ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2020

I agree, but there would also be a sense of disappointment too if there really are just the two songs. It’s been teased enough, and despite Benny’s grumpy attempts at quashing the rumours, Björn hasn’t ruled it out. He’s even played along with it in various interviews. I keep using the phrase “get-out clause” but it is still there. They can legitimately just release the two but rumours would probably persist that there are more. I’d feel a tad disappointed even though I’m forcing myself not to hope for more than those two.

Gazman -- Mark Levengood is not a DJ. He is a Swedish TV Host, a Writer and a Journalist.
He was born in the USA, but raised in Helsinki, the Capital of Finland. He speaks English,
Finnish and Swedish. He is a Friend of ABBA's. That's why they let him hear some of the
New ABBA Songs. (It is not unusual for famous Groups, (or Solo Acts), to let Friends and
Family, hear New Songs, before they are released).

Elsewhere, I see that some ABBA Fans have misinterpreted, what Mark told 'Aftonbladet', in
Mid April. He never said that there are 3 New ABBA Songs. He said that he's heard 3 of the
New ABBA Songs. That means that there are more than 3 and he's been allowed to listen to 
3 of them.

His exact words were:
 
"They are fantastic, so much. I can say without saying too much," and He revealed He heard
"three of the new Abba songs".

However - Just because ABBA have Recorded more than 2 New Songs, it does not mean that
they will release them all. It may be, that they just decide, to release the 2 Songs, that they 
Recorded in June 2017. The other New Songs, could just be put, 'In The Vault' - never to be
heard by ABBA Fans. (Not heard by 'ordinary' ABBA Fans, anyhow - which is nearly all of us). 
If ABBA decide not to release the other New Songs, we may not even get to know their Titles.

We will see how many, of the New Songs, ABBA decide to release. Even if The ABBAtars 'Show' never happens,
ABBA will still need, to use them, in Promo Videos, for the New Songs. That is certain, because ABBA have Zero
intentions of appearing in the Videos themselves...

Dont forget even Benny said in a December 2018 interview that they were working on a 3rd song ...

   However many New ABBA Songs there are, let us all hope that we are still around to hear them, 
   by the time they are released. 

   If we only get 2 or 3 New Songs, then that is not enough for an E.P. They usually have 5 Songs.
   Therefore, Universal, will try to get the cash in, by adding the 2 or 3 Songs, to another 'ABBA Gold' 
   Re-issue. Or even add them to 'More ABBA Gold'. A 3rd option, would be to create, an entirely 'New'
   ABBA Compilation, around the New Songs. We'll see what happens.

   I know that some Fans are 'angry' towards ABBA, over the many 'delays'. I've had such anger,
   (about it), myself. However, I think, that it is time, for all of that anger, to now be put to rest.
   ABBA are Human Beings - just like us - and they have their own ups and downs, in Life, as well
   as problems and troubles, that we will know nothing about. ABBA know, (of course!), that they
   told us about the New Songs far too early. (At least 2 Years, too early!). However, they cannot 
   change that now, no matter how much they may regret it. So, what right do any of us have,
   to condemn them for it? They are not 'bad' people, after all. We all make mistakes. Nor can we
   Fans go back in time, and undo ABBA's April 2018, 'New Songs Announcement'. It is the past, 
   and we have to accept that ABBA made an error. But, that is that - we have to stop being upset
   about it. 

   Let us just look forward to the New Songs - whenever they are released, and however many we get...

    

I would hazard a guess that the new songs, when they emerge, will only be available digitally to begin with - for download and streaming, with perhaps vinyl and physical CD singles later available from specialists like the ABBA Museum in Stockholm and perhaps the fan club.

It is unlikely (though not impossible) that supermarkets would be interested in stocking a CD single. Outlets like HMV might stock a very limited number of vinyl singles if they are unusual enough e.g. on picture disc...

I don't think I have seen an EP since the early 80s and very much doubt we'd get one of those.

Gazman -- When I mentioned an ABBA EP, in a previous Post, I didn't mean a Physical one.
Lots of Artists release Digital EP's, these days. Lewis Capaldi released a Digital EP, a few
Weeks ago. It has 6 Songs and is 23 Minutes long. However, it was too long, to go into
the Singles Chart and 2 Minutes, too short, to be allowed into the Album Chart. So, it has
sold well, but it was not allowed to be a UK Hit! I too recall, that Gorel Hanser did say,
that the New ABBA Songs, would get Physical Releases. (That was in April 2018).

UK Super Markets may not Stock such a Physical ABBA release. However, they would
almost certainly Stock it, (them), if ABBA made the release a Charity Single. Such as
dedicating it to: 'Children In Need', or to UNICEF, as they did with 'Chiquitita'. The fact,
that the Songs are ABBA's 1st Singles, in several Decades, may not be enough, to cause
Super Markets to sell it. We will see.

Of course, if ABBA were to actually release a New Album, then every Super Market, in
the UK - and elsewhere - would 100% certainly put it on their shelves. It would easily be
a Global No.1 Album. But, that cannot happen, if only a few New Singles are released...

