X-Nico

38 unusual facts about ABBA


Abba-esque

The greatest hits album ABBA Gold would be released by the end of the summer, and the coming years saw a heavy emphasis on ABBA music in the Australian motion pictures Muriel's Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Abba-Zaba

A favorite snack of a young Don Van "Captain Beefheart" Vliet, it lent its name to a song that appears on his 1967 Safe as Milk album.

ABBA: The Museum

After several years of financial issues the project was abandoned in 2009, and the building was instead set to hold a new contemporary photography museum, called Fotografiska.

Aichi International Broadcasting

After a 17-hour live broadcast featuring current and past DJs, the last song played was ABBA - "Thank You For the Music", and broadcasting ceased at midnight after station ID.

AlexCab

Eljas (who later worked with ABBA) transcribed big orchestral arrangements on assigned gramophone records for the little cabaret band he had at hand so that the songs sounded as similar as possible to the originals.

Andrew Langtree

Subsequent to graduation, he originated the leading role of Sky in the original London stage cast of the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!.

Barkarby Airport

Barkaby airport was the location used to photograph the 1976 cover of the ABBA album, "Arrival".

Brighton Dome

It staged the Eurovision Song Contest on 6 April 1974, when ABBA won for Sweden with "Waterloo".

Cathedral High School, Bangalore

Artists performing include Hariprasad Chaurasia, S. P. Balasubramanyam, Usha Uthup, Ke Jun (of the Chinese Opera), the National Dance Company of Ireland, the Shillong International Chamber Choir, The Chariot, Petra (the Grammy award winning gospel rock band from the U.S.A.), ABBA revival group Björn Again, Grammy-nominee Enoch Fernando and Hariharan.

Dugan McNeill

McNeill has also worked on producing, engineering, and mixing tribute albums dedicated to bands such as ABBA, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, Michael W. Smith, and The Rolling Stones.

El Lute / Gotta Go Home

The ABBA-esque pop melody "El Lute" told the true story of Spanish outlaw Eleuterio Sánchez who was still in prison at the time the song was released, though he was shortly to be released following a pardon.

Ghali Umar Na'Abba

He studied Political Science at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and was later elected secretary of the ABU chapter of the People's Redemption Party.

In January 2006, Ghali Na’Abba attended the commissioning of a computer centre constructed by Representative Farouk Adamu Aliyu in Kudu.

In December 2004, he was honoured with a chieftaincy title in Imo State.

Hans Arnold

He is perhaps best known for his illustrations for the Bland tomtar och troll books, and for the cover he did for the ABBAGreatest Hits

Hemsby

Benny Andersson, formerly of ABBA, was invited to perform at the festival, and to judge an ABBA tribute band competition.

Het is weer zo laat!

Luv' had had two modestly successful singles with ABBA-esque songs, but van Hemert wanted to try a different style of music; Schippers and Jaspars pushed him, and van Hemert agreed to have Luv' sing the tune.

Igor Engraver

The company was later sold to new owners, and in 2002 Peter Bengtson retired from active involvement in the company, which is now owned by Björn Ulvaeus (formerly of the pop group ABBA), Christer Sturmark (a Swedish author, I.T. entrepreneur, and debater on religion and humanism), Per Gessle (a member of the pop groups Gyllene Tider and Roxette), and Cons T. Åhs (a computer science researcher).

Jerry L. Greenberg

During his tenure as President of several major labels, Jerry has signed such acts as ABBA, The Blues Brothers, Foreigner, Genesis, TS Monk, Whitesnake, Chic, Nile Rodgers, Dr. Dre & Eazy E (Production Deal), Motörhead, Brownstone and 3T.

Julius Kronberg

The studio and its contents feature on the sleeve for the 1981 ABBA album, The Visitors.

Leather Nun

Covering ABBA's "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" earned the group some respect in Sweden and Europe in 1986.

Live at the Seaside

The video, originally only available on VHS, features 13 tracks from the concert and, amongst tracks from The Circus, includes performances of songs from Erasure's first album Wonderland plus "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!", the band's first foray into ABBA cover versions.

