ABBA: Ring Ring - Live at Melodifestivalen 1973

www.abbatalk.com ★ There is no known video recording of this performance available in the SVT archive. I've cleaned up the audio (courtesy of KZbin channel Daffodil17) and created a simple montage of photographs (courtesy of Carl Magnus Palm/SVT).

[@albgardis]

There was actually a recording of this show, but at the time they were using magnetic tapes, and the archive was not unlimited like the internet is today. So believe it or not: the tape has been used again for another recording later on. I don't know whether young people will understand how tapes were used back then, you could actually record something else OVER the first recording, thus using the same tape again for another recording, but the first recording on that tape got deleted that way. And this happened to the ABBA performance. The audio we hear is the radio broadcast, luckily somebody recorded that, so we can listen to it today. Thank you whoever did that, and many thanks to the uploader here.

[@bennyandersson-topic15]

Thanks for your love and support I'm so happy to have a great fan like you

[@voteforscience]

The internet works the same. All of the data is still stored in a physical hard drive in a physical place. It can also be re-written.

[@Amthaus2600]

Bottomline, a lot of networks were saving money.

[@SCARAMOUSXL5]

IT A PITY TO BE ERASED THE PERFORMANCE OF ABBA!!!❤❤❤

[@ludwig2345]

​@@voteforscienceFun fact: The media archive is still magnetic tape. Modern tape is WAY WAY better than old tape though. It's also cheaper than wardrobes.

[@kolonodale]

The clothes of the girls were made by Anni-Frid herself, as she revealed in a recent interview

[@hannahringel4892]

kolonodale, do you have the link to this interview? I do love her yellow outfit. Did she also design that peachy pink overall for Inger Brundin?

[@yvonnestrong3856]

It's at about 3:50 in this interview. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4DGaZuddsygabM

[@resireg]

Her grandmother (who raised her alone as a Norwegian refugee in Sweden) became a seamstress, dressmaker and dishwasher in order to survive.

[@starkillerab1582]

Well she’s amazing at making Them

[@ilianna6059]

yes. agnetha couldn't find anything that could fit her as she was past her due date, so frida made her the outfit.

[@darciearchangel1409]

I really wish there was a complete vid of this🎊 Can we talk about how beautiful Frida looks here😍😍😍😍😍

[@Zichi14]

My Frida is gorgeous, sexy, and funny. Aahhhhh I love everything about her 🥰

[@Ajopeli]

They did not use the name "Abba" in 1973. That's why the anouncer says the performers names.

[@Brewitz123]

The name ABBA was coined by Stikkan Anderson in 1974 to shorten the name.

[@kzbxvz]

@@Brewitz123 And even before that they called thenselves "Festfolket"

[@michaelrochester48]

@@kzbxvz actually they used their full names because they were well known in Sweden, but that became too much even in Sweden because it took forever to say their name

[@kingmarshmusic]

Excellent! Not sure why this clip has dislikes, though?? An important historical moment! Thank you!

[@plerpplerp5599]

Who cares about likes or dislikes anyway?

[@Helga_Chornytsya]

Читаю книгу про АВВА и как раз про эту песню) Помню ее еще из своего детства) А саму группу слушаем уже не одно поколение)

[@bellabomba9588]

Can we talk about how beautiful Frida looks here😍😍😍😍😍

[@Deadbolt75]

Suited her better having straight hair

[@garygraham7926]

She looks beautiful anywhere she goes

[@Zichi14]

I love everything about Frida. When the camera focused on her tantalizing eyes omg I'm dead 😁

[@eduardooscar309]

Qué lindo recuerdo! con Agnetha embarazada y cantando en sueco Ring Ring era una muy buena canción, y aunque no alcanzó para triunfar, fue el hito basal para construir la victoria al año siguiente con la potente arrasadora y maravillosa Waterloo

[@mikebatlinh6650]

Very catchy song! Would have been in the final shake up with Luxembourg and Spain at Esc 1973!

[@ItIsGuido]

cant believe it did not make the finals of the Eurovision 1973!

[@amycrunch3812]

Wasn't popular vote back then. It was the stuffed shirts at the state media company.

[@elkenzo2]

You do ? It was a "Expert Jury who Voted...

[@anneaxling]

”Ring, ring” was very populair. The swedish peoples thought that it should be number one 🎉

[@HernanMendez-yg1uy]

No llegaron en ese momento mal posicionados .Hay que ver cual fue la cancion ganadora

[@zetvanzacharias9553]

Great to find this video and story on YT. This song (and certainly the studio version) equals Waterloo in every aspect and deserved a Eurovision contest victory as well.

[@tmallo1]

Amazing to hear this at last!!! Thanks so much!!!

[@vahvahdisco]

It’s a good job they recorded it on to vinyl and subsequently later formats and in more languages than just Swedish & English !

[@MARCOSJACOBY]

Thanks for that! It's a shame that have lost the original show record. But I have many thanks to you for these.

