ABBA - 50th Anniversary

Yes, I thought ABBA were so uncool, and couldn't believe my neighbours were off to one of their concerts! Now I really enjoy their music, and love the film Mamma Mia.

DH has always been a Genisis fan. Newly married, I went under protest to a Genisis concert with him. I sat with my face tripping me the whole time.
A few years ago, I once again accompanied him to a Genesis concert and enjoyed every moment!
The same thing happened with Fleetwood Mac and Mike Oldfield.
My taste in music has totally changed.

I brought a single whilst in West Germany in 1973 , as it was called Ring , Ring on a Polydor label by a group using names Bjorn, Benny , Anna and Freda , the song was being played allot on BFBS in Koln .
Followed them in away and went to see Voyage in London in Hologram form .
Mick

Did anyone watch the 5 hours of Abba last night on BBC2? It was my best night`s viewing in a long time, loved it!

I went to Abba voyage a couple of Sunday ago, midday, so assumed it wouldn't be that busy. Tickets for dance floor, looking forward to a bit of a dance. Ha!
Had a fabulous time though a word to anyone with dance floor tickets, we were crammed in like sardines. Use the free cloakroom unless you have seats.
Afterwards we went onto to a bar next door where the party just carried on. It was a great day.

Hellogirl1

Did anyone watch the 5 hours of Abba last night on BBC2? It was my best night`s viewing in a long time, loved it!

I saw some of it, Hellogirl, recorded some and need to watch some on catch-up.

It really was very good.
I can still remember them when they sang at Eurovision and thinking they were going to be around for some time!

I can't listen to Phil Collins and have to reach for the off button, sorry, Genesis fans!

Mick do you still have that single? It might be worth a bit of money now!

And who can resist the dance floor as soon as you hear the opening riff of Dancing Queen?

ferry23

And who can resist the dance floor as soon as you hear the opening riff of Dancing Queen?

Well, I had a friend who did
(Rather snootily, the rest of us thought)

I'm planning Dancing Queen for my funeral - just to remind everyone that I was young once.

There was a short film called Dancing Queen many years ago. I taped it but lost it somehow. It starred Helena Bonham Carter and Rik Mayall and set mainly in Scarborough. It was great and I watched it several times.

My taste is more eclectic now. What wasn't my taste years ago I quite like now but still not keen on ABBA. I've been asked several times do I want to see the Voyager show? nope not me.

We were several years married, had just been to Brussels with our daughters on holiday, climbed Waterloo hill -- loved the song. Happy memories.

Perhaps as we get older the groups/songs we loved when we were younger become more important, more loved?

Mind you, I loved Elvis, then The Beatles. I quite like them now but not as much as later music I enjoyed.

Callistemon21, I might be your friend!

I've always disliked Dancing Queen
It's not a song to dance to. As Benny did say in an interview. So many other songs of theirs are brilliant to dance to.

But I adore ABBA. Going to the ABBA party at the O2 next month and I can't wait!

No, you can't be!
My friend thoroughly disliked ABBA.
(Not sure what she did like!)

Callistemon21

No, you can't be!
My friend thoroughly disliked ABBA.
(Not sure what she did like!)

Oh my!

No, definitely not me. I just love them 💕

Yes I have....wasn't really into 'pop' music. I liked Pink Floyd,Led Zeppelin, Wings,Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens etc

I too went to Abba Voyage whilst thinking Abba was a bit 'old hat'. It was a Christmas gift from my son. It was totally wonderful. Their last song was 'Dancing Queen' and everyone jumped up and danced! I am still smiling to see so many happy people dancing and singing. It made my heart happy!

Dinahmo,
The film you speak about is on You Yube, I just put the title and Rik Mayall in and it came up, I think it says it is around 50 mins long.
Hope you find it and enjoy again x

Some years ago, I played fiddle in a barn dance group. The other members of the band were all men aged between ten and fifteen years older than me and had all been big Beatles fans. I have always liked ABBA and they were the musical backdrop of my later childhood and early teens. The men were waxing lyrical about The Beatles and asserting that there had never been another group, before or since, who could touch them. I ventured my opinion that there was one other group of equal status and that was ABBA. The men initially pooh-poohed this notion until l explained that people all over the world knew and loved ABBA’s songs and could sing and dance to them. This was a few years before the explosion of the revival of ABBA when Mamma Mia came out. I still think that ABBA was one of, if not the best pop group ever. I know many here are The Beatles generation and they wrote brilliant, timeless songs but I actually prefer their songs when other artists are covering them as l don’t particularly like their voices.. ABBA had it all.

I never thought of myself as an ABBA fan until I watched a tv countdown on favourite songs of theirs years ago and realised I knew the lyrics of every single one.

When I saw the film Mamma Mia, it was wonderful to come out into the car park with everyone, all singing and dancing ... a real feel-good movie.

Their music is multi-layered with clever lyrics, especially when you think that English is not their first language.

As Sparkle and others have said, their lyrics are generally clever, and the music (which they find first) is mostly incredibly catchy.

I date from that era (I was in Brighton on Eurovision night - though not at the venue!) and I recall how sniffy the music 'experts' were. However, the public have voted with their wallets pretty much ever since -- and there have been several TV shows which have analysed their lyrics and pointed out that they are sometimes far deeper than the group's image.

Did someone mention Genesis? They did some good records, BUT -- sadly, when Phil Collins released his awful Motown covers, they went into the 'put them up against the wall' category!

I loved Saturday night`s Abba fest, but was disappointed that 2 of my favourite songs never came up during the whole 5 hours. I love Happy New Year, and adore Andante Andante.