Abba

Once known for successful pop records and a wardrobe of polyester jump suits, this is a reassessment of a band now cemented in their position as one of the all time great pop acts. ABBA were once reviled by most critics, but now bands like Bjorn Again and Erasure keep the phenomenon thriving. This is their background story. Written with the co-operation of the members of the band, Andrew Oldham's biography features the early years when as engaged couples as they then styled themselves, they failed to make it as Sweden's entrant for Eurovision with a song called "Waterloo". It caused a national outcry. It is a history of worldwide hit records, infighting, partner swapping, and financial disaster – they do not get one kroner in royalties for many of their songs – and bitterness. But it is also a story of triumph.

Andrew Loog Oldham is an English record producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 to 1967, and was noted for his flamboyant style. In 1965, Oldham set up Immediate Records, one of the the first independent labels in the UK. Among the artists that he signed and/or produced or guided were the Small Faces, Rod Stewart, the Nice, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. He co-wrote a biography of ABBA with Tony Calder and three autobiographies: Stoned, 2Stoned, and Rolling Stoned in which he and other music figures recount his days as a manager, producer and impresario. He was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.