the Irish state shares its only land border. The state is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east.
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Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
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Serbia
Serbiai/ˈsɜrbiə/, officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Република Србија / Republika Srbija, pronounced [rɛpǔblika sř̩bija]), is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans. Serbia borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; the Republic of Macedonia to the south; and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the west; additionally, it borders Albania through Kosovo, whose status as part of Serbia is disputed. Serbia covers an area of 88,361 km2 and has a population of just over 7.1 million, while the capital and largest city is Belgrade.
The arrival of the Serbs to the Balkans in the 7th century, established several states, eventually forming the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. By the 16th century, Serbia was conquered and occupied by the Ottoman Empire, at times interrupted by the Habsburgs. In the early 19th century the Serbian revolution re-established the country as the region's first constitutional monarchy, which subsequently expanded its territory and pioneered the abolition of feudalism in the Balkans. The former Habsburg crownland of Vojvodina united with Serbia in 1918. Following World War I, Serbia formed Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples which existed in several forms up until 2006, when the National Assembly of Serbia declared independence and the legal succession to the former State Union. In February 2008 the parliament of UNMIK-governed Kosovo, Serbia's southern province, declared independence, with mixed responses from international governments.
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Spain
Spain (i/ˈspeɪn/ SPAYN; Spanish: España, pronounced: [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state and a member of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France, and the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France.
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Stockholm
Stockholm (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈstɔkːˈhɔlm, ˈstɔkːˈɔlm, ˈstɔkːɔlm]( listen to the second one)) is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 864,324 in the municipality (2010), 1.4 million in the urban area (2010), and around 2.1 million in the 6,519 km2 (2,517.00 sq mi) metropolitan area (2010). As of 2010, the Stockholm metropolitan area is home to approximately 22% of Sweden's population.
Founded no later than c. 1250, possibly as early as 1187, Stockholm has long been one of Sweden's cultural, media, political, and economic centres. Its strategic location on 14 islands on the south-central east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, by the Stockholm archipelago, has been historically important. Stockholm has been nominated by GaWC as a global city, with a ranking of Alpha-. In The 2008 Global Cities Index, Stockholm ranked 24th in the world, 10th in Europe, and first in Scandinavia. Stockholm is known for its beauty, its buildings and architecture, its abundant clean and open water, and its many parks. It is sometimes referred to as Venice of the North.
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Sweden
Sweden (i/ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən; Swedish: Sverige [ˈsværjɛ] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund.
At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million. Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre (54 /sq mi) with the population mostly concentrated to the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city.
Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to be one of the great powers of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, practicing "non-participation in military alliances during peacetime and neutrality during wartime". However, Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995 and is a member of the OECD.
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Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps (German: Schweizer Alpen, French: Alpes suisses, Italian: Alpi svizzere, Romansh: Alps svizras) are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps. The highest summit in the Swiss Alps is Monte Rosa (4,634 metres) near the Swiss-Italian border. The highest mountain which lies entirely on Swiss territory is the Dom (4,545 metres). Other main summits can be found in the list of mountains in Switzerland.
Since the Middle Ages, transit across the Alps played an important role in history. The region north of the St. Gotthard Pass became the nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the early 14th century.
The Alps cover 65% of Switzerland's surface area (41,285 km²), making it one of the most alpine countries. Despite the fact that Switzerland covers only 14% of the Alps total area (192,753 km²), many alpine four-thousanders (48 of 82) are located in the Swiss Alps and the remaining few are within 20 km of the country's border.
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Switzerland
Switzerland (German: die Schweiz[ˈʃvaɪts]; French: Suisse [sɥis(ə)]; Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvit͡sːɛra]; Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or [ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ]), in its full name the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in western Europe, where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zurich and Geneva.
The Swiss Confederation has a long history of armed neutrality—it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815—and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues, however, an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations, including the second largest UN office. On the European level, it is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association and is part of the Schengen Area – although it is notably not a member of the European Union, nor the European Economic Area.
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Turkey
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.
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Ukraine
Ukraine (i/juːˈkreɪn/ yew-KRAYN; Ukrainian: Україна, transliterated: Ukrayina, [ukrɑˈjinɑ]; Russian: Украина; Crimean Tatar: Ukraina) is a country in Central and Eastern Europe. Ukraine borders the Russian Federation to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after the Russian Federation.
According to a popular and well established theory, the medieval state of Kievan Rus was established by the Varangians in the 9th century as the first historically recorded East Slavic state which emerged as a powerful nation in the Middle Ages until it disintegrated in the 12th century. By the middle of the 14th century, Ukrainian territories were under the rule of three external powers—the Golden Horde, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Poland. After the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Ukraine was divided between a number of regional powers and, by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. A chaotic period of incessant warfare ensued, with several internationally recognized attempts at independence from 1917 to 1921, following World War I and the Russian Civil War. Ukraine emerged from its own civil war, and on December 30, 1922 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic became one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian SSR's territory was enlarged westward during the civil war shortly before, and after World War II, and further south in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding members of the United Nations.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
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Västervik
Västervik is a city and the seat of Västervik Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 21,140 inhabitants in 2010.
Västervik was first mentioned in 1275. The town was then located at the current location of Gamleby. In 1433 Eric of Pomerania decided to give it a charter and move it to its current strategically important location, close to the castle of Stegeholm. In the ensuing centuries Västervik suffered attacks from hostile armies. It was more or less completely destroyed five times between 1450 and 1677. Despite this, king Gustav Vasa established a ship industry here in the 16th century, from which ships sailed to Germany and the Baltic countries, and from the 17th century they sailed to Portugal too. In the 18th century a long period of peace allowed the ship industry to expand, increasing the ship routes down to the Mediterranean Sea.
Every year since 1966 there is a folk music festival in Västervik, at the ruins of the Stegeholm castle. The city still bases much of its industry on its harbour, and on the industries that were established as a result of it in the late 19th century. Recently, however, Västervik has suffered the closure of certain factories, notably Electrolux, with associated job losses. Being a summer town popular with yachtspeople, campers, daytrippers, and returning former residents, Västervik experiences an annual revival in July. Just outside Västervik, there is the static inverter of HVDC Gotland and Fårhultsmasten, a 335 m tall guyed mast used for FM/TV-transmission, which shares with three other masts the title of Sweden's tallest structure.
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Washington DC
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a federal district to become the national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state. It was formed from land along the Potomac River donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia; however, the Virginia portion was returned by Congress in 1846.
A new capital city named after George Washington was founded in 1791 to the east of the preexisting port of Georgetown. Congress consolidated the City of Washington, Georgetown, and the remaining unincorporated area within the District under a single municipal government in 1871. The city shares its name with the U.S. state of Washington, located on the country's Pacific coast.
Washington, D.C., had an estimated population of 617,996 in 2011. The city was the 24th most populous place in the United States as of 2010. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the city's population to over one million during the workweek. The Washington Metropolitan Area, of which the District is a part, has a population of nearly 5.6 million, the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the country.
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A*Teens
The A-Teens (also A*Teens or stylized A*TEENS) were a Swedish pop music group from Stockholm, Sweden, formed by Niklas Berg in 1998 as an ABBA tribute called ABBA Teens and later renamed to A-Teens. They were composed of Marie Serneholt, Amit Paul, Dhani Lennevald and Sara Lumholdt. The band's debut album became a success around the world and in 2001 it was reported that the band had sold 6 million albums worldwide.
After six years together, the band announced they would take a break in 2004 after the release of their Greatest Hits album. Each song from that album became a Top 20 hit in at least one country around the world.
In 1998, Marie, Sara, Dhani, and Amit were musically united as the ABBA Teens. However, upon the request of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, the group's name was changed to the A-Teens to avoid confusion. This choice allowed the band more freedom in creating their own style of music. Despite their name and music, the members of A-Teens are not the sons or daughters of the ABBA members, which was a popular misconception (at least in the United States) early in the band's history.
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A-Teens
The A-Teens (also A*Teens or stylized A*TEENS) were a Swedish pop music group from Stockholm, Sweden, formed by Niklas Berg in 1998 as an ABBA tribute called ABBA Teens and later renamed to A-Teens. They were composed of Marie Serneholt, Amit Paul, Dhani Lennevald and Sara Lumholdt. The band's debut album became a success around the world and in 2001 it was reported that the band had sold 6 million albums worldwide.
After six years together, the band announced they would take a break in 2004 after the release of their Greatest Hits album. Each song from that album became a Top 20 hit in at least one country around the world.
In 1998, Marie, Sara, Dhani, and Amit were musically united as the ABBA Teens. However, upon the request of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, the group's name was changed to the A-Teens to avoid confusion. This choice allowed the band more freedom in creating their own style of music. Despite their name and music, the members of A-Teens are not the sons or daughters of the ABBA members, which was a popular misconception (at least in the United States) early in the band's history.
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Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Åse Fältskog (Swedish pronunciation: [aŋˈneː.ˈta ˈfɛlt.ˈskuːɡ]) (born 5 April 1950) is a Swedish recording artist. She achieved success in Sweden after the release of her début album Agnetha Fältskog in 1968, and reached international stardom as a member of the pop group ABBA, which has sold over 375 million records worldwide, making it the fourth best–selling music artist in history and the second best–selling band in history.
Agnetha (known as Anna in some countries) Fältskog was born on 5 April 1950 in Jönköping, Småland, Sweden. She was the first of two daughters of department store manager Knut Ingvar Fältskog (1922—1995) and his wife Birgit Margareta Johansson (1923—1994). Ingvar Fältskog showed much interest in music and showbusiness, whereas Birgit Fältskog was a very calm and careful woman who devoted herself to her children and household. Fältskog cites Connie Francis, Marianne Faithfull, Aretha Franklin and Lesley Gore as her strongest musical influences.
Fältskog wrote her first song at the age of six, entitled "Två små troll" ("Two Little Trolls"). In 1958, she began taking piano lessons, and also sang in a local church choir. In early 1960, Fältskog formed a musical trio, The Cambers, with her friends Lena Johansson and Elisabeth Strub. They performed locally in minor venues and soon dissolved due to a lack of engagements. At age 15, Fältskog decided to leave school and pursue a career.
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Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil (born in Tunisia in 1941) is a musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End. These include: La Révolution Française (1973), Les Misérables (1980), Miss Saigon (1989), Martin Guerre (1996), The Pirate Queen (2006), and Marguerite (2008).
Alain Boublil’s first musical, La Révolution Française, was the first-ever staged French rock opera. It was conceived by Boublil in 1973 after he watched the premiere of Jesus Christ Superstar in New York. The composer was Claude-Michel Schönberg, with whom Alain has since collaborated on a number of successful projects, including Les Misérables and Miss Saigon.Les Misérables first opened in Paris in 1980. On October 8, 1985, an English-language production of Les Misérables produced by Cameron Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn premiered in London at The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Barbican Theatre. The show transferred to the West End’s Palace Theatre on December 4, 1985. It is the longest-running musical in West End history.
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Alexander Rybak
Alexander Igoryevich Rybak (Russian: Алекса́ндр И́горевич Рыба́к) or in Belarusian Alyaxandr Igaravich Rybak (Аляксандр І́гаравіч Рыбак), born 13 May 1986 in Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist, writer, and actor. Representing Norway in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, Russia, Rybak won the contest with 387 points—the highest tally any country has achieved in the history of Eurovision—with "Fairytale", a song he wrote and composed. His debut album, Fairytales, charted in the top 20 in nine European countries, including a No. 1 position in Norway and Russia.
Rybak was born on 13 May 1986, in Minsk, Belarus—which at that time was the Belarusian SSR in the Soviet Union. When he was 4 years old, he and his family moved to Norway. Rybak was baptized and raised in the Orthodox religion. At the age of five, Rybak began to play the piano and the violin. His parents are Natalia Valentinovna Rybak, a classical pianist, and Igor Alexandrovich Rybak, a well-known classical violinist who performs alongside Pinchas Zukerman. He stated "I always liked to entertain and somehow that is my vocation". Rybak bought a new apartment and lives now at Aker Brygge (Oslo, Norway).
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Anders Ekborg
Anders Ekborg (born 9 October 1960) is a Swedish actor and singer who has performed the roles of Karl Oskar in Kristina från Duvemåla and Freddie Trumper in Chess, two musicals that were written by former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. He has also acted in many Swedish-language versions of musicals, such as Jekyll and Hyde, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar. He has been married to the actress Lia Boysen.
Ekborg also toure extensively throughout Sweden, mostly accompanied by Bengt Magnusson and Anders Lundqvist. He has released one album in his own name; Äkta Vara (2006). Additionally, he has appeared in numerous gala concerts including Rhapsody in Rock.
In 2007 he appeared in two huge arena shows; Queen - Another kind of magic and The Christmas Show. In 2008 he performed the role of Warrior in London - the Musical, and the 14th of July he took part in the birthday celebration of the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria.
In 2009 Anders is doing The Special Tour with Noel McCalla and Caroline Larsson. He's also doing a Christmas Tour on his own.
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André Claveau
André Claveau (17 December 1915, Paris – 4 July 2003, Brassac) was a popular singer in France from the 1940s to the 1960s.
He won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958 singing "Dors, mon amour" (Sleep my love) with music composed by Pierre Delanoë and lyrics by Hubert Giraud.
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Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer and teen idol, and the younger brother of Bee Gees Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.
Andrew Roy Gibb was born in Manchester, England, to Barbara (née Pass) and Hugh Gibb (d. 1992). At the age of six months, Gibb emigrated with his family to Queensland, Australia, settling on Cribb Island just north of Brisbane. He was the youngest of five children and had one older sister, Lesley (b. 1945), and three older brothers, Barry (b. 1946) and fraternal twins Robin (1949-2012) and Maurice (1949-2003). After moving several times around Brisbane and Sydney, Gibb returned to the United Kingdom in January 1967 as his three older brothers began to gain international fame as the Bee Gees.
As a young teenager, Andy began playing at tourist clubs around Spain's coastal Island of Ibiza, and later on the Isle of Man, the birth place of his older brothers, where his parents were living at the time. Andy formed his first group, Melody Fayre (named after a Bee Gees song) which included local island musicians John Alderson (guitar) and John Stringer (drums). The group was managed by Gibb's mother Barbara. The group had regular bookings on the small island's hotel circuit. His first recording (in early 1974) was a Maurice Gibb composition called "My Father Was a Reb" on which Maurice also produced and played. It was not released.
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Anne Sofie von Otter
Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano.
Von Otter was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was the diplomat Göran von Otter and she grew up in Bonn, London and Stockholm. After studying in Stockholm and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, she was engaged by the Basel Opera, where she made her operatic début in 1983 as Alcina in Haydn's Orlando paladino. She made her Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début in 1985 and her La Scala debut in 1987. Her Metropolitan Opera début was in 1988 as Cherubino.
She has had notable success in roles of Mozart, Handel, and Monteverdi. In recitals, she excels in the music of Mahler, Brahms, Grieg, Wolf and Sibelius. In 2001 she released an album with Elvis Costello, for which she won an Edison Award. Among the conductors she has worked with repeatedly are William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Claudio Abbado, John Eliot Gardiner, and Myung-Whun Chung. Most of her recitals and many of her recordings have been collaborations with Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg. In 2003 Von Otter was awarded a Rolf Schock Prize in the musical arts category.
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Anne Sofie Von Otter
Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a Swedish mezzo-soprano.
Von Otter was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was the diplomat Göran von Otter and she grew up in Bonn, London and Stockholm. After studying in Stockholm and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, she was engaged by the Basel Opera, where she made her operatic début in 1983 as Alcina in Haydn's Orlando paladino. She made her Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début in 1985 and her La Scala debut in 1987. Her Metropolitan Opera début was in 1988 as Cherubino.
She has had notable success in roles of Mozart, Handel, and Monteverdi. In recitals, she excels in the music of Mahler, Brahms, Grieg, Wolf and Sibelius. In 2001 she released an album with Elvis Costello, for which she won an Edison Award. Among the conductors she has worked with repeatedly are William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Claudio Abbado, John Eliot Gardiner, and Myung-Whun Chung. Most of her recitals and many of her recordings have been collaborations with Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg. In 2003 Von Otter was awarded a Rolf Schock Prize in the musical arts category.
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Anne-Marie David
Anne-Marie David (born 23 May 1952, Arles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France) is a French singer. She represented two different countries at the Eurovision Song Contest.
David was born and raised in Arles in the south of France. She started her musical career at age 18 when she moved to Paris and became involved with musical theatre. In 1972, she was cast in the role of Mary Magdalene in the French production of Jesus Christ Superstar. 1972 also saw her submit the song "Un peu romantique" to the French selection committee for the Eurovision Song Contest. It made the final shortlist of ten songs.
In 1973, she was selected to represent Luxembourg as the Grand Duchy sought to repeat its previous year's triumph on home soil in the Eurovision Song Contest. She thus joined the long list of non-native performers to have represented the country in the contest, which also includes France Gall and Vicky Leandros. The 1973 contest crystallised into a three-way battle between songs that have since established themselves as Eurovision classics: David's "Tu te reconnaîtras", the Spanish entry "Eres tú", and the United Kingdom's "Power to All Our Friends", performed by Cliff Richard. Ultimately six points separated the third place from the David, securing the second successive triumph for Luxembourg.
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Austria
Austria (i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
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B. A. Robertson
B. A. Robertson (born Brian Alexander Robertson, 12 September 1956, Glasgow) is a Scottish musician, actor, composer and songwriter.
Robertson was educated at the former Allan Glen's School, Glasgow.
He released his debut album Wringing Applause, recorded with Terry Manning, on the Ardent Records label (also home of Big Star) in 1973, but it was to be a further six years until he found success in the UK charts.
Robertson had hits between 1979 and 1981 in the UK Singles Chart, the first of which – "Bang Bang" – reached number 2 in August 1979. Follow-up singles "Knocked It Off", "Kool In The Kaftan" and "To Be Or Not To Be" reached chart positions 8, 17 and 9 respectively. All the singles came from his third album Initial Success, which reached number 32 in the UK Albums Chart. In 1981 he had his last Top 40 hit performing a duet with Maggie Bell, of a cover version of "Hold Me" which reached number 11.
He wrote or co-wrote "Carrie", "Hot Shot" and "Wired for Sound" for Cliff Richard and wrote "Language of Love" which Richard released as a B-side. Robertson also penned and sang the theme music to the television series Maggie and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop ("Hello, Hello"), and wrote and sang backing vocals for the Swap Shop spin-off group Brown Sauce's UK Top 20 hit, "I Wanna Be a Winner".
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Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand (/ˈstraɪsænd/; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, writer, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, five Emmy Awards including one Daytime Emmy, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award.
She is one of the most commercially and critically successful entertainers in modern entertainment history, with more than 71.5 million albums shipped in the United States and 140 million albums sold worldwide. She is the best-selling female artist on the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Top Selling Artists list, the only female recording artist in the top ten, and the only artist outside of the rock and roll genre. Along with Frank Sinatra, Cher, and Shirley Jones, she shares the distinction of being awarded an acting Oscar and also recording a number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Bee Gees
The Bee Gees were a musical group founded in 1958. The group's line-up consisted of brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their decades of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s/early 1970s, and as prominent performers of the disco music era in the late 1970s.
The group sang three-part tight harmonies that were instantly recognisable; Robin's clear vibrato lead was a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became their signature sound during the late 1970s and 1980s. The brothers wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists.
Born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the Gibb brothers lived their first few years in Chorlton, Manchester, England, then moved in the late 1950s to Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers. After achieving their first chart success in Australia with "Spicks and Specks" (their 12th single), they returned to the United Kingdom in January 1967 where producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience.
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Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson (born in Stockholm, Sweden on 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA (1972–1983), and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!. As of 2011[update] he is active with his own band Benny Anderssons Orkester (BAO!), and was executive producer for the film version of the musical Mamma Mia!.
Andersson was born to 34-year-old construction engineer Gösta Andersson and his 26-year-old wife Laila. His sister Eva-Lis Andersson followed in 1948.
Andersson's musical background comes from his father and grandfather; they both enjoyed playing the accordion, and at six, Benny got his own. Father Gösta and grandfather Efraim taught him Swedish folk music, traditional music, and the odd schlager. Benny recalls the first records he bought were "Du Bist Musik" by Italian schlager singer Caterina Valente and Elvis Presley's rendition of "Jailhouse Rock"; this smörgåsbord of different kinds of music was to influence and follow him through the years.
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Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (Swedish pronunciation: [bjœːɳ ɵlˈveːɵs], born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA (1972–83), and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!. He coproduced the film Mamma Mia! with fellow ex-ABBA member and close friend Benny Andersson.
Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg, but as a child he moved with his family to Västervik. Ulvaeus studied business and law at Lund University after doing his military service with stand-up comedian Magnus Holmström.
Prior to gaining international recognition with ABBA, Ulvaeus was a member of the Swedish folk-schlager band Hootenanny Singers, who had an enormous following in Scandinavia. While on the road in southern Sweden in 1966, they encountered the Hep Stars, and Ulvaeus quickly became friends with the group’s keyboard player, Benny Andersson. The two musicians shared a passion for songwriting, and each found a composing partner in the other. On meeting again that summer, they composed their first song together: "Isn't It Easy To Say", a song soon to be recorded by Andersson's group. The two continued teaming up for music, helping out each other's bands in the recording studio, and adding guitar or keyboards respectively to the recordings. In 1968, they composed two songs together: "A Flower In My Garden", recorded by Hep Stars, and their first 'real' hit "Ljuva Sextiotal", for which Stig Anderson wrote lyrics. The latter - a cabarét-style ironic song about the 1960s – was submitted for the 1969 Swedish heats for Eurovision Song Contest, but was rejected; it was later recorded by diva Brita Borg. Another hit came in 1969 with "Speleman", also recorded by Hep Stars.
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Blancmange (band)
Blancmange are an English synthpop band who came to prominence with a string of hits in the early to mid 1980s.
Blancmange was formed in Harrow, Middlesex in 1979 by singer Neil Arthur (born 15 June 1958, Darwen, Lancashire) and instrumentalists Stephen Luscombe (born 29 October 1954, Hillingdon, Middlesex) and Laurence Stevens. Stevens left shortly after the band was formed, and Arthur and Luscombe continued as a duo. The duo released their first EP, Irene and Mavis, the following year, but their first real exposure came via a track on the seminal Some Bizzare Album, alongside fellow acts Soft Cell and Depeche Mode. This led to them signing a recording contract with London Records.
Blancmange supported Nash the Slash on a London club tour in October and November 1980. Nash introduced the band to the Virgin subsidiary record label DinDisc, but they were ultimately signed by London Records, in 1982.
The duo found minor success with their 1982 double A-sided single, "God's Kitchen"/"I've Seen The Word", which peaked at no. 65 in the UK. This was followed by "Feel Me", which peaked at no. 46. Later that year, they broke through with "Living on the Ceiling", which reached no. 7 in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album, Happy Families (which featured a sleeve painting in the style of Louis Wain), also reached the top 30.
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Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( /ˈbrɪdʒɨt bɑrˈdoʊ/; French: [bʁiʒit baʁdo]; born 28 September 1934) is a former French fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex symbols of the 1960s. Starting in 1969, Bardot's features became the official face of Marianne (who had previously been anonymous) to represent the liberty of France.
Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer in early life. She started her acting career in 1952 and, after appearing in 16 films, became world-famous due to her role in her then-husband Roger Vadim's controversial film And God Created Woman. She later starred in Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 cult film Contempt. Bardot was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress for her role in Louis Malle's 1965 film Viva Maria!. Bardot caught the attention of French intellectuals. She was the subject of Simone de Beauvoir's 1959 essay, The Lolita Syndrome, which described Bardot as a "locomotive of women's history" and built upon existentialist themes to declare her the first and most liberated woman of post-war France.
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Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York Times. He is the producer of shows such as Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, Martin Guerre, Miss Saigon and Cats.
Mackintosh was born in Enfield, London, the son of Diana Gladys (née Tonna), a production secretary, and Ian Robert Mackintosh, a timber merchant and jazz trumpeter. His father was Scottish and his mother, a native of Malta, was of Maltese and French descent. Mackintosh was raised in his mother's Roman Catholic faith[citation needed] and educated at Prior Park College in Bath.
He first knew that he wanted to become a theatre producer after his aunt took him to a matinee of the Julian Slade musical Salad Days when he was 8 years old.
Mackintosh began his theatre career in his late teens, as a stagehand at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, graduating to stage manager on several touring productions. Before long, he began producing his own small scale tours before becoming a London-based producer in the 1970s. His early London productions included Anything Goes (which closed after only two weeks), Side By Side By Sondheim, The Card, My Fair Lady and Tom Foolery.
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Carola Häggkvist
Carola Maria Häggkvist[pronunciation?][needs IPA] (born 8 September 1966), better known as simply Carola, is a Swedish singer and occasional songwriter. She has been among Sweden's most popular performers since the early 1980s, and has released albums ranging from pop and disco to hymns and folk music. Her debut album, Främling, sold around one million copies and remains the biggest-selling album in Swedish music history. She has also worked as a songwriter. During her 25-year long career, she has recorded many top-selling albums and singles and is referred to as Sweden's most prominent female singer. Some of her biggest hits include Främling (English: Stranger) from 1983, Tommy tycker om mig (Tommy likes me) from 1984, Fångad av en stormvind (Captured by a Lovestorm) from 1991, All the Reasons to Live from 1992, I Believe in Love from 2001, Genom allt (Through it all) from 2005 and Evighet (Eternity) from 2006.
Häggkvist has represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest on three occasions: in 1983, finishing third; in 1991, winning the contest; and in 2006, finishing fifth.
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Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, CC OQ, (French pronunciation: [selin djɔ̃] ( listen); born March 30, 1968), is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record. In 1990, she released the English-language album Unison, establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world.
Dion had first gained international recognition in the 1980s by winning both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. Following a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to CBS Records Canada in 1986. During the 1990s, with the help of Angélil, she achieved worldwide fame after signing with Epic Records and releasing several English albums along with additional French albums, becoming one of the most successful artists in pop music history. However, in 1999 at the height of her success, Dion announced a hiatus from entertainment in order to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer. She returned to the top of pop music in 2002 and signed a three-year (later extended to almost five years) contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada.
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Charlie McGettigan
Charles (Charlie) McGettigan is an Irish singer born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal on 7 December 1950, but he lives today in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim.
Performing with Paul Harrington he won the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 with the song "Rock 'n' Roll Kids" (words and music by Brendan Graham). He made an appearance as a guest singer at Congratulations, the 50th anniversary concert of the Eurovision.
You can hear an interview with Charlie recorded in February 2010 and exclusive recordings of "Feet of a dancer" "Lullaby" and more at http://www.podcasts.ie/featured-musicians/charlie-mcgettigan/
This website also contains excerpts from an interview with Charlie recorded in October 2006 following the release of "Stolen Monents" in which he performs "The Phoenix" live in studio by visiting http://www.podcasts.ie/weekly-shows/the-artbeat-archive,then select Artbeat Archive Week 9
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Charlotte Perrelli
Charlotte Perrelli (born Anna Jenny Charlotte Nilsson on October 7, 1974, in Hovmantorp, Kronobergs län, Sweden) is a Swedish singer and occasional television host, perhaps most famous for winning the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven."
Since then she has released seven albums and multiple singles. Perrelli once again won Melodifestivalen 2008 and represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with her disco song "Hero", this time she placed 18.
She is one of Sweden's most popular female singers, often performing at Sweden's top shows. Throughout her career, she has worked with different types of music, ranging from dansband and schlager, via modern pop, to soulful ballads and jazz melodies.
At thirteen Perrelli joined a local dansband in Hovmantorp in the Småland-province in southern Sweden. The band Bengt Ingvars became "Bengt Ingvars med Charlotte". After finishing her compulsory school education, Perrelli moved from Hovmantorp to the neighbouring town of Växjö where she attended the High School of Performing Arts. She also became the lead singer of the band Kendix.
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Cher
Cher ( /ˈʃɛər/) (born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer, and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes, and a Cannes Film Festival Award for her work in film, music, and television. She is the only person in history to receive all five awards. She began her career as a backup singer and came to prominence in 1965 as one-half of the pop rock duo Sonny & Cher with the success of their song "I Got You Babe". She subsequently established herself as a solo recording artist and became a television star in 1971 with The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, a variety show for which she won a Golden Globe. A well-received performance in the film Silkwood earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress of 1983. In the following years, she starred in a string of hit films including Mask, The Witches of Eastwick, and Moonstruck, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress of 1987.
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Chuck Klosterman
Charles John "Chuck" Klosterman (born June 5, 1972) is an American author and essayist who has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Believer, and The Washington Post, and has written books focusing on American popular culture.
Klosterman was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, the youngest of seven children to Florence and William Klosterman. Though he was born in Minnesota, he grew up on a farm in nearby Wyndmere, North Dakota. Klosterman was raised Roman Catholic. He graduated from Wyndmere High School in 1990 and from the University of North Dakota in 1994. After college, he was a journalist in Fargo, North Dakota and later an arts critic for the Akron Beacon Journal in Akron, Ohio, before moving to New York City in 2002.
Klosterman was a senior writer for Spin and had a column titled "My Back Pages" (formerly "Rant and Roll Over" and "### Words from Chuck Klosterman"). In March 2006, it was reported that Klosterman was fired after the magazine was sold and editor-in-chief Sia Michel was replaced, along with many other staffers. He still regularly contributes as a featured columnist to Esquire and has written for GQ, The New York Times Magazine, The Believer, and The Washington Post.
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Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist. With his backing group The Shadows, Richard, originally positioned as a rebellious rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard and Elvis Presley, dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s and early 1960s. His 1958 hit single "Move It" is often described as Britain's first authentic rock and roll song, and John Lennon once claimed that "before Cliff and the Shadows, there had been nothing worth listening to in British music." A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music later led to a more middle of the road pop image, sometimes venturing into gospel music.
Over a 53-year career, Richard has become a fixture of the British entertainment world, amassing many gold and platinum discs and awards, including three Brit awards and two Ivor Novello awards. He has had more than 130 singles, albums and EPs make the UK Top 20, more than any other artist and holds the record (with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s–2000s). He has achieved 14 UK No. 1 singles (or 18, depending on the counting methodology) and is the only singer to have had a No. 1 single in the UK in six consecutive decades: the 1950s through to the 2000s (discounting digital downloads and counting only CDs, he had a UK No. 1 single in the 2000s). Richard is the biggest selling singles artist of all time in the UK, with total sales of over 21 million and has reportedly sold an estimated 250 million records worldwide.
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Corinne Hermès
Corinne Hermès (born Corinne Miller on 16 November 1961 in Lagny-sur-Marne) is a French singer.
She represented Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest 1983 where she won with "Si la vie est cadeau" ("If life is a gift") with music by Jean-Pierre Millers and words by Alain Garcia.
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Corry Brokken
Corry Brokken (born 3 December 1932, Breda) is a former Dutch singer.
Brokken won the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest, representing the Netherlands singing "Net als toen" ("Like it used to be"). The melody was composed by Guus Jansen and the lyrics were written by Willy van Hemert.
