Hitkrant, 1977: Ring Ring

And now let's cut to the chase: the ABBA album 'Ring Ring' has not, we repeat: not, been released in the Netherlands. The many readers that have written to us about this subject in the past few months can stop writing now: one of our readers has sorted it all out in detail, at the expense of several phone calls to England and Sweden. 'Ring Ring' (and now we are talking about the song) is included on 'ABBA's Greatest Hits'. The album 'Ring Ring' has only been released in Sweden by Polar Music. Satisfied?

Das Freizeit-Magazin, 1978: Benny: this is my life

When Benny was plunking his accordion or his piano in his childhood, it was mostly his own sequence of notes. Already as a little boy he was having fun composing songs and he was successful too. As a seventeen-year-old he tried his luck with the Hep Stars, Sweden's answer to the Beatles, and with these boys he collected eight gold records, four of which were his own songs. Then ABBA came along, and once again it was Benny's task to come up with the melodies for the group, while Björn was responsible for the lyrics. In his private life, Benny is living together with his ABBA colleague Anni-Frid. However, both of his children, Helena and Peter, have been born out of his relationship with Christina, a girlfriend from his Hep Stars days. Since then, Benny's life has changed completely.

Benny is a Sagittarius. He was born on 16 December 1946 in Stockholm. When he was only six years old he tried his hands on the accordion and with a family trio he performed his first small concerts. "I've learned to play the instruments myself," he remembers today, "and I saved up my money to buy a car."

When he was only 13 years old, Benny was a regular guest at a club where young groups performed. Four years later, he persuaded a couple of friends to start playing together as a group. Soon the Hep Stars were the number one group in Sweden.

The engineer's son taught himself how to play the organ too. His sister Eva-Lise remembers: "Benny always sat down at the organ or the piano and simply started playing."

With Brigitta, the hostess of the Gamleby folk park, the Hep Stars always found a listening ear. That's where Benny was able to compose his songs for the group as well. He collected eight gold records together with the boys. But the wrong management led to bankruptcy and the end of the group.

After the Hep Stars broke up, Benny recorded a couple of songs with Björn. They brought in their girlfriends Anni-Frid and Agnetha to do some backing vocals. ABBA was born. But it would take a while before the quartet would see their potential as a group. But then they made their strike: 'Waterloo', the sensational Eurovision victory in 1974 in Brighton.

A comet on the pop scene, that would disappear just like all the others, that's what the international press thought about the Swedish pop group, after their success with 'Waterloo'.

Until today, the collaboration of the quartet has stood the test of time. Benny is the man at the keyboards, who writes the melodies and almost every one of them became a super hit for the quartet.

And once again there are gold records for Benny. Together with the three other ABBA members, he has made it a second time to the top of the ladder of success. After a sold out concert in Hamburg in 1977, the group was presented with four gold discs! For the hit record 'Fernando' and three other albums.

The Hep Stars years were pretty wild for Benny, privately as well. His girldfriend Christina had two of his children. But Maria (picture) was one of his love interests as well. Until he met Anni-Frid.

With the Hep Stars, Benny learned to deal with all the highs and lows of being successful. Then he met Björn Ulvaeus at a party. That's how a long friendship started.

For more than eight years, Benny has been living together with Anni-Frid. "Benny is the best thing that ever happened to me," Frida once confessed. And Benny said sincerely: "We are happy, even without a marriage certificate."

In the past year, the four Swedes tried their luck as show stars and movie actors for the first time. 'The ABBA Story', that's how the show of several hours was called, that the Swedish broadcasting company made together with the world famours stars.

The ABBA film 'ABBA - The Movie' came into being in the summer of 1977 in Australia and it tells the story of a DJ that is dreaming about an encounter with the group. The film came to our cinemas in February.

De Telegraaf, February 2000: Why does ABBA refuse 2 billion for a comeback? The illusion is bringing in more money

More than 25 years after they conquered the world, ABBA has refused an offer of more than two billion Dutch guilders for a comeback! Why are they saying no to this fabulous amount of money that surely can be called a world record: ABBA member Benny Andersson said yesterday: "It's an awful lot of money to say no to, but it's not for us. We never wanted to make a comeback. So many others did; I believe that this already says a lot."

