Like A Magic Spell: Unlocking the Joy of ABBA – Details, episodes & analysis

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: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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.

For this episode, Adrian is joined by music journalist and host of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast, Steve Holden to discuss ME AND I and HAPPY NEW YEAR. They talk about when Steve met Björn over Zoom, the perils of Mexican fireworks and, inevitably, the bleakness of New Year.

• ME AND I (audio-only video from ABBA YouTube channel)
• ME AND I (Dick Cavett Meets ABBA performance)
• Dick Cavett Meets ABBA (full show)
• ABBA on TV (fan site listing every TV appearance by ABBA)
• HAPPY NEW YEAR (official video)
• Article: How an ABBA Classic Becomes the Anthem of Vietnam's New Year Celebration
• Article: SVT celebrates ABBA with a big gala evening (in Swedish)
• The Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast with Björn Ulvaeus and Martin Österdahl

Next week: OUR LAST SUMMER and THE PIPER

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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 journalist and ABBA fan Ian Jones put ON AND ON AND ON and ANDANTE, ANDANTE under the musical microscope. We get a bold claim about Frida's voice, a direct comparison between ABBA and The Beatles  - and can ABBA bring people back from the dead?!

• On And On And On (official video)
• Andante, Andante (official video)
• Yes, Scotland did have its own chart until 2020

Next week: ME AND I and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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 entertainment reporter Sinéad Garvan dive in to look at SUPER TROUPER and THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL,  and get distracted with talk of YouTube comments, the grind of touring and Beverley Craven.

• Super Trouper (official video)
• The Winner Takes It All (official video)
• The Winner Takes It All (Sarah Dawn Finer - Eurovision Grand Final 2013)

Follow Sinéad on Instagram

Next week: ON AND ON AND ON and ANDANTE, ANDANTE

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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 those stories and unlocks the sheer joy of ABBA.

This first episode explains why we're starting with SUPER TROUPER, how you can get involved - and has a little taster of what's to come.

Instagram: likeamagicspell
Email: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

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: likeamagicspell@gmail.com

Produced and hosted by Adrian Stirrup
Music by Ian Jones