[@HernanMendez-yg1uy]

Que lastima que no hubo video en vivo en este concurso .Menos mal que alguien lo grabo.Igual hay videos de ese tema.

[@user-gx9sf9iu6o]

Agnetha was pregnent here and sang. She is very tender, Frida looks strict and serious. Super video and in Swedish. 💯

[@joehawley2164]

Great job getting pictures of this performance. Agnetha was pregnant then & these are the first pictures I've ever seen of her, in that condition.

[@martinpitts3861]

I'm pretty sure she was pregnant in the Ring Ring album cover shot. Their arms obscure her stomach so it's hard to see.

[@Gaish]

afaik frida made that maternity dress for agnetha herself since she had already passed the due date at this point

[@PearlsOfPassion]

@@martinpitts3861 On the vinyl edition, you can clearly see Agnetha's big and beautiful baby stomach om the backside of the cover.

[@user-tq5on1df6n]

Well.. A fan of Abba as I am, I'm not surprised they didn't make it to the finals that year 😄

[@gemshunter007]

❤❤❤❤very beautiful!!!❤❤❤❤

[@ColinMuzik]

Without her there wouldn't be such iconic outfits, she was more than just a voice

[@Anna-yp3bb]

I really wish there was a complete vid of this🎊

[@OhHowTheTurntablesHaveTurned]

There isnt one im not gunna explain it look at the comment about the tape

[@axelbordon94]

All started 50 years ago. Part of my life Is ABBA.years ago I Tattoed on my arm.

[@peterf1]

Terrific job of rebuilding a bit of lost ABBA history!

[@gerhardriedmann4087]

Ich finde das Lied gut. Auf alle Fälle besser als das 1973 Schweden beim ESC vertrat

[@onbe804]

excellent work !

[@stephenmclaughlin]

Love it Chris !! Many thanks !! Stephen X!

[@user-yp1ze7qc3m]

Strange that this sing did not win the swedish contest 1973. Many swedish people were very upset that it did not win. This is history. At this time the group still did not use the name ABBA. Instead they performed with the name Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and AnniFrid. And at this time Agnetha was pregnant.

[@leonardocodirenzi2284]

Lo vinsero ed andaron all'eurofestival 1974.Lo vi sero davanti a gigliola cinquetti con Si

[@cannedmusic]

Thank you for this!

[@gregorymata9154]

We all can differ from one another when it's Frida or when is Agnetha sounding . And when the blending is working

[@Anna-yp3bb]

❤️❤️❤️

[@MattPopOfficial]

All non-Swedes (like me): here's your chance to practise how to properly pronounce their names: 00:34

[@andybroadley7020]

Frida is also not Swedish.

[@herrfriberger5]

Yes it is, but her full name, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, is norwegian.

[@p.skadell3149]

She (Anni-Frid Lyngstad) is 50/50 norwegian-german, if you just look at where her parents were from. But! she is 100% swedish in heart and soul. Because that is where she grew up. And that is what we'd all feel like, if in her shoes, I bet. Yes, everybody want's to know their origin. And so did she. And she found it. Still; she's a swede as good as anyone. :-)

[@Trala52]

Well, since the original Swedes were actually German migrants, wouldn't that make her half Swedish? ;-)

[@hannahringel4892]

Sven Ekeberg, I thought her name was Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad when she was born. By the way: My third given name is Frida. Due to her.

[@qualqui]

AWESOME Upload, luvin' RING RING in beautiful Svenska, no problem with the translation as i already have the meaning imprinted in my brain,...ah, so here my dear Anyeta is expecting her baby girl, her first child? Thumbs up on this GREAT photo montage, thankin' ya for the COOL Share and greetings from Querétaro!! =)

[@lorifriedman8987]

Woo hoo!

[@mackenziezimmerer7926]

Notice how every ABBA fan is leaning in, hoping to see the original footage with thier ears. ☺

[@TheCarman47]

Annifrid is actually half German half Norwegian brought up in Sweden .

[@terryc.3390]

@william green...Not only half German. Her father was actually a Nazi soldier.

[@julied.9393]

I don’t know what you get from bringing that up🙃

[@pilardavg]

Cool!!!

[@GRAHAM2109]

Surprised there is no show available.

[@erikskifte8862]

Why they didnt win is a BIG mystery to me, but hey, look what happend anyway, LEGENDS WERE BORN😘🤩🥰

[@Detector1977]

Me not being alive then, my only question is HOW did this song not win....

[@resireg]

Actually it was good that they lost. Waterloo was way better song, ensuring them the Eurovision

[@sebastianarce3836]

probably because it was not in english lyrics

[@Th3F00L0N7HEhill]

​@@sebastianarce3836 even then I think that Abba would still perform this in English, in 1973, the same year that this aired, Eurovision got rid of the rule that states you couldn't sing in your non-native language, but in the selections, you still had to sing in your native language, especially in this year since the jury was filled with famous songwriters and experts, same case with nova/Malta the winner of melodifestival, they sang in swedish in the selections and performed English in Eurovision

[@nousslz]

#Rare

[@ravichristian6364]

nice

[@madabbafan]

Agnetha is clearly heavily pregnant in the pictures of her. Anni-frid may have had to have sung the lead solo if they won the Swedish selection that year

[@sann1spann1s]

That was just some week before giving birth to Linda

[@MrClassic.]

