Filmed: March 1975
Location: Polar Music office, Baldersgatan, Stockholm, Sweden
Broadcast: Thursday 20 March 1975, YLE1, Finland
Release status: This programme has not been included on any officially released video or DVD
Duration: 19:51 of remaining footage (of this, B&B is 3:27)
Shown in: Finland
Iltatähti = Evening Star
Iltatähti was around 50 minutes long and was a music and talk show broadcast on YLE from 1973-1983.
This was episode 5 and the presenter was Tapio Tuominen. Unfortunately they did not save the series in its entirety but this episode has remained in part only - but luckily the Björn and Benny interview was a part of it that was saved.
Benny and Björn were interviewed by Tapio Tuominen, other guests on this episode were Maarit Hurmerinta and Greenslade.
Available to view here on the YLE TV archive.
Interviewer (Tapio Tuominen): Björn and Benny, what has this year, after Brighton, meant for ABBA?
Björn: It has meant a lot of travelling to other countries, a lot of work. For instance, we have toured in West Germany and Scandinavia and done a lot of TV promotion and alike in all the European countries. I have noticed it's been a stressful week for you, people are constantly running around you and things like that.
TT: How do yourselves react to all this hectic activity?
Björn: Well...
Benny: I didn't quite understood...people running around...
TT: This "running" of yours, travelling, making records and all the haste. How do yourselves react to this?
Benny: It's a big part of this job.
Björn: And it isn't that different compared to what it was before. Perhaps there's a little bit of more (job).
TT: How do you relax then?
Benny: We sit home and read books, watch television or go to the movies.
Björn: The same way everybody else relaxes.
TT: Then there's a tax question: What has the victory in Brighton meant for you economically?
Björn: It's a bit difficult to answer. The money we have earned has rolled in over a long time span. Royalties and alike from different countries. We haven't seen the money that much.
TT: Is Abba going to make any kind of appearance at the fair relating to the Eurovision Song Contest?
Björn: I doubt it. I don't think we're going to.
TT: What do you, for example, think about contests like ESC?
Benny: First I thought that much of it is quite harmless. I think there's nothing wrong with arranging alternative contests. There should be a place for everything, also for the Eurovision Song Contests.
TT: And what about your opinions about the alternative festivals?
Björn: They're OK. Everyone should have a right to do what they want. But they should include this aspect that ESC has. Especially if there's so many viewers.
Benny: It had the biggest viewing rates in whole Europe, 5,000,000,000 – 6,000,000,000 viewers. There isn't any other programme that is so popular.
TT: How does the ESC differ from the alternative festivals musically?
Benny: Musically there's a big difference. There's a bigger emphasis on lyrics. I haven't been to any alternative festival and I don't know how they're going to do it. I have a feeling that it'll have more to do with revue and theatre.
TT: And the emphasis. You meant the emphasis laid on lyrics?
Björn: Yeah, that they are probably more political. That's what I'd expect anyway.
Archive descriptive info:
Iltatähti 06.03.1975 Irina Milan: Kuoleman kultainen portti, En saa laulaa, Vain sinulle laulun tein; Wigwam: Freddie Are You Ready, Bless Your Lucky Stars, Kite. Ohjelmassa ovat lisäksi esiintyneet Isokynä Lindholm, Tiitta Spout ja Abba.
Iltatähti 20.03.1975 (otteita)
Julkaistu: 20.3.1975
Ohjelmasta: Iltatähti
Ohjelman tekijät: Tuottaja: Jarmo Porola, Toimittaja: Jarmo Porola, Ohjaaja: Jouko Konttinen,Toimittaja: Jouko Konttinen,Toimittaja: Matti Rosvall,Juontaja: Mikko Alatalo,Kuvaussihteeri: Marjo Mäkinen
Esiintyjät: Maarit Hurmerinta, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Greenslade
Kuva: Maarit esiintyy Iltatähdessä (1975). / Yle/arja Lento.
Maaliskuun toisen jakson (20.3.1975) kotimainen päätähti Maarit Hurmerinta esittää energisesti kaksi Juice Leskisen tekstittämää kappaletta, joista kumpikaan ei kuulu hänen kaikkein tunnetuimpiin esityksiinsä. Haastattelussa nuori laulaja vastailee kysymyksiin ujosti mutta manailee jälkikäteen puheitaan. Työnauhalta on oheiseen videoon poimittu mukaan haastattelun jälkisetvintä ja uusiksi otettu vastaus.
Samassa lähetyksessä Maaritin kanssa nähtiin maaliskuinen konserttivieras, keyboardvetoinen brittiprogebändi Greenslade, joka oli Suomessa ilmeisen niukalti tunnettu. Edellisen vuoden euroviisuvoittajalta Abbalta kysellään kantaa Tukholmassa järjestettävään vaihtoehtoiseen viisufestivaaliin.
Huge thanks to Petri Kaasalainen, Pepe Sharfman and Jan Bach