Personally I hope that whatever they decide to release would be released on vinyl and CD. Digital form is inevitable but I would be terribly disappointed if it was the only option. Also I think they should make all formats available simultaneously in order to maximize the impact on the charts.

As for the number of songs we would ultimately get, I try to talk myself into being satisfied with just the two that were already announced but like the others I would feel some disappoinment after all the hints and teasing...

I remember when Bjorn was interviewed by Graham Norton on his radio show last year, he said that ABBA gold would be repackaged as ABBA platinum with the 2 new songs and Bjorn didn't object very much.

Yes that's almost exactly as it was.  I'm not sure which tracks they were planning to drop either. 

I don't personally believe 'ABBA Gold' would be changed. If it was, it would certainly be excluded from the UK Chart under current rules - you can't just cut 2 songs from an album and replace them with 2 others.

   Alan -- I know that 'ABBA Gold' has no room on it for the 2 New Songs. (Assuming that 2 is all we get).

   When I said that they could be added to 'Gold', I meant that 2 of the current 19 Tracks could be removed.

   There are Zero Chart Rules, that say an Album cannot have a few Tracks taken away. It is if an Album is far
   longer than normal, that counts. It would be quite OK for Universal to remove 2, (or 3), 'ABBA Gold' Tracks,
   and to add in 2 or 3 New Tracks instead. That breaks no 'Chart Rules'.

   In 2009 Lady GaGa added 8 New Songs, to 'The Fame' Album. It already had 14 Tracks, in some Countries and
   16 Tracks in the UK & Japan. No Tracks were removed, from it. The 8 extra Tracks were put in as a 2nd CD. The
   '8 Bonus Tracks' Edition, was still counted, as 'The Fame'. So, you can add as many, as 8 New Songs, to an
   Album, and it is still counted as the same Album, as before. (In some Countries the 8 New Tracks were not
   added to 'The Fame'. They were released as another Album - 'The Fame Monster'...).

   It is not true, that replacing 2 or 3 Tracks, would turn 'ABBA Gold' into 'Not 'ABBA Gold'.

   In the past, many different things were done to 'ABBA Gold:

   A)... From 1992 to 2008 the Australian & New Zealand 'ABBA Gold' Editions had 3 Tracks removed & 3 Tracks added.

          1)... Removed -- Track 6 -- Super Trouper, Track 7 -- 'I Have A Dream, Track 18 -- Thank You For The Music

          2)... Added  --  Track 6 --  Ring Ring, Track 7 -- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, Track 18 -- Rock Me   
  
   In 2008 It had the 3 Tracks removed and the other 3 Tracks added. So that it became the same Track List,
   that other Countries got in 1992. But, both versions of the Australian & New Zealand 'ABBA Gold', were still
   counted as the same 'ABBA Gold' and they had their Sales combined.

B)... In 2002 'ABBA Gold' was re-released in much of Europe with a 2nd Disk of 11 Tracks. That too was still counted
as being the 1992 'ABBA Gold'. The UK & Ireland did not get the 2002 release.

1)... Summer Night City, 2)... Angeleyes, 3)... The Day Before You Came, 4)... Eagle, 5)... I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
6)... So Long, 7)... Honey Honey, 8)... The Visitors, 9)... Ring Ring, 10)... When I Kissed The Teacher,
11)... The Way Old Friends Do

C)... In 2014 the '40th Anniversay Edition' was released. However, that was not allowed to be counted as the 1992
Album. It had too many Tracks added -- The 20 Tracks of 'More ABBA Gold' and a CD of 20 'B' Sides. 

Colin, I am sorry. I was wrong and you were right. The Australian edition of ABBA Gold includes all the major ABBA hits that were the most successful in Australia and that is why the tracklist is different to the other worldwide editions. Therefore as you so rightly pointed out it is possible to remove a few tracks. If there isn't a new ABBA album ( which I very much hope there is ) then I would gladly settle for a special CD compilation including the new tracks and personal favourites of the band members during their career as ABBA plus special acoustic versions of a couple of the familiar hits. Again, that is asking for a lot.

I really hope it doesn't come down to a yet another re-issue of ABBA Gold - that would be very boring and I'm not sure that the general public (beyond hardcore ABBA fans) would buy ABBA Gold again to get two or three new songs. If the new songs have to be coupled with old material, I would prefer to see a more interesting and creative compilation that showcases some of ABBA's best songs that weren't big hits or even singles.

Can anyone tell me why "I Wonder" seems to pop up so much on ABBA compilations, including "More Gold" and "Love Stories"? The biggest mystery to me is how this song made it to the "Greatest Hits Vol. 2" album when it hadn't even been a single, yet they left off "Voulez-vous" which had been an A-side and a hit in most countries.

Clive, this also, baffles me why " I Wonder " was chosen for inclusion on Love Stories and Greatest Hits ( Vol 2 ). It was a B-side to TNOTG and technically should not have been selected. The same goes for " Rock Me " which was a complete travesty for the song to feature on Greatest Hits ( Vol 2 ). Personally, I never had much time for IW and I detest RM. One of life's many mysteries as to why these songs were picked. There are so many better songs to have been chosen.