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Abbacadabra
''ABBAcadabra'' is a French children's musical based on songs from the pop group ABBA. It was originally produced for French television in 1983 by Alain and Daniel Boublil, but which was later also transferred to an English stage version and two other television programs. The story was not always the same as the selection of the chosen songs varied by productions. Productions Original French production The French television production consisted of 12 ABBA songs with new French lyrics by Alain & Daniel Boublil, and the story was based on classic fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White and others. The cast was made up of children and well known French singers like Fabienne Thibeault, Daniel Balavoine, Plastic Bertrand, Maurice Barrier, Daniel Boublil (as 'Daniel Beaufixe'), Francoise Pourcel (as Marie Framboise), Catherine Ferry, Stéphane Le Navelan, Stéphane Boublil (son of Alain), Clémentine Autain and Emmanuelle Pailly. Anni-Frid Lyngstad, also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. One of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, they became one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982, and in 2022. In Eurovision Song Contest 1974, 1974, ABBA were Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, Sweden's first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Waterloo (ABBA song), Waterloo," which in 2005 was chosen as the best song in the competition's history as part of the Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest, 50th anniversary celebration of the contest. During the band's main active years, it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daniel Balavoine
Daniel Xavier-Marie Balavoine (; 5 February 1952 – 14 January 1986) was a French singer and songwriter. He was hugely popular in the French-speaking world in the early 1980s; he inspired many singers of his generation such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Michel Berger, who was his closest friend, as well as the Japanese pop-rock group Crystal King. Balavoine was a part of the original cast of the rock opera '' Starmania'' in 1978, which was written by Berger. Balavoine also took part in motorsports and French political life; he is known for a 1980 televised verbal confrontation with then-Socialist presidential candidate François Mitterrand. In the French music business, he earned his place with his powerful voice, wide range and recognisable lyrics, which were full of sadness and revolt. His songs dealt in themes of despair, pain and death, although hope was present as well. Biography Childhood Balavoine was born on 5 February 1952 in Alençon, France. He was the youngest in a f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan village. He is created as a wooden puppet, but he dreams of becoming a real boy. He is known for his long nose, which grows when he lies. Pinocchio is a cultural icon and one of the most reimagined characters in children's literature. His story has been adapted into many other media, notably the 1940 Disney film ''Pinocchio''. Collodi often used the Italian Tuscan dialect in his book. The name ''Pinocchio'' is possibly derived from the rare Tuscan form ''pinocchio'' (“pine nut”) or constructed from ''pino'' (“pine tree, pine wood”) and occhio ("eye"). Fictional character description Pinocchio's characterization varies across interpretations, but several aspects are consistent across all adaptations: Pinocchio is an animated sent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Black (lyricist)
Donald Blackstone (born 21 June 1938) known by pen name Don Black is an English lyricist. His works have included numerous musicals, movie, television themes and hit songs. He has provided lyrics for John Barry, Charles Strouse, Matt Monro, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Quincy Jones, Hoyt Curtin, Lulu, Jule Styne, Henry Mancini, Meat Loaf, Michael Jackson, Elmer Bernstein, Michel Legrand, Hayley Westenra, A. R. Rahman, Marvin Hamlisch and Debbie Wiseman. AllMusic stated that "Black is perhaps best-known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and for the James Bond theme songs he co-wrote with composer John Barry: ' Thunderball', ' Diamonds Are Forever' and ' The Man with the Golden Gun'." Early life He was born Donald Blackstone in London, the youngest of five children of Russian Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, Morris and Betsy (née Kersh) Blackstone. His father worked as a garment presser and his mother in a clothes shop and during his childhood the family lived in a cou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Batt
Michael Philip Batt, LVO (born 6 February 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director and conductor. He was formerly the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry. Having achieved substantial international success as a solo artist, he is particularly known in the UK for creating The Wombles pop act, writing many hits including the chart-topping " Bright Eyes", and discovering Katie Melua. He has also conducted many of the world's great orchestras, including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony and Stuttgart Philharmonic in both classical and pop recordings and performances. Early life and career Michael Philip Batt was born on 6 February 1949, in Southampton, England. He attended Peter Symonds School, Winchester. His blog refers to his role as cadet Company Sergeant Major at the school. Batt began his career in pop music at the age of eighteen when he answered an advertisement plac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the ''New York Times''. He is the producer of shows including ''Les Misérables'', ''The Phantom of the Opera'', '' Cats'', ''Miss Saigon'', ''Mary Poppins'', '' Oliver!,'' and ''Hamilton.'' Mackintosh was knighted in 1996 for services to musical theatre. Two of his productions, ''Les Misérables'' and ''The Phantom of the Opera'', are the two longest-running musicals in West End history. In 2008, ''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked him number 7 in their list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture". In the '' Sunday Times Rich List'' of 2021, Mackintosh was estimated to have a net worth of £1.2 billion. Early life Mackintosh was born in Enfield, Lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arrival (composition)