She participated in the 1956 contest (performing eighth out of field of fourteen) singing "Voorgoed voorbij" ("Over for good"), with music and lyrics by Jelle de Vries, and in the 1958 contest (where she tied for last place) singing "Heel de wereld" ("The Whole World"), with music and lyrics by Benny Vreden. John Kennedy O'Connor's book, The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, notes that Corry is the only singer ever to have finished both first and last in the contest.
In 1976, Brokken served as the presenter of the contest, and in 1997 she announced the results of the Dutch vote for that year's contest. By that time she was no longer active as a singer: she ended her musical career in 1976 to study Law and in 1988 she became a judge.
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Dana International
Sharon Cohen (Hebrew: שרון כהן), professionally known as Dana International (דנה אינטרנשיונל; born Yaron Cohen ירון כהן; February 2, 1972) is an Israeli pop singer of Yemenite Jewish ancestry. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel's most successful musical acts ever. She is most famous for having won the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 in Birmingham with the song "Diva".
Born male, Dana discovered that she was transsexual at an early age, coming out when she was 13. Undergoing sex reassignment surgery in 1993, it was that year that she released her first album, Danna International, upon which she based her stage name. Consolidating her initial commercial success with the albums Umpatampa (1994) and Maganuna (1996), in 1998 she was selected to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Diva"; subsequently winning the international competition, Dana came to public attention throughout Europe.
Following this up with the albums Free (1999), Yoter VeYoter (2001), HaHalom HaEfshari (2002) and Hakol Ze Letova (2008), in 2011 she once more represented Israel in Eurovision, this time with the song "Ding Dong", although failed to make it into the final. That same year she also became a judge on the Israeli television music talent contest Kokhav Nolad.
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Dave Benton
Dave Benton (born 31 January 1951, real name Efrén Eugene Benita) is a pop musician and 2001 winner of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Benton was born on the Caribbean island of Aruba in 1951 and in his 20s moved to the United States. As a drummer and a backing vocalist, he worked with The Drifters, Tom Jones, Billy Ocean, José Feliciano and the Platters.
While living in the Netherlands in the 1980s, he met his future Estonian wife Maris on a cruise ship, then settled in Estonia in 1997. He has had a varied musical career in Northern European countries. He now lives in Estonia with his wife and two daughters, Sissi and Lisa. He performed in the German production of the musical 'City Lights' after which he was asked to replace Engelbert Humperdinck on his Australian tour.
Though he has released and produced quite a few albums already, one of which in his native tongue, Papiamento, his career to date shows him to be more of a performing artist rather than a recording one.
In 2001 he performed with budding Estonian rock singer Tanel Padar and boyband 2XL to win the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with their song "Everybody".
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David Wood (actor)
David Wood OBE (born 21 February 1944 in Sutton, Surrey, England) is an English-born actor and writer, called "the National Children's Dramatist" by The Times.
He was educated at Chichester High School For Boys and Worcester College, Oxford.
Wood has been actor, composer, producer, director, lyric writer, magician, author and playwright. Wood is a leading writer and director of plays and musicals for children, with a host of successes to his name, including Fantastic Mr Fox, BFG, The See-Saw Tree, The Twits, The Witches, Noddy, Meg and Mog, Spot, Rupert the Bear and Babe the Sheep Pig. His most famous story, The Gingerbread Man, has been all around the world since it was first performed at London’s Old Vic in 1977.
Among his film roles are Johnny in Lindsay Anderson's If.... (1968) and Thompson in Aces High (1976). He appeared as the character Bingo Little in the original London cast of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn musical Jeeves in 1975.
He was the writer of the screenplay of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons, released by Anglo EMI Ltd (1974).
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Dick Cavett
Richard Alva Cavett (English pronunciation: /ˈkævɨt/; born November 19, 1936) — known as Dick Cavett — is a former American television talk show host known for his conversational style and in-depth discussion of issues. Cavett appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television in the United States in five consecutive decades, the 1960s through the 2000s.
In recent years, Cavett has written a blog for the New York Times, promoted DVDs of his former shows, and hosted replays of his classic TV interviews with Groucho Marx, Katharine Hepburn, and others on Turner Classic Movies channel.
Cavett was born in Nebraska, but sources differ as to the specific town, locating his birthplace in either Gibbon, where his family lived, or nearby Kearney, the location of the nearest hospital. His mother Erabel "Era" (née Richards) and his father Alva B. Cavett both worked as educators. When asked by Lucille Ball on his own show about his heritage, he said he was "Scottish, Irish, English, and possibly partly French, and, and uh, a dose of German." He also mentioned that one grandfather "came over" from England, and the other from Wales. Cavett's grandparents all lived in Grand Island, Nebraska. His paternal grandparents were Alva A. Cavett and Gertrude Pinsch. His paternal grandfather was from Diller, Nebraska and his paternal grandmother was an immigrant from Aachen, Germany.[citation needed] His maternal grandparents were the Rev. R. R. and Etta Mae Richards. Rev. Richards was from Carmarthen, Wales and was a Baptist minister who served parishes across central Nebraska.[citation needed]
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Dima Bilan
Díma Bilán (Russian: Ди́ма Била́н, IPA: [ˈdʲimə bʲɪˈlan]; born Ви́ктор Никола́евич Бела́н, Víktor Nikoláevich Belán, 24 December 1981 in Ust-Dzheguta, Karachay–Cherkessia) is a Russian actor and pop singer-songwriter . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits.
When Bilan was two years old, his family moved to his grandmother’s place in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny in Tatarstan and then to the greek island Santorini, where he lived for 3 years. When he was six years old, his family moved back to the Soviet Union, to Kabardino-Balkaria where he went to school with his sister. He took part in morning performances, recited poems and sang songs.
Bilan graduated from Gnesins Musical College as a classical vocal performer. He made his debut when he reached fourth place at the Russian/Latvian festival "New Wave" in 2002. In 2003, Bilan released his debut album titled Nochnoy Huligan (Night Hooligan). In 2004, the reissue of the album came out including 20 songs, 16 of the original + four new tracks: Бессердечная (Heartless), В последний раз (The last time), Остановите музыку (Stop the music), Тёмная ночь (Dark Night). Also in 2004 he released his successful single "Na beregu neba" ("At The Sky's Shore") which was also the title of his second album.
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Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno (9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)". He is considered the first Italian cantautore.
Modugno was born in Polignano a Mare, province of Bari (Puglia).
From a young age he wanted to become an actor and in 1951, after his military service, he enrolled in an acting school. While still studying he had a role in a cinematographic version of Filumena Marturano by Eduardo De Filippo as well as some other films.
In 1935 his father moved to San Pietro Vernotico, in the Province of Brindisi (where his parents are buried). Here Domenico attended primary school and learned San Piertro Vernotico's dialect, which belongs to the linguistic area of Lecce's dialect, which is similar to Sicilian. He attended secondary school in Lecce.
In 1957 his song "Lazzarella," sung by Aurelio Fierro, came second in the Festival della Canzone Napoletana, bringing him his first taste of popularity.
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Don Black (lyricist)
Don Black, OBE (born 21 June 1938) is an English lyricist. His works have included numerous musicals, movie themes and hit songs. He has provided lyrics for John Barry, Charles Strouse, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Quincy Jones, Jule Styne, Henry Mancini, Michael Jackson, Elmer Bernstein, Michel Legrand, Hayley Westenra, A. R. Rahman, Marvin Hamlisch and Debbie Wiseman.
Black was born Gerald Blackstone in London, England, the youngest of five children of Russian Jewish immigrants Morris and Betsy (née Kersh) Blackstone. During his childhood the family lived in a flat in Tornay House, Shore Place, South Hackney.
He began his music industry career as an office boy with a music publishing firm, and later worked as a song-plugger. He also had a brief spell as a comic.
He was personal manager to the singer Matt Monro for many years and also provided songs for him (usually writing English language lyrics to continental songs). These included "Walk Away" (music: Udo Jürgens) and "For Mamma" (music: Charles Aznavour).
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Eimear Quinn
Eimear Quinn (Irish: Eimear Ní Chuinn, IPA: [ˈɪmʲəɾˠ ˈnʲiː ˈxiːn̪ʲ]; born 1973)[citation needed] is an Irish singer. Dublin born Eimear joined her first choir at four years of age and at fifteen she started formal vocal training at the College of Music under the tutelage of Jody Beggan. Eimear later graduated with a degree in Music from National University of Ireland Maynooth. While studying for her degree she developed an interest in early music and was a founder member of the ensemble Zefiro.
In 1995 she joined the choir Anúna, Ireland's National Choir. She recorded two albums Omnis(1996) and Deep Dead Blue (1996), featuring as a soloist on a number of tracks. She also toured internationally with the choir participating in performances in Spain, France and the U.K.. It was while singing with Anúna in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin at Christmas 1995 that songwriter Brendan Graham heard her and invited her to sing his composition 'The Voice' as Ireland's entry for the Irish Eurosong competition. Her performance won, and she then travelled to Oslo and was victorious in the Eurovision Song Contest of that year. She left Anúna after her victory.
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Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige OBE (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16. Her appearance in the 1968 production of Hair marked her West End debut.
Following a number of roles over the next decade, Paige was selected to play Eva Perón in the first production of Evita in 1978, which brought her to the attention of the broader public. For this role, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Performance of the Year in a Musical. She went on to originate the role of Grizabella in Cats and had a Top 10 hit with "Memory", a song from the show. In 1985, Paige released "I Know Him So Well" with Barbara Dickson from the musical Chess, which remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo. She then appeared in the original stage production of Chess, followed by a starring role in Anything Goes which she also co-produced. Paige made her Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard in 1996, playing the lead role of Norma Desmond, to critical acclaim. She appeared in The King and I from 2000 to 2001, and six years later she returned to the West End stage in The Drowsy Chaperone. She has also worked sporadically in television.
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Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou (Greek: Έλενα Παπαρίζου, pronounced [ˈelena papaˈrizu]; born 31 January 1982), usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek–Swedish singer and occasional songwriter and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greek immigrant parents, she enrolled in various arts schools before launching a career there in 1999 as a member of the laïko and Eurodance duo Antique, whose rise to fame in Greece was preceded by its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001.
Antique disbanded in 2003 and Paparizou signed a solo recording contract with Sony Music, releasing the chart-topping debut single "Anapandites Kliseis" and album Protereotita (2004), with emphasis on laïko, pop, and dance sounds, but had modest sales, initially. She then represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, giving the country its only win in contest history with the song "My Number One", an achievement which significantly transformed her career. Her album was subsequently certified double platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Greece, while she also briefly attempted a career beyond Greece with English-language material, charting in a few countries abroad. Her three subsequent albums Iparhi Logos (2006), The Game of Love (2006) and Vrisko To Logo Na Zo (2008) all peaked at number one in Greece and reached platinum sales. Her fifth studio album, Giro Apo T' Oneiro (2010), was also certified platinum. Greatest Hits & More was released in 2011 and spawned her biggest hit "Baby It's Over".
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Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriter partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.
In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold over 33 million copies worldwide, and is the best selling single in Billboard history. He has more than 50 Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won six Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Having been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996, John received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998.
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Eric Stewart
Eric Stewart (born Eric Michael Stewart, 20 January 1945, Droylsden, near Manchester, Lancashire, England) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer most known for his tenure with The Mindbenders in the 1960s, and 10cc from 1972 to 1995.
In 1968 he became a co-owner of Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England, where he developed skills as a recording engineer and record producer. His involvement in Strawberry was instrumental in the eventual formation of 10cc.
He collaborated with Paul McCartney on three McCartney albums between 1982 and 1986, has recorded three solo albums and released Viva La Difference in 2009.
Stewart was invited to join local band Jerry Lee and the Staggerlees, which after a year changed its name to the Emperors of Rhythm. Stewart remained with the band for two years and was at the Oasis club in Manchester in early 1963 on the evening that Wayne Fontana had an audition with a record company representative. Wayne Fontana's drummer and guitarist did not turn up for the audition and Wayne asked Eric and drummer Ric Rothwell if they would 'sit in' for the audition. After a few minutes rehearsal, the quartet played three well known songs of the time. Wayne Fontana was offered a record deal on condition that the musicians who played at the audition formed the band. Wayne Fontana's band was called The Jets, but due an existing band using the name, an alternative name had to be sought – it was decided that the band would take the name "The Mindbenders", which was the name of a film on release at the time – Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders then came into being. The band initially played rhythm and blues. Stewart, Fontana and bassist Bob Lang co-wrote "Since You've Been Gone", the B-side of the band's sixth single "The Game of Love" (April 1965), which hit No.2 in the UK and No.1 in the US. Stewart and Fontana also shared the songwriting credit on "Long Time Comin'", the B-side of "It's Just a Little Bit Too Late" (June 1965).
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Evan Dando
Evan Griffith Dando (born March 4, 1967) is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He is the only original member left in the current Lemonheads line-up, having served as lead singer since the band's original formation in 1986. He was married to English fashion model Elizabeth Moses until separating in 2010.
Evan Dando was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of a fashion model and a real estate attorney. He grew up in Essex, Massachusetts. During his youth, Dando had gravitated towards such influential '80s punk outfits as Hüsker Dü and The Replacements. For high school, he attended the Commonwealth School, in Boston. Dando enrolled at Skidmore College, but he could not maintain his grades and dropped out to pursue a career as a musician.
Along with school friend Ben Deily, he formed The Lemonheads at the Commonwealth School in Boston in 1986. The Lemonheads played their first show on August 18, 1986. At this stage they played punk rock, and were briefly known as the Whelps, until a name change in 1987 led to the birth of the Lemonheads, after a candy which Dando noted was sweet on the outside, and sour on the inside, possibly a metaphor for the band's sound. Their first recording as a group was titled Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners. After being signed by local label Taang! The Lemonheads released the albums Hate Your Friends, Creator, and Lick with Deily and Dando sharing lead vocals and songwriting duties until about 1989, when Dando left the band.
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France Gall
France Gall (born Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall on 9 October 1947 in Paris, France) is a popular French yé-yé singer.
Gall was married to, and had a successful singing career in partnership with, French singer-songwriter Michel Berger.
Gall's father was lyricist Robert Gall, and her mother, Cécile Berthier, was the daughter of Paul Berthier, co-founder of Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. (This made her cousin to the guitarist Denys Lable and the composer Vincent Berthier de Lioncourt, as well as niece to Jacques Berthier.) She was the sole daughter in the family and had two brothers named Patrice and Claude.
In spring 1963, Robert Gall encouraged his daughter to record songs and send the demos to a musical publisher, Denis Bourgeois. That July, she auditioned for Bourgeois at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, after which Bourgeois wanted to sign her immediately. France was subsequently signed to Philips.
At the time, Bourgeois was working for the label as Artistic Director for Serge Gainsbourg and assumed this role for Gall as well. He encouraged her to record four tracks with French jazz musician, arranger and composer Alain Goraguer.
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Gali Atari
Avigail "Gali" Atari (born December 29, 1953, in Rehovot, Israel) is an Israeli actress and singer.
She first appeared on the international scene in 1971, when she represented Israel at the World Popular Song Festival in Japan with the songs "All free" and "Give love away". Atari participated in the contest again in 1976, this time with the song "The same old game".
In 1978, Atari performed the song "Nesich hachlomot" (נסיך החלומות, Dream Prince), along with Zvi Bums and Udi Spielman, at the Festival Hazemer Ha'ivri, the Israeli qualification heat for the Eurovision Song Contest. She placed third but, undeterred, entered again in 1979, this time as female vocalist with the group Milk and Honey. They won, and their song, Hallelujah represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest, staged in Jerusalem on March 31. The song was voted the winner, and was a success in the European charts. Atari did not remain with the group for long though, and returned to her solo career.
Also in 1979, she starred in the Israeli film Dizengoff 99.
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Gigliola Cinquetti
Gigliola Cinquetti (born 20 December 1947, Verona, Veneto) is an Italian singer, TV presenter and journalist.
At the age of 16 she won the Sanremo Music Festival in 1964 singing "Non ho l'età" ("I'm Not Old Enough"), with music composed by Nicola Salerno and lyrics by Mario Panzeri. Her victory enabled her to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964 with the same song, and she went on to claim her country's first ever victory in the event. This became an international success, even entering UK Singles Chart, traditionally unusual for Italian material. It sold over three million copies, and was awarded a platinum disc in August 1964. In 1966, she recorded "Dio, come ti amo" ("God, How I Love You"), which became another worldwide hit.[citation needed]
In 1974 Gigliola Cinquetti entered the Eurovision Song Contest again, which was held in Brighton, Sussex, England. The song was called "Go [Before You Break My Heart]", which came 2nd, only to Swedish foursome Abba with their song "Waterloo". Gigliola Cinquetti scored an even bigger UK hit single than she had ten years earlier, with "Go" peaking at #8.
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Hallo Venray
Hallo Venray is a guitar rock band from The Hague in the Netherlands. The band is a mainstay in the Dutch rock scene and has produced a number of successful albums of which Leather on My Soul (2008) is the latest.
Hallo Venray is founded in 1985 by Henk Koorn and Toon Moerland. Together with drummer Dim Veldhuizen the band releases its debut album You Don’t Hit a Guy With Glasses On in 1989. The following year the next album King is released. It is with the band’s third record The More I Laugh, The Hornier Due Gets that the band gets their due. Released in 1992 this album receives a lot of airplay on the Dutch national radio stations. The band tours extensively in their home country, with Pinkpop as crowning achievement.
A Million Planes to Fly (1993), the band’s fourth record builds on this success. The band plays a number of international shows. Supporting the band Texas in France.
In 1995 the band’s popularity has waned and the album Merry-Go-Round fails to live up to the success of the two previous albums. Two years later Hallo Venray releases a self-titled album. This album shows off a more modern sound with samples and electronic instruments. After this album the band becomes less active. In 1998 drummer Dim Veldhuizen leaves, he is replaced by Henk Jonkers.
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Helen Sjöholm
Marie Helen Sjöholm (Swedish pronunciation: [heˈleːn ˈɧøːhɔlm]) (born 10 July 1970) is a Swedish singer, actress and musical theatre performer who lives in Gamla Enskede in Stockholm. She grew up in Sundsvall and started to sing in choirs at an early age, working, among others, with Swedish conductor Kjell Lönnå. By the end of the 1980s she toured with the group "Just For Fun".
Her career as a performer of musical theatre began with small-scale concert presentations of Chess, in which she sang the role of Florence. She took part in a number of smaller productions, including Little Dorrit in Enskede and the musical Elvira Madigan at Malmö Music Theatre in Malmö, Sweden.
Her big breakthrough occurred in 1995 when she created the title role in Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' Kristina från Duvemåla, which she played on and off for nearly four years (during the musical's entire run). Minneapolis Star and Tribune in its review of the concert version of the musical performed by the original cast in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1996 described her as "extraordinary" (14 October 1996, page 05B). In 1998, she played Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, taking a break from Kristina. In 2000, she returned to Malmö Music Theatre to portray the role of Fantine in Les Misérables, and in 2002 she created the role of Florence in the reconceived Swedish production of Chess, opposite original London star Tommy Körberg as Anatoly. Having left this production upon closing in 2003, Sjöholm took part in Chinarevyn, a revue starring many well-known Swedish performers including Magnus Härenstam, Lasse Berghagen, Loa Falkman, Sissela Kyle and herself.
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Hep Stars
The Hep Stars was a Swedish rock group, formed in 1963 in Stockholm. During 1965-1966 the band was the most successful of contemporary 1960s Swedish pop groups performing in English language. Outside the Nordic countries the band is best known as a launching point for keyboard player and composer Benny Andersson, who went on to enjoy worldwide success with ABBA.
The band was founded by drummer Christer "Chrille" Pettersson (d.2006) and bass guitarist Lennart "Lelle" Hegland in 1963 with keyboardist Hans Östlund and guitarist-singer Jan "Janne" Frisk joining. At their height of popularity the line-up consisted of Hegland, Pettersson, Frisk and Sven "Svenne" Hedlund on lead vocals and Benny Andersson on keyboards.
Upon founding the band called themselves Quartet Yep. Their repertoire included various styles of music from Latin-dance to rock in order to get as many gigs as possible in varying venues. Mainly on the influence by Jan Frisk their music started to veer towards rock 'n'roll and pop. The band decided a more intriguing name was in order and on Frisk's suggestion Hep Stars was chosen. The idea came from Bill Haley song "Razzle Dazzle" line "It's the hipster's dance" with slight alteration on written form. They started to get support gigs also closing in after the headline act. Typical gig could see them playing around four hours with one set of rock.
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Isabelle Aubret
Isabelle Aubret (27 July 1938) is a French singer.
Born as Thérèse Coquerelle in Lille, France, Aubret won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1962 representing France and singing "Un premier amour" (A first love) with music composed by Claude-Henri Vic and lyrics by Roland Stephane Valade. In 1968, she returned to the contest, again representing France, finishing third, and singing "La source" (The Spring) with music by Daniel Faure and lyrics by Henri Dijan, and Guy Bonnet.
Aubret was a participant in the French national heats for Eurovision in other years. Her first attempt was in 1961 with the song "Le gars de n'importe où". She was awarded second place. Another runner-up spot came Aubret's way in 1970 when she teamed up with Daniel Bératta for the song "Olivier, Olivia". She was not as successful with her 1976 effort, "Je te connais déjà" which finished sixth out of seven songs in the second semi-final. Her final challenge for Eurovision was in 1983 with the patriotic "France, France" which took her to third place.
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Izhar Cohen
Izhar Cohen (Hebrew: יזהר כהן, born March 13, 1951, Giv'atayim, Israel) is an Israeli singer who won the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest.
Cohen was born in Tel Aviv and raised in Giv'atayim in a Yemeni singers' family - Shlomo Cohen (the Great Soliman), Sarah Cohen, and Hofni, Pini, and Vardina Cohen.
Cohen started to sing when he was a young child and joined his father in his performances. At 18, Cohen joined the IDF's "Nachal" singers group. During the 70's Cohen was one of the most played singers in Israel. Representing Israel, he won the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest with the group Alphabeta performing "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" with music by Nurit Hirsh and words by Ehud Manor. The title of the song is the Hebrew word "ani" (first person singular pronoun) expressed in the popular children's code "Bet language".
Cohen later represented Israel again (this time with an unnamed group of backing singers) at the 1985 contest performing "Olé, Olé" (music - Kobi Oshrat, words - Hamutal Ben-Ze'ev) where he finished 5th. He attempted to represent Israel again in 1987 and 1996 but did not win the national final.
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Jacqueline Boyer
Jacqueline Boyer (born Jacqueline Ducos, 23 April 1941 in Paris) is a French singer and actress, the daughter of performers Jacques Pills and Lucienne Boyer.
In 1960 she won the Eurovision Song Contest for France singing "Tom Pillibi", with music composed by André Popp and lyrics by Pierre Cour. The resulting single reached #33 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1960.
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Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989 with UK sales of over 1.5 million copies. He has had four UK No. 1 singles, one of which was "Especially for You", his 1988 duet with Kylie Minogue. In more recent years, he has returned to acting on television and in stage musicals.
Jason Donovan was born in Malvern, Melbourne, is the son of actor Terence Donovan, who also appeared in Neighbours as Doug Willis, and Sue McIntosh. His half-sister is former Neighbours star Stephanie McIntosh. Donovan attended De La Salle College, Malvern. His partner since 1998 is Angela Malloch, a former stage manager, with whom he has three children; a daughter, Jemma (born 28 March 2000) a son, Zac (born 22 March 2001), and daughter, Molly (born 9 March 2011). Donovan and Malloch were married in Bali in 2008.
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Jean-Claude Pascal
Jean-Claude Pascal (b. 24 October 1927 in Paris, France as Jean-Claude Villeminot. d. 5 May 1992) was a French comedian and singer.
After surviving the Second World War in Straßburg, Pascal first studied at the Sorbonne-university and then turned to fashion-designing for Christian Dior. On his work for costumes for the theatre-play Don Juan he came into contact with acting and made his first cinema-movie in 1949 with Quattro rose rosse. Many movies should follow, among them La Belle et l'empereur ("Die schöne Lügnerin", 1959) (aside to Romy Schneider) or Angelique and the Sultan (Angélique et le sultan, 1968) aside to Michèle Mercier.
Pascal won the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg singing "Nous les amoureux" (We the lovers) with music composed by Jacques Datin and lyrics by Maurice Vidalin. He later represented Luxembourg again in the 1981 contest and finished 11th of 20 singing "C'est peut-être pas l'Amérique" (It may not be America) with words and music he composed along with Sophie Makhno and Jean-Claude Petit.
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Jon Lord
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord D.M. (born 9 June 1941) is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple, besides Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods and Flower Pot Men.
In 1968, Lord founded Deep Purple, where he was virtually the leader of the band until 1970. In addition, Lord wrote the organ riff on "Child in Time". He and drummer Ian Paice were the only constant band members during the band's existence from 1968 to 1976 and from when they reformed in 1984 until Lord's retirement from Deep Purple in 2002. On 11 November 2010, Lord was made an Honorary Fellow of Stevenson College, Edinburgh. On 15 July 2011, he was granted an honorary Doctor of Music degree by his home town's University of Leicester.
Jon Lord was born in Leicester on 9 June 1941 to his parents Miriam (1912–1995, née Hudson) and Reg. He studied classical piano from the age of five, and those influences are a recurring trademark in his work. His influences range from Bach (a constant connection in his music and his keyboard improvisation) to Medieval popular music and the English tradition of Edward Elgar.
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Julian Lennon
John Charles Julian Lennon (born 8 April 1963) is a British musician, songwriter, actor, and photographer. He is the son of John Lennon and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Powell. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was his godfather. He has a younger half-brother, Sean Lennon. Lennon was named after his paternal grandmother, Julia. He remains close friends with his father's former bandmate Paul McCartney.
Julian directly inspired three Beatles songs: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Hey Jude" and "Good Night". He is also devoted to philanthropic endeavors, most notably his own White Feather Foundation and the Whaledreamers Organization, both of which promote the co-existence of all species and the health and well-being of the Earth.
His sixth studio album Everything Changes was released on 3 October 2011.
Julian Lennon was born in Liverpool. Initially, the fact that John Lennon was married and had a child was concealed from the public, in keeping with the conventional wisdom of the era that female teenage fans would not be as enamoured of married male pop stars.
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Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE ( /ˈkaɪliː mɨˈnoʊɡ/; born 28 May 1968) — often known simply as Kylie — is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, showgirl, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987. Her first single, "Locomotion", spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart and became the highest selling single of the decade. This led to a contract with songwriters and producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Her debut album, Kylie (1988), and the single "I Should Be So Lucky", each reached number one in the United Kingdom, and over the next two years, her first 13 singles reached the British top ten. Her debut film, The Delinquents (1989) was a box-office hit in Australia and the UK, and received generally positive reviews.
Initially presented as a "girl next door", Minogue attempted to convey a more mature style in her music and public image. Her singles were well received, but after four albums her record sales were declining, and she left Stock, Aitken & Waterman in 1992 to establish herself as an independent performer. Her next single, "Confide in Me", reached number one in Australia and was a hit in several European countries in 1994, and a duet with Nick Cave, "Where the Wild Roses Grow", brought Minogue a greater degree of artistic credibility. Drawing inspiration from a range of musical styles and artists, Minogue took creative control over the songwriting for her next album, Impossible Princess (1997). It failed to attract strong reviews or sales in the UK, but was successful in Australia.
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Lars Berghagen
Lars "Lasse" Nils Berghagen (born 13 May 1945 in Enskede) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, composer and actor.
Berghagen is a well known singer-songwriter in Sweden. He released his first record in 1965, aged just 19. Four years later, in 1969, he released the single Teddybjörnen Fredriksson ("The Teddybear Fredriksson"), which has become a classic. Other hits include Sträck ut din hand, En kväll i juni and Stockholm i mitt hjärta.
Berghagen won the Swedish 1975 Melodifestivalen with the song Jennie, Jennie. He also participated in the 1974 Melodifestivalen with the song Min kärlekssång till dig ("My Lovesong For You"), taking second place (after ABBA).
He hosted the popular summer TV show Allsång på Skansen (Singalong at Skansen) from 1994 to 2003. During his time as host the show increased its ratings from 600,000 to 2,000,000 viewers, which by Swedish standards is considered an impressive rating (Sweden has approximately 9,000,000 inhabitants).
He was married to singer Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson from 1965 to 1968. He is the father of actress and TV personality Malin Berghagen, and the father-in-law of Tommy Nilsson.
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Lasse Berghagen
Lars "Lasse" Nils Berghagen (born 13 May 1945 in Enskede) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, composer and actor.
Berghagen is a well known singer-songwriter in Sweden. He released his first record in 1965, aged just 19. Four years later, in 1969, he released the single Teddybjörnen Fredriksson ("The Teddybear Fredriksson"), which has become a classic. Other hits include Sträck ut din hand, En kväll i juni and Stockholm i mitt hjärta.
Berghagen won the Swedish 1975 Melodifestivalen with the song Jennie, Jennie. He also participated in the 1974 Melodifestivalen with the song Min kärlekssång till dig ("My Lovesong For You"), taking second place (after ABBA).
He hosted the popular summer TV show Allsång på Skansen (Singalong at Skansen) from 1994 to 2003. During his time as host the show increased its ratings from 600,000 to 2,000,000 viewers, which by Swedish standards is considered an impressive rating (Sweden has approximately 9,000,000 inhabitants).
He was married to singer Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson from 1965 to 1968. He is the father of actress and TV personality Malin Berghagen, and the father-in-law of Tommy Nilsson.
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Lasse Hallström
Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for My Life as a Dog (Mitt liv som hund) (1985) and later for The Cider House Rules (1999).
Hallström was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father was a dentist and his mother was the Swedish writer Karin Lyberg (1907–2000). His maternal grandfather, Ernst Lyberg, was the Swedish Minister of Finance in the first cabinet of Carl Gustaf Ekman (1926–1928) and leader of the Liberal Party of Sweden (1930–1933).
Hallström learned his craft making music videos, in particular for the group ABBA. Since the international success of My Life as a Dog (1985), for which he was nominated for Academy Awards for writing and directing, Hallström has worked in American movies. His first notable American success was What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). He reached his greatest level of prominence when he was nominated for an Academy Award for best director for the critically acclaimed movie The Cider House Rules (1999) and then later directed the well-received film Chocolat (2000), both which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Hallström is set to direct the motion picture based on the best-selling novel 'The Hypnotist' (2011) written by couple Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril under the pseudonym Lars Kepler.
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Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut (born 23 May 1991), known professionally as Lena, is a German singer-songwriter. She represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, Norway, and won the contest with the song "Satellite". With her three entries from the German national final Unser Star für Oslo (Our Star for Oslo), Meyer-Landrut set an all-time chart record in her home country by debuting with three songs in the top five of the German singles chart. Both "Satellite" and her first album My Cassette Player debuted at number one in Germany, while the former has been certified double Platinum since, the album has been certified five times Gold for sales of over 500,000 units. Meyer-Landrut represented Germany, for the second consecutive time, in the Eurovision Song Contest at Düsseldorf in 2011 with the song "Taken by a Stranger".
