Chansons à la Carte = Songs of the Map

Chansons à la Carte was a monthly music series which ran on Saturday evenings on channel RTB, Belgium from 15 October 1972 to 1983, hosted by André Torrent.

ABBA performed Ring Ring and Waterloo while Dalida and Mike Brant were also guests on this episode.

Unfortunately, this clip does not exist any more in the Belgian TV archives. Prepare yourself for the following information: the RTB technicians used the tapes to re-record sports events and football matches!! They only have some episodes of Chansons a la Carte from the early 80s in their archives. I hope those guilty can sleep at night!

In late October 2011, a video clip showed up with Dalida performing Gigi L'amoroso on this show. Dalida was one of the best-selling artists in France (born in Egypt, an actress in Italy and singing star in France, Italy, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands). Agnetha and Frida can be seen in the background sitting at the stage (just like on the photos of Frida and Agnetha). This performance exists because it was sold and repeated in The Netherlands on Toppop on 12 and 26 August 1974 and 9 September 1974 (although the originally 7:33 long performance was cut down to a 3:07 long version for Toppop.) Benny and Björn cannot be seen on the entire footage, nor on the very last scene of the studio, when Dalida left the stage.

In January 2013 a 7:28 long version of this performance (without the very last scene) was available on Avro’s official youtube channel for some days, but after they recognized their mistakes (ie. this clip was NOT an Avro production) they removed it immediately forever.

But this clip raises a very interesting question: did any TV station buy the whole show including the ABBA performance? If yes, then it could be lurking in an archive still and is waiting to be discovered. Fingers crossed.

Click here for a TV listing from Leidse Courant - 25 May 1974, p2

Dalida would once again appear in a TV show with Benny, Björn and Frida - they were all guests on Na, sowas! Extra in 1984.

* Radiodiffusion-Télévision belge - now called RTBF

On the Dalida clip, you see Agnetha whisper in Frida's ear - and then when Dalida walks past, Frida moves her legs out of the way to let her pass, then puts them back again!

Lyrics available on the Official ABBA site: Ring Ring / Waterloo

Chansons à la Carte (Ring Ring and Waterloo), 1974;
Chansons à la Carte (Rock Me and I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do), 1975;

Pictures from ABBA Annual, Maggott's Picture Gallery (Get ABBA), Karin Angeleyes and Dustin - thanks. Thanks to Jean-Marie Potiez, Henk Jansen and Jozsef and Gerard Hesen, Diego Quaio, Evelyn Nuyens, 
YouTube link c/o TopPop