Saturday 27th March 1976, Australia (in regional centre)
ABBA in Australia was broadcast in Sweden on 5th June 1976
9 October 1976, BBC1, UK (4.53pm)
30 December 1976, 9.50pm, rete 1, Italy called "ABBA Show"
"THE BEST OF ABBA"
This version shows ABBA in the studio
only performing the songs including "Tropical Loveland". This is the programme that drew more
Australian TV viewers than the moon landing in 1969 pulling in 58% of the
viewing public.
"ABBA DOWN UNDER" / "ABBA IN AUSTRALIA"
This version
was broadcast in Sweden and showed ABBA out and about on The Hawkesbury River,
having a barbecue and at Taronga Zoo filmed on 6th & 7th March.
The songs included the same line-up as "The Best of ABBA" recorded in the
studio except
"Tropical Loveland" which was played over footage of the boat and beach
barbecue. This version also closed the programme with footage of them
playing with boomerangs over, what else,
"Bang-A-Boomerang"
(view it
here).
The third version is the same as the second except it has the medley of songs from the first version (Australian version in the studio only) played over the end credits/footage of the boomerang throwing).
A recently unearthed version of this special includes two performances by Australian country singer Lucky Starr who is also briefly interviewed by Benny and Björn. This segment was in the show due to local content laws - they had to have some local performer in the show.
Songs performed:
Mamma Mia
Hasta Manana
Ring Ring
Tropical Loveland (introduced by Frida)
Waterloo" (introduced by Agnetha)
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
Rock Me" (introduced by Agnetha and Frida)
Guest appearance by Lucky Starr (introduced by Björn)
Honey Honey
Fernando
So Long
SOS
A performance of "Dancing Queen" was recorded at the same time but not broadcast as part of "The Best of ABBA" programme. It was included in the "ABBA Down Under / ABBA In Australia" version of the programme. It was used as a promotional clip for the song later in the year, most notably on the UK's "Top Of The Pops" programme. This clip was shown on 'Bandstand' in Australia in 1976.
"Mamma Mia"
"Hasta Manana"
"Ring Ring"
"Tropical Loveland
"Waterloo" "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
"Rock Me"
"Honey Honey"
"So Long"
"SOS"
End Credits
Frida turning the wrong way in "Ring Ring" - they are supposed to turn the same way but she turns in an opposite direction to Agnetha - but carries on so you'd never know.