MAPPER

In the Scandinavian countries, Sperry had a MAPPER song—"Do it the MAPPER way!" (1983)—written and performed by an ABBA-style group.

Me and I

The song has been performed on TV only once, on the ABBA TV Special, Dick Cavett meets ABBA, when ABBA performed this song live.

Pamela McNeill

McNeill has written songs for many artists such as Wynona Judd and has contributed vocals, keyboards and piano for many various artist "tribute" CDs including ABBA, Willie Nelson, Martina McBride and Michael W. Smith, produced by her husband Dugan McNeill.

Rob'n'Raz

They produced a large number of unofficial remixes released by Remixed Records, such as ABBA's "Dancing Queen" among others.

Sjoerd Koppert

Recognized as one of the leading engineers in Europe at the time, he worked with many top acts, from The Who, Pink Floyd, ABBA, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, the Beach Boys to Elton John, Rod Stewart, the Faces, The Rolling Stones, the Doobie Brothers, J. Geils, Frank Zappa, and many more.

That's Me

"That's Me", originally "Coachman's Farm", is the title of a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA in 1976.

A greatest hits compilation by Agnetha released internationally in 1998 was named after this song (see That's Me), one of her favorite ABBA songs.

The Late, Late Breakfast Show

The Swedish group ABBA appeared twice in the first series, making their last ever TV appearance on the show.

The Spooky Men's Chorale

Their repertoire consists largely of songs either written or arranged by their director (or 'spookmeister') Stephen Taberner, on topics ranging from power tools to covers of ABBA songs.

The Two Ring Circus

The last track, a live version of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was their first remake of an ABBA tune, foreshadowing a concept that would later provide them with a number-one in the UK in 1992 with the Abba-esque EP.

The Wall Street Shuffle

ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad recorded a Swedish-language version called "Guld och gröna ängar" (with Swedish lyrics by Owe Junsjö) on her solo album "Frida ensam".

Tre Amigos

Samples are still there (for example "Sug på den" is based on ABBA's "Man in the Middle"), but they played a very minor role.

Tuomas Seppälä

Tuomas started playing piano at the age of five, and in his teen years he got interested in 1980's rock, pop and heavy metal, including Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen and ABBA.

We Write the Story

"We Write the Story" is a song composed by ex-ABBA members, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the Swedish DJ and record producer, Avicii.

WODX

On September 3, 2001, WLCL began stunting with an all-ABBA format, returning the following week to rhythmic oldies.

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie

ABBA cover act Björn Again recorded a cover version that appears on the second disc of their double album Flash Back!


ABBA Live

ABBA Live is an album of live recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA, released by Polar Music in 1986 (see 1986 in music).

Abba Yahiyya

Abba Yahiyya or Abu Yahiyya, was the leader of a sect of Afghani Alenzar (Nizariun Hagarenes) who followed an independent Ishmaili Sufi Herat tradition, introduced to the west by Omar Michael Burke in his 1976 book Among the Dervishes.

Abuna Aregawi

The Nine Saints, Abba 'Afsé, Abba 'Aléf, Abba Gärima, Abba Guba, Abba Liqanos, Abba Pantelewon, Abba Sähma, Abba Yäm'ata and Abba Zä-Mika'él 'Arägawi were learned monks who revitalized Christianity in Ethiopia and to whom the Ge'ez version of the New Testament is attributed.

Emma Pollock

Produced by the band’s drummer Mattie Foulds, “Side Show” was mixed with Paul Savage (Franz Ferdinand) and mastered by Jon Astley (The Who, ABBA, Norah Jones).

Furuhata Ninzaburō

He loves meat-stuffed peppers, his favorite movie is Grease, his favorite group is ABBA, his favorite Golden Half member is Eva and his favorite song is Dancing Queen.

Gabriela Kulka

Artists she names as her closest inspirations are, firstly and undeniably - Kate Bush and Tori Amos, but also Peter Gabriel, Kurt Weill, Danny Elfman, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, Chroma Key, Queen, ABBA, Bruce Dickinson, and Iron Maiden (whose songs she performs live) and Madonna.

