Remember, Take A Chance On Me was their 7th No1 hit early in 1978, but they had a lot of hit singles and a 2 and a half year wait until their next and 8th No1 in August 1980, and during this time the consensus was that Abba, although remaining prolific, and with quality songs, were in a slow decline, never to top the charts again. This was proved massively wrong in 1980, with two consecutive No1 singles, not forgetting the enormous No1 selling album Super Trouper with them. Even as a five-year-old, the music videos were a key part of my fascination with Abba. Rainy days were spent obsessively watching and rewinding a VHS compilation of clips, always fast-forwarding the 80s ballad, One of Us, because the theme of divorce and break-ups was a) rather too complex for my five-year-old brain and b) just seemed decidedly boring as Agnetha repainted an apartment in the video (present day me now considers this their best work). The single itself was not released in the United States; it was accompanied as the B-side to another single " The Visitors" instead. [ citation needed]

Zeus555 can I say that your post is absolutely excellent. The Queen analogy is brilliant. You also concur with my view on I Know Him So Well had Abba recorded the song. One small insignificant point about Gallup, who did not begin doing the official charts until January 1983, and it was still the BMRB in 1982. Honestly Benny and Bjorn are 2 of the greatest songwriters of all time and I adore Agnetha and Frida's voices. I still have all my Abba albums and singles on vinyl and could never part with them.As with the previous single " One of Us", Epic Records in the UK used a different picture sleeve from the standard one used in most countries. The 1992 release of Abba Gold saw the Abba revival gain momentum, but it wasn’t until 1994, when both Muriel’s Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert made their debut on screens, that our obsession reignited. In her autobiography, As I Am: Abba Before & Beyond, Agnetha recalls the mayhem that had consumed Australian fans. “There was fever, there was hysteria, there were ovations, there were sweaty, obsessed crowds. Sometimes it was awful. I felt as if they would get hold of me and I’d never get away again.”

just like we don't know whether "head over heals" could have faired better if it was released earlier on in their career, but you still insisted it could be a possibility. by the way, "the day before you come" did fare better in the uk when the blancmange cover version reached #22 in 1984. And there's no way to say if I Know Him So Well would have gone to number one if Agnetha and Frida sang the song. Maybe Day Before You Came would have done better if it was sung by an up and comer instead? We don't know. Muriel’s Wedding, the story of a social outcast and Abba fan, tapped into the national psyche and spawned a catalogue of new catchphrases including Muriel’s quip: “Now my life’s as good as an Abba song. It’s as good as Dancing Queen.” Australians collectively embraced our past as Abba superfans and Abba became woven into our national identity. Head Over Heels", whose working title was "Tango", was written and composed by both Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Agnetha Fältskog sang the lead vocals, singing about her "very good friend", played in the music video by Anni-Frid Lyngstad, an overactive high-society woman who rushes through the shops, with her hapless and exhausted husband (played by Ulvaeus) following behind and being forced to carry the shopping bags. The song's video, filmed on 21 January 1982, [1] was the group's final clip directed by long-time collaborator Lasse Hallström, who cameos as a man the woman bumps into while running around the city. Twenty-nine years on, my unabashed infatuation with Abba has yet to subside and last week’s announcement marked a day I never thought would come.Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser attends an Abba concert in Melbourne at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on 18 March 1977. He is with his wife, Tamie, and daughters Angela and Phoebe. Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images Wonderful, and this written by 2 guys for whom English is not their first language, it really is superb. The song's structure is stunning. Fantastic song. I loved it in 1982 and still love it now. Blancmange did a pretty good cover of it too, I agree. The sheet music has been released, [2] and the song has been choreographed for dance numbers. [3] [4] Reception [ edit ]