ABBA single by single thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Haristar, Apr 7, 2018.

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  1. David G.

    David G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Chess was fairly successful due to a couple of factors. Benny & Björn were certainly one of the factors. Murray Head and "One Night in Bangkok" helped, too. Having a big West End name like Elaine Paige attracted the 'musicals' crowd.

    One of my favorite songs from Chess, "Nobody's Side," is one that seems very similar to the 1982 ABBA material.

     
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  2. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    All of those are on my Christmas wish list. Every year. Let´s keep our fingers crossed.
     
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  3. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    A great selection of songs! I miss a few of my own favourites, but that will always be the case when choosing just twenty tracks.

    I especially like the running order, which is a GREAT improvement on the official ABBA GOLD release. It was a highly successful compilation, as we all know, and I´m glad it was released, but I don´t think a lot of thought went into the sequencing of songs. Well done, Pineapple!
     
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  4. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    So apart from Just Like That, what songs are out there that haven't been officially released?
     
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  5. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    Two that spring to mind are "JUST A NOTION" from the "VOULEZ-VOUS" sessions and "GIVIN´ A LITTLE MORE" from the "THE VISITORS" sessions. The reason I mention those are that I own complete recordings of both. "JUST A NOTION" is the real deal, a complete recording. It´s not one of their better songs, but it would have made an OK album track or, even better, a B-side. "GIVIN´ A LITTLE MORE" is just a demo that keeps repeating the chorus, but it wouldn´t take much to bring it up to scratch. It´s not one of their best tracks, perhaps, but if they had finished it, it would have improved "THE VISITORS" - which is pretty good as it is. :agree: It´s a lighter, more optimistic song, and it would have made the album a bit livelier. I like the moody quality of the album, but had they added this song and maybe also "SHOULD I LAUGH OR CRY?", it would have been even better.

    "BURNING MY BRIDGES" from the "SUPER TROUPER" sessions would also have made a great album track, and if you add "CRYING OVER YOU" and the song that ended up as "LOTTI´S SCHOTTIS" on Benny´s solo album, I would be happy. (The Benny solo version is nice, but I love the girls´ vocals that you can hear on "ABBA UNDELETED". Absolutely beautiful!)

    "RUBBER BALL MAN"/"UNDER MY SUN" would be a nice addition to the list, and I would also appreciate a nice quality recoring of "I AM AN A".

    All in all, you could easily make a double album featuring all the songs that remain unreleased. I wouldn´t mind if they added the studio outtake of "YOU OWE ME ONE", which isn´t a complete song, but shows the workings of the vocal arrangement and all the work that went into it. "ABBA IN PROGRESS", anyone, a 2CD compilation of unreleased tracks? I would buy it!
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2018
  6. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    I am dreaming about his since 25 years now...
     
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  7. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    Sang Till Görel
    Hovas Vittne
    Tivedshambo
     
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  8. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    I liked a grand total of two songs: I Know Him So Well and of course, One Night In Bangkok. Definitely not an “automatic like” if you enjoy ABBA. I have not heard it in a very long time, and I recently bought it used on vinyl so I’m going to give it another shot.
     
  9. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Ah, I didn't realize I Know Him So Well came from Chess.
    I can't imagine Agnetha and Frida singing that song I must say....
     
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  10. John Adam

    John Adam An Introvert In Paradise

    Location:
    Hawaii
    "One Of Us" (Again.)

    I have the stock copy of this one with the lovely picture sleeve (link, post #1805, Tim.) A belated souvenir from Atlantic records, and one of my favorite ABBA collectibles. I didn't realize (or had forgotten) that the first solo song from Frida had already been released before this time. "Something" debuted at #88, 11-6-82 on the Hot 100 in the States. The entire [solo] album had been recorded even before ABBA had recorded their final 1982 songs!

    Looking back, "One Of Us" was the perfect song as the last ABBA single in the States. It would of been nice if ABBA had performed it on TV, or made an updated video for the American market. Of course they had moved on, everyone was immersed in solo projects, the Chess soundtrack. I can understand why they didn't go on now, they clearly had other things on their minds.

