ABBA

[Thriller]

Obvious choice, but I've gone for "Dancing Queen", it's a perfect pop song.

[NothingFails]

Although CD's are dying out, did anyone know that The Visitors was actually the first commercially produced CD in October 1982?

Here's an interesting article about it along with pictures of the original CD (which is considered priceless as so few exist)

http://abbaoncd.wordpress.com/european- ... -cds-1982/

[Graham76man]

I recently bought an old Record Mirror from E-Bay dated 4 December 1976 and I just had to tell about a few letters sent to the paper about ABBA.

Arrived
AFTER LISTENING to Abba's 'Arrival' I can honestly say they must be the most talented band around. They have become much more rewarding to listen to and anyone who hasn't heard it should immediately beg, borrow or steal a copy.
Abba fan, Scotland

Abbanother!
DAVID MOODY ought to get his head tested if he starts saying that Abba will be droped like hot bricks in the not too distant near future. All the groups that have been dropped before just weren't in the same class. They never produced, arranged and published all their own songs. Abba are in a class of thier own.
An Abba fan, Dorchester

I wonder if David Moody changed his mind or got his head tested?

[NothingFails]

Interesting read there.

I think "Arrival" was a pivotal moment in their career and I think that was when they went from being a singles act (even though "Waterloo" and especially "ABBA" had some major hits, neither album were particularly huge sellers and the Greatest Hits album seemed to really be the beneficiary of those songs than the actual parent albums) to truly crafting excellent albums.

[AlexZ]

Abba Gold is an essential album of life.

Definitive Collection is best Greatest Hits album for ABBA.

[AlexZ]

Bought five ABBA albums + Definitive Collection in early Summer 2011. Now, I'm ABBA fan.

Some unfamous songs, which I like:
1. When I Kissed The Teacher
2. That's Me
3. Kisses On Fire
4. As Good As New

Question: It's singles? (YES or NO)
1. Honey, Honey
2. Hasta Manana

[shirley]

The Visitors album is worth buying simply for the title track alone I have them all apart from "Ring Ring" just haven't got round to buying it yet. My fave Abba album is Voulez Vous.

[johnnyboy]

Alex

Honey Honey and Hasta Manana were singles though not in the UK.

For ABBA Worldwide chart list site go to,

http://home.zipworld.com.au/~callisto/abba.html

You might like to know that most countries went with Honey Honey as the follow up to Waterloo - it made #2 in Germany. in the UK, Epic records chose Ring Ring which peaked at #32. Meanwhile, while that was in the charts a cover version of Honey Honey by an obscure group, Sweet Dreams reached the UK top 10!


5 songs that should have been UK singles
1. Honey Honey
2. Hast Manana
3. Eagle
4. As Good as New
5. when all is said and done


As for the Definitive Collection, the remixes of Ring Ring and Voulez Vous at the end could have been replaced by two non-singles from Mamma Mia, Our Last Summer and Slipping Through My Fingers.

I would have also included As Good as NEW (#1 in Mexico)and Hasta Manana (#2 South Africa)instead of some of those very early songs!

If you read the booklet - assuming it's a physical copy you have, you'll see more info about the songs.

[AlexZ]

Johnnyboy, Thanks for info and link.
I have physical copies, but they are Russian version without booklets.

[WolfSpear]

Love the group and I wish they would have been bigger here in the States. One of my favorite tunes from them is Bang A Boomerang.

[poriel]

April 23 sees the release of The Visitors Deluxe Edition. As with previous releases in the Deluxe Edition series, this version of ABBA’s final album offers a DVD of archive material along with CD bonus tracks – including the demo medley ‘From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel’, the first previously unreleased ABBA recordings since 1994!


The Deluxe Edition of The Visitors, ABBA’s eighth and final studio album, will be released on April 23, 2012. Originally released in 1981, the album features single hits such as ‘One Of Us’, ‘Head Over Heels’ and ‘When All Is Said And Done’, along with ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’, which is highlighted in one of the more poignant moments in the Mamma Mia! musical.

Like the previous Deluxe Editions of ABBA’s albums, The Visitors will feature several bonus selections along with a DVD of rare and previously unreleased material from the archives.

For ABBA fans, the most sensational inclusion in the package will be the previously unreleased track, ‘From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel (demos)’. This is the first time since the Thank You For The Music box set in 1994 that ABBA have opened the doors to the tape vaults to release previously unheard music from the group’s heyday.