Lena Meyer-Landrut was born in Hanover, Germany. She is the granddaughter of Andreas Meyer-Landrut, the Estonian-born West German ambassador to the Soviet Union in Moscow from 1980 to 1983 and 1987 to 1989. She grew up as an only child, and started taking dancing lessons at the age of five; initially doing ballet and later practising various modern styles, including hip-hop and jazz dance. Meyer-Landrut grew fond of singing and appeared as an extra in a number of German television series; however she never received any formal acting or vocal training. In June 2010 she graduated from IGS Roderbruch Hannover, a comprehensive school, receiving her Abitur diploma.
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Lenny Kuhr
Lenny Kuhr (born 22 February 1950 in Eindhoven) is a Dutch singer-songwriter.
In 1967 she started a singing career in the Netherlands, performing songs in the French chanson tradition. In 1969 she represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest with her own composition De Troubadour (lyrics by David Hartsema; orchestra conducted by Franz de Kok). She was one of the four winners that year.
In the early seventies Kuhr was more successful in France than in her home country. She topped the French charts in 1972 with the song Jesus Christo and performed in the shows of Georges Brassens.
In 1980 she had her biggest hit in the Netherlands: Visite, a song she performed together with the French group les Poppys. She has been releasing records ever since, though without major chart success.
1982 saw Kuhr host the Nationaal Songfestival, the Dutch national heat for Eurovision.
Lenny Kuhr converted to Judaism. She is married to Rob Frank and has two daughters from an earlier marriage, who live in Israel. For a while, she lived in Israel herself. [dead link]
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Linda Martin
Linda Martin (born 17 April 1947) is an Irish singer and television presenter. She is best known in Europe as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, with the song "Why Me?", and in Ireland as a member of the 1970s/1980s band, Chips.
Martin was born in Omagh, County Tyrone on 17 April 1947. She is of Irish, Scottish and Italian ancestry. Her surname was originally Martini. Her paternal great-grandfather Francis Martin was born in Dublin to immigrants from Lombardy, Italy. Martin's maternal great-grandparents, William Green and Elizabeth Nangle had a coal-mining background; they had transferred to Belfast from Larkhall, Scotland.
Martin started off her musical career when she joined the band Chips in Omagh in 1969. They quickly became one of the top bands in Ireland on the live circuit and released hit singles "Love Matters", "Twice a Week" and "Goodbye Goodbye" during the mid to late 1970s. In 1972, Martin broke away from Chips to be a vocalist with new band Lyttle People, but rejoined Chips the following year. The group appeared on Opportunity Knocks in 1974 and appeared a number of times on British television promoting their singles, but never scored a UK hit. With multiple entries to the Irish National finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, the band carried on into the 1980s. They scored a final Irish hit in 1982 with "David's Song", after which Martin broke away when she won the Castlebar Song Contest with "Edge of the Universe" in 1983. From this point she concentrated on a solo career as well as occasional live appearances with Chips until they recruited a new lead singer (Valerie Roe) in the late 1980s.
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Linda Ulvaeus
Linda Elin Ulvaeus (born February 23, 1973 in Vallentuna, Sweden) is a Swedish singer-songwriter, screen and stage actress. She is the eldest child of Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, former members of the Swedish pop group ABBA.
Ulvaeus made her musical debut in 1980, aged 7, when she recorded the album Nu tändas tusen juleljus with her mother; she has since developed her career as an actress. In 2004, Ulvaeus appeared as a backing singer in Agnetha Fältskog's comeback single "When You Walk in the Room".
ABBA, half of which were the parents of Ulvaeus, disbanded in 1983. During this time, Agnetha Fältskog decided to record an LP with her daughter. The LP, that was produced with the help of Michael Tretow, consisted of eighteen traditional Christmas carols and children's songs in Swedish. Nu tändas tusen juleljus was released in Sweden at the end of 1981.
However, Ulvaeus wanted to be an actress. After her musical debut with Nu tändas tusen juleljus, she made her acting debut on 1998 film Under solen as Lena. Ulvaeus then appeared on television series Labyrinten in 2000; in 2001 she appeared on Blå måndag, released directly to the video. She has also developed her career as a stage actress.
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Lys Assia
Lys Assia (born Rosa Mina Schärer on 3 March 1926, Rupperswil, Aargau, Switzerland) is a Swiss singer who won the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. When Lys Assia was a young girl she was a dancer. In 1940, however, she stood in for a female singer. People who heard her singing liked it, so she changed from dancing to singing.
In 1956 she was the winner of the very first Eurovision Song Contest, in which she sang for Switzerland. She had also been in the German national final of that year and returned to the contest again for Switzerland in 1957 and 1958.
In September 2011, Assia entered her song "C'était ma vie" written by Ralph Siegel and Jean Paul Cara into the Swiss national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The song, however, only came eighth in a closely fought national selection.
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Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC ( /ˈfreɪzə/; born 21 May 1930) is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in 1975 through the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role. After three election victories, he was defeated by Bob Hawke in the 1983 election and ended his career alienated from his own party.
Malcolm Fraser was born in Toorak to a family with a history of involvement in politics and the pastoral/grazing industry. His grandfather, Simon Fraser, emigrated from Nova Scotia in 1853, becoming a successful pastoralist and speculator, as well as a member of the Victorian Parliament, the Federation Conventions of 1897–98 and the Australian Senate. Malcolm Fraser's father, John Neville Fraser, was a pastoralist at Deniliquin in the Riverina region of New South Wales and later at a property called "Nareen", near Hamilton in the Western District of Victoria. Malcolm Fraser's mother, Una Woolf, was of Jewish descent on her own father's side.
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Marie Myriam
Marie Myriam (born Myriam Lopes, May 8, 1957, Luluabourg/Kananga, Belgian Congo, now Democratic Republic of the Congo) is a French singer of Portuguese origins. She has a daughter Laureen born in 1982 and a son Rick born in 1990.
Representing France, she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977 with " L'oiseau et l'enfant" ("The bird and the child") with music by Jean Paul Cara and words by Joe Gracy. The single reached #42 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1977.In 1981, Myriam also represented France in the Yamaha Music Festival with the song "Sentimentale"; she came in ninth place. In recent years, she has read out the votes of the French Jury at the Eurovision Song Contest.
She made an appearance at the 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2005 as a guest presenter and performer. The same year, Myriam wrote the introduction to the French edition of The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History by John Kennedy O'Connor.
Some of Marie Myriam singles and tracks:
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Marija Naumova
Marija Naumova (born 23 June 1973 in Latvia) is a Latvian singer. Under the stage name Marie N, she sings a broad range of music ranging from pop to musical theatre and jazz, and has recorded several albums, with songs in Latvian, French, English, Russian and Portuguese. In 2002 she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Latvia with her song "I Wanna".
Naumova was discovered by famous Latvian musician Raimonds Pauls in 1994 and after a year she performed on TV in searches for talent. She never won, but was noticed by the audience.
In 1998, she performed in a concert celebrating the 100 years jubilee of George Gershwin. In March 1998 she performed on stage in concerts with famous Latvian musicians, and one of those concerts was recorded on CD. That gave her career a boost and she began to participate in several music events, television and radio shows, and give interviews for Latvian newspapers.
Naumova's first solo album, which was completely in Russian, was released in 1999. In 2000 Latvia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Naumova was in the national finals but she became second behind Brainstorm. In 2001 she participated in the Latvian preselection again, singing "Hey Boy Follow Me", which was voted public favourite but wasn't chosen by the expert jury. Naumova had to wait another year before she finally was chosen to represent Latvia with "I Wanna", for which she also wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics.
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Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (original Greek Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή), or Mary of Magdala, was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important female disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", [Lu 8:2] [Mk 16:9] sometimes interpreted as referring to complex illnesses. She became Jesus' close friend and most prominent during his last days, being present at the cross after the male disciples (excepting John the Beloved) had fled, and at his burial. She was the first person to see Jesus after his Resurrection, according to both John 20 and Mark 16:9.
Mary Magdalene is considered by the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches to be a saint, with a feast day of July 22. The Eastern Orthodox churches also commemorate her on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers.
Consistently in the four Gospels, Mary Magdalene seems to be distinguished from other women named Mary by adding "Magdalene" (η Μαγδαληνή) to her name. Traditionally, this has been interpreted to mean that she was from Magdala, a town thought to have been on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Luke 8:2 says that she was actually "called Magdalene." In Hebrew מגדל Migdal means "tower", "fortress"; in Aramaic, "Magdala" means "tower" or "elevated, great, magnificent".
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Massiel
María de los Ángeles Felisa Santamaría Espinoza (b August 2, 1947, Madrid, Spain), professionally known as Massiel, is a Hebrew Spanish pop singer. She won the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 with the song "La, la, la", beating the famous British pop singer Cliff Richard's "Congratulations".
She decided to abandon her music career in 1996, but released another album a year later and a further one in 2007, along with two new editions of 1970s albums.
Massiel had contact with singers and groups from her early days because her father, Emilio Santamaria, was an artistic manager. At a young age she decided to become a singer, actress and a songwriter. Her first recordings were released in 1966: Di que no, No sé porqué, Llueve, No comprendo, Y sabes qué vi, Rufo el pescador, Aleluya and El era mi amigo. The song Rosas en el mar, written by her friend Luis Eduardo Aute in 1967, established her as a singer in Spain and Latin America. In 1967, she acted in the movie Vestida de novia.
On March 29, 1968, Massiel was asked to replace singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat as Spain's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest. Joan Manuel Serrat, the artist originally chosen to perform Spain's entry, intended to sing in Catalan. However, the Franco dictatorship would not allow this – and insisted that the entry be performed in the Spanish language imposed by the Franco dictatorship, Castilian, as part of Franco's fascist language system - hence the last-minute substitution of Massiel as singer.
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Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.
In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop and rock artists.
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Mireille Mathieu
Mireille Mathieu (French pronunciation: [miˈʁɛj maˈtjø]) (born 22 July 1946) is a French chanteuse, and pop singer. Hailed in the French press as the successor to Édith Piaf, she has achieved great commercial success, recording over 1200 songs in nine different languages, with more than 120 million records sold worldwide.
Mireille Mathieu was born and raised in Avignon, Vaucluse département, France, the eldest daughter of a family of fourteen children. The youngest brother born after she had moved to Paris. Her father Roger (French pronunciation: [ʁɔ.ʒe]) was from Avignon, and her mother Marcelle-Sophie Poirier came to Avignon from Dunkirk in 1944, as a refugee from World War II. Roger, with his father Arcade, ran a stonemason shop outside the Saint-Véran Cemetery in Avignon, which is still in business today. The family lived in poverty, and were dependent on government housing.
Roger had once dreamed of becoming a singer, but his father Arcade disapproved, inspiring him to have one of his children learn to sing with him in church. Mireille's first paid performance before an audience, at age four, was rewarded with a lollipop. Another defining moment was seeing Édith Piaf sing on television.
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Murray Head
Murray Seafield Saint-George Head (born 5 March 1946) is a British actor and singer, most recognised for his international hit songs "Superstar" (from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar) and "One Night in Bangkok" (the 1984 New Wave hit that topped the charts in various countries), and for his 1975 album Say It Ain't So. He has been involved in several projects since the 1960s and continues to record music, perform concerts and make appearances on television either as himself or as a character actor.
Murray Head was born in London to Seafield Laurence Stewart Murray Head (1919– March 22, 2009), a documentary filmmaker and a founder of Verity Films, and Helen Shingler, an actress. (Helen played Mme. Maigret alongside Rupert Davies in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of the Maigret novels written by Georges Simenon). His younger brother is Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head. Head was educated at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington, London and Hampton School in Hampton, London.
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Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939) is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody.
Sedaka was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Mac Sedaka (aka Sedacca), a taxi driver, was of Sephardic Turkish-Jewish descent. ("Sedaka" and "Sedacca" are variants of tzedaka, which translates in both Hebrew and Arabic as the word charity). Sedaka's mother, Eleanor (née Appel), was of Polish-Russian Jewish descent (or generally referred to as Ashkenazi-Jewish descent). He grew up in the then-heavily Jewish Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton Beach, which lies on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. Sedaka is a cousin of singer Eydie Gormé.
He demonstrated musical aptitude in his second-grade choral class, and when his teacher sent a note home suggesting he take piano lessons, his mother took a part-time job in an Abraham & Straus department store for six months to pay for a second-hand upright. In 1947, he auditioned successfully for a piano scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music's Preparatory Division for Children, which he attended on Saturdays. His mother wanted him to become a renowned classical pianist such as the contemporary of the day, Van Cliburn, but Sedaka was discovering pop music. When Sedaka was 13, a neighbor heard him playing and introduced him to her 16-year-old son, Howard Greenfield, an aspiring poet and lyricist. They became two of the legendary Brill Building's composers.
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Niamh Kavanagh
Niamh Kavanagh ( /ˈniːv ˈkævənɔː/ NEEV KAV-ə-naw; born 13 February 1968) is an Irish singer and winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1993.
Kavanagh is perhaps best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1993, held in Millstreet, County Cork, Republic of Ireland. She sang "In Your Eyes" to clinch a second consecutive win for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest; the country went on to win Eurovision Song Contest 1994 and Eurovision Song Contest 1996. Since then she has given numerous televised performances on The Late Late Show.
The singer represented Ireland again in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, with the song "It's for You". She performed at the semi-final on 27 May 2010, finishing 9th in a field of 17 contestants, thus qualifying for the Grand Final on 29 May 2010. In the final, she finished 23rd in a field of 25 contestants, having received 25 points.
Kavanagh is highly regarded among fans of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the OGAE Ireland (official Eurovision fan club) president, Diarmuid Furlong, said: "A lot of us would regard Niamh as one of the best vocalists who's ever won [the Eurovision Song Contest]". While she has enjoyed success in Europe Kavanagh remains relatively unknown in the United States. However, the singer recorded an album in that country following her initial Eurovision success.
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Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, (born 22 December 1948) is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday Roadshow and Noel's House Party. He currently presents the Channel 4 game show Deal or No Deal and the Sunday edition of Sky1's Are You Smarter Than A Ten Year Old? and previously the topical Sky1 show, Noel's HQ.
The son of a headmaster who worked in Hainault, Edmonds attended Glade Primary School and Brentwood School. He was offered a place at the University of Surrey but turned it down in favour of a job as a newsreader on Radio Luxembourg, which was offered to him in 1968 after he sent tapes to pirate radio stations. In 1969, he moved to BBC Radio 1 where he began by recording trailers for broadcasts and filling in for absent DJs, such as Kenny Everett. In April 1970, Edmonds began his own two-hour Saturday afternoon programme, broadcasting from 1pm-3pm, before replacing Kenny Everett on Saturday mornings from 10am-12pm in July of that year. In October 1971 he was moved to a Sunday morning slot from 10am-12pm before being promoted to Radio 1's prestigious breakfast programme from June 1973 to April 1978, taking over from Tony Blackburn. Edmonds moved back to Sunday mornings from 10am-1pm in 1978 and also presented Talkabout, an hour long talk show broadcast on Thursday evenings.
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Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John, AO, OBE (born 26 September 1948) is an English-Australian singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles (including two platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two platinum and four double platinum) have been certified gold by the RIAA. Her music has been successful in multiple formats including pop, country and adult contemporary and has sold an estimated over 100 million albums worldwide. She co-starred with John Travolta in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease, which featured one of the most successful film soundtracks in Hollywood history.
Newton-John has been a long-time activist for environmental and animal rights issues. Since surviving breast cancer in 1992, she has been an advocate for health awareness becoming involved with various charities, health products and fundraising efforts. Her business interests have included launching several product lines for Koala Blue and co-owning the Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia.
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Peter Cetera
Peter Paul Cetera ( /səˈtɛrə/ sə-TERR-ə; born September 13, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career. As a solo artist, Cetera has scored six Top 40 singles, including two that reached number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
Cetera was born and raised in the Morgan Park section of Chicago, Illinois, located on the far South Side. He was the second of six children and is of Polish descent. According to one source his father worked as a "machinist". Cetera's siblings include two brothers, Tim Cetera and Kenny Cetera, who are listed as contributing musicians on some of the recordings he made with Chicago and on some of his solo recordings.
Cetera attended Mendel Catholic Prep High School, graduating in 1962, and is listed among the "Notable Alumni".
Cetera's interest in music began at 11 years of age when his parents bought him an accordion instead of the guitar he wanted. When he was 15, some older students from his high school took him to a club to see a band called The Rebel Rockers, which led to his purchasing an acoustic guitar at Montgomery Ward.
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Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist.
Collins sang the lead vocals on several chart hits in the United Kingdom and the United States between 1975 and 2010, either as a solo artist or with Genesis. His singles, sometimes dealing with lost love, ranged from the drum-heavy "In the Air Tonight", dance pop of "Sussudio", piano-driven "Against All Odds", to the political statements of "Another Day in Paradise".
Collins's professional music career began as a drummer, originally in a band called The Real Thing with Andrea Bertorelli, who later became his first wife. Collins played drums and shared lead vocals (with Brian Chatton) in Flaming Youth which recorded one album, (Ark II). In 1970, he took over drums for Genesis, which had already recorded two albums. In Genesis, Collins originally supplied backing vocals for front man Peter Gabriel, singing lead on only two songs: "For Absent Friends" from 1971's Nursery Cryme album and "More Fool Me" from Selling England by the Pound, which was released in 1973. Following Gabriel's departure in 1975, Collins became the group's lead singer.
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Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group. Despite achieving only limited commercial success, the band was a major influence on the punk rock movement both in the United States and the United Kingdom.
All of the band members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname "Ramone", though none of them were related. They performed 2,263 concerts, touring virtually nonstop for 22 years. In 1996, after a tour with the Lollapalooza music festival, the band played a farewell concert and disbanded. Little more than eight years after the breakup, the band's three founding members—lead singer Joey Ramone, guitarist Johnny Ramone, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone—had died.
Their only record with enough U.S. sales to be certified gold was the compilation album Ramones Mania. However, recognition of the band's importance built over the years, and they are now cited in many assessments of all-time great rock music, such as the Rolling Stone list of the 50 Greatest Artists of All Time and VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. In 2002, the Ramones were ranked the second-greatest band of all time by Spin magazine, trailing only The Beatles. On March 18, 2002, the Ramones—including the three founders and drummers Tommy and Marky Ramone—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, the group was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Richard Daniel Roman
Richard Daniel Roman (born 16 March 1965, Kings Cross, London) is a British songwriter, composer, singer, record producer, photographer and guitarist best known for his work with pop musicians.
Roman was born in 1965,[citation needed] the son of Andalusian parents and educated at the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, In the early 1980s he began 'to learn his craft at London's Cockpit Theatre Arts and Music Workshop alongside other fledgling songwriter/producers such as Guy Chambers. In 1992, Roman moved to Spain where, after turning down an offer to work f'or Ministry of Sound, he established himself as a major Latin pop songwriter and producer, working with some of the biggest names in entertainment including UMG, Sony-ATV Music Publishing, Warner Bros., Sony Music, Warner/Chappell Music and EMI.
Roman worked with Spanish dance pop singer Rebeca, whose American debut album, Rebelde, was awarded a 4 star review by Allmusic's journalist, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who described it as a "terrific showcase for her infectious energy and rich voice", Mexican pop singer Paulina Rubio, for whom he wrote the chart topping song "Vive El Verano", which was included on her Billboard award winning and Grammy nominated album Paulina, Lady Gaga ("Just Dance", "Bad Romance" and "Alejandro"), Brazilian TV icon Xuxa, Mexican telenovela star Lorena Rojas,Shaila Durcal,Cristian Castro,Jerry Rivera, Alejandro Abad, Adrian Posse, Luis Gomez Escolar, Ignacio Ballesteros and others.
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Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (born 7 March 1958) is an English comedian, writer and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s. Such notability has led him to appear in sitcoms such as The Young Ones, Blackadder, The New Statesman, and Bottom and even onto the big screen in comedy films such as Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso.
Mayall, the second of four children, was born in Harlow, Essex to John and Gillian Mayall. He has an older brother, Anthony, and two younger sisters, Libby and Kate. When he was three years old, Mayall and his parents — who taught drama — moved to Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, where he spent the rest of his childhood and performed in his parents' plays. After attending the King's School, Worcester, Mayall went to the Victoria University of Manchester in 1976 to study drama, where he befriended his future comedy partner Ade Edmondson. He also met Ben Elton and Lise Mayer, with whom he later co-wrote The Young Ones.
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Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career. In 2007, Plant released Raising Sand, an album produced by T-Bone Burnett with American bluegrass soprano Alison Krauss, which won the 2009 Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards.
With a career spanning more than 40 years, Plant is regarded as one of the most significant singers in the history of rock music, and has influenced contemporaries and later singers such as Freddie Mercury and Axl Rose. In 2006, heavy metal magazine Hit Parader named Plant the "Greatest Metal Vocalist of All-Time". In 2009, Plant was voted "the greatest voice in rock" in a poll conducted by Planet Rock. In 2011, a Rolling Stone readers' pick placed Plant in first place of the magazine's "Best Lead Singers of All Time".
Plant was born in the Black Country town of West Bromwich (then in Staffordshire now in West Midlands) to parents Robert C. who worked as a civil engineer and Annie C. (Cain) Plant, but grew up in Kidderminster, in Worcestershire. Plant gained an interest in singing and rock and roll music at an early age.
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Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his fraternal twin brother Maurice and older brother Barry. Their younger brother Andy was also a singer.
Born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the family later moved to Manchester before settling in Brisbane, Australia. Gibb began his career as part of the family trio and when the group found their first success they returned to the United Kingdom where they achieved worldwide fame. In 2004, the Bee Gees received their CBEs from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace for their "contribution to music". With record sales estimated in excess of 200 million units, the Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups of all time. Music historian Paul Gambaccini described Gibb as "one of the major figures in the history of British music" and "one of the best white soul voices ever".
After a career spanning six decades, Gibb last performed on stage in February 2012 supporting injured British servicemen and women at a charity concert at the London Palladium. On 20 May 2012, Gibb died at the age of 62 from liver and kidney failure.
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Roy Andersson
Roy Andersson (born 31 March 1943) is a Swedish film director, best known for his films A Swedish Love Story and Songs from the Second Floor. More than any other, Songs from the Second Floor succeeded in cementing his personal style — a style characterized by long takes, absurdist comedy, stiff caricaturing of Swedish culture and Felliniesque grotesque. He has spent much of his professional life working on advertisement spots, directing over 400 commercials and two short films, but only directing four feature-length films in three decades. His latest film is You, the Living from 2007.
Later described by the Village Voice as a "slapstick Ingmar Bergman”, Roy Andersson was born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1943. A year after graduating from the Swedish Film Institute in 1969, he directed his first feature-length film, A Swedish Love Story. The film, awarded four prizes the same year at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival, looked at the nature and nuance of young love and turned out to be a major critical and popular success for Andersson. Following this success, Andersson fell into a depression. As he didn't want to get stuck with the same style and expectations he cancelled what was going to be his next project, with the script half-way finished, and skipped a couple of other ideas for plots he had previously planned to realize. Eventually he directed the film Giliap which was released in 1975. The film was a financial and critical disaster, went wildly over budget, and suffered lengthy delays in post-production. Giliap went in a decidedly different direction than A Swedish Love Story -- replacing crowd-pleasing joy and soft humour with dark comedy and unforgiving deadpan. After Giliap, Andersson took a 25-year break from film directing, focusing his efforts mainly on his commercial work.
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Ruslana
Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko (Ukrainian: Руслана Степанівна Лижичко, Ruslana Stepanivna Lyžyčko; born on 24 May 1973) is a World Music Award winning and MTV Europe Music Award nominated artist, and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.
She is a singer, songwriter, producer, conductor, and pianist. She writes, composes and produces her own songs and music videos. Since 28 December 1995 she has been married to Oleksandr Ksenofontov, a Ukrainian record producer. Together they have run the company LuxenBourg Studio since 1993, producing radio and film trailers.
She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Wild Dances" receiving points from 34 of the 35 countries participating in the contest.
In 2009 she was invited as a Special Guest Star to the 6th annual Asia Song Festival, where she received two trophies. The first of them was the golden statue of The Best Artist Award of The Asia Song Festival (which was awarded to each participant), the main award of the festival and the second special award was for the contribution to the cultural exchange between Ukraine and Asia in music.
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Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw (born 26 February 1947) is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest. She has been described as "the barefoot pop princess of the 1960s".
Sandra Ann Goodrich was born and brought up in Dagenham, Essex, England. On leaving school, she worked at the nearby Ford Dagenham factory, and did some part-time modelling before coming second as a singer in a local talent contest. As a prize, she appeared at a charity concert in London, where her potential was spotted by singer Adam Faith. He introduced her to his manager, Eve Taylor, who won her a contract with Pye Records in 1964 and gave her the stage name of "Sandie Shaw".
Taylor teamed Shaw with songwriter Chris Andrews, who wrote her first single, "As Long as You're Happy Baby", which failed to make the charts. However, for her second single Taylor gave her the Bacharach and David song "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me", which had been a #49 US pop hit for singer Lou Johnson. Shaw's version rose quickly to #1 in the UK Singles Chart in the autumn of 1964, and also charted in the United States at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100 early the following year. "I’d Be Far Better Off Without You" was issued as the follow-up, but DJs preferred its B-side, "Girl Don't Come", also written by Andrews, and the sides were switched. "Girl Don't Come" reached #3 in the UK and became her biggest US hit, reaching #42. It was followed by further hits in the UK including "I'll Stop at Nothing", "Long Live Love", her second UK #1 in 1965, and "Message Understood". The singles were produced by Taylor, Andrews and Shaw herself (though she was never credited), with help from Pye Records arranger Ken Woodman.[citation needed]
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Sandra Kim
Sandra Caldarone (born 15 October 1972), better known as Sandra Kim, is a Belgian singer of Italian descent who won the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 held in Bergen, Norway, on 3 May 1986.
She was born in Montegnée, near Liège, and started singing when she was seven. According to author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor's 2007 book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, at the time of her Eurovision win, she was only 13 years old, even though the lyrics of her song "J'aime la vie" ("I love life") claim her to be 15. He notes that the Swiss petitioned to have the song disqualified after her real age was revealed. Sandra also represented Belgium at the Yamaha Music Festival in Tokyo during the autumn of 1986.
Sandra's new pop/rock CD "Make Up" has been released on May 12th, 2011. The CD contains songs written by famous Belgian artists like Salvatore Adamo, Dani Klein (Vaya Con dios), Ozark Henry, Anthony Sinatra (Piano Club), Jacques Duval and David Bartholomé (Sharko).
In 1994 she married and in 1995 divorced Olivier Gerard. She has been married to Jurgen Delanghe since 2001.
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Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves. She sings in many languages including English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.
Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made her West End musical theatre debut in Cats and met composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, whom she married. She went on to star in several Broadway musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, where she originated the role of Christine Daaé. The Original London Cast Album of the musical was released in CD format in 1987 and sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling cast album of all time.
After retiring from the stage and divorcing Lloyd Webber, Brightman resumed her music career with former Enigma producer Frank Peterson, this time as a classical crossover artist. She is often credited as the creator of this genre and remains among the most prominent performers, with worldwide sales of more than 30 million records and 2 million DVDs, establishing herself as the world's best-selling soprano of all time. Her duet with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, "Time To Say Goodbye", topped charts all over Europe and became the highest and fastest selling single of all time in Germany, where it stayed at the top of the charts for fourteen consecutive weeks and sold over 3 million copies. It subsequently became an international success selling 12 million copies worldwide. She has now collected over 180 gold and platinum sales awards in 38 different countries. In 2010 she was named by Billboard the 5th most influential and top-selling classical artist of the 2000s decade in the US.
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Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener (born 4 December 1964 in Istanbul) is a Turkish pop music singer and also a cross-over soprano with a vocal range that extends to high F. She is one of the most successful female Turkish pop singers in her homeland, and is considered one of the divas of Turkish pop music. In Europe, she is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with her hit song "Every Way That I Can", although she has had many other achievements outside Turkey.
A native of Istanbul, Erener studied history of music in a university in the city before beginning her musical career working with Turkish music icon Sezen Aksu.
She released her first album, Sakin Ol, in 1992, and followed it with four more Turkish-language albums over the next decade. Her album Lâ'l was included by Sony Music in its "Soundtrack For A Century" collection.
After competing unsuccessfully in two national Eurovision Song Contest finals in 1989 and 1990, she was internally selected in 2003 and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, representing Turkey with the song "Every Way That I Can", co-written by Demir Demirkan. The song went on to top charts in countries all over Europe, including Sweden and Greece.
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Simon & Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel were an American music duo consisting of singer-songwriters Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the hit single "The Sound of Silence". Their music was featured in the landmark film The Graduate (1967), propelling them further into the public consciousness.
They are well known for their vocal close harmonies and were among the most popular recording artists of the 1960s. Their biggest hits – including "The Sound of Silence" (1964), "I Am a Rock" (1965), "Homeward Bound" (1965), "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" (1966), "A Hazy Shade of Winter" (1966), "Mrs. Robinson" (1968), "Bridge over Troubled Water" (1969), "The Boxer" (1969), and "Cecilia" (1969) – peaked at number one in several charts. They have received several Grammys and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
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Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor ( /ʃɪˈneɪd oʊˈkɒnər/; born 8 December 1966) is an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra. O'Connor achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U".
Since then, while maintaining her singing career, she has occasionally encountered controversy, partly due to her statements and gestures such as her ordination as a priest despite being female with a Roman Catholic background, and her expressed strong views on organized religion, women's rights, war, and child abuse.
In addition to her nine solo albums her work includes many singles, songs for films, collaborations with many other artists, and appearances at charity fundraising concerts.
Sinéad O'Connor was born in Glenageary in County Dublin and was named after Sinéad de Valera, wife of Irish President Éamon de Valera and mother of the doctor presiding over the delivery, and Saint Bernadette of Lourdes. She is the third of five children, sister to Joseph, Eimear, John, and Eoin. Joseph O'Connor is a novelist.
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Sissela Kyle
Sissela Maria Kyle (born March 17, 1957 in Örgryte, Gothenburg, Sweden) is a Swedish actress and comedian.
Kyle is the second cousin of the British singer Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens)
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Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately (17 March 1976 – 10 October 2009) was an Irish pop singer–songwriter, actor, dancer, musician and author, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third being their most successful internationally. With Boyzone, Gately had a record-breaking sixteen consecutive singles enter the top five of the UK Singles Chart. He performed for millions of fans globally. He released a solo album in 2000, after the group's initial breakup, which charted in the UK top ten and yielded three UK hit singles, including the top three hit "New Beginning". Gately went on to appear variously in stage productions and on television programmes as well as contributing songs to various projects. In 2008, he rejoined his colleagues as Boyzone reformed for a series of concerts and recordings.
