Iltatähti  = Evening Star

Iltatähti was a music and talk show which ran on YLE between 1973-1983 of about 50 minutes duration. The presenter was Tapio Tuominen in this Episode 11 of this year. Unfortunately they did not save the series in its entirety but this episode has remained in part only - but luckily the Björn interview was part of it that was saved.

Björn was interviewed for Finnish TV about the forthcoming Scandinavian leg of their European tour. At the time of filming, they were nearing the end of the 1974 part with just a couple more dates to play in West Germany.

The Scandinavian tour kicked off on 10 January 1975 at Chateau Neuf in Oslo, Norway, ending on 22 January at Universum, Umeå, Sweden.  The Finnish concert would be on 20 January 1975 at Finlandiatalo, Helsinki.

Interviewer (Tapio Tuominen): What has the victory in Brighton meant for ABBA?

Björn: It has meant that we've had a lot of things to do, almost too much sometimes. We were quite well prepared. We didn't think we'd win but we had prepared ourselves anyway. So we had some kind of idea of all the travelling, meeting a lot of different kinds of people and performing on many different kinds of TV shows in different countries.

TT: And economically?

Björn: We haven't seen a glimpse of the money. People are saying that it keeps coming, but we... It takes some time.

TT: Anyway, you got a diamond record* of "Waterloo" in Sweden. Where have you toured after the victory?

Björn: If you mean live performances, then in general we haven't done any.

TT: Will there be any touring?

Björn: Yeah, the tour starts on the seventeenth in Copenhagen and continues for fourteen days in West Germany, Austria and Switzerland. And I think on the tenth of January, or something like that, starts the Scandinavian tour, during which we'll play in Finland. I can't say exactly where does it begin and end, but I know we play in Finland. As a matter of fact, I think the final date is going to be in Helsinki.

TT: You have made a promise of coming to Finland after the victory in Brighton, but you have't come. Why is that?

Björn: Because we have barely found time... No records, nothing. So we haven't had time to prepare ourselves well enough. But now we'll come in January.

TT: And that is for sure?

Björn: That is for sure.

*To receive a diamond record in Sweden in 1974, an artist/a band had to sell 50,000 records. In the 80's, the limit had risen to 100,000 copies.

Iltatähti (Björn), 1974;
Iltatähti (Benny & Björn), 1975;

Huge thanks to Petri Kaasalainen and Jan Bach.