The enormous offer is coming from a British/American entertainment company that wanted to reunite ABBA for one hundred concerts. The Netherlands, where ABBA is extremely popular, was also meant to be included in the world tour schedule!
It has been announced that the former Swedish group will never reunite on stage again. The two women in the group, Anni-Frid and Agnetha, have withdrawn completely from show business. Agnetha lives almost as a recluse in a Swedish village and Anni-Frid - better known as Frida - now lives in Switzerland.
Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are still active in show business. Their most important task is taking care of the interests of their former ABBA hits. And these hits are making them even richer than they already are because of the copyrights that keep pouring in, especially since ABBA seems to be more popular now than ever before.
The Swedish group scored 23 hits between 1974 and 1983, out of which eight reached the number one spot in the charts. Although they don't perform together any longer, lately they have conquered a whole new generation of fans with these songs. Contemporary groups and bands like Westlife, Bewitched, Steps and A-Teens are releasing their own versions of ABBA's hits.
Also the musical 'Mamma Mia!' that is packing the theatres in London at the moment and that is based on the ABBA hits, is bringing in millions for ABBA due to copyrights and box-office money. The show is co-produced by Björn and Benny. Obviously, the success of the show is a major promotional tool for the ABBA greatest hits CD's that have become best sellers in the Netherlands as well.
In all, ABBA sold about 350 million records after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with the song 'Waterloo'.
ABBA consisted of two young married couples, that however got divorced at the height of their fame. Agnetha was married to Björn and Benny was married to Frida.
After the ABBA success, the two women tried their luck with a solo career to no avail, but Björn and Benny's career went very well. They wrote the musical 'Chess' together.
So what is the secret of ABBA's current success? Benny said: "I think the reason is that we never got back together after we called it a day seventeen years ago."
The group became immensely rich! In all, they made about two hundred million with their songwriting and another eight hundred million with record sales, films and concerts. Now they were able to make almost twice as much with one hundred concerts as they did during their entire active ABBA period.
But Benny and Björn prefer to keep the legend intact by keeping the illusion of ABBA alive, and history has proved them right.
The ABBA of today is considerably older as well. Björn is now 54, Benny 53, Frida 54 and Agnetha 49. And although the audience may admire older male rockers, it would be difficult for the women to rekindle the old ABBA style. Apart from that, Agnetha is mentally not up to it, according to friends. After her marriage she withdrew from public life. All of a sudden, she developed a fear of flying after a flight that she barely survived. Furthermore, she experienced a train accident that was quite traumatizing too. She felt herself drifting away from the group more and more.
At one point, Benny and Björn demanded a higher percentage of the re-releases of their old hits. In this new century, ABBA's success has turned into a remarkable trend in show business. After the big success of girl groups like the Spice Girls and boy bands like Take That, now it's the time for mixed groups, that are clearly inspired by ABBA.
The former manager and instigator of the Spice Girls, Simon Fuller, said: "ABBA is the standard for all these groups. With ABBA, everything was perfect: the idea, the styling and the songs."
However, the most successful idea to cash in on the current ABBA mania came from the Swedish record company Stockholm Records. They launced the teen band A-Teens. The A-Teens are singing the hits that were loved by their parents and grandparents in a contemporary style. The most important condition was that not too many things were to be changed. But it all  had to sound a little younger and more modern.
And that's how Amit (16), Sara (15), Dhani (15) and Marie (16) are now singing the ABBA hits. To inexperienced ears, the songs are sounding the same as the originals; there is no rap interlude or something else that might disturb the ABBA illusion. But there is one difference: it's all a bit faster, the grooves are a bit more energetic. And that's how the A-Teens actually united two groups in one group.

