1 of 1- aflem
- Member
Offline 
- Registered: August 11, 2019
- Posts: 1,431
Secrets Of ABBA's Great Hits Special Debuts March 1st
Not sure how many here get the Reelz channel, which is a U.S. cable station. They're debuting what could be an interesting documentary on Swedish supergroup ABBA on March 1st.
According to the press release:
You'll "hear the powerful real stories behind "Mamma Mia", "Dancing Queen" and "The Winner Takes It All"...
"With rare footage from the only time the band ever let cameras into a recording session viewers will see exactly what happened in the studio when the hits were recorded including F'ltskog's reaction to the first reading of the lyrics to "The Winner Takes It All" and the verse that never made it into "Dancing Queen." Viewers will learn the inspirations behind the songs including the cultural and personal circumstances the group faced that influenced the lyrics."
I'm not a huge ABBA fan, but I have to admit I'm curious about that verse that never made it into "Dancing Queen."
If you get the channel and want to see it, the show, officially called "ABBA: Secrets of Their Greatest Hits" debuts March 1st at 9 PM. Knowing this network as I do, it will be repeated several more times throughout the month.
"ABBA: Secrets of Their Greatest Hits"
- Lorne
- Administrator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Ontario
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 1,308
Re: Secrets Of ABBA's Great Hits Special Debuts March 1st
aflem wrote:
I'm not a huge ABBA fan, but I have to admit I'm curious about that verse that never made it into "Dancing Queen."
Me too. Hey, maybe it's those missing lyrics from Last Train To Clarksville. 
- aflem
- Member
Offline
- Registered: August 11, 2019
- Posts: 1,431
Re: Secrets Of ABBA's Great Hits Special Debuts March 1st
Even though I'm not a huge ABBA fan, I watched the special. And here's the lost verse, which was originally used to start "Dancing Queen."
Baby, baby you're out of sight,
Hey, you're looking alright tonight,
When you come to the party,
Listen to the guys,
They got that look in their eyes."
It was soon to be replaced with the more familiar "Friday night and the lights are low..." which was actually later in the song but moved up to be the first verse. The other words were abandoned and never made it into the tune.
The song, which they made a big fuss out of in the special, also originally began with a strong electric guitar riff, but they decided to replace it with the now famous piano glissando.
One last fact from the show - manager Stig Anderson wasn't a huge fan of "Dancing Queen" and insisted the group release "Fernando" first. It was a hit, but nothing like "Queen" would become six months later, right in the heart of the disco era. It was also their only #1 on Billboard.
- •
Thread Starter- Jim Southern
- Member
Offline
- Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 230
Re: Secrets Of ABBA's Great Hits Special Debuts March 1st
I watched the ABBA special and really enjoyed it. I have been an ABBA fan since they began back in 1974 and I thought that the special was a pretty honest look at their talents, the hits and the pressures that come with the huge success they enjoyed.