Gately wed Andrew Cowles, first in a commitment ceremony in Las Vegas in 2003 and more formally in a civil partnership ceremony in London in 2006. Gately made his sexuality known in 1999 and came out in a blaze of publicity. Upon Boyzone's reformation, Gately featured as part of the first gay couple in his band's music video in what was to be his last with the band, for the song "Better". Gately died in an apartment that he and Cowles owned in Majorca, Spain on 10 October 2009. Brian Boyd in The Irish Times stated: "Stephen Gately’s death represents the first time that the boyband genre has had to deal with such a tragic situation". Tim Teeman of The Times (UK) heralded Gately as a hero of gay rights for his response to being "smoked out of the closet".
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Steve Lillywhite
Stephen Lillywhite, CBE (born 1955) is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Simple Minds, Chris Cornell, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel, Morrissey, The Psychedelic Furs, The Pogues, Beady Eye, Blue October and Phish.
Lillywhite entered the music industry in 1972, when he worked as a tape operator for Polygram. He produced a demo recording for Ultravox, which led to them being offered a recording contract with Island Records. Lillywhite soon joined Island as a staff producer, where he worked with many of the leading new wave musicians. His first commercial success was with Siouxsie and the Banshees in August 1978, after producing their first single, "Hong Kong Garden". He also produced "Ku Klux Klan" - the first single that Steel Pulse released under Island Records in 1978.
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Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. He is involved in many other bands and musical projects both as musician and producer (including No-Man and Blackfield) and also maintains a solo career.
Wilson is a self-taught producer, audio engineer, guitar and keyboard player, playing other instruments as and where required (including bass guitar, concert harp, hammered dulcimer and flute).
He used to split his living time between Tel Aviv and London, England, but he no longer holds a permanent residence in Tel Aviv.
Born in Kingston upon Thames, London, England (but brought up in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England from the age of 6)[citation needed], Wilson discovered his love for music around the age of 8. It began one Christmas when his parents bought presents for each other in the form of LPs. His father and mother received Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby, respectively. The young Steven spent much of his childhood listening to these albums in "heavy rotation", as he once commented.
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Stig Anderson
Stig 'Stikkan' Erik Leopold Anderson (not Andersson) (25 January 1931 – 12 September 1997) was born in Hova, Sweden, and is best known as the manager of the pop group ABBA.
Anderson was the founder of the Polar Music record label in 1963. Initially beginning his career as a chemistry and mathematics teacher after leaving school at the age of 15,[clarification needed] Anderson soon entered the Swedish popular music scene, becoming a music producer, manager and also occasional performer.
Anderson had begun writing songs as early as 1951, and in 1959 he got his breakthrough with the song "Är du kär i mig ännu, Klas-Göran?" ("Are You Still In Love With Me, Klas-Göran?"), written for Swedish singer Lill-Babs. During the 1960s he was one of Sweden's most prolific songwriters, producing more than 3,000 published titles. Anderson also founded Sweden Music in 1960, as well as several other companies.
By the late 1960s, he was the manager and producer of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, who would become the two main songwriters of ABBA. He joined the careers of these two after previously managing the Hootenanny Singers, of which Ulvaeus was a member. Later, in 1972, he began managing Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and finally in 1976 Agnetha Fältskog (until December 1975, Fältskog was still bound to Cupol/CBS Records under a contract). Prior to ABBA's formation, Björn and Benny were living in a Volkswagen bus and had decided to leave music and gain regular jobs, however Anderson persuaded them to start a new band, investing considerable money in the group.
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Séverine (singer)
Séverine (born Josiane Grizeau, 10 October 1948, Paris) is a female French singer.
Séverine won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 for Monaco, performing "Un banc, un arbre, une rue" (A bench, a tree, a street), with music by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and words by Yves Dessca. It was also recorded in English as "Chance In Time", in German as "Mach die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum)" and Italian as "Il posto". The original French version made #9 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1971, whereas the English version, released on CBS rather than Philips, did not chart. The song charted highly in most other European markets. Séverine had further success in France and Germany, but never again on an international scale.
Séverine made two further attempts at winning the Eurovision Song Contest, participating in the German national finals of 1975 and 1982. Neither song won. She accompanied Monaco's delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.
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Tanel Padar
Tanel Padar (born 27 October 1980) is an Estonian singer. He is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2001. Padar became famous by winning the Kaks takti ette, a biennial televised competition for young Estonian singers, in 1999. In 2000, he was one of the backing vocalists for Ines – who at the time was also his girlfriend – at the Eurovision Song Contest 2000.
In 2001, Padar along with the boyband 2XL and Aruba born Dave Benton claimed the spotlight by winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with the song "Everybody".
Padar performs in a band called Tanel Padar & The Sun, one of the most popular bands in Estonia. In 2006, Tanel Padar & The Sun had the following positions in the Estonian 2006 chart (top 40): #1, #4, #12, #23, #29, #31. One of their songs also claimed the R2 Hit of the Year prize. The song "Hopelessness You" made it to the MTV World Chart Express.
Tanel Padar was married to Katarina Kalda, a former model. He dated Evely Ventsli until August 2007. Tanel's sister Gerli Padar is also a famous singer in Estonia, who became well-known years before Tanel did.
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Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram (born 12 August 1969, Münster, Germany) is a British pop/folk singer-songwriter, best known for the hits "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, Ancient Heart.
Tikaram was born in Münster, Germany, the daughter of a Malaysian mother, Fatimah Rohani, and an Indo-Fijian father, Pramod Tikaram. Her father's military career meant that she spent her early life in Germany before moving to Basingstoke, Hampshire, England when she was in her early teens. She is the younger sister of the actor Ramon Tikaram and the great-niece of Sir Moti Tikaram, who was the first Lord Chief Justice of an independent Fiji and the world's longest-serving national ombudsman.[citation needed] She studied A-level politics, sociology and English at Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke: her final grades were AAB.[citation needed] She had a place at Manchester University to study English and American literature but left in order to follow her musical career.[citation needed]
Tikaram started singing in nightclubs while she was still a teenager and came to the attention of WEA Records. Her debut album, Ancient Heart, produced by Rod Argent and Peter Van Hooke, was released in September 1988 when she was 19-years-old. The album peaked at Number 3 in the United Kingdom, where it was certified Double Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. It also became an international hit and led to a world concert tour. The singles "Good Tradition" and "Twist In My Sobriety" were Top 10 hits in Europe, the latter accompanied by an award-winning sepia coloured video set in a rural village in the Bolivian Altiplano and directed by Gerard de Thame. The track was covered by Liza Minnelli for her 1989 album Results, produced by the Pet Shop Boys.
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Teddy Scholten
Dorothea Margaretha "Teddy" Scholten (née Van Zwieteren; 11 May 1926 – 8 April 2010) was a Dutch singer from Rijswijk, close to The Hague, Netherlands.
In 1959, Teddy Scholten won the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 for the Netherlands singing "Een beetje" (A little bit), with music composed by Dick Schallies and lyrics by Willy van Hemert. Also she commentated for the Netherlands in the Contest for the 1966 Eurovision.
With her husband, Henk Scholten, she recorded several albums, many of them containing songs for children. In the 1950s and 1960s she appeared in popular television shows in The Netherlands. In 1965 and 1966, she presented the National Song Festival. In the history of Dutch copyright law she is commemorated for her lawsuit in 1959-1960 against a cigarette manufacturer over the use of her portrait in a newspaper advertisement.[citation needed]
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The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle); Sharon (violin, vocals); Caroline (drums, piano, bodhrán, vocals); and Jim (guitar, piano, vocals).
The Corrs have released five studio albums and numerous singles, which have reached platinum in many countries.Talk on Corners, their most successful album to date, reached multi-platinum status in Australia, and in the UK was the highest selling album of 1998. The band are only the second group in history to hold the number 1 and number 2 album positions simultaneously in the UK charts with Talk On Corners at number 1 and Forgiven Not Forgotten at number 2. The first group to achieve this accolade was The Beatles. Forgiven Not Forgotten was the second highest selling album in Australia in 1996, behind Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill. Their third studio album, In Blue went to number 1 in 17 countries.
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The Hep Stars
The Hep Stars was a Swedish rock group, formed in 1963 in Stockholm. During 1965-1966 the band was the most successful of contemporary 1960s Swedish pop groups performing in English language. Outside the Nordic countries the band is best known as a launching point for keyboard player and composer Benny Andersson, who went on to enjoy worldwide success with ABBA.
The band was founded by drummer Christer "Chrille" Pettersson (d.2006) and bass guitarist Lennart "Lelle" Hegland in 1963 with keyboardist Hans Östlund and guitarist-singer Jan "Janne" Frisk joining. At their height of popularity the line-up consisted of Hegland, Pettersson, Frisk and Sven "Svenne" Hedlund on lead vocals and Benny Andersson on keyboards.
Upon founding the band called themselves Quartet Yep. Their repertoire included various styles of music from Latin-dance to rock in order to get as many gigs as possible in varying venues. Mainly on the influence by Jan Frisk their music started to veer towards rock 'n'roll and pop. The band decided a more intriguing name was in order and on Frisk's suggestion Hep Stars was chosen. The idea came from Bill Haley song "Razzle Dazzle" line "It's the hipster's dance" with slight alteration on written form. They started to get support gigs also closing in after the headline act. Typical gig could see them playing around four hours with one set of rock.
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Tom Dowd
Tom Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multi-track recording method. Dowd worked on a virtual "who's who" of recordings that encompassed blues, jazz, pop, rock and soul records.
Born in Manhattan, Dowd grew up playing piano, tuba, violin, and string bass. His mother was an opera singer and his father was a concertmaster.
Dowd graduated from Stuyvesant High School in June, 1942 at the age of 16. He continued his musical education at City College of New York. Dowd also played in a band at New York's Columbia University, where he became a conductor. He was also employed at the physics laboratory of Columbia University.
At age 18, Dowd was drafted into the military with the rank of sergeant. He continued his work in physics at Columbia University. He worked on the Manhattan Project contributing to the atomic bomb. The purpose of the work was unclear until 1945. Dowd planned to obtain a degree in nuclear physics when he completed his work on the Manhattan Project. However because his work was top secret the university did not recognize it, and Dowd decided not to continue, since the university's curriculum would not have been able to further his physics education. His research for the military was more advanced than the academia of the times.
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Tommy Körberg
Bert Gustav Tommy Körberg (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈtɔmːʏ ˈɕɶːrˌbærj]) (Norsjö, 4 July 1948) is a Swedish singer, actor, and musician. In 1969, he won Swedish Recording Industry Award Grammis in a category Best Debut Performance. English-speaking audiences know him best for his role in the Benny Andersson–Björn Ulvaeus–Tim Rice musical Chess. He was the first to play the role of "The Russian" on the 1984 concept album Chess, and performed the same role on stage in the 1986 world première West End production in London, for which he was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award in category Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical.
He represented Sweden in the 1969 and 1988 Eurovision Song Contests. In the 1990s and 2000s, he took time off from other projects in order to recreate the role in subsequent productions of Chess, including the 1994 tenth anniversary concert and the 2002 Stockholm production, for the latter winning national Swedish theater award Guldmasken in category Best Actor in a Musical.
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Toto Cutugno
Salvatore "Toto" Cutugno (born July 7, 1943) is an Italian pop singer-songwriter and musician.
Toto Cutugno was born in Fosdinovo, Tuscany, to a Sicilian father and a Tuscan mother. Shortly after his birth the family moved to La Spezia (Liguria).
He began his musical career as a drummer, but later formed a band that performed his own songs. He also had cowritten for popular French-American singer Joe Dassin, contributing some of his most famous songs, including "L'été indien" ("Africa"), "Et si tu n'existais pas" and "Le Jardin du Luxembourg" (written with Vito Pallavicini). He also co-wrote Dalida's "Laissez moi danser" (Voglio l'anima"), which became a Platinum record shortly after its release.
In 1976 Cutugno participated for the first time in the Sanremo Music Festival coming up with 3rd place with his band Albatros with the song, Volo 504. He then won in 1980 with the song "Solo noi", and subsequently finished second in six editions: in 1984 with the song "Serenata" ("Serenade"), in 1987 with "Figli" ("Sons" or "Children"), in 1988 with "Emozioni" ("Emotions"), in 1989 with the song "Le mamme" ("The Mamas"), in 1990 with Ray Charles with the song "Gli amori" ("Loves", but entitled "Good Love Gone Bad" in Charles' version) and in 2005 with Annalisa Minetti with the song "Come noi nessuno al mondo" ("No One Else in the World Like Us"). Toto Cutugno participated in the festival a total of 13 times.
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Udo Jürgens
Udo Jürgens (born Udo Jürgen Bockelmann, 30 September 1934, Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria) is an Austrian composer and singer of popular music whose career spans over fifty years. He has written more than 800 songs and sold over 100 million records.
He is credited with broadening German-language pop music beyond the traditional postwar schlager in the 1960s by infusing it with a modern pop appeal; his exceptionally tuneful compositions and sophisticated arrangements attract fans of all ages, and even in his 70s he continues to fill the largest concert venues in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.[citation needed]
In 1950, he won a composer contest organized by Austria's public broadcasting channel ORF with the song "Je t'aime". He wrote the 1961 worldwide hit "Reach for the Stars", sung by Shirley Bassey.
In 1964, he represented Austria for the first time at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Warum nur warum?", finishing sixth. The UK participant, Matt Monro, was impressed with the melody and covered the song (with English lyrics by his manager Don Black) as "Walk Away", which reached number four in the UK Singles Chart and number 23 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros (born Vassiliki Papathanasiou, Greek: Βασιλική Παπαθανασίου, 23 August 1949, now legally Vassiliki, Baroness von Ruffin) is a Greek singer with a long international career. She is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou (known as Leo Leandros – composer pseudonym Mario Panas). She achieved worldwide fame after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972 with the song "Après Toi" (representing Luxembourg).
Leandros was born in Palaiokastritsa, a resort on the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea. Her father wanted to expand his career and went to Germany while she grew up at her grandmother's house until the age of eight. In 1958 her parents took her to Germany where she stayed with her father permanently after her parents' divorce. She revealed her talent at a young age while taking guitar, music, dance, ballet and voice lessons.
In 1965 Leandros released her first single "Messer, Gabel, Schere, Licht". This was the beginning of a successful career for her with her father as composer, manager and producer. In 1967 she received an offer to sing for Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "L'amour est bleu". She finished in fourth place but the song became one of the biggest worldwide hits of the year and was covered by many artists. She was shortly singing in eight languages with her albums, singles and EPs being sold all over the world. She became particularly successful in Japan and Canada.
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Viktoria Tolstoy
Louise Viktoria Tolstoy (born Louise Viktoria Kjellberg July 29, 1974 in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County) is a Swedish jazz singer. She is the daughter of Erik Kjellberg, and the great-great-granddaughter of writer Leo Tolstoy.
She is also featured on other artists' recordings:
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Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all-time. Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know", influenced several African American female artists to follow in her footsteps.
Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top Pop Album") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts. Houston's 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone's best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
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Wizzard
Wizzard were a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."
Not long after the release of Electric Light Orchestra's first album, Wood found himself frequently at odds with co-leader Jeff Lynne. Deciding he wanted to head off in a different musical direction, Wood left, taking band members Bill Hunt (keyboards and french horn) and Hugh McDowell (cello) and ELO's sound engineer, Trevor Smith, with him, to found Wizzard. Also in the line-up were former Move bassist Rick Price, drummers Charlie Grima and Keith Smart (all formerly of Birmingham group Mongrel), and saxophone players Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow (the son of actor Arthur Pentelow). Hunt was later replaced by Bob Brady.
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Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Johann Malmsteen (/ˈɪŋveɪ ˈmɑːlmstiːn/ ING-vay MAHLM-steen; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck on 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader. Malmsteen became known for his neo-classical playing style in heavy metal. Steve Huey of Allmusic stated that, "Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during the '80s."
Malmsteen was born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck in Stockholm, Sweden, as the second child of a musically-talented family. At age seven, he saw a television news report on the death of Jimi Hendrix, an event which had a profound impact on his musical path. Malmsteen, however, has stated that Hendrix had no musical impact on him, but on 18 September 1970 he saw a TV special of Hendrix, where he smashed and burned his guitar, and Malmsteen thought: "this is really cool". To quote his official website, "The day Jimi Hendrix died, the guitar-playing Yngwie was born".
At the age of 10 he took his mother's maiden name Malmsten as his surname, slightly changed it to Malmsteen, and Anglicised his third given name Yngve to "Yngwie". Malmsteen created his first band "Track On Earth" at the age of 10, consisting of himself and a friend from school on drums (Armin). Malmsteen was a teenager when he first encountered the music of the 19th century violinist composer Niccolò Paganini, whom he cites as his biggest classical music influence. Ritchie Blackmore and Uli Jon Roth are also cited as being significant influences, as is Brian May of Queen.
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Abbas Filmography
- Ko (2011)
- Chandrahas (2007)
- Anasuya (2007)
- Woh Lamhe (2006)
- Thiruttu Payale (2006)
- Parashuram: One Man Army (2006)
- Dil Ke Pechey Pechey' (2005)
- Swethanagu (2004)
- Greetings (2004)
- Shock (2004)
- Parasuram (2003)
- Pammal K. Sambandam (2002)
- Ansh: The Deadly Part (2002)
- Minnale (2001)
- Aanandham (2001)
- Hey Ram (2000)
- Dhadkan (2000)
- Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)
- Padaiyappa (1999)
- Alludu Garu Vacharu (1999)
- Anaganaga Oka Ammayi (1999)
- Dreams (1999)
- Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999)
- Raja (1999)
- Suyamvaram (1999)
- Pooveli (1998)
- Rajahamsa (1998)
- Kadhal Desam (1996)
- Insaaf Apne Lahoo Se (1994)
- Sailaab (1990)
- Jeevan Ek Sanghursh (1990)
- Ek Naya Rishta (1988)
- Sanam Teri Kasam (1982)
ABBA Filmography
- 50 Years of Bad Sex (2011)
- The Secret History of Eurovision (2011)
- Top of the Pops: The Story of 1976 (2011)
- Eurofestival (2010)
- The 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2010)
- Love (2009)
- Europasión (2008)
- Dansin Chiki Chiki (2008)
- When the Stranglers Met Roland Rat (2007)
- Boom Bang-a-Bang! 50 Years of Eurovision (2006)
- ABBA: Music in Review (2005)
- Abba: The Winner Takes It All (1999)
- Olivia (1978)
- ABBA: The Movie (1977)
- The Eurovision Song Contest (1974)
Abbas Filmography
- Guddu (1995)
- Desh Premee (1982)
- Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968)
- Gunga Jumna (1961)
- Baap Re Baap (1955)
- Mayurpankh (1954)
- Saiyan (1951)
- Andaz (1949)
- Mela (1948)
- Jag Biti (1946)
- Parivartan (1936)
- Haman (1934)
- Hathili Dulhan (1932)
karaoke
When I was born, to the flesh of this world
Brought tight into the dark
Lead the blind so they can see
Abba Father
You died upon the cross
Heart stopped upon the wood
Your blessings are for me
Abba Father
Why do I deserve a love that reaches towards the heavens?
Why? I do believe
But why'd you die for me?
I do believe
Born, lived, died
Father, forgive me, Father
RELEASE
ALBUMS
- Dancing Queen
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Take a Chance on Me
- Mamma Mia
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- Super Trouper
- I Have a Dream
- The Winner Takes It All
- Money, Money, Money
- SOS
- Chiquitita
- Fernando
- Voulez-Vous
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Does Your Mother Know
- One of Us
- The Name of the Game
- Thank You for the Music
- Waterloo
- Eagle
- Take a Chance on Me
- One Man, One Woman
- The Name of the Game
- Move On
- Hole in Your Soul
- Thank You for the Music
- I Wonder (Departure)
- I'm a Marionette
- Thank You for the Music (Doris Day version)
- Waterloo
- Sitting in the Palmtree
- King Kong Song
- Hasta mañana
- My Mama Said
- Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)
- Honey, Honey
- What About Livingstone
- Watch Out
- Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
- Suzy-Hang-Around
- Ring Ring
- Another Town, Another Train
- Disillusion
- People Need Love
- I Saw It in the Mirror
- Nina, Pretty Ballerina
- Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
- Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother
- He Is Your Brother
- She's My Kind of Girl
- I Am Just a Girl
- Rock 'n' Roll Band
- The Visitors
- Head Over Heels
- When All Is Said and Done
- Soldiers
- I Let the Music Speak
- One of Us
- Two for the Price of One
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- Like an Angel Passing Through My Room
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Mamma Mia
- Dancing Queen
- Super Trouper
- S.O.S.
- Summer Night City
- Money, Money, Money
- The Winner Takes It All
- Chiquitita
- One of Us
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Voulez-Vous
- Fernando
- Waterloo
- The Name of the Game
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Take a Chance on Me
- I Have a Dream
- Fernando
- SOS
- He Is Your Brother
- Ring Ring
- Hasta Mañana
- Nina, Pretty Ballerina
- Honey, Honey
- So Long
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- People Need Love
- Bang-A-Boomerang
- Another Town, Another Train
- Mamma Mia
- Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)
- Waterloo
- The Winner Takes It All
- Super Trouper
- Waterloo
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Name of the Game
- Ring Ring
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- SOS
- Fernando
- Hasta Mañana
- Mamma Mia
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- Thank You for the Music
- Happy New Year
- Honey Honey (Swedish version)
- Waterloo (French version)
- Ring Ring (German version)
- ¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame! (Spanish version of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight))
- Waterloo
- Mamma Mia
- Dancing Queen
- SOS
- Fernando
- Super Trouper
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
- Take a Chance on Me
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Money, Money, Money
- When All Is Said and Done
- Voulez-Vous
- On and On and On
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- The Winner Takes It All
- Chiquitita
- Honey, Honey
- People Need Love
- Ring Ring
- I Have a Dream
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Andante, Andante
- Move On
- I Have a Dream
- SOS
- Take a Chance on Me
- Dancing Queen
- Waterloo
- I Am Just a Girl
- My Love, My Life
- Super Trouper
- The Winner Takes It All
- Mamma Mia
- I Wonder (Departure)
- Another Town, Another Train
- One Man, One Woman
- Honey, Honey
- Head Over Heels
- Angeleyes
- People Need Love
- Ring Ring
- Another Town, Another Train
- Disillusion
- People Need Love
- I Saw It in the Mirror
- Nina, Pretty Ballerina
- Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
- Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother
- He Is Your Brother
- She's My Kind of Girl
- I Am Just a Girl
- Rock 'n Roll Band
- Ring Ring (Bara du slog en signal) (Swedish version)
- Åh, vilka tider
- Merry-Go-Round
- Santa Rosa
- Ring Ring (Spanish version)
- Wer im Wartesaal der Liebe steht
- Ring Ring (German version)
- Waterloo
- Take a Chance on Me
- Mamma Mia
- Dancing Queen
- SOS
- Super Trouper
- Chiquitita (Español)
- Conociendome, Conociendote
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Voulez-Vous
- Does Your Mother Know
- Estoy Soñando
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- The Winner Takes It All
- No Hay a Quien Culpar
- One of Us
- Fernando
- Felicidad
- Thank You for the Music
- Waterloo
- Ring Ring
- Honey Honey
- Bang-A-Boomerang
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- When I Kissed the Teacher
- Mamma Mia
- Dum Dum Diddle
- King Kong Song
- My Mama Said
- Money, Money, Money
- Hey, Hey Helen
- As Good as New
- Angel Eyes
- Nina, Pretty Ballerina
- Elaine
- The Piper
- Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
- The Way Old Frieds Do
- S.O.S.
- Hasta Mañana
- The Visitors
- Intermezzo No.1
- Waterloo
- Rock Me
- Love Isn't Easy
- Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
- The Name of the Game
- Hole in Your Soul
- Why Did You Have to Be Me?
- On and On and On
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- The Visitors
- Kisses of Fire
- When All Is Said and Done
- Fernando
- Chiquitita
- Gracias por la música
- La reina del baile
- Al andar
- Dame! Dame! Dame!
- Estoy soñando
- Mamma Mia
- Hasta mañana
- Conociéndome, conociéndote
- Felicidad
- Andante, andante
- Se me está escapando
- No hay a quien culpar
- Ring ring
- Crazy World
- Summer Night City
- Put on Your White Sombrero
- Dreamworld
- Hej Gamle Man
- Merry Go Round
- Santa Rosa
- She's My Kind of Girl
- Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special
- You Owe Me One
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- Me and I (live)
- Waterloo
- Ring Ring
- Honey Honey
- Happy New Year
- Does Your Mother Know
- Ring, Ring
- On and on and On
- When I Kissed the Teacher
- If It Wasn't for the Nights
- As Good as New
- Eagle
- Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)
- The Visitors
- When All Is Said and Done
- So Long
- Bang-A-Boomerang
- Me and I
- Move On
- Gonna Sing You My Love Song
- Arrival
- Thank You for the Music
- The Winner Takes It All
- Fernando
- One of Us
- Angeleyes
- The Day Before You Came
- Eagle
- So Long
- Why Did It Have to Be Me
- Ring Ring
- The Way Old Friends Do
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- Hasta mañana
- Our Last Summer
- My Love, My Life
- If It Wasn't for the Nights
- People Need Love
- Happy New Year
- Waterloo
- S.O.S.
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Mamma Mia
- Fernando
- Dancing Queen
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- The Name of the Game
- Take a Chance on Me
- Chiquitita
- The Winner Takes It All
- Waterloo
- Honey, Honey
- Ring, Ring
- Love Isn't Easy
- Watch Out
- Me & Bobby & Bobby's Brother
- King Kong Song
- Dance
- She's My Kind of Girl
- He Is Your Brother
- Suzy Hang Around
- My Mama Said
- What About Living Stone
- Another Town, Another Train
- I Am Just a Girl
- Nina Pretty Ballerina
- People Need Love
- Hasta Manana
- Dancing Queen
- Summer Night City
- So Long
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- That's Me
- Angeleyes
- Honey Honey
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- Head Over Heels
- Dream World
- On And On And On
- Kisses of Fire
- Hole In Your Soul
- When I Kissed the Teacher
- Mamma Mia
- Does Your Mother Know
- Voulez-Vous
- Head Over Heels
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- Angeleyes
- That's Me
- Cassandra
- Honey, Honey
- Eagle
- Ring Ring
- People Need Love
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- When I Kissed the Teacher
- I Am the City
- Our Last Summer
- Under Attack
- On and On and On
- When All Is Said and Done
- The Way Old Friends Do
- Thank You for the Music
- The Winner Takes It All
- Fernando
- One of Us
- Angel Eyes
- The Day Before You Came
- Eagle
- So Long
- Why Did It Have to Be Me
- Ring Ring
- The Way Old Friends Do
- Fernando
- The Name of the Game
- Chiquitita
- The Winner Takes It All
- I Have a Dream
- The Day Before You Came
- One of Us
- Andante, Andante
- One Man, One Woman
- Eagle
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- My Love, My Life
- Our Last Summer
- Like an Angel Passing Through My Room
- I Wonder (Departure)
- I Let the Music Speak
- The Way Old Friends Do
- Waterloo
- Honey, Honey
- So Long
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- SOS
- Mamma Mia
- Fernando
- Dancing Queen
- Money, Money, Money
- The Name of the Game
- Take a Chance on Me
- Chiquitita
- I Have a Dream
- The Winner Takes It All
- Super Trouper
- Thank You for the Music
- Thank You for the Music
- The Winner Takes It All
- Fernando
- One of Us
- Angel Eyes
- The Day Before You Came
- Eagle
- So Long
- Why Did It Have to Be Me
- Ring, Ring
- The Way Old Friends Do
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- Hasta mañana
- Our Last Summer
- My Love, My Life
- If It Wasn't for the Nights
- People Need Love
- Andante, Andante
- Voulez Vous
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Chiquitita
- Gimme, Gimme, Gimme
- Super Trouper
- I Have a Dream
- The Name of the Game / Eagle
- Thank You for the Music
- Two for the Price of One
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- Me and I
- Summer Night City
- Take a Chance on Me
- The Way Old Friends Do
- Waterloo
- Dancing Queen
- Waterloo
- S.O.S.
- Thank You for the Music
- Fernando
- Dancing Queen
- Money, Money, Money
- Super Trouper
- Chiquitita
- Mamma Mia
- Take a Chance on Me
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- I Have a Dream
- The Winner Takes It All
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Waterloo
- S.O.S.
- Dancing Queen
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- Super Trouper
- Take a Chance on Me
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Honey, Honey
- Hasta Mañana
- The Visitors
- Mamma Mia
- Under Attack
- Slippin' Through My Fingers
- Should I Laugh or Cry
- Gonna Sing You My Love Song
- Lovers (live a Little Longer)
- Lovelight
- I've Been Waiting for You
- My Love My Life
- One Man One Woman
- Tropical Loveland
- Another Town Another Train
- When All Is Said and Done
- If It Wasn't for the Nights
- So Long
- Fernando
- The Name of the Game
- Chiquitita
- Thank You for the Music
- Angel Eyes
- Waterloo
- Knowing Me Knowing You
- One of Us
- Does Your Mother Know
- Summer Night City
- Lay All Your Love on Me
- Winner Takes It All
- Dancing Queen (live)
- Take a Chance on Me (live)
- I Have a Dream (live)
- Does Your Mother Know (live)
- Chiquitita (live)
- Another Town, Another Train
- Disillusion
- People Need Love
- I Saw It in the Mirror
- Nina, Pretty Ballerina
- Thank You for the Music (live)
- Two for the Price of One (live)
- Fernando (live)
- Gimme Gimme Gimme (live)
- Super Trouper (live)
- Waterloo (live)
- Love Isn't Easy
- Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother
- He Is Your Brother
- Ring Ring
- I Am Just a Girl
- Waterloo
- Name of the Game
- Dancing Queen
- Super Trouper
- Fernando
- SOS
- I Have a Dream
- Does Your Mother Know
- Voulez Vous
- Angel Eyes
- Ring Ring
- Head Over Heels
- Thank You for the Music
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Arrival
- Honey Honey
- Rock Me
- Dance (While the Music Still Goes on)
- Dancing Queen
- Take a Chance on Me
- The Name of the Game
- Waterloo
- Ring Ring
- Does Your Mother Know
- Angeleyes
- SOS
- Fernando
- Knowing Me Knowing You
- I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do
- Mamma Mia
- Honey Honey
- Money Money Money
- Voulez-Vous
- Chiquitita
- Gracias Por La Musica
- Reina Danzante
- Al Andar
- Dame! Dame! Dame!
