Troy's comments about Ryan's Column

October 2008

Hi Troy, I'm definitely going to Arrival's show in Anaheim. If you see me, please do say hello, it's always nice to meet other ABBA fans.

Ryan from Abbafmail

October's

Ryan,

I got my tickets for the Arrival band show for Sunday Oct. 12, 2008. I really love these tribute bands because this is the closest we'll be getting to ABBA for years to come. Look for the 6' 6" tall guy with the red ABBA T-shirt in the audience. I saw Mamma Mia, the Movie about 7x now. Keep up the good work too.

Aspiecub

Neil Hopwood

Sept 2008

Hi Neil.
I don't know if you would remeber me. My name is Jaco de kock. We were together in 2 SAI Walvisbaai , Bravo Company, Peleton 1, Charlie section. 1986 Intake. You haven't changed a bit in the last 20 years. I recognised your face immediately. I see you are a big ABBA fan nowadays. In 1986 and 87 you were the biggest Fleetwood mac (Stevie Nicks) fan.
Jaco.

Neil

September

I forgot to mention. This current ABBA revival is just what Stig has always wanted... for and album of ABBA music to get to number 1 in USA (ie the MM soundtrack). Yes, it's not 'the' ABBA, but if he was still here, I'm sure he'd he be happy with what's happened. With the growing interest in ABBA of recent years in USA, probably since MM premiered in Broadway, it's so ironic to finally happen 30-ish years after the original days when when ABBA weren't as big in the US as they were elsewhere in the world. A dream for Stig has finally come true... especially at the moment! Here's 'Cheers' to Stig!

Neil

September

Hi Neil. Thanks for a good article. Yes, I remember the 'Anti-ABBA-Eighties'. My only worry is that there will be another drought of all things 'ABBA', and it will once again be a taboo to be an ABBA fan, as there has been a lot of over-kill in regards to ABBA and Mamma Mia over the years, and especially now. Overkill is what happened with ABBA in their heyday here in Oz, and towards late 1977 in Oz, and onwards until the early 1990s, ABBA was unfortunately seen here as something to either send up or ignore. In 1978, I think it would have been safer for me to say in High School that I was gay (yes I am), than to say I was an ABBA fan ;o) Then in the very late 80s, and 1990, it was actually cool to like ABBA... it was like a trendy cult, with pubs holding ABBA nights, ABBA The Movie being played on special nights at the 'Mandolin' theatre, ABBA even being played on the trendoid radio station: 2JJJ, etc. Then came ABBA Gold in 92... and ABBA was number 1 in Australia again... and at the time, who'd have thought that could be possible. And even more novel to this day is the fact that we keep ebbing and flowing in and out of various ABBA revivals ever since... what other band / singer / entertainer has done that?... not even The Beatles. I'd say we have at least one more ABBA revival to go through. I don't think it'll be as big, but it'll happen, and that'll be when Mamma Mia is released on DVD. After that... who knows. However, I know that even if ABBA revivals never ever happen again, I will always be an ABBA fan. By the way, last weekend, I saw the Mamma Mia movie for the first time up in a small independent cinema in Mt Victoria (in the Blue Mountains, far west of Sydney)... and it was sold out, with extra people sitting on stools at the sides, and also sitting up the stairs to the projectionist's room, and everyone seemed to enjoy it and themselves, including a lot of elderly locals (about half of the audience)... and that added to the fun of watching the movie. Cheers for now.

Neil

August 2008

This is the best article you've written for ABBAMail. Thank you.

Graeme

Luke

August/2008

Great article about some amazing singers...especially since the emphasis is on my favorite redhead. I've noticed the exact thing you write about...Frida in the background enjoying her songmate's performance. She genuinely would let the music take her...and I've seen her standing by Benny at the piano in several videos content to be the lesser "star!" But to me, that makes her the consumate artist...the ultimate professional...and truly an equal talent amongst all of them. Thanks for reminding us that we are indeed fortunate to be fans of something that will probably outlast us all!

Neil Hopwood

September 2005

thank you for this posting, by chance I came across 4 Jacks and a Jill on youtubue I suddenly remembered that I had the 33RPM record back in S.A. I love the MasterJack song, brought tears to my eyes

Trent

August 2005

Trent, I finally found a YouTube video of "Summer Night City" with the lovely Ms. Faltskog in the unshaven condition that you mentioned. Actually, I had a German girlfriend years ago who also occasionally neglected that custom. For some reason, it was never enough to scare me away. I would imagine that such a choice in grooming would not scare away most men from Ms. Faltskog, either.

Neil

July

Neil, I live in a smaller city in the Midwest USA. Here, most people think thta ABBA was a "one hit wonder" with "Dancing Queen" and portray them often as a Disco phenomenon. From 1973 through 1976 I had a German-Norwegian girlfriend (she was born in Germany) who could have been called a typical Nordic blonde. I remember that the first time I ever saw an ABBA album in a record store in about 1975 or 1976, I could not get over how much "that blonde in ABBA" looked like my girlfriend, almost a ringer. After we broke up, I remember seeing the "Arrival" album in a Suburban Chicago record store window and wanting nothing to do with it as the expression Ms. Faltskog had on her face was identical to the one given to me by my ex-girlfriend when I told her that we had to part company. I think that I felt as if there was a blonde Nordic conspiracy against me.
Several years back, now, though, something happened and caused me to become interested in ABBA. As I began to read about them and to investigate stories about them, I saw some glaring contradictions in their publicity and in what seemed more likely to be real.
You say, for example, that "S.O.S." was not written by Ms. Faltskog. I had come across a totally different story that also makes sense in another way and could explain some of the bad feelings among individuals.
Agnetha was known for writing songs when she was younger and "BB" (Before Bjorn). Additionally, the "Eleven Women" project was an idea that she had before ABBA formed, also. The story I found was that she had penned a song called "You Turn Me On," or something like that, and that she had the basic melody-riff to "S.O.S." in it, as she could play the piano reasonably well. All of her personal music fell on hold when ABBA took off in popularity. Somehow, either she showed Bjorn, or he found, her notes and saw potential inthe songs. He convinced her to let him rework the song, along with Stig and Benny. Then, once reworked, they put thier names on it. As we know, ASCAP pays best to the composers. This may have happened with other songs as well. As long as they were married, The name on the royalty checks did not matter. However, it still slighted Agnetha to see other people take credit for her ideas. Look ahead to the last few years. Ms. Faltskog's checks and income have never been what B and B get, as they are listed as the writers on nearly everything (along with Stig on some things).
With that in mind, maybe AF really meant it when she sang, "I've been cheated by you since I don't know when," in the original song, "Mamma Mia."
Look at all of the enterprises taht Bjorn has going. He continues to use ABBA's fame like a personal ATM (our USA term for an automated banking machine).
One key statistic to always remember is that most divorces and marriage problems occur over money.