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Post by undertheappletree on Dec 21, 2022 11:52:55 GMT
www.sussexexpress.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/brighton-celebration-of-abbas-remarkable-legacy-with-original-abba-musicians-3953236Above link, to a interview with former Abba Musician Mike Watson,maybe of interest to some.. And another sad loss for the music industry in 2022, Tributes are flooding in following the sad news of The Specials singer Terry Hall's death. The Coventry ska group announced Terry's death at the age of 63 yesterday (November 19), honouring 'one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced.' Source Official UK Music Charts website Moderator edit: See separate topic - abbachat.boards.net/thread/1549/terry-hall-1959-2022Oh yes it was November, just saw the sad news today, was recently listening to The Specials. Anyway Peace everyone, enjoy the moment, and remember we are all Special, and just reading through the General Discussion, Eddie wishing you the best!!
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Post by Alan on Dec 21, 2022 13:38:32 GMT
This popped up on my socials - have the rest of you seen it? It's cutting-room floor footage from the video for I Do x5. Great to see! fb.watch/hyC4_NP48V/It reminds me of the Happy New Year / Felicidad outtakes from a couple of years ago. The topic on here about it is still there but the video has been removed. Catch this one while you can as it won’t last long! |
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Post by foreverfan on Dec 21, 2022 16:20:36 GMT
Another did you know from my chart book.....
Michael Jackson’s Thriller, was the first studio album to sell over 1.5 million copies in a calendar year.
ABBA’s Greatest Hits and Saturday night fever were the first, but , were greatest hits and soundtrack......
Thriller also became the best selling album of all time in the UK , during the final weeks of 1984, when it over took ABBA s Greatest Hits...
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Post by foreverfan on Dec 21, 2022 16:31:27 GMT
And my final did you know......
1980s best selling albums upto end of 1983.....
In 6th place Super Trouper....
Sold...
1980..850.000
1981..175.000
1982..15.000
1983...5000
Total 1, 045, 000
The Visitors...
In 19th place up to end of 1983
1981...570,000
1982..145,000
1983..5000
Total 720,000
Top selling artists of the 80s upto end of 1983..
3rd...ABBA
1980..1,230,000
1981..865,000
1982..485,000
1983..230,000
Total 2,810,000
We know there were lack of releases and that break up, but it shows the decline of the 1980 high to 1983 low... as stated quite rapid, I’d imagine the years to Golds release in 92 were dire.......
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2022 17:16:00 GMT
Thanks for that, ForeverFan!
I got some info for Super Trouper and The Visitors from 1994 (when the Official Charts Company started compiling) up to 2015.
Super Trouper 107,000
The Visitors 73,000
Let's say both sold 5,000 a year 1984-93 that brings up to 50,000 for period
Super Trouper - 157,000
The Visitors - 123,000
Add 2016-22 and maybe 190,000 and 155,000 from 1984. Speculation but not unreasonable
Estimated Totals
Super Trouper 1, 235,000
The Visitors 875,000
Super Trouper is in line with my expectations. The Visitors is higher. It sold 570,000 the last 3 weeks of 1981 and 300,000 since then. Talk about front loaded!
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Post by Henry on Dec 21, 2022 17:17:50 GMT
Shine was a typical eighties production; not at all ahead of it's time. The problem with the Frida albums was that she did,'t have a strong own musical identity. SGO sounded like a Phil Collins album with Frida on quest vocals. She wanted to be Pat Benetar but she wasn't :-)
Agnetha best album for me is MCB. A cover album seemed to be her most personal one. Although I like A once again the problem lies with the songs. Some really good ones and her own song is one of the best. In a way I like A better than Voyage. I miss tracks that stand out a bit more but overal it's quality. Voyage has heights and lows.
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Post by foreverfan on Dec 21, 2022 17:38:14 GMT
Johnny I’d say your estimates are pretty accurate...
But what a decline.... another discussion for another time perhaps next year.......really only a handful of us left actually posting a rare breed....
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Post by joseph on Dec 24, 2022 11:09:01 GMT
Wow. This is a shocker. It took me ages to find this and I'm surprised it isn't more widely known. They're talking in Swedish so I've no idea what is being said but give it a listen, it's only short. It hasn't changed my feelings about Keep An Eye On Dan. It's been a favourite from the beginning. Not sure why some people don't get it? For me, it's just great story telling by Agnetha about a subject that's unusual for a pop lyric. I also love the electronic parts (they remind me of Elaine, another favourite). I like the sing-song chorus that's almost nursery rhymeish. But it doesn't faze me when people don't like something I clearly do- it's whatever 'tickles your ears' ultimately and taste is subjective- I might not understand why someone might not rate Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You or the likes of The Winner Takes It All and The Day Before You Came but then again it would be strange if they were universally adored. To me, these songs speak for themselves and need no defence. It's strange because I can get on board with why certain ABBA songs usually hit the top in most disliked, there are others which to me are so obviously of high quality it leaves me baffled (but not upset) when someone claims to dislike what are the generally accepted gems. Maybe it's the overplayed thing. But it reminds me of that quote from (I'm not sure who by, Stephen Fry or Richard Dawkins, I think) that goes along the lines of how something that is great remains so no matter what..it doesn't need to be ..oh damn I'm making a pig's ear of this, I'll come back with the exact quote when I can locate it). Anyway check this out: sverigesradio.se/artikel/abba-benny-om-laten-som-liknar-30-ar-gammal-varmlandstoppplat-jag-tycker-det-later-valdigt-likt. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2022 12:32:31 GMT
They really do sound very alike.
