Gert Scholtz

7 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~10 ·

Blogging
>
Gert blog
>
Hasta Manana ABBA

Hasta Manana ABBA

43f8e3f1.jpg

I am a fan of ABBA and have been for the last forty years. Yes I admit it. Knowing Me, Knowing You, there just might also be some Bees who share this fondness, The Way Old Friends Do.

It started on Arrival in my teen years – the time when one is oh so receptive to the catchy tunes, the outlandish costumes, the repetitive refrains and the then celebrity status of the two young couples. It carried On And On And On and today the familiar chords of any ABBA song are still as delightful as years ago.

I was smitten with the blond-haired Agnetha, my brother with the brunette Anni-Frid. Luckily, as otherwise the infatuation-triangle would have caused a poster fight.  We played their music on old tape recorders and vinyl records, and I still hear the scratchy sound as the turntable spins. 

As teens we regularly had “garage-parties”. Cars removed from the motor house, a few loose couches, something to drink and the record player in the corner. And of course ABBA. Dancing Queen, Does Your Mother Know and Summer Night City. Later when the lights go dimmer, we would slow-dance to Andante Andante and Fernando. 

Will I ever forget the summer beach holidays with the background strands of I’ve Been Waiting For You and Chiquitita, and which so often ended in a romance gone cold to the tune of The Winner Takes It All.

ABBA sold in excess of 140 million albums; a conservative estimate. Their records are still selling. They surpassed the Beatles as the highest selling pop group ever in the UK. Love them or hate them their appeal was clear for anyone around in the late seventies and eighties. 

To my teenage children their music is irritatingly kitsch and sentimental.  While they will  endure my occasional reverie, I dare not play any ABBA tunes when their friends are around. "It is just so... like you know... totally uncool.".

Many ABBA tunes were reminiscent of a European folk festival; which were the exact surroundings in which Benny and Bjorn started shaping their music. Their earliest unknown work was composed for such occasions. 

ABBA songs often had a melancholic influence and undertones of sadness; The Day Before You Came rings in my head now. Rock Me has that  offbeat quirky sound of a bunch of Scandinavians trying to be an American rock band, but not quite succeeding. And therein lays its appeal. The rock back-beat is there, and often the pumping guitar, but in other ways their sound is odd and does not fit a specific genre except that it was popular. The pam-pam-pam xylophone notes in Money, Money, Money, and the numerous piano rolls; what are they doing in a pop song? And the four-part vocal harmony in Lay All Your Love on Me; doesn't that belong in choir? Yes, and that was the genius of their composition.  

Perhaps ABBA's biggest reason for success was the quality and harmony of the woman’s voices. Listen to any a cappella version and their enormous talent shines through. Singing made even more appealing by their charming Nordic accent and off-beat use of English; only a Swedish band could get away with rhyming "You can deny it" and "Oh so quiet". 

They were good, really good.

When All Is Said And Done, maybe it's time now to Move On?

No, I'll stay.  

Hasta Manana!


"
Comments

Gert Scholtz

7 years ago #18

Sara Jacobovici That is what our favourite music artists do; they bring a smile to the face and music to the ears!

Sara Jacobovici

7 years ago #17

Gert Scholtz's buzz brought a smile to my face and music to my ears. Thanks Gert.

Sara Jacobovici

7 years ago #16

Sorry I missed this buzz when it was originally posted Gert Scholtz. So happy to be reading it now!! Love it. I smiled throughout and can still hear the music.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #15

And then there was Meryl Streep in the movie, Mamma Mia! I saw it again not so long ago and all those ABBA memories came flooding back. I'm with you, Gert Scholtz. Agnetha for me!

Gert Scholtz

7 years ago #14

Here's a thought: Why are there so few successful covers of Abba songs? Because they’re just so hard to emulate and inhabit.

Gert Scholtz

7 years ago #13

#18
Praveen Raj Gullepalli. I can't agree with you more. They composed interesting, original, unpredictable chord sequences and vocal melodies. To my (untrained and unsophisticated) ear they were able to mix music and melodies from many genres and make it work. Praveen: thank to you I am reconsidering the Move On bit :)

Sara Jacobovici

7 years ago #12

#14
Sweet! Thanks Gert Scholtz for bringing a smile to my face.

