ABBA
Two Swedish singles trace the four singers’ first collaboration and their emergence as a group.
ListenHej Gamle Man! · 1970
Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson — “Hej Gamle Man!” with Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad on backing vocals.
Listen on YouTube ↗
1970 · Polar
Lycka / Hej Gamle Man!
The names on the record were Björn and Benny’s, but “Hej Gamle Man!” brought all four future ABBA members onto one recording for the first time. Agnetha and Frida supplied the backing vocals. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0098 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson |
| Release | 1970 · Sweden |
| Label | Polar · POS 1110 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm |
| Issue | Swedish issue · yellow picture sleeve |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | NM · NM sleeve |
Release history and significance
On a holiday in Cyprus in spring 1970, the two couples sang together and discovered how well their voices blended. That informal pleasure soon found its way onto “Hej Gamle Man!” Frida later remembered the recording as the beginning of ABBA. [2]
The single’s A-side, “Lycka,” was a ballad with Stig Anderson’s lyrics; its Salvation Army-style B-side became the hit. “Hej Gamle Man!” spent five weeks atop the Svensktoppen radio chart, and the single reached number five on Sweden’s sales chart. [2]
This 1970 collaboration preceded the 1972 release of “People Need Love,” when all four performers received the billing that would soon give way to the name ABBA. [2]
Market context
For the yellow-sleeve edition, Discogs reports recorded sales of US$5.81–24.42, with a median of US$12.46, as checked on 14 September 2026. Other sleeve colours have separate listings. [1]
Physical Description
Black vinyl in the original yellow picture sleeve. Polar POS 1110 couples “Lycka” on side A with “Hej Gamle Man!” on side B. [1]
Condition
The vinyl and yellow picture sleeve are both graded Near Mint.
Provenance
Acquired by the Origins of Modern Music Archive in February 2026.
Sources
- Discogs, Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson – Hej Gamle Man! / Lycka, release 6154493. Swedish yellow-sleeve edition, tracks, credits and recorded sales.
- ABBA, In focus: Lycka – the only Björn & Benny album. Official account of the Cyprus holiday, four-voice collaboration and release history.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.
ListenPeople Need Love · 1972
ABBA — “People Need Love,” 1972 television performance.
Listen on YouTube ↗
1972 · Polar
People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round (En Karusell)
Before they settled on the name ABBA, Björn, Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid put all four names on “People Need Love.” A modest Swedish hit in 1972 gave the collaborators a reason to keep singing together. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0035 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid |
| Release | 1972 · Sweden |
| Label | Polar · POS 1156 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm |
| Issue | Swedish issue · green picture sleeve |
| Runouts | A: POS 1156 A B: POS 1156 B |
| Recorded grade | VG+ · VG+ sleeve |
Release history and significance
Their first attempt at working as a quartet, a cabaret show called Festfolk, had drawn disappointing audiences. The four returned to their separate careers until Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson brought Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad into Stockholm’s Metronome Studio on 29 March 1972. Inspired by Blue Mink’s exchanges between male and female voices, they recorded “People Need Love.” [1]
At first this was a joint single rather than the launch of a permanent group. Its warm reception changed the calculation: the record reached number 17 on Sweden’s Kvällstoppen chart and number 3 on the radio chart Tio i topp. The ABBA name followed in 1973. [1]
Polar paired “People Need Love” with “Merry-Go-Round (En Karusell),” credited to Björn & Benny on the reverse. This Swedish edition preserves the green picture sleeve, one of several sleeve colours used for POS 1156. [2]
Market context
The Swedish Polar single appeared in several picture-sleeve colours, including the green version preserved here. Sleeve colour, paper wear and the survival of the push-out centre distinguish individual copies. [2]
A Swedish POS 1156 copy in a different sleeve colour sold on eBay for £49 on 16 February 2025. The seller described an intact four-prong centre, light vinyl marks and a creased sleeve with a one-centimetre split at the fold. [3]
Physical Description
Black vinyl with blue-and-white Polar labels and an intact push-out centre. The original green picture sleeve is made from thin paper. No inserts accompany this copy.
Condition
The disc and picture sleeve are graded VG+. The sleeve has handling wear, a stain at the upper left of the front and smaller marks on the reverse. It remains structurally sound.
Provenance
Acquired by the Origins of Modern Music Archive in August 2025.
Sources
- ABBA, People Need Love – The First ABBA Song. Official account of the session, release and early reception.
- Discogs, People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round, release 2901544. Polar POS 1156, Sweden, 1972; green sleeve and runouts.
- Popsike, People Need Love / Merry-Go-Round, Swedish Polar single. Archived eBay sale; £49, 16 February 2025, with sleeve and condition description.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.