Chart news
🔥 GOLD will make UK Year End Top 10. And this only for the second time.
🔥 Voyage climbs up Sales Chart and is now in Top 50. A few weeks ago it had left Top 100
🔥 Happy New Year makes #1 on the Singles Vinyl Chart
🔥 Happy New Year is in Singles Sales Top 10 but not Official Top 100.
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Post by gary on Dec 24, 2022 17:16:09 GMT
Could someone post a link to Space Visitors? I can’t seem to find it, not even on YouTube. Thanks.
I have always thought it was remarkable how few ABBA songs sound like something that came earlier. There are a few bits in Ring Ring, Waterloo and On And On And On, for example, but they’re very much the exception.
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Post by Alan on Dec 24, 2022 17:20:28 GMT
Merry Christmas 🎄 🎅 🤶 / Happy holidays to everyone.
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Post by joseph on Dec 24, 2022 18:34:49 GMT
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Post by gary on Dec 24, 2022 18:54:24 GMT
Thanks Joseph, much appreciated.
Oh dear, that chorus sounds identical.
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Post by justabba on Dec 24, 2022 21:12:35 GMT
Thanks Joseph, much appreciated. Oh dear, that chorus sounds identical. As Sir Arthur Sullivan once said, dear boy we only have 8 notes to play with.... |
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Post by evilincarnate on Dec 25, 2022 8:08:43 GMT
Thanks Joseph, much appreciated. Oh dear, that chorus sounds identical. As Sir Arthur Sullivan once said, dear boy we only have 8 notes to play with.... I agree there is a similarity but nothing more. I'm ultimately in Sir Arthur Sullivan's camp. I can't imagine for a moment this was deliberate and can absolutely concede that Benny came up with the melody without having actually heard "Space Visitors". There are only so many ways to part the waves... |
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Post by BAAB on Dec 25, 2022 8:14:27 GMT
Benny said in a recent Interview that it is vwry similiar, but he didn't kniw the song. If he did, KAEOD would have sounded differently...
I always wondered why ABBA were not sued by the family of the composer of "Quisaz, Quisaz, Quisaz. Because the similiarity to Fernando is very obvious. Quisaz...is, in oposite to Spacevisitor, a well known song, sung by several US American singers like Diris Day (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps) and Fernando made millions of royalties...
Gregory Porter: Quisaz Quisaz Quisaz :
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Post by gary on Dec 25, 2022 10:57:58 GMT
I don’t think I would call any similarity between Fernando and Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps ‘very obvious’. I can hardly hear any similarity at all. The choruses of Keep An Eye On Dan and Space Visitors, on the other hand, sound identical. Not sure I can hear the Jingle Bells thing either. Fernando was such a big hit that I am sure B&B would have been sued if there was a justification for it.
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Post by BAAB on Dec 25, 2022 14:46:26 GMT
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Post by richard on Dec 25, 2022 15:42:25 GMT
There are no doubt lots of examples that could be pointed out of moments of similarity between songs. It's how long the similarity goes on for when it becomes a possible issue of plagiarism. Hence George Harrison having to pay out millions of dollars because his song, 'My Sweet Lord' (1970, US; 1971,UK) is, melodically, extensively similar to The Shirelles' No.1 US hit, 'He's So Fine' (1963) Oh well, back to the preditable Christmas dross on TV and radio. Or maybe not.  |
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Post by joseph on Dec 26, 2022 10:47:07 GMT
Those similarities in the songs mentioned never occurred to me before! But I don't think they're so outstanding that it actually matters. I love My Sweet Lord so much and now I gather that He's So Fine is basically the same melody but it takes nothing away from the George Harrison song for me. They're both great. I can enjoy both.
I will post it later, but I have received the best present ever yesterday. Tickets for ABBA VOYAGE in April. I'm beyond excited. Hope you lot all enjoyed your Christmas dinners (if you do such a thing) and gorged until you couldn't move.
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Post by foreverfan on Dec 26, 2022 11:55:54 GMT
^^^^ I’m excited for you, and will be very interested in your review, the thought of seeing it for the first time is fantastic, I wonder who will be wishing the first quarter of 2023 away..lol
You may even get to see added tracks.... we wait with bated breath.......
