Think back to the 60s when the Beatles ruled the world,
they all had girlfriends, they were out and about on the London scene... being photographed.... a big part of the swinging 60s
You d see them at hippie events with their mates, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton.... it was an exciting scene and the Beatles were at the centre of it all.
Contrast all that with Abba.......... living on their
miserable island....... writing songs in a wooden shed...
Never a whiff of scandal or controversy, so goody goody and conventional............
Think back to the 60s when the Beatles ruled the world,
they all had girlfriends, they were out and about on the London scene... being photographed.... a big part of the swinging 60s
You d see them at hippie events with their mates, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton.... it was an exciting scene and the Beatles were at the centre of it all.
Contrast all that with Abba.......... living on their
miserable island....... writing songs in a wooden shed...
Never a whiff of scandal or controversy, so goody goody and conventional............
Im getting bored already !
I don't see the point of your post.
In your opening line "Are nt Abba the great big bore of the 1970 s ?" - this is a question, then you go onto answering your own beliefs about the group, which is not very accurate. If you know their story, you will see there is a lot of heartache and troubling times for the four.
My question though is, what do you think of their music? Or does the "goody goody" lifestyles that you believe they led put you off from listening to their music? Do you have to wait for an artist to make headlines on the news before purchasing their release.
The way I see it is, you buy an album for the music, for the melody, lyrics etc. Not because they were caught having girlfriends in London, months before.
Their music and lyrics are awesome and they became world famous,
they were to the 70s what the Beatles were to the 60s...
But I was contrasting their lifestyles... the Beatles socialising in
London.. flower power, caraby street, friends , girlfriends etc
whereas Abba seem to be stuck on that cold windy island... writing songs in that shed ! did they ever go to pariies ?
Ive not seen any photos
The Beatles made movies and a TV movie...
contrast that with the Abba movie.... not really a movie, just
a bit of nonsense cobbled together with footage from their Ozzie tour !
For the majority of the time they were married with children, Agnetha and Bjorn especially, I don't think they particularly embraced the celebrity lifestyle
ABBA were always very modest. I recall, in the late 1970's, when their
success was compared to that of The Beatles. Frida was shocked & said
it was 'blasphemy' for anyone to say such a thing.
And I know a DJ who has met Benny & Bjorn a few times. He recently
told me that they will not release anything by ABBA, if they think it is
not good enough. Nor do they want people to think that they are always
trying to 'cash in' on ABBA. Which is why we Fans cannot have any more
unreleased ABBA Tracks, such as the complete versions of 'Just A Notion'
& 'Just Like That'.
Nor will they let us have 'Alternative Versions' of the Hits, such as one
of 'The Winner Takes It All', & 'Dancing Queen' with an extra verse.
Nor can we have Remixes, as Benny & Bjorn say that would be like
admitting that they never got the Songs right when they first released
them. (I recently read that Bjorn, (or Benny - I forget which), worked
on remixing 'Dancing Queen', in the Studio in 1992, & other ABBA
Tracks were to be Remixed then too. But he then lost interest in the
'Project', & we only got the 1976 'Dancing Queen' etc. on 'ABBA Gold').
In about 1986 they got their Studio Audio Engineer, Michael B. Tretow,
to Remix & extend 'Take A Chance On Me' & 'Lay All Your Love On Me'.
But, when he'd finished doing so, they changed their minds about ever
releasing them, & he was told to store them away.
Benny & Bjorn know that Universal will carry on releasing ABBA 'Hits'
Compilations, to keep ABBA's name alive - and the cash coming in. But
they do not want to 'share' any further unreleased Tracks with Universal.
(Or with ABBA Fans).
They seem to keep all their unreleased stuff in an old store room, mixed
in with the Tracks that we did get from ABBA. We only got a different
version of 'Lovelight' on 'More ABBA Gold' by accident. Someone grabbed
the wrong tape of it, when they were putting that 1993 Compilation
together. And the same thing happened with 'Andante Andante' in the
recent 40 Singles Box Set. They accidently gave us an 'Alternative Version'
of it, as the 'B' Side of 'Happy New Year'.
In the meantime it looks like we will see ABBA 'Hits' Compilations
coming out for many Years to come. With the SOS, (Same Old Songs),
on them. In the same old versions.....
Abba fans cant complain about Abba progs over xmas and new year...
The Joy of Abba.... new years eve
then..... Abba at the BBC
Each programme a rehash of the Abba video available....
they can keep doing this forever !
I suppose that Abba's enduring popularity gets them reasonable viewer numbers for the timeslots. I love Abba and often watch the Abba TV programmes even though they are repeats. I like watching past big acts on TV now because they were far less available to see in the 60s/70s/80s when there were fewer TV channels. I watched the Electric Light Orchestra concert on BBC4 the other week too which was brilliant.
Abba were a singles band but they never had a great studio album unlike the Beatles.
They were good of course, they were the best group ever from Sweden before First Aid kit ( 3 great studio albums under their belt already) took that position. There's no need for Abba fans to get upset by this...it happens;-)
go check out they re brilliant ....... best selling LPs.....
packed with brilliant songs that have passed the test of time
you called them the great big bore of the 70's a short time ago. The wind must have changed direction. Brilliantly boring or boringly brilliant which is it?:cool:
and Venus to answer your question. You get a clear perspective from over here
In the gloom........ like an angel passing thru my room ...
Maybe its the Nordic Gloom and the Angst that permiates Abba music
that is so attractive ?
The Beatles just did nt have the depressive , gloom element,
they were so flippant and upbeat and ...... I love you ..... almost every other line.....
In the 60s they were in their own bubble of wealth and fame,
they had lost contact with reality and the struggle that
is life for the ordinary peoploids .
Never a whiff of scandal or controversy, so goody goody and conventional............
How poorly informed you are....
Frida, was eventually revealed to be a product of the Nazi Lebensborn program, and so technically was the only member of the supposed super-race ever to achieve world domination. Happily, via great songs.
Agnetha, at one point, had an affair with a stalker obsessed with her!
Bjorn, when asked what it was like to lose five million dollars in an oil company venture that went wrong, replied "There's plenty more where that came from."
Benny, errrrm, okay got me there. Seems like a completely nice guy.
Comments
Think back to the 60s when the Beatles ruled the world,
they all had girlfriends, they were out and about on the London scene... being photographed.... a big part of the swinging 60s
You d see them at hippie events with their mates, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton.... it was an exciting scene and the Beatles were at the centre of it all.
Contrast all that with Abba.......... living on their
miserable island....... writing songs in a wooden shed...
Never a whiff of scandal or controversy, so goody goody and conventional............
Im getting bored already !
I don't see the point of your post.
In your opening line "Are nt Abba the great big bore of the 1970 s ?" - this is a question, then you go onto answering your own beliefs about the group, which is not very accurate. If you know their story, you will see there is a lot of heartache and troubling times for the four.
My question though is, what do you think of their music? Or does the "goody goody" lifestyles that you believe they led put you off from listening to their music? Do you have to wait for an artist to make headlines on the news before purchasing their release.
The way I see it is, you buy an album for the music, for the melody, lyrics etc. Not because they were caught having girlfriends in London, months before.
Odd.
they were to the 70s what the Beatles were to the 60s...
But I was contrasting their lifestyles... the Beatles socialising in
London.. flower power, caraby street, friends , girlfriends etc
whereas Abba seem to be stuck on that cold windy island... writing songs in that shed ! did they ever go to pariies ?
Ive not seen any photos
The Beatles made movies and a TV movie...
contrast that with the Abba movie.... not really a movie, just
a bit of nonsense cobbled together with footage from their Ozzie tour !
success was compared to that of The Beatles. Frida was shocked & said
it was 'blasphemy' for anyone to say such a thing.
And I know a DJ who has met Benny & Bjorn a few times. He recently
told me that they will not release anything by ABBA, if they think it is
not good enough. Nor do they want people to think that they are always
trying to 'cash in' on ABBA. Which is why we Fans cannot have any more
unreleased ABBA Tracks, such as the complete versions of 'Just A Notion'
& 'Just Like That'.
Nor will they let us have 'Alternative Versions' of the Hits, such as one
of 'The Winner Takes It All', & 'Dancing Queen' with an extra verse.
Nor can we have Remixes, as Benny & Bjorn say that would be like
admitting that they never got the Songs right when they first released
them. (I recently read that Bjorn, (or Benny - I forget which), worked
on remixing 'Dancing Queen', in the Studio in 1992, & other ABBA
Tracks were to be Remixed then too. But he then lost interest in the
'Project', & we only got the 1976 'Dancing Queen' etc. on 'ABBA Gold').
In about 1986 they got their Studio Audio Engineer, Michael B. Tretow,
to Remix & extend 'Take A Chance On Me' & 'Lay All Your Love On Me'.
But, when he'd finished doing so, they changed their minds about ever
releasing them, & he was told to store them away.
Benny & Bjorn know that Universal will carry on releasing ABBA 'Hits'
Compilations, to keep ABBA's name alive - and the cash coming in. But
they do not want to 'share' any further unreleased Tracks with Universal.
(Or with ABBA Fans).
They seem to keep all their unreleased stuff in an old store room, mixed
in with the Tracks that we did get from ABBA. We only got a different
version of 'Lovelight' on 'More ABBA Gold' by accident. Someone grabbed
the wrong tape of it, when they were putting that 1993 Compilation
together. And the same thing happened with 'Andante Andante' in the
recent 40 Singles Box Set. They accidently gave us an 'Alternative Version'
of it, as the 'B' Side of 'Happy New Year'.
In the meantime it looks like we will see ABBA 'Hits' Compilations
coming out for many Years to come. With the SOS, (Same Old Songs),
on them. In the same old versions.....
The Joy of Abba.... new years eve
then..... Abba at the BBC
Each programme a rehash of the Abba video available....
they can keep doing this forever !
I suppose that Abba's enduring popularity gets them reasonable viewer numbers for the timeslots. I love Abba and often watch the Abba TV programmes even though they are repeats. I like watching past big acts on TV now because they were far less available to see in the 60s/70s/80s when there were fewer TV channels. I watched the Electric Light Orchestra concert on BBC4 the other week too which was brilliant.
the most gorgeous babe in all of Sweden !
They were good of course, they were the best group ever from Sweden before First Aid kit ( 3 great studio albums under their belt already) took that position. There's no need for Abba fans to get upset by this...it happens;-)
oh and here they, atypically doing Abba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuuR0-_xZKw
wot planet are you on ?
go check out they re brilliant ....... best selling LPs.....
packed with brilliant songs that have passed the test of time
you called them the great big bore of the 70's a short time ago. The wind must have changed direction. Brilliantly boring or boringly brilliant which is it?:cool:
and Venus to answer your question. You get a clear perspective from over here
maybe their greatest ever ..............?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7ThH5x01k
(who's playing the metronome ?)
Maybe its the Nordic Gloom and the Angst that permiates Abba music
that is so attractive ?
The Beatles just did nt have the depressive , gloom element,
they were so flippant and upbeat and ...... I love you ..... almost every other line.....
In the 60s they were in their own bubble of wealth and fame,
they had lost contact with reality and the struggle that
is life for the ordinary peoploids .
There was a fab doc about Jeff... was it last year ?...
living in some style in a huge house overlooking LA
which he also uses
as a studio.
a Boomerangerang is love.......
Obviously written for the Eurovision song contest !
... but in the end they decided on ...... Waterloo........
How poorly informed you are....
Frida, was eventually revealed to be a product of the Nazi Lebensborn program, and so technically was the only member of the supposed super-race ever to achieve world domination. Happily, via great songs.
Agnetha, at one point, had an affair with a stalker obsessed with her!
Bjorn, when asked what it was like to lose five million dollars in an oil company venture that went wrong, replied "There's plenty more where that came from."
Benny, errrrm, okay got me there. Seems like a completely nice guy.
Perhaps they thought people would struggle with the lyrics for Bang-A-Boomerang
but maybe they made the best vids ever of the fabulous Abba
There wont be any more Abba vids
A very sad fact too that both Fridas mother and Agnethas mother commited suicide