"Arrival" is a 1976 composition by Swedish pop group ABBA featured on their album of the same name. It is an instrumental piece, mainly the brainchild of member Benny Andersson and had the working titles of "Fiol", "Ode to Dalecarlia" and "Arrival in Dalecarlia". Background "Arrival" was the second and last composition from the group not to contain lyrics, following " Intermezzo No.1" the previous year. As with "Intermezzo No.1", the choral tune, heavily influenced by traditional Swedish folk music, was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was recorded on 30 August 1976 at Stockholm's Metronome Studio. The title of the album, ''Arrival'', gave the instrumental its name, rather than vice versa. It was also one of the last tracks to be recorded for the album before its release on 11 October 1976. In 1983, a different version of the song with lyrics, called "Belle", was sung by Daniel Balavoine and Anni-Frid Lyngstad ("Frida") as part of the French musical ''ABBAca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen (born Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad on 15 November 1945), also known by her nickname "Frida", is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer, songwriter and environmentalist, who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the Swedish pop band ABBA. Born in Bjørkåsen (Ballangen), Norway, to a Norwegian mother and a German father, she grew up in Torshälla, Sweden, and started her first solo career there, as a jazz singer in 1967, through a talent competition called ''New Faces''. She won the competition with her song, "'' En ledig dag''", leading to a television appearance on ''Hylands Hörna'' on Dagen H; as a result, she was signed by EMI, and in turn was signed by Stig Anderson's record label, Polar Music, after years of releasing several singles and an album, ''Frida'' under the earlier record label. Although she had moderate success in Sweden, as she was a contestant for Melodifestivalen 1969 with her song "''Härli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catherine Ferry (singer)
Catherine Ferry (born 1 July 1953) is a French singer. In 1976, at the Eurovision Song Contest, Catherine Ferry represented France with the song "Un, deux, trois" (Tony Rallo/ Jean Paul Cara). She ranked second in the contest. Among the backing vocalists was Daniel Balavoine, who wrote the B side "Petit Jean". She worked and was produced mainly by Daniel Balavoine a famous French singer who wrote nearly 30 songs for her. In 1977, she took part in the Yamaha Festival in Japan. In 1982, she released at WEA the song "Bonjour, Bonjour" (Linda Lecomte/Balavoine). In 1983, she participated in the musical fairy tale "Abbacadabra" by Alain Boublil based on ABBA's songs. In 1984, the album "Vivre avec la musique" was released, produced by Andy Scott, with music by Daniel Balavoine, Joe Hammer and Michel Rorive, lyrics of Daniel Balavoine, Linda Lecomte, Patrick Dulphy, Bernard Balavoine and Francis Wauthers. Balavoine died in 1986, having failed to finish the French lyrics of a song or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plastic Bertrand
Roger François Jouret (born 24 February 1954), better known as Plastic Bertrand, is a Belgium, Belgian musician, songwriter, producer, editor and television presenter, best known for the 1977 international hit single "Ça plane pour moi". Biography Early life and bands Jouret was born in Brussels to a France, French father and Ukraine, Ukrainian mother. At the age of nine, he became a singer and drummer in the 'Buffalo Scouts Band', a group he formed with the Scouting in Belgium, Boy Scouts, which performed covers of The Rolling Stones, Rolling Stones songs. He then formed a band called The Pelicans, who performed at parties. They changed their name to Passing the Time, extending their act in bars, clubs and at festivals along the Dutch and Belgian coast. Later he was hired by pirate radio station Radio Veronica. Meanwhile, he continued his education at the Music Academy studying music theory and percussion, passing his degree at the Athénée Adolphe Max. Whilst awaiting ad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and '' Mamma Mia!'' He co-produced the films '' Mamma Mia!'' and ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' with fellow ABBA member and close friend Benny Andersson. He is the oldest member of the group. Early life Björn Kristian Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg on 25 April 1945. In 1951, he moved with his family to Västervik, Kalmar County. His parents were Aina Eliza Viktoria (née Bengtsson; 1909–2005) and Erik Gunnar Ulvaeus (1912–1999). Ulvaeus has one sister, Eva Margareta (born 1948). Ulvaeus studied business and law at Lund University after undertaking his military service, alongside comedian Magnus Holmström. Career Pre-ABBA Before gaining international recognition with ABBA, Ulvaeus was a member of the Swedish folk- schlager band Hootenanny Singers, known earlier as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
(I Am) The Seeker
''The Seeker'' is a song written by ABBA composers Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson towards the end of the group's career. The song was however not recorded by ABBA, but was 'given' by the composers to be included in the 1983 London staging of the originally French musical "Abbacadabra", based on 14 of the group's songs. The lyrics were altered for the show by Don Black and Mike Batt. The song was performed by singer and actor B. A. Robertson, and recorded for the English language cast album. It was used as the B-side to the single "Time". The song was re-recorded by Benny Anderssons Orchestra in 2007 with a new chorus and completely new lyrics, as well as a new title "Upp Till Dig", and was performed by Helen Sjöholm Marie Helen Sjöholm (; born 10 July 1970) is a Swedish singer, actress and musical theatre performer who lives in Gamla Enskede in Stockholm. She grew up in Sundsvall and started to sing in choirs at an early age, working, among others, with S .... So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
