22 January 2004 Billboard Magazine©
With the "Mamma Mia!" musical going strong in 10 worldwide productions (three more will premiere this year) and the impending 30th anniversary of ABBA's Eurovision Song Contest victory, group member Agnetha Fältskog has signed a worldwide deal with Warner Music Scandinavia for her first album in 17 years.
The news that Fältskog had returned to the studio to record an album of cover songs sparked intense courting by several interested record companies. WMS president Jonas Siljemark says the album, titled "My Coloring Book," will be released in the second quarter of 2004, preceded by a single. WMS has distributed Fältskog's recordings since she left the ABBA camp.
"It is a thrill that we at Warner Music will work with an artist as fantastic as Agnetha," Siljemark said. "We are pleased that she will continue her relationship with Warner as Bo Frolander, our Scandinavian marketing director who was instrumental in securing the deal, was involved in her last album, [1987's] 'I Stand Alone'."
Fältskog has co-produced the upcoming set with Anders Neglin and Dan Strömkvist. The first single, "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind," was originally recorded by Cilla Black. The title cut was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb and has been recorded by artists such as Brenda Lee, Sandy Stewart, Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield.
reported by Jeffrey DeHart, Stockholm