ABBA blog

It's been a while since you heard from me on the subject of my forthcoming book,  ABBA On Record - Packaged Promoted Reviewed, so here's a report from CMP headquarters.

The main message is: I'm working on it, and everything's going really well. I try to avoid the dreaded C-word that's on everybody's lips these days, but I can report that the current, depressing state of the planet doesn't affect my work very much. I've been working from home for the best part of three decades, so I just go on as before. In a way, isolation is my natural state of being.

For me, writing books isn't only about imparting whatever knowledge I may have amassed through research, but also about the excitement of my own discoveries. It's often only when I pull all my research together on a certain subject - say, the release of the 'SOS' single, to take a random example - that the full story reveals itself to me. It's such a buzz, and suddenly the almost-mechanical hoarding of information becomes meaningful. It's happening a lot when I'm working on this book, so I'm confident that you will feel the same buzz when you read the finished work.

I'm keeping safe and staying healthy. I've always been a walk-a-holic, and these days, since I avoid public transport altogether, my walks are even longer, which can only be a good thing. I help an elderly lady in my building with the shopping, which feels good: at least I'm doing something for the show (ABBA fans will understand the reference). But otherwise it's work as usual.

The delay of the book - I naïvely had originally expected to publish in the spring of 2020 - has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It would have been disappointing not to be able to do some kind of event when ABBA On Record is published, and I do hope that will be possible when the book is finished in 2021.

In the meantime, thanks again to everyone who has pre-ordered the book so far. Your excitement and faith in the project is what now enables me to concentrate fully on writing the book.

If you want to learn more about the book and perhaps support the project, please visit abbaonrecord.com.