- Fernando
- Estoy Soñando
- Mamma Mia
- Hasta Mañana
- Conociéndome, Conociéndote
- Chiquitita
- Dancing Queen
- Fernando
- Chiquitita
- Mamma Mia
- Waterloo
- The Winner Takes It All
- Super Trouper
- Take a Chance on Me
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Money, Money, Money
- SOS
- Money Money Money
- Chiquitita
- Waterloo
- I Have a Dream
- Mamma Mia
- Super Trouper
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Winner Takes It All
- Knowing Me Knowing You
- I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do
- Dancing Queen
- Does Your Mother Know
- Day Before You Came
- Fernando
- SOS
- Thank You for the Music
- Fernando
- Chiquitita
- Gracias por la Musica
- La Reina del Baile
- El Andar
- Dame, Dame, Dame
- Estoy Soñando
- Mamma Mia
- Hasta Mañana
- Conociendome, Conociendote
- Voulez-Vous
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Chiquitita
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- I Have a Dream
- Thank You for the Music
- Summer Night City
- Take a Chance on Me
- Does Your Mother Know
- Hole in Your Soul
- Dancing Queen
- Waterloo
- Chiquitita (live)
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (live)
- Super Trouper (live)
- I Have a Dream (live)
- The Name of the Game/Eagle (live)
- Thank You for the Music (live)
- Two for the Price of One (live)
- Slipping Through Your Soul (live)
- Me and I (live)
- Summer Night City (live)
- Take a Chance on Me (live)
- The Way Old Friends Do (live)
- Waterloo (live)
- Dancing Queen (live)
- Voulez-Vous (live)
- Knowing Me, Knowing You (live)
- Waterloo
- Sitting in the Palmtree
- King Kong Song
- Hasta Mañana
- My Mama Said
- Dance (While the Music Still Goes on)
- Honey, Honey
- What About Livingstone
- Watch Out
- Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
- Suzy-Hang-Around
- Mamma Mia
- Hey, Hey Helen
- Tropical Loveland
- SOS
- Man in the Middle
- Bang-A Boomerang
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Rock Me
- Intermezzo No.1
- I've Been Waiting for You
- So Long
- Voulez-Vous
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Dancing Queen
- Chiquitita
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Summer Night City
- I Have a Dream
- Does Your Mother Know
- Hole in Your Soul
- Waterloo
- Ring Ring
- Honey Honey
- So Long
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- S.O.S.
- Mamma Mia
- Fernando
- Dancing Queen
- Money, Money, Money
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- The Name of the Game
- Take a Chance on Me
- Eagle
- Summer Night City
- Chiquitita
- Waterloo
- Mamma Mia
- Fernando
- Dancing Queen
- Money, Money, Money
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- The Name of the Game
- Take a Chance on Me
- Chiquitita
- Voulez-Vous
- I Have a Dream
- The Winner Takes It All
- Thank You for the Music
- Please Change Your Mind
- Hole in Your Soul
- Tiger
- S.O.S.
- Money, Money, Money
- He Is Your Brother
- Intermezzo No. 1
- Waterloo
- Mamma Mia
- Swedish Polka
- Rock Me
- I've Been Waiting for You
- The Name of the Game
- Ring, Ring
- Why Did It Have to Be Me
- When I Kissed the Teacher
- Get on the Carousel
- I'm a Marionette
- Fernando
- Dancing Queen
- So Long
- Eagle
- Thank You for the Music
- Ring, Ring (reprise)
- I Have a Dream
- Andante, Andante
- Hasta Manyana
- My Love, My Life
- Eagle
- Soldiers
- I'm Just a Girl
- Chiquitita
- Cassandra
- One Man, One Woman
- Tropical Loveland
- The Day Before You Came
- I've Been Waiting for You
- Happy New Year
- I Let the Music Speak
- Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)
- Chiquitita (English version)
- Fernando (English version)
- Dancing Queen
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Mamma Mia (English version)
- Felicidad (Happy New Year)
- Andate
- Se Me Esta Escapando (Slipping Through My Fingers)
- No Hay a Quien Culpar (When All Is Said and Done)
- Ring Ring
- Rock 'N' Roll Band (1st version)
- Love Has It's Ways
- Ah, Vilka Tider
- Merry-Go-Round
- Santa Rosa
- Pick a Bale of Cotton
- On Top of Old Smokey
- Midnight Special
- Crazy World
- Happy Hawaii
- Fernando
- Summer Night City (1)
- Summer Night City (2)
- Lovelight
- Dream World
- Voulez-Vous (extended version)
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Thank You for the Music (1st version)
- Under My Sun, Part 1
- Under My Sun, Part 2
- I'm Still Alive
- Waterloo
- Sitting in the Palm Tree
- King Kong Song
- Hasta mañana
- My Mama Said
- Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)
- Honey Honey
- Watch Out
- What About Livingstone
- Gonna Sing You About My Lovesong
- Suzy-Hang-Around
- As Good as New
- Voulez-Vous
- I Have a Dream
- Angel Eyes
- The King Has Lost His Crown
- Does Your Mother Know
- If It Wasn't for the Nights
- Chiquitita
- Lovers (Live a Little Longer)
- Kisses of Fire
- Fernando
- The Name of the Game
- Chiquitita
- The Winner Takes It All
- I Have a Dream
- The Day Before You Came
- One of Us
- One Man, One Woman
- Eagle
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- My Love, My Life
- Our Last Summer
- Like an Angel Passing Through My Room
- I Wonder (Departure)
- I Let the Music Speak
- The Way Old Friends Do
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Abba - The Winner Takes It All
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:56
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing The Winner Takes It All. (C) 1980 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_The_Winner_Takes_It_All
Music video by Abba performing The Winner Takes It All. (C) 1980 Polar Music International AB
Abba - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:30
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight). (C) 1979 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Gimme!_Gimme!_Gimme!_A_Man_After_Midnight
Music video by Abba performing Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight). (C) 1979 Polar Music International AB
- published: 16 Dec 2009
- views: 6675291
- author: AbbaVEVO
Abba - Mamma Mia
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:31
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Mamma Mia. (C) 1975 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Mamma_Mia
Music video by Abba performing Mamma Mia. (C) 1975 Polar Music International AB
- published: 09 Oct 2009
- views: 20436712
- author: AbbaVEVO
Abba - Dancing Queen
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:52
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Dancing Queen. (C) 1976 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Dancing_Queen
Music video by Abba performing Dancing Queen. (C) 1976 Polar Music International AB
- published: 08 Oct 2009
- views: 26172474
- author: AbbaVEVO
Abba - Chiquitita
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:26
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Chiquitita. (C) 1979 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Chiquitita
Music video by Abba performing Chiquitita. (C) 1979 Polar Music International AB
- published: 08 Oct 2009
- views: 13230648
- author: AbbaVEVO
Abba - Take A Chance On Me
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:05
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Take A Chance On Me. (C) 1977 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Take_A_Chance_On_Me
Music video by Abba performing Take A Chance On Me. (C) 1977 Polar Music International AB
- published: 09 Oct 2009
- views: 9507371
- author: AbbaVEVO
ABBA Dancing Queen 1976
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:52
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
ABBA donned traditional 18th Century costumes when they first performed this song for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden the night before he was married to Silvia Sommerlath on 18/06/1976.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Dancing_Queen_1976
ABBA donned traditional 18th Century costumes when they first performed this song for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden the night before he was married to Silvia Sommerlath on 18/06/1976.
- published: 26 Aug 2006
- views: 19251788
- author: jradetzky
ABBA Waterloo Eurovision 1974 (High Quality)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:56
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
35 years to this day (6th April 1974) ABBA won with this performance of Waterloo. Enjoy! More information on this clip can be found here - www.abbaontv.com
http://wn.com/ABBA_Waterloo_Eurovision_1974_High_Quality
35 years to this day (6th April 1974) ABBA won with this performance of Waterloo. Enjoy! More information on this clip can be found here - www.abbaontv.com
- published: 07 Apr 2009
- views: 1568591
- author: mozpiano2
ABBA Megamix
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:59
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
A very, very great ABBA megamix. I hope you'll enjoy watching it :-D PS Its not made by me!
http://wn.com/ABBA_Megamix
A very, very great ABBA megamix. I hope you'll enjoy watching it :-D PS Its not made by me!
- published: 08 Sep 2007
- views: 4238869
- author: swissprincess1974
SOS - Abba
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:31
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Abba from Sweden
http://wn.com/SOS_Abba
Abba from Sweden
- published: 31 Oct 2006
- views: 6921698
- author: goverthana
ABBA - Eagle
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:00
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
This was the opening track of their 1977 album "ABBA - The Album". It was also released as a single in May 1978. Lyrics: They came flyin' from faraway now I'm under their spell I love hearing the stories that they tell they've seen places beyond my land and they've found new horizons they speak strangely but I understand and I dream I'm an eagle and I dream I can spread my wings Flyin' high, high I'm a bird in the sky I'm an eagle that rides on the breeze high, high what a feeling to fly over mountains and forests and seas and to go anywhere that I please As all good friends we talk all night and we fly wing to wing I have questions and they know everything there's no limit to what I feel we climb higher and higher am I dreamin' or is it all real is it true I'm an eagle is it true I can spread my wings Flyin' high, high I'm a bird in the sky I'm an eagle that rides on the breeze high, high what a feeling to fly over mountains and forests and seas and to go anywhere that I please
http://wn.com/ABBA_Eagle
This was the opening track of their 1977 album "ABBA - The Album". It was also released as a single in May 1978. Lyrics: They came flyin' from faraway now I'm under their spell I love hearing the stories that they tell they've seen places beyond my land and they've found new horizons they speak strangely but I understand and I dream I'm an eagle and I dream I can spread my wings Flyin' high, high I'm a bird in the sky I'm an eagle that rides on the breeze high, high what a feeling to fly over mountains and forests and seas and to go anywhere that I please As all good friends we talk all night and we fly wing to wing I have questions and they know everything there's no limit to what I feel we climb higher and higher am I dreamin' or is it all real is it true I'm an eagle is it true I can spread my wings Flyin' high, high I'm a bird in the sky I'm an eagle that rides on the breeze high, high what a feeling to fly over mountains and forests and seas and to go anywhere that I please
- published: 06 Apr 2008
- views: 1755690
- author: Symphonyofflowers
Abba - Money, Money, Money
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:07
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Money, Money, Money. (C) 1976 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Money,_Money,_Money
Music video by Abba performing Money, Money, Money. (C) 1976 Polar Music International AB
- published: 08 Oct 2009
- views: 4812405
- author: AbbaVEVO
Abba - Fernando
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:06
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Fernando was originally released as a single in Sweden by Frida, where it topped the charts for 9 consecutive weeks and broke all records. Abba realised it had international potential and released their own single version in March 1976. It topped the charts in many countries, and stayed at no. 1 in Australia for 14 weeks, equalling Hey Jude by The Beatles. Abba made their first tour to Australia in March 4-14 1976, and experienced Abbamania. Melbourne airport was beseiged by fans chanting for them when they arrived. The girls were moved to tears. Newspaper and tv headlines read "Abba fever hits Australia". Channel 9 recorded the tv special "The Best Of Abba", which included this performance of Fernando. The show was watched by 54% of the viewing public, more than watched the moon landing. They performed their biggest hits, with several costume changes. The tv producer declared "I have never worked with such an agreeable group of people. The image they present on screen - friendly, warm, bright, intelligent people - is exactly what they are. Complete modesty is the group's most refreshing quality". Expessen published some astounding figures after the tour. Abba had 5 singles and 2 albums in the charts at the same time in Australia. Fernando was no. 1, Ring Ring was no. 4, Rock Me was no. 5, Mama Mia was no. 20 and SOS was no. 22. "Abba" and "The Best Of Abba" were numbers 1 and 2 in the album charts. Public demand was so great, "The Best Of Abba" was screened several times ...
http://wn.com/Abba_Fernando
Fernando was originally released as a single in Sweden by Frida, where it topped the charts for 9 consecutive weeks and broke all records. Abba realised it had international potential and released their own single version in March 1976. It topped the charts in many countries, and stayed at no. 1 in Australia for 14 weeks, equalling Hey Jude by The Beatles. Abba made their first tour to Australia in March 4-14 1976, and experienced Abbamania. Melbourne airport was beseiged by fans chanting for them when they arrived. The girls were moved to tears. Newspaper and tv headlines read "Abba fever hits Australia". Channel 9 recorded the tv special "The Best Of Abba", which included this performance of Fernando. The show was watched by 54% of the viewing public, more than watched the moon landing. They performed their biggest hits, with several costume changes. The tv producer declared "I have never worked with such an agreeable group of people. The image they present on screen - friendly, warm, bright, intelligent people - is exactly what they are. Complete modesty is the group's most refreshing quality". Expessen published some astounding figures after the tour. Abba had 5 singles and 2 albums in the charts at the same time in Australia. Fernando was no. 1, Ring Ring was no. 4, Rock Me was no. 5, Mama Mia was no. 20 and SOS was no. 22. "Abba" and "The Best Of Abba" were numbers 1 and 2 in the album charts. Public demand was so great, "The Best Of Abba" was screened several times ...
- published: 31 Dec 2007
- views: 3177257
- author: abbafanglosuk
Abba - Happy New Year
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:28
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Happy New Year. (C) 1980 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Happy_New_Year
Music video by Abba performing Happy New Year. (C) 1980 Polar Music International AB
- published: 08 Oct 2009
- views: 6711621
- author: AbbaVEVO
ABBA in Concert
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 51:32
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
In Concert..1979
http://wn.com/ABBA_in_Concert
In Concert..1979
- published: 07 Jan 2011
- views: 3711155
- author: NuSkaViOppOppOpp
Abba - Thank You For The Music (live)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:06
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
Rare performance from Mike Yarwoods TV Show
http://wn.com/Abba_Thank_You_For_The_Music_live
Rare performance from Mike Yarwoods TV Show
- published: 31 May 2006
- views: 1569685
- author: modernmillie
ABBA - Ring Ring
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:52
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
From the September 1999 Danish ABBA TV Special. The broadcast video version of "Ring Ring" recorded in 1973.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Ring_Ring
From the September 1999 Danish ABBA TV Special. The broadcast video version of "Ring Ring" recorded in 1973.
- published: 31 May 2006
- views: 4733176
- author: Vorticon
Abba - The Day Before You Came
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:54
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Memorable live performance of The Day Before You Came on Nov 11th 1982. The audience clearly love this. One of Agnetha's best lead performances. Long close-ups of her beautiful face, with that unique head band. Watch how she concentrates for her cut ins.
http://wn.com/Abba_The_Day_Before_You_Came
Memorable live performance of The Day Before You Came on Nov 11th 1982. The audience clearly love this. One of Agnetha's best lead performances. Long close-ups of her beautiful face, with that unique head band. Watch how she concentrates for her cut ins.
- published: 26 Nov 2007
- views: 2228182
- author: abbafanglosuk
Abba - Waterloo
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:47
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Waterloo. (C) 1974 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Waterloo
Music video by Abba performing Waterloo. (C) 1974 Polar Music International AB
- published: 23 Feb 2010
- views: 3046422
- author: AbbaVEVO
Abba - Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:59
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing Knowing Me, Knowing You. (C) 1976 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_Knowing_Me,_Knowing_You
Music video by Abba performing Knowing Me, Knowing You. (C) 1976 Polar Music International AB
- published: 08 Oct 2009
- views: 3699065
- author: AbbaVEVO
Abba - SOS
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:19
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing SOS. (C) 1975 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_SOS
Music video by Abba performing SOS. (C) 1975 Polar Music International AB
- published: 08 Oct 2009
- views: 6262390
- author: AbbaVEVO
ABBA - Angeleyes
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:25
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
A great song from their 1979 album "Voulez Vous". Lyrics: Last night I was taking a walk along the river and I saw him together with a young girl and the look that he gave her made me shiver 'cause he always used to look at me that way and I thought maybe I should walk right up to her and say it's a game he likes to play Look into his angeleyes one look and you're hypnotized he'll take your heart and you must pay the price look into his angeleyes you'll think you're in paradise and one day you'll find out he wears a disguise don't look too deep into those angeleyes oh no no no no Sometimes when I'm lonely I sit and think about him and it hurts to remember all the good times when I thought I could never live without him and I wonder does it have to be the same every time when I see him will it bring back all the pain how can I forget that name Look into his angeleyes one look and you're hypnotized he'll take your heart and you must pay the price look into his angeleyes you'll think you're in paradise and one day you'll find out he wears a disguise don't look too deep into those angeleyes Crazy 'bout his angeleyes angeleyes he took my heart and now I pay the price look into his angeleyes you'll think you're in paradise and one day you'll find out he wears a disguise don't look too deep into those angeleyes oh no no no no (Keep thinking keep thinking 'bout his angeleyes keep thinking keep thinking I had to pay the price)
http://wn.com/ABBA_Angeleyes
A great song from their 1979 album "Voulez Vous". Lyrics: Last night I was taking a walk along the river and I saw him together with a young girl and the look that he gave her made me shiver 'cause he always used to look at me that way and I thought maybe I should walk right up to her and say it's a game he likes to play Look into his angeleyes one look and you're hypnotized he'll take your heart and you must pay the price look into his angeleyes you'll think you're in paradise and one day you'll find out he wears a disguise don't look too deep into those angeleyes oh no no no no Sometimes when I'm lonely I sit and think about him and it hurts to remember all the good times when I thought I could never live without him and I wonder does it have to be the same every time when I see him will it bring back all the pain how can I forget that name Look into his angeleyes one look and you're hypnotized he'll take your heart and you must pay the price look into his angeleyes you'll think you're in paradise and one day you'll find out he wears a disguise don't look too deep into those angeleyes Crazy 'bout his angeleyes angeleyes he took my heart and now I pay the price look into his angeleyes you'll think you're in paradise and one day you'll find out he wears a disguise don't look too deep into those angeleyes oh no no no no (Keep thinking keep thinking 'bout his angeleyes keep thinking keep thinking I had to pay the price)
- published: 08 May 2008
- views: 410572
- author: Symphonyofflowers
Abba - The Day Before You Came
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:47
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
Music video by Abba performing The Day Before You Came. (C) 1982 Polar Music International AB
http://wn.com/Abba_The_Day_Before_You_Came
Music video by Abba performing The Day Before You Came. (C) 1982 Polar Music International AB
- published: 09 Oct 2009
- views: 1334445
- author: AbbaVEVO
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ABBA - Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980 (53'50 min)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 53:56
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
http://wn.com/ABBA_Live_Concert_in_USA,_World_Tour_1980_53'50_min
- published: 03 Dec 2011
- views: 300679
- author: TheTubesgalore
![ᗅᗺᗷᗅ - Chiquitita (live '79) [complete] HD with lyrics](http://web.archive.org./web/20121210211357im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pzdfPEsf7qY/default.jpg "ᗅᗺᗷᗅ - Chiquitita (live '79) [complete] HD with lyrics")
ᗅᗺᗷᗅ - Chiquitita (live '79) [complete] HD with lyrics
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:38
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
*Please choose at least 720p for the HQ/HD picture. **Hit the CC button to see the lyrics - klicka på CC-knappen nere i högra hörnet på videon för att se texten. "Knowing me, knowing you" live from the same concert here: www.youtube.com This wonderful song in Spanish here: www.youtube.com Audio source - BBC Radio and improvement by Philippe "pHd" Dupont (www.abbainter.net) ᗅᗺᗷᗅ!!!!
http://wn.com/ᗅᗺᗷᗅ_Chiquitita_live_'79_complete_HD_with_lyrics
*Please choose at least 720p for the HQ/HD picture. **Hit the CC button to see the lyrics - klicka på CC-knappen nere i högra hörnet på videon för att se texten. "Knowing me, knowing you" live from the same concert here: www.youtube.com This wonderful song in Spanish here: www.youtube.com Audio source - BBC Radio and improvement by Philippe "pHd" Dupont (www.abbainter.net) ᗅᗺᗷᗅ!!!!
- published: 29 Aug 2010
- views: 1133146
- author: SADL00KINM00N
ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gimme(live in Wembley, 1979)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:52
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
From the "ABBA in concert" DVD, live performance of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) in Wembley Stadium.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Gimme_Gimme_Gimmelive_in_Wembley,_1979
From the "ABBA in concert" DVD, live performance of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) in Wembley Stadium.
- published: 10 Jul 2007
- views: 5373831
- author: realfellow
ABBA - Live in London (HQ)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:36
- Updated: 30 Nov 2012
Electric ABBA rocking full force: "Does Your Mother Know" & "Hole in Your Soul" live at Wembley (1979). Keep an eye out for a most coquettish Frida performing at her very best. Agnetha, of course, is perfect as always.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Live_in_London_HQ
Electric ABBA rocking full force: "Does Your Mother Know" & "Hole in Your Soul" live at Wembley (1979). Keep an eye out for a most coquettish Frida performing at her very best. Agnetha, of course, is perfect as always.
- published: 23 Jan 2009
- views: 32679
- author: AZ14142
ABBA : SOS Live Sydney Australia '77 (HQ)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:46
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
Great live cut from 'ABBA The Movie' "SOS" Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood It used to be so nice, itused to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? You seem so far away though you are standing near You made me feel alive, but something died I fear I really tried to make it out I wish I understood What happened to our love, it used to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS And the love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on?
http://wn.com/ABBA_SOS_Live_Sydney_Australia_'77_HQ
Great live cut from 'ABBA The Movie' "SOS" Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood It used to be so nice, itused to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? You seem so far away though you are standing near You made me feel alive, but something died I fear I really tried to make it out I wish I understood What happened to our love, it used to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS And the love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on?
- published: 04 Dec 2008
- views: 200628
- author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA : SOS - Live Vocals
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:24
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
Great live vocal performance here from German TV HQ here www.youtube.com Agnetha and Frida keeping the heat turned up with these short 'cat suits' Thanks for the many fine comments "SOS", originally called "Turn Me On", was the third single from their self-titled 1975 album, It was released with "Man in the Middle" as the B-side. Agnetha Fältskog also recorded the song in Swedish on her 1975 solo album "Elva kvinnor i ett hus". "SOS" (Björn Ulvaeus,Benny Andersson,Stig Anderson) Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood It used to be so nice, itused to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? You seem so far away though you are standing near You made me feel alive, but something died I fear I really tried to make it out I wish I understood What happened to our love, it used to be so good watch in HD.. www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/ABBA_SOS_Live_Vocals
Great live vocal performance here from German TV HQ here www.youtube.com Agnetha and Frida keeping the heat turned up with these short 'cat suits' Thanks for the many fine comments "SOS", originally called "Turn Me On", was the third single from their self-titled 1975 album, It was released with "Man in the Middle" as the B-side. Agnetha Fältskog also recorded the song in Swedish on her 1975 solo album "Elva kvinnor i ett hus". "SOS" (Björn Ulvaeus,Benny Andersson,Stig Anderson) Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood It used to be so nice, itused to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? You seem so far away though you are standing near You made me feel alive, but something died I fear I really tried to make it out I wish I understood What happened to our love, it used to be so good watch in HD.. www.youtube.com
- published: 10 Feb 2010
- views: 637838
- author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA : Dancing Queen (Live Australia '77) HQ
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:36
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
Thanks for all your many interesting comments for HD click here ... www.youtube.com Glad you are enjoying it !! Outstanding live version here from The Sydney showgrounds , Australia 1977You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen Friday night and the lights are low Looking out for the place to go Where they play the right music, getting in the swing You come in to look for a king Anybody could be that guy Night is young and the music?s high With a bit of rock music, everything is fine You?re in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance... You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen You?re a teaser, you turn ?em on Leave them burning and then you?re gone Looking out for another, anyone will do You?re in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance... You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen
http://wn.com/ABBA_Dancing_Queen_Live_Australia_'77_HQ
Thanks for all your many interesting comments for HD click here ... www.youtube.com Glad you are enjoying it !! Outstanding live version here from The Sydney showgrounds , Australia 1977You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen Friday night and the lights are low Looking out for the place to go Where they play the right music, getting in the swing You come in to look for a king Anybody could be that guy Night is young and the music?s high With a bit of rock music, everything is fine You?re in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance... You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen You?re a teaser, you turn ?em on Leave them burning and then you?re gone Looking out for another, anyone will do You?re in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance... You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen
- published: 22 Feb 2009
- views: 1628805
- author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA Super Trouper Live 1981 - Dick Cavett Meets ABBA (High Quality)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:19
- Updated: 14 Nov 2012
www.youtube.com for HI QUALITY VIDEO. The ABBA song Super Trouper, performed live on the Dick Cavett meets ABBA TV special in 1981.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Super_Trouper_Live_1981_Dick_Cavett_Meets_ABBA_High_Quality
www.youtube.com for HI QUALITY VIDEO. The ABBA song Super Trouper, performed live on the Dick Cavett meets ABBA TV special in 1981.
- published: 31 Aug 2008
- views: 45604
- author: mozpiano2
ABBA - Dancing Queen Live
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:41
- Updated: 06 Dec 2012
Live Performance of Dancing Queen by ABBA
http://wn.com/ABBA_Dancing_Queen_Live
Live Performance of Dancing Queen by ABBA
- published: 09 Sep 2006
- views: 2141634
- author: teddybear1968
ABBA On and On and On Live 1981 - Dick Cavett Meets ABBA (High Quality)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:20
- Updated: 23 Nov 2012
www.youtube.com FOR HI QUALITY VIDEO AND STEREO SOUND. The ABBA song On & On & On, performed live on the Dick Cavett meets ABBA TV special in 1981. Lyrics - I was at a party And this feller said to me, Something bad is happenin' I'm sure you do agree People care for nothing No...
http://wn.com/ABBA_On_and_On_and_On_Live_1981_Dick_Cavett_Meets_ABBA_High_Quality
www.youtube.com FOR HI QUALITY VIDEO AND STEREO SOUND. The ABBA song On & On & On, performed live on the Dick Cavett meets ABBA TV special in 1981. Lyrics - I was at a party And this feller said to me, Something bad is happenin' I'm sure you do agree People care for nothing No...
- published: 06 Mar 2010
- views: 19105
- author: mozpiano2
ABBA - Live at Wembley 1979 (Complete Concert Recording) Vinyl Audio HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 57:46
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
This is the complete and unedited recording of the Wembley concert(s?) featuring all the songs that partially can be heard on "ABBA in Concert" DVD and "ABBA live" CD. This is a BBC radio broadcast that was ripped from a promo vinyl. Though a bit noisy the sound is mostly excellent, especially compared to the official releases of this material (but crank up the volume!). Really a shame that this recording hasn't been officially released in it's entirety. Watch in 1080p for the best sound quality (don't watch in "original" because YouTube massed up the picture). Songs included: 1. Voulez Vous 2. Knowing Me, Knowing You 3. Chiquitita 4. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme 5. I Have a Dream 6. Thank You For The Music 7. Summer Night City 8. Take a Chance On Me 9. Does Your Mother Know 10. Hole In Your Soul 11. Dancing Queen 12. Waterloo Special thanks to the team of www.abbajustlikethat.comyr.com for providing this great material in good quality and for free.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Live_at_Wembley_1979_Complete_Concert_Recording_Vinyl_Audio_HD
This is the complete and unedited recording of the Wembley concert(s?) featuring all the songs that partially can be heard on "ABBA in Concert" DVD and "ABBA live" CD. This is a BBC radio broadcast that was ripped from a promo vinyl. Though a bit noisy the sound is mostly excellent, especially compared to the official releases of this material (but crank up the volume!). Really a shame that this recording hasn't been officially released in it's entirety. Watch in 1080p for the best sound quality (don't watch in "original" because YouTube massed up the picture). Songs included: 1. Voulez Vous 2. Knowing Me, Knowing You 3. Chiquitita 4. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme 5. I Have a Dream 6. Thank You For The Music 7. Summer Night City 8. Take a Chance On Me 9. Does Your Mother Know 10. Hole In Your Soul 11. Dancing Queen 12. Waterloo Special thanks to the team of www.abbajustlikethat.comyr.com for providing this great material in good quality and for free.
- published: 15 Sep 2012
- views: 19250
- author: Fafner888
ABBA - Waterloo Live
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:15
- Updated: 05 Dec 2012
ABBA Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980
http://wn.com/ABBA_Waterloo_Live
ABBA Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980
- published: 28 Jan 2007
- views: 106653
- author: Roger Aliaga Mamani
Björn Again : Knowing Me, Knowing You (ABBA) Live Royal Albert Hall
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:30
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
Benny Anderware (keyboards) says all the band lost their memories after their helicopter collided with a Glittery Stiletto from outer space! Gradually some memories came back but it was never quite the same... Benny Anderwear Agnetha Falstart Frida Longstokin Bjorn Volvo-us Aileen 'Agnetha' McLaughlin & TJ 'Frida' Davis on vocals
http://wn.com/Björn_Again_Knowing_Me,_Knowing_You_ABBA_Live_Royal_Albert_Hall
Benny Anderware (keyboards) says all the band lost their memories after their helicopter collided with a Glittery Stiletto from outer space! Gradually some memories came back but it was never quite the same... Benny Anderwear Agnetha Falstart Frida Longstokin Bjorn Volvo-us Aileen 'Agnetha' McLaughlin & TJ 'Frida' Davis on vocals
- published: 23 Sep 2009
- views: 40227
- author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA : On And On And On - Full Song (Live In Sweden '81 Dick Cavett)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:09
- Updated: 07 Dec 2012
"On And On And On" I was at a party and this fella said to me "Something bad is happening, I'm sure you do agree People care for nothing, no respect for human rights Evil times are coming, we are in for darker nights" I said, "Who are you to talk about impending doom?" He got kinda wary as he looked around the room He said, "I'm a minister, a big shot in the state" I said, "I just can't believe it, boy I think it's great Brother can you tell me what is right and what is wrong?" He said, "Keep on rocking baby, 'til the night is gone" On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone Over in the corner I could see this other guy He was kinda flirty, he was giving me the eye So I took advantage of the fact that I'm a star Shook my hair and took a casual stroll up to the bar And as sure as hell this guy was coming up to me He said, "Who am I and who are you and who are we? What's our situation, do we have some time for us?" I said I was not exactly waiting for the bus He said, "If you're going somewhere can I come along?" I said, "Keep on rocking baby, 'til the night is gone" On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone [Extra Video Verse] Standing up is scary if you think ...
http://wn.com/ABBA_On_And_On_And_On_Full_Song_Live_In_Sweden_'81_Dick_Cavett
"On And On And On" I was at a party and this fella said to me "Something bad is happening, I'm sure you do agree People care for nothing, no respect for human rights Evil times are coming, we are in for darker nights" I said, "Who are you to talk about impending doom?" He got kinda wary as he looked around the room He said, "I'm a minister, a big shot in the state" I said, "I just can't believe it, boy I think it's great Brother can you tell me what is right and what is wrong?" He said, "Keep on rocking baby, 'til the night is gone" On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone Over in the corner I could see this other guy He was kinda flirty, he was giving me the eye So I took advantage of the fact that I'm a star Shook my hair and took a casual stroll up to the bar And as sure as hell this guy was coming up to me He said, "Who am I and who are you and who are we? What's our situation, do we have some time for us?" I said I was not exactly waiting for the bus He said, "If you're going somewhere can I come along?" I said, "Keep on rocking baby, 'til the night is gone" On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone [Extra Video Verse] Standing up is scary if you think ...
- published: 26 Sep 2009
- views: 82717
- author: 2Shaymcn
Abba - Thank You For The Music (live)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:06
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
Rare performance from Mike Yarwoods TV Show
http://wn.com/Abba_Thank_You_For_The_Music_live
Rare performance from Mike Yarwoods TV Show
- published: 31 May 2006
- views: 1569685
- author: modernmillie
ABBA- Live on Japan TV- Money, Money, Money
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:41
- Updated: 08 Dec 2012
A clip from a rare recording of ABBA's Japanese TV special. This particular clip is amazing with the live orchestra and Frida's sensual vocals singing "Money, Money, Money".
http://wn.com/ABBA_Live_on_Japan_TV_Money,_Money,_Money
A clip from a rare recording of ABBA's Japanese TV special. This particular clip is amazing with the live orchestra and Frida's sensual vocals singing "Money, Money, Money".
