THE PROMOTIONAL TOUR 1976
In February 1976 it was announced that Abba would travel to Australia in March to film a special for the music program Bandstand. It was reported that Abba were paid $100,000, Channel 9 reportedly outbidding television companies from Germany and France for the privilege.
The special ties in with the compilation album The Best Of ABBA, which lent its name to the special. The special was also to be sold to overseas television companies for screening and re titled ‘ABBA Down Under’.
ITINERARY
Thursday 4 March
Arrive at Sydney Airport
Friday 5 March
Press conference & gold record presentation, radio/TV interviews: Sydney Hilton Hotel
Interview and ‘Fernando’ clip shown on A Current Affair
Saturday 6 March/Sunday 7 March
Hawkesbury River cruise, barbecue and boomerang throwing/Sydney Harbour cruise/Taronga Zoo visit
Cruising on the Hawkesbury River
Monday 8 March
‘Fernando’ single released
Travel to Melbourne
Rehearsal and appearance on The Don Lane Show - performed ‘Fernando’
Tuesday 9 March
Fly back to Sydney
Filming at Channel 9 Studios, Sydney **
Wednesday 10 March/Thursday 11 March
Filming at Channel 9 Studios, Sydney **
** filming included work on the TV special, an extra performance of ‘Mamma Mia’ for Bandstand, Guest spot on Celebrity Squares, and a special performance of ‘Dancing Queen’ (As yet Unreleased new track) on a closed set for later broadcast
Friday 12 March
Filming special at Channel 9 Studios, Sydney with studio audience
Saturday 13 March
Depart Sydney
‘Mamma Mia’ performance shown on Bandstand in Capital cities and some some rural areas
Sunday 14 March
Arrive back in Sweden
Saturday 20 March
TV Special The Best Of ABBA first broadcast in capital cities. ’Mamma Mia’ performance shown on Bandstand in some regional centres
Saturday 27 March
Special The Best Of ABBA first broadcast in regional centres
March
Appearance on Celebrity Squares broadcast
August
‘Dancing Queen’ clip filmed in Sydney first shown on Bandstand
as a world Exclusive!
The Best Of ABBA was the highest rating show ever on Australian television to date. Newspapers reporting that it had out-rated the moon landing of July 1969! It went on to be repeated many times, also to high ratings, and was followed by an edited half hour format. In the special ABBA perform eight songs from The Best Of ABBA LP, which included all of their hits to date, plus both sides of the newest single, ‘Fernando’/‘Tropical Loveland’, which was released the first week that ABBA were in Australia.
Due to Australian content requirements, ABBA are seen with three Australian backing musicians. Also country singer Lucky Starr appeared as special guest star and had two songs in the middle of the special, plus a short chat with Björn and Benny.
In the overseas version of the special they are also seen having a barbecue and cruise on the Hawkesbury River, and all the introductions between songs were filmed then or at Taronga Zoo.
Channel 9 Australia 1976 first broadcast Saturday 20 March 1976
Introduction to the show by host Daryl Somers
Mamma Mia
Introduction by Björn; Frida, Agnetha and Benny introduce themselves
Hasta Mañana
commercial break
Ring Ring
Introduction by Frida
Tropical Loveland
Introduction by Agnetha
Waterloo
commercial break
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
Introduction by Agnetha and Frida
Rock Me
commercial break
song by guest Lucky Starr
Interview with Lucky Starr, Björn and Benny
song by Lucky Starr
commercial break
Honey, Honey
Introduction by Frida
Fernando
commercial break
So Long
Introduction by Benny
SOS
So Long
closing credits, medley of clips from special: Mamma Mia; Ring Ring; Waterloo; I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do; Honey, Honey; Rock Me; Fernando; SOS
OTHER TELEVISION APPEARANCES
Dates shown are known broadcast dates in most capital cities. Some appearances were shown at a later date or not at all in other regions.
A Current Affair, Channel 9: interview and ‘Fernando’ clip shown, Friday March 5
The Don Lane Show, Channel 9: interview with host and performed ‘Fernando’ and 'SOS',
The special performance of ‘Dancing Queen’ was first shown on Bandstand in August 1976, after the single had been released. It was shown several times while the single was in the top 40, and was also included in the version of the special (retitled ABBA in Australia) sold to overseas television stations.