Many thanks for this nice clip, just can't believe SVT erased this... But surely there must exist a better quality audio recording, usually the Swedish public radio also broadcasts Melodifestivalen?

[@bennyandersson-topic15]

Thanks for your love and support I'm so happy to have a great fan like you.

[@dfuher968]

@Mr Classic I agree, its a real shame. Then again, NASA also recorded over the original moon landing tapes, all we have today of those are the grainy pictures from the tv broadcasters. Back then it was standard practice to reuse tapes, as they were expensive, and the storage took up a lot of space, so after a certain period, the tapes would be reused. And in the many cases iconic tapes, such as this ABBA performance, the moon landing and so many more, they either didnt recognise the significance at the time, or they simply forgot to put those tapes in special storage for safekeeping, and so they were recorded over without any1 even noticing it.

[@brockreynolds870]

Keep in mind, that although the broadcast was eventually taped over...they DID preserve the performance of the winning song, and that footage became the preview video. You can see that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3fNhYipjr-Sq7c

[@dragon_shoot9836]

Does anyone know where to find the complete audio recording of Melodifestivalen 1973?

[@surprisedadrianlol]

You can try mailing SVT or SR and ask for the audio recordings.

[@Lommy9999]

Rim! Rim!

[@timpows]

If Ring Ring had made it past the National Heat in Sweden, does anyone know if they had planned to do it in Swedish or English for Eurovision?

[@Angela-ss3fd]

timpows since they sung in the Eurovision with Waterloo in Svenska, chances were that Ring Ring would've been sung in Svenska.

[@tonycastell1209]

1973 was the first year since 1965 that songs could be sung at the Eurovision Song Contest in a language other than the competing country's and it is likely that it would have been sung in English, as they did with Waterloo in 1974.

[@superdresser]

Angela Heyou.. Check it out. ABBA did Waterloo in English. And as they were using ESC to promote their music,and they recorded Ring Ring in Swedish and English in the same sessions they definatly would have done it in English.

[@lifeinrussia1991]

@@Angela-ss3fd - do you not know anything about ABBA??? They did not sing Waterloo in Swedish at the Eurovision, they sang it in English!!!

[@davidmacgregor5193]

@@superdresser I think ABBA sang "Waterloo" in English for two reasons, Bjorn and Benny based the song on Roy Wood's "See My Baby Jive" a UK number one hit for Wizzard in 1973. The second reason is that the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Brighton, England, so a song sung in English was ideal for the contests location.

[@treetoon_]

I'm looking for the original recording of this as I'm after another song in that contest. Does anyone know where or who I might turn to?

[@poderancestral793]

3er ring ring / waterloo #1er

[@gracetorvill32]

is there a video of this performance?

[@albgardis]

There was actually a recording of this show, but at the time they were using magnetic tapes, and the archive was not unlimited like the internet is today. So believe it or not: the tape has been used again for another recording later on. I don't know whether young people will understand how tapes were used back then, you could actually record something else OVER the first recording, thus using the same tape again for another recording, but the first recording on that tape got deleted that way. And this happened to the ABBA performance. The audio we hear is the radio broadcast, luckily somebody recorded that, so we can listen to it today. Thank you whoever did that, and many thanks to the uploader here.

[@madabbafan]

@@albgardis The BBC used to do the same thing. Hence why so many things like many original Dr Who stories are missing.

[@KmsMohd]

ring and 73' warriors blew 3-1 lead

[@helenlindoff4638]

Jag gillar Abba låt ring ring bara när du slog en signal

[@agegroot5666]

Potential Eurosongwinner that not even made it to the Eurosong finals.

[@derlinclair1344]

This is in Swedish,,nicht wahr? aAnywAy,it's still goid.

[@user-ly8oc5zj6t]

Они не по французски поют?

[@katk5205]

Omg their accents! They definitely got better with english pronunciation

[@vladyslavkovalenko4454]

Because it's not English at all. It's the original Swedish version :v

[@lifeinrussia1991]

@@vladyslavkovalenko4454 - exactly!!! Some people are so stupid - how to confuse the Swedish language with English accents!!!

[@TangoEliott]

Ha ha ha ha

[@shar3066]

😂 there is not one single word in english here

[@sendowitos8303]

The Nova is so much better than this one

[@clearnews7344]

video was erased on purpose due to the pregnancy. in those days that was just a bit too much

[@LauRa-re9un]

In those days a bit too much? Where do you see now a woman pregnant on TV doing a job? Never. I believe they were more free than we are in these days.

[@bengtc]

No, no, nonsense. The truth is that most of the swedish contests were erased at the time. But since 1977 all contests are saved and made digital.

[@surprisedadrianlol]

@@bengtc *1974