Die Drehscheibe = The turntable

Die Drehscheibe was a daily tabloid magazine broadcast by ZDF Germany which ran from from 1 April 1964 to March 1982 in the early evening and contained 5,146 Episodes.

ABBA appeared on the daily programme Die Drehscheibe and performed So Long.

The clip was filmed on the same day as the Disco appearance. They performed in the same studio and looked very much the same. The differences were: the studio was much darker; there was no audience; and the girls wore their feather capes.

ZDF only kept performances that were pre-recorded and they don't have this one which leads us to assume that the performance must have been LIVE.

This appearance has been something of a mystery for a while - even thinking that these were just rehearsal pictures for Disco performance of So Long but there is now proof that it took place - in the book ABBA - The Backstage Stories by Carl Magnus Palm with Ingmarie Halling, there is a copy of Görel's calendar from 1975. On 30 January 1975 she has written ABBA - Hamburg Disco in blue and next to it Drehscheibe in red.

 
Click here for a TV listing from Leidsch Dagblad - 30 January 1975, p.5

Lyrics available on the Official ABBA site

Die Drehscheibe (Benny), 1967;
Die Drehscheibe (Benny), 1968;
Die Drehscheibe (Agnetha), 1969;
Die Drehscheibe (Agnetha), 1972;
Die Drehscheibe, 1974;
Die Drehscheibe, 1975;
Die Drehscheibe, 1975;
Die Drehscheibe, 1975;

Thanks a million to Guido for all of this information. Extra thanks to Jozsef, Karin Angeleyes and Dustin.
Plus thanks to Gabriele Grüger and Stuart Kerry c/o Facebook group A.B.B.A : The Music Still Goes On And On And On