ABBA Voyage: General Discussion 2021 Sept - Dec

Germany:

Little Things # 42
Voyage # 2

Sweden: Little Things # 20
Voyage: # 1

I like Matt Pop's remix quite a lot, certainly more than ABBA's mix. For me, it gives a good indication of how the pretty melody of Little Things could have worked if divested of Christmas lyrics, and done a bit faster and arranged in a more pop-y way. But even as a Christmas song, I prefer Matt Pop's remix.

And, it rose to number 47 on the singles chart and ABBA Voyage is now up one place at number 3.

Anyone that hoped the snow photo released on 1 December was recent will be disappointed to learn that it was actually taken on Friday 25 January 2019, according to this:

i didnt think it was recent. Agnethas not wearing a face mask which she often wore in the studio shots even if its pulled down so she can sing.

I don't know which chart your refer to, but this is the only one that counts (as Alan pointed out): www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/ - next chart placings will be announced next Friday, until then Little Things' highest official position is 61, even though it was 47 in the Midweek Chart.

I don't think they were serious. I believe they said that just out of courtesy and seeing the enormous success of Voyage. It would look strange if the headlines went: "ABBA are releasing their first Christmas song but they stand no chance". However, it will be interesting to see if there is any promotional activity before Christmas to help the single. We may yet be surprised.

LT did a little better than I anticipated in the UK Singles chart. I agree that today's chart and the old sales-based chart are like 'chalk and cheese' and perhaps the journalists/bookies putting forward LT as a contender for the Christmas No 1 didn't understand this. I guess it's possible that it will rise as we get closer to Christmas. While it's nice to see it in the chart, I have the frustration that it may go down in history as ABBA's last charting single.

I think that #61 is a pretty great chart placing for a song as determinedly un-pop as Little Things. ABBA have stuck two fingers up to all received wisdom about what should be a pop single - never mind a Christmas single. It's quite a punk attitude in some ways. Had the song been around for any of the albums from 1977 onwards, it would never have been the featured side of a single. I get that it's marmite. It took its time to grow on me but I love it now. That said, Matt Pop's version is my go-to now. I think it pulls all of the best of ABBA's DNA from the record and maximises it. His remix sounds like it could have been made by ABBA in 1981 or 1982, when they were at their more experimental. I'd love to think that Benny and Bjorn would give it a fair listen and say, "you know what, this needs an official endorsement and release." But that's a whole 'nother day's heated debate.

As for Just Like That, I agree: keep on talking about it if it makes you happy. Personally, I don't agree that the verse is weak. The melody is lovely and it's right in Agnetha's comfort zone. True, some of the lyrics are clunky. Bjorn was better than this by then. But I think the verse is pretty strong. It's just hitched to the wrong chorus. The chorus in the ABBA version is pop perfection. B&B got the verse/chorus structure right for Gemini. The lyrics are spot on, the melody is right, the flow to the chorus works. But it's the other stuff they got wrong that kept a great song from performing as it should. In my opinion (with which you're all entitled to vehemently disagree), the following things would have made it right..

First, restore the original chorus. The extra section derails a great pop chorus: "In a way, I was the one to deceive/Always accepting the fact he would leave." Those lines and that little melody are nice, but they should be a standalone middle eight. Second, restore the original tempo. Like the rest of the Gemini album, it's too slow and too gloomy and too leaden. Three, tell Gemini that you're sorry, but they can't have the song after all because ABBA are going to release it instead.

This part might require smelling salts for some of you, so I'd recommend that you have a little sit-down and keep all sharp objects out of reach. For, yes, I am about to commit what some of you might regard as heresy. If I were B&B and had managed to lure the women back into Polar Studios for a couple of days, I'd bring a magazine and some sweeties for Agnetha, and some Strepsils for Frida. In this new version - new lyrics, new feel, new key - Frida would be on lead. I'd ask Frida to channel that gorgeous smokiness she used on KMKY and TKHLHC. Deliver the verse with that same kind of resigned regret and then, when Agnetha comes in on the chorus, it pops with that "third voice" magic. Use the extra lines for a pared back middle eight and bring the final chorus in on a key change. Make a video and prepare for a tenth UK No.1.

Oh, and lose that bloody sax player's phone number.

The Winner Takes It All or Dancing Queen. Both stellar songs, worthy number ones. However, it could easily be SOS or Knowing Me, Knowing You. That's the thing- AꓭBA have so many great songs that any one of them deserve that crown.

For what it's worth, I consider Dancing Queen to be the best pop song ever written, even if there are others that I love just as much. It is in a league of its own. It's majestic, eternal. That melody simply cannot be beaten. It swats away all attempts to dethrone it with ease.

Curiously, in the recent fanclub magazine it is mentioned about Just A Notion and Little Things that all will be released on 7" vinyl too but no release date is set yet. Surely it makes no sense to release 7" singles after the songs have already lost their momentum. Except maybe for collectors.

Totally agree again !  takes me back instantly , to being a flare wearing spotty 14 year old having the time of my life ...lol

That's the point. Collectors will buy them again. I'm not so sure it makes sense in case of Just A Notion but it may help Little Things up the charts, if the vinyl is released before Christmas, especially if coupled with e.g. Happy New Year and presented as coloured vinyl or a picture disc.

If they they ever decided to rework and release Just Like That - I think it's at least as worthy as Just A Notion that they could do so - they could retain the old recording of the chorus as it is (is it mostly Agnetha, by the way?), and redo the verses, featuring more of Frida, at least harmonizing here and there. I now think there's nothing wrong with the verse-melody. It's not a mismatch with the chorus: rather, with better instrumentation, it's a beautiful melody that sets up the chorus wonderfully.
I think it's possible for composers to have a blind spot about their own material, and JLT has been Benny and Bjorn's negative blind spot, imo. Most unlikely, but if only they could see JLT in a renewed light.

EDIT
I suppose this post could have gone to the Unreleased fan favourites thread, but perhaps it's just as relevant here with regard to a deluxe Voyage album. Imagine Just Like That appearing on it unannounced!