ABBA in Concert (1980)

ABBA's 1979 tour of North America and Europe, with emphasis on performances at Wembley Arena, London.

Director:

Urban Lasson

Stars:

Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Cast

Credited cast:
Benny Andersson	...	Himself
Agnetha Fältskog	...	Herself
Anni-Frid Lyngstad	...	Herself
Björn Ulvaeus	...	Himself
Tomas Ledin	...	Himself
Birgitta Wollgård	...	Herself
Liza Öhman	...	Herself
Ola Brunkert	...	Himself
Anders Eljas	...	Himself
Rutger Gunnarsson	...	Himself
Mats Ronander	...	Himself
Åke Sundqvist	...	Himself
Lars Wellander	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
ABBA	...	Themselves
Phillip Page	...	Himself, enthusiastic Interviewee in New York

Storyline

A film showing the Swedish pop group ABBA's tour of North America and Europe in 1979. The majority of the film is devoted to the concert at Wembley Arena in London but we also have footage from certain US concerts plus backstage and between-concerts scenes.

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Plot Keywords:

live performance | concert film | tv special | wembley arena | roller skating | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Country:

Sweden

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 1980 (Sweden)

Filming Locations:

St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polar Music International,Sveriges Television (SVT)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Quotes

[Frida and Agnetha are en route in the car; to the driver]
Frida: Is it far to go? It is? Good.
[Settles down in the seat and pretends to fall asleep. Agnetha starts laughing; soon Frida is too]

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Soundtracks

I Have a Dream (Unedited Live Version)
Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
Performed by Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad,
and Björn Ulvaeus, and the Children's Choir of London

User Reviews

Pure Brilliance

ABBA were never known as a live act. In fact in their hey day, they were accused of being a hit machine. This nowadays is rejected, the ins and outs of each ABBA song is now well documented to have been a very complicated derivation of a song from its early stages to its completed form.

ABBA In Concert is ABBA at their best, recently released on DVD the show flows through their gruelling US tour. A small insight into the group's day to day lives is included, but mainly the music is concentrated on.

I recently watched Madonna's Confessions on the Dancefloor Show on TV, now also out on DVD, this show by Madonna had undertaken many hours of editing, overdubbing and to be frank was a fraud. She did not sound anything like this in reality, she was taken into the studio and redid many of the vocals.

This in ABBA's In Concert DVD is evidently not done, the group is shown performing live as live was intended, with absolutely no overdubs and a true live sound. The difference between a Madonna "live" concert and an ABBA Live concert is massive, Madonna defrauded the viewer, ABBA played it live as true professionals, and I respect ABBA for having shown the world that they were TRUE artists and not frauds like many of the stars of today with all their fake voice enhancements.

Long live ABBA, they will be remembered for far longer than a Madonna or anything produced in today's throw away music world.