February 1978: ABBA, number one sellers in Britain in 1976-77

ABBA has conquered the second global pop market: England. Last year, the quartet that won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo' struggled to carry all their profits from the United Kingdom to their own country, Sweden, because the English Treasury prohibited the export of so many millions of pounds, even though they were earned honestly, out of the country. It's a fact that the British people really like the music and the style of ABBA.
In 1976, 'Greatest Hits' was the biggest selling album in England and when 1977 drew to a close recently, ABBA repeated this triumph when 'Arrival' was elected as the biggest album of the year, and still 'Greatest Hits' has remained in the top 5. On top of that, all singles that were released by ABBA in Britain last year have reached number one in the charts.
And so it seems, all of this is still nothing compared with what's going to happen in 1978. The quartet's fifth album 'The Album' has already been released in half the world, but the most important thing is the premiere of their first feature film, 'The Movie' that has been filmed by the prestigious Warner Brothers during their Australian tour in 1977. In January, the film has been released in Sweden with an overwhelming success. This past February, it was heading for London and Warner Spain has scheduled its release in Spain for March or April, provided there won't be a change of plans.
It hasn't happened very often that a festival like the Eurovision Song Contest launched a vocal ensemble whose style is taken from the best beat of the sixties, to the style of the Seekers or the New Seekers.

Bravo, 1979: Agnetha: in love with an ice hockey player... and that's Björn's new love interest

Finally they are beaming again! Agnetha and Björn, who caused rumours about the group splitting up because of their private crisis, seem to be completely changed by love. Bravo describes how it all came to be...

It happened at the discotheque 'Atlantik' in Stockholm: at the beginning of this year a party had been organised that was attended by Swedish stars, athletes and other celebrities.
Agnetha, who had separated from Björn only recently, was rather depressed at the time and actually only attended the event to distract her mind. The break-up with Björn after almost eight years of marriage had been harder on her than she wanted to admit.
She hoped to spend a couple of uncomplicated, cheerful hours at the Atlantik party. Her mind wasn't set on flirting at all. But all of a sudden there was this good looking, tall guy in front of her who asked her to dance. They danced together once, twice, three times and suddenly it happened to Agnetha: she had fallen in love head over heels with the 29-year-old Lars Erik Erikson (he is the same age as she is)...
After having kept her romance a secret for several weeks, Agnetha now openly acknowledges her relationship with the ice hockey player: "I'm serious about Lars Erik. We meet on a regular basis and get along wonderfully." Lars Erik mostly drives to his training sessions in Agnetha's car, a BMW. He still has his own place in Enskede near Stockholm but it's only a matter of time before the couple will move in together.
So who is this Swede, that managed to break the ice with Agnetha so rapidly? Lars Erik plays with the first rate ice hockey team Tre Kronor 1977. However, he hasn't managed to get into the national team yet. No wonder: from his previous team Brynäs he has the reputation of being more interested in discotheques and girls than in serious training sessions. And he doesn't see his future in ice hockey: he wants to a be gymnastics teacher and at the side he is studying English and Biology. He has already completed half of his studies but he is still four semesters away from his civil-economic exams. He shares one hobby with Agnetha: music. Lars Erik likes to play the guitar.
Björn has found a new girlfriend as well. Her name is Lena Källersjö and she already moved in with him in his mansion in Lidingö. Both of them don't make a secret of the fact that they love each other. Their love affair started at a social function as well: they got to know each other at a party that was hosted by Anni-Frid and Benny. Lena and Anni-Frid are good friends.
The fact that Agnetha and Lena like each other too contributed to the enhancement of the atmosphere within the group after a long period of troubles brewing. Just like Agnetha and Björn, Lena is taking care of both children Linda and Christian from the ABBA marriage as well.
Since the sun is shining again with ABBA, the four of them are able to deny in a credible manner the latest rumours about the group (rumours that claim that from next year onwards only Anni-Frid and Agnetha will be seen on stage while Björn and Benny will only concentrate on producing the songs behind the scenes). Björn: "Our new goal is our autumn tour that will take us to Germany as well in November. And indeed the way the fans want to see us: as a foursome."