Watch this space for more information about the track list and the previously unreleased recording.


THE VISITORS – DELUXE EDITION

DISC 01: CD
1. The Visitors
2. Head Over Heels
3. When All Is Said And Done
4. Soldiers
5. I Let The Music Speak
6. One Of Us
7. Two For The Price Of One
8. Slipping Through My Fingers
9. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room

Bonus Tracks:
10. Should I Laugh Or Cry
11. I Am The City
12. You Owe Me One
13. Cassandra
14. Under Attack
15. The Day Before You Came

Extra Bonus Track:
16. From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel (demos)


DISC 02: DVD:
1. Two For The Price Of One (Dick Cavett Meets ABBA)
2. Slipping Through My Fingers (Dick Cavett Meets ABBA)
3. When All Is Said And Done (Original Promo Clip)
4. ABBA In London, November 1982 (The Late Late Breakfast Show, BBC)
5. ABBA In Stockholm, November 1982 (Nöjesmaskinen, SVT)
6. The Visitors TV commercial I (UK)
7. The Visitors TV commercial II (Australia)
8. The Singles – The First Ten Years TV commercial I (UK)
9. The Singles – The First Ten Years TV commercial II (Australia)
10. International Sleeve Gallery

http://abbasite.com/articles/news/the-v ... d-in-april!

[NothingFails]

me must have!

The Visitors is my fave ABBA album, and the release of an as-of-now unreleased track?!?!?

[Mikerocha]

me must have!

The Visitors is my fave ABBA album, and the release of an as-of-now unreleased track?!?!?

+ 1. I have all the deluxe editions so far. I wish they would release the final demo of "Just Like That". I know Bjorn and Benny never wanted to, but the fans want it so bad

Anyway Excited about this. And "The Visitors" is my favorite album as well.

[zeus555]

A piece in 'The Guardian' (UK) Newspaper about the unreleased
ABBA Track. (Several interesting 'Readers Comments', beneath it):,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/ja ... heard-song

Zeus555

[johnnyboy]

I'm looking forward to hearing that new track. It's a pity the deluxe edition will include You Owe Me One but not Just Like That.

Thanks for that Guardian link, Zeus.

We should use this thread more

[zeus555]

An article in the 'Daily Mail' about the unreleased
Track on 'The Visitors' Deluxe Edition.

Read the Comments beneath it. (Click On 'View All'
to see everyone's Comments).

As you can see, some people have misunderstood the
Headline, & they think it is wrong. It says that it
ABBA's first 'unheard' Song in nearly 2 Decades.
Some people think that it means since 1981, when
'The Visitors' came out. It actually means since
1994, when the 'Thank You For The Music' Box Set
came out. So, the Headline is not wrong at all.

LINK:,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/ar ... cades.html

Zeus555

[zeus555]

After the Limited Edition, (500), 'Happy New Year',
recently, there will now be 5,000 Limited Edition
12" 'Voulez-Vous' Remix/Extended Singles, released.
It comes out on Saturday April 21st.

The one that we already have on 'The Definitive
Collection', (2001), I should imagine.

I like the 'B' Side, far better - the usual 1979 'Voulez-Vous'
LP version of 'If It Wasn't For The Nights'.

LINK - More Details:,

http://abbasite.com/articles/news/abba- ... -store-day

I think that these releases are simply being put
out to make it look like ABBA Fans are being given
extra special 'Treats'. However - we've had this
Music before. None of us are being offered anything
new.....

Zeus555

[zeus555]

The Demo Versions Track on 'The Visitors' (Deluxe),
was premiered on BBC2 TV, in the UK, today.

I did not hear it/see it, but here is the Review of an
Irish ABBA Fan - Seanie - from an ABBA Fan Site:,

'FROM A TWINKLING STAR TO A PASSING ANGEL'

Well it premiered on BBC 2 today and I had to listen to it!
I love it! There is 6 versions, with the last version taking up half (almost a complete song).

So there is

- Bjorns "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" version
- Frida "Another Morning Without You"
- Disco Version (Loads of Harmonies and great vocals)
- Twinkling Piano where Frida sings and talks the words over it dead:
- Vocoder version (probably my least favourite version although Fridas vocals are So amazing)
- 3 full minutes of an "alternative take" with raw vocals.

I love it! AMWY is so wonderful and the disco version is really cool!
Bjorns version is actually really cool! Agnetha fans wont be very happy though because I can't hear at all (but then again I'm not looking out for her)

The disco version is my favourite. Half of the demo is taken up by the last alternative take, and about a minute of the rest.

