ABBA in Studio 2...

ABBA at the Okęcie Airport, 7th October 1976

More than 30 years ago, in 1976, ABBA visited Poland (the first and the last time) to record a TV special in legendary Polish “Studio 2”. It was great event in 70s, especially in Poland, one of the communist countries. Sopot Festival was the only Polish music event in those years. The originator of ABBA’s arrival to our country was Dariusz Retelski – The director of relative to Television – Wifon company. "One day he just came to me asking why can’t ABBA sacrifice one little day for us?" said Mariusz Walter, the manager of Studio 2 program. First of all we had to negotiate. Polish envoys  were  Tomasz Dębiński and Teresa Różyłło.

ABBA walking streets of Warsaw, 8th October 1976

"We met Stig Anderson in band’s recording studio in the center of Stockholm. "I remember how I was surprised that such as famous band has so small studio. We got the list of songs and lyrics. We decided that the recording will take about 4 – 5 hours". Except technical and artistic details we discussed financial affairs. ABBA didn’t get any money. They could sell the recording to east countries. We also fixed a date of ABBA’s visit to Studio 2. It was 7th October 1976. In fact, the visit started not 7th, but 6th when blond-haired Agnetha flew to Warsaw with her father. Agnetha was really afraid of flying. But as she had to fly, she tried to avoid traveling the same plane as Björn, to, in the case of disaster, their daughter Linda has at least one of her parents. Possibility of Agnetha’s earlier arrival to Poland was the only condition of ABBA.

6th October the video clip to „SOS” song was recorded (then it was used for introduction to the reportage "ABBA in Studio 2"). After that, Agnetha had some free time to visit Shopping Malls in the center of Warsaw. She really enjoyed it.
Next day the plane with Polish crew and reporters: Bożena Walter, Edward Mikołajczyk, Tomasz Dembiński and Dariusz Retelski. All the plane was ornamented with colorful writings „ABBA” and „Studio 2” but all of them dropped out during the flight. In the plane Mr. Mikołajczyk tried to interview Björn, Benny, Frida and Stig. One of his questions was:
"Whose B in the ABBA name is turned?".

At the airport there were waiting both Television directors and Agnetha with her father. The cavalcade of cars took the band to the Forum Hotel, the most exclusive in Warsaw. Few hours later cars turned to the Woronicza Street. This day you could see everyone working in Television not really working, but standing in the hall looking at the ABBA members. Because of short time we had to record everything, we could do only two „doubles” of each songs. The exception was "Fernando", recording three times. The reason for that was that Frida was still laughing until Agnetha started it too. Except "Fernando" sang by band fourth time on the stage, as the audience asked for, the program "ABBA in Studio 2" included six songs from the newest ABBA album - "Arrival", (therein "Money, Money, Money", "Dancing Queen" and instrumental "Arrival").

    

Tomasz Dębiński used to think that ABBA members were always kind, decent, and great professionals. "They were sill smiling and accepted everything I said. I remember the most polite of them was the blond one, Agnetha. If i asked them for doing something right here, they really did, without any contains, even if it was about throwing up the foil bags of air, which were quite heavy. Working with them was a real pleasure for me". After recording, the band drove to the press conference. When someone asked them "What’s your opinion about the love?" Agnetha kissed Björn what made all the people in the room astonished. The rest of question was quite laconic, so were the answers. E.g. "Why did you come to Poland?" and the answer "To record a TV special".

"Why do you, Swedes, sing in English?" - "English is special language for pop music". "Do you know any Polish music?" – and they said they know… Chopin… But Agnetha, Frida, Björn and Benny were very surprised why does everybody in Poland ask them about the money.

The members of the band had some free time in the evening. Frida and Benny went to the restaurant „Szanghaj”. More time they had next day. Until 3pm they were walking streets of Warsaw alluring the crowd of fans and reporters. Then they went back to the airport saying they will come back to Poland, got into the plane and… the great arrival has gone with the wind...

Now, I would love to thanks for all to my friend Anita :D

She found this article also, I only translated :)

Thank you Nikki ;D

-Lise Lotte