Over the weekend I listened to an episode of the Throughline podcast where the classic Abba album “Arrival” was discussed ; worth a listen for a new take on how the songs on the album are linked by various themes…
Tuesday 31 January 2023
Abba The Singles Photo Shoot
One of the images taken during the photo shoot for Abba’s compilation “Abba The Singles - The First Ten Years”….
Record Collectors 40 Best Abba Tracks - Mamma Mia
In the recent issue of Record Collector which included a run down of the 40 best Abba tracks this is what they had to say about the groups single “Mamma Mia”….
3. Mamma Mia (Epic S EPC 3790, 7”, UK, 1975) £2
Few ABBA songs capture the casually playful deployment of pop nous quite as well as the song which formally ushered in ABBA’s imperial period of pop dominance. Mamma Mia was ABBA’s first chart-topper since Waterloo, a peak that five of their next six single releases would also reach. Its importance in their evolution is affirmed by Benny, who described the song as “the first eureka moment”.
Nothing in Mamma Mia is left to chance. At every turn, every component is made to justify its presence in the song. In Benny’s words, “all the instruments contribute something that deviates from the melody line. Listen to the marimbas, listen to the guitars.
They’re playing their own lines.” Mamma Mia was also the song in which ABBA realised that the elusive quality of catchiness sometimes comes with knowing what to remove.
Perhaps Mamma Mia’s one moment of indisputable genius comes with the decision to withhold the drums from the first chorus, as good an example of the power of delayed gratification as you could hope to find in a pop song. For proof of that claim, all you need to do is wait until the full band come in on the final chorus at two and a half minutes and bear witness to your own emotional response.
Monday 30 January 2023
ABBA Magazine #3
Issue number 3 of the ABBA magazine includes an interview with Agnetha where she discusses a number of topics (clothes, pets, touring, flying etc) along with news of the groups planned promotional visit to America.
Friday 27 January 2023
Thursday 26 January 2023
Gracias Por La Musica
The latest issue of Mojo magazine includes a brief mention of the Spanish Abba album “Gracias Por La Musica”….
Wednesday 25 January 2023
Saturday 21 January 2023
Thursday 12 January 2023
Heat Magazine
The latest version of Heat magazine includes this mention of the Abba Voyage concert in London….
Wednesday 11 January 2023
Tuesday 10 January 2023
Thursday 5 January 2023
Apple Music Play List
This morning I am listening to an Abba playlist on Apple Music….
The playlist includes the following track list…
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Waterloo
- Lay All Your Love On Me
- Dancing Queen
- Mamma Mia
- The Winner Takes It All
- Does Your Mother Know
- Summer Night City
- Take A Chance On Me
- Tiger
- Hole In Your Soul
- Hey Hey Helen
- No Doubt About It
- Just A Notion
- When I Kissed The Teacher
- Eagle
- Money, Money, Money
- The Name Of The Game
- Voulez-Vous
- Love light
- Ring Ring (US Remix)
- Should I Laugh Or Cry
- Super Trouper
- Elaine
- You Owe Me One
- The Visitors
- SOS
- That’s Me
- Kisses Of Fire
The following text is also included with the playlist….
Abba Gold UK Chart Success In 2022
ABBA’s compilation “Abba Gold” was one of the biggest selling albums in the UK in 2022, 30 years after it was released, click here to read this article which mentions the album….
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