- published: 21 Jan 2006
- views: 1322046
- author: justanickygthang
ABBA ~ Live ~ Chiquitita ~ 1979 ~ HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:04
- Updated: 03 Dec 2012
ABBA performing Chiquitita at Wembley Arena in London, England. Recorded live on November 10th, 1979. Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog.
http://wn.com/ABBA_~_Live_~_Chiquitita_~_1979_~_HD
ABBA performing Chiquitita at Wembley Arena in London, England. Recorded live on November 10th, 1979. Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog.
- published: 03 Sep 2012
- views: 1845
- author: Gilded Cage
ABBA "Chiquitita" (Live)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:30
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
HQ stereo: uk.youtube.com My favorite ABBA song! Done live here in 1979. Lyrics: Abba - Chiquitita lyrics Album: Unknown Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong You're enchained by your own sorrow In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow How I hate to see you like this There is no way you can deny it I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet Chiquitita, tell me the truth I'm a shoulder you can cry on Your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on You were always sure of yourself Now I see you've broken a feather I hope we can patch it up together Chiquitita, you and I know How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end You will have no time for grieving Chiquitita, you and I cry But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you Let me hear you singonce more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita Try once more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita So the walls came tumbling down And your love's a blown out candle All is gone and it seems too hard to handle Chiquitita, tell me the truth There is no way you can deny it I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet Chiquitita, you and I know How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end You will have no time for grieving Chiquitita, you and I cry But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you Let me hear you sing once more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita ...
http://wn.com/ABBA_Chiquitita_Live
HQ stereo: uk.youtube.com My favorite ABBA song! Done live here in 1979. Lyrics: Abba - Chiquitita lyrics Album: Unknown Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong You're enchained by your own sorrow In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow How I hate to see you like this There is no way you can deny it I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet Chiquitita, tell me the truth I'm a shoulder you can cry on Your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on You were always sure of yourself Now I see you've broken a feather I hope we can patch it up together Chiquitita, you and I know How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end You will have no time for grieving Chiquitita, you and I cry But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you Let me hear you singonce more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita Try once more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita So the walls came tumbling down And your love's a blown out candle All is gone and it seems too hard to handle Chiquitita, tell me the truth There is no way you can deny it I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet Chiquitita, you and I know How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end You will have no time for grieving Chiquitita, you and I cry But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you Let me hear you sing once more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita ...
- published: 17 Nov 2008
- views: 434717
- author: dholm13
Abba On And On And On ( ABBA Live) (1986)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:06
- Updated: 08 Dec 2012
For Better Quality And Stereo Click Here www.youtube.com Abba "On And On And On" (ABBA Live) (1986) This Song Was Recorded In 1980 For The Album "Super Trouper" There Were Two Working Titles For This Track, "Esses Vad Det Svanger Nar Man Spelar Jazz" (Roughly Translated As "God Almighty How It Swings When You're Playing Jazz") And "Till The Night Is Gone" The B-Side Of This Song Was "The Piper" Written And Produced By Benny Andersson And Bjorn Ulvaeus. "ABBA Live" Recorded 1977 Thru 1981, With Studio Overdubs In 1986. Released On August 18th, 1986. Producer By Michael B. Tretow This Was The First ABBA Album To Be Simultaneously Released On LP And CD, The CD Having Three Extra Tracks. This Is The Only Official Live ABBA Album.
http://wn.com/Abba_On_And_On_And_On_ABBA_Live_1986
For Better Quality And Stereo Click Here www.youtube.com Abba "On And On And On" (ABBA Live) (1986) This Song Was Recorded In 1980 For The Album "Super Trouper" There Were Two Working Titles For This Track, "Esses Vad Det Svanger Nar Man Spelar Jazz" (Roughly Translated As "God Almighty How It Swings When You're Playing Jazz") And "Till The Night Is Gone" The B-Side Of This Song Was "The Piper" Written And Produced By Benny Andersson And Bjorn Ulvaeus. "ABBA Live" Recorded 1977 Thru 1981, With Studio Overdubs In 1986. Released On August 18th, 1986. Producer By Michael B. Tretow This Was The First ABBA Album To Be Simultaneously Released On LP And CD, The CD Having Three Extra Tracks. This Is The Only Official Live ABBA Album.
- published: 25 Jun 2008
- views: 102473
- author: ji61m
"ABBA" Live Wembley 1979. "Chiquitita"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:07
- Updated: 30 Nov 2012
"ABBA". So good. I know this video is on YT, but such a performance can be seen many times.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Live_Wembley_1979_Chiquitita
"ABBA". So good. I know this video is on YT, but such a performance can be seen many times.
- published: 05 Feb 2009
- views: 37887
- author: Gunnar Lian
Abba LIVE - "Dancing Queen", "Does Your Mother Know" & "Hole In Your Soul" - STEREO
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:22
- Updated: 12 Nov 2012
...the climax of a great set.
http://wn.com/Abba_LIVE_Dancing_Queen,_Does_Your_Mother_Know_Hole_In_Your_Soul_STEREO
...the climax of a great set.
- published: 30 Jan 2011
- views: 1938
- author: Melonhead622
ABBA Chiquitita Live 1979
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:03
- Updated: 06 Dec 2012
www.youtube.com for HI QUALITY VIDEO. How great the 1979 concert was!
http://wn.com/ABBA_Chiquitita_Live_1979
www.youtube.com for HI QUALITY VIDEO. How great the 1979 concert was!
- published: 03 Jan 2009
- views: 49203
- author: mozpiano2
ABBA - Knowing me, knowing you (live '79 - complete) HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:45
- Updated: 07 Dec 2012
Please listen in 720p for the best quality :) ᗅᗺᗷᗅ singing it live for the last time in 1981 here: www.youtube.com A video montage to make the song and performance complete :) Thanks to Philippe "pHd" Dupont (www.abbainter.net) for the HQ audio.
http://wn.com/ABBA_Knowing_me,_knowing_you_live_'79_complete_HD
Please listen in 720p for the best quality :) ᗅᗺᗷᗅ singing it live for the last time in 1981 here: www.youtube.com A video montage to make the song and performance complete :) Thanks to Philippe "pHd" Dupont (www.abbainter.net) for the HQ audio.
- published: 21 Feb 2011
- views: 179081
- author: SADL00KINM00N
53:56
ABBA - Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980 (53'50 min)
...
published: 03 Dec 2011
author: TheTubesgalore
ABBA - Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980 (53'50 min)
- published: 03 Dec 2011
- views: 300679
- author: TheTubesgalore
5:38
ᗅᗺᗷᗅ - Chiquitita (live '79) [complete] HD with lyrics
*Please choose at least 720p for the HQ/HD picture. **Hit the CC button to see the lyrics ...
published: 29 Aug 2010
author: SADL00KINM00N
ᗅᗺᗷᗅ - Chiquitita (live '79) [complete] HD with lyrics
*Please choose at least 720p for the HQ/HD picture. **Hit the CC button to see the lyrics - klicka på CC-knappen nere i högra hörnet på videon för att se texten. "Knowing me, knowing you" live from the same concert here: www.youtube.com This wonderful song in Spanish here: www.youtube.com Audio source - BBC Radio and improvement by Philippe "pHd" Dupont (www.abbainter.net) ᗅᗺᗷᗅ!!!!
- published: 29 Aug 2010
- views: 1133146
- author: SADL00KINM00N
4:52
ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gimme(live in Wembley, 1979)
From the "ABBA in concert" DVD, live performance of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midn...
published: 10 Jul 2007
author: realfellow
ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gimme(live in Wembley, 1979)
From the "ABBA in concert" DVD, live performance of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) in Wembley Stadium.
- published: 10 Jul 2007
- views: 5373831
- author: realfellow
8:36
ABBA - Live in London (HQ)
Electric ABBA rocking full force: "Does Your Mother Know" & "Hole in Your Soul" live at We...
published: 23 Jan 2009
author: AZ14142
ABBA - Live in London (HQ)
Electric ABBA rocking full force: "Does Your Mother Know" & "Hole in Your Soul" live at Wembley (1979). Keep an eye out for a most coquettish Frida performing at her very best. Agnetha, of course, is perfect as always.
- published: 23 Jan 2009
- views: 32679
- author: AZ14142
2:46
ABBA : SOS Live Sydney Australia '77 (HQ)
Great live cut from 'ABBA The Movie' "SOS" Where are those happy days, they seem so hard t...
published: 04 Dec 2008
author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA : SOS Live Sydney Australia '77 (HQ)
Great live cut from 'ABBA The Movie' "SOS" Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood It used to be so nice, itused to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? You seem so far away though you are standing near You made me feel alive, but something died I fear I really tried to make it out I wish I understood What happened to our love, it used to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS And the love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on?
- published: 04 Dec 2008
- views: 200628
- author: 2Shaymcn
3:24
ABBA : SOS - Live Vocals
Great live vocal performance here from German TV HQ here www.youtube.com Agnetha and Frida...
published: 10 Feb 2010
author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA : SOS - Live Vocals
Great live vocal performance here from German TV HQ here www.youtube.com Agnetha and Frida keeping the heat turned up with these short 'cat suits' Thanks for the many fine comments "SOS", originally called "Turn Me On", was the third single from their self-titled 1975 album, It was released with "Man in the Middle" as the B-side. Agnetha Fältskog also recorded the song in Swedish on her 1975 solo album "Elva kvinnor i ett hus". "SOS" (Björn Ulvaeus,Benny Andersson,Stig Anderson) Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood It used to be so nice, itused to be so good So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me SOS The love you gave me, nothing else can save me SOS When you're gone How can I even try to go on? When you're gone Though I try how can I carry on? You seem so far away though you are standing near You made me feel alive, but something died I fear I really tried to make it out I wish I understood What happened to our love, it used to be so good watch in HD.. www.youtube.com
- published: 10 Feb 2010
- views: 637838
- author: 2Shaymcn
4:36
ABBA : Dancing Queen (Live Australia '77) HQ
Thanks for all your many interesting comments for HD click here ... www.youtube.com Glad y...
published: 22 Feb 2009
author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA : Dancing Queen (Live Australia '77) HQ
Thanks for all your many interesting comments for HD click here ... www.youtube.com Glad you are enjoying it !! Outstanding live version here from The Sydney showgrounds , Australia 1977You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen Friday night and the lights are low Looking out for the place to go Where they play the right music, getting in the swing You come in to look for a king Anybody could be that guy Night is young and the music?s high With a bit of rock music, everything is fine You?re in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance... You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen You?re a teaser, you turn ?em on Leave them burning and then you?re gone Looking out for another, anyone will do You?re in the mood for a dance And when you get the chance... You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen
- published: 22 Feb 2009
- views: 1628805
- author: 2Shaymcn
4:19
ABBA Super Trouper Live 1981 - Dick Cavett Meets ABBA (High Quality)
www.youtube.com for HI QUALITY VIDEO. The ABBA song Super Trouper, performed live on the D...
published: 31 Aug 2008
author: mozpiano2
ABBA Super Trouper Live 1981 - Dick Cavett Meets ABBA (High Quality)
www.youtube.com for HI QUALITY VIDEO. The ABBA song Super Trouper, performed live on the Dick Cavett meets ABBA TV special in 1981.
- published: 31 Aug 2008
- views: 45604
- author: mozpiano2
3:41
ABBA - Dancing Queen Live
Live Performance of Dancing Queen by ABBA...
published: 09 Sep 2006
author: teddybear1968
ABBA - Dancing Queen Live
Live Performance of Dancing Queen by ABBA
- published: 09 Sep 2006
- views: 2141634
- author: teddybear1968
3:20
ABBA On and On and On Live 1981 - Dick Cavett Meets ABBA (High Quality)
www.youtube.com FOR HI QUALITY VIDEO AND STEREO SOUND. The ABBA song On & On & On, perform...
published: 06 Mar 2010
author: mozpiano2
ABBA On and On and On Live 1981 - Dick Cavett Meets ABBA (High Quality)
www.youtube.com FOR HI QUALITY VIDEO AND STEREO SOUND. The ABBA song On & On & On, performed live on the Dick Cavett meets ABBA TV special in 1981. Lyrics - I was at a party And this feller said to me, Something bad is happenin' I'm sure you do agree People care for nothing No...
- published: 06 Mar 2010
- views: 19105
- author: mozpiano2
57:46
ABBA - Live at Wembley 1979 (Complete Concert Recording) Vinyl Audio HD
This is the complete and unedited recording of the Wembley concert(s?) featuring all the s...
published: 15 Sep 2012
author: Fafner888
ABBA - Live at Wembley 1979 (Complete Concert Recording) Vinyl Audio HD
This is the complete and unedited recording of the Wembley concert(s?) featuring all the songs that partially can be heard on "ABBA in Concert" DVD and "ABBA live" CD. This is a BBC radio broadcast that was ripped from a promo vinyl. Though a bit noisy the sound is mostly excellent, especially compared to the official releases of this material (but crank up the volume!). Really a shame that this recording hasn't been officially released in it's entirety. Watch in 1080p for the best sound quality (don't watch in "original" because YouTube massed up the picture). Songs included: 1. Voulez Vous 2. Knowing Me, Knowing You 3. Chiquitita 4. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme 5. I Have a Dream 6. Thank You For The Music 7. Summer Night City 8. Take a Chance On Me 9. Does Your Mother Know 10. Hole In Your Soul 11. Dancing Queen 12. Waterloo Special thanks to the team of www.abbajustlikethat.comyr.com for providing this great material in good quality and for free.
- published: 15 Sep 2012
- views: 19250
- author: Fafner888
1:15
ABBA - Waterloo Live
ABBA Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980...
published: 28 Jan 2007
author: Roger Aliaga Mamani
ABBA - Waterloo Live
ABBA Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980
- published: 28 Jan 2007
- views: 106653
- author: Roger Aliaga Mamani
4:30
Björn Again : Knowing Me, Knowing You (ABBA) Live Royal Albert Hall
Benny Anderware (keyboards) says all the band lost their memories after their helicopter c...
published: 23 Sep 2009
author: 2Shaymcn
Björn Again : Knowing Me, Knowing You (ABBA) Live Royal Albert Hall
Benny Anderware (keyboards) says all the band lost their memories after their helicopter collided with a Glittery Stiletto from outer space! Gradually some memories came back but it was never quite the same... Benny Anderwear Agnetha Falstart Frida Longstokin Bjorn Volvo-us Aileen 'Agnetha' McLaughlin & TJ 'Frida' Davis on vocals
- published: 23 Sep 2009
- views: 40227
- author: 2Shaymcn
4:09
ABBA : On And On And On - Full Song (Live In Sweden '81 Dick Cavett)
"On And On And On" I was at a party and this fella said to me "Something bad is happening,...
published: 26 Sep 2009
author: 2Shaymcn
ABBA : On And On And On - Full Song (Live In Sweden '81 Dick Cavett)
"On And On And On" I was at a party and this fella said to me "Something bad is happening, I'm sure you do agree People care for nothing, no respect for human rights Evil times are coming, we are in for darker nights" I said, "Who are you to talk about impending doom?" He got kinda wary as he looked around the room He said, "I'm a minister, a big shot in the state" I said, "I just can't believe it, boy I think it's great Brother can you tell me what is right and what is wrong?" He said, "Keep on rocking baby, 'til the night is gone" On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone Over in the corner I could see this other guy He was kinda flirty, he was giving me the eye So I took advantage of the fact that I'm a star Shook my hair and took a casual stroll up to the bar And as sure as hell this guy was coming up to me He said, "Who am I and who are you and who are we? What's our situation, do we have some time for us?" I said I was not exactly waiting for the bus He said, "If you're going somewhere can I come along?" I said, "Keep on rocking baby, 'til the night is gone" On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone On and on and on Keep on rocking baby 'Til the night is gone On and on and on 'Til the night is gone [Extra Video Verse] Standing up is scary if you think ...
- published: 26 Sep 2009
- views: 82717
- author: 2Shaymcn
Vimeo results:
2:06
CASSINI MISSION
This is the perfect opportunity for a Carl Sagan quote:
"Somewhere, something incredible ...
published: 30 May 2011
author: Chris Abbas
CASSINI MISSION
This is the perfect opportunity for a Carl Sagan quote:
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
The footage in this little film was captured by the hardworking men and women at NASA and The European Space Agency with the Cassini Imaging Science System. If you're interested in learning more about Cassini and the on-going Cassini Solstice Mission, check it out at NASA's website:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/index.cfm
Track: 2 Ghosts I, Ghosts I – IV by Nine Inch Nails
(Used under a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution Share Alike license.)
http://ghosts.nin.com/
Self-Directed / Edit / Sound Design / Comp / Color
47:11
Ghazieh shekle aval shekle dovvom
A film by Abbas Kiarostami
http://nasiriphotos.com/blog/2009/09/04/15,28,27/
قضیه شکل اول...
published: 03 Sep 2009
author: Green Mind
Ghazieh shekle aval shekle dovvom
A film by Abbas Kiarostami
http://nasiriphotos.com/blog/2009/09/04/15,28,27/
قضیه شکل اول شکل دوم
2:30
God of Small Things
+ Music by the lovely and amazing múm
+ Thank you Milton and Lana Muller
- A film by Chris...
published: 24 May 2009
author: elo | meno | pe
God of Small Things
+ Music by the lovely and amazing múm
+ Thank you Milton and Lana Muller
- A film by Chris Abbas and Sumit Seru
8:15
An Evening With Dusty - Kyle Bobby Dunn
Starring Grace Averis
Directed and edited by Joey Bania
VFX by Robin Stuart Cape
Photograp...
published: 28 May 2012
author: Joey Bania
An Evening With Dusty - Kyle Bobby Dunn
Starring Grace Averis
Directed and edited by Joey Bania
VFX by Robin Stuart Cape
Photography by Joey Bania
Production assistance from Dominic Stephenson & Ram Alluri
Excerpts from 'Cassini Mission' courtesy of Chris Abbas and NASA
Filmed in and around Dunedin, New Zealand // June 2012
From the album - Bring Me the Head of Kyle Bobby Dunn
a double CD // http://www.low-point.com/LP049.html
Youtube results:
4:06
Abba - Thank You For The Music (live)
Rare performance from Mike Yarwoods TV Show...
published: 31 May 2006
author: modernmillie
Abba - Thank You For The Music (live)
Rare performance from Mike Yarwoods TV Show
- published: 31 May 2006
- views: 1569685
- author: modernmillie
4:41
ABBA- Live on Japan TV- Money, Money, Money
A clip from a rare recording of ABBA's Japanese TV special. This particular clip is amazin...
published: 21 Jan 2006
author: justanickygthang
ABBA- Live on Japan TV- Money, Money, Money
A clip from a rare recording of ABBA's Japanese TV special. This particular clip is amazing with the live orchestra and Frida's sensual vocals singing "Money, Money, Money".
- published: 21 Jan 2006
- views: 1322046
- author: justanickygthang
4:04
ABBA ~ Live ~ Chiquitita ~ 1979 ~ HD
ABBA performing Chiquitita at Wembley Arena in London, England. Recorded live on November ...
published: 03 Sep 2012
author: Gilded Cage
ABBA ~ Live ~ Chiquitita ~ 1979 ~ HD
ABBA performing Chiquitita at Wembley Arena in London, England. Recorded live on November 10th, 1979. Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog.
- published: 03 Sep 2012
- views: 1845
- author: Gilded Cage
5:30
ABBA "Chiquitita" (Live)
HQ stereo: uk.youtube.com My favorite ABBA song! Done live here in 1979. Lyrics: Abba - Ch...
published: 17 Nov 2008
author: dholm13
ABBA "Chiquitita" (Live)
HQ stereo: uk.youtube.com My favorite ABBA song! Done live here in 1979. Lyrics: Abba - Chiquitita lyrics Album: Unknown Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong You're enchained by your own sorrow In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow How I hate to see you like this There is no way you can deny it I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet Chiquitita, tell me the truth I'm a shoulder you can cry on Your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on You were always sure of yourself Now I see you've broken a feather I hope we can patch it up together Chiquitita, you and I know How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end You will have no time for grieving Chiquitita, you and I cry But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you Let me hear you singonce more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita Try once more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita So the walls came tumbling down And your love's a blown out candle All is gone and it seems too hard to handle Chiquitita, tell me the truth There is no way you can deny it I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet Chiquitita, you and I know How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end You will have no time for grieving Chiquitita, you and I cry But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you Let me hear you sing once more like you did before Sing a new song, Chiquitita ...
- published: 17 Nov 2008
- views: 434717
- author: dholm13
photo: AP / Todd Williamson
10 Dec 2012
MÉXICO, D.F., diciembre 9 (EL UNIVERSAL).- La Voz México, programa de talentos de Televisa, confirmó la muerte de la cantante Jenni Rivera, a través de su Twitter. "Que toquen fuerte las bandas, suelten por mí mariposas, apláudanme con sus palmas... http.//twitpic.com/bkmhl0 .Descanse en paz Jenni Rivera" ... Además, anunció un homenaje luctuoso dedicado a la cantante ... Descanse en Paz" ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)
photo: AP / Khalil Hamra
09 Dec 2012
Syria's rebel leaders have agreed to come under a united command in a bid to integrate diverse fighting groups and streamline the route for arms essential to their struggle against President Bashar al-Assad. The new body, expected to be announced officially on Sunday, hopes to form the basis of a united rebel front ... "It also aims to get the situation under control once the regime falls." ... 378 Source.. Agencies. Share ... News ... Egypt....(size: 18.6Kb)
photo: AP / Narciso Contreras
10 Dec 2012
December 10, 2012 -- Updated 1327 GMT (2127 HKT). (CNN) -- Syria is raising concern in two letters to the United Nations that the United States may be attempting to frame it for the use of chemical weapons, Syrian state-run media reported Monday. The letters, addressed to U.N ... The move by President Bashar al-Assad's government follows recent reports that Syrian forces appear to have begun preparing chemical weapons for use ... "The U.S ... 1. 2....(size: 11.5Kb)
photo: AP / Gustavo Ferrari
09 Dec 2012
Tens of thousands of Kuwaitis have staged a peaceful protest against the parliament elected last week under voting rules deemed unfair by the opposition. The opposition supporters demonstrated for the second week in a row as police watched the protest without interfering on Saturday ... The opposition says the amendments of the electoral law enables the government to control the outcome of polls ... 349 Source.. Agencies. Share ... News ... ....(size: 18.5Kb)
IMDb
10 Dec 2012
Actor Sushant Singh, who will be seen in a cameo role in Yash Raj Films' "Gunday", says he signed it only for director Ali Abbas Zafar....(size: 0.7Kb)
Deccan Herald
10 Dec 2012
Hyderabad Race Results. The Leader, ridden by A Imran K and trained by S Abbas, scored a fine victory in the Jockey Purtu Singh Parmar Memorial Cup over 1400 metres, the feature event of the races held here on Monday. Favourite Lumiere Blanche, piloted by Culhane could only manage second place, beaten by a good margin of 2-3/4 lengths. 1. Crack Regiment Plate Div I 1100M ... D Netto; Fav. Sushen. 2 ... S Abbas; Fav. Castle Town ... S Abbas; Fav....(size: 4.0Kb)
The Washington Times
10 Dec 2012
President Obama was silent, however, when Mahmoud Abbas stated his desire to unite with Hamas ... Abbas is a partner for peace, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary ... Abbas returned triumphantly to the West Bank ... Abbas is not a credible partner for peace ... Abbas fails to achieve a unity government, he doesn’t speak for the Palestinian people ... Abbas support peace when Hamas’ only goal is to destroy Israel? ... Abbas....(size: 4.5Kb)
New Straits/Business Times
10 Dec 2012
A number of prominent voices urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to take steps to ease the tensions and bolster the Western-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas ... Hamas seized control of Gaza in mid-2007, ousting forces loyal to Abbas ... The Palestinian rift has pushed Abbas into an uneasy alliance with Israel, with both sides united in their opposition to Hamas....(size: 7.6Kb)
Irish Times
10 Dec 2012
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu says the weekend visit to Gaza by Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal proves that the Palestinians do not intend to compromise with Israel, and he criticised Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas for seeking reconciliation with Hamas ... Mr Netanyahu also criticised Mr Abbas for failing to condemn Mr Meshaal’s rhetoric....(size: 1.8Kb)
The Columbus Dispatch
10 Dec 2012
A number of prominent voices urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday to take steps to ease the tensions and bolster the Western-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas ... Hamas seized control of Gaza in mid-2007, ousting forces loyal to Abbas ... The Palestinian rift has pushed Abbas into an uneasy alliance with Israel, with both sides united in their opposition to Hamas ... Abbas and Netanyahu blame each other for the deadlock....(size: 5.6Kb)
Palm Beach Post
10 Dec 2012
In the years it will take to put a shovel in the ground, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has plenty of time to come to the table ... Abbas had a sweet deal that he just killed with the vote at the United Nations ... Abbas can’t risk negotiations ... The Palestinians under Mahmoud Abbas refuse to negotiate any solution until all their demands are satisfied, which is no negotiation at all ... Abbas went to the U.N....(size: 8.1Kb)
The Star
10 Dec 2012
His comments reinforced promises he and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the rival Fatah movement, made to each other in a telephone conversation a month ago, to forge ahead with a stalled unity deal opposed by Israel ... Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Europe, the United Nations and Abbas of reacting to calls by Hamas for the destruction of Israel with "deafening silence"....(size: 4.4Kb)
Philadelphia Daily News
10 Dec 2012
A number of prominent voices urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to take steps to ease the tensions and bolster the Western-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas ... Hamas seized control of Gaza in mid-2007, ousting forces loyal to Abbas ... The Palestinian rift has pushed Abbas into an uneasy alliance with Israel, with both sides united in their opposition to Hamas ... Abbas and Netanyahu blame each other for the deadlock....(size: 22.1Kb)
The Hindu
10 Dec 2012
The Leader (A.Imran Khan up) won the Jockey Purtu Singh Parmar Memorial Cup, the main event of the races held here on Monday (Dec. 10). The winner is owned by Dr & Mrs Syed Ainuddin Arif rep M/s VIF Stud & Livestock Pvt Ltd & Mr S.A. Shezad Abbas and trained by S.Abbas. 1. CRACK REGIMENT PLATE (Div. I), (1,100m), rated upto 25, 3-y-o & over (Cat. III). Sprint Saloni (A ... Nayak) 2, Sushen (J ... 1m 08.98s ... Shehzad Abbas ... Abbas ... Abbas....(size: 4.3Kb)
Reuters
10 Dec 2012
His comments reinforced promises he and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the rival Fatah movement, made to each other in a telephone conversation a month ago, to forge ahead with a stalled unity deal opposed by Israel ... Aside from their quarrel over Gaza, the two Palestinian factions are also divided over Abbas' peacemaking efforts with Israel, which Hamas opposes....(size: 3.6Kb)
BBC News
10 Dec 2012
Abbas - Iran. Abbas was born in Iranian Balichistan but left the country with his family when he was eight years old, returning in 1978 to cover the uprising and staying to be on hand when the Shah was removed from power in 1979. "When the revolution started, it was democratic," says Abbas ... Abbas photographed the corpses of four of the ......(size: 9.0Kb)
"Abba" redirects here. For other uses, see Abba (disambiguation).
| ABBA | |
|---|---|
 ABBA in 1974; from left to right Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus |
|
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida |
| Origin | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Genres | Pop rock, Euro disco, Europop, Schlager, Dance, Glam rock |
| Years active | 1972–1982 |
| Labels | Polar, Polydor, Atlantic, Universal, Epic, Vogue, RCA, PolyGram, Sunshine (Rhodesia-Zimbabwe), Ariston/Dig It (Italy) |
| Associated acts | Hep Stars, Hootenanny Singers, Benny Anderssons Orkester |
| Website | abbasite.com |
| Past members | |
| Agnetha "Anna" Fältskog Björn Ulvaeus Benny Andersson Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad |
|
ABBA was a Swedish pop/rock group formed in Stockholm in 1972, comprising Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of pop music, topping the charts worldwide from 1972 to 1982. They are also known for winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, giving Sweden its first victory in the history of the contest and being the most successful group ever to take part in the contest.
ABBA has sold over 370 million records worldwide and still sell millions of records a year,[1][2] which makes them one of the best-selling music artists. ABBA was the first pop group to come from a non-English-speaking country that enjoyed consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries, including the UK, Ireland, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines. The group also enjoyed significant success in Latin American markets, and recorded a collection of their hit songs in Spanish.
During the band's active years, Fältskog and Ulvaeus were a married couple, as were Lyngstad and Andersson–although both couples later divorced. At the height of their popularity, both relationships were suffering strain which ultimately resulted in the collapse of the Ulvaeus-Fältskog marriage in 1979 and the Andersson-Lyngstad marriage in 1981. As a result, these relationship changes began appearing in the group's music, and later compositions produced more introspective lyrics.
After ABBA broke up in late 1982, Andersson and Ulvaeus achieved success writing music for the stage while Lyngstad and Fältskog pursued individual solo careers with mixed success. ABBA's music declined in popularity until several films, notably Muriel's Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, revived interest in the group, spawning several tribute bands. In 1999, ABBA's music was adapted into the successful musical Mamma Mia! that toured worldwide. A film of the same name released in 2008 became the highest-grossing film in the United Kingdom that year. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 15 March 2010.[3]
History[link]
Before ABBA (1960s)[link]
Benny Andersson with the Hep Stars.
Björn Ulvaeus with the Hootenanny singers.
2 members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus in
these promotional photos for different musical groups.
these promotional photos for different musical groups.
Benny Andersson (born 16 December 1946 in Stockholm, Sweden) became (at age 18) the member of a popular Swedish pop-rock group, The Hep Stars, that performed covers of international hits. The Hep Stars were known as "The Swedish Beatles". They also set up Hep House, their equivalent of Apple Corps. Andersson played the keyboard and eventually started writing original songs for his band, many of which became major hits including "No Response" that hit number 3 in 1965, "Sunny Girl", "Wedding" and "Consolation", all of which hit number 1 in 1966.[4] Andersson also had a fruitful songwriting collaboration with Lasse Berghagen, with whom he wrote his first Svensktoppen entry "Sagan om lilla Sofi" ("The Story of Little Sophie") in 1968. Björn Ulvaeus (born 25 April 1945 in Gothenburg, Sweden) also began his musical career at 18 (as a singer and guitarist), when he fronted The Hootenanny Singers, a popular Swedish folk-skiffle group. Ulvaeus started writing English-language songs for his group, and even had a brief solo career alongside. The Hootenanny Singers and The Hep Stars sometimes crossed paths while touring. In June 1966, Ulvaeus and Andersson decided to write a song together. Their first attempt was "Isn't It Easy to Say", a song later recorded by The Hep Stars. Stig Anderson was the manager of The Hootenanny Singers and founder of the Polar Music label. He saw potential in the collaboration, and encouraged them to write more. Both also began playing occasionally with the other's bands on stage and on record, although it was not until 1969 that the pair wrote and produced some of their first real hits together: "Ljuva sextital" ("Merry Sixties"), recorded by Brita Borg, and The Hep Stars' 1969 hit "Speleman" ("Fiddler").
