|
|
Post by gary on Jun 16, 2022 23:07:52 GMT
Sorry if this is old hat, but I hadn’t seen it before:
The ABBA bit starts at about 9:40. It’s quite funny.
|
|
|
|
Post by onlyabba4meagain on Jun 17, 2022 5:52:00 GMT
'Juke Box Jury'was a TV Panel Show, in which 'Celebrities' heard parts of several Singles,
that were Released that Week. They then Voted as to whether a Single was going to be
a 'Hit' or a 'Miss'. It was originally on in the 1960's.
In 1979 it was, (briefly), started again.
The Panel heard part of 'Angel Eyes' in 1979. From memory, I believe that all 4 of them
said that it was not ABBA at their best. That it was going to fail to Chart. All 4 of them
said that it was going to be a 'Miss'.
This was at a time when every UK ABBA Single was a Top 5 Hit, and every UK ABBA Album
was a No.1! But, the Panel did not like 'Angel Eyes', so they decided that it was not going
to be a Hit! It was not mentioned that it was a Double 'A' Side with 'Voulez-Vous'. The
Host - Noel Edmunds - suggests that ABBA were no longer relying on quality, and were
just churning out Singles, that were not really that good.
Johnny Rotten, (John Lydon), was doing his usual sneering at Pop Music. The Sex Pistols
never did have a UK no.1 Single - to 9 by ABBA. Plus, only 1 UK No.1 Album - to 10 by
ABBA.
'Angel Eyes'/'Voulez-Vous' was a No.3 Hit in the 'Official' UK Charts, (BMRB). As well as being No.5 in
the 'New Musical Express' Chart, and No.5 in the 'Melody Maker' Chart. No.5 in the 'Record Business'
Chart, too.'Angel Eyes', (alone), was a No.3 Hit in Capital Radio's Chart, in London. So, it was a Hit.
The Panel were 100% wrong. Too stupid to realize, that just because they disliked 'Angel Eyes', it did
not mean that it was not going to be a UK Top 5 Hit!.
|
|
|
|
Post by gary on Jun 17, 2022 9:36:21 GMT
I have a confession. At the time, I might well have agreed with the panel! Not that Angeleyes wasn’t going to be a hit - clearly anything that ABBA released was going to make the charts - but with their comments about Angeleyes not being up to ABBA’s usual standards. ABBA’s 1979 singles, with the possible exception of Chiquitita, weren’t as good as their 1975-1978 singles (partly due to the wrong choices being made). Alan Freeman’s comment about the first six or so hits rings true.
|
|
|
|
Post by richard on Jun 17, 2022 10:42:04 GMT
I love Angeleyes: it's tunefulness, dynamism, the joint vocals of the girls; and I'd certainly put it in my top 10 ABBA songs. It's a wonderful pop song.
And didn't Elaine Paige say something about the song being 'formulaic'? Well that might as well be a criticism of the vast majority of pop - indeed a lot of classical music too! Not forgetting the show tunes that she plays on her Sunday lunchtime radio show - many of which I love, and written by some great songwriters.
But interesting to go back in time like this - I also hadn't seen it before.
|
|
|
|
Post by Alan on Jun 17, 2022 22:12:43 GMT
I’d still say that the decision to release Angeleyes as the primary A-side was a stroke of genius. Let’s not forget that Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous did better in the UK and US than Voulez-Vous did alone in other parts of the world.
ABBA had the mighty CBS (now Sony) to advise on this. The music industry in the UK was clearly nonplussed with Voulez-Vous so CBS went with Angeleyes in spite of the fact that ABBA didn’t support it with a video or even a TV performance. They were rewarded with a top 3 hit at a time when ABBA weren’t at their height (and there were those vile rumours that suggested Angeleyes’ success was the result of chart-rigging, in an attempt to further undermine it).
Nope, Voulez-Vous just wasn’t as popular as ABBA Gold would now have us believe. Still, I suppose it’s win-some, lose-some. Lay All Your Love On Me is now accepted as an ABBA classic even though it’s only really because of its UK success and the subsequent Erasure cover. I’d take that over Angeleyes, but there’s still some history re-writing that’s prevailed for 30 years. At least it’s on More Gold, I suppose.
|
|
|
|
Post by joseph on Jun 17, 2022 23:23:10 GMT
Nobody in their right mind would take any notice of what Johnny Rotten says about ABBA here. He's not fit to polish their boots. As for Joan Collins, she has no idea what she's talking about. Elaine Paige is disappointing here as is Noel Edmunds (never liked him; how I wish ABBA hasn't chosen him to interview them).
Angeleyes deserves all the kudos. Strangely, I like Voulez Vous just as much but for different reasons. They're totally different songs so there's no comparison.
|
|
|
|
Post by HOMETIME on Jun 18, 2022 16:44:27 GMT
FWIW, as far as Irish radio at the time was concerned, Voulez-Vous was played more. I was glad at the time, as I had much less faith in Angeleyes. These days, it has risen to become my second favourite track on the album.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2022 16:36:00 GMT
What exactly does Joan Collins know about pop music. Answer, nothing !
|
|
|
|
Post by welshboy on Jun 20, 2022 9:35:22 GMT
That show takes me back. I must have watched this but I don't remember it at all. At that time my bedroom wall was full of Abba posters happy times.
|
|
|
|
Post by gary on Jul 1, 2022 15:27:49 GMT
I’m not saying you’re wrong, but how is Lay All Your Love On Me way ahead of its time? And how is it a seminal track in the history of dance music? How has it influenced many artists? Who says so? I’m interested.
Although, for me, the 1979 singles (at least from Does Your Mother Know on) show a considerable decline in quality compared with the singles from 1975 to 1978, current tastes do seem to favour them. All of them bar I Have A Dream are among ABBA’s most played songs on YouTube, for instance. I guess they do sound more modern and danceable than much of what went before.
|
|
