The Swedish internationally acclaimed pop-group, ABBA actually started out with a number of schlager songs in their repertoire.
Bjorn Ulvaeus, the lead guitarist and co-composer of many of their songs, had his roots in an American-styled folk group in the 60s and easily slid over into the European variant of that.
Ulvaeus co-composed a sentimental schlager tune which they entitled, "Hasta Manana", after their manager Stig Anderson hastily worked up some English lyrics for it.
They almost performed this schlager offering in their 1974 debut performance in the Eurovision competition, but at the last minute decided to go with their soft rock pop song "Waterloo."
They won that competition and Waterloo became their first international pop hit.
But their career almost took a schlager music turn and could have had an entirely different result.
Here is the schlager tune, "Hasta Manana" which ABBA almost performed in the 1974 Eurovision competition:
For a more detailed version of this story with videos of ABBAs 1974 Eurovision performance go to The Chicago Schlager Music Review.
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Comments invited, however anonymous commentors had better deal directly with the issues raised and avoid ad hominem drivel. As for Teachers' Union seminar writers -- forget about it.