ABBA - Sitting In The Palmtree (Live, Perth 1977)

This is a recording of ABBA performing "Sitting In The Palmtree" live in Perth, 1977, complete with Bjorn's rather humerous tale about the origins of the song! Taken from the Waterloo album (1974), and one of my favourite early ABBA songs.

ABBA - Just Like That (The Video - Undeleted Edit)

Here's a rough video I edited together for the Undeleted snippet of ABBA's "Just Like That".

ABBA Gold Anomalies IV (Videos 14-15)

Here's the latest in the excellent ABBA Gold Anomalies series, including a rather special ABBA Undeleted anomalies video which I am quite pleased to have played a minor part in. :)

S.O.S.


ABBA Undeleted

Just Like That (Keyboard - Nanana Version)

This is a keyboard recording that I made many months ago of the nanana version of Just Like That. I think it's probably the most faithful keyboard version I have put together thus far, even if it is a little basic.

ABBA Gold Anomalies III (Videos 11-13)

Here are the latest videos in MarkPMus's ABBA Gold Anomalies series:

The Winner Takes It All



Voulez-Vous


Money, Money, Money

Update: November 2008

Dear readers,

I would like to take this opportunity to make a brief apology for the lack of updates here recently. University has kept me very busy over the last few months, so I have found little time to be able to update this blog. However, over the next month or so I will have some more free time on my hands, so I plan to be updating regularly once again within the near future.

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to bookmark this page and/or subscribe via RSS. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of reading my posts here, as I do making them. :)

ABBA Gold Anomalies II (Video 10)

Here is the latest in the ABBA Gold Anomalies series.

I Have A Dream

Hamlet III Fan Mixes

Though these two fan mixes are slightly different, both have been made on the same principle. They have combined the two short snippets of Hamlet III that were released in the ABBA Undeleted medley, and produced one cohesive track. In essence, we get the upbeat instrumental (Part I), combined in parts with the girl's excellent vocals (Part III). Enjoy!



http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kGVffdD42d4

ABBA Gold Anomalies (Videos 1-9)

First, a little disclaimer: I have been quite busy over the last weeks; I've just started studying at university, and so unfortunately have had much less time to update my blog. I do of course, however, plan to carry on doing so, though the frequency of updates may be less than usual. Thanks for understanding.

Now, over the last few weeks or so, I have been eagerly keeping up with the so-called "ABBA Gold Anomalies" series on YouTube, by MarkPMus. All of the videos to date are included below, in the following order: [Introduction], Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Take A Chance On Me, [CD vs. Vinyl Mixes], Mamma Mia, Fernando, Lay All Your Love On Me, Super Trouper.

[Introduction]


Dancing Queen


Knowing Me, Knowing You


Take A Chance On Me


[CD vs. Vinyl Mixes]


Mamma Mia


Fernando


Lay All Your Love On Me


Super Trouper

Reel-To-Reel - Just Like That (Original Version)

Here is the original/slow/dream version of Just Like That in reel-to-reel form. The recording is not owned by me, but I was asked by the owner to upload it for them.

Just Like That (Extended NaNaNa Mix)

Another excellent remix by DjProducerMattPop.

Just Like That (Matt Mix)

I discovered this remix today. It is possibly the best remix of JLT I've come across so far. It is absolutely awesome! Just makes me want B&B to release the full song even more. ;)

Mamma Mia! The Movie: Trailer

If, like me, you've not had the chance to see Mamma Mia! just yet, here's a little something to get you even more excited about it!

ABBA: The Reunion (Mamma Mia! The Movie, Stockholm Premiere, 4th July 2008)

On 4th July 2008, for the first time in over 20 years, all four members of ABBA were together at the same venue. As a result, YouTube has been bombarded(!) with many videos containing interviews with the ABBA members (in English and Swedish), footage and photographs of them along with the cast of the movie...and Angetha and Frida doing some strange folk dance with Meryl Streep! ;)

Enjoy!









As a slight bonus, here's a Dutch radio interview with Björn and Benny, about the movie, that took place on the 2nd July.

