Japan tour 1980
The tour
The concerts
While the basic setting for this tour through Japan was identical with the 1979 concerts, there were some changes in detail. Agnetha’s hairstyle was a bit ‘Japanesque’ and Frida wore blue overknee boots and a short white jacket with her white costume. Like the icehockey shirts in North America and the football shirts in Europe Frida wore a baseball shirt and cap for Why Did It Have To Be Me.
According to Bright Lights, Dark Shadows ABBA were surprised about the calm reactions of the Japanese audience during the concerts, especially in opposite to the enthusiastic clapping at the end.
It is amazing how well behaved and polite the Japanese audience is. They applaud politely after every song. No extreme expressions of joy are allowed. Guards are running around all the time, cooling down the ones who try to stand up and dance to the music. But before the catchy music of ABBA even the guards have to surrender. When ABBA starts their encore, Dancing Queen, the whole concert hall is an ocean of enthusiastic, cheering audience.
ABBA in America, p.140
I do remember our bemusement when the Bukodan audience did not respond the way we were used to and when asking our promoter why, he said we had to tell them they were allowed to participate with the music and do whatever they felt like, like singing, dancing, clapping along and come up in front of the stage if they wished to. The next night at Björn's annoucement, the audience lifted the roof and we were all happy!
The New Otani Hotel in Tokyo was very special, with an enormous driving range outside our hotel windows. We tried Japanese traditional massage and for many years I kept a gown, which had the New Otani name woven into the fabric, until it was almost transparent and I finally had to throw it away!
One night I woke up with an odd feeling. My bed was moving and it took a few seconds before I realized it was because of an earthquake and that the whole building was swaying. Thank god it didn't last for long!
And I remember the four of us walking together in the Ginza shopping area and to our amusement noticed that we were giants compared to the delicate Japanese people, and later on Benny and I sneaked into the cinema where they played a movie with Elizabeth Taylor that was dubbed to Japanese with English subtitles.
Finally, I cannot write this without mentioning the delicious Japanese food. It was a culinary adenture for 4 young Swedish people.
Frida’s foreword for the Japanese compilation 40/40
Sadly not much is written and told about the Japanese tour, the more one must be happy that the special ABBA – ‘80 Concert Tour In Japan was released. One reason for the lack of information might be some language barrier regarding reports on fan sites and forums.
Rehearsals began on February 28, 1980, in Stockholm and ended on March 5. According to ABBA in America (p. 131) ABBA prepared the Japanese version of I Have A Dream in the Polar studios in the beginning of March.
On March 8 ABBA (in business class) and crew travelled to Tokyo via London and Anchorage. Background singers Tomas Ledin and Liza Öhman arrived the next day because they both performed at the Swedish Song Contest on March 8. After their arrival on March 9 they all drove to the New Otani Hotel where they had two floors for their own. On March 10 a press conference was held at the hotel with over 600 journalists and photographers attending. The hotel was ABBA's main base during the Japan tour which especially Agnetha welcomed very much:
Here in Japan it has been very well. We are staying in the same place the whole time and don't have to travel that much. I could perform every night for several years, but the trying part is not the performing but the travelling and the jet lag.
Agnetha in ABBA in America, p.146
On March 15 there was a photo session in the hotel’s Japanese garden. Apart from that ABBA spent most of their free time on March 15+16 in the hotel.
- Audience: 100,000 altogether
- ABBA travelled by express train within Japan
- one day Benny was out to see Sumo wrestling
- Officially recorded live material from the 1980 tour does exist.
- Set list
Set list
- Introduction: Gammal fäbodpsalm
- Voulez-Vous
- If It Wasn't For The Nights
- As Good As New
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Rock Me
- Not Bad At All
(by Tomas Ledin, sung by Tomas Ledin & Mats Ronander with Agnetha & Frida joining the backing vocals)
- Chiquitita
- Money, Money, Money
- I Have A Dream (final verse sung in Japanese by ABBA and a Japanese choir)
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- SOS
- Fernando
- The Name Of The Game
- Eagle
- Thank You For The Music
- Why Did It Have To Be Me
- Intermezzo no. 1
- I'm Still Alive
- Summer Night City
- Take A Chance On Me
- Does Your Mother Know
- Hole In Your Soul
- Encore – The Way Old Friends Do
- Encore – Dancing Queen
- Staff
Staff
The band
- Ola Brunkert – drums
- Anders Eljas – keyboards
- Rutger Gunnarsson – bass
- Mats Ronander – guitars, harmonica and vocals on Not Bad At All
- Åke Sundqvist – percussion
- Lasse Wellander – guitars
- Tomas Ledin – backup vocal, vocals and piano on Not Bad At All
- Lena Eriksson – backup vocal
- Liza Öhman – backup vocal
- Claes af Geijerstam – sound engineer
Management & technicians
- Stikkan Anderson – ABBA’s manager
- Görel Johnsen – Stikkan’s assistant
- Ingmarie Nilsson (now Ingmarie Halling) – wardrobe & makeup
- Elisabet Hofstedt – hair
- Rune Söderqvist – stage design
- Boose Norling – tour manager EMA Telstar
- Thomas Johansson – tour manager
- rest unknown
More information about people on the official site (Story –>The people).
