London:  They ruled the music scene in the 1970s and now the legendary Swedish band ABBA is releasing a never-before-heard number "Twinkling Star to a Passing angel" after almost two decades.

The group unearthed the demo from their old records where it lay forgotten in a studio backroom for decades after failing to make the final cut of their final studio album, "The Visitors" in 1981, the Daily Mail reported.

The song will be the band's first new release since 1994, when they issued a Thank You For The Music box set that included fresh tracks.

A statement on the band's website said: "For ABBA fans, the most sensational inclusion in the package will be the previously unreleased track, 'From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel (demos)'.

"This is the first time since the Thank You For The Music box set in 1994 that ABBA have opened the doors to the tape vaults to release previously unheard music from the group's heyday."

Abba, made up of Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, was officially formed in 1973. They reached international fame when their song "Waterloo" won the 1974 Eurovision song contest and followed it with a number of hits, including memorable ones like "Take A Chance On Me", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia" and many others.

Faltskog and Ulvaeus married in 1971 and Lyngstad and Mr Andersson married in 1978, but the band's continuing success put a strain on their relationships, both of which ended in divorce. The band also broke up in 1982.

Tags: Press Trust of India