ABBA single by single thread

My ranking of all the ABBA singles so far:

1. SOS
2. Take a Chance on Me
3. Knowing Me, Knowing You
4. Mamma Mia
5. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
6. Dancing Queen
7. Waterloo
8. Fernando
9. Does Your Mother Know
10. The Name of the Game
11. Money, Money, Money
12. Angeleyes
13. Voulez-Vous
14. Honey, Honey
15. Ring Ring
16. Chiquitita
17. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
18. Summer Night City
19. I Have a Dream
20. So Long
21. Eagle
22. Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
23. He Is Your Brother
24. People Need Love

 

Yes, that about sums it up. For me it was a Christmas hit, even though it’s not a Christmas song at all. It’s sweet and sentimental. Nicely arranged and performed as well. Some fans really hate this one, but I don’t feel that strongly. I do prefer it to the dreaded Chiquitita too. I Have A Dream does outstay it’s welcome a bit, but it’s still not as long as Chiquitita.

I have to say I quite like the Westlife version too. Didn’t Bjorn (or Benny) say at the time that he loved the Westlife arrangement and wished they’d done the ABBA one like that?

Here’s the UK chart for the week I Have A Dream peaked at #2. Happy Christmas everyone.

 

How about a compilation focusing on ABBA dance songs, with remixes only using the original multitracks?

I think Dimitri From Paris, John Morales, Mike Maurro and Tom Moulton could sprinkle some dancefloor magic over tracks such as: Dancing Queen, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), Voulez-Vous, Summer Night City and Lay All Your Love On Me (and a couple of others).

 

Who’s that in your avatar?

 

I Have A Dream was and still is my least favourite of their singles from the mid to late 70s. I'll always associate it with a nose that needs wiping thanks to the clip they used repeatedly on TV in the UK.

 

I have tried many times over the years to forget it, without success.

 

"I Have A Dream" is a pleasant album track but I can see why it didn't why it wasn't a big top 40 hit over here. It is beautiful song with a nice arrangement but it's too MOR even for the seemingly diverse top 40 format of that era. It did prove to be successful on Easy Listening Stations , particularly in Canada.

 

Boy George after a particularly heavy night.
Oh sorry I thought you was talking to me

 

"I Have a Dream"

A ballad ready for Eurovision, especially with the children's choir.

I can see why it made the Christmas charts in Britain.

 

In a perfect world Gimme Gimme Gimme would of been a monster hit here!

What I remember most is the snot-nosed child in the video too! lol As others have said, "I Have A Dream" is a cute little pop song, produced beautifully. I think it under utilizes Frida's vocal abilities, and it goes On and On and On. But not in a good way. I know we will discuss that one later, maybe???

I have this single as a UK import, because of the "live" b-side, otherwise to me it was just an album track that was a single in other countries. Atlantic records smartly passed on this one as a single release here. But an edited version could of been an AC hit perhaps in late 1979 early 1980, after the recent success of Chiquitita. Surprised it wasn't on the (then) current Greatest Hits Vol. II, unless it was a totally off the cuff, surprise release. The UK clan here can educate me on this!

 

Lawrence Hayward from Felt.

 

Have to check out this band. It was unknown to me.

 

"If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels"

Urghh.

I'm sorry - when music started to have a bit of bite to it in the late 70s this was not what I wanted to hear. Then if it wasn't sugary enough for you just wheel on a load of singing kids. Like my sister and her mates.
Torture.

 

Are you sure that's not Mme Tussauds? He looks well rough there.

 

I will have to check this out too. A different arrangement might make a bit of difference, because it's not a bad song. I also wanted to note that Frida and Dan Daniell recorded a "duet version" around 2004, that either improved it or butchered it, depending on your view. I'm going to remain neutral on that one........

 

I Have A Dream
Certainly not a bad song at all, but after the upbeat snappiness of the previous 2 tracks...this feels to melancholic.
Beautifully arranged, just not a personal favourite.
3/5

 

"I Have a Dream" is one of those songs you feel a bit guilty about disliking, because it's so... nice. The word "twee" was invented to describe this song. The lyrics are dreadful. the music is OK, but a bit simple.

 

Here you go.



Westlife were huge in the UK in the late 90s/early 2000s. They were almost as big as ABBA in the 70s.

 

Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

That it was in the top 5 alongside Day Trip To Bangor speaks volumes about UK tastes in 1979.

Sadly, Day Trip To Bangor is much better!

 

Can't say I like this. Not familiar with Westlife at all. Can't imagine them being as big as ABBA!!!
One of the guys looks familiar. Did one become a somewhat successful solo artist. It may have been something I saw on threads past or You-Tube. My British music education here.

As long as I am totally disrupting the thread already with my inquisitiveness, "Felt" is great! Bought "Gold Mine Trash" to start me out. Kind of 80's "Cure-ish" in a British way!

 

I was joking about them being as big as ABBA, but they did have a couple of years where they were massive.

A couple of them had solo careers, though you’re unlikely to know them from those as they weren’t particularly successful. One of them (Brian McFadden) dated Delta Goodrem for a while.

 

I think you just made that name up. Nobody can be called Delta Goodrem.

 

Urgh. Couldn’t stand Westlife. So insipid.

At this time in Abba’s Career they were definitely trying to have something for everyone and their albums were quite varied to accommodate that. I know my mother loved I Have A Dream.

 

Delta Goodrem - Wikipedia