ABBA: The Movie

Good morning! It's one minute to five, and it's a beautiful day.

It's time for me to go. Catch you tomorrow night-

- with the latest and greatest in country music.

All you truck-drivers, late-nighters and early risers - remember:

What you see is what you get. This is Ashley Wallace...

Thanks for keeping me company.

ABBA - the hottest property on the pop scene.

They sell sixty million records around the world.

- ABBA? - Yep. How does this grab you:

"Radio 2тW will present, on the night of their departure from these shores"-

- "a two hour ABBA radio special. For the first time"-

- "your favourite country and western host turns ace reporter."

That's really not my bag, is it?

Come on, it's a good challenge. Take it!

We want ABBA!

I know it's a rush, but l want it on air 7.30 the night they leave.

That gives you one week.

What about Lenny? I mean, Lenny handles the pop scene.

Lenny's not on. He's too slick, he's too superficial.

I want an exclusive, in-depth interview with the people themselves.

ABBA, the people. The real people.

We want ABBA!

I want an interview. I want a gut-level dialogue.

An exclusive, gut-level... dialogue. You know what l mean?

You don't want me to interview... You don't want me to interview them?

- You want me to just have a chat? - Come on. You know what l mean.

Yeah... But...

Get inside their heads. I don't want to know what they have for breakfast.

I want to know what they think, what they feel, what they fear...

- What they hate! - Sure. Right. I understand.

We want ABBA!

Listen... тhe pop scene's never been touched like this before.

Really?

We want ABBA!

I mean... lt's a good idea.

I mean, about not sort of being an interview.

A slice of life. Got me?

We want ABBA!

Good on you, Ash, my boy.

Your deadline's the night that ABBA departs these shores.

- 7.30 tonight week. - Right. Okay. Good.

Go.

Go - right.

We want ABBA!

Are you sure you want me to do this documentary?

Don't use that word. It's not a documentary, it's an event!

This is going to be worldwide.

We want ABBA! We want ABBA!

Lots of cameras around.

What do you want us to do?

- What's all this? - I don't know.

Hello!

A little wave.

Excuse me, pal... Do you know what time ABBA are arriving?

- 9 o'clock, I think. - Where are they coming through?

I really don't know.

You all right?

All right... See you!

Excuse me, what time are ABBA coming through?

- They've gone out the back door. - The back door?

But I have to interview them.

You'll just have to wait for the press conference, won't you?

- It's on in half an hour. - Do you know where?

ABBA wishes to thank their supporters for coming-

and are sorry they cannot see them.

- I'd like to rent a car, please. - Do you have a reservation?

No, I don't, but... just any car. Any car, as long as it's fast.

And now we take you back to the ABBA press conference.

Here they are - ABBA.

They've finally hit Australia for their long-awaited tour.

- What?! - ABBA, the pop group.

- Do you know where they're staying? - Who?

The pop group - ABBA. Do you know where they're staying?

Any performer gets very nervous before going on stage.

Do you still go through that traumatic experience before you go on stage?

Every show is a bit nervous before you...

You think you have a good performance-

- because you had a good audience the day before.

But going from Amsterdam to London-

- or from London to Sydney, is such a difference.

I'd hate the sound of 30,000 people booing.

Excuse me, is this the rightjam for King's Cross?

- No, it's back that way. - Thanks.

I think the travelling is very, very hard.

Come on!

One day when l woke up during our European tour...

...I started to think "Where am l? In which city?" And it's terrible.

I think that it's a bit of an asocial life on tour.

You just eat, sleep, go on stage, and nothing more.

And it kills creativity in a way that I don't like.

It's boring to travel, but it's fantastic to be on stage. I love that.

- Move! - The biggest pop group ever...

The group's arrival in Australia has been accompanied by a blaze of publicity.

According to the promoters, they're bigger than тhe Beatles.

And with an entourage of 105 people-

- they're almost twice as big as The Rolling Stones concert.

While they're here they'll perform eleven concerts in ten days-

to an estimated 140,000 people.

ABBA are obviously very big business-

- and the organizers are treating them like royalty.

They've even arranged a civic reception for them in Melbourne.

Do you take drugs or alcohol, or anything like that?

- No drugs. - You're clean?

No, not clean, but we don't take any drugs.

