New ABBA book 'The Complete Recording Sessions'.. Kickstarter campaign has begun

If posting this is against any forum rule, I do apologize.

Carl Magnus Palm is looking to update and expand his 1994 book 'ABBA The Complete Recording Sessions'
A Kickstarter campain has started to raise the funds for the project. Updated information and sample pages can be found on his website:
http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/books/abba-the-complete-recording-sessions-expanded-edition

And the Kickstarter pledge page can be found here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1832368278/abba-the-complete-recording-sessions-revised-and-e

I'm hoping everyone reading this is as excited about this as ABBA fans are. Here's to a successful campaign.

 

Crowdfunding is a great thing to bring projects on the way, that otherwise would find no financial support.
But in this case it has a very negative connotation.
Palm is a well established author with publications all around the world.
He is also involved in the inner circle of ABBA. And as we all know, there is enough money, that could support such a project, which also is of interest for ABBA themselves.

 

I agree with Helmut that this could be financed by other certain parties, but as a huge fan I'm more than willing to support Carl Magnus and help finance this project. To say it has the potential to become the best book on ABBA is an understatement. But also who knows what else it may lead to in terms of more unreleased music and alternate takes being put out.

I think all ABBA fans owe it to themselves to back this campaign where possible.

 

Have there been more ABBA recording sessions since 1994? I surely must be missing the point here.

 

Exactly, this is an odd project to fund.

 

The point of the project is to update and expand the original book as so much more information has come to light since the first publication. Also (and probably this is the most exciting aspect of this project) Carl Magnus has been given permission to to listen to pretty much ALL the vault tapes, something he wasn't able to do back in 1993. Back then there was limited time so he only heard a fraction of the unreleased material. Where as now he's going to be able to hear all the unreleased music, the alternate takes and alternate mixes as well as the multitracks, all of which have apparently been transferred to the digital domain, so it's all more accessible.

 

...and yet all the best unreleased material is seemingly destined to remain just (like) that, thanks mainly to B&B only being interested in releasing a new medley of scraps once every blue moon. Reading about these outtakes sitting on a shelf in some form is only taunting fans who I'm sure would much rather get to hear them as well - I'd gladly pay for such a rarities set in a heartbeat over an officially approved update to an existing book! *sigh*

 

I'm just reading his other book on the subject "Bright Lights Dark Shadows" and it is fascinating, extremely thorough and very entertaining. So.... another book with so much insight definitely is a good thing. Even though I'm surprised by the amount of input he is receiving from the reclusive band themselves.

 

Sort of related, anyone know why CMP didn't do the liner notes for the Wembley CD?

 

I'm in doubt. He made it quite expensive. 81 euros for a 500 page book. But I like ABBA a lot and have most of their albums. Hmmmmm.

 

I think Abba could pay for this if they wanted it to happen. B&B seem content to just re-hash the same catalogue songs endlessly and never offer anything new (in full). It sounds like an interesting book but I'd rather not know about what I'll never have.

 

Two days in and it seems to be going quite slowly. I really hope it picks up soon.

http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/books/abba-the-complete-recording-sessions-expanded-edition

 

Take it from a guy who co-wrote a self-published book about 15 years ago that some people here seem to like ("Eight Arms To Hold You"), what Carl is asking for the book at any of the monetary levels you can contribute is not extreme whatsoever. The market for physical books on music-related topics is hitting rock bottom... the only way this is going to come out the way he wants it is to publish it himself, and he needs help upfront to do it. Personally, I would love to know what else remains in the ABBA vault, regardless of whether I'm ever going to hear it... if that was the case, I wouldn't have wanted to read Lewisohn's The Beatles' Recording Sessions, because there's a lot more of what was recorded that is unheard than heard, despite Anthology! Anyway, Carl has a fantastic track record and I really hope he hits his goal.

Mark Easter

 

Great post Mark. Carl Magnus has made it quite clear that there's no other way to do this project, and it's being done for love not money. Quite simply if the money isn't raised then the book doesn't get written, so it's in fans own interests to back the campaign if they won't to see the book published!

 

Bump

 

Carl Magnus has added a video about the book on his Kickstarter front page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1832368278/abba-the-complete-recording-sessions-revised-and-e

 

I pledged! Looks like a really interesting book.

 

I didn't know that you were a member here, but I am very glad that you are because I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the great work that you did with Eight Arms To Hold You. It is an absolutely essential purchase for Beatles fans, and I have spent many an hour reading it. I am very grateful for all of your hard work.

I fully agree with your points regarding Carl's Kickstarter campaign; I really hope that he raises the money.

 

Thanks for your very kind words about Eight Arms!

I keep a low profile around these parts... but I believe in what Carl Magnus is trying to do so I want to support his efforts however I can.

 

so if they digitized the multi-tracks, how about remixing the albums? It seems no matter how many times they remaster, the masters sound pretty thin.

 

Great to see some support for this project but there's still a hell of a long way to go with 21 days left at the time of writing.

 

Still can't figure out why the 30 days pledge limit. Seems unnecessary. Is that a condition for a Kickstarter project?

 

I read somewhere earlier today that that is how Kickstarter work - one month and that's it!

 

Well, then it looks like this project is not going to make it. A little over a third has been reached on the halfway point. Very unfortunate!

 

That's not quite true, now is it?
In the last few years we have actually gotten quite a lot of unreleased material, whether it be intended or not:

* On & On & On - video version in stereo - on the deluxe version of Super Trouper
* From a twinkling star to a passing angel (demo medley) - on the deluxe version of The Visitors
* Head over heels (alternate version) - on the deluxe version of The Visitors
* When all is said and done (early mix, stereo) - on the DVD of the deluxe version of The Visitors
* Our last summer (alternate version) - the 40 singles box set
+ of course a complete live concert from 1979 as well as quite a few interesting tracks on the deluxe of Ring Ring.

Also - as far as I understand - CMP wants to have full creative control of this book.