Mamma Mia! The Musical: Summer Night City (Deleted Scene)

Here is a sneak peak (audio only) at the Summer Night City scene that was eventually removed from Mamma Mia! The Musical. The scene came directly after the Prologue in the original itinerary. The audio in this clip was recorded during the previews of the musical.

Ring Ring (Music Video)

Here is the rather rare music video to ABBA's first major hit, "Ring Ring". Though the song did not fair that well in the U.K., it was a success in many other territories, including the group's home country of Sweden.

Just Like That & Just A Notion (Snippets; Reversed)

Here are two more reversed ABBA snippets.

Just Like That (Jakaranda Version)

And now for a personal premiere: Just Like That...sung by Jakaranda! This is a mixture of ABBA's 'NaNaNa' version and Gemini's version. Many thanks to the person who sent it to me; I love it!

Just Like That (Elaine Paige's Version)

Here is Just Like That...reggae-style! This is Elaine Page's demo version from the recording sessions for the Chess musical. It has a rather bouncy feel to it in the choruses - not too far from ABBA's "One Of Us", actually!

Slowly (Gemini & Timbiriche Versions)

Here is Gemini's version of Slowly, the song originally written for ABBA (unconfirmed)/Frida's solo album 'Shine'. It is the only version of the song to be produced by the composers - Benny and Björn themselves.



In 1994, the song was covered by Mexican band Timbiriche, this time sung in Spanish. The title is 'Muriendo Lento'.

Another Morning Without You

Another Morning Without You was a demo version of what was to become Like An Angel Passing Through My Room. The person making annoying noises is apparently one of the drummers in the studio. (Sorry!)

This recording has previously been reported as 'fake', but to any skilled listener it most certainly is not. If you listen carefully, you can just about make out Angetha and Frida's vocals in various points of the song (most notably, Frida singing 'Without you' towards the end).

Jerry Williams/Svenne & Lotta Sing Rarities

Here's Jerry Williams's version of the unreleased ABBA song Rikky Rock 'N' Roller (using the original full-length lyrics):



Also, here's Svenne & Lotta's version of the unrecorded and unreleased ABBA song Funky Feet, which was thought too similar to Dancing Queen. They are singing over the original unused ABBA backing track:

Just Like That (Saxophone Version/Final Mix)

This is a slideshow I put together yesterday (complete with lyrics!) for the final mix of Just Like That. The saxophone overdubs were courtesy of Raphael Ravenscroft, and were recorded in late May 1982. The song was mixed on 2nd June 1982 by Michael B. Tretow, and digitally remastered in 1997. ...And almost 26 years since it all began, still remains unreleased!

Slowly

'Slowly' is a song written by Benny and Björn, with the possible intention of recording it with ABBA for their never-finished 9th album (unconfirmed). Instead, or otherwise, it was given to Frida for her solo album 'Shine'.

Listening to the song, it is not hard to realise that it is, at heart, an ABBA track. It also seems to have that same eerie solemness as Like An Angel Passing Through My Room. Though not produced by Benny and Björn, Frida sings it very well, and it is a pleasure to listen to.

Just Like That (OOPSed)

Here's an interesting one. It's the snippet of Just Like That from the ABBA Undeleted medley, with the OOPS (Out Of Phase Stereo) audio effect applied.

If you've never heard about the OOPS effect before, you can find out more about it here.

Back to the song, and it's quite nice to be able to hear a bit more of the backing track, without that overpowering saxophone. You can also quantify the sheer amount of echo that has been added to the girls' vocals in the chorus during mixing. If you listen carefully, you can also just about make out the backing vocals.

Just A Notion (Extended Mix)

Here's an extended mix of Just A Notion, made by myself. Enjoy! :)

Arrival/Björn Again Sing Rarities

Here's a chance to hear the full version of Just A Notion, of which only a small re-edited snippet was released in the ABBA Undeleted medley. It's not sung by ABBA; rather, it's sung by ABBA tribute group Arrival.

