Showing posts with label ABBA songs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ABBA songs. Show all posts

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Unofficial - but still great

The three videos below bring songs that ABBA has never recorded officially. It's a pity, since some of them are really good tracks, with catchy melodies and promising vocals, like Scaramouche, Hamlet III and Just Like That. While listening to the audios, you might also notice that the band members were having a lot of fun with the songs Summer Night City, Money, Money, Money and Here Comes Rubie Jamie. It's also interesting to pay attention to the nice piano solo for Take A Chance On Me.

As I don't speak Swedish and I was really curious to know what ABBA was saying, I asked my Swedish friend Henrik to help me with the translation of the audios into English. All you are going to read below was translated by him, so that I thank him so much for such precious contribution.  

ABBA Undeleted - Part I - video by mozpiano2


First song (from 0:00 to 0:50): Scaramouche

After Scaramouche, Frida asks "Why should it always be so serious?" and Agnetha seems to agree with her and says something like "In England, it wasn't so". Around 0:57, Björn, Agnetha and Benny play around while say their names and, as Benny says it with a low and feeble voice, Frida laughs and asks him "Is it hard to talk?". Björn laughs too and says "It's difficult with this announcement".

Second song (from 1:08 to 1:29): Summer Night City/Money, Money, Money (the band is just playing around with them)

Third song (from 1:37 to 3:30): Take A Chance On Me

After Take A Chance On Me, Frida says “You have to turn down the piano, because it is sharp in the ears.” So Björn claims: “Very miserable listening...”. Soon after Agnetha says “I only hear Frida in my headphones.” And Frida: “And I only hear you”. They all start to joke with each other with silly voices: “How to do now?...”; “Fix better listening!...”; “Yeah, Yeah!”; “I sink!”; “I sink too!”; and so on.

Fourth song (from 3:51 to 4:55): Baby (this song, sung by Agnetha, was the first version of Rock Me, witch has Björn on lead vocals)

Fifth song (from 4:56 to 6:33): Just A Notion

After Just A Notion, Benny or Björn asks “Is it good?” The other answers “Well, I think we can have that, it is also a bit unusual!” and then, the first one says “That's it, nowadays”. Someone says something in the background that makes everyone laugh. It’s difficult to listen to, though, because of lots of other sounds all the time.

Sixth song (from 6:46 to 8:54): Rikky Rock ‘N’ Roller
 
ABBA Undeleted - Part II - by mozpiano2

First song (deom 0:00 to 1:25): Burning My Bridges

Everybody agrees that Burning My Bridges isn’t good at all and someone jokes about it in a way that unfortunately only Swedes can understand (according to Henrik).

Second song (from about 1:35 to 2:45): Swedish and original version of Fernando

After Fernando, someone says (maybe Björn) around 2:46 that the song worked really well. They all agree with that.

Third song (from 2:50 to 3:25): Here Comes Rubie Jamie

After Here Comes Rubie Jamie, someone says “A f*** nasty situation...”. And all of them laugh.

Fourth song (from 3:30 to 5:48): Hamlet III

ABBA Undeleted - Part III - by mozpiano2

First song (from 0:00 to ~1:39 ): Free As A Bubble Bee

Second song (from ~1:40 to 3:09): Rubber Ball Man

Third song (from 3:10 to 4:28): Crying Over You 


After Crying Over You, someone says “Nice...” and then they start to count up for the next song, “One, two, three”.

Fourth song (from 4:31 to 6:33): Just Like That (sax version)

Fifth song (from to 6:34 to 8:32): Givin’ A Little Bit More
 
After the song Givin’ A Little Bit More, someone says “Okay, this we will take, no?” And the others answer “Yes”.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Being successful isn't easy

ABBA had a really hard work with lots of rehearsals for TV shows and world tours. Below you can see some of the band's most popular performances with their respective rehearsals. 

ABBA during a concert from their 1977 Tour...

... and during their hard - or funny? - work before that 

Playing Take A Chance On Me on German TV show Am Laufenden Band in 1978...
I like their entrance on the stage!

... and enjoying themselves during their rehearsal for it

ABBA performing Money, Money, Money on the French TV show Top Club France in 1978...

... and during their rehearsal before it

Performing He Is Your Brother and Chiquitita on UNICEF's beautiful charity concert, "UNICEF - A Gift of Songs", in January 1979 (exactly 33 years ago)...

... and having a good time together before the special

Sunday, December 25, 2011

It's time to reflect about ourselves

When people think about Christmas, they often think about what they want to get as Christmas gifts, what they want to eat at Christmas dinner and even where they want to go for their Christmas trip. Christmas is everywhere, but almost never related to its truest and deepest meaning, that is Jesus Christ's birth, which implies to celebrate peace, happiness, friendship and, above all, love. It's not necessary to be a Christian to believe it nor to follow this path. We all should remember it and try keeping the spirit of Christmas not only on December 25th, but every single day of our lives.