Joker, October 1978: Anni-Frid and Benny's secret wedding

Even their best friends were clueless when Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad got married on Friday 6 October in the church of Stockholm's luxurious suburb Lidingö.

They had been engaged and living together since 1970. One year earlier they met each other for the first time in Malmö. Frida was still singing with the piano player Charly Norman at that time, Benny played the electric organ with the Hep Stars.
At first no one wanted to confirm the wedding of one half of the ABBA quartet. But in the end their manager Stig Anderson confirmed: "Yes, it's true. But I don't know any more than that. It is a private matter for both of them."
That's when Benny and Anni-Frid's friends also understood why they had been invited to a small party in their mansion on Saturday night. The first well-wishers were Agnetha and Björn. Among the approximately 20 guests was of course Stig Anderson as well. No family members were invited to the party. Even Anni-Frid's father Alfred Haase had to admit a couple of days later: "I'm sorry. I don't know anything about it."
The party guests brought along five colorful signal flags on a leash on October 7. The blue-white-red-yellow rectangles spelled out 'Lycka' (Happiness) and that's really the only thing that both newly wedded (for Anni-Frid it's her second marriage) motorboat owners have left to wish for. Apart from that, they and the younger, since 1971 married, other ABBA half Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog have everything they could long for: a lot of success, money and an unabated joy in their job. However, their private lives are only their concern.
Benny (31) and his dance addicted Frida (33) belong to the 'beautiful people' of Stockholm's fancy discotheques. Agnetha (28) and Björn (33) on the other hand have become even more homely since their second child was born. They weren't even present when ABBA's own art gallery 'Nova' had its opening recently with a lot of show business.
Both couples live in the same luxurious suburb Lidingö in Stockholm but they live far enough from each other so that they don't get annoyed with each other. That's really the requirement in order for the four so different but so complemental characters to cooperate in this manner, despite all those rumours about quarrels and jealousy. And they keep working together with a relaxed sense of purpose: "We will keep working together as long as it's fun and as long as people buy our records."

These records are made at their own 5-million-studio in Stockholm's former sports palace. A lot of people contribute to the specific ABBA sound. In first place, sound engineer Michael Tretow, a bearded roundhead who manages the 3.500 switches of one of the most advanced mixing equipment in the world with ease.
Benny is full of admiration: "I can't explain which switches a technician has to manage to create something that I am looking for. But Micke understands immediately."
To Micke, those switches represent a manageable and fantastic world of sound. "A phaser sounds like a bomber squadron before its landing. An expander sounds like an animated beaver that grinds its teeth and a compressor like a moose that trots through a swamp."
Björn: "Many people think that our success is the result of the use of superior engineering. Of course we would be idiots if we didn't make use of that. But in the end we are the ones who make the music, even when it's coming out of a synthesizer afterwards."
At the end of September Benny and Björn started working on their new album that should be titled 'Dream World' and be released before Christmas. 'Dream World' is a slow rock melody. Björn wrote the lyrics. The melodies were created by Benny and Björn during long, isolated days at the piano and guitar, accordion and drums, music paper always close at hand. At first they record the backing track in the studio with three session musicians and Micke's congenial engineering. When Agnetha and Anni-Frid joined them on the third day of recording, they hadn't even seen the lyrics nor heard the melody. And still the songs were tailor-made for them, as always.

But meanwhile the women haven't been lazy. Every day, Anni-Frid is taking singing lessons with vocal coach Inga Sundström. Agnetha twice a week. Once a week, Anni-Frid is dancing jazz ballet under the guidance of an American instructor. Agnetha is keeping up her stage stamina with cross-country runs. Daughter Linda even thinks she is faster than her daddy because she is back for her shower sooner than he is. But 2.000 metres is enough for Agnetha, who likes black cigarettes. Her husband Björn is running 15.000 metres effortlessly. Recently he even ran 30 kilometres in the Lidingö run of long-distance runners.

