TV series ¡Señoras y Señores! was broadcast in black and white every Saturday night between 1973–1976 on RTVE (Radio Televisión Española). The dancers in the programme were a dance troupe called Ballet Zoom who were very famous at the time in Spain and included two black members - something "new" and rare in the Spain of those days (one of them, Charlie, is seen here with Frida on his chest). Most of the Ballet Zoo dancers were not Spanish (Bob Niko, Georgio Aresu...).

The series had two directors, José María Quero and Valerio Lazarov, who worked alternative weeks. Each director gave his own unique style each week to the show and also had their own artistic team (ballet and presenters), which resulted in a very different program depending on the director of each week. Quero had a sober, traditional style, while Lazarov had his famous "zoomed", surreal style. The director for this episode was the Romanian Valerio Lazarov, who modernised musical programs in Spain.

Episode 14

ABBA performed four songs, Ring, Ring (as with all the other performers, they also performed only the first part of the first song), Honey, Honey, Hasta Mañana and Waterloo in four individual segments of the show and Björn said some words in Spanish (introducing Manolo Escobar) and were introduced by Victoria Vera and Sharine Zaragoza. Ring Ring was the 1974 US LP remix version.

This was ABBA's first TV appearance in Spain. Apparently, they were supposed to record Waterloo in Spanish in May 1974 but as the scheduled interviews and filming of their appearance for this TV show took longer than expected, they didn't find the time to record the song in the studios in Madrid, even though their Spanish record label, Carnaby, was keen to release a Spanish version of the song.

Other guests of the show were:

1. Los Diablos - Mi talismán; Acalorado
2. Andres Pajares - comedy skech
3. Elsa Baeza - Un Nuevo Día;  Junto al mar
4. Bruno Lomas - Ven sin temor, "Mini, mini, mini
5. Anne Karinne - Harmony, The First Day of Lov
6. ABBA - Ring Ring; Honey Honey, Hasta Mañana and Waterloo
7. Manolo Escobar - Y viva España;  Los Mayorales;  Ali Babá;  Ay caridad

All were intermingled with dance scenes and comedy sketches.

Click here to see a COLOUR picture of their Waterloo performance.

Apparently the group didn't have the same vision about the show as the Chairman of Spanish TV, Valerio Lazarov. When they started filming, ABBA were asked to do almost a video clip instead of simply doing a playback performance to their songs, so they had words with Lazarov. The end of the affair was that Björn promised they would never visit Spain again to perform in any show if Mr Lazarov was in charge of their national television. They didn't return until 1979.

Apart from Hovas Vittne in 1981, this looks like the last outing for the Waterloo costumes.

Hasta Mañana has been officially released on the 30th Anniversary Edition of ABBA's "Waterloo" album.

Click here for TV listing from ABC (Madrid) - 25 May 1974, p.94

The whole of Hasta Mañana - so many hilarious parts to it - on rocking chairs; on bunk beds; climbing up steps holding candles; in a tent ... (although this was in fact part of the "modernised look" of the programme)

"Buenas noches. ABBA estamos muy contentos de que el apoteosis de esta noche sea a La Escandinava. Y como en cada show importante, tenemos nuestron invitados especiales: Anne-Karine de Noruega, y Manolo Escobar, cuya fama ha llegado hasta el norte"

"Good evening. ABBA is excited that tonight is the apotheosis to Scandinavia. And as with every major show, we have our special guests: Anne-Karine from Norway and Manolo Escobar, whose fame has reached the North."

Thanks to Sam Shervz, Steve Layton, Jan Bach, Jun Seo, Jozsef, Dean Morrison and extra information from ABBA Intermezzo No.42 (thanks Regina)
YouTube links c/o Lois Happy