So what do you think of celebrating this so much special holiday with Frida's Gläns Över Sjö och Strand (Star of Bethlehem, in English)...



 ... and New Year Eve with ABBA's Happy New Year?




Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Greatest non-hits

I have never understood why songs like Like Angel Passing Through My Room or Soldiers have never been regarded as great songs by the public and critics in general. Fortunately, there are some fans who prove the special meaning of those songs by doing nice videos as tributes to them, for instance.

Here you can watch some of those tributes which really value ABBA non-hits.

Like An Angel Passing Through My Room by RJSChess

Lovelight by abbarare


Andante, Andante by Sinny1992


Elaine by Sinny1992


Soldiers by Sinny1992

The Piper by Sinny1992

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Which ABBA song is perfect for Benny and Frida?

Well, I think almost every ABBA love song has some lines that fit pretty well with them. The following pictures show it very clearly. Can you identify which songs the lines of their subtitles refer to?

One man, one woman
Two friends and two true lovers

I love you, I adore you
I lay my life before you
I'll have you want me more and more

Lay your head on my chest so you hear every beat of my heart
Now there's nothing at all that can keep us apart

You must have a lovelight
Everything around you is lovelight

Gonna sing you my love song, gonna bring you some light
Gonna make you feel happy every day of your life

There's a shimmer in your eyes
Like the feeling of a thousand butterflies

Do you have a favorite ABBA song for them?

Saturday, January 1, 2011

A true New Year

Make 2011 a year in which love, harmony and prosperity take place and fill your heart every minute of every day. A true new year can only begin with you, as ABBA song below tells us wisely.

A very Happy New Year!!!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Mamma Mia! in Brazil

Mamma Mia! is now here, in Brazil! The premiere of the most famous musical in the world took place today at Teatro Abril, in São Paulo. As the tradition says, the songs of the musical were translated into the language of our country, so we can see Mamma Mia! in Portuguese. The most proeminent actors and actresses of the show are Kiara Sasso (Donna), Pati Amoroso (Sophie), Saulo Vasconcelos (Sam) and Andressa Massei (Rosie). They will perform the musical until December 19th.

Well, I hope I go to São Paulo as soon as I can to see the musical!

Kiara Sasso (Donna) and Pati Amoroso (Sophie)

A perfomance of the Brazilian musical

Friday, October 15, 2010

Björn and Agnetha together again

Today Björn and Agnetha attended the premiere of the musical Mamma Mia! in Copenhagen, Denmark. Below, some pictures of the event.

It's nice to see these two together again, isn't it? 










Thursday, April 15, 2010

ABBA in Switzerland

On February 1979, ABBA went to Switzerland, where the band made a TV special called ABBA in Switzerland, held in Leysin. On this program, ABBA performed the songs Take A Chance On Me, The King Has Lost His Crown, The Name Of The Game, Eagle, Mamma Mia, Hole In Your Soul, Kisses Of Fire, Lovers (Live A Little Longer), Chiquitita, Does Your Mother Know and Thank You For The Music, promoting with many of them their new album, Voulez Vous, still unreleased at that time.

During that visit, ABBA recorded Chiquitita promo video, produced by BBC, which was also included in this special. I selected some of the photos and videos of this here. I hope you like it!

The group soon after the arrival in Switzerland







Performing Lovers (Live A Little Longer)







The girls sing the touching Chiquitita



Does Your Mother Know
 Note Björn's enthusiastic way to dance 

The band make a little introduction before the performance of The King Has Lost His Crown 



ABBA at a ski resort
Benny and Frida look SO tired...



Björn and Agnetha were divorced at that time, but it's great to see they were still great friends, playing together

Benny skiing



At the Leysin ice-rink

ABBA with someone else







Ohh, this photo is definitely one of the best
Benny's sweetly supporting his head on Frida's chest - probably with the intention of helping her to remain on her feet -, while Agnetha is almost sitting on the ice...

Frida falling...

... and, finally, on the floor!
I love Frida's clumsy way - maybe because I identify myself with it

...



This couple was very attached to each other, indeed!



Anna is almost falling...

... she's already on the floor, but Björn keeps trying to stand up...  

Well, he didn't get it!


Following, some of the best ABBA performances in that special (in my opinion):

Chiquitita

The King Has Lost His Crown

Kisses Of Fire

Thank You For The Music

On ice - they're absolutely funny on it!