Bandstand was an Australian musical/variety television show which screened from November 1958 to 1972. It was the longest-running Australian pop television show of its time and for 14 years launched the careers of many Australian musicians. The duration of each episode was 55 minutes. It was produced at the studios of TCN-9 in Sydney and eventually became a national programme as Nine Network expanded into other Australian cities in the early 1960s. It was based on Dick Clark's American show of a similar name, American Bandstand.

Later an attempt was made by the Nine Network to revive the show under the original title Bandstand with a new host Daryl Somers. So the series was briefly resurrected in 1976 and this new format was based on the BBC production UK Top of the Pops (for example the Top 30 at the start of the programme) and ran for only three years. The change in music tastes however gave this type of format a limited life for the 1976-78 series.

On this resurrected series ABBA performed Mamma Mia and were interviewed briefly by Daryl Somers. This was one week before the big TV special - The Best of ABBA - was broadcast. The interview was followed by the Fernando PROMO.

Broadcast Information
Saturday 13th March 1976, Channel 9, Australia (in some capital cities)
Saturday 20th March 1976, Channel 9, Australia (in some regional centres)

This perforamnce hadn't been broadcast since 1976 but has been rumoured to be lurking in the TV archives of Channel 9.  The only things we had to identify the programme were pictures in magazines and bubble gum cards, for example:

1. Picture 1
2. Picture 2
3. Picture 3

The interview surfaced several years ago and in recent years, little bits of the Bandstand performance of Mamma Mia have been emerging:

1. In 2012, an Australian TV programme called Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (about the true story of how legendary media mogul Kerry Packer fought a cricket war by secretly signing up 50 of the world’s greatest players to form a breakaway tournament) was broadcast.  In the opening credits there was a montage of things that were big - or big news stories - in the 70s in Australia including the opening credit logo to pop programme Countdown but also, 2 seconds of ABBA's Bandstand performance of Mamma Mia.  So, as this programme was made in 2012, it must mean the footage must be available. (NOTE: although the ABBA clip comes after Countdown in these opening credits, they never performed on Countdown. The Countdown opening credits are just part of the montage of popular things in the 1970s in Australia.)
2. In 2014, a report on the Today programme about the Official ABBA Photo Book was featured on the Australian programme contained 25 perfect seconds of Mamma Mia from Bandstand.  Apparently the whole footage has now been unearthed during research for the Australian documentary ABBA Bang-a-Boomerang!. The copyright notes however stated, "Not for repeat- refer Stig Anderson, Polar Music."  As the production team behind the documentary were dealing with Universal, they got this repealed and got access to the full interview and song. But it all happened so late in the day and they already had picture-lock of the documentary, not to mention they had overspent their music licensing budget, so it was not included. But it's great news that it was found and there's hope we SHALL end up seeing it in full one day.
3. In April 2021, footage of the whole Mamma Mia performance was finally shared via Facebook and we shall remain ever grateful.

NOTE: Some picture agencies tout pictures of ABBA being interviewed by Daryl Somers as from the programme Hey Hey It's Saturday. However, this is incorrect because ABBA never appeared on that programme. However Daryl Somers did host both Bandstand and Hey Hey It's Saturday so this is probably where the confusion comes in.

NOTE: The programme title picture of Bandstand above is from Episode 20 broadcast on 20 November 1976 and is used for illustrative purposes only.

1. Agnetha's face during the interview when Daryl asks Björn about their unique sound and he replies that it's because of the girls (voices).
2. When Benny is talking he clearly gives away future tour plans that he shouldn't have judging by Frida's reaction!

Bandstand Interview with Daryl Somers

Daryl Somers: And here we are with ABBA! First of all, let me, on behalf of everyone here welcome you to Australia.

Björn: Thank you.

DS: I, I guess that has been the case ... everyone has said

Frida: (in background) Thank you very much

DS: (continuing) ..."Welcome to Australia" but we sincerely mean that here. And also, er, congratulations on your record success all over the world.

