ABBA: Thank You for the Music, An All-Star Tribute

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ABBA: Thank You for the Music, An All-Star Tribute
Genre Special
Directed by Johan Renck
Country of origin
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Sweden
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producer Simon Fuller
ProducerJohan Renck
Running time120 minutes
Production company XIX Entertainment
Original release
Network
Release2021 (2021) (cancelled)

ABBA: Thank You for the Music, An All-Star Tribute was intended to be an American-British television special tribute to the Swedish band ABBA set for release in 2021 on NBC and BBC One. The special was later cancelled, as efforts switched to developing the ABBA Voyage concert residency. [1]

Contents

Premise

It would have featured appearances by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and a performance of their new song "I Still Have Faith in You" by their digital avatars, and also included appearances by a variety of musical artists performing ABBA songs such as "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "The Winner Takes It All," and "Take a Chance on Me." [2]

Production

On April 27, 2018, it was announced that NBC and the BBC were co-producing a television special tribute to Swedish band ABBA. The special is set to be directed and produced by Johan Renck and executive produced by Simon Fuller. Production companies involved with the special include Fuller's XIX Entertainment. [3] On May 4, 2018, it was announced that the special had been titled ABBA: Thank You for the Music, An All-Star Tribute. [2] [4] [5]

Work on the TV special inspired the band to record new music, which later developed into their album Voyage , their first in 40 years. [6] According to Andersson, "I said, if we would have been doing this for real, going out on the stage, we would have added a couple of new songs to perform. And then I called the ladies and they said yes. [...] So we did that and I thought with the first two songs, it went so well and they could still sing and we could still produce music in the studio so we said maybe we’ll do a couple of others while we’re at it, and we ended up doing a whole album". [7]

In October 2021, it was confirmed that the special was scrapped, in favor of the upcoming ABBA Voyage concert residency. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABBA</span> Swedish pop group

ABBA are a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the best-selling music acts in the history of popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Björn Ulvaeus</span> Swedish musician (born 1945)

Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish musician, singer, songwriter, and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA. He is also the co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! He co-produced the films Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with fellow ABBA member and close friend Benny Andersson. He is the oldest member of the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Andersson</span> Swedish musician and composer (born 1946)

Göran BrorBennyAndersson is a Swedish musician, composer and producer best known as a member of the pop group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! For the 2008 film version of Mamma Mia! and its 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, he worked also as an executive producer. Since 2001, he has been active with his own band Benny Anderssons orkester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anni-Frid Lyngstad</span> Swedish singer (born 1945)

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad, also known simply as Frida, is a Swedish singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA. Courtesy titles Princess Reuss and Countess of Plauen are also in use because of her third marriage. Born in Bjørkåsen (Ballangen), Norway, to a Norwegian mother and a German father, she grew up in Torshälla, Sweden, and started her first solo career there, as a jazz singer in 1967, through a talent competition called New Faces.

<i>Super Trouper</i> (album) 1980 studio album by ABBA

Super Trouper is the seventh studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA, released on 3 November 1980. It features the No.1 singles "The Winner Takes It All" and "Super Trouper". The album became the biggest-selling album of 1980 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing Queen</span> 1976 single by ABBA

"Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus also produced the song. "Dancing Queen" was released as a single in Sweden in August 1976, followed by a UK release and the rest of Europe. It was a worldwide hit. It became ABBA's only number one hit in the United States, and topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, West Germany and the Soviet Union. "Dancing Queen" also reached the top five in many other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Trouper (song)</span> 1980 song by ABBA

"Super Trouper" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA, and the title track from their 1980 studio album of the same name, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was released in November 1980 as the album's third single. The song – with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad – had the working title "Blinka Lilla Stjärna", and was the last track to be written and recorded for the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One of Us (ABBA song)</span> 1981 single by ABBA

"One of Us" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in December 1981 by Polar Music as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album, The Visitors (1981). Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who also produced it, the song has lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog and is about a woman trying to revive a relationship she had ended. It would become ABBA's last major hit for 40 years, and the last No. 1 single of their career, topping the charts in Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. "One of Us" was also a top-10 hit in countries like Austria, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In the US, where it was released in 1983, it only charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart and the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 107 and 33, respectively. The music video for the song was directed by Lasse Hallström, featuring Fältskog as a woman moving into her new house. "One of Us" has since been covered by Pandora in 1995, A-Teens in 1999 and Cher in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lay All Your Love on Me</span> 1981 single by ABBA

"Lay All Your Love on Me" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA in 1980 for their seventh studio album, Super Trouper. The song was not intended to be a single but after a remixed version gained popularity in nightclubs, the song was released as the album's sixth and final single in the summer of 1981, eight months after the album's release. At the time, it was the highest selling 12-inch record in UK chart history, where it peaked at No. 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On and On and On</span> 1980 song by ABBA

"On and On and On" is a pop song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released as a single in a limited number of countries in 1980 as the second single from their seventh studio album, Super Trouper.

