Gabba (band) - History

History

Gabba was informally formed in 1996 by Stig Honda, alleged "professor at the Osaka Rock 'n' Roll High School", who enrolled five students from all over the world to fuse the disco pop of Abba and the punk rock of the Ramones, creating "disco-punk".

In 1999, the band took its name of "GABBA, The Discopunk Sensation". The name is an acrostic on the members' nicknames, echoing both the Ramones' "Gabba Gabba Hey" and the name of Abba.

Their second recording and official debut album, the CD Leave Stockholm (1999), was produced by Stigma Records (UK) and sub-distributed by Rough Trade Records.

According to a band statement, " GABBA release their complex 3rd album, the Spanish language "Tijuana Dance". However, the album was banned and withdrawn from sale after just 1 week for being "Anti-Establishment", due to some confusion over Bee Bee's appalling Spanish translations which inadvertently accused the Queen of England of being a Nazi Stormtrouper (in a stupor, no less). It is unclear if the album will ever be released again. "

Some of the facts on their Internet Website are similar to real facts of ABBA and Ramones:

• They write that they wanted to win the European Snog Contest, but they got the wrong application form, so they won the Eurovision Song Contest. This is the reference to the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, which ABBA won.
• The song for the "wrong" contest was Ring Ring "which was basically Sing Sing (Like Joey Ramone) but with new lyrics by Neil Sedated" (from the site http://www.gabba.co.uk/disco.html). ABBA tried first time to be at the contest in 1973 with Ring Ring, but they were sent out in the national vote.
• Also about the Spanish language album "Tijuana Dance". ABBA had recorded a spanish album.
• This GABBA-album was banned cause of lyrics about a "Nazi Stormtrouper". In 1980 ABBA was very popular in Russia (Soviet union), until "Super Trouper". A radio announcer translated the title of the song word-by-word on air. He translated it as a Super (like "perfect", "very good" etc.) Trouper (Trouper from Stormtrouper).
• Once in the news in 2005 the site wrote: Geeky & Bjoey haven't spoken for almost 5 years. In fact Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone didn't talk since Johnny married Joeys girlfriend. Joeys reaction to this was the song "The KKK took my baby away!"
• In reference to the website, in New York is a musical based on the songs of GABBA called "Papa Mao Mao", which of course is a reference to "Mamma Mia".