Show Express

This appearance on Show Express was recorded in Stockholm after kidnap threats to Björn and Agnetha's children were received. and they were forced to cancel the trip to Germany. So Show Express came to them instead after hiring a studio and flying over technicians, crew and even the set from Germany to Stockholm.

ABBA had also planned to visit England in December 1980 to record for the Mike Yarwood Show TV show but sadly the BBC wouldn't go to the same trouble as the German TV crews for "Show Express".  France was also planned to host ABBA in a TV special.

Songs performed (to playback) were (click on song title to view performance): "The Winner Takes It All", "Super Trouper" and "On & On & On". According to ABBA Magazine No.32, ABBA recorded SIX songs and also did "Me and I", "Lay All Your Love On Me" and "The Piper".  However it would appear that these extra three songs WOULD have also been performed if the group HAD travelled to West Germany as planned but were NOT recorded for this programme filmed in Stockholm.

The host was Michael Schanze.

There's an (assumed to be a) dress rehearsal clip of On & On & On around. It's assumed it's a dress rehearsal because they are wearing the clothes in the main performances but there's a glass of water on Benny's piano and Björn can be seen clearly chewing gum!

Click here for pictures taken of the performance, of photo sessions on the day and at rehearsals

The musicians accompanying ABBA for this show were Mats Ronander (guitar), Ola Brunkert (drums) and Rutger Gunnarsson (bass).  Why they're needed when they all perform to playback I'll never understand!

Running order:

1. James Last Orchestra
2. Bernard ??? - Feel to you (
3. trio 'A La Carte' - "Ring Me Honey"
4. James Last Orchestra
5. dance scene
6. Peter Maffay - "Liebe wird verboten"
7. Peter Maffay - "Über sieben Brücken mußt Du gehn"
8. Precious Wilson - "We Are On The Race Track"
9. James Last Orchestra
10. Gérard Lenorman - German version one of his hits
11. Irena Cara - "Fame"
12. James Last Orchestra
13. ABBA -  "The Winner Takes It All"
14. ABBA - "Super Trouper"
15. ABBA - "On & On & On"

                  Interview                       "The Winner Takes It All"                    "Super Trouper"  
    

         "On & On & On"                    "On & On & On" (Rehearsal)
  

 

Frida and Benny (play) bumping heads around 2.54 on "On & On & On".