ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2021 Sept - Dec

It seems, although I could be wrong, that I'm the only one here who likes Little Things (song AND video). Yikes! It's lonely here lol Does that perturb me? Not in the slightest. No more than it would if I wasn't keen on something and everyone else was. I have my view and I'm not insecure. Im not right and I'm not wrong. Taste is subjective. I feel the video, whilst I would be hopping for joy if AꓭBA had appeared in it, is just lovely. I must have missed the memo saying all Christmas songs have to be uptempo. I could easily, so easily, go down the route of dissatisfaction but I know it would make me unhappy. We're not all obsessed with chart placements. That's how I'm made. It would make me sad when there's already so much to be happy about, you know? A new album! Pictures of all four together! Interviews/radio..cheeky little messages. It goes on and on. Then the Voyage concert experience (yet to come). None of this could I ever have dreamt possible! I'm not saying anyone else doesn't feel that joy and of course they're entitled to not enjoy something. It's all opinion. You can go 'round in circles. "I'm entitled to my opinion". Free speech, yep, of course. Then someone criticises that opinion and someone takes umbrage....and we're back to square one. It's pointless trying to change someone's mind when they've made it up.

They were basically just repeating themselves, they didn’t seem to listen to anything anyone said to challenge them. I don’t want anyone to think I’ve become a trigger-happy, power-crazed A4E-style mod, but in this instance I didn’t see another option. What they were saying was untrue and they didn’t really want to listen to anyone that said otherwise.

As someone said, I think they were actually trolling the forum. Not necessarily believing what they were saying, just winding everyone up for the sake of it. They’d have just carried on until they were bored. Only I got bored first.

Their last post was “If you want this forum to stay the club with complaints......” and this was after I asked them to leave. The post makes no sense whatsoever. Aside from them, there are no complaints. To make such odd comments and not back them up with anything suggests to me that they’re just here for the hell of it.

josef has already mentioned negativity elsewhere, I’ve seen it on PopJustice, and a friend has just messaged me to say that, from what they’ve seen, it’s roughly only one in 10 that likes the video. For janabbafan to try and make out it’s just us is unacceptable. I suspect they had been around the sites today, stirred up trouble there, then came here to do the same.

As I say, my guess is that he (or she) has been round a fair few sites/groups today and encountered the same thing as on here. They probably made themselves just as unpopular on those by trying to make out it was unique to each group. They then come here and do the same, even though I know that it isn’t just us. And even if it was, so what? That’s what I didn’t get. They were just unpleasant for the sake of it, and every post got more harsh.

I know I’ve probably upset Michal and a few others, but it’s done now.

From UNICEF .org

STOCKHOLM, 3 December 2021 – The four members of the pop group ABBA will donate all the royalty payments they receive from their new single Little Things to UNICEF. The royalties are generated each time someone purchases the holiday season single, taken from the group’s latest Album Voyage, or streams it on Spotify, iTunes or YouTube

ABBA and UNICEF have a longstanding relationship. Since 1979, ABBA have supported UNICEF through royalties earned on their song Chiquitita, raising US $4.8 million to date. ABBA will donate royalty payments from Little Things to UNICEF for the next five years.

So we can all say that we have all contributed, some more than others, but non the less, for a good cause, hopefully, with our Abba purchases, not just for LT, but also Chiquitita' which the Video in Switzerland also has a Christmassy feel.

Not to dwell, on the LT video, but when l first saw the 16 sec vid preview LT, which l loved, l thought it was Agnetha carrying a Christmas tree,CB through the snow, up to the hut,and on the right thought it was B&B next to piano then Frida would proceed after Agnetha to join the others, and they would all hug each other and gather round the piano, candles everywhere, and sing LT, when after, in unison they would wish everyone a Happy Christmas! l am such a senile old fool maybe... But l would of had the vid on repeat over the festive season for sure!

Other News, Abba are suing The Abba Maina Tribute Show! Over their name, good, they are about to tour, USa l am sure some people think they are see the real Abba when they go to these shows, if they are as daft as me;)

ICBTW 4th?? S.you!!

I played the first 2 Singles to death, before the Album release, so l don't play the songs much on Voyage' but when l listen to the other songs, which is not often, there is also something new that l discover, that's the beauty of an Abba Song,

Even though l love the Album, it still feels l am listening to solo songs from the ladies, probably why l have appreciated JAN more, because of the Nostalgic effect, having recently joined a Streaming app Tidal l am enjoying listening to the ladies solo material, pre and after Abba,

which l find wonderful, Golliwog, not so pc in this sh#t world at the moment but the English lyrics, really tickle me:))

Latest UK Sales for the year, showing Voyage now over 300,000 and earning a platinum award and Gold in 14th Position....