George Terry

He is also known for his studio work with a number of other artists, including ABBA, the Bee Gees, Joe Cocker, Andy Gibb, Freddie King, Diana Ross, Stephen Stills, and Kenny Rogers.

Hiyya

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, an Amora of the Land of Israel, and uncle of Abba Arika (Rav).

If It Wasn't for the Nights

Singer Hazell Dean included a dance-oriented cover of the song for her 1996 album The Winner Takes It All: Hazell Dean Sings ABBA.

Independent Corrupt Practices Commission

Some examples are Ghali Umar Na'Abba, speaker of the House of Representatives (2002), Fabian Osuji, head of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education (2006).

International Standard Musical Work Code

The first ISWC was assigned in 1995, for the song "Dancing Queen" by ABBA; the code is T-000.000.001-0.

Israel Lewy

His first publication was Ueber Einige Fragmente aus der Mischna des Abba Saul (Berlin, 1876), in which he showed that the Mishnah collections of the foremost teachers in the period before the final redaction of the Mishnah itself, including that of Abba Saul, agreed as regards all the essential points of the Halakha.

Karin Glenmark

The following year, Karin and Anders took the Gemini name, as suggested by Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA (who, together with Benny Andersson, co-produced Gemini's two albums.)The 1996 release was produced by Michael Saxell who also composed all the songs.

Maja Tatić

In 1992, Tatić went to the Canary Islands, where she entertained the people with her renditions of songs by ABBA, Tina Turner and Shania Twain.

Mariatorget

The Rival hotel and bar, which until recently was a cinema theatre, is partly owned by former ABBA star Benny Andersson.

Mark Brzezicki

He was also the drummer on Shine, the second and final English language album by Frida of ABBA.

Matty Newton

Matty also performed as a Bass player for other shows produced by Showtime Entertainment during this time, including an ABBA show and a Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus production.

Me and The Beast

“ME AND THE BEAST” – They’re from London but this left field lyrical electro pop has a Björk like eccentricity, Kate Bush enigmatics in the vocals, and even a touch of the Abbas in the music….

Michael Hoppé

He signed New Age acts such as Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre and Kitaro to the label as well as resigning ABBA and The Who.

Monolithic church

This practice was very common in Tigray, where the outside world knew of only a few such churches until the Catholic priest Abba Tewelde Medhin Josief presented a paper to the Third International Conference of Ethiopian Studies in which he announced the existence of over 120 churches, 90 of which were still in use.

People Need Love

The Playboy Records U.S. release was credited to "Bjorn & Benny (with Svenska Flicka)", and according to ABBA's manager Stig Anderson, could have been a much bigger American hit, if not for the limited distribution resources of the label that was unable to meet the demand from retailers and radio programmers.

Shazza

The biggest hit off the album was "Małe pieski dwa", and it also included a cover of ABBA's "Hasta Mañana".

Stig Anderson

In the early stages of ABBA, Anderson co-wrote many of the songs' lyrics, among them some of the band's biggest hits, such as "Ring Ring" (1973), "Waterloo" (1974), "Honey, Honey" (1974), "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" (1975), "Mamma Mia" (1975), "S.O.S" (1975), "Fernando" (1976), "Dancing Queen" (1976), "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (1977), and "The Name of the Game" (1977).

The Most Beautiful Girl

In 1975 ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad recorded a Swedish-language version called "Vill du låna en man?" (with Swedish lyrics by Stig Anderson) on her solo album "Frida ensam".

When All Is Said and Done

"When All Is Said and Done" was included in 2008 film version of the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!, performed by Sam Carmichael (as played by Pierce Brosnan), with one line – "slightly worn but dignified, and not too old for sex" – also sung by Meryl Streep.

Żychlin

The founder of the Żychlin Hasidic dynasty Rabbi Shmuel Abba was born to Reb Zelig on the 19th of Kislev in the city of Luvitch.