Andersson wrote and submitted the song "Hej, Clown" for the 1969 Melodifestivalen, the national festival to select the Swedish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. The song tied for first place, but re-voting relegated Andersson's song to second place.[5] On that occasion Andersson briefly met his future spouse, singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who also participated in the contest. A month later, the two had become a couple. As their respective bands began to break up during 1969, Andersson and Ulvaeus teamed up and recorded their first album together in 1970, called Lycka ("Happiness"), which included original songs sung by both men. Their spouses were often present in the recording studio, and sometimes added backing vocals; Fältskog even co-wrote a song with the two. Ulvaeus still occasionally recorded and performed with The Hootenanny Singers until the summer of 1974, and Andersson took part in producing their records.
Agnetha Fältskog (born 5 April 1950 in Jönköping, Sweden) had a number 1 record in Sweden when she was 17, and was soon noted by the critics and songwriters as a talented singer/songwriter of schlager style songs. Fältskog's main inspiration in her early years were singers such as Connie Francis. Along with her own compositions, she recorded covers of foreign hits and performed them on tours in Swedish folkparks. In 1967, she submitted an original song, "Försonade" ("Redeemed") for Melodifestivalen, but it was rejected. She briefly met Anni-Frid Lyngstad for the first time during a TV show in January 1968, and met Ulvaeus at a concert venue a few months later.
During filming of a Swedish TV special in May 1969, Fältskog met Ulvaeus again, and they were married in 1971. Fältskog and Ulvaeus eventually were involved in each other's recording sessions,[6] and soon even Andersson and Lyngstad added backing vocals to her third studio album Som jag är (As I Am) (1970). In 1972, Fältskog starred as Mary Magdalene in the original Swedish production of Jesus Christ Superstar and attracted favourable reviews. Between 1967 and 1975, Fältskog released five studio albums.[7]
Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad (born 15 November 1945 in Bjørkåsen in Ballangen, Norway) sang from the age of 13 with various dance bands, and worked mainly in a jazz-oriented cabaret style. She also formed her own band, the Anni-Frid Four. In the summer of 1967, she won a national talent competition with the song "En ledig dag" ("A Day Off"), which is included in the EMI compilation Frida 1967-1972. The first prize was a recording contract with EMI Sweden and to perform live on the most popular TV shows in the country. This TV performance, amongst many others, is included in the 3½ hour documentary Frida - The DVD. Lyngstad released several singles on EMI without much success. When Benny Andersson started to produce her recordings in 1971, she had her first number 1 single, "Min egen stad" ("My Own Town"), for which all the future ABBA members sang the backup vocals. Lyngstad toured and performed regularly in the folkpark circuit and made appearances on radio and TV. She met Ulvaeus briefly in 1963 during a talent contest, and Fältskog during a TV show in early 1968.
Lyngstad finally linked up with her future bandmates in 1969. On 1 March 1969, she participated in the Melodifestivalen, where she met Andersson for the first time. A few weeks later they met again during a concert tour in southern Sweden and they soon became a couple. Andersson produced her single "Peter Pan" in September 1969 – her first collaboration with Benny & Björn, as they had written the song. Andersson would then produce Lyngstad's debut studio album, Frida, which was released in March 1971. Lyngstad also played in several revues and cabaret shows in Stockholm between 1969 and 1973. After ABBA formed, she recorded another successful album in 1975, Frida ensam, which included a Swedish rendition of "Fernando", a hit on the Swedish radio charts before the English version was released.[8]
First live performance and the start of "Festfolk"[link]
An attempt at combining their talents occurred in April 1970 when the two couples went on holiday together to the island of Cyprus. What started as singing for fun on the beach ended up as an improvised live performance in front of the United Nations soldiers stationed on the island. Andersson and Ulvaeus were at this time recording their first album together, Lycka, which was to be released in September 1970. Fältskog and Lyngstad added backing vocals on several tracks during June, and the idea of them working together saw them launch a stage act, "Festfolk" (which translates from Swedish to mean both "Party People" and "Engaged Couples") on 1 November 1970 in Gothenburg. The cabaret show attracted generally negative reviews, except for the performance of the Andersson and Ulvaeus hit "Hej, gamle man" ("Hello, Old Man"); the first Björn and Benny recording to feature all four. They also performed solo numbers from respective albums, but the lukewarm reception convinced the foursome to shelve plans for working together for the time being, and each soon concentrated on individual projects again.
First record together "Hej, gamle man"[link]
"Hej, gamle man", a song about an old Salvation Army soldier, became the quartet's first hit. The record was credited to Björn & Benny and reached number 5 on the sales charts and number 1 on Svensktoppen, staying there for 15 weeks.
During 1971, the four artists began working together more, adding vocals to the others' recordings. Fältskog, Andersson and Ulvaeus toured together in May, while Lyngstad toured on her own. Frequent recording sessions brought the foursome closer together during the summer.[9]
Forming the group (1970–1973)[link]
After the 1970 release of Lycka, two more singles credited to 'Björn & Benny' were released in Sweden, "Det kan ingen doktor hjälpa" ("No Doctor Can Help with That") and "Tänk om jorden vore ung" ("Imagine If the Earth Were Young"), with more prominent vocals by Fältskog and Lyngstad–and moderate chart success.
Fältskog and Ulvaeus were married on 6 July 1971. They and Andersson started performing together on a regular basis at the Swedish folkparks during the summer of that year.
Stig Anderson, founder and owner of Polar Music, was determined to break into the mainstream international market with music by Andersson and Ulvaeus. "One day the pair of you will write a song that becomes a worldwide hit", he predicted.[10] Stig Anderson encouraged Ulvaeus and Andersson to write a song for Melodifestivalen, and after two rejected entries in 1971,[11] Andersson and Ulvaeus submitted their new song "Säg det med en sång" ("Say It with a Song") for the 1972 contest, choosing newcomer Lena Anderson to perform. The song came in third place, encouraging Stig Anderson, and became a hit in Sweden.[12]
The first signs of foreign success came as a surprise, as the Andersson and Ulvaeus single "She's My Kind of Girl" was released through Epic Records in Japan in March 1972, giving the duo a Top 10 hit. Two more singles were released in Japan, "En Carousel"[13] ("En Karusell" in Scandinavia, an earlier version of "Merry-Go-Round") and "Love Has Its Ways" (a song they wrote with Koichi Morita).[14]
First hit as Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid[link]
Ulvaeus and Andersson persevered with their songwriting and experimented with new sounds and vocal arrangements. "People Need Love" was released in June 1972, featuring guest vocals by the women, who were now given much greater prominence. Stig Anderson released it as a single, credited to Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid. The song peaked at number 17 in the Swedish combined single and album charts, enough to convince them they were on to something.[15] The single also became the first record to chart for the quartet in the United States, where it peaked at number 114 on the Cashbox singles chart and number 117 on theRecord World singles chart. Labeled as Björn & Benny (with Svenska Flicka), it was released there through Playboy Records. However, according to Stig Anderson, "People Need Love" could have been a much bigger American hit, but a small label like Playboy Records did not have the distribution resources to meet the demand for the single from retailers and radio programmers.[16]
The foursome decided to record their first album together in the autumn of 1972, and sessions began on 26 September 1972. The women shared lead vocals on "Nina, Pretty Ballerina" (a top ten hit in Austria) that day, and their voices in harmony for the first time gave the foursome an idea of the quality of their combined talents.
"Ring Ring"[link]
In 1973, the band and their manager Stig Anderson decided to have another try at Melodifestivalen, this time with the song "Ring Ring". The studio sessions were handled by Michael B. Tretow, who experimented with a "wall of sound" production technique that became the wholly new ABBA sound. Stig Anderson arranged an English translation of the lyrics by Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody and they thought this would be a surefire winner. However, on 10 February 1973, Melodifestivalen placed the song third, thus never reaching the Eurovision Song Contest itself. Nevertheless, the group released their debut studio album, also called Ring Ring. The album did well and the "Ring Ring" single was a hit in many parts of Europe and also in South Africa. However, Stig Anderson felt that the true breakthrough could only come with a UK or US hit.[17]
Official naming[link]
In early 1973, Stig Anderson, tired of unwieldy names, started to refer to the group privately and publicly as ABBA. At first, this was a play on words, as Abba is also the name of a well-known fish-canning company in Sweden, and itself an acronym. However, since the fish-canners were unknown outside Sweden, Anderson came to believe the name would work in international markets. A competition to find a suitable name for the group was held in a Gothenburg newspaper. The group was impressed with the names "Alibaba", "FABB", and "Baba", but in the end all the entries were ignored and it was officially announced in the summer that the group were to be known as "ABBA". The group negotiated with the canners for the rights to the name.[18] "ABBA" is an acronym formed from the first letters of each group member's first name: Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid.[19] During a promotional photo, Benny flipped his "B" horizontally for fun, and from 1976 onwards the first 'B' in the logo version of the name was "mirror-image" reversed on the band's promotional material and became the group's registered trademark.
The first time "ABBA" is found written on paper is on a recording session sheet from the Metronome Studio in Stockholm, dated 16 October 1973. This was first written as "Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida", but was subsequently crossed out with "ABBA" written in large letters on top.
The official logo, using the bold version of the News Gothic typeface, was designed by Rune Söderqvist, and appeared for the first time on the "Dancing Queen" single in August 1976, and subsequently on all later original albums and singles. But the idea for the official logo was made by the German photographer Wolfgang Heilemann on a "Dancing Queen" shoot for the teenage magazine Bravo. On the photo, the ABBA members held a giant initial letter of his/her name. After the pictures were made, Heilemann found out that one of the men held his letter backwards. They discussed it and the members of ABBA liked it. Following their acquisition of the group's catalogue, Polygram began using variations of the ABBA logo, using a different font and adding a crown emblem to it in 1992 for the first release of the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits compilation. When Universal Music purchased Polygram (and, thus, ABBA's label Polar Music International), control of the group's catalogue was returned to Stockholm. Since then, the original logo has been reinstated on all official products.[20]
Breakthrough (1973–1976)[link]
Eurovision[link]
As the group entered the Melodifestivalen with "Ring Ring" but failed to qualify as the 1973 Swedish entry, Stig Anderson immediately started planning for the 1974 contest.
Ulvaeus, Andersson and Stig Anderson believed in the possibilities of using Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest as a way to make the music business aware of them as songwriters, as well as the band itself. In late 1973, they were invited by Swedish television to contribute a song for the Melodifestivalen 1974 and from a number of new songs, the upbeat number "Waterloo" was chosen; the group was now inspired by the growing glam rock scene in England. "Waterloo" was an unashamedly glam-style pop track produced with Michael B. Tretow's wall-of-sound approach, and it bears a notable resemblance in both arrangement and production to Wizzard's 1973 UK hit "See My Baby Jive".
ABBA won their national heats on Swedish television on 9 February 1974, and with this third attempt were far more experienced and better prepared for the Eurovision Song Contest. Winning the 1974 Contest on 6 April 1974 gave ABBA the chance to tour Europe and perform on major television shows; thus the band saw the "Waterloo" single chart in many European countries. "Waterloo" was ABBA's first number one single in big markets such as the UK and Germany. In the United States, the song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, paving the way for their first album and their first trip as a group there. Albeit a short promotional visit, it included their first performance on American television, The Mike Douglas Show. The album Waterloo only peaked at number 145 on the Billboard 200 chart, but received unanimous high praise from the US critics: Los Angeles Times called it "a compelling and fascinating debut album that captures the spirit of mainstream pop quite effectively . . . an immensely enjoyable and pleasant project", while Creem characterized it as "a perfect blend of exceptional, lovable compositions".[citation needed]
ABBA's follow-up single, "Honey, Honey", peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was a number 2 hit in Germany. However, in the United Kingdom, ABBA's British record label, Epic, decided to re-release a remixed version of "Ring Ring" instead of "Honey, Honey", and a cover version of the latter by the act Sweet Dreams peaked at number 10. Both records debuted on the UK chart within one week of each other. "Ring Ring" failed to reach the Top 30 in the United Kingdom, increasing growing speculation that the group were simply Eurovision one-hit wonders.
Post-Eurovision[link]
In November 1974, ABBA embarked on their first European tour, playing dates in Denmark, West Germany and Austria. It was not as successful as the band had hoped, since most of the venues did not sell out. Due to a lack of demand, they were even forced to cancel a few shows, including a sole concert scheduled in Switzerland. The second leg of the tour, which took them through Scandinavia in January 1975, was very different. They played to full houses everywhere and finally got the reception they had aimed for. Live performances continued during the summer of 1975 when ABBA embarked on a sixteen open-air date tour of Sweden and Finland. Their Stockholm show at the Gröna Lund amusement park had an estimated audience of 19,200.[21]
In late 1974, "So Long" was released as a single in the United Kingdom but it received no airplay from Radio 1 and failed to chart. In the summer of 1975 ABBA released "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", which again received little airplay on Radio 1 but managed to climb the charts, to number 38. Later in 1975, the release of their self-titled third studio album ABBA and single "SOS" brought back their chart presence in the UK, where the single hit number 6 and the album peaked at number 13. "SOS" also became ABBA's second number 1 single in Germany and Australia. Success was further solidified with "Mamma Mia" reaching number 1 in the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. In the United States, "SOS" peaked at number 10 on the Record World Top 100 singles chart and number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, picking up the BMI Award along the way as one of the most played songs on American radio in 1975.
The success of the group in the United States had until that time been limited to single releases. By early 1976, the group already had four Top 30 singles on the US charts, but the album market proved to be tough to crack. The eponymous ABBA album generated three American hits, but it only peaked at number 165 on the Cashbox album chart and number 174 on the Billboard 200 chart. Opinions were voiced, by Creem in particular, that in the US ABBA had endured "a very sloppy promotional campaign". Nevertheless, the group enjoyed warm reviews from the American press. Cashbox went as far as saying that "there is a recurrent thread of taste and artistry inherent in Abba's marketing, creativity and presentation that makes it almost embarrassing to critique their efforts", while Creem wrote: "SOS is surrounded on this LP by so many good tunes that the mind boggles".
In Australia, the airing of the music videos for "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "Mamma Mia" on the nationally-broadcast TV pop show Countdown (which premiered in August 1975) saw the band rapidly gain enormous popularity, and Countdown become a key promoter of the group via their distinctive music videos. This started an immense interest for ABBA in Australia, resulting in both the single and album holding down the #1 positions on the charts for months.
Superstardom (1976–1981)[link]
In March 1976, the band released the compilation album Greatest Hits, despite having had only six Top 40 hits in the United Kingdom and the United States. Nevertheless, it became their first UK number 1 album, and also took ABBA into the Top 50 on the US album charts for the first time, eventually selling more than a million copies there. At the same time, Germany released a compilation named The Very Best of ABBA, also becoming a number 1 album there whereas the Greatest Hits compilation followed a few months later to number 2 on the German charts, despite all similarities with The Very Best album. Also included on Greatest Hits was a new single, "Fernando", which took the world by storm, hitting number 1 in at least thirteen countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia, and the single went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide.[22] In Australia, the song occupied the top position for 14 weeks (and stayed in the chart for 40 weeks), tying with The Beatles' "Hey Jude" for longest-running number one, and making "Fernando" one of the best-selling singles of all time in Australia. That same year, the group received its first international prize, with "Fernando" being chosen as the "Best Studio Recording of 1975". In the United States, "Fernando" reached the Top 10 of the Cashbox Top 100 singles chart and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, ABBA's first American number one single.
The group's fourth studio album, Arrival, a number 1 bestseller in Europe and Australia, represented a new level of accomplishment in both songwriting and studio work, prompting rave reviews from more rock-oriented UK music weeklies such as Melody Maker and New Musical Express, and mostly appreciative notices from American critics. Hit after hit flowed from Arrival: "Money, Money, Money", another number 1 in Germany and Australia, and "Knowing Me, Knowing You", ABBA's sixth consecutive German number 1 as well as another UK number 1. The real sensation was "Dancing Queen", not only topping the charts in loyal markets the UK, Germany and Australia, but also reaching number 1 in the United States. In South Africa, ABBA had astounding success with "Fernando", "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" being among the top 20 best-selling singles for 1976–77. In 1977, Arrival was nominated for the inaugural BRIT Award in the category "Best International Album of the Year". By this time ABBA were popular in the United Kingdom, most of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In Frida – The DVD, Lyngstad explains how she and Fältskog developed as singers, as ABBA's recordings grew more complex over the years.
The band's popularity in the United States would remain on a comparatively smaller scale, and "Dancing Queen" became the only Billboard Hot 100 number 1 single ABBA had there (they did, however, get three more singles to the number 1 position on other Billboard charts, including Billboard Adult Contemporary and Hot Dance Club Play). Nevertheless, Arrival finally became a true breakthrough release for ABBA on the US album market where it peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold by RIAA.
European and Australian tour[link]
In January 1977, ABBA embarked on their first major tour. The group's status had changed dramatically and they were clearly regarded as superstars. They opened their much anticipated tour in Oslo, Norway, on 28 January, and mounted a lavishly produced spectacle that included a few scenes from their self-written mini-operetta The Girl with the Golden Hair. The concert attracted immense media attention from across Europe and Australia. They continued the tour through Western Europe visiting Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Essen, Hanover, Hamburg, and ended it with shows in the United Kingdom in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and two sold-out concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall. Tickets for these two shows were available only by mail application and it was later revealed that the box-office received 3.5 million requests for tickets, enough to fill the venue 580 times. Along with praise ("ABBA turn out to be amazingly successful at reproducing their records", wrote Creem), there were complaints that "ABBA performed slickly...but with a zero personality coming across from a total of 16 people on stage" (Melody Maker). One of the Royal Albert Hall concerts was filmed as a reference for the filming of the Australian tour for what became ABBA: The Movie, though it is not exactly known how much of the concert was filmed.
After the European leg of the tour, in March 1977, ABBA played eleven dates in Australia before a total of 160,000 people. The opening concert in Sydney at the Sydney Showground on 3 March to an audience of 20,000 was marred by torrential rain, with Lyngstad slipping on the wet stage during the concert. However, all four members would later recall this concert to be the most memorable of their career. Upon their arrival in Melbourne, a civic reception was held at the Melbourne Town Hall and ABBA appeared on the balcony to greet an enthusiastic crowd of 6,000 people. In Melbourne, the group played three concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with 14,500 at each including the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and his family. At the first Melbourne concert, an additional 16,000 people gathered outside the fenced-off area to listen to the concert. In Adelaide, the group performed one concert at West Lakes Football Stadium before 20,000 people with another 10,000 listening outside. During the first of five concerts in Perth, there was a bomb scare with everyone having to evacuate the Entertainment Centre. The trip was accompanied by mass hysteria and unprecedented media attention ("Swedish ABBA stirs box-office in Down Under tour...and the media coverage of the quartet rivals that set to cover the upcoming Royal tour of Australia", wrote Variety), and is captured on film in ABBA: The Movie, directed by Lasse Hallström.
The Australian tour and its subsequent ABBA: The Movie produced some ABBA lore, as well. Fältskog's blonde good looks had long made her the band's "pin-up girl", a role she disdained. During the Australian tour, she performed in a skin-tight white jumpsuit, causing one Australian newspaper to use the headline "Agnetha's bottom tops dull show". When asked about this at a news conference, she replied: "Don't they have bottoms in Australia?"[23]
In December 1977, ABBA followed up Arrival with the more ambitious fifth album ABBA: The Album, released to coincide with the debut of ABBA: The Movie. Although the album was less well-received by UK reviewers, it did spawn more worldwide hits: "The Name of the Game" and "Take a Chance on Me", which both topped the UK charts, and peaked at number 12 and number 3 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. Although "Take a Chance on Me" did not top the American charts, it proved to be ABBA's biggest hit single there, selling more copies than "Dancing Queen".[24] The Album also included "Thank You for the Music", the B-side of "Eagle" in countries where the latter had been released as a single, and was belatedly released as an A-side single in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 1983. "Thank You for the Music" has deservedly become one of the best loved and best known ABBA songs without being released as a single during the group's lifetime.
Polar Music Studio formation[link]
By 1978, ABBA was one of the biggest bands in the world. They converted a vacant movie theatre into the Polar Music Studio, a state-of-the-art studio in Stockholm. The studio was used by several other bands; notably, Genesis' Duke and Led Zeppelin's In Through the Out Door were recorded there. During May, the group went to the United States for a promotional campaign, performing alongside Andy Gibb on Olivia Newton-John's TV show. Recording sessions for the single "Summer Night City" were an uphill struggle, but upon release the song became another hit for the group. The track would set the stage for ABBA's foray into disco with their next album.[25]
On 9 January 1979, the group performed "Chiquitita" at the Music for UNICEF Concert held at the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate UNICEF's Year of the Child. ABBA donated the copyright of this worldwide hit to the UNICEF; see Music for UNICEF Concert.[26] The single was released the following week, and reached number 1 in ten countries.
North American and European tours[link]
In mid-January 1979, Ulvaeus and Fältskog announced they were getting divorced. The news caused interest from the media, and led to speculation about the band's future. ABBA assured the press and their fan base they were continuing their work as a group, and that the divorce would not affect them.[27] Nonetheless, the media continued to confront them with this in interviews. To escape the media swirl and concentrate on their writing, Andersson and Ulvaeus secretly travelled to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, where for two weeks they prepared their next album's songs in relative quiet.
The group's sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous, was released in April 1979, the title track of which was recorded at the famous Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida with the assistance of recording engineer Tom Dowd amongst others. The album topped the charts across Europe and in Japan and Mexico, hit the Top 10 in Canada and Australia and the Top 20 in the United States. None of the singles from the album reached number 1 on the UK charts, but "Chiquitita", "Does Your Mother Know", "Angeleyes" (with "Voulez-Vous", released as a double A-side) and "I Have a Dream" were all UK Top 5 hits. In Canada, "I Have a Dream" became ABBA's second number 1 on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart (after "Fernando" hit the top previously). Also in 1979, the group released their second compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. 2, which featured a brand new track: "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", another number 3 hit in both the UK and Germany. In Russia during the late 1970s, the group were paid in oil commodities because of an embargo on the ruble.[28]
On 13 September 1979, ABBA began their ABBA: The Tour at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Canada, with a full house of 14,000. "The voices of the band, Agnetha's high sauciness combined with round, rich lower tones of Anni-Frid, were excellent...Technically perfect, melodically correct and always in perfect pitch...The soft lower voice of Anni-Frid and the high, edgy vocals of Agnetha were stunning", raved Edmonton Journal.
During the next four weeks, they played a total of 17 sold-out dates, 13 in the United States and four in Canada. The last scheduled ABBA concert in the United States in Washington DC was cancelled due to Fältskog's emotional distress suffered during the flight from New York to Boston, when the group's private plane was subjected to extreme weather conditions and was unable to land for an extended period. They appeared at the Boston Music Hall for the performance 90 minutes late. The tour ended with a show in Toronto, Canada at Maple Leaf Gardens before a capacity crowd of 18,000. "ABBA plays with surprising power and volume; but although they are loud, they're also clear, which does justice to the signature vocal sound...Anyone who's been waiting five years to see Abba will be well satisfied", wrote Record World.
On 19 October 1979, the tour resumed in Western Europe where the band played 23 sold-out gigs, including six sold-out nights at London's Wembley Arena.
Progression[link]
In March 1980, ABBA travelled to Japan where upon their arrival at Narita International Airport, they were besieged by thousands of fans. The group played eleven concerts to full houses, including six shows at Tokyo's Budokan. This tour was the last "on the road" adventure of their career. The same year saw the release of ABBA's seventh album Super Trouper, which reflected a certain change in ABBA's style with more prominent use of synthesizers and increasingly personal lyrics. It set a record for the most pre-orders ever received for a UK album after one million copies were ordered before release. Anticipation for the album had been built up by "The Winner Takes It All", the group's eighth UK chart topper (and their first since 1978). In the United States, the single peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became ABBA's second Billboard Adult Contemporary number 1. The song was allegedly written about Ulvaeus and Fältskog's marital tribulations. It was also re-recorded by Andersson and Ulvaeus with a slightly different backing track, by French chanteuse Mireille Mathieu at the end of 1980 – as "Bravo Tu As Gagné", with French lyrics by Alain Boublil. The next single from the album, "Super Trouper", also hit number 1 in the UK, becoming the group's ninth and final UK chart-topper. Another track from the Super Trouper album, "Lay All Your Love on Me", released in 1981 as a 12-inch single only in selected territories, managed to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and peaked at number 7 on the UK singles chart becoming, at the time, the highest ever charting 12-inch release in UK chart history.
Also in 1980, ABBA recorded a compilation of Spanish-language versions of their hits called Gracias Por La Música. This was released in Spanish-speaking countries as well as in Japan and Australia. The album became a major success, and along with the Spanish version of "Chiquitita", this signalled the group's breakthrough in Latin America. ABBA Oro: Grandes Éxitos, the Spanish equivalent of ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits, was released in 1999.
Final album and performances (1981–1982)[link]
In January 1981, Ulvaeus married Lena Källersjö, and manager Stig Anderson celebrated his 50th birthday with a party. For this occasion, ABBA recorded the track "Hovas Vittne" (a pun on the Swedish name for Jehovah's Witness and Anderson's birthplace, Hova) as a tribute to him, and released it only on 200 red vinyl copies, to be distributed to the guests attending the party. This single has become a sought-after collectible. In mid-February 1981, Andersson and Lyngstad announced they were filing for divorce. Information surfaced that their marriage had been an uphill struggle for years, and Benny had already met another woman, Mona Nörklit, whom he married in November 1981.
Andersson and Ulvaeus had songwriting sessions during the spring of 1981, and recording sessions began in mid-March. At the end of April, the group recorded a TV special, Dick Cavett Meets ABBA with the US talk show host Dick Cavett. The Visitors, ABBA's eighth and final studio album, showed a songwriting maturity and depth of feeling distinctly lacking from their earlier recordings but still placing the band squarely in the pop genre, with catchy tunes and harmonies. Although not revealed at the time of its release, the album's title track, according to Ulvaeus, refers to the secret meetings held against the approval of totalitarian governments in Soviet-dominated states, while other tracks address topics like failed relationships, the threat of war, aging, and loss of innocence. The album's only major single release, "One of Us", proved to be the last of ABBA's nine number 1 singles in Germany in December 1981; and the swansong of their sixteen Top 5 singles on the South African chart. "One of Us" was also ABBA's final Top 10 hit in the UK.
Although it topped the album charts across most of Europe, including the UK and Germany, The Visitors was not as commercially successful as its predecessors, showing a commercial decline in previously loyal markets such as France, Australia and Japan. A track from the album, "When All Is Said and Done", was released as a single in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and fittingly became ABBA's final Top 40 hit in the US (debuting on the US charts on 31 December 1981), while also reaching the US Adult Contemporary Top 10, and number 4 on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart in Canada. The song's lyrics, as with "The Winner Takes It All" and "One of Us", dealt with the painful experience of separating from a long-term partner, though it looked at the trauma more optimistically. With the now publicised story of Andersson and Lyngstad's divorce, speculation increased of tension within the band. Also released in the United States was the title track of The Visitors, which hit the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Last recording sessions[link]
In the spring of 1982, songwriting sessions had started and the group came together for more recordings. Plans were not completely clear, but a new album was discussed and the prospect of a small tour suggested. The recording sessions in May and June 1982 were a struggle, and only three songs were eventually recorded: "You Owe Me One", "I Am the City" and "Just Like That". Andersson and Ulvaeus were not satisfied with the outcome, so the tapes were shelved and the group took a break for the summer.[29]
Back in the studio again in early August, the group had changed plans for the rest of the year: they settled for a Christmas release of a double album compilation of all their past single releases to be named The Singles: The First Ten Years. New songwriting and recording sessions took place,[30] and during October and November, they released the singles "The Day Before You Came"/"Cassandra" and "Under Attack"/"You Owe Me One", the A-sides of which were included on the compilation album. Neither single made the Top 20 in the United Kingdom, though "The Day Before You Came" became a Top 5 hit in many European countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The album went to number 1 in the UK and Belgium, Top 5 in the Netherlands and Germany and Top 20 in many other countries. "Under Attack", the group's final release before disbanding, was a Top 5 hit in the Netherlands and Belgium.
"I Am the City" and "Just Like That" were left unreleased on The Singles: The First Ten Years for possible inclusion on the next projected studio album, though this never came to fruition. "I Am the City" was eventually released on the compilation album More ABBA Gold in 1993, while "Just Like That" has been recycled in new songs with other artists produced by Andersson and Ulvaeus. A reworked version of the verses ended up in the musical Chess.[31] The chorus section of "Just Like That" was eventually released on a retrospective box set in 1994. Despite a number of requests from fans, Ulvaeus and Andersson are still refusing to release ABBA's version of "Just Like That" in its entirety, even though the complete version surfaced on bootlegs.
The group travelled to London to promote The Singles: The First Ten Years in the first week of November 1982, appearing on Saturday Superstore and The Late, Late Breakfast Show, and also to West Germany in the second week, to perform on Show Express. On 19 November 1982, ABBA appeared for the last time in Sweden on the TV programme Nöjesmaskinen, and on 11 December 1982, they made their last performance ever, transmitted to the UK on Noel Edmonds' The Late, Late Breakfast Show, through a live link from a TV studio in Stockholm.
Last performances[link]
Andersson and Ulvaeus began collaborating with Tim Rice in early 1983 on writing songs for the musical project Chess, while Fältskog and Lyngstad both concentrated on international solo careers. While Andersson and Ulvaeus were working on the musical, a further co-operation between the three of them came with the musical Abbacadabra that was produced in France for television. It was a children's musical utilising 14 ABBA songs. Alain and Daniel Boublil, who wrote Les Misérables, had been in touch with Stig Anderson about the project, and the TV musical was aired over Christmas on French TV and later a Dutch version was also broadcast. Boublil previously also wrote the French lyrics for Mireille Mathieu's version of "The Winner Takes It All".
Lyngstad, who had recently moved to Paris, participated in the French version, and recorded a single, "Belle", a duet with French singer Daniel Balavoine. The song was a cover of ABBA's 1976 instrumental track "Arrival". As the single "Belle" sold well in France, Cameron Mackintosh wanted to stage an English language version of the show in London, with the French lyrics translated by David Wood and Don Black; Andersson and Ulvaeus got involved in the project, and contributed with one new song, "The Seeker". "Abbacadabra" premièred on 8 December 1983 at The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London, to mixed reviews and full houses for eight weeks, closing on 21 January 1984. Lyngstad was also involved in this production, recording "Belle" in English as "Time", a duet with actor and singer B. A. Robertson: the single sold well, and was produced and recorded by Andersson and Ulvaeus.
