Don Kirshner (born 17 April 1934), known as 'The Man With the Golden Ear', is an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing song-writing talent as well as successful pop groups such as The Monkees and The Archies.

Don Kirshner's Rock Concert was a television music variety show that ran during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Don Kirshner and syndicated to television stations. It premièred on 27 September 1973 with a performance by The Rolling Stones; its last episode was in 1981. With its long-form live performances, as compared to canned, often lip-synched performances that were the staple of earlier TV shows like Shindig!, it was a real breakthrough. The program featured many of the popular performers of the day during its run. Other notable guests included The Eagles, KISS, Foghat, The Ramones, Kansas and The Allman Brothers Band. The total number of episodes was 230.

Season 3 Episode 16

ABBA performed in 1974/1975 tour costumes - Frida and Agnetha removed their capes for the final song, Mamma Mia.

This was the ONLY time (that I know of) that ABBA performed Hey Hey Helen on TV so this programme is very special indeed.

Running order for the programme (ABBA songs were to playback):

1. ABBA - SOS and Hey Hey Helen
2. Gary Wright - Blind Feeling; Dream Weaver; Love is Alive andAre you Weepin'?
3. Esther Phillips - One Night Affair; I Can Stand a Little Rain and What a Difference a Day Makes
4. Atlanta Rhythym Section - Dog Days and Silent Treatment
5. ABBA - Waterloo and Rock Me
6. Atlanta Rhythym Section - Another Man's Woman
7. ABBA - Mamma Mia

The programme was originally broadcast in its entirety on Friday 16 January 1976, then (partly) 17 January 1976, 23:30 pm, and re-broadcast in 1979, ABC, USA

Filming date is from Görel Hanser's 1975 diary - a copy of which was available with the book ABBA - The Backstage Stories.

We may have an answer as to why Don Kirshner's Rock Concert has not been released on DVD (yet). According to the website Historic Films, Don Kirshner sold all his masters to them back in 2002. Historic Films licenses video footage out for any type of production. They operate as a stock video library/historical archive organization and have a treasure trove of stuff. The footage is made available for a fee to Film and Television Producers, Ad Agencies, Corporate Producers, Feature Film Producers and Documentary Filmmakers as stock footage. Don Kirshner's masters are allegedly in near pristine condition. So unless Historic Films agree to it, DVD releases of Rock Concert may never be released. However, the company also licences the Ed Sullivan Show and there are DVDs available for that so you never know.

Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (SOS, Hey Hey Helen, Waterloo, Rock Me, Mamma Mia), 1975;
Don Kirshner's New Rock Concert (Rock Me, Dancing Queen, Fernando, Mamma Mia, Waterloo, SOS), 1976;

Archive data from historicfilms.com’s public site:
ROCK MUSIC
File VM-1952
Description: 00 00 00 - 01 09 31
00 01 52 ABBA - SOS
00 05 13 - HEY HEY HELEN
00 08 49 GARY WRIGHT - BLIND FEELING
00 14 13 - DREAM WEAVER
00 18 25 - LOVE IS ALIVE
00 23 05 - ARE YOU WEEPIN'
00 28 06 ESTHER PHILLIPS - ONE NIGHT AFFAIR
00 32 31 - I CAN STAND A LITTLE RAIN
00 36 53 - WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES
00 43 50 ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION - DOG DAYS
00 47 36 - SILENT TREATMENT
00 54 35 ABBA - WATERLOO
00 57 19 - ROCK ME
01 00 30 ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION - ANOTHER MAN'S WOMAN
01 04 56 ABBA - MAMMA MIA
Genre ROCK MUSIC
Year 1975
Color COLOR
Length 1 HOUR, 9 MINUTES

Thanks to Jozsef, Petr Mlejnek, Maria Nicholas, Philip Muytjens, Kevin Willis, Jun Seo, Dustin, Steve Layton, Trent Nickson and Harry Ehler c/o ABBAMAIL (no longer online).
Also Sam Shervz, Alexei Zviaguintsev and special thanks to a South Korean ABBA fan.