Starparade = Star Parade

Starparade was a German TV show broadcast on Germany's second TV largest broadcaster ZDF for twelve consecutive years between 1968 and 1980. Its first broadcast was on Saturday 14 March 1968 from the Siegerlandhalle in Siegen, Germany, in black & white. Later, the programme spot switched from Saturday to Thursday night where it stayed until the show's end on 5 June 1980. The show was broadcast annually over six episodes and the regular orchestra on the show was the "James Last Orchestra" who had its first ever TV appearance on this show.  As usual, the programme host was Rainer Holbe.

Running order of the show:

1. Starparade ballet – opening scene
2. La Bande a Basile – Les Chansons Françaises
3. James Last Orchestra – Star Wars Medley
4. Vicky Leandros – Wer weint denn schon um einen Mann
5. ballet scene – Singing in the Rain
6. Salvatore Adamo –Medley (popular French and Germany songs)
7. James Last Orchestra
8. The Carpenters – Top Of The World and Sweet Sweet Smile
9. ballet scene – a Paris mood
10. Ireene Sheer – Feuer
11. Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta – A-ba-ni-bi
12. James Last Orchestra
13. Salvatore Adamo – Klopfe beim Glück an die Tür
14. La Bande a Basile – La Chenille
15. Vicky Leandros – Bye Bye My Love
16. ballet scene (choraographer Gene Reed)
17. ABBA – Take a chance On Me (with "choral" ending), Eagle segued into Thank You For The Music
18. James Last Orchestra – Sunny
19. closing scene
    
    

Frida's father, Alfred Hasse was in the audience.

Karen Carpenter apparently complimented Frida on her new frizzy hairstyle. 

Another guest was the singer Salvatore Adamo. Apparently before the show Adamo was talking with the producer of the show when suddenly Agnetha came and gave him a kiss, telling how much he had made her dream!

Richard Carpenter apparently saw them perform Thank You For the Music and The Carpenters recorded it shortly afterwards and went on to perform it on The Tonight Show. It has never been released on vinyl as Richard felt his arrangement was too similar to ABBA's. A question (Q.21) on the Carpenters' website asked Richard, "I read in one of the fan club newsletters c.1978 I think it was that you were considering putting "Thank You For The Music" on an album. What wound up happening to this track?".  Richard's answer was:"A terrific song and even better record, but, of course, nobody does ABBA like ABBA. I was really taken with that song. We first heard them perform it on a highly popular music program in Europe called Starparade on which we were both performing in Bremen, Germany, 1978. We laid down a track, but the more I thought about it, I realised that, as usual, Benny and Björn had done the definitive arrangement and all I'd be doing was copying it; something I just don't do, of course. It's an outtake, never completed and in storage with the rest of the stuff in Pennsylvania."


Broadcast Info:
Thursday 11 May 1978, 20:30-22:00, ZDF Germany
ABBA songs repeated on 2 November 2002 on Kultnacht
Take A Chance On Me was broadcast on ZDF on 31 December 2006.

Although most of the reel (including the ABBA segment) is in perfect condition, there is no chance for a re-broadcast of the whole programme because of the damaged master tape (there a lot of picture errors).

Click here for a TV listing from Leidsch Dagblad - 11 May 1978, p.5.

Frida and Agnetha kissed host Rainer when receiving roses at the end scene

Lyrics available on the Official ABBA site

Starparade (Waterloo & Honey Honey), 1974; 
Starparade (Take a Chance On Me and Eagle/Thank You For The Music), 1978; 

Thanks to ABBA Magazine No.7, Guido, Steve Layton, Erik Liebstader, Jozsef, Jun Seo, Carl Magnus Palm and Alexandre Carvalho.  Extra thanks to Jürgen Parys, Henk Jansen, Ryan Charron, Chris Williams c/o ABBAtalk.
YouTube link c/o manuel velasquez leiton