Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is the song-by-song podcast which unlocks and shares the joy of ABBA.

A Christmas special episode! As a little present for you, I thought I'd gather together some of the ABBA-related highlights available this festive season. Below are some of the links I talked about.

THANK YOU for listening in 2024 and see you for more in 2025!

• LITTLE THINGS (official video)
• The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show from 1978
• 'ABBA Christmas' sketch from Saturday Night Live
• ABBA on BBC iPlayer
• ABBA on BBC Sounds
• Channel 5 (My5) website
• Sky Arts website
• Like A Magic Spell: ME AND I & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is the song-by-song podcast which unlocks and shares the joy of ABBA.

This special episode is an interview with longstanding ABBA author and biographer, Jan Gradvall, who's written a fantastic new book, The Book of ABBA: Melancholy Undercover. The phrase comes from a quote from Benny about the group's music: "Even the happier songs are melancholy at their core. What we did was melancholy, undercover."

The book is available to buy now.

Jan is also appearing in the UK at the end of October 2024:

• Wednesday 23 October - London, Waterstones, Piccadilly with Ana Matronic and performances from The ABBA Tribute Band.
• Thursday 24 October - Sheffield, Off The Shelf Festival with Daniel Dylan Wray, plus an ABBA and Eurovision Quiz.
• Friday 25 October - Glasgow, Waterstones with Gemma Cairney. "Come dressed in your finest ABBA outfits".

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is the song-by-song podcast which unlocks and shares the joy of ABBA.

For this season finale, our guest is the podcaster, life coach and all-round brilliant egg Alice Rose, and we cover THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, I WONDER (DEPARTURE) and I'M A MARIONETTE. It's fair to say that we have strong views on all three! There are laughs, tangents about The Sound of Music and an important question for listeners at the very end.

• THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC (official video)
• THANK ABBA FOR THE MUSIC (Brits performance)
• I WONDER (DEPARTURE) (official audio-only video)
• I WONDER (DEPARTURE) (Live From Sydney Showground, Australia, 1977)
• I HAVE CONFIDENCE (from 'The Sound of Music', sung by Julie Andrews)
• I'M A MARIONETTE (official audio-only video)
• I'M A MARIONETTE/GET ON THE CAROUSEL (Live In Australia)

Remember to get in touch with your thoughts on which ABBA album we should focus on in season three!

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is the song-by-song podcast which unlocks and shares the sheer joy of ABBA.

This week, Adrian is joined by writer and actor Ian Hallard to talk about MOVE ON and HOLE IN YOUR SOUL, and along the way they end up talking about West German shampoo commercials, counting the 'la-la-la's, and taking your own ABBA singles to your birthday party.

(And... SHHHHHH there's a secret something at the end of the episode that you cannot tell anyone about!)

• MOVE ON (official audio-only video)
• Gard West German shampoo commercial
• HOLE IN YOUR SOUL (official audio-only video)
• HOLE IN YOUR SOUL (concert footage)
• THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO (teaser trailer, December 2022)

Next week: THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, I WONDER (DEPARTURE) and I'M A MARIONETTE

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is a song-by-song podcast which unlocks and shares the sheer joy of ABBA.

In this international episode, Adrian is joined from Sydney, Australia by ABBA superfan Leo Chant to talk about ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN and THE NAME OF THE GAME. They talk about meeting Benny and Bjorn in a courtroom, hijacking kids' roundabouts to play at being ABBA, and is THE NAME OF THE GAME genius or madness?

• ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN (official video)
• THE NAME OF THE GAME (official video)
• THE NAME OF THE GAME (A*Teens version)

Next week: MOVE ON & HOLE IN YOUR SOUL

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is a song-by-song podcast which unlocks and shares the sheer joy of ABBA. We're back for season two and will be talking about ABBA - THE ALBUM, starting with the first two tracks: EAGLE and TAKE A CHANCE ON ME.

With this week's guest, literary editor and ABBA superfan Joelle Owusu, we talk about crimping irons, spending a "disgusting" amount in an ABBA gift shop, and the 1970s Look and Read serial Sky Hunter. There's also some AI-related ABBA nonsense at the end of the episode.

• EAGLE (official video)
• TAKE A CHANCE ON ME (official video)
• Look and Read - Sky Hunter (complete series with no educational bits)
• Nostalgia Podcast by Victoria Pennant

Next week: ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN and THE NAME OF THE GAME

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Hello, we're back! This trailer episode gives you a sneaky peek at what's to come in season two.

Every season of Like A Magic Spell deep-dives into an ABBA album and this season, we're looking at ABBA - The Album from 1977. Get ready for the new season by listening to the album on YouTube or on Spotify.

And please spread the word about the podcast - tell your friends, tell your family, tell strangers on the bus. It all helps!

Season two starts on Monday 2 September.

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

• Lorraine Bowen's website
• The Brighton Dome website
• WATERLOO anniversary celebrations on radio and TV - from Ian Cole's excellent ABBA Omnibus blog

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is a song-by-song podcast which unlocks and shares the sheer joy of ABBA.

In this episode, Adrian and author, podcaster and mum Molly Forbes dig into LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME and THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO (LIVE). As well as discussing the music, they ramble into all sorts of areas including unrequited love, comparing ABBA songs to aerobic workouts, and having to Google things to understand what children these days are on about. With a guest appearance from Molly's nine year-old, Effie!

• LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME (official lyric video)
• LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME (BenFlo harmonies version)
• THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO (LIVE) (audio-only video from ABBA YouTube channel)
• The Way Old Friends Do (website of Ian Hallard's play)
• The Body Happy Organisation (Molly's website)
• A*Teens medley from Melodifestivalen, Saturday 3 February

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones

Everyone has an ABBA story. Like A Magic Spell is a song-by-song podcast which shares and unlocks the sheer joy of ABBA.

In this episode, Adrian and ABBA fan Jamie Brown talk about OUR LAST SUMMER and THE PIPER from the SUPER TROUPER album. They cover the 'fifth member' of ABBA, how to write a song about a fascist dictator, and mangling the word 'croissant' so it fits into a song.

• OUR LAST SUMMER (audio-only video from ABBA YouTube channel)
• THE PIPER (audio-only video from ABBA YouTube channel)
• Lasse Wellander obituary from The Guardian, Monday 10 April 2023
• Get Onto My Cloud: The Tim Rice Podcast

Next week: LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME & THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO (LIVE)

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: [email protected]

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones