I don't know the Cliff songs mentioned to comment on whether they deserved higher chart positions, but the thought that even his fans who would buy any release (religious songs or not) weren't enough even to get him into the top 75 seems quite surprising.
Where did this myth that BOM were an Abba rip off suddenly come from? The original BOM predated Abba, and in early 1976 when preparations for Eurovision must have been being made, Abba were only just getting established as a major chart force. The BOM guys didn't play instruments and the Abba guys didn't sing lead vocals. And there were plenty of other girl-boy vocal acts long before Abba. It was only much later, in Summer 1977, that BOM switched style to cash in on the success of Abba.
As an archival program now I think it's actually a good thing that performances of some lesser known songs get shown rather than just songs we already have performances for anyway. It also gives a wider view of music at the time. And as I said flops can sometimes be as good as or better than some hits anyway.
Really? He must be in drag, because the vast majority of Abba performances I have seen have female lead vocalists.
It's funny that because when Abba started out in 1974 a lot of people mistook Bjorn for a woman!! It persuaded him to slim down apparently to lose the moobs
Regarding ABBA's 1978 Singles - I loved 'Take A Chance On Me', but, then there was a
gap of several Months, until 'Summer Night City' was released, & I just could not get into
that ABBA Single, at the time. It seemed to lack something. I was not surprised when it
got no higher than No.5 in the UK. I knew it wasn't a No.1, as soon as I heard it.
ABBA had huge problems with that Single, & felt that it did not sound quite right. In the
end they simply removed the very attractive spoken intro. That was a big mistake, as it
adds to the Single, & it was not as good with that removed.
In several European Countries, 'Eagle' was released as a Single, between 'Take A Chance
On Me', & 'Summer Night City'. That was in May 1978. It was a Top 20 Hit in several Countries.
For some stupid reason, Epic Records decided not to bother releasing it in the UK & Ireland,
so we just got a long gap until 'Summer Night City' was released. (The fact that ABBA were
so huge, disguises the fact that they did not release more than 2 Singles, in some of their
biggest Years. There were only 2 UK & Irish ABBA Singles in 1977, 1978, 1980 & 1981.
They'd have had more than 9 UK No.1 Hits, had they bothered to release more Singles).
Regarding Brotherhood Of Man - it is true that they began having Hits at the start of the
1970's. (Before ABBA). Their Fans often use that as 'proof' that BOM cannot be said to
be copying off ABBA. In fact, BOM only started copying off ABBA in 1977, so it is of no
consequence that they began having Hits before ABBA.
Sometimes it is said that BOM's 1976 ESC Winner, 'Save Your Kisses For Me', copied
off ABBA. It didn't. That one rips off the 1973 Hit by Dawn, 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon', & it sounded
nothing like ABBA......
Where did this myth that BOM were an Abba rip off suddenly come from? The original BOM predated Abba, and in early 1976 when preparations for Eurovision must have been being made, Abba were only just getting established as a major chart force. The BOM guys didn't play instruments and the Abba guys didn't sing lead vocals. And there were plenty of other girl-boy vocal acts long before Abba. It was only much later, in Summer 1977, that BOM switched style to cash in on the success of Abba.
The earlier line up was a different group with a different musical style and completely different people. The hits with the current line up didn't start until 1976 when they entered Eurovision - copying the 2 girls, 2 boy format ABBA scored with 2 years before. 12 months later, after copying Dawn with their 2 singles of '76, they took to stealing ABBA song ideas ("Angelo" and "Figaro" are clones of "Fernando" obviously). By 1976 ABBA were not 'just getting established' - their first greatest hits had topped the UK album charts and that year their tally of UK number ones had reached four. BOM ripping off ABBA is hardly 'a myth'.
The earlier line up was a different group with a different musical style and completely different people. The hits with the current line up didn't start until 1976 when they entered Eurovision - copying the 2 girls, 2 boy format ABBA scored with 2 years before. 12 months later, after copying Dawn with their 2 singles of '76, they took to stealing ABBA song ideas ("Angelo" and "Figaro" are clones of "Fernando" obviously). By 1976 ABBA were not 'just getting established' - their first greatest hits had topped the UK album charts and that year their tally of UK number ones had reached four. BOM ripping off ABBA is hardly 'a myth'.
