A week on the web: Abba’s new song
Swedish pop royalty Abba are releasing a new song for the first time in 18 years. Could a reunion be on the cards? Do they need the cash? Twitter had every angle covered
- Get your glad rags on, dancing queens: Abba are releasing a new song. The previously unheard track, Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel, will feature on the re-release of their final studio album, The Visitors, which is due out on 23 April.
The Visitors included the singles One of Us and Head Over Heels. From a Twinkling Star … was supposed to join them, but although the group recorded a "demo medley" version in 1981 the track didn’t make the final cut. Now it is set to see the light of day.
Abba fans are unsurprisingly cock-a-hoop.
- Lovely image. Could this be the precursor of a reunion? These rumours surface from time to time, with some ‘pundits’ wondering back in 2011 if they’d reform for the marriage of Wills and Kate.
- A betting company offering odds of 66-1 on something happening is news, apparently.
They didn’t get back together, of course, but the release of the new track is grist to the mill for the rumour mongers. - It couldn’t be about money, money, money could it? Surely not. If the reunion gig happens, it’s more likely to be for charity, as Agnetha Fältskog (who must love being known as “the blonde one”) suggested in an interview earlier this year. This report features a classic guardian.co.uk correction.
Abba set for reunion as Agnetha admits, 'I have a dream'The following correction was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday 9 January 2011 Our report that Abba might perform ag...- They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but plenty of tweeps are fearful of the merits of the new song based on its title alone.
- Abba have inspired more than their fair share of tribute acts over the years. This isn’t a picture of one of them, although we’d pay good money to go to a gig featuring this lineup.
- Imagine if Brian Blessed had a twin. Imagine the swearing. Digression: Here’s the man himself in full flow. Do not watch if rude words offend you.
- And now for some cheesy, family-friendly YouTube action to see you through the rest of Friday. The first is a concert the band gave in London in 1979 which was recorded for BBC radio – there’s no video, just a montage of still images, but do check it out for the wonderfully understated intro from the DJ, Brian Matthew, and a whole host of classic hits.
- Aha! Here’s one for Alan Partridge.
- The audio quality on this one is shocking, and there’s no sign of Abba themselves, but it does feature amazing dancing from a live (or in some cases barely alive) studio audience.
- Here’s the official version of Dancing Queen if you prefer slightly more animated movement.
