Kid Jensen's 45                                

Presented by Canadian DJ David 'Kid' Jensen in one of his first TV programmes, the pictures below looks like ABBA performed "So Long".  I've never seen this TV appearance, all we have to go on are these pictures and Frida's hair.

Unfortunately, the episode that ABBA appeared on of Kid Jensen's 45 appears to have been wiped from the Granada archives. Only around six or seven episodes from 1974 out of the 20 or so episodes produced that year.

Showaddywaddy were guests on the programme broadcast on 26 September 1974 from this series. They performed in front of a similar (metallic frame) set as ABBA so there is a hint of the colours if nothing else. The Sweet were also guests in November 1974 with the similar metallic frame set.

According to a website detailing 45 episodes, there are no listings that ABBA appeared on 45. Granada TV archives has no surviving documentation and the TV times listings don't mention who was in the missing editions.  Those editions, including the ones broadcast at Christmas 1974 and 2nd January 1975 have been wiped and no longer 'officially' exist (they may still be available in a private collection however).

The Queen connection
It's been pointed out that the drum kit in the background of the first picture below is that of Roger Taylor from Queen.  That would make sense of Björn's comments in "ABBA - The Book" p.114, "One day we were in Manchester for ITV with the group Queen. Their (Queen's) performance, using their tape, was magnificent, but ours was very average."  Whilst Queen started their Sheer Heart Attack tour on 30th October 1974 in Manchester it could be that they taped their performance at that time - although it would be no real hardship for Queen to make another visit to Manchester to record this show in December 1974.  ABBA almost certainly recorded theirs during the 17-21 December 1974 UK visit.  The Queen performance WAS broadcast on 25 December 1974, unlike the ABBA one.  The filming date is most likely in mid-December 1974, during ABBA's UK visit. Queen finished the European leg of their Sheer Heart Attack tour on 13th December in Barcelona, and the next concert wasn't until 5th February 1975  (in Columbus, Ohio), so their schedule would definitely have allowed them to travel to Manchester for the taping.

I have emailed David Jensen to see if he himself remembers ABBA appearing on his show and if there is anything at all he can remember about it - no response so far (it's been a couple of years ...)

Pictures from backstage: