A man who gave Abba “nul points” at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest said he stands by his decision despite their rise to superstardom. Basil Herwald was one of 10
UK jurors who each had a point to award to their favourite performance – and not one gave it to the Swedish song Waterloo. His recollection is in next week’s
BBC show When Abba Came To
Britain, which tells the story of the band’s love for the UK after their Eurovision victory. Asked what he thought of them when they performed in Brighton, Basil says: “Not a lot. People say to me, ‘Surely you were blown away by them?’, but we weren’t.” Five of the UK votes went to the favourite act from
Italy, with Abba receiving none. “We weren’t the only ones. Four other countries gave them no points at all,” laughs Basil in his defence. And when Abba won that year did they finally realise how wrong they had been? Basil says: “No. Most of us still thought the Italian song should have won.” Basil Herwald was one of 10 UK jurors in 1974 But he admitted: “Abba won’t be surprised to know that I don’t think I’d have managed a career in
music having not voted for them. I became a lawyer.” Basil may not have felt the band’s magic but it was not long before Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeu took the world by storm. In the film, which contains never-before-heard archive audio interviews with the singers, Bjorn says Eurovision was a career turning point. He adds: “Suddenly the world is open to us. That was a tremendous feeling.” The band was formed after Frida and Agnetha started going out with Benny and Bjorn. “There and then we noticed that the blend of our voices was something very special,” Frida recalls. Mike Watson, a bass player from Sheffield who worked with the band on many of their hits, ended up on the cover of their Waterloo album. He says: “I’m in the background with my back to the camera dressed as Napoleon.” Paul Atkinson, of CBS Records, had championed ABBA for a music deal but colleagues laughed at him until the band won Eurovision. Their first singles flopped but 1976 hit Mamma Mia knocked
Queen off the No1 spot, propelling them to fame. In the BBC show, Primal Scream rocker Bobbie Gillespie confesses to being an unlikely Abba fan. The Scottish frontman says. “I only bought one record, Dancing Queen, but their music seeps into your consciousness.” He laughs as he recalls being put through to Agnetha on the phone by a mutual friend, who told him she had asked if he was good-looking – and single. In 1977, ABBA were booked for their first UK concert, at the Birmingham Odeon. Swedish pop group Abba, performs during the the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 ( Image: AFP via Getty Images) Former manager Tony Harvey said he had never been so popular, as people were vying to get one of the 2,397 tickets. Benny said he was full of nerves before the gig, adding: “England is the homeland of this type of music.” Sky News host Gillian Joseph recalled singing I Have a Dream with Wembley Manor junior school’s choir at Wembley Arena, North West
London, in 1979. “I sang with Abba and it was the highlight of my life,” she declares. Agnetha says that show, held during Unicef’s Year of the Child, holds a special place in her heart. She adds: “Those times at Wembley Arena, we never forgot this. We were really moved. We could really feel the love.” The band faced turmoil in 1979 when Bjorn and Agnetha split up, followed by Benny and Frida in 1981. At the time the band were still touring and writing songs about heartbreak, including Winner Takes it All. Kevin Munn, a competition winner, from Sutton, South London, says he was delighted to join Abba on Noel Edmonds’ The Late, Late Breakfast Show in 1982. But he was shocked by the sniping when Frida said Benny had written great songs and he said it was the first time she praised his music. ABBA bass player Mike Watson The band denied they were splitting up, during what turned out to be their final
British TV interview. Kevin says “I don’t think I realised it was the end at that point.” The band broke up that year, with Agnetha saying: “It suddenly got a bit heavy, it was not so fun any more.” More than 40 years later, the Abba Voyage Show has recreated the magic, with the band appearing as digital versions of themselves at the custom-built ABBA Arena near Stratford in East London. Bjorn says the stars are thankful for the longevity they have achieved. In a recording, he added: “Our music has lived on. It’s something we never dreamt of. Something happens and you don’t know exactly why and I think let it remain a mystery. A wonderful mystery.” When Abba Came to Britain, BBC2, next Saturday at 9.35pm. Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat ,
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