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johnfowles · 08-05-2005, 11:46 AM

Well All Very Alright
As I see no response to my earlier carefully crafted opus I'll try again:-
Our local PBS Station WNET (New York/Newark) is certainly on a roll this week alright, because after Wednesday evening's superb
Sam Phillips/Sun Records/Rock and Roll documentary last night they screened a great 1974 BBC documentary

Super Troupers 30 years of ABBA

who does that naughty hand belong to!!??
This program(me) was made to mark thirty years (Now where did they go to) since I saw on television the Swedes win the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest** in Brighton England with their fantastic performance of "Waterloo".They celebrated by three of them reuniting on the London stage of the show Mamma Mia (the Blond one Agnetha declined to attend pity the others obviously missed her)
The documentary was generally excellent tracing their individual beginnings and chronicling their 1976/1977 Australian visits in
particular.

Bang-A-Boomerang!
But to be honest the intermixing of original footage with great footage from one or other of the total of 11 Mamma Mia productions now playing around the world (including Sweden!) was pretty confusing.
Against that were some delightful old archive footage of the 4 stars pre ABBA especially Agnetha's pure voice in rehearsals for the Swedish version of Jesus Christ Superstar singing:-
"I Don't Know How to Love Him"
and Anna Frida's hilarious Swedish version of the Supreme's "Baby love"
I was also amused by the credits at the end included "dubbing editor: Max Bygraves (who as UK readers will know is better known as a well loved comedian)
John Fowles
** UK readers will also be well aware of the annual Eurovision bash that has often stretched the definition of Europe and is
much derided but ABBA was IMHO one of its shining moment narrowly beating the intermission spectacular in Dublin in 1974 when Riverdance amazed those lucky enough to be watching live
There was for years a running joke about the voting for any entry by poor old Norway
who generally received null points
(they got their own back in by breaking a string of wins by Ireland that was getting tedious by the simple expedient of importing an Irish violinist/singer to accompany their Norwegian Male in a duet called Secret Garden
"Irish violinist Fionnuala (fi-NOO-la) Sherry, and Norwegian pianist/keyboardist Rolf Lovland"
who promptly and predictably won; thus "Ireland (had) half the glory and none of the costs by winning the Eurovision Song
Contest for Norway in 1994, "
Not forgetting the contribution by Canada's other famous singer Celine Dion (sorry Cathy) who won in 1988 (albeit singing for Switzerland)
John Fowles
"There was also a solid vote for Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald," a real fun party song. Several freighters
singled out the line: "As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most.""
from:-
THE WORST SONGS EVER RECORDED
by a very rude Dave Barry at:-
http://www.lovedungeon.net/humor/dave/the_bad_song_contest_iii.html

[ August 05, 2005, 12:10: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

08-05-2005, 11:46 AM	#40
johnfowles Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: New Jersey U.S.A. ex UK and Canada Posts: 4,846	Well All Very Alright As I see no response to my earlier carefully crafted opus I'll try again:- Our local PBS Station WNET (New York/Newark) is certainly on a roll this week alright, because after Wednesday evening's superb Sam Phillips/Sun Records/Rock and Roll documentary last night they screened a great 1974 BBC documentary Super Troupers 30 years of ABBA who does that naughty hand belong to!!?? This program(me) was made to mark thirty years (Now where did they go to) since I saw on television the Swedes win the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest** in Brighton England with their fantastic performance of "Waterloo".They celebrated by three of them reuniting on the London stage of the show Mamma Mia (the Blond one Agnetha declined to attend pity the others obviously missed her) The documentary was generally excellent tracing their individual beginnings and chronicling their 1976/1977 Australian visits in particular. Bang-A-Boomerang! But to be honest the intermixing of original footage with great footage from one or other of the total of 11 Mamma Mia productions now playing around the world (including Sweden!) was pretty confusing. Against that were some delightful old archive footage of the 4 stars pre ABBA especially Agnetha's pure voice in rehearsals for the Swedish version of Jesus Christ Superstar singing:- "I Don't Know How to Love Him" and Anna Frida's hilarious Swedish version of the Supreme's "Baby love" I was also amused by the credits at the end included "dubbing editor: Max Bygraves (who as UK readers will know is better known as a well loved comedian) John Fowles ** UK readers will also be well aware of the annual Eurovision bash that has often stretched the definition of Europe and is much derided but ABBA was IMHO one of its shining moment narrowly beating the intermission spectacular in Dublin in 1974 when Riverdance amazed those lucky enough to be watching live There was for years a running joke about the voting for any entry by poor old Norway who generally received null points (they got their own back in by breaking a string of wins by Ireland that was getting tedious by the simple expedient of importing an Irish violinist/singer to accompany their Norwegian Male in a duet called Secret Garden "Irish violinist Fionnuala (fi-NOO-la) Sherry, and Norwegian pianist/keyboardist Rolf Lovland" who promptly and predictably won; thus "Ireland (had) half the glory and none of the costs by winning the Eurovision Song Contest for Norway in 1994, " Not forgetting the contribution by Canada's other famous singer Celine Dion (sorry Cathy) who won in 1988 (albeit singing for Switzerland) John Fowles "There was also a solid vote for Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald," a real fun party song. Several freighters singled out the line: "As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most."" from:- THE WORST SONGS EVER RECORDED by a very rude Dave Barry at:- http://www.lovedungeon.net/humor/dave/the_bad_song_contest_iii.html [ August 05, 2005, 12:10: Message edited by: johnfowles ]