Jean-Marie Potiez has closely followed ABBA’s career since 1974, when they won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton.
He is the ABBA expert in the French speaking countries, promoting their records and DVDs in collaboration with Universal. He worked for the French music magazine PLATINE, and is often invited on television and radio in France and Belgium to talk about ABBA.
In 1994, he conceived and co-directed the TV documentary Thank You ABBA which was distributed worldwide on videocassette by Polygram. He conceived the idea of an Anni-Frid Lyngstad double CD Frida 1967-1972 and collaborated with EMI Sweden in its development.
In September 2000, his ABBA: The Book was published in the UK, USA and Australia by Aurum Press. Universal France and Hors Collections published his second book ABBA La Légende in November 2001, in the French speaking countries.
In April 2006, his third book A Tribute To Frida, in collaboration with Philippe Elan, was published by the German publisher Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf.
Foreword by the author:
Since writing ABBA: The Book, I have wanted to create the most beautiful book published on ABBA, to pay homage to Anni-Frid, Björn, Benny and Agnetha and to thank them in my own way for all the pleasure they have given me since 6 April 1974. It is true to say that they actually changed my life! Even though they separated in 1982, the magic of ABBA lives on and their songs have the same emotional impact on me.
If since the 70s they have made the whole planet sing and dance, it is not by chance but because their music and good humour have put colour into our often grey and aggressive world. The cinema has paid them homage, their songs are sung by numerous artists and a new generation has fallen under the spell of ABBA. So allow me, through this book, to thank them in the best way I can and to share with you my passion and enthusiasm for the ABBA years!
I have put together ABBA: The Scrapbook with all my heart and energies and I wanted this new book to be a visual celebration that would take us back to the mid-70s when ABBA were performing and travelling the world with their magical music. I hope that ABBA: The Scrapbook will make you live (or relive) those wonderful times!
Thank you ABBA and thank you readers!
Jean-Marie Potiez
Paris, October 2008.