    But we are left with this great tune as Atlantic's last attempt of bringing the music of ABBA to the radio in the 1980's.
     
  11. John Adam

    John Adam An Introvert In Paradise

    Location:
    Hawaii
    Happy Anniversary to the "Single by Single" thread which turned 3 months! 1760 posts as of then, not bad for a Swedish pop group that hadn't recorded in almost 35 years!
    Just proves good music never dies, it just comes back to new generations to enjoy and talk about again and again!

     
  12. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    I just thought I´d add that "I KNOW THERE´S SOMETHING GOING ON" was a huge hit in Scandinavia two decades after it first was released, through a cover by the Finnish hiphop band Bomfunk MCs, who had a huge hit in 1999 with "FREESTYLER". The song was renamed "(CRACK IT) SOMETHING GOIN´ON", and reached the German Top 10. It didn´t make the charts in the UK, but it was huge in Norway, a No. 2 hit, No. 3 in Finland and, nice and orderly, No. 4 in Sweden.



    I think this is one of the better examples of how to update a song. I rather like it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2018
  13. John Adam

    John Adam An Introvert In Paradise

    Location:
    Hawaii
    It's OK. :) Did they do an Janis Ian mash-ups? lol
     
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  14. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    If so, I never noticed. "SOCIETY´S CHILD" with a hip hop beat? Somehow I can´t imagine it. Which is perhaps a good thing. (Though there is a disco version of "AT SEVENTEEN" floating around - a cover by a Canadian band, I think. But it might be fake news...)
     
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  15. Vagabone

    Vagabone Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Here is my ranking of the ABBA singles as defined by "The Definitive Collection":

    Favourites:
    1= Dancing Queen
    1= Waterloo
    1= The Name of the Game
    1= One Of Us
    5 Take a Chance on Me
    6 Lay All Your Love On Me
    7 Super Trouper
    8 Mamma Mia
    9 The Day Before You Came
    10 Under Attack
    11 The Winner Takes It All
    12 Thank You For the Music
    13 Angeleyes
    14 Knowing Me Knowing You

    Rather like:
    15 Does Your Mother Know
    16 S.O.S.
    17 Gimme Gimme Gimme
    18 Voulez-Vous
    19 Ring Ring
    20 Money Money Money

    Not bothered about:
    21 When All Is Said And Done
    22 I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do
    23 Eagle
    24 The Visitors
    25 Summer Night City
    26 Love Isn't Easy
    27 So Long
    28 Honey Honey

    Actively dislike:
    29 Head Over Heels
    30 He Is Your Brother
    31 Chiquitita
    32 Fernando
    33 People Need Love
    34 I Have A Dream

    If we were including non-singles I would add "As Good As New" "If It Wasn't For the Nights", "When I Kissed the Teacher", "Dum Dum Diddle", "Boom a Boomerang", "That's Me", "Tiger" and "Me and I" to the favourites.
     
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  16. torcan

    torcan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Wow - thanks for the info Tim. I've had this for years and never knew it was that scarce. I think I got it off ebay about 20 years ago, but I've noticed lately with e-bay that certain things are getting tougher to find.
     
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  17. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    ABBA loose ends, Part 1:

    In the U.S., almost every record label with a history eventually established a reissue series for its singles. In most cases, labels put two hits on the same 45 in order to encourage sales of these oldies. At least until the late 1980s, these reissues also had a higher list price than new releases. I think the reasoning was that the consumer was getting two hits for the price of one (most of the time).

    These reissues generally didn't sell all that well and are less common than original stock copies; regardless, they go for a fraction of the originals in the collector's market, with an occasional exception.

    Atlantic began its "Oldies Series" in the fall of 1972 (per an article in the October 28, 1972 Billboard). The labels were gold and black with black print and started with the number 13000. Originally, it used the original label name on the reissued 45. For example, records by the Coasters had the Atco label. But, except for some later Rolling Stones reissues, that system didn't last long. In most cases, the original single masters were used (mono before 1968; stereo or mono, depending on the original single release, from 1968-72; stereo after that). At least 119 45s were released as part of the initial series in 1972. After that, new singles were added to the Oldies Series periodically -- both older songs that had been skipped the first time and recent songs that could no longer be sold as current hits.

