New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Universal
Music Enterprises) - ABBA, one of the most popular pop music groups in history, has released only two concert films-until now. Nearly two hours in length, In Japan (Polar/Polydor/UMe), to be released November 3, 2009, joins
ABBA In Concert and
ABBA - The Movie as the only DVD venues for fans to experience the performance phenomenon of ABBAmania.The DVD's centerpiece is a 54-minute show, "ABBA In Japan," taped for Japanese television in 1978. Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Ani-Frid Lyngstad perform 14 songs plus a bonus track of the original tape mix of "If It Wasn't For The Nights." Among the other songs are such global hits as "Take A Chance On Me," "Money, Money, Money," "SOS," "Dancing Queen," "Waterloo," "Fernando," "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "The Name Of The Game" and "Thank You For The Music."
Extras on In Japan include two exclusive behind-the-scenes documentaries with TV performances and interviews with press and radio during ABBA's 10-day visits to Japan in 1978 (24 minutes) and 1980 (37 minutes).
ABBA's recent success has been nothing short of astounding given that the group disbanded in the early '80s. ABBA has reportedly sold more than 400 million records to date around the world. Fueled partly by the enormous success of the ABBA-centric Mamma Mia! on stage and screen, sales continue to soar for releases such as 1992's ABBA Gold - Greatest Hits, six-times U.S. gold and with more than 26 million copies sold worldwide. In late 2008, the nine-disc box set ABBA - The Albums, containing all eight original studio albums plus a bonus disc of B-sides, rarities and other hits, was issued.
But the group's touring tenure was relatively short. ABBA - The Movie, directed by the award-winning Lasse Hallstrom, documented a frenetic two-week concert tour of Australia in 1977 and was released in theaters later that year. In 2006, ABBA - The Movie made its DVD debut and in 2008 premiered in its Blu-ray version. The other previously released concert film, ABBA In Concert, captured the foursome on its 1979 swing across North America and Europe, only ABBA's second major tour, and was released on DVD in 2004.
Now with In Japan, fans can once again enjoy the rarity of ABBA on stage at the height of ABBAmania.
