SEVENTIES POP phenomenon ABBA have reportedly turned down a BILLION DOLLARS to get together for a final world-wide tour.

While many see this as nothing short of sheer madness, the Swedish four-piece are saying that NO AMOUNT of money would persuade them to reunite for the proposed 100-date tour.

"It's a hell of a lot of money to say no to," said band member Benny Andersson, "but we decided it wasn't for us."

The money, offered by a consortium of British and American businessmen, would have reunited the band for the first time in 17 years and almost certainly would have proved a safe investment after the band's recent world-wide revival and an upsurge in popularity of Seventies disco pop.

Both Benny and fellow band member Bjorn Ulvaeus attribute ABBA's renewed success to the fact that they HADN'T got back together again, after splitting up in 1983.

"We have never made a comeback," said Bjorn. "Almost everyone else has. I think there's a message in that."

We think someone should try telling that to Mick Jagger and his ageing cohorts...