    In looking at the discography, Atlantic seemed to create new Oldies Series entries very quickly, at least early in its history. For example, Atlantic had already reissued "She's Gone" by Daryl Hall and John Oates in its Oldies Series before it re-released the single as a current 45 in 1976. (It took the oldie version out of print until the hit had run its course and then restored it to the catalog at that time.) Atlantic also did the same with "That's Where the Happy People Go" by the Trammps before using it as the B-side of the 1978 pop reissue of "Disco Inferno."

    In 1985 or 1986, Atlantic continued its Oldies Series with 7-84999 and went backward from there. The U.S. label changed at the same time from gold and black to silver and black; re-pressings of the 13000 series, which retained their old numbers, also had these new labels. The last additions to the Atlantic Oldies Series were in 1993.

    Most of ABBA's Atlantic hits before The Visitors were assigned to the Oldies Series once they were gone from the pop charts. The 1978 dates given on 45cat for the earliest of these reissues is unquestionably wrong, not by months, but by years.

    Here is the list. All of them exist on both the gold and silver labels. As far as I know, the versions on these 45s are the same as the original stock copies; in many cases, the same parts as on the originals were used. All of these were pressed by Specialty (SP), so they're all on vinyl. The years are educated guesses.

    OS-13177: Waterloo/Honey, Honey (1975)
    OS-13185: SOS/Ring Ring (1976)
    OS-13197: I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do/Mamma Mia (1977)
    OS-13203: Fernando/Dancing Queen (1979)
    OS-13204: Knowing Me, Knowing You/Money, Money, Money (1979)
    OS-13205: The Name of the Game/Take a Chance on Me (1979)
    OS-13233: Chiquitita/The Winner Takes It All (1982)
    OS-13234: Super Trouper/Lay All Your Love on Me (1982)
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2018
  18. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    I believe it. The song is a one-of-a-kind blend of psychedelia and disco. In my opinion it's the best thing the band ever did, and could have served (along with several of their other latter day tracks) as the template for an entire new sound for the band in the new decade, if they hadn't disintegrated. A few sonic tweaks and The Chemical Brothers could have had a hit with that same recording in 1999.
     
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  19. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    The first couple of times I heard the song, I misheard the key lines as "I had no sense of living without pain / The day before you came."

    Which really puts a dark spin on the song!
     
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  20. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    The wailing background vocals in the breaks are also sort of funereal, which provides some support for the notion that somebody here died...
     
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  21. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    "One Night In Bangkok" by Murray Head was a big seller, not sure whether any other tunes from Chess were big hits.

    The show was judged to have been ill-timed, having a Cold War theme, but coming out right when the Cold War was coming to an end. (Or so it seemed at the time, but let's not go there.) Hence the show's theme was perceived as out of date almost as soon as it was released.

    There is probably scope for a whole sub-topic here, but ABBA, or at least the guys, seem to have had a fascination with the countries behind the Iron Curtain.
     
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  22. Jarleboy

    Jarleboy Music was my first love

    Location:
    Norway
    In the UK, the duet "I KNOW HIM SO WELL" was a No. 1 hit, sung by Elaine Page and Barbara Dickson. It was also a huge radio hit in Scandinavia, but bombed in the US.
     
  23. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    I think it was a moderate hit here. Nice song, and I don't think it's a world away from songs like "The Winner takes It All" or "Like anAngel Passing Through My Room". This is the direction Benny and Bjorn were moving in - they were becoming less like pop songwriters and more like Rodgers & Hammerstein.
     
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  24. kiefer2

    kiefer2 Eastern European knockoff Mr. Potato Head

    Location:
    Brookhaven, Pa.
    Wait! That's NOT it? (I never looked up the lyrics).
     
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  25. David G.

    David G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    I think the ill-timed part had more to do with the Broadway production in 1988, which closed after only about seven weeks (and I was lucky enough to see!). The London production ran for three years, which is very respectable. There were other factors that led to the failure of the Broadway production, but the timing of it at the very end of the Cold War certainly didn't help sell any tickets. Rewriting the entire story and many of the lyrics also didn't do it any favors.
     
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