Week 48 : 09/12/21
Pos YTD Artist Title
1 370,250 Olivia Rodrigo Sour
2 363,000 Adele 30
3 305,750 Abba Voyage
4 290,000 Ed Sheeran =
5 218,500 Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia
6 206,500 Queen Greatest Hits
7 189,000 Ed Sheeran ÷
8 183,000 Dave We're All Alone In This Together
9 180,000 Fleetwood Mac 50 Years: Don't Stop
10 179,750 Elton John Diamonds
11 175,500 Weeknd Highlights
12 166,000 Harry Styles Fine Line
13 161,750 Pop Smoke Shoot For The Stars…
14 160,750 Abba Gold - Greatest Hits
15 157,250 Lewis Capaldi Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent
16 145,000 Coldplay Music of the Spheres
17 134,000 Justin Bieber Justice
18 133,750 Fleetwood Mac Rumours
19 132,750 Rag'n'Bone Man Life By Misadventure
20 132,750 Eminem Curtain Call - Greatest Hits

A hopeless task, I fear. Regardless of any perceived quality of song, it's just the way things are for older artists, unfortunately. No matter how successful previously, chartwise, if they have maintained a career, more or less, over the 40 years ABBA have been away, they aren't going to have big hits. Elton John, Madonna, Paul McCartney - anyone you care to mention who has been in the business a few decades. So unless they associate themselves with younger 'now' acts, they're going to be pretty much ignored, in terms of the charts, compared to their heyday.
Of course it was already happening to ABBA when they called it a day in '82.

Hi jj, I love JAN's reworking too! Great fun!

I'm really starting to think/hope LT will do much better than I thought it would. I said in an earlier post it was growing on me and it's such a sweet song and the vocals are so lovely. Looking at comments in various places, there seems to be quite a lot of support for it.

Leaving aside the LT arguments, one thing's for sure, Voyage is a good album and deserves its platinum status. Its far better than I thought it would be, and amongst my favourite ABBA albums - and yes I'm old enough to remember rushing into HMV to buy their new vinyl albums when they came out, and as it happens I don't even own a copy of ABBA Gold ! :-)
Am I right in thinking that when you add ABBA Gold and Voyage sales together ABBA have outsold all other artists in the UK ? Most artists would give their right arm to have as many sales as ABBA have had this year - streaming is worth very little financially by comparison.

Wasn't Ode to Freedom recorded this year. There's a pic of ABBA with it seems the lyrics to Ode to Freedom and Agneths with face mask pulled down. So this year. They didn't record in 2020.

The best songs are the first two singles recorded in 2017.

Yeah. Ed Xmas single ticks all the boxes..every cliche and the video is good. Unfortunately Elton ruins it for me. Ed you should have done it on your own. You don't need Elton to sell. He however does need others to make number one today or the singles chart at all.Seems people are quick to comment on The ladies' voices but not on Elton's. Was never a fan of his bit his voice does not seem as good as when he was younger.

There is nothing wrong with Frida or Agnetha's voices. They sound older, especially Frida - because they are!

Agree with you about Elton. His voice has gone. It is horrendous live. Yep, he needs younger artists to get into the charts.

Great singles success but as you say only by working with others.

His duets album got to #1 on 30k. ABBA had 200k. His also dropped like a stone.

I watched the video for Little Things today again (even though I said once is enough). And while I still think it could have been much much better, it's not actually that bad after all. Certainly not "terrible" or "awful". Rather boring. I still don't understand that the ABBA members didn't bother to appear, even if for a few seconds, like they did in The Last Video. But people's comments on YouTube are generally positive, so maybe we fans are really expecting too much?

I just hope Little Things can chart high if not number one. It's a gentle song. That could help as a bit of variety at Christmas. Still think Just a notion could have been given the Christmas treatment. Add sleigh bells and chimes. Change the lyrics slightly to 'Just a notion , this Christmas you will be spending it with me.'...and more lyrics along those lines or even replacing 'Just a notion,that's all' with 'Happy Christmas, your my choice ' ..and develop the lyrics . Endless possibilities with the music to Just a notion lending itself to a bouncy Christmas song. Just a thought. Suspect you might be trying those lyrics out to the tune or your own. Bit of festive fun.Lol.