The folkpark tour 1973 – Swedish folkparks
The tour
The Concerts
Unfortunately there is only rudimentary information about this tour. ‘ABBA’ toured as Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida. The reception of the shows apparently was good. During the tour ABBA often worked in the studio on their own music or for other Polar artists.
In the end of 1972 En hälsning till våra parkarrangörer was recorded, a single which was produced for park managers to promote ABBA and other Polar artists and their tours.
Rehearsals were done at the Ekeby school. According to the community the deal about the rehearsals actually was no costs for using the school, but a free concert for the youth in Stockholm Vallentuna. It never happened though.
Most of the venues according to the information in ABBA The Book, but ABBA did 80 concerts between June 15 and September 9, mainly on weekends with up to four venues per day. Through other sources and internet research several of the missing venues could be traced, but some still are missing.
The reviews were polite if not unduly enthusiastic, although this didn’t seem to matter much to audiences who simply couldn’t get enough of Sweden’s number one hit group. As for their own feelings, Björn and Benny in particular had seen all they needed from folkparks of the country. While Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida were certainly wise to build on the momentum of their new-found success, and Benny avowed that they all shared a nostalgic longing for the park circuit, the reality was that being onstage no longer held any special attraction for the male half of the group. In addition, they were obliged to spend their between-gigs weekdays producing records by dance bands, religious singers and children’s choirs, to name just a few of their chores that summer.
Bright Lights, Dark Shadows, p. 194
There are happy memories of this tour, but it was time for it to come to an end because we were all exhausted. I lost 7 kilos. When you realize that sometimes we did even three shows on the same day, it was madness.
Frida in ABBA The Book, p. 84
When Friday comes and I have to leave her [Linda], I just sit and cry. Cramming myself into a bus and tearing away to some folkpark stage is the last thing I want. But what can I do? If I stay at home the whole show will collapse. Everybody else will be without a job.
Agnetha according to Bright Lights, Dark Shadows, p. 195
- Set list
Set list
about 30-45 minutes, songs included:
- Ring Ring (Swedish version?)
- People Need Love
- Nina,Pretty Ballerina
- Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
- He Is Your Brother
- Vart ska min kärlek föra (Agnetha)
- Man vill yu leva lite dessemellan (Frida)
- Omkring tiggarn från Luossa (Björn)
- I Get Around (originally performed by The Beach Boys)
- Nu har turen kommit till mig
(tune: Fairfax Rag, lyrics by Bosse Carlgren, sung by all four, Benny playing ukulele) - Barnvisor (medley of Swedish children's songs, lyrics by Bosse Carlgren, sung by all four)
- Ring Ring (English version as encore?)
This list does not reflect any actual order, but the songs seem accurate according to the Youtube channel Bobby’s Brother. He refers to the current exhibition at Länsmuseet Gävleborg (May 12-September 3, 2023) and the accompanying book about the history of Gävle’s folkpark.
- Staff
Staff
- Rutger Gunnarsson (bass)
- Anders Nord (guitar)
- Kjell Jeppson (drums)
- Hans "Berka" Bergkvist ???
More information about people on the official site (Story –>The people).
- Recordings
Recordings
- No recordings available.
- En hälsning till våra parkarrangörer – 1972 single produced for park managers to promote their 1973 folkpark tour
- Links & sources
Links
- Bosse Carlgren’s site
- ABBA in Belgium – watch this clip of a Belgian TV performance to get a little idea of ABBA on stage in 1973
- Youtube channel Bobby’s Brother – ABBA’s Concert Tours - Part 1: 1970-1973 (A Mini-Documentary)
The Concerts
Click on an entry to open/close a window with details.
- 1973, June 15 – Gothenburg / Lidköping / Anderstorp
picture for illustration only, it doesn't show an ABBA concertGothenburg, Liseberg
Trivia
- Begin: 19.00
Links
- Lisepedia – some notes and a couple of pictures about ABBA’s visits to Liseberg
- Kamerareportage bildarkiv – lots of unpublished pictures of ABBA’s visits to Gothenburg in this database.
Lidköping, folkets park
- details unknown
Anderstorp
- details unknown
- 1973, June 16 – Kongsvinger (Norway) ? / Rättvik / Avesta
Kongsvinger (Norway)
- date needs a final confirmation
- venue according to a post by a fan in a forum
- the fan says ‘spring’
The band was doing a matinee show before returning to do a regular dance gig later in the evening. They didn´t have a proper bandname, but named themselves by their first names; Agneta, Annifrid, Bjørn & Benny. After the show they sold copies of their latest 45; Ring ring/Åh, hvilka tider. I spent all my money on a copy, they were very nice people and they even signed it for me.
many thanks to JOÃO for the support
Rättvik, Parken
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.00
Avesta, Parken
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 24.00
- 1973, June 17 – Regna / Högsjö / Årjäng / Åmortfors
Regna, Hembygdsgården
Facts & trivia
- Audience: up to 3,000 (compared to average audiences at Regna of 400-500)
- Begin: around 13.00?
