ABBA -

ABBA was a Swedish pop/vocal act that released eight albums on Polar between 1973 and 1981.

Members: Agnetha Fältskog (vocals), Frida (vocals), Benny Andersson (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals), Björn Ulvaeus (guitar, vocals)

Keyboardist Benny Andersson hailed from the 1960s Stockholm five-piece The Hep Stars, which rivaled Tages as Sweden’s most popular beat band. In 1969, they were joined by guitarist Björn Ulvaeus from Västervik folksters the Hootenanny Singers. Björn and Benny left the band in 1970 and issued the album Lycka (“Happiness”) on Polar. It features 11 originals by Andersson and Ulvaeus with backing vocals by their respective partners, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog.

Both women were established schlager pop singers. Lyngstad cut eight 1967–70 singles on His Master’s Voice and Columbia. Fältskog released three 1968–70 albums on Cupol. In 1971, they respectively issued their first and fourth solo albums: Frida, produced by Andersson; and När En Vacker Tanke Blir En Sång, produced by Ulvaeus and containing 11 Fältskog originals.

The concept of them as a four-piece was first unveiled in the cabaret act Festfolket (“party people”), which premiered in November 1970. Two singles followed under the Björn & Benny banner. Their longtime manager, Stig Anderson, was now determined to make them the first successful Swedish act in foreign markets. To that end, he urged them to write in English. Their first effort under this new mandate, the March 1972 single “She’s My Kind of Girl,” went top 10 in Japan. It was followed that July by “People Need Love,” issued as Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid with the women’s vocals given newfound prominence.

In March 1973, the quartet issued their first album, Ring Ring, on Polar. The 12-song effort, credited as Björn Benny & Agnetha Frida, consists entirely of Andersson/Ulvaeus originals. This and subsequent albums feature session guitarist Janne Schaffer, by then an established jazz-rock artist.

Soon after the album’s release, Anderson issued press releases with the group referred to as ABBA, an acronym of the four member’s first names. After some legal wrangling with the Swedish fish-canning company Abba, it became the group’s official name in late 1973.

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