All four members made their last public appearance, as four friends more than as ABBA, in January 1986, when they recorded a video of themselves performing an acoustic version of "Tivedshambo", which was the first song written by their manager, Stig Anderson, for a Swedish TV show honouring Anderson on his 55th birthday. The four had not seen each other for more than two years. That same year they also performed privately at another friend's 40th birthday: their old tour manager, Claes af Geijerstam. They sang a self-written song titled "Der Kleine Franz" that was later to resurface in Chess. Also in 1986, ABBA Live was released, featuring selections of live performances from the group's 1977 and 1979 tours. The four members were guests on the 50th birthday of Görel Hanser in 1999. Hanser was a long-time friend of all four, and also former secretary of Stig Anderson. Honouring Görel, ABBA performed a Swedish birthday song "Med En Enkel Tulipan" a cappella.[32]
Benny Andersson has on several occasions performed old ABBA songs. In June 1992, he and Ulvaeus appeared with U2 at a Stockholm concert, singing the chorus of "Dancing Queen", and a few years later during the final performance of the B & B in Concert in Stockholm, Andersson joined the cast for an encore at the piano. Andersson frequently adds an ABBA song to the playlist when he performs with his BAO band. He also played the piano during new recordings of the ABBA songs "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room" with opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter, and "When All Is Said and Done" with Swede Viktoria Tolstoy. In 2002, Andersson and Ulvaeus both performed an a cappella rendition of the first verse of "Fernando" as they accepted their Ivor Novello award in London. Lyngstad performed and recorded an a cappella version of "Dancing Queen" with the Swedish group The Real Group in 1993, and has also re-recorded "I Have a Dream" with Swiss singer Dan Daniell in 2003.
Breaking up[link]
ABBA has never officially announced the end of the group, but it has long been considered dissolved. Their last public performance together as ABBA was on the British TV programme The Late, Late Breakfast Show (live from Stockholm) on 11 December 1982. In January 1983, Fältskog started recording sessions for a solo album, as Lyngstad had successfully released her album Something's Going On some months earlier. Ulvaeus and Andersson, meanwhile, started songwriting sessions for the musical Chess. In interviews at the time, Björn and Benny denied the split of ABBA ("Who are we without our ladies? Initials of Brigitte Bardot?"), and Lyngstad and Fältskog kept claiming in interviews that ABBA would come together for a new album repeatedly during 1983 and 1984. Internal strife between the group and their manager escalated and the band members sold their shares in Polar Music during 1983. Except for a TV appearance in 1986, the foursome did not come together publicly again until they were reunited at the Swedish premiere of the Mamma Mia! movie on 4 July 2008.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, following the premiere, Ulvaeus and Andersson confirmed that there was nothing that could entice them back on stage again. Ulvaeus said: "We will never appear on stage again. [...] There is simply no motivation to re-group. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were. Young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition. I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head."[33] However, on 3 January 2011, Fältskog, who has been long considered to be the most reclusive member of the group and possibly also the major obstacle to any reunion, raised the possibility of reuniting for a one-off engagement. She admitted that she has not yet brought the idea up to the other three members.
After ABBA[link]
Andersson and Ulvaeus[link]
Main articles: Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson
In October 1984, Ulvaeus and Andersson together with lyricist Tim Rice released the musical concept double album Chess. The singles "One Night in Bangkok" (with vocals by Murray Head) and "I Know Him So Well" (a duet by Barbara Dickson and Elaine Paige, and later also recorded by both Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston) were both successes. In May 1986, the musical premièred in London's West End, and ran for almost three years. Chess also opened on Broadway in April 1988, but closed within two months due to bad reviews. In Stockholm, the composers staged Chess på svenska (Chess in Swedish) in 2003, with some new material, including the musical numbers "Han är en man, han är ett barn" ("He's a Man, He's a Child") and "Glöm mig om du kan" ("Forget Me If You Can"). In 2008, the musical was again revived for a successful staging at London's Royal Albert Hall which was subsequently released on DVD, and then in two successful separate touring productions in the United States and United Kingdom, in 2010.
Andersson and Ulvaeus' next project, Kristina från Duvemåla, an epic Swedish musical, premiered in Malmö, in southern Sweden in October 1995. The musical ran for five years in Stockholm, and an English version has been in development for some considerable time. It has been reported that a Broadway production is in its earliest stages of pre-production.[34] In the meantime, following some earlier workshops, a full presentation of the English translation of the musical in concert, now with the shortened name of "Kristina", took place to capacity crowds in September 2009 at New York's Carnegie Hall, and in April 2010 at London's Royal Albert Hall, followed by a CD release of the New York recordings.
Since 1983, besides Chess and Kristina från Duvemåla, Benny Andersson has continued writing songs with Ulvaeus. The pair produced two English-language pop albums with Swedish duo Gemini in 1985 and 1987. In 1987, Andersson also released his first solo album on his own label, Mono Music, called "Klinga mina klockor" ("Ring My Bells"), all new material inspired by Swedish folk music – and followed it with his second album titled November 1989.
In the 1990s, Andersson wrote music for the popular Swedish cabaret quartet Ainbusk Singers, giving them two hits: "Lassie" and "Älska mig" ("Love me"), and later produced Shapes, an English-language album by the group's Josefin Nilsson with all-new material by Andersson and Ulvaeus. Andersson has also regularly written music for films (most notably to Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor). In 2001, Andersson formed his own band, Benny Anderssons Orkester (BAO), which released three successful albums in 2001, 2004 and 2007 respectively. Andersson has the distinction of remaining the longest in the Swedish Radio Svensktoppen charts; the song "Du är min man" ("You Are My Man"), sung by Helen Sjöholm, spent 278 weeks there between 2004 and 2009.[35] Andersson released his third album BAO 3 in October 2007, of new material with his band BAO and vocalists Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg, as well as playing to full houses at two of Sweden's largest concert venues in October and November 2007, with an audience of 14,000.
Ulvaeus has not appeared on stage performing music since ABBA, but had a reunion with his co-members of The Hootenanny Singers on 16 July 2005 at a music festival in his hometown of Västervik, singing their 1966 hit "Marianne".
Andersson and Ulvaeus have been highly involved in the worldwide productions of the musical Mamma Mia!, alongside Lyngstad who attends premieres. They were also involved in the production of the successful film version of the musical, which opened in July 2008. Andersson produced the soundtrack utilising many of the musicians ABBA used on their albums and tours. Andersson made a cameo appearance in the movie as a 'fisherman' piano player in the "Dancing Queen" scene, while Ulvaeus is seen as a Greek god playing a lyre during the closing credits.
Andersson and Ulvaeus have been continuously writing new material; most recently the two wrote the title track for Andersson's first international release, The Benny Andersson Band – The Story of a Heart, released in July 2009. The album is a compilation of 14 tracks from Andersson's five Swedish-language releases, including five songs now recorded in English, and the new title song premiered on BBC2's Ken Bruce Show. A Swedish-language version, "Sommaren Du Fick" ("The Summer You Got"), was released in Sweden prior to the English version, with vocals by Helen Sjöholm. In the spring of 2009, Andersson also released a single recorded by the staff at his privately owned Stockholm hotel Hotel Rival, titled "2nd Best to None", accompanied by a video showing the staff at work. In 2008, Andersson and Ulvaeus wrote a song for Swedish singer Sissela Kyle, titled "Jag vill bli gammal" ("I Wanna Grow Old"), for her Stockholm stage show "Your Days Are Numbered". Ulvaeus also contributed lyrics to ABBA's 1976 instrumental track "Arrival" for Sarah Brightman's cover version recorded for her 2008 album Winter Symphony. New English lyrics have also been written for Andersson's 1999 song "Innan Gryningen" (also named "Millennium Hymn"), with the new title "The Silence of the Dawn" for Barbara Dickson. In 2007, they wrote the new songs "Han som har vunnit allt" ("He Who's Won It All") for actor/singer Anders Ekborg, and "I Walk with You Mama" and "After the Rain" for opera singer Anne Sofie Von Otter, for her Andersson tribute album I Let the Music Speak.
Fältskog and Lyngstad[link]
Main articles: Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Both female members of ABBA pursued solo careers on the international scene after their work with the group. In 1982, Lyngstad chose Genesis drummer and vocalist Phil Collins to produce the album Something's Going On and unveiled the hit single and video "I Know There's Something Going On" in the autumn of that year. The single became a number 1 hit in France (where it spent five weeks at the top), Belgium, Switzerland and Costa Rica. The track reached number 3 in Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Poland, and was also a Top 10 hit in Germany, Italy, Finland, South Africa and Australia. In the United States, the single peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. In all, "I Know There's Something Going On" sold 3.5 million copies worldwide and is the biggest-selling single any of the four members have had outside ABBA. Lyngstad's album sold 1.5 million copies internationally.[36] Sveriges Television documented this historical event, by filming the whole recording process. The result became a one-hour TV documentary, including interviews with Lyngstad, Collins, Ulvaeus and Andersson as well as all the musicians. This documentary and the promotion videos from the album are included in Frida - The DVD.
Lyngstad's second solo album after ABBA was the unsuccessful Shine, produced by Steve Lillywhite. Shine was recorded in Paris and released in 1984. Shine reached the Top 10 on the album charts in Sweden, Norway and Belgium and the Top 20 in the Netherlands. The title track was the album's first single release. Shine was Lyngstad's final studio album release for twelve years. It featured "Slowly", the last known Andersson-Ulvaeus composition to have been recorded by one of the former female ABBA vocalists to date. The promotion videos and clips for "Shine" are included in Frida - The DVD.
In 1983, Fältskog released the solo album Wrap Your Arms Around Me which achieved platinum sales in Sweden. This included the single "The Heat Is On", which was a hit all over Europe and Scandinavia. It reached number one in Sweden and Norway and number two in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the United States, Fältskog earned a Billboard Top 30 hit with "Can't Shake Loose". In Europe, the single "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" was another successful hit, topping the charts in Belgium and Denmark, reaching the Top 5 in Sweden, the Netherlands and South Africa, and the Top 20 in Germany and France. The album sold 1.2 million copies worldwide.[37] The album was produced by the highly successful producer and songwriter Mike Chapman, also known for his work with The Sweet, Mud, Suzi Quatro, Blondie and The Knack. According to Chapman, the album sold 4 million units worldwide.
"It's So Nice to be Rich" was Agnetha's fourth top ten hit in Sweden in 1983. Her duet with Tomas Ledin, "Never Again" was the first one.
Fältskog's second English-language solo album, Eyes of a Woman, was released in March 1985, peaking at number 2 in Sweden and another platinum seller and performing reasonably well in Europe. The album was produced by Eric Stewart of 10cc. The first single from the album was her self-penned "I Won't Let You Go". Agnetha's duet with Ola Håkansson "The Way You Are" was a number one hit in Sweden in 1986 and was awarded double platinum.
In November 1987, Fältskog released her third post-ABBA solo album, the Peter Cetera-produced I Stand Alone, which also included the Billboard Adult Contemporary duet with Cetera, "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)", as well as the European charting singles "The Last Time" and "Let It Shine". The album was extremely successful in Sweden, where it spent eight weeks at number 1 and was awarded double-platinum. Shortly after some minor European promotion for the album in early 1988, Fältskog withdrew from public life and halted her music career. In 1996, she released her autobiography, As I Am, and a compilation album featuring her solo hits alongside some ABBA classics. In 2004, she made a successful comeback, releasing the critically acclaimed album My Colouring Book, which debuted at number 1 in Sweden (achieving triple-platinum status), number 6 in Germany, and number 12 in the UK, winning a silver award, and achieving gold status in Finland. The single "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" (a cover of the Cilla Black 1960s song) became Fältskog's biggest solo hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number 11. The single peaked at number 2 in Sweden and was a hit throughout Scandinavia and Europe. A further single, "When You Walk in the Room", was released but met with less success, only peaking at number 34 in the United Kingdom. In January 2007, she sang a live duet on stage with Swedish singer Tommy Körberg at the after party for the final performance of the musical, Mamma Mia!, in Stockholm, at which Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were also present.
In 1992, Lyngstad had been asked and chosen to be the chairperson for the environmental organisation "Artister för miljön" (Artists for the Environment) in Sweden. She became chairwoman for this organisation from 1992 to 1995. To mark her interests for the environment, she recorded the Julian Lennon song "Saltwater" and performed it live in Stockholm. She arranged and financed summer camps for poor children in Sweden, focusing on environmental and ecological issues. Her environmental work for this organisation led up to the decision to record again. The album Djupa andetag (Deep Breaths) was released towards the end of 1996 and became a success in Sweden, where it reached number 1. The lyrics for the single from this album, "Även en blomma" ("Even a Flower"), deal with environmental issues. In 2004, Lyngstad recorded a song called "The Sun Will Shine Again", written especially for her and released with former Deep Purple member Jon Lord. The couple made several TV performances with this song in Germany. Lyngstad lives a relatively low-profile life but occasionally appears at a party or charity function. On 26 August 1992, she married Prince Heinrich Ruzzo Reuss von Plauen, of the German Reuss family. Von Plauen died of lymphoma in 1999 at the age of 49. In addition to losing her husband, Lyngstad had also lost her daughter Lise-Lotte in a car crash a year earlier.
On 15 November 2005, Lyngstad's 60th birthday, Universal released the Frida Box Set, consisting of the solo albums she recorded for the Polar Label. Also included is the 31⁄2-hour documentary Frida - The DVD. On this DVD, which covers her entire singing career, the viewer is guided by Lyngstad herself through the years from her TV debut in Sweden in 1967 to the TV performances she made in Germany in 2004. Many rare clips are included in the set and each performance is explained by Lyngstad herself. The interview with Lyngstad was filmed in the Swiss Alps in summer 2005.
Revival[link]
The same year the members of ABBA went their separate ways, the French production of a "tribute" show (a children's TV musical named Abbacadabra using 14 ABBA songs) spawned new interest in the group's music.
After receiving little attention during the mid-1980s, ABBA's music experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s due to the UK synth-pop duo Erasure, who released a cover extended play featuring versions of ABBA songs which topped the charts in 1992. As U2 arrived in Stockholm for a concert in June of that year, the band paid homage to ABBA by inviting Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson to join them on stage for a rendition of "Dancing Queen", playing guitar and keyboards. September 1992 saw the release of ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits, a new compilation album. The single "Dancing Queen" received radio airplay in the UK in summer 1992 to promote the album. The song returned to the Top 20 of the UK singles chart in August that year, this time peaking at number 16.
The enormous interest in the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits compilation saw the release of More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits in 1993.
In 1994, two Australian cult films caught the attention of the world's media, both focussing on admiration for ABBA: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding. The same year, Thank You for the Music, a four-disc box set comprising all the group's hits and stand-out album tracks, was released with the involvement of all four members. "By the end of the twentieth century", American critic Chuck Klosterman wrote a decade later, "it was far more contrarian to hate ABBA than to love them."[38]
ABBA were soon recognized and embraced by other acts: Evan Dando of The Lemonheads recorded a cover version of "Knowing Me, Knowing You";[39] Sinéad O'Connor and Boyzone's Stephen Gately have recorded "Chiquitita"; Tanita Tikaram, Blancmange and Steven Wilson paid tribute to "The Day Before You Came". Cliff Richard covered "Lay All Your Love On Me", while Dionne Warwick, Peter Cetera, and Celebrity Skin recorded their versions of "SOS". U.S. alternative-rock musician Marshall Crenshaw has also been known to play a version of "Knowing Me, Knowing You" in concert appearances, while legendary English Latin pop songwriter Richard Daniel Roman has recognized ABBA as a major influence. Swedish metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen covered "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" with slightly altered lyrics.
Two different compilation albums of ABBA songs have been released. ABBA: A Tribute coincided with the 25th anniversary celebration and featured 17 songs, some of which were recorded especially for this release. Notable tracks include Go West's "One of Us", Army of Lovers "Hasta Mañana", Information Society's "Lay All Your Love on Me", Erasure's "Take a Chance on Me" (with MC Kinky), and Lyngstad's a cappella duet with The Real Group of "Dancing Queen". A second 12-track album was released in 1999, entitled ABBAMANIA, with proceeds going to the Youth Music charity in England. It featured all new cover versions: notable tracks were by Madness ("Money, Money, Money"), Culture Club ("Voulez-Vous"), The Corrs ("The Winner Takes It All"), Steps ("Lay All Your Love on Me", "I Know Him So Well"), and a medley entitled "Thank ABBA for the Music" performed by several artists and as featured on the Brits Awards that same year.
In Sweden, the growing recognition of the legacy of Andersson and Ulvaeus resulted in the 1998 B & B Concerts: a tribute concert (with Swedish singers who had worked with the songwriters through the years) showcasing not only their ABBA years, but hits both before and after ABBA. The concert was a success, and was ultimately released on CD. It later toured Scandinavia and even went to Beijing in the People's Republic of China for two concerts.
In 2000, ABBA were reported to have turned down an offer of approximately US$1,000,000,000 (one billion US dollars) to do a reunion tour consisting of 100 concerts.[40]
For the 2004 semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, staged in Istanbul 30 years after ABBA had won the contest in Brighton, all four members made cameo appearances in a special comedy video made for the interval act, entitled "Our Last Video Ever". Others well-known stars such as Rik Mayall, Cher and Iron Maiden's Eddie also made appearances in the video. It was not included in the official DVD release of the Eurovision Contest, but was issued as a separate DVD release, retitled The Last Video at the request of the former ABBA members.
In 2005, all four members of ABBA appeared at the Stockholm premiere of the musical Mamma Mia!.[41]
On 4 July 2008, all four ABBA members were reunited at the Swedish premiere of Mamma Mia!. It was only the second time all of them had appeared together in public since 1986.[42] During the appearance, they re-emphasized that they intended never to officially reunite, citing the opinion of Robert Plant that the re-formed Led Zeppelin was more like a cover band of itself than the original band. Ulvaeus stated that he wanted the band to be remembered as they were during the peak years of their success.[43]
The compilation album ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits, originally released in 1992, returned to number one in the UK album charts for the fifth time on 3 August 2008.[44] On 14 August 2008, the Mamma Mia! The Movie film soundtrack went to number 1 on the US Billboard charts, ABBA's first US chart-topping album. During the band's heyday the highest album chart position they had ever achieved in America was number 14.
In November 2008, all eight studio albums, together with a ninth of rare tracks, was released as The Albums.[45] It hit several charts, peaking at number 4 in Sweden and reaching the Top 10 in several other European territories.
In 2008, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, in collaboration with Universal Music Group Sweden AB, released SingStar ABBA on both the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 games consoles, as part of the SingStar music video games. The PS2 version features 20 ABBA songs, while 25 songs feature on the PS3 version.
On 22 January 2009, Fältskog and Lyngstad appeared together on stage to receive the Swedish music award "Rockbjörnen" (for "lifetime achievement"). In an interview, the two women expressed their gratitude for the honorary award and to thank their fans.
On 25 November 2009, PRS for Music announced that the British public voted ABBA as the band they would most like to see re-form.[46]
On 27 January 2010, ABBAWORLD, a 25-room touring exhibition featuring interactive and audiovisual activities, debuted at Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in London. According to the exhibition's website, ABBAWORLD is "approved and fully supported" by the band members.[47][48]
On 15 November 2011, Ubisoft released a dancing game called ABBA: You Can Dance, for the Wii.
In January 2012, Universal Music announced the re-release of ABBA's final album 'The Visitors' featuring a previously unheard track 'From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel'.[49]
Recording process[link]
They were perfectionists in the studio and would work on tracks tirelessly until they got them right. Agnetha said they didn't quit and try to pick it back up at a later date, they would work on it until they came up with something better.[50] See Summer Night City as an example of them not being happy with a song and the amount of effort they put into that song.
They would start the basic rhythm track with a drummer, guitarist and bass player. All the other arrangements - vocals, other instruments - would be overlaid onto this basic track. The vocals would be the next and orchestra overdubs were usually left till last.[50]
It would be while in the studio working on the song that the girls would pitch in ideas as well. Benny and Bjorn would play them the backing tracks and they would make comments and suggestions, especially if they felt something wasn't right. According to Agnetha, the girls had the final say in how the lyrics were shaped. Frida says: "When we gather around the piano to get our voices tuned up, we often come up with things we can use in the backing vocals." [50]
After all the vocals and overdubs had been done, they would take up to five days to mix the song.[50]
Awards and nominations[link]
Main article: ABBA awards and nominations
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[link]
On 15 March 2010, ABBA was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bee Gees members Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb (†). The ceremony was held at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The group was represented by Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson.[51][52]
Success in the United States[link]
During their active career, from 1972 to 1982, ABBA achieved 14 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 (13 on the Cashbox Top 100), ten of which made the Top 20 on both charts, with four singles reaching the Top 10, including "Dancing Queen" which reached number 1. While "Fernando" and "SOS" did not break the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart they did reach the Top 10 on Cashbox ("Fernando") and Record World ("SOS") charts.
The group also had 12 Top 20 singles on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart with two of them, "Fernando" and "The Winner Takes It All", reaching number 1. "Lay All Your Love on Me" was ABBA's fourth number 1 single on a Billboard chart, topping the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The singles "Dancing Queen" and "Take a Chance on Me" were certified gold (more than 1 million copies sold) by the RIAA.
Nine ABBA albums made their way into the Top 100 on the Billboard 200 album chart, with seven of them reaching the Top 50. Four of those albums reached the Top 20, with ABBA: The Album at number 14 being the highest position. Five albums received RIAA gold certification (more than 500,000 copies sold), while three acquired platinum status (selling more than one million copies). In 1993, the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits collection was released in the United States and has since become a seven-time platinum best-seller. It also topped the Bilboard Top Pop Catalog Albums chart (it also peaked at number 11 on a Billboard Comprehensive Albums chart).
Fashion, videos, advertising campaigns[link]
ABBA were widely noted for the colourful and trend-setting costumes its members wore.[citation needed] The videos that accompanied some of their biggest hits are often cited[by whom?] as being among the earliest examples of the genre. Most of ABBA's videos (and ABBA: The Movie) were directed by Lasse Hallström, who would later direct the films My Life as a Dog, The Cider House Rules and Chocolat.
ABBA made videos because their songs were hits in many different countries and personal appearances were not always possible. This was also done in an effort to minimize travelling, particularly to countries that would have required extremely long flights. Fältskog and Ulvaeus had two young children and Fältskog, who was also afraid of flying, was very reluctant to leave her children for such a long time. ABBA's manager, Stig Anderson, realized the potential of showing a simple video clip on television to publicize a single or album, thereby allowing easier and quicker exposure than a concert tour. Some of these videos became classics because of the 1970s-era costumes and early video effects, such as the grouping of the band members in different combinations of pairs, overlapping one singer's profile with the other's full face, and the contrasting of one member against another.
In 1976, ABBA participated in a high-profile advertising campaign by the Matsushita Electric Industrial (today's Panasonic Corporation), which was designed to promote the brand National. This campaign was designed initially for Australia, where "National" was still the primary brand used by Matsushita, who had not introduced the "Panasonic" brand to Australia yet despite its widespread use in other parts of the world such as the United States. However, the campaign was also aired in Japan. Five commercials, each approximately one minute long, were produced, each using the "National Song" sung by ABBA, which used the melody and instrumental arrangement of "Fernando", adapted with new lyrics promoting National, and working in several slogans used by National in their advertising.[53]
Political controversy[link]
In September 2010, band members Andersson and Ulvaeus criticized the right-wing Danish People's Party (DF) for using the ABBA song "Mamma Mia" (with modified lyrics) at rallies. The band had threatened to file a lawsuit against the DF, saying they never allowed their music to be used politically and that they had absolutely no interest in supporting the party. Their record label Universal Music later said that no legal action would be taken because an agreement had been reached.[54]
Discography[link]
Main article: ABBA discography
Further information: List of ABBA songs
- Ring Ring (1973)
- Waterloo (1974)
- ABBA (1975)
- Arrival (1976)
- ABBA: The Album (1977)
- Voulez-Vous (1979)
- Super Trouper (1980)
- The Visitors (1981)
Bibliography[link]
- Oldham, Andrew, Calder, Tony & Irvin, Colin (1995) "ABBA: The Name of the Game", ISBN 0-283-06232-0
- Potiez, Jean-Marie (2000). ABBA – The Book ISBN 1-85410-928-6
- Palm, Carl Magnus (2002). Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA ISBN 0-7119-9194-4
- Palm, Carl Joslin (2004). From "ABBA" to "Mamma Mia!" ISBN 1-85227-864-1
ABBA-related tributes[link]
- Abbacadabra – A French children's musical based on songs from ABBA
- Abbacadabra - A tribute band
- Abbaesque – An Irish ABBA tribute band
- Abba-esque – Erasure's 1992 EP
- ABBAmania – An ITV programme and tribute album to Swedish pop band ABBA released in 1999
- Abbasalutely – A compilation album released in 1995 as a tribute album to ABBA
- adbacadabra – An American ABBA tribute band
- Arrival From Sweden - A Swedish ABBA tribute band, formed in 1995
- A*Teens – A pop music group from Stockholm, Sweden
- Björn Again – The earliest-formed ABBA tribute band (1988)
- Generation Abba – Live ABBA tribute concerts on tour in Canada, Europe and Middle-East
- Mamma Mia! – Musical stage show based on the songs of ABBA
- Mamma Mia! The Movie – Film adaption of the musical stage show
- Gabba - An ABBA/Ramones tribute band that covers the former in the style of the latter, the name being a pun on "Gabba Gabba Hey".
- Babba - Australian tribute band
- The Abba's/Supertroopers - A Dutch rock group, a spin-off from Hallo Venray, performing ABBA covers as well as Dutch traditionals
See also[link]
 |
Book: ABBA |
| Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |
- ABBA the Museum
- ABBAMAIL
- List of ABBA tribute albums
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of Swedes in music
- List of unreleased ABBA songs
- Music of Sweden
- Swedish popular music
- ABBA City Walks - Stockholm City Museum
References[link]
- Palm, Carl Magnus (2001). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA. London: Omnibus. ISBN 0-7119-8389-5.
Notes[link]
- ^ "Abba set for reunion as Agnetha admits, 'I have a dream'". guardian.co.uk. 2011-01-02. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jan/02/abba-reunion-agnetha. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
- ^ "A heavenly enchantment called ABBA". The Hindu. 2010-04-09. http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article392677.ece. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
- ^ "ABBA makes Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Los Angeles Times 16 December 2009". Latimes.com. 16 December 2009. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-quick16-2009dec16,0,6237547.story. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 86–87
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 110
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 162
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 112–129 and 135–136
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 41–58
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 163–170
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 150
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 173
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 174
- ^ "Cover art for Björn and Benny single "En Carousel"/"Lycka"". Discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1149457. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 182
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 185
- ^ Interview with Songwriter magazine, 6, 1981, pp.23–25.
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 191–211
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 210
- ^ "ABBA's biography, page 2". abbasite.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. http://www.abbasite.com/people/bio.php?id=395&page=2. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
- ^ [1] ABBA Logo 25th Anniversary.[dead link]
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 268
- ^ Karen Collins (25 August 2009). "Fernando the Flute – Details". Tagg.org. http://www.tagg.org/mmmsp/fernando.html. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ DVD documentaries: The Winner Takes It All (2002) and Super Troupers (2004)
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 382
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 383–386
- ^ "Bee Gees, Olivia were a hit with the VIPs" (11 January 1979). Courier Mail (Brisbane); p. 30.
- ^ "ABBA divorce – Agnetha moves out" (17 January 1979). The Sun (Sydney); p. 1.
- ^ Rodgers, Peter (16 March 1980). "Pop goes ABBA's $2m oil gamble: ABBA may lose enormous amount of money following venture into oil market. " The Sunday Times; Business News, p 53
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 455–56
- ^ Palm 2001, pp. 456–57
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 490
- ^ [2] ABBA's last known appearance (1999)
- ^ Hastings, Chris (5 July 2008). "ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson: We will never reform". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/05/bmabba105.xml.
- ^ "Kristina från Duvemåla – The Musical". icethesite. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. http://www.icethesite.com/content/kristina.aspx. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "Aktuell lista". sr.se. http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/p4/programsidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2023&Artikel=454872. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 452
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 470
- ^ Klosterman, Chuck (2009). Eating the Dinosaur. New York, NY: Scribner. p. 172. ISBN 978-1-4165-4421-0.
- ^ Palm 2001, p. 504
- ^ [3] Basham, David. "ABBA Nixes Billion-Dollar Offer To Reunite. " MTV News.
- ^ "Abba reunite for musical premiere". London: BBC News. 14 February 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4263745.stm. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
- ^ "Abba quartet at Mamma Mia showing". London: BBC News. 5 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7491246.stm. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
- ^ "Abba will 'never' perform again". London: BBC News. 6 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7491908.stm. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
- ^ "Abba are No. 1". BBC 6 Music. 4 August 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20080804_abba.shtml. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
- ^ Thomas, Stephen. (2008-11-24) The Albums - ABBA. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2012-04-30.
- ^ Published: 7:00 am GMT 25 November 2009 (25 November 2009). "Abba is the band most people want to see reform". London: Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/6646768/Abba-is-the-band-most-people-want-to-see-reform.html. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ "Mamma Mia, That’s a Lot of ABBA New York Times 23 December 2010". Intransit. blogs. nytimes.com. 23 December 2009. http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/mamma-mia-thats-a-lot-of-abba/. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "ABBAWORLD website". Abbaworld.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. http://www.abbaworld.com/. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "ABBA Rebjorn - From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel with new Deluxe Edition of The Visitors". Daily Telegraph. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/abba-rebjorn-from-a-twinkling-star-to-a-passing-angel-with-new-deluxe-edition-of-the-visitors/story-e6frewyr-1226257614950. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d ABBA - In Their Own Words, compiled by Rosemary York, 1981, pp 57-65. Omnibus Press ISBN 0-86001-950-0
- ^ "ABBA and Genesis join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". BBC News (London). 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 17 April 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8570059.stm. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- ^ "Will Abba Reunite For Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?". worldasiderseeit.com. 12 February 2010. http://www.worldasiderseeit.com/home/will-abba-reunite-for-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-i-have-the-answ.html.
- ^ "ABBA: The National Commercial". Abba-world.net. http://www.abba-world.net/phenomenon/national/national.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ "Abba anger over Danish far-right's use of Mamma Mia". BBC News. 24 September 2010. Archived from the original on 9 April 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11403230. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: ABBA |
- Official website
- ABBAinter.net TV-performances archive
- ABBA discography at Discogs
- ABBA's Benny Andersson Talks Hall of Fame Induction, Band's Reunion Prospects, Rolling Stone
- ABBA: From Sweden to Superstardom – slideshow by Life magazine
- ABBA Stars – funpage Czech revival ABBA Stars.
- ABBA Songs – ABBA Album and Song details.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Anne-Marie Davidwith "Tu te reconnaîtras" |
Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 |
Succeeded by Teach-Inwith "Ding-A-Dong" |
| Preceded by Nova with "You're Summer" |
Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 |
Succeeded by Lars Berghagen with "Jennie, Jennie" |
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
