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Liner notes, part 3
NOTES ON THE CD BONUS TRACKS
In May 1978, an edited version of ‘Eagle’ received a limited release as the third single from ABBA – The Album, after ‘The Name Of The Game’ and ‘Take A Chance On Me’. This version of ‘Eagle’ was a Top Ten hit in West Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands, even topping the charts in Belgium. Also included as a bonus is the first take of ‘Thank You For The Music’, known as the “Doris Day version”.
A live version of ‘I Wonder (Departure)’, recorded in Australia in March 1977, was released as the B-side of the single ‘The Name Of The Game’. (On ABBA – The Album, a studio re-recording is featured.) Another live recording comes in the shape of ‘Take A Chance On Me’, recorded at London’s Wembley Arena in November 1979. This recording was used as a B-side on the ‘I Have A Dream’ single, released in December of that year. However, when the single was issued in Australia and Canada the following year, an alternate mix of ‘Take A Chance On Me’ was used. This mix is now released on CD for the first time. Note: Since no master tape for the alternate mix of ‘Take A Chance On Me’ could be located , the recording has been mastered from a vinyl copy of the original single. Every effort has been made to enhance the sound to match current CD standards.
Further bonus tracks come in the shape of the Spanish versions of ‘Move On’ and ‘Thank You For The Music’. New vocals were added to the original backing tracks in January 1980 and subsequently released on ABBA’s Spanish-language album Gracias Por La Música a few months later.
NOTES ON THE DVD SELECTIONS
THE NAME OF THE GAME
When ABBA released ‘The Name Of The Game’ single in October 1977, they were busy trying to finish ABBA – The Album. With Agnetha highly pregnant as well, any television appearances to promote the single were out of the question. The group only had the time to film a promo clip (available on DVDs such as The Definitive Collection and ABBA Gold), and the song was only ever performed once on television. This happened more than a year after the single release, on a Japanese television special imaginatively titled ABBA Special, filmed on November 25, 1978, and broadcast on December 16. Although the television special was available on home video in Japan at one point, curiously ‘The Name Of The Game’ was not included, and this rare performance is commercially released for the first time on this Deluxe Edition of ABBA – The Album.
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
On February 17, 1978, ABBA visited Bremen in West Germany to promote their new single, performing ‘Take A Chance On Me’ on the television game show Am Laufenden Band. The programme was broadcast February 18.
EAGLE / THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC / TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
Fresh from a visit to United States (see ABBA In America below), ABBA performed three songs from their latest album on the West German television programme James Last’s Star Parade. The performance was filmed on May 10, 1978, and broadcast the following day.
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC
On December 6, 1978, ABBA found themselves in London, England, taping a performance on the Mike Yarwood Christmas Show. One of the featured songs was ‘Thank You For The Music’, which appears here in a unique, somewhat stripped-down mix. Although British Musician’s union rules stipulated that ABBA had to record a completely new version on British soil for their television appearance, they actually cheated by creating a mix of the original recording that sounded different and unembellished enough to pass as a “new” recording.
ABBA ON TOUR IN 1977
This report from the European leg of ABBA’s 1977 tour was filmed in conjunction with the concert at the Odeon in Birmingham, England, on February 10 and broadcast on the Swedish news show Rapport on February 13. Concert-goers were asked for their comments, along with New Musical Express journalist Bob Woffinden, and, of course, a post-concert ABBA.
RECORDING ABBA – THE ALBUM
During ABBA’s week at Bohus Studio in the town of Kungälv, they were visited by reporter Fredrik Belfrage and a young ABBA fan – also named Fredrik – for a sneak peak on recording sessions for the new album. This rare talk with Björn and Benny is probably the only television interview with any ABBA members during the seven-month writing and recording period for ABBA – The Album. It also offers the first publicly heard sounds of the upcoming single ‘The Name Of The Game’. The report was broadcast on the Swedish morning show Gomorron Sverige on September 17, 1977.
ABBA IN LONDON, FEBRUARY 1978
In February 1978, ABBA spent a few days in London, most notably attending the UK premiere of ABBA – The Movie. They also squeezed in this appearance on the children’s show Blue Peter, broadcast live on February 16.
ABBA IN AMERICA, MAY 1978
May 1978 was proclaimed ABBA Month by Atlantic Records in the United States, all in an effort to give the group a big promotional push. A huge billboard was erected on Sunset Boulevard, and ABBA appeared along with Andy Gibb on an Olivia Newton-John television special. The Swedish news show Rapport reported on the group’s US activities, which ultimately kicked ‘Take A Chance On Me’ to number three on the Pop singles chart and turned ABBA – The Album into a platinum album (its number 14 chart position was the best ever achieved by an ABBA album in the US). The report was filmed on May 6 and 7, and broadcast on May 9.
ABBA – THE ALBUM – TELEVISION COMMERCIALS
The first of these commercials was made for use in the UK, and was previously released on the Special Limited Edition of the ABBA – The Movie DVD. The second was made for the Australian market and is released here for the first time.
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