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Post by johnny on Oct 1, 2024 15:52:49 GMT
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Post by bjorenny on Oct 1, 2024 18:23:05 GMT
That's sad. I know to some people it's "ABBA rip-off" etc. but they were part of my childhood. I only found out a couple of days ago that he had been married to the blonde one (that sounds a familiar description 😁) since 1979. I guess post-1978 they weren't on my radar to know such info.
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Post by gazman on Oct 3, 2024 14:13:57 GMT
Sad news indeed. Martin was actually younger than 3 of ABBA, which should make us feel blessed to still have then around.
A curious story from 1975 is that, apparently, there was a suggestion from somewhere (Pye Records?) that BOM should record 'Mamma Mia' with a view to releasing it as a single. It is likely that someone took a listen to the 'ABBA' album after it was issued in the June of that year in the UK. BOM must have decided against it and, given it was not released by ABBA as a single until much later that year, it is probably very fortunate for the Swedes - things might have turned out rather differently...
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Post by Alan on Oct 3, 2024 15:42:16 GMT
They apparently did record Lay All Your Love On Me later on. It’s on their cheapo Gold compilation (part of a generic series) which seems to be largely made up of cover versions.
I can imagine a cease and desist letter arriving at Pye Records regarding Mamma Mia. Although in theory anyone can release a cover version, wouldn’t the publisher (in this case Bocu Music) have been able to act on ABBA/Polar’s behalf to block it?
I read/saw something once where Benny and Björn said they had “given away” a UK single release of Honey Honey to Sweet Dreams, as though they were aware of it and had some say.
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Post by gazman on Oct 4, 2024 21:32:45 GMT
I don't think ABBA could have done anything if BOM had decided to record 'Mamma Mia'.
They didn't want Sweet Dreams to release 'Honey Honey' in the USA, but couldn't stop it. I think they were less bothered in the UK initially because the ABBA version was not released as a single there and they put faith in the remixed 'Ring Ring' instead. They probably felt a bit differently once Sweet Dreams hit the UK Top 10 while ABBA couldn't even get into the Top 30.
Pye Records had form when it came to looking at ABBA tracks for their artists. In late 1974/early 1975, they picked up on 'I've Been Waiting For You' and suggested Lena Martell record it. She issued an album containing the track, which possibly came out before the 'ABBA' album did. On the back of the LP, they stated that 2 young Swedish songwriters had wanted to write for Lena because they were great admirers of hers. Talk about record company spin!
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Post by gazman on Oct 4, 2024 21:35:30 GMT
BOM definitely also recorded 'Dancing Queen', probably in 1979 or 1980. By then, their own self-written hits had largely dried up.
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