In November ABBA will go on tour in Japan. On their way back they will stop over in Los Angeles where they are going to perform on the Dick Clark show. They are also expected for a TV show in France and in January with Mike Leckebusch in Bremen. In February, one or two further TV specials will be filmed in Germany as well.

Fan Magazin, 1979: ABBA, fun in the snow

Dear readers!
I'm happy that I can have my say here. Because since my divorce from Björn, ABBA has been exposed to the wildest speculations. Although ABBA is involved in our private lives only at the sidelines, it's important when you can take a stand somewhere and finally say what's really true about all those rumours. In many publications there have been lots of wild speculations whether this would mean the end of ABBA or rumours have been spread that I had an affair with a psychiatrist in Stockholm. And many people especially wondered why there has been a divorce in the cleanest group in the world. I want to say on this occasion that we were not the ones who established the image of the 'almost sinless' group ABBA out there in the world. Many people portrayed us the way they wanted to see us. But we merely contributed the music to ABBA. Perhaps there are a couple of rock groups who - with the help of smart advertising people - are working to create a 'divine image'. But all of us are convinced that you can't maintain an artificial personality in the long run. Björn, Benny, Frida and I are not perfect people, like many would like to see us. We too have problems and very personal flaws. That's why you have to look at our divorce as a purely human issue. It was simply more honest to separate than to keep pretending in order to maintain a good reputation. Things weren't working out between Björn and me for quite some time. But we tried everything to get back on track. Yes, we even went into counseling with a psychiatrist who should get to the bottom of our problems. On this occasion the rumours about an affair started to emerge.
We wanted to stop those rumours right at the beginning. Björn and I didn't want people to openly rack their brains about our marital problems, just because we were seen with a psychiatrist. That's why we counseled this man at odd hours. I'm sure someone saw me with him at an unusual hour and therefore believed I had an affair. But there can really be no question about an intimate relationship. Björn and I are merely on friendly terms with this psychiatrist and we still counsel him, by the way.
The only man in my life at the moment is my son Christian!
Agnetha Fältskog

Hello friends!
What Agnetha has just told you is exactly right. The psychiatrist is really a good friend to us both. There is absolutely no romance between him and my ex-wife. And just like there is only one man in Agnetha's life at the moment, for me there is only one woman in this world: my daughter Linda!
Although I seem to have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire by now. In the meantime I have been accused of having an affair myself. Surely you must have heard about my tremendous flirt with the pretty Boney M singer Liz Mitchell. Well, this 'romance' wasn't as hot as it was explained by some newspapers. The saying that things are never as bad as they seem is especially applicable to us cool Swedes. However, Liz Mitchell is really a wonderful woman. A real sport, intelligent, pretty and always in good spirits. I spent a couple of wonderful evenings with her in Leysin, but there absolutely isn't anything more serious between us. Liz has her fiancée that she is very fond of and soon will be married to. And I don't want to be tied up this quickly either. It's not as simple as that!
I met Liz on our second day in Leysin. We danced together a couple of times at the hotel disco and later on we joined the other Boney M members at the table. I got along great with Liz right away. She is a very religious person and that's why we talked about religious matters. I must admit I was really amazed by Liz' amazing mindset.
Later on I took her to her room. But I didn't stay there! After one last 'night cap' I went back to my room. You should have heard Benny, Agnetha and Frida the next day. During our drive to the shooting location they wanted to know all about it and squeezed everything out of me! They mocked and laughed and poked fun at the 'new' Casanova in the group...
Björn Ulvaeus