As I said before, there was nothing unique about Abba's girl-boy line up. Save Your Kisses For Me is nothing like Waterloo. Case proved. Abba's first greatest hits album had not topped the UK album charts before Save Your Kisses For Me.
As I said before, there was nothing unique about Abba's girl-boy line up. Save Your Kisses For Me is nothing like Waterloo. Case proved. Abba's first greatest hits album had not topped the UK album charts before Save Your Kisses For Me.
I did say BOM's hits in 76 ripped off Dawn not ABBA but the idea that the one blonde, one brunette, 2 boys format for Eurovision 76 had nothing to do with the show's winners 2 years earlier isn't credible. Other groups may have had that kind of line up too (ABBA themselves modelled their image on a Swedish group who entered for Sweden twice in the early 70s called Family Four) but ABBA made that format a world beating formula copied by others (let's not forget Bucks Fizz). BOM were copying Dawn musically in 76 then ABBA thereafter and were copying ABBA image-wise from 76. ABBA had had 2 number one in Britain before 'Kisses' was released so their influence isn't surprising..
As I said before, there was nothing unique about Abba's girl-boy line up. Save Your Kisses For Me is nothing like Waterloo. Case proved. Abba's first greatest hits album had not topped the UK album charts before Save Your Kisses For Me.
Of course there's nothing new about the boy-girl line-up - the Mamas & Papas are one obvious precedent, and the (New) Seekers (albeit with boys slightly outweighing the girls). But Abba's 1974 Eurovision victory followed several years of soloists winning - and they had some success afterwards, not least in Australia and New Zealand, before they became a UK chart force again with 'SOS' and 'Mamma Mia' (both before 'Save Your Kisses'). Those two elements must've signalled to BOM's management that putting the group up for the song contest might be a way of re-establishing the brand with the public, particularly as the new line-up had had some success on the continent by then. And their gamble worked.
BOM's blatant copying of Abba began, as you say, in 1977 - obviously someone in their management team/record company was looking at Abba's incredible track record across 1976/1977 and decided they'd try and get some of that. But the strategy was only partially successful: it may have landed them two number one singles, but no way would their albums sell in the quantities Abba's did ... and they didn't have the equivalent songwriting and production muscle behind them, either.
Seeing bits of the Brit Awards makes me even more grateful for the TOTP reruns. What a load of rubbish modern popular music is.
I agree!
People always say that as you get older you prefer the music from your own childhood - but I think in our cases - anyone who grew up in the 60s/70s/80s REALLY WERE in the golden age of music!
I don't think it has ever been as good before - and it will never be as good again - even todays teenagers aren't really into music of today as much as teenagers from 30-40 years back - which says it all really! :rolleyes:
the vast majority of Abba performances I have seen have female lead vocalists.
When Abba started back in about 72-73 the men sang a lot of the vocals (Another Town, Another Train, He's Your Brother etc etc) and just happened to ask the girls to sing on the tracks too!
It wasn't until they realised they had a much better sound that the girls became the main singers of the group!
Comments
Totally agree.
Really?
You actually managed to sit through some of the Brit Awards?
Indeed. That was the period when Abba were ripping off Brotherhood of Man.
It's funny that because when Abba started out in 1974 a lot of people mistook Bjorn for a woman!! It persuaded him to slim down apparently to lose the moobs
Every generation says that once they pass a certain age.
gap of several Months, until 'Summer Night City' was released, & I just could not get into
that ABBA Single, at the time. It seemed to lack something. I was not surprised when it
got no higher than No.5 in the UK. I knew it wasn't a No.1, as soon as I heard it.
ABBA had huge problems with that Single, & felt that it did not sound quite right. In the
end they simply removed the very attractive spoken intro. That was a big mistake, as it
adds to the Single, & it was not as good with that removed.
In several European Countries, 'Eagle' was released as a Single, between 'Take A Chance
On Me', & 'Summer Night City'. That was in May 1978. It was a Top 20 Hit in several Countries.