- Instruments
Instruments
- Benny Andersson
- Yamaha CP-80 (the piano hight was adjustable through a hydraulic base)
- Yamaha GX-1
- Björn Ulvaeus
- accoustic guitar (probably Yamaha)
- Ibanez AR500
The guitar is a special construction and was produced in 1979 by Fuji Gen Gakki in Matsumoto, Japan and featured the word ‘ABBA’ on the cover of the trust rod.
- Anders Eljas
- Yamaha CP-70
- Hohner Clavinet D6
- SCI Prophet-5
- Yamaha GX-1
- Lasse Wellander
- guitar Fender Stratocaster 1962' with Schekter pick-up
- amplifier Music Man
- pedal board?
- Mats Ronander
- guiitar Fender Stratocaster
- amplifier Music Man
- pedal board?
- Rutger Gunnarsson
- Hagstrom Super Swede Bass (developed by him with the Hagstrom company)
- Ola Brunkert & Åke Sundqvist
- own setup with Sonor percussion like marimba, kettledrum....
- Links & sources
The Concerts
Click on each entry to open/close a window with details.
- March 12 – Tokyo
Tokyo, Budokan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 12,000 (sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
- a few hours before the first concert the stage construction for the lamps almost fell down
- according to ABBA in America (p. 153) ABBA didn't join in singing in Japanese on I Have A Dream at this concert
Recordings
The date for one of the Tokyo recordings we know about is unknown. On this one the audience is very calm. According to some statements about the Japanese audience it seems save to assume that it must be one of the very first concerts.
- Introduction: Gammal fäbodpsalm
- Voulez-Vous
- If It Wasn't For The Nights
- As Good As New
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Rock Me
- Not Bad At All
(by Tomas Ledin, sung by Tomas Ledin & Mats Ronander with Agnetha & Frida joining the backing vocals)
- Chiquitita
- Money, Money, Money
- I Have A Dream (final verse sung in Japanese by Japanese choir)
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- SOS
- Fernando
- The Name Of The Game
- Eagle
- Thank You For The Music
- Why Did It Have To Be Me
- Intermezzo no. 1
- I'm Still Alive
- Summer Night City
- Take A Chance On Me
- Does Your Mother Know
- Hole In Your Soul
- Encore – The Way Old Friends Do
- Encore – Dancing Queen
Links
- March 13 – Tokyo
Tokyo, Budokan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 12,000 (sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
Recordings
- See the entry for March 12.
Links
- March 14 – Koriyama
Kōriyama, Sogo Taiikukan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: sold out (7,000 ?)
Recordings
- No recording is known to exist.
Links
- March 17 – Tokyo
Tokyo, Budokan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 12,000 (sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
Set list
- According to ABBA in America (p. 157) ABBA join in singing in Japanese on I Have A Dream.
Fan recording March 17, track list
- Introduction: Gammal fäbodpsalm
- Voulez-Vous
- If It Wasn't For The Nights
- As Good As New
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Rock Me
- Not Bad At All
(by Tomas Ledin, sung by Tomas Ledin & Mats Ronander with Agnetha & Frida joining the backing vocals)
- Chiquitita
- Money, Money, Money
- I Have A Dream (final verse sung in Japanese by a Japanese choir)
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- SOS
- Fernando
- The Name Of The Game
- Eagle
- Thank You For The Music
- Why Did It Have To Be Me
- Intermezzo No. 1
- I'm Still Alive
- Summer Night City
- Take A Chance On Me
- Does Your Mother Know
- Hole In Your Soul
- Encore – The Way Old Friends Do
- Encore – Dancing Queen
Links
- March 18 – Tokyo
Tokyo, Budokan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 12,000 (sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
Recordings
- No recording is known to exist.
Links
- March 20 – Fukuoko
Fukuoko, Kyu Den Taiikukan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 2,000 (?, sold out)
Recordings
- No recording is known to exist.
- March 21 – Osaka
Osaka, Festival Hall
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 2,700 (?, sold out)
- Begin: 19.00
Recordings
- A fan recording of one of the Osaka concerts seems to exist though it apparently isn't available to a wider circle.
- March 22 – Osaka
Osaka, Festival Hall
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 2,700 (sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
- March 24 – Nagoya
Nagoya, Aichi-ken Taiikukan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 4,400 (?, sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
Fan recordings
- No recording is known to exist.
- March 26 – Tokyo
Tokyo, Budokan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 12,000 (sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
Recordings
- No recording is known to exist.
Links
- March 27 – Tokyo
Tokyo, Budokan
Facts & trivia
- Audience: 12,000 (sold out)
- Begin: 18.30
Recordings
- No recording is known to exist.
Links