Dear ABBA-fans!
To tell something about a new ABBA album is almost more difficult than actually composing the songs. It's not that everything that we have pieced together during months of hard work has to remain a secret, like it is often assumed. Usually we ourselves only know shortly before the album's release what is actually going to be on it.
For starters, the most important thing: the new album will be released at Easter. To us, that's a very important date that we can't overdraw. Around that time, the programme 'Snow Special' will be broadcast, that we filmed in Leysin. And according to the people from the broadcasting company, this programme will be watched by more than 500 million viewers in 16 countries. You can surely imagine that that will be a priceless promotion for our new record, that we don't want to miss out on!
A couple of months before an album is released, we are often asked about the title of the album and about the individual songs. As usual, I will have to keep these questions unanswered this time as well, because I don't know myself. Experience has shown that we agree on the title for the album shortly before the cover is being made. Sometimes even after the photographs have been taken. At least that's how it was with 'Arrival'. With our previous album it was something different. The title 'ABBA - The Album' was linked directly to our feature film. Not only because it was its soundtrack. We racked our brains for nights on end about the title for the movie. Over and over again we were looking for a suitable title for 'the movie'. Until we decided to keep it that way in the end. Naturally we applied this brilliant idea to our new record and our book as well. So you shouldn't be surprised if we decided - out of lack of originality - to call the new ABBA record 'The New ABBA Album'!
It's far more important for you to know if we more or less stay true to our sound on the new album. Or if it suddenly sounds like Led Zeppelin. Indeed, this British rock group was in our studio recently and recorded their new album there. On this occasion I must put an end to a rumour that a clever Englishman put in the papers. He actually thought that we had rented our studio for free, with the intention that this would be mentioned in the newspapers. We all make mistakes, but Led Zeppelin paid 650 Swedish kronor per hour, which is about 300 German Mark.
But now back to our album. I can assure you, it still sounds like ABBA, but not the way you have been used to. On our new album we try to put as much variation as possible into our arrangements. The voices of both our girls however remain the same as usual. But additionally, Björn should be featured more as a singer too. Until now, eight songs have been completed. In March we are going to record four additional songs that Björn and I have written already. It won't be until we have recorded all the songs that we decide which songs will be included on the album. There will probably be eight songs on the album - perhaps we will put together another song out of some song idea that we already have. Who knows, either way there's still a lot of work to do... Let's get to it! Cheers, your Benny.
Benny Andersson

Hi there, you all!
Before I will reveal something about our big world tour, I will explain something about our new album. Many people would like to know why Agnetha or myself never compose any songs. Many people think we are not able to do that. But that's not true! Agnetha used to compose a lot of beautiful songs in the old days and I have thought about song material myself before ABBA started. With ABBA, we deliberately don't get a chance. Which means that neither of us has ever had the need to compose our own songs since we got together with Benny and Björn. Until now, we've been completely surprised and won over by the brilliant ideas of our two writers, that there has never been any need for our efforts.
So much on my own account! Now, as promised, some concrete plans about our near future. Like Benny told you already, we will definitely be in the studio until shortly before Easter, so that the album will be ready without a delay. Subsequently, Benny and I will go on a fourteen day holiday to West India and immediately after that we will return to Switzerland once again where we will hopefully find a spot with snow so that we can indulge in our big skiing hobby. Not later than the beginning of June the first rehearsals for our world tour will begin, that's going to kick off in the early autumn. Since we are not an experienced live band, the preparations last much longer in our case. Until the concept for the tour is decided on. Until all the technical aspects work fluently, the crew has been put together, all of this last much longer with us than with other groups. Apart from that, we want to offer a perfect show, our songs should sound the same live as on the records!
We are often asked by what criteria the performance locations are chosen. That's really not easy. Likewise, television performances and press conferences have to be selected carefully, so that no one in any country is being short-changed. That's also the reason why we participated in the Unicef Gala in New York, or why we decided to travel to Leysin in Switzerland. We choose the occasions where we can reach as many people as possible with one appearance. On the tour, we will restrict ourselves to the largest cities as well. That's the only way to get back home within a more or less tolerable amount of time. Anyone who knows that we will travel to Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, England and America on this tour will understand why! If we would only do one concert in every country, we will be on the road for ten days already without counting the days that we travel. That's exactly the problem. We don't want to be separated from our children for too long. Well, something has been decided on already. In October, we will visit Germany, Austria and Switzerland! Until then, bye for now, your Anni-Frid.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad

A for Agnetha: "On the occasion of shooting our television special, I was in Switzerland for the first time. And it certainly won't be the last time, because we are all very impressed with this country. And apart from that, it's ninety percent certain that we will visit this country during our world tour in the autumn."