For some stupid reason, Epic Records decided not to bother releasing it in the UK & Ireland,
so we just got a long gap until 'Summer Night City' was released. (The fact that ABBA were
so huge, disguises the fact that they did not release more than 2 Singles, in some of their
biggest Years. There were only 2 UK & Irish ABBA Singles in 1977, 1978, 1980 & 1981.
They'd have had more than 9 UK No.1 Hits, had they bothered to release more Singles).
Regarding Brotherhood Of Man - it is true that they began having Hits at the start of the
1970's. (Before ABBA). Their Fans often use that as 'proof' that BOM cannot be said to
be copying off ABBA. In fact, BOM only started copying off ABBA in 1977, so it is of no
consequence that they began having Hits before ABBA.
Sometimes it is said that BOM's 1976 ESC Winner, 'Save Your Kisses For Me', copied
off ABBA. It didn't. That one rips off the 1973 Hit by Dawn, 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon', & it sounded
nothing like ABBA......
The earlier line up was a different group with a different musical style and completely different people. The hits with the current line up didn't start until 1976 when they entered Eurovision - copying the 2 girls, 2 boy format ABBA scored with 2 years before. 12 months later, after copying Dawn with their 2 singles of '76, they took to stealing ABBA song ideas ("Angelo" and "Figaro" are clones of "Fernando" obviously). By 1976 ABBA were not 'just getting established' - their first greatest hits had topped the UK album charts and that year their tally of UK number ones had reached four. BOM ripping off ABBA is hardly 'a myth'.
As I said before, there was nothing unique about Abba's girl-boy line up. Save Your Kisses For Me is nothing like Waterloo. Case proved. Abba's first greatest hits album had not topped the UK album charts before Save Your Kisses For Me.
I did say BOM's hits in 76 ripped off Dawn not ABBA but the idea that the one blonde, one brunette, 2 boys format for Eurovision 76 had nothing to do with the show's winners 2 years earlier isn't credible. Other groups may have had that kind of line up too (ABBA themselves modelled their image on a Swedish group who entered for Sweden twice in the early 70s called Family Four) but ABBA made that format a world beating formula copied by others (let's not forget Bucks Fizz). BOM were copying Dawn musically in 76 then ABBA thereafter and were copying ABBA image-wise from 76. ABBA had had 2 number one in Britain before 'Kisses' was released so their influence isn't surprising..
Of course there's nothing new about the boy-girl line-up - the Mamas & Papas are one obvious precedent, and the (New) Seekers (albeit with boys slightly outweighing the girls). But Abba's 1974 Eurovision victory followed several years of soloists winning - and they had some success afterwards, not least in Australia and New Zealand, before they became a UK chart force again with 'SOS' and 'Mamma Mia' (both before 'Save Your Kisses'). Those two elements must've signalled to BOM's management that putting the group up for the song contest might be a way of re-establishing the brand with the public, particularly as the new line-up had had some success on the continent by then. And their gamble worked.
BOM's blatant copying of Abba began, as you say, in 1977 - obviously someone in their management team/record company was looking at Abba's incredible track record across 1976/1977 and decided they'd try and get some of that. But the strategy was only partially successful: it may have landed them two number one singles, but no way would their albums sell in the quantities Abba's did ... and they didn't have the equivalent songwriting and production muscle behind them, either.
Most music has probably always been rubbish. The problem is when the charts (the most popular of the popular) are rubbish.
I agree!
People always say that as you get older you prefer the music from your own childhood - but I think in our cases - anyone who grew up in the 60s/70s/80s REALLY WERE in the golden age of music!
I don't think it has ever been as good before - and it will never be as good again - even todays teenagers aren't really into music of today as much as teenagers from 30-40 years back - which says it all really! :rolleyes:
Any idea on the host - are we due Tony Tastic or Noel Tinybeard - Those two are fab:)
It was Peter last week - and I think it was the Kid on the previous week
Kid Jenson this week! - And a great show too - enter Kate Bush!
Aw I loved the Kid
And I hope the Number 1 is played in it's entirity - after suffering last weeks chartopper
When Abba started back in about 72-73 the men sang a lot of the vocals (Another Town, Another Train, He's Your Brother etc etc) and just happened to ask the girls to sing on the tracks too!
It wasn't until they realised they had a much better sound that the girls became the main singers of the group!