Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, more simply known as Swap Shop, was a British children's entertainment programme that was broadcast on Saturday mornings on BBC1 for 146 episodes over six series between 1976 and 1982. It was ground-breaking in many ways: by being live; being nearly three hours in length; and using the phone-in format extensively for the first time on TV. The content of the programme included music, visits from celebrities, competitions, and cartoons, but the main element was that children would offer to swap something they no longer wanted in return for something else they did want that was on offer.

Series 2, Episode 21

In the Swap Shop Star Awards of 1978, ABBA won the viewers choice for Best Group. The award, called an 'Eric' (named after an often referred-to but never-seen studio technician), was announced by Noel Edmonds and Rolf Harris. A short clip of ABBA was shown of them sitting down in the Polar office and thanking the audience for their award. This was, without doubt, filmed on the same day as the interview given for Musik Scene and also the Karussell trailer.

Björn did most of the talking as usual! After ABBA's acceptance, a short burst of the Waterloo PROMO was shown.

Other winners of Awards on the show were: David Soul, Ronnie Barker, Penelope Keith, Bonnie Tyler, Barry Sheene, Virginia Wade, John Noakes, Blue Peter and Magnus Pyke.

The Nominations were read by: Valerie Singleton, Frank Bough, Dave Lee Travis, Roy Castle and Rolf Harris.

I contacted Noel Edmonds to ask if he could remember how many times ABBA appeared on the show. His response was, "Sorry, I really can't remember!"

In June 2012, it came to light that this clip was being sold by the same person who was selling the So Long on Top of the Pops clip at a much, much more reasonable price ... so I bought it as I hadn't seen it since March 1978!

Rolf Harris was a much-loved and multi-skilled entertainer - known for being a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor and painter.  His reputation was left in tatters when in July 2014, at the age of 84, he was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison on twelve counts of historical indecent assault on four female victims during the 1970s and 1980s - during the height of his fame.

Rolf Harris: .. and the winner is ... ah, there you go! It's spelt with an A and then it's starts with a B and then a B and then an A

Noel Edmonds: It's ABBA!

Rolf: ABBA!

Noel: Now in fact, unfortunately, ABBA couldn't be with us this evening, but they have recorded a message which has come all the way from Scandinavia so Swap Shop's Top Pop Group speak to you right now ...

Björn: Hello Swap Shop viewers and hello Noel. You know, we're very, very sorry that we couldn't come over to London in person to collect this award but we're right in the middle of a very, very heavy working period so we just couldn't make it. But I want you to know that we're really very proud of this award and I mean thinking of all the people having voted for us, I think it's one of the most wonderful awards we ever got, right? (to others), so thank you very much everybody.

Agnetha, Frida & Benny: Thank you!

Agnetha: Goodbye and hope to see you soon

Frida: Thank you so much and goodbye

Benny: Goodbye

Björn: Goodbye everybody

Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, 1976; 
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (Swap Shop Awards), 1978; 
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (Benny & Björn), 1979; 
Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (Björn on telephone), 1981; 

Archive data from BBC’s written archive:

LCH2205D
Mar 26, 1978
Archive : BBC
Item Duration : 00:24:25.000+01:00
Core Title : STAR AWARDS 1978
Copyright : MXD
Catalogue : LONPROG
Copyright source : CHECK
Catalogue Page : 9558816
Page Number : 2/2
Programme/Item : Programme
Children's programme with guests. Special star awards episode. Presented by
Noel EDMONDS. Star guests present awards to celebrity winners. Guests include
Valerie SINGLETON, Frank BOUGH, Rolf HARRIS, Bonnie TYLER, Roy CASTLE etc.
> Sp's vt; ex lib; cpyrt; stills **ENTRY FROM PASC**
EX LIB CONT/:Richard BECKINSALE ex Porridge 18/03/77 (dur 1m20s) Jan HUNT,
Peter GLAZE, Bernie CLIFTON ex Crackerjack 06/01/78; Ivory Coast ex Blue
Peter ex 27/09/73; John NOAKES ex Blue Peter 05/02/76 & 30/05/77 & 08/10/73;
The Good Life 08/10/76 (dur 2m10s); 'It's patently obvious' 02/04/76 (dur
1m05s); Abba montage (dur 2m06s)
EX LIB/CPYRT MONTAGE:Leo SAYER 'There isn't anything'; David SOUL 'Silver
Lady'; Rod STEWART 'I was only joking'.
CPYRT:Happy Days clip, cpyrt? (dur 1m29s)

Thanks to Jozsef and Luke Sweeney's amazing memory!
Huge thanks to Karin Angeleyes