B for Björn: "The wonderful region, the friendly people, altogether the entire atmosphere in Leysin was exactly the right thing for the first public appearance after the divorce from Agnetha. Only the weather gods weren't very accommodtive and only gave us one day of sunshine!"

B for Benny: "For the first time in our five-year ABBA career, we were able to combine business with pleasure while shooting this special. Any style of winter sports belongs to my major preferences, but what I like most is skiing!"

A for Anni-Frid: "Benny and I only knew Switzerland from Zermatt, where we already went skiing some time ago. After the recording sessions for our album have been completed, we will fly to West India for fourteen days and subsequently one week to the skiing paradise St. Moritz."

S for Snow Special: "The British broadcasting company didn't only shoot a huge entertainment show in this skiing resort, but also two other programmes with us. A 'Christmas Snowtime', a Christmas programme as well as a programme about our Swiss adventure."

S for snow: "The snow couldn't have been better for beginners. That's why Björn soon found his way on the white splendour as well and turned out to be almost as good as Benny. Though the ski slopes were firm, they were not frozen and therefore not very slippery."

S for Stenmark: "Since Benny showed so much talent on the ski slopes, everyone compared him with the Swedish top skier Ingemar Stenmark. This was meant ironically, of course. But, if Benny hadn't become a star on the world's stage, he would definitely have become one of those people on the planks dashing down into the valley."

P for press conference: "We had barely arrived in Leysin when we found ourselves facing the assembled world press for the first time since Agnetha and Björn's divorce. On this occasion, our British record company presented us with the first gold record for 'Chiquitita'."

P for party: "There is always something going on where the stars are. Almost every evening there was a party at the discotheque 'Casanova'. The greatest celebration however was organised by Boney M at the indoor swimming pool, where Marcia Barrett, Patrick Juvet, Liz Mitchell, Björn Ulvaeus, Leif Garret and Bobby Farrell posed for this picture."

A for arrival: "During our flight from Stockholm to Geneva, an engine of our clipper iced up in such a way that we had to return to Stockholm. With a new plane and with more than six hours of delay we finally arrived safe and sound in Switzerland."

A for autographs: "Autograph hunters were definitely not short-changed in Leysin. It's very rare that so many stars get together on one occasion. Agnetha isn't even spared from them on the ski slope and signs postcards, skiing suits, arms, hands..."

A for souvenir (Andenken): "As a souvenir from our wonderful time in the alpine country, we received a fondue set from the people from our record company, so that we can eat our new favourite food at home in Stockholm as well."

S for divorce (Scheidung): "For the reporters and all gossipers, Agnetha and Björn's divorce was the main topic of conversation. However, they both get along great despite their official separation, like this picture proves."

S for skating: "For the shooting of one of the scenes we are sent onto the ice. Agnetha has major difficulties with ice skating. Several times, she falls on her sexy behind... That's why Denise Bielmann, the Swiss champion in figure skating, gave us a couple of free skating tips."

S for sleeping: "Mostly, there wasn't much time to sleep. Because in the evenings we often had great fun, and the next day we still had to get up early, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to finish the filming. Instead, we managed to sleep in late a bit longer when we were back in Sweden."

S for make-up (schminken): "During all the scenes, the make-up artists, that's how the ones who take care of the stars' make-up are being called, are present. Sometimes it's not an easy job, because often they had to wait for hours in the freezing snow, until they had to apply some additional make-up again."

S for show: "In the gigantic show 'Snowtime Special' we are singing the song 'Chiquitita'. This television programme will be broadcast at Easter and will probably be watched by 500 million viewers."

I for instruments: "Since it is very difficult to play live when one is filmed in the snow, all our songs had to be performed to playback, which means they come from a pre recorded tape. Only in the big tent, Benny and Björn are playing their instruments."