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Post by richard on Dec 26, 2022 13:33:08 GMT
Those similarities in the songs mentioned never occurred to me before! But I don't think they're so outstanding that it actually matters. I love My Sweet Lord so much and now I gather that He's So Fine is basically the same melody but it takes nothing away from the George Harrison song for me. They're both great. I can enjoy both. [...] I feel the same. George said he would've changed a few notes here and there had the similarity with He's So Fine consciously registered with him. (The judge accepted that My Sweet Lord was not a case of deliberate copying.) Benny with regard to KAEOD, and composers generally, must dread and resent accusations or implications of plagiarism. Similarities are bound to happen from time to time - including those four notes in OTF that could stand as a quote from the waltz from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake (except OTF is in 4/4 time.) Or was that deliberate from Benny, I wonder? |
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Post by chron on Dec 26, 2022 17:58:12 GMT
George said he would've changed a few notes here and there had the similarity with He's So Fine consciously registered with him. (The judge accepted that My Sweet Lord was not a case of deliberate copying.) I can't help feeling that if George had written and presented My Sweet Lord while the Beatles were still an active, cooperative unit, either Paul or John (or Ringo or George Martin for that matter) would've pointed out almost right away how similar to He's So Fine it was (the latter got into the UK Top Twenty as the Beatles were on the cusp of becoming huge, and only seven-odd years before My Sweet Lord was created). 'Subconscious plagiarism' is just about plausibly admissible (especially if you're a Beatle and can afford the finest defence lawyers in Christendom), but I can't help feeling it's something of a cute stretch - the Beatles in their younger years were all avid consumers of pop music and black American pop, notably (Fats Domino, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, the Motown roster), and I tend to think that George must've had an inkling of how close he was getting to crossing a line when the song started to fall into place. |
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Post by joseph on Dec 26, 2022 18:55:08 GMT
Spotted this. There are ABBA purists and those who don't mind the odd remix. With me, I veer towards the purist thing but now and then something pops up which I'm ok with. I'm not sure about this yet but I'll give it a few listens and it may grab me.
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Post by chron on Dec 26, 2022 19:14:13 GMT
Really like that. Strangers is one of my absolute favourite Frida solo tracks, but that mix doesn't do anything disrespectful, and really brings something nice and breezy to it (lovely bit of Kraftwerk-ish sequencer work; the only thing that's a bit staid is the drum programming). I used to be a bit of a purist when I was younger, but in recent years I've become, partly naturally and partly through force of will or logic, an anti-purist. Pop is a bastard art form, not a high one, and I'm all for people pulling and pressing it into new shapes, as well as, as a listener, toying around with album track sequences, etc.
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Post by foreverfan on Dec 26, 2022 19:32:28 GMT
Beat me to it Joesph..
I tend to like Matt Pop, most of his remixes are pretty good, some don’t work, but definitely The King Has Lost His Crown and Little Things are two good standouts, shame LT has been with drawn..
The above isn’t bad either... I’m sure he’ll get around to the Voyage tracks in time....
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Post by HOMETIME on Dec 26, 2022 20:53:15 GMT
I was not expecting a remix of Strangers to be that cool. The original is so dreamy, I didn't imagine it'd work so well in this new kind of setting. It fits nicely with that set of remixes commissioned for IKTSGO in 2015. The distinction between the verse and chorus is stronger, and the melody sounds almost as though it was written for a trance production. If you like Matt Pop mixes, he posted this "giveaway" link earlier. It includes Strangers, Little Things, the WYDWM mash-up and a few other treats ABBA, and non-ABBA. Link >>> we.tl/t-Dn6IEG7tgI Get them while they're hot - these links tend to be temporary. |
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Post by joseph on Dec 26, 2022 21:02:38 GMT
The link HOMETIME just posted has the downloads for Little Things, Strangers by Frida and some others. I was about to post it. As far as I know, they're available for a week. Matt Pop's mix of Little Things is also (back?) on YouTube.
I've been listening to the Strangers mix for most of today and I must say I like it a hell of a lot. It's great through headphones.
Graham-
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Post by HOMETIME on Dec 26, 2022 21:02:42 GMT
The discussion about similarities between songs always fascinates me (and, writing the odd tune myself, makes me sweat!). I think B&B themselves noticed - and played down - a similarity between a section in KMKY and Simon & Garfunkle's Cecilia. That whole "there are only 8 notes" thing makes real sense and, when you think about it, there must be millions of soundalikes on that basis. Ever since it was pointed out to me, I can never hear Wham!'s Last Christmas without Barry Manilow's Can't Smile Without You coming to mind.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2022 22:03:27 GMT
Sounds that sound similar (in parts)
Tracy Chapman's Fast Car seems to be 'influenced' by John Cougar's Jack and Diane.
As for ABBA, Hasta Manana, to be, the opening bars sound like Tie a Yellow Ribbon.
A couple of ABBA songs that appear to have sections borrowed...
Sex Pistols: Pretty Vacant (SOS)
Oasis: The Hindu Times (Does Your Mother Know)
and Elvis Costello's Oliver's Army has Abba-esque keyboard flourishes.
Members of the Sex Pistols, Noel Gallagher and Elvis Costello all big ABBA fans.
The Clash's Spanish Bombs from their London Calling LP was meant to sound very ABBA-ish. Joe Strumner also an Abba fan
Personally, I can't hear any SOS influence in Pretty Vacant or KMKY in Simon and Garfunkle's Cecillia. None at all.
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