I'm in heaven literally! I'll post this in the spoiler thread also.

His 2nd Post - the Times of each 'Section' of the 9 Minute Track:,

Now, here roughly how long each demo lasts from my recording (it's not entirely accurate but an estimation)

Bjorn "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" - 1.10 minutes
Another Morning Without You - 1.17 minutes
Disco Version - 1.26 long
Instruments Version - 1.05 minutes
Vocoder Version - 0.41 seconds
Alternative Take - 3.01 minutes

Zeus555

[zeus555]

There is to be a 'New' Global ABBA Compilation in May.

The odd thing, that I find, is that neither 'Our Last Summer', nor 'Slipping Through My Fingers',
are on it. Both of which many people heard for the first time in the 'Mamma Mia!' Film,
& many of them liked those Songs. So, there is still not an ABBA Compilation, that matches
the ABBA Songs in the 'Mamma Mia!' Film.....(I'm not fully sure if they match all of the Songs
in the Stage Musical - I've never seen it).

The Cover Photo was originally made for the 'Dancing Queen' Single, in 1976.

http://www.abbasite.com/the-essential-collection/

The Set is to be released in 3 ways:,

A) A 2 CD + DVD Edition (Limited Edition. This will only be available for a certain time)

B) A 2 CD Edition

C) A DVD Edition

(In the UK, The OCC will, combine the Sales of A & B, for Album Chart purposes.
Presumably, that is how it is done by other Countries Chart Compilers, too).

THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION - ABBA (MAY 2012)

What the ABBA Site says about it:,

All the hits and more featured on 2 CDs and 1 DVD.

May 21, 2012 is the release date for The Essential
Collection, a brand new collection of ABBA
hits and other classic tracks. The release will come
in three different configurations: a double-CD,
a DVD, and a Limited Edition package featuring the
two CDs, the DVD and an illustrated 28-page
booklet. The DVD features all official ABBA promo
clips in remastered form, including two previously
unreleased videos: ‘Conociéndome, Conociéndote’ and
‘Gracias por la música’ (Spanish versions
of ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘Thank You For The
Music’, respectively).

Track listings:

CD 01:

1. People Need Love
2. He Is Your Brother
3. Ring Ring
4. Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)
5. Waterloo
6. Honey, Honey
7. So Long
8. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
9. SOS
10. Mamma Mia
11.Bang-A-Boomerang
12. Fernando
13. Dancing Queen
14. Money, Money, Money
15. Knowing Me, Knowing You
16. That’s Me
17. The Name Of The Game
18. Take A Chance On Me
19. Eagle
20. One Man, One Woman
21. Thank You For The Music
22. Summer Night City

CD 02:

1. Chiquitita
2. Does Your Mother Know
3. Voulez-Vous
4. Angeleyes
5. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
6. I Have A Dream
7. The Winner Takes It All
8. Super Trouper
9. On And On And On
10. Lay All Your Love On Me
11. Happy New Year
12. One Of Us
13. When All Is Said And Done
14. Head Over Heels
15. The Visitors
16. The Day Before You Came
17. Under Attack

DVD:

1. Waterloo
2. Ring Ring
3. Mamma Mia
4. SOS
5. Bang-A-Boomerang
6. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
7. Fernando
8. Dancing Queen
9. Money, Money, Money
10. Knowing Me, Knowing You
11. That’s Me
12. The Name Of The Game
13. Take A Chance On Me
14. Eagle
15. One Man, One Woman
16. Thank You For The Music
17. Summer Night City
18. Chiquitita
19. Does Your Mother Know
20. Voulez-Vous
21. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
22. On And On And On
23. The Winner Takes It All
24. Super Trouper
25. Happy New Year
26. When All Is Said And Done
27. One Of Us
28. Head Over Heels
29. The Day Before You Came
30. Under Attack
31. Estoy Soñando (I Have A Dream, in Spanish)
32. Conociéndome, Conociéndote (Knowing Me, Knowing You, in Spanish)
33. Gracias Por La Música (Thank You For The Music, in Spanish)
34. Felicidad (Happy New Year, in Spanish)
35. No Hay A Quien Culpar (When all is Said & Done, in Spanish)
36. The Last Video


Zeus555

[NothingFails]

Another ABBA compilation?

I wish B&B would just give us that rarities disc we've been clamoring for for years