Gert Scholtz

7 years ago #11

#3
Paul Walters Not a tragic romantic - an incurable one!

Gert Scholtz

7 years ago #10

Sara Jacobovici I hope you burned the aisles with your dancing Sara!

Gert Scholtz

7 years ago #9

Praveen Raj Gullepalli Indeed Praveen - who can ever forget all the great music from the 70"s and 80's. Apparently ABBA was one of the first bands to start producing music video's on a grand scale. The ladies wanted more time at home and less travel - video was a way of promoting their music world-wide.

Louise Smith

7 years ago #8

The first LP I bought was Abba's Greatest Hits ! Say no more ! I still know all the words !

Paul Walters

7 years ago #7

#9
Oh Lisa such a romantic!!!

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #6

I used to love Abba's music. Memories come flooding back from the past. I can relate to the 'un-cool," oh my god, no you aren't going to play that song when my kids were teens. Now, we all enjoy 70's rock. I miss going out and dancing- another thing we did a lot of when I was under 25.

Sara Jacobovici

7 years ago #5

Nice nostalgia kick Gert Scholtz. Loved your message and the comments from your readers. About 10 years ago or so when Mama Mia was produced on stage, the Board of Directors of the agency where I worked wanted to express their gratitude to the managers for having successfully gone through a challenging time and rewarded us with a night out together for dinner and to see the show. Well who do you think was in the aisles dancing to the music? Yes, you guessed it. I loved every minute.

Dean Owen

7 years ago #4

Seems like only yesterday. But they are in their 70's now, can you believe it? I remember them hitting the charts with Waterloo and Money Money Money. Then the 80's came along and Abba music was relegated to cruise ships and hotels on the Costa del Sol. In a bout of nostalgia, I did purchase an Abba CD at the turn of the millennium, but after listening to it once in the car, that too got relegated to the glove compartment. In an era of British greats, they were one of a handful of Europeans to reach the top of the UK charts, along with Aha, Nena, Scorpions, Falco, Vangelis, and Europe, but admittedly, Abba were the biggest.

Paul Walters

7 years ago #3

Oh Gert Scholtz a tragic romantic at heart. I won't tell your rugby colleagues !!!!

CityVP Manjit

7 years ago #2

They really look good at the Mama Mai Party and Abba 2016 Reunion - subtitles in settings provide both English and Spanish options for translation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRFEPkOvcyo Not only have they aged very well, they now look distinguished. They have already made their mark as cultural phenomena and it is great to see them together at this party.

Pascal Derrien

7 years ago #1

Their musicianship has been underrated they are a really class act (see Live album) . I remember I was given a tape in my twenties and rediscovered the tunes I had listened in my childhood they are just brilliant :-)

Articles from Gert Scholtz

View blog
5 years ago · 1 min. reading time

Few experiences on BeBee are as satisfying as interviewing others or reviewing their work. · I am pr ...

5 years ago · 1 min. reading time

Time goes fast, time goes slow. · There are times when we stop to think about time itself. How we se ...

5 years ago · 1 min. reading time

Sometimes I make an effort to give my children a unique experience – only to realize later I have ac ...

Related professionals

You may be interested in these jobs

  • Professional Career Services

    CTS 415446

    Found in: Job Placements ZA C2 - 1 day ago


    Professional Career Services Johannesburg, South Africa

    Employer Description · This is a Property Developer · Job Description · Your responsibilities will be: · Management of stock · Stock control · Receiving and dispatching · Supervising Subcontractors · Qualifications · Matric · Skills · Min 4 years experience (with construction kn ...

  • Tsebo Group

    Procurement Lead

    Found in: Talent ZA C2 - 3 days ago


    Tsebo Group Cape Town, South Africa

    Tsebo Facilities is looking for a Procurement Lead to provide the TWD team with Procurement Management and Strategic Sourcing support, sub-contractor screening and onboarding, Procurement document management, e-Procurement systems maintenance and support and regular reporting to ...

  • RTT

    Junior Developer

    Found in: Talent ZA 2A C2 - 2 minutes ago


    RTT Cape Town, South Africa

    Job Description: We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Junior Developer to join our dynamic IT team at Pingo Delivery an innovative ecommerce logistics company. The ideal candidate will possess a strong theoretical foundation in database management, programming, and ...