Agnetha: Thank you

DS: (continuing) .... It's been really marvellous for you. Every, every number you've written, well not every one, but ....

Agnetha: Really?!

DS: You've had so many hits and it's all going well for you - even in England now

Frida: Yes

DS: which as we were talking about before, is a very hard one to crack

Björn: It is, yes.

DS: But you're in there and and here to stay I hope. We can't help noticing the clothes because I feel so under-dressed! Do you make them yourselves?

Benny: (barely audible) You look terrible!

DS: I look terrible, thank you Benny! Right! Björn, do you make the clothes yourself?

Björn: Well, do you?

Agnetha: He doesn't

DS: No ... Mum runs them up actually!

Frida: (inaudible says something)

Björn: We, yeah, we have the ideas ourselves and we have two guys sewing for us in Stockholm.

DS: Oh! all the time? You sort of ... do you phone back and say "we want some pink suits or ...?!"

Agnetha: (trying to be heard) ... no...

Björn: No, no we get together with them and we talk about it and we can talk for hours about that!

DS: Well we could talk for hours here .. we haven't got a lot of time but would like to ask you about the unique sound that you seem to have. what would you put that down to? Because it's a very sort of sound ...

Björn: I think it's, most of it is because of the two girls

DS: with the vocals?

Björn: yeah, the vocals

Agnetha: Thank you, love!

Björn:: OK!

DS: Kiss on the cheek, kiss on the cheek!

Björn: OK! (he lets Agnetha kiss him on the cheek)

Benny: Nah, I think it's also ... well we put a lot of time into it, a lot of efforts to make it be always better and better

DS: You have your own studio I think you were saying Benny?

Benny: Oh no we don't. We rent a studio in Stockholm. We have a favourite studio

DS: Well very few groups can rent a studio for a start so that's pretty good. But you have, is it? five keyboards or something you use yourself on the records?

Benny: Well I play all the keyboards, er we need if ... we, we're coming on tour here to Australia probably in November and er, we're gonna bring four or five keyboard players

DS: Four or five keyboard players?

Benny: Yeah, well we need that because that's ... that's a part of the things ... you know, piano, audience, and ...

DS: And that's a concert tour is it Frida, in, in .... ?

Frida: Yes it is, in November hopefully

DS: Oh that's good, And I hope you've enjoyed your short stay. It's only 10 days this time but we'll be seeing a lot more of - of all of you because next week it's the special Bandstand show which features a lot of your hits. So that'll be something to look forward to and it's called "The Best Of ABBA" so that's next Saturday. And right now you've just released a new single. Now would you like to all introduce the name of it

Björn:: Yeah, it's ...

DS: And we'll play it. You've forgotten already?! Fernando!

Lyrics available on the Official ABBA site

Bandstand Rehearsals (Mamma Mia), 1976;
Bandstand (Mamma Mia), 1976;
Dancing Queen (Bandstand), 1976;
The Best of ABBA (Bandstand Special) (Mamma Mia, Hasta Manana, Ring Ring, Tropical Loveland, Waterloo, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, Rock Me, (Lucky Starr), Honey, Honey, Fernando, So Long, SOS), 1976; 
ABBA in Australia (Mamma Mia, Hasta Manana, Ring Ring, Tropical Loveland, Waterloo, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, Rock Me, Dancing Queen, Honey Honey, Fernando, So Long, SOS, Bang-A-Boomerang), 1976;

Thanks to Ian Cole's ABBA Phenomenon in Australia, Jan Bach, Philip Muytjens, David Fyfe, Jun Seo, Petr Mlejnek, Matti Crocker, abbasite4ever Forum (no longer online), Dustin, Richard Knight, Sam Shervz, Jozsef, Erik Liebstaedter, Rianne Schaffers and Michael Anderson.
YouTube links c/o Sinny1992 and ABBA Videoedits