This series ran from 18 March 1970 to 24 August 1976 on NCRV and contained 84 episodes.

Episode 68

ABBA were interviewed by host Eddy Becker and performed in their first TV special outside of Sweden.

This is one of only three times (that we can find) where Björn wore his leopard-skin cape (for Rock Me) - the others being in the Bang-A-Boomerang PROMO and for Chansons à la Carte.  Both Benny and Björn wore the same costumes as for their earlier 1975 appearance on The Eddy Go Round Show.

Frank Ifield was their guest on the show. He sang five songs: I Remember You (probably his most famous song), Joanne, Silver Wings, California Cottonfields and Excuse Me Friend.

Before the clip resurfaced in 2012, there was been much confusion over the years as to how many - and which - songs were performed.

1. Dutch book d'ABBA d'ABBA doe reported that ABBA performed seven songs (Rock Me; SOS; Honey Honey; Waterloo; I've Been Waiting For You; I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do and So Long).
2. ABBA Annual also reported that eight songs were performed (SOS, Waterloo, Honey Honey, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, So Long, Rock Me, I've Been Waiting For You and Tropical Loveland).
3. And according to ABBA - The Book by Jean-Marie Potiez, ABBA performed six songs and an interview.

However, these are the songs that were performed (there were only FIVE), and in the following running order:

1. Ring Ring
2. 1st interview
3. Waterloo
4. 2nd interview
5. Tropical Loveland
6. 3rd interview
7. Rock Me
8. Farewells
9. SOS (and flower presentation)
10. Frank Ifield then performs 5 songs

All Eddy Becker shows (1974 and two in 1975) have been erased from the TV company archives. Apparently TV company NCRV saved "Best of" Compilations but these were all destroyed in 1976 when the the show finished and the original logs were thrown away when they moved to a new building.

However, on the 22 April 2012, 192TV (a cable TV channel in The Netherlands, broadcast a 3-hour ABBA special, including the Dutch top 30 (ABBA Fan Club magazine #100) as well as The Eddy Go Round Show in its entirety. 

It turns out that host Eddy Becker himself had a Philips N 1500 VCR copy of the programme and it is that personal copy that has been cleaned up and used for this particular programme, (In 2006 the tape was rolled out, cleaned and played perfectly and so was used for this broadcast).

The quality is probably not deemed to be good enough quality for a DVD release however.


One of the the interviews and performance of SOS has been released officially on a multi-CD and DVD box set (in a re-edited version)
The first interview and performance of SOS has been released officially on a multi-CD and DVD box set (in re-edited version)
The main title, Eddy's opening intro, segments of Waterloo and Ring Ring and the segment of the 2nd interview has been released officially on Pop op TV 1960-1975 (DVD & book).

1. Frida and Agnetha during Waterloo during "I tried to hold you back but you were stronger".
2. Agnetha during Tropical Loveland playing the piano!
3. The cat outfits - notice that the names "Agnetha" and "Frida" are NOT there on the back.
4. Agnetha's face in the first interview when Björn says, "And a few years later Agnetha found me!"
5. In Rock Me Benny and Björn giving it everything and Frida playing "air piano".

Eddy Becker introduces the programme and greets ABBA in Dutch then:

Ring Ring

Eddy: Everyone had his own career on their own before starting ABBA. What did you do then?
Björn: I was in a folk group. We we doing some Kingston Trio stuff. And Benny was in a very famous rock group.
Benny: We had a top ten hit over here in Holland. That song was called Sunny Girl
Eddy: Did you wrote that song?
Benny: Yeah, some eight years ago.
Eddy: You were already famous before starting ABBA.
Agnetha: Benny was already famous
Frida: Yeah... it is always Benny!
Eddy: How did you start together?
Björn: Benny and I met during a tour in Sweden and we thought we could write together. And we did. And a few years later Agnetha found me!
Frida: Oh... did she?
Björn: She fell in love with me!
Agnetha: I thought it was you!
Björn: The same happened to Benny and Frida.
Benny: Oh yes?
Frida: Did you fall in love with me?
Benny: No, not me!
Björn: At that time we thought, "Why don't we make a record together along with the girls voices." It all went so well... and then we thought "we start a band"

Waterloo

Eddy: Waterloo, what happened afterwards. When you became first at the Eurovision Song Contest?
Benny: It is a big event. When you win the song contest you are somebody!
Eddy: Did it change your private lives?
Benny: Yes, we have more work to do.
Björn: We travelled around the world, but I don't think that it affected our lives that much. Because we have already worked together.
Eddy: You were already producers and artist. Do you have your own company right now?
Benny: Not of our own, but together with the man who discovered us.
Eddy: How long does that company exist? Since Waterloo or longer?
Benny: That company existed already about 16 years. But Björn and I are part of it, because we put all our work in it.
Eddy: Benny, you are producing other artists too?
Benny: That's right.
Eddy: So you're doing everything!
Benny: I'm trying, at least. I have to do this, because you can't earn enough in Sweden when you sing and write for your own group. You can't live from that.

Tropical Loveland

Eddy: There is a family relation: Björn married with Agnetha and Frida with Benny.
Frida: We are engaged.
Eddy: That's nearly the same. Are there many problems, I mean, because I know that you and Agnetha have a little daugheter in Stockholm. Is it hard to leave here alone?
Agnetha: In the beginning it was very difficult. When we won in Brighton she was only one year old and she really missed us.
Eddy: Did you find a solution for this?
Björn: Yes... to stay at home!
Agnetha: We tried to explain it to her, but she is too young to understand.
Eddy: Maybe she will understand in a few years time...When four humans are working together, there will be some tensions. Do you see each other off work? Because you are travelling and working together. Do you see each other each and every day?
Benny: Not always.
Eddy: Do you visit each other or not?
Benny: Sometimes. But Björn and I work together at the company nearly every day. We see each other very regularly!

Rock Me

Eddy: Thanks for being here. We hope to see you again real soon. If it's not in Sweden than in Holland. Thank you very much!
ABBA: Thank you too!

SOS

Thanks to Anne Miepje for the translation
Thanks to Jozsef for the information
and mostly - thanks to an unknown fan who in 1975 wrote down the Dutch sub-titles which were later copied into a fan magazine!

The Eddy Go Round Show (Waterloo), 1974; 
The Eddy Go Round Show (Honey Honey, So Long and I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do), 1975;
The Eddy Go Round Show Special (Ring Ring, Waterloo, Tropical Loveland, Rock Me and SOS), 1975;

Rehearsal (B/W) photos from the web-site ABBA in Holland (thanks to Anne Miepje) and the book "d'ABBA d'ABBA doe". 
Thanks to Erik Liebstaedter Dario Briegmann, Yannick, Walter Veldman, Petr Mlejnek, Henk, Rudolf Ondrich, Neil Barber, Diego Quaio, David McKenzie, Phiilp Muytjens, Steve Layton, Monique Hoevens and Will.
Extra big thanks to Jozsef and of course Eddy Becker himself for sharing his video tape!
YouTube link c/o Edward Veldman