"Andante, Andante" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA for the album Super Trouper. It was released as a single in only two countries: El Salvador and Argentina. It was written by members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus on 9 April 1980 at Polar Music studios. Initially, this song was called "Hold Me Close". Anni-Frid Lyngstad handles the lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABBA: The Tour</span> 1979–80 concert tour by ABBA

ABBA: The 1979 Tour, later also labelled ABBA in Concert and ABBA: North American and European Tour 1979, was the third concert tour by the Swedish pop group, ABBA. Primarily visiting North America, Europe and Asia during 1979–1980, the tour supported the group's sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous. The tour opened in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on September 13, 1979, and the tour closed in Tokyo, Japan on March 27, 1980, having performed 52 shows in 40 cities across 13 countries. As it was the group's final tour before unofficially disbanding in late 1982, it included the largest catalogue of hit songs performed on a tour.

<i>Live at Wembley Arena</i> 2014 live album by ABBA

Live at Wembley Arena is an album of live recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA, released by Polar Music on 26 September 2014, on 2 CD, 3 LP and digital format.

"Story of a Heart" is a song co-written by Swedish musicians Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and recorded by Benny Andersson's Band for their first compilation album of the same name (2009); it features vocals from Swedish singer Helen Sjöholm. British group Steps covered the song for their fifth studio album, Tears on the Dancefloor (2017). It was released as the second single from the album in the form of a remix EP on 12 May 2017, with a radio release slated for 16 June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Still Have Faith in You</span> 2021 single by ABBA

"I Still Have Faith in You" is a song by Swedish pop music group ABBA. It was released on 2 September 2021 as a dual single alongside "Don't Shut Me Down" from the band's ninth studio album and first in 40 years, Voyage. Anni-Frid Lyngstad performs lead vocals.

ABBA Voyage is a virtual concert residency by the Swedish pop group ABBA. The concerts feature virtual avatars, depicting the group as they appeared in 1979, and use vocals re-recorded by the group in a Swedish studio specifically for this show, accompanied by a live instrumental band on stage. The concerts are held in ABBA Arena, a purpose-built venue near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

<i>Voyage</i> (ABBA album) 2021 studio album by ABBA

Voyage is the ninth and final studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA, released 5 November 2021. With ten songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, it is the group's first album of new material in forty years. The album was supported by the dual single release of "I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down", released alongside the album announcement on 2 September 2021. "Just a Notion" was issued as the third single on 22 October 2021, followed by the fourth single "Little Things" on 3 December. A digital concert residency in support of the album, ABBA Voyage, opened in London on 27 May 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Things (ABBA song)</span> 2021 single by ABBA

"Little Things" is a song by ABBA, released on their 2021 album Voyage. It is the third track on the album. It was released as a single on 3 December 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just a Notion</span> 2021 single by ABBA

"Just a Notion" is a song by ABBA. It was released on 22 October 2021 as the second single from the quartet's 2021 album Voyage, following the dual lead single "I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down", released in September 2021. Originally written and produced for the group's 1979 album Voulez-Vous, the song was released over forty-three years later. The recording retains its vocals from 1978 but includes re-recorded instrumentation added much later, during the reunion.

References

  1. Petridis, Alexis (27 October 2021). "Super troupers! Abba on fame, divorce, ageing backwards – and why they've returned to rescue 2021". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 Pedersen, Erik (4 May 2018). "NBC Sets ABBA Reunion/Tribute Special For December & Gives It A Title". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  3. White, Peter (27 April 2018). "ABBA To Reunite After 35 Years With NBC & BBC TV Special". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  4. Brockington, Ariana (4 May 2018). "TV News Roundup: 'Descendants 3' Adds Two More to Cast". Variety . Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  5. Enos, Morgan (4 May 2018). "ABBA Tribute Special Coming to NBC in December". Billboard . Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  6. Bloom, Madison (2 September 2021). "ABBA Announce First Album in 40 Years, Share New Songs: Listen". Pitchfork . Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  7. Bronson, Fred (26 May 2022). "ABBA's Live 'Voyage' Show Is Doing Big Numbers in London: 'We've Sold 380,000 Tickets,' Benny Andersson Reveals". Variety. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  8. Petridis, Alexis (27 October 2021). "Super troupers! Abba on fame, divorce, ageing backwards – and why they've returned to rescue 2021". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.