While the vocals can certainly not be compared to those of Agnetha and Frida's, the real reason for listening to this recording is essentially to get a feel for how the full ABBA version would have sounded.

Also, Björn Again's live version of Just Like That, with an excellent synthesiser melody in place of ABBA's nothingness/nananas/saxophone, is possibly the best-produced ABBA tribute song ever. It captures the energy and emotion that Björn and Benny were originally, and - at least in their opinions - unsuccessfully, looking for when recording Just Like That with ABBA.

Chess Demos

Due to my recent obsession with the musical Chess, composed by Benny and Bjorn along with lyricist Tim Rice, I have been hunting down some Chess demos on YouTube. Needless to say there are quite few available!

I have included my personal favourites here: Every Good Man, Paternal Supervisor, and the demo of One Night In Bangkok (supposedly using Bjorn's original lyrics). Enjoy! :)

Just Like That (Na Na Na Version - Edited)

This is a nice attempt at a video for the na na na version of Just Like That. The song is also edited somewhat, and consequently is just over a minute shorter than the original.

Rubber Ball Man (Extended Mix)

Update: Please see this post for a HQ version of this mix.

When All Is Said And Done (Demo Version)

Oho, here we go again! I just love this!



After that funky attempt at recording a backing track for When All Is Said And Done, naturally Bjorn and Benny felt the need to rerecord it with a completely different arangement. It's the arrangement we've come to know (and love), as this was the version released on The Visitors (1981). However, the final release is a slightly cut-down one; the following video includes the complete original recording. (I don't want to spoil the surprise, but essentially at the end of the song there is a repeat of the first verse.)

Two For The Price Of One (Demo Version)

This is the demo version of Two For The Price Of One, of which the final version can be found on the album The Visitors (1981). Notice it is sung from the first person perspective ("I") - this is also how ABBA sung it when they performed it live on 'Dick Cavett Meets ABBA' - whereas the final version is in the third person ("He"). The lyrics are also slightly different; if you listen carefully, there is even talk of suicide! ABBA singing about suicide?! Oo-er!

Just Like That (Saxophone Version)

This is the best quality I've heard!



And I also came across this slightly sped-up version:

Sweet!

This is pretty sweet playing! :D

Just Like That - Keyboard Recordings

This is a demo recording of Just Like That, played by myself on the keyboard:



...And here is the complete version:



I'm not obsessed. Honest.

Now, enough of my own material already! :P

Crying Over You (Extended Mix)

This is an extended mix I made using the small snippet included in the ABBA Undeleted medley. I tried not to make it sound too repetitive (unlike many other extended mixes I have heard).

That Like Just

Just to bring this up to date...here are some other videos I have previously posted on YouTube. These are the two 'reversed' edits of Just Like That. The first is a sort of...well, remix I suppose. The second is the complete NaNaNa version played in reverse. Both are accompanied by wonderous random ABBA pictures. Enjoy!

One Of Us - Alternate Scenes!

I like this. It's a comparison between the One Of Us music video as we know it today, with an alternate version containing a few scenes that didn't make it into the final edit. The first is of Agnetha and Björn standing by those weird mirrors (in the actual video, we seen only Benny and Frida), and the other one is a face-on of Frida singing the chorus (we only see Angetha doing this in the video).

Just Like That (The Video)

Here's one of my own to start with; a video I made to the first demo version of Just Like That.



Just Like That was written by Björn and Benny in May 1982, and recording sessions began that same month. At least three versions were recorded: the first attempt at recording the song has become known as the 'original', 'slow' or 'dream' version (the version used in my video here). The second version of the song is known as the 'Nanana' or 'Lalala' version. The last known version of the song has become known as the 'saxophone' version.

After recording of the 'saxophone' version in June 1982, Just Like That was left unsatisfactory by Benny and Björn. They stated some time afterwards that the song simply sounded 'wrong': the verses and the choruses did not go together well, and that is why it was scrapped.

Ah well, we can always hope they'll change their minds. :)