I for snacks (Imbiss): "Since our film 'ABBA - The Movie' we know that one gets to eat very irregularly during filming. Likewise, in Leysin we almost exclusively eat sandwiches and little snacks. But in the evenings we are able to find the time for extensive meals."

I for idol: "The youngest participant in our show, Leif Garrett, turned into our idol. In many conversations he emerged as a spirited young man, who is not only able to sing but also to stand on his skis like a king."

M for machine: "When the last scenes are being filmed on Sunday afternoon, our new friend from Boney M - Bobby Farrell - has his photograph taken on a big ski slopes machine. This looked so smashing that we decided to pose in front of this impressive machine as well."

M for make-up case: "The make-up artists have the most difficult assignment during filming outdoors. Even on the highest mountain they tag along a gigantic make-up case, packed with little boxes, applicators and bottles. Over and over again, our red cheekies had to be touched up again."

S for ski elevator: "The most wonderful invention in skiing is the ski elevator. Without this practical help, the ski pass would only be half as much fun. Here, Benny is letting himself being pulled up the mountain by the conveyor belt."

S for stars: "For the British TV show, everybody who is anybody showed up. Apart from us, there were: Boney M, Bonnie Tyler, Roxy Music, Ted Gärdestadt, the Jacksons, Amii Stewart, Eruption, Kate Bush, Patrick Juvet, Leo Sayer, Curtis Mayfield and Leif Garret."

S for scariness: "During a schussboom, Benny loses control over his planks and makes a dreadful fall. When we see him lying in the snow like this, we get a little uneasy. But Benny only smiles. Apart from some scariness, nothing happened. Thank God! He wouldn't have made an especially good impression on stage with his leg in plaster!"

C for chalet: "A breathing pause in a mountain restaurant. While we are getting a sun tan, Benny shows his thirst for adventure by inspecting the romantic chalet, that's how a wooden house in the mountains is being called in this region. Here, he is posing for the photographers, smiling from one of the windows."

C for Christian: "If Agnetha had a new boyfriend already, is what a curious reporter asked her. She retorted that there was only one man in her life: her son Christian."

H for helicopter: "From Geneva to Leysin is about a two hour drive by car. Since we also filmed a scene in a helicopter, we were flown to Leysin. We will never forget the wonderful flight over the snowy region around Lake Geneva."

H for gloves (Handschuhe): "Always and everywhere, Benny is up for a little joke. For the photographers he even puts his gloves into his mouth. That was just what he was waiting for, in the true sense of the word."

H for hotel: "A group picture with the ladies in front of the Hotel Central Residence."

N for fog (Nebel): "Normally, we would have enjoyed one hundred percent beautiful weather at this time of year. That's what the inhabitants of the skiing resort assured us, after we had had some sun for one day out of the five days we spent there. On the other days, the fog was sometimes so dense that we could hardly shoot our scenes!"

N for notes: "Role study on the skiing piste. Once again we mull over our lines, before we dare to get in front of the camera."

N for night: "No one got very much sleep. But Björn got the least amount of sleep. He chatted with the pretty Boney M singer Liz Mitchell, mostly until the early morning hours."

E for warming up (Erwärmen): "Agnetha warms herself up with some glühwein. After that she too has to get back on the planks again, because the filming in the snow has not been completed yet!"

E for idea (Einfall): "Björn had the most daring idea. He wanted to fly to the top of a mountain with the helicopter, to get to a several kilometres long downhill run. Thankfully the fog prevented the take-off attempt."

E for parents (Eltern): "Björn and Agnetha brought their little daughter along to Switzerland. She was also accompanied by their nanny who's name coincidentally is Agnetha as well."

E for all's well that ends well (Ende gut): "All's well that ends well! On Sunday evening, the British broadcasting company arranged a huge party for all participants. First, a luxurious dinner was being served. Subsequently the party continued in the disco until five o'clock in the morning. But we didn't spend the long night in the dance club, we had an early night instead. Except Björn. Guess who he was flirting with again?"