ABBA in Switzerland

By 1979 Abba were one of the biggest bands in the world. Even though they did not have consistent pop hits in the USA.

With a busy schedule, divorces on the horizon and more hit singles to emerge.

They recorded this BBC special in Leysin in the Swiss Alps. It is a pseudo variety show. It starts off with some dancers, there are guest performances from Roxy Music and Kate Bush.

Although Abba perform some songs on stage which are lip synched. Others are performed in an ice skating rink and a ski resort.

It really is a snow special and heavily linked to the UNESCO International Year of the Child in 1979. The band donated their fees to the cause.

This TV special is a rare chance to see Abba let their hair down, even seen relaxing a little.

Are you an ABBA fan? Or are you a person who said they didn't like ABBA in the 1970's because they were so "pop", but SECRETLY did like them, and have come out of the closet and now admit they are brilliant?

It doesn't matter... whoever you are, welcome aboard!!! :-)

This TV special from snowy Leysin in February 1979 is a genuine time capsule. Watch this and you will be reminded of you who you were, where you were and what the world was like when James Callaghan was UK Prime Minister, and Jimmy Carter was US President.

Everything was different 42 years ago; you, me, Television, popular entertainment - everything. But one thing was the same; ABBA.

ABBA, their music and everything they represented are a constant. Not bubble-gum teen-pop that you throw away, not heavy rock or punk that boils over and evaporates. This is ABBA we are talking about here - timeless, moving and brilliant. They are the songs of your life.

ABBA in Switzerland shows us how TV was in those days, complete with variety show elements like dancers and cut in videos featuring our heroes on skis. It's pure entertainment. Also seen are Roxy Music and an unusually demonstrative Kate Bush. All dubbed and mimed for TV of course - but so what?

Watching this again after so many years really brought a tear to my eye.

The final track is (I think), live; Thank you for the Music. Wonderful.

ABBA - thank YOU for the Music.

Filmed at the height of their popularity, this was a special filmed in February of that year (79) made by the BBC in collaboration with several European broadcasters including SRG Zurich. It was broadcast around the world and was a great success. ABBA were seen arriving by helicopter from Geneva airport. In the opening credits and the main show was filmed in a circus big top in Leysin. Many of the songs were from the yet unreleased album Voulez-Vous so they differ slightly from the recordings on the album. There are several versions of this show dependant on where it was screened with different guests, but the UK version probably had the best with Kate Bush performing Wow and Roxy Music doing Dance Away. An excellent show that I thoroughly enjoyed at the time and I managed to get an ABBA only edit copy when it was released on dvd as a bonus disc on a cd re-release of the deluxe edition of Voulez-Vous.