- ABBA was booked for just 2,400 crowns for this concert in 1972 already. According to the information in Folkbladet in June 2013 (see link below) Stig Anderson tried to get out of this contract later because fees increased to at least 15,000 crowns after ABBA performed Ring, Ring at Melodifestivalen 1973.
Links
- Folkbladet Östgöten (Sweden), June 18, 1973 – Report about the concert at Regnagården, direct link to scan
- Sveriges Radio (Sweden), March 16, 2010 – En av ABBA:s absolut första konserter, scan also available here together with some notes
- Folkbladet (Sweden), June 4, 2013 – ABBA spelade i Regna för 2 400 kronor (ABBA played at Regna for
2,400 crowns)
Högsjö
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 16.00
Links
- Mikory’s ABBA-blog – ABBA live in Högsby 17 June 1973 - 40 years ago, several pictures [mislabelled as
Högsby?]
Årjäng
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.00
Åmortfors
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.00
- 1973, June 22 – Lappvattnet / Lycksele
Lappvattnet
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 22.00
Lycksele, Fäbovallen
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 01.00
- 1973, June 23 – Kornsjö / Överkalix / Tärendö
Kornsjö
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 13.30
many thanks to JOÃO for the support
Överkalix
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.30
Tärendö
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 24.00
- 1973, June 30 – Östervåla / Gävle
Östervåla
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 22.00
Gävle
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 24.00
More information
- May 2023 exhibition at Länsmuseet Gävleborg with an accompanying book about the history of Gävle’s folkpark: Vi lever – 50 år på Folkparken (includes some ABBA concert pictures)
- 1973, July 1 – Söderbykarl / Stockholm
Söderbykarl
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 17.00
Stockholm, Kungsträdgarden
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 19.30 “Sommar i Centrum”
- 1973, July 3 – Visby
Visby, Murgrönan
Facts & trivia
- concert in front of the town wall
- Begin: 22.00
Pictures provided by Tobias Grönberg
- 1973, July 4 – Gamleby
Gamleby Folkparken
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 3,500
- Begin: unknown
- 1973, July 5 – Simonstorp
Simonstorp
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 22.00
- 1973, July 6 – Oskarshamn
Oskarshamn, Folkets Park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.00
- Agnetha’s & Björn’s daughter Linda was christianed in Västervik that day
- 1973, July 7 – Södertälje / Mariefred
Södertälje
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 22.00
Mariefred
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.00
- 1973, July 8 – Grängesberg / Dala-Floda
Grängesberg
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 19.30
Dala-Floda
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 22.00
- 1973, July 13 – Köping / Stockholm
Köping
Facts & trivia
- no details known
Stockholm, Dyschan club
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 00.30
- 1973, July 14 – Säter / Borlänge
Säter, Säterdalens Folkets park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.30
Borlänge
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.30
- 1973, July 15 – Storön Sveg / Mora
Storön Sveg – Folkparken
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 19.30
- the fee was 2,057 SEK
information and pictures provided by Logpunkarna från Linsellsjön
Mora
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.00
- 1973, July 20 – Sunnemo
Sunnemo, Folkets Park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.00
- Audience: unknown (capacity once was up to 5,000)
- 1973, July 21 – Lysvik / Sysslebäck
Lysvik
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.30
Sysslebäck
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 00.00
- 1973, July 22 – Kungsbacka / Vegby / Upplands Väsby
Kungsbacka
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 18.00
Vegby
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.00
Upplands Väsby, Bonnlunda (?)
Links
- Mikory’s ABBA Blog – ABBA in Upplands Väsby 1973, features two rehearsal pictures
- 1973, July 27 – Hammarstrand
picture for illustration only, it doesn't show the ABBA concertHammarstrand, Qul i backen
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 20:00
- Venue is called Trätojordsbacken today.
- 1973, July 28 – Viskan / Noraström
Noraström
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.30 (?)
Viskan, Folkets park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.00
Thanks to Mike from the Trinkelbonker blog.
- 1973, July 29 – Östersund / Svenstavik
Östersund, Jamtli museum
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 19.30
Apparently there was a bombscare at the Östersund venue (Jamtli) as the leader of the party Centerpartiet Thorbjörn Fälldin held a speech there in front of 4,000 people. Not sure of the details but my guess is that Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida had already left by then for the second booking that night in Svenstavik.
Many thanks to Mike from the Trinkelbonker blog.
