Mysteries solved!

Many ABBA books over the years (starting with ABBA For The Record in 1980) have listed three mysterious instrumental songs that are supposed to be heard in ABBA – The Movie, ‘Johan på snippen’, ‘Polkan går’, and ‘Stoned’. They have often been desribed as “traditional” tunes. The 1982 video cassette of The Movie released in the UK featured an inlay card listing all the songs in The Movie, including these three titles. But these three songs have never been clearly identified – until now!

‘Johan på snippen’ is the Swedish “polka” tune played in the backstage dressing room (in “Perth”) by Benny on accordion, Ulf Andersson on clarinet, and Rutger Gunnarsson on bass, while other members of the backing band clap along. It was written by Swedish composer Gaston René Wahlberg in 1922.

‘Polkan går’ is heard very quietly in the background of the very next scene, again played by Benny on the accordion, as Ashley tries to convince the bodyguard he has an interview with ABBA and is thrown out of the backstage area (just before ‘Rock Me’). It was written by Swedish composer and pianist Pierre Nymar in 1925.

‘Stoned’, written and performed by Clive Hicks, is heard very quietly during the scene when ABBA are in the hotel room (in “Perth”) reading the reviews of the Sydney concert. The song was written as so-called wallpaper music, designed to be played in the background of films and television programmes. ‘Stoned’ is described as “hard rocker in the style of The Rolling Stones”. It is preceded by a jingle for Sydney radio station 2SM, and sounds as a radio is playing in the background.