ABBA single by single thread

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

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. David G.

    David G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Wasn't there something about tax write-offs in Sweden that had to do with this? You could write off performance costumes as a business expense as long as they were obviously for performing and not something anyone would actually wear, or something to that effect. It seems like I read that somewhere as an explanation for why they were always dressed so horribly.
     
    Marble Index and ralph7109 like this.
  2. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    I've heard that story more than Rod Stewart and the stomach pump so there must be some truth in it.
     
    Tim 2 and AudioEnz like this.
  3. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Rod Stewart and the stomach pump?

    I’ve never heard that one!

    Edit. I’ve just checked it out. I have heard that story about other people.:)
     
  4. ralph7109

    ralph7109 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Franklin, TN
    Their LP sleeves were pretty bad for the most part.

    But the s/t ABBA and the Visitors covers are surprisingly good.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Jrr, sathvyre, Mylene and 1 other person like this.
  5. steelvelvet20

    steelvelvet20 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    This album moved 2,605,000 units in the UK.
     
  6. steelvelvet20

    steelvelvet20 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Its a pity the ABBA album wasn't more appreciated in the USA.
     
    ralph7109 and sathvyre like this.
  7. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    That cover is utterly hideous. I can only imagine the meeting where they came up with that cover. "So the album's called Honey Honey... how about a jar of honey?"

    They could have followed it up with "Ring Ring" with a ring on the cover or "Waterloo" with a picture of the train station.
     
    ralph7109, Marble Index and John Adam like this.
  8. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    Waterloo (1974)

    [​IMG]
    B-side: Honey Honey (Swedish version), Watch Out (English version)
    Released: March 4, 1974
    Charts: #2 (Sweden - Swedish version), #3 (Sweden - English version), #1 (United Kingdom), #6 (United States), #4 (Australia)
     
  9. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
  10. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    What’s to be said. Amazing song! Totally deserving being a hit. As catchy as Bjorn’s “social disease” :D
     
  11. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Ah, dear old Waterloo. Number 1 in 1974 in between Terry Jacks’ Seasons In The Sun and the Rubettes’ Sugar Baby Love. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.:)

    I always liked Waterloo. Great, driving little pop song. Doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. Never really got tired of it. I’m not sure if I watched the Eurovision Song Contest that year...I’d be terribly young.:) I do recall ABBA beating the UK’s entry...A little ditty by Miss Olivia Newton-John called Long Live Love. :D Not really a surprise.. Long Live Love was awful. Even Olivia threw shade at the song and she likes everything.:D

    So yes, I totally got Waterloo. Well deserved win and finally the start of ABBA as I know them. They’d not have instant success in the UK after this hit... The next 2 or 3 singles floundered a bit. However, by 1975 they’d be on course to take over the world. Or the UK at least.:)
     
  12. RichC

    RichC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    What else can be said? Classic song, perfect production, career-changing track, and definitely a Top 10 ABBA song for cultural impact alone.

    It's also fascinating that, despite the huge success of "Waterloo," ABBA only returned to this particular template twice more. The Wall of Sound showed up again with "So Long" and "Bang-A-Boomerang" (which wasn't even an ABBA song originally), but neither really scaled the heights of "Waterloo." I suspect Bjorn & Benny saw diminishing returns and basically abandoned this entire style for the duration of the group's career. The singles to come after (I Do 5X, SOS, Mamma Mia, and Fernando) couldn't have sounded more different.
     
    sunspot42, gja586 and John Adam like this.
  13. John Adam

    John Adam An Introvert In Paradise

    Location:
    Hawaii
    It's always a treat to hear them sing live. They really gave it their all, and deserved to win Eurovision with this catchy tune. They were on their way!
     
  14. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    Alternate version of "Waterloo"
     
  15. mBen989

    mBen989 Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, PA
    "Waterloo"

    Eurovision is taken by force and even us Yanks fall for the group's charms, sending the song into Billboard and Cashbox's Top 10. It's a glitter pop stomp with some minor ESL glitches.
     
    sunspot42 and John Adam like this.
  16. Solitaire1

    Solitaire1 Carpenters Fan

    From what I understand, part of the reason for ABBA's fashion choices while performing had to do with taxes. To get a tax deduction for their clothing they had to choose clothing that could only be used for performing.
     
    sunspot42 likes this.
  17. Solitaire1

    Solitaire1 Carpenters Fan

    Sorry repeat the above in my post. I didn't read this until after posting mine.
     
  18. B. Bu Po

    B. Bu Po Senior Member

    Their outfits on this video and on the Waterloo cover are terrific.
     
    sunspot42 and Haristar like this.
  19. Solitaire1

    Solitaire1 Carpenters Fan

    "Waterloo"

    Great song but not one of my favorites ("Waterloo" by Stonewall Jackson is one of my favorites). Still a great song.
     
  20. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    I remember that when I started working in radio in 1974, I was somewhat puzzled that not only did Blue Swede ("ooka chaka") from Sweden take hold on the US charts, but here was another group of Swedes with that song called "Waterloo". Our station played "Waterloo" and a few of their follow-up hits, but they were never perceived as "cool" at all. Rather, I detected a lot of eye-rolling and raised eyebrows at the mention of ABBA.
     
    John Adam likes this.
  21. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    Shortly after "Waterloo" began moving off the charts, some extra 45s were tossed on the throwaway pile at the radio station. These had the stereo on one side and mono on the other. Here's the mono mix of "Waterloo".

     
    John Adam likes this.
  22. Paul Rymer

    Paul Rymer Forum Resident

    ABBA had input into every aspect of their stage presentation - they had a guy at Polar who made their costumes for them but they were never forced to wear anything. The ABBA Museum has a section on this. They wanted to move away from the early "folkpark" image and enbraced glam wholeheartedly for "Waterloo" - of course that image stuck until they started to look more like the sophisticated jet-setters they were. Nobody can excuse some of the girls later knitwear choices though - it's all on them! That's the fascinating thing about ABBA even now, a very small tight community. I was accompanying an artist last Autumn to Sweden on tour who had recorded at Polar decades ago. One of the children of the ABBA band was socialising with us and I learned a lot about the business - all of the people connected to them in the 70s (or their next of kin) have a stake in the business and many are still benefiting or have a direct say in the future of the group and brand. It gave me a lot more respect for the band as business people who seem to have some integrity and haven't forgotten the wider community who helped them succeed.
     
    anduandi, Marble Index and Mylene like this.
  23. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    For chart fans like me, this is the week Waterloo made #1 in the UK. 4th May 1974.

    [​IMG]

    IIRC, that week’s #43, Mouth & McNeal’s I See A Star, was also one of 1974’s Eurovision contenders. It would go on to be a top 20 hit. So, with ABBA and Olivia, that would make 3 big hits from that year’s contest... That wouldn’t happen today!
     
  24. MerseyBeatle

    MerseyBeatle Martha my dear (1995-2012)

    Location:
    Charleston, SC
    The Wombles at #4. :righton:
     
    B. Bu Po, Mylene and Bobby Morrow like this.
  25. John Adam

    John Adam An Introvert In Paradise

    Location:
    Hawaii
    Great stuff Harry, thanks for sharing this with us slightly "younger" fans who weren't there at the time. I love hearing some music history from the ones who experience it first hand. :)
     
    HGN2001 and Luxury_Liner like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine