ABBA Member Shoots Down Reunion Rumors

LONDON — Forget those reports that Swedish supergroup ABBA will be reuniting to cover Michael Jackson's sold-out concert dates.

"No one has even asked us, and if they asked us they would have 'no' as an answer, because (Jackson's concerts were) going to happen in a week," said Benny Andersson, who co-wrote ABBA hits like "Dancing Queen" and "Take a Chance on Me" with Bjorn Ulvaeus.

"And even if it wasn't happening in a week, no, no we're not on," Andersson said Friday.

Jackson died while preparing for a run of 50 shows at the 02 arena in London, set to kick off July 13.

There had been speculation that ABBA might reunite to fill the gaping vacancy at one of London's biggest and most important music venues.

AEG Live chief David Campbell was quoted in the Sun newspaper as saying, "There's a little foursome out in Sweden we keep talking to."

If so, that foursome wasn't Andersson, Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Annifrid Lyngstad, who unofficially disbanded in 1982. Millions of fans have been clamoring for a reunion ever since.

Andersson, 62, was in London on Friday promoting his new CD, "Story of a Heart."

He said he sympathized with AEG's plight. "All of a sudden, they have 50 nights and they are just empty, you know. I don't envy the situation of the management down there. I understand that they need to do something, but we are not the answer."

Comments

[MNTom]

07:24 AM on 07/06/2009

It would have been great if they had

[Sinclair]

04:00 AM on 07/06/2009

I heard a nasty rumor that they got together to consider a reunion and the rehearsal sounded like a mashup of Tom Waitts and Marianne Faithful (without the colorful storytelli­ng abilities of either Waitts or Faithful). Apparently the years were not kind to ABBA.

[Ohioan730]

09:55 PM on 07/05/2009

Is it just me or does ABBA make you want to shoot a stereo ala Elvis and Englebert? Just me? K thanks.

[plzchuteme]

05:13 PM on 07/05/2009

Why would anyone take anything that AEG says seriously.

[Bude]

09:17 AM on 07/05/2009

Who's ABBA? What's ABBA?

[Chinmusic]

09:21 AM on 07/05/2009

It's an ointment that eliminates free radicals from the skin, I think.

[Bude]

09:25 AM on 07/05/2009

Free Radicals? From where?

[Chinmusic]

09:26 AM on 07/05/2009

I don't know.

[SkuddGobang]

01:18 AM on 07/05/2009

Oddly enough, ABBA would probably be the only act big enough to fill in. King of Pop my Aunt Fanny. ABBA greased him.

[KCFreedom]

01:13 AM on 07/05/2009

Did we just avert the apocalypse­? :>)

I'm no fan, but all things considered­, I don't see that Abba would have been an appropriat­e substitute for Michael. Now the Jacksons, that might have been a good one. How hard could that be to get them?

It sounds like it was just rumors, anyway. I've heard Abba has been offered MILLIONS of dollars to re-unite in the past and they still said "no". It'd probably be hard to fit into those old spandex disco outfits, too.

[ChiGuy]

10:25 PM on 07/04/2009

And the bland-ific­ation of the music world is averted!

[Rangergirl]

05:07 PM on 07/04/2009

Too bad......T­hey are the greatest group ever.....

[mick7191]

07:08 PM on 07/04/2009

I'm sorry. I just can't take that seriously.

[ChiGuy]

10:20 PM on 07/04/2009

All your taste is in your mouth.

[truthseeker12]

12:48 AM on 07/05/2009

ABBA remain a fixture of radio playlists and are one of the world's best selling bands, having sold over 370 million records world wide; they still sell two to four million records a year. The film version of "Mamma Mia!" has grossed over $630 million worldwide. Apparently a lot of people have taste in their mouth - yours, obviously, is in the other end.

[HarlemFreeThought]

01:35 PM on 07/04/2009

If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey I'm still free
Take a chance on me

[CAMBEL]

10:14 AM on 07/04/2009

Madonna could take a lesson from ABBA, they walked away while they still had talent and popularity­. They didn't hand around like some broke friend sleeping on our floor like Madonna.

[Gasparilla]

12:11 PM on 07/04/2009

Madonna sleeps on your floor?

[KCFreedom]

01:17 AM on 07/05/2009

Do you have to kick Courtney Love off the floor first?

[jrandy]

08:01 PM on 07/04/2009

Your bitterness is astounding­, actually..­.

[rzan1]

10:14 AM on 07/04/2009

One of them has Azheimer's­, and one of the female singers has become reclusive and is extremely shy. She did not enjoy being famous. There won't be a reunion.

[HarlemFreeThought]

01:48 PM on 07/04/2009

My first ABBA song
http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=ST6qpR0iO­_s

[KCFreedom]

01:22 AM on 07/05/2009

Doesn't the blonde girl (can't remember which one she is) still perform music? I seem to remember I saw some solo CDs by her on the web not too many years ago.

[MNTom]

07:23 AM on 07/06/2009

She, Agnetha, released a 60's cover Cd in 2004. That was the last we heard from her. Its was a nice CD, for the CD showed off her talents more. SHE still can sing.

[murgatroyd]

12:56 AM on 07/04/2009

There will never ever be a full ABBA reunion and true fans already know this. Why you ask? Because Bjorn's memory is gone. He can't remember any of the songs, much less the times when they were at their peak. Just heartbreak­ing and sad. So why is the media trying to create a stir with an ABBA rumour? The 24hr news cycle needs to take a chill pill.

[KCFreedom]

01:19 AM on 07/05/2009

Yea, that's right. I couldn't remember what happened to him.

Alzheimers is an ugly sad thing. My uncle had it and it was horrible.

[Indy 44]

12:54 AM on 07/04/2009

ABBA: Everyone's guilty pleasure.

[TheBaffler]

08:08 AM on 07/04/2009

Not everyone.

[Chinmusic]

12:43 AM on 07/04/2009

Good!

[bpafree]

01:12 AM on 07/04/2009

Mutual sentiments­. No ABBA...mua­h!!!!!