The four ofyou admit that you are now millionaires.

Are you worried that you make money faster than you can spend it?

No. It's a lot of money coming in, but there's a lot oftax to pay-

- if you're a Swedish citizen, which is fair. But still, it's...

It's a matter of hard work, and the money isn't that important.

Really, it's more a matter of pleasing yourselves in what you're doing.

We can't do anything else in the future-

- than trying to keep ourselves happy in our work.

I'd like to direct a couple of questions to Agnetha, if l may...

I read somewhere, where you are the proud owner of an award-

- which declares you as the lady with the sexiest bottom.

Is that true?

How can l answer that? I don't know.

I haven't seen it!

Thank you, ABBA. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen oftelevision.

Excuse me. Do you know where ABBA are?

- I think they've left. - They've left... They've gone?

We want ABBA! We want ABBA! We want ABBA! We want ABBA!

Have you filmed the umbrellas out there? It's a fantastic sight.

Agnetha, I have...

- ...four kilos of make-up. - Is the make-up artist here?

- Where could she be...? - She'll come if you ask her.

Don't go out and get your hair wet, okay?

We want ABBA! We want ABBA!

Because the only thing l'm worried about is that the powerjust stops.

The opening?

Just walk out there.

I don't think there's much we can do, really, with the wind and the rains...

There's not a lot we can do.

We want ABBA!

Ten minutes to the show of a lifetime!

Thank you!

All right. All right.

- Can l see your press card, please? - I haven't got my card on me.

I'm sorry, but l can't let you in ifyou haven't got a card. Okay.

But I'm a radio announcer. I've got to get an interview with them.

There's nothing I can do. If you haven't got a card, you can't get in.

- I'll buy a ticket. How much are they? - Sold right out.

I haven't got one left. I'm very sorry.

Hello, Sydney!

Very glad to see you!

I'll tell you one thing: You make us forget the rain.

I just hope that we can make you forget it, too!

ABBA tickets for sale... ABBA tickets going cheap. Want any tickets, mate?

- Want any ABBA tickets? - Are you selling tickets?

- How much? I'll buy one. - 50 bucks.

50 dollars? I haven't got 50 dollars.

You ain't gonna see ABBA then, are you?

Thank you, Sydney!

The Sydney Opera House?

They should be there, mate, that's what they reckon.

Terrific. тhank you very much. Thank you.

Could you... hold this?

Could you, sort of, hold it in the middle?

Let's have a smile.

Down. Lower! Down a bit. That's it.

- Happy now. - What do you mean, "happy"?

Excuse me... Is it possible to have a talk?

Not now.

Go somewhere and have a quiet talk?

I know that this is an incredible hassle for you... with all these people.

I can understand these problems that you have-

- but ifwe can go somewhere quiet... Have a drink or something to eat.

Go back. Press photographers only.

- Can we go somewhere quiet...? - You can't go anywhere with them.

No interviews today at all, it's just press photographers.

Yeah, yeah, sure. Everything's fine. There's no need to worry.

I met them at the airport, we spoke for quite a long time...

Yes. Yes. тhere's just one thing:

- I have to go to Perth. - Perth?

That's 2,000 miles and a very expensive airfare away.

Yes, I know that, but you wanted the close personal story, and they...

That's the way it has to be.

I have to get to know them. They have to trust me.

I want every listener on 2тW to share ABBA with you-

- and me and all of us, privately. Right?

Don't worry. I'll get the personal side.

No, no, no. I'll be able to edit and record as l go.

I've already got some interviews in the street-

- some comments on people, how they feel about the group. Yeah.

Oh! Also... Could you send my press card to Perth?

I left in such a rush that l left it in the studio.

- Can l help you? - Yes.

Could I... Can l have these two т-shirts, please.

I'll take this as well. Thank you.

Thank you.

Four members. Agnetha and Björn, married.

Frida and Benny, living together.

Frida: Described as modest, unobtrusive, self-critical.

Born: 1945, Norway.

Moved to Sweden one year old.

Before ABBA, solo career in jazz.

Benny: Described as calm, stable, open and generous.

Born: '46. Played accordion from early age.

Self-taught pianist. Member of Swedish pop group Hep Stars.

Hits on Swedish charts.