Svenstavik, Galhammarudden
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 4,000
- Begin: 22.00
- the fee was 3,000 kronor in total (the usual fee for a concert act)
- ABBA changed costumes in their bus
- set list was 45 minutes
- concert was part of the annual festival Svensta marknad at Galhammarudden
...we did not even have a stage. They stood on a flatbed truck and there they stood and played.Former park manager Ulf Horn, 2014
I'll never forget it. It was the end of July 1973, they came driving in a Mercedes bus and I was there and greeted them welcome. We offered them coffee and sandwiches before the show and they ate and were so grateful for it.Former park manager Ulf Horn, 2016
It was about as it always used to be on Galhammarudden at the time. There were many people, and many were certainly attracted by the new group [...].Former park manager Ulf Horn, 2016
[After their gig] They sat in the bus and I remember that there was a long queue of people who wanted autographs. Agnetha was sitting in the passenger seat and signed through an open window. When it was
finished, they went away with their Mercedes bus. Wherever they went then I do not know, but probably on a new gig somewhere in the North.Former park manager Ulf Horn, 2016
It was me and Ulf who took care of the bookings and advertising, and [...] it was me who absolutely insisted that we would have hit them. “Nah, fuck this, we should not have”, said Ulf. But I stood my ground and said they were the best performers this year.Former co-manager Gunnar Eriksson, 2016
Links
- P4 Extra (Sweden), April 3, 2014 – När ABBA kom till byn, radio interview with former park manager Ulf Horn
- SVT (Sweden), April 11, 2014 – ABBA på Galhammarudden, TV report
- Östersunds-Posten, May 31, 2016 – Nolervik: När Abba spelade på ett lastbilsflak i Svenstavik, report and pictures
- 1973, August 3 – Alstermo / Kalmar
Alstermo, Hasselbacken
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.00
Kalmar, Folkets Park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.30
- 1973, August 4 – Mariestad / Falköping
Mariestad, Karlsholme Folkets Park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.15
Falköping, Folkets Park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.30
- 1973, August 5 – Lerdala / Trädet
Lerdala, Gröna Lund
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 16.30
Links
- Skövde Nyheter (Sweden), March 17, 2013 – Gröna Lund fyller 70: ’Abba visited the park just before they hit it big in 1973’.
Trädet
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 19.00
- 1973, August 11 – Tranemo / Kiruna
Tranemo, Parkudden
Facts & triva
- ABBA played “on a flatbed truck from Jabo”.
- Begin: 17.00
Links
- Sveriges Radio (Sweden), March 21, 2014 – Parkuddens vänner vill ‘rädda’ sin gamla festplats
- Ulricehamns Tidnung (Sweden), March 22, 2014 – Parkudden har många vänner
- Västarvet (Sweden). October 18, 2017 – Abba uppträdde på ett lastbilsflak vid Parkudden i Tranemo
Kiruna
Facts & trivia
- no details known
- 1973, August 12 – Skellefteå
(The picture shows ABBA during rehearsals in 1975.)Skellefteå, Bursiljum Folkparken
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 1,700-1,800 (?)
- Begin: 20.00 (?)
Links
- Bursiljum Folkparken – short note about the concert
- 1973, August 14 – Söderhamn
Söderhamn
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.00
- 1973, August 17 – Nykroppa
Nykroppa
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 22.30
- 1973, August 18 – Hofors
Hofors
Facts & trivia
- no details known
- 1973, August 20 – Stockholm
Stockholm, Malmen Club
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 24.00
- 1973, August 24 – Österbybruk
Österbybruk
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 22.30
- 1973, August 25 – Örebro / Kristinehamn
Örebro
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.30
Kristinehamn
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 24.00
- 1973, August 26 – Karlstad
Karlstad
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 15.00
- 1973, August 31 – Mysen (Norway)
Mysen (Norway) – Momarkedet festival
60th anniversary of the Norwegian Red Cross
Facts & trivia
- performance of Ring Ring (English version?) in front of a live audience
Recordings
- apparently their was no broadcast on TV and there is no recording in the archives
it is unknown, if it was recorded for TV at all
Links
- ABBA on TV – information
- 1973, September 1 – Karlskoga / Vretstorp
Karlskoga
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.00
Links
- ABBA Intermezzo Magazine #86 – Several pictures (mislabelled as June 17?)
Vretstorp, Folkets Park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 23.00
- Audience: 1,889
- 1973, September 2 – Nääs / Gothenburg
Nääs, Plockmarknad
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 16.00
- Lions Club Floda-Grabo
Gothenburg, Restaurant Lobo
Facts & trivia
- no details known
- 1973, September 7 – Sölvesborg
Sölvesborg
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 20.30
- 1973, September 8 – Kristianstad
Kristianstad
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 21.00
- 1973, September 9 – Malmö
Malmö, Folkets park
Facts & trivia
- Begin: 20.00
- Fees: 3,000 kronor
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