Today’s post is just a short one. It is a tip of the hat to Stig Anderson. Mr. Anderson was the man with the vision behind the hit machine known as ABBA. He co-wrote many of their major hits such as
For Stig Anderson it did not all begin and end with ABBA. Throughout the ‘60’s and early ‘70s he was among not only Sweden’s most prolific songwriters and producers, he was in the upper echelon of world music production. His name is attached to over 3000 songs.
His level of production is almost unprecedented.
The hard work paid off in the form of incomparable success and accolades that continue to this day.
Think of how many times the music Stig Anderson had a hand in producing has made you smile.
Today’s song went to #1 in ten countries. ‘Waterloo; by ABBA
was huge and it achieved #1 in the United Kingdom on this day 45 years ago. The
intriguing part of ‘Waterloo’s success was that its emergence can be directly
traced to a popular European music show/talent contest. Here is how the story
goes.
The Eurovision Song Contest began in 1956. It is an annual
international song competition open primarily to European countries.
Participating countries choose an original song by an artist and that song is
to be performed on live TV and radio. Votes are then cast for other countries
songs and ultimately a winner is chosen. In over 60 years of presenting this
contest several prominent artists have enjoyed success, but none became as
popular as ABBA.
‘Waterloo’ is also significant because it is the first
single released by the four band members under the name ABBA. Fans of the group
in Sweden were intrigued by the song because it broke with tradition by singing
in English rather than their native Swedish tongue. They became the first
winners of the Eurovision Contest not to sing in their country’s official
language. It is interesting to note that the group debated over which song to
present when hoping to qualify for the contest. They decided on ‘Waterloo’
because it gave equal prominence to both singers; Agnetha Faltskog and
Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Adding to the dazzling presentation and catchy music was
the band’s use of flashy costumes and platform boots. Ironically, ‘Waterloo’
did not go to #1 in Sweden.
The song tells the story of a woman who surrenders her love
to the man of his dreams. She likens this pledge to Napoleon’s historical
surrender at Waterloo in 1815.
The story behind this song intrigued because the Eurovision
Contest is still a thriving program, and it is an obvious precursor to similar
contests in North America like American/Canadian Idol and America’s Got Talent.
Although I have never been a fan of the concept, the authenticity of this
original format clearly paved the way to some notable talent. Other winners
through the years include; Celine Dion (Switzerland) and Katrina and the Waves.
For today’s cover version I will feature a pair of covers by
artists with very different approaches to musical presentation. First, here is
Sweden’s own Black Ingvars, a heavy metal act, doing a power chord influenced
rendition of ‘Waterloo’.
From here we go to the mid ‘80s act Doctor and the Medics
and their tribute to ABBA from 1986.
There are very few bands
that could generate worldwide hysteria if they ever reformed and went on tour. ABBA
is one of those bands. They have universal appeal. Clearly, I am not telling
you anything that you don’t already know. Newsflash! Ted Tocks Covers declares
ABBA is good. Read all about it. The point is, ABBA is irresistible. They keep
the listener coming back. Today’s song is a clear example of how popular ABBA
was and how popular they continue to be 44 years after the initial release. The
song is ‘Fernando’ and to add to its fascination it has a different meaning
depending on what language you find yourself listening. This makes it all the
more intriguing. Here is the story behind ‘Fernando’ and then a little reflection
as to what ABBA means to me. On occasion a little Ted Tocks sentiment is
therapeutic, at least for me. Thanks for following.
‘Fernando’ was originally released by ABBA’s beautiful brunette singer, Anni-Frid Lyngstad in 1975, on her solo album ‘Frida Ensam’. Like most ABBA songs it was composed by her male ABBA counterparts Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. It was written in Swedish. Due to its dance style composition it was initially called ‘Tango’ but shortly before its recording the title was changed. The lyrics to ‘Fernando’ were written by ABBA’s manager Stig Andersson. As noted above, the meaning of the Swedish version of ‘Fernando’ is very different than the English song we are most familiar. In the Andersson version of the lyrics the narrator conveys the story of a friend who has undergone a profound loss. The chorus salutes ‘Fernando’ as can be read here:
Long live love, our best friend, Fernando. Raise your glass and propose a toast to it; to love, Fernando. Play the melody and sing a song of happiness. Long live love, Fernando”.
Stig Anderson
Here is that version of
“Fernando’.
The English version, and the
one we are all most familiar presents an interpretation by Bjorn Ulvaeus
depicting a pair of freedom fighters telling old war stories relating to their
experience fighting the war between Texas and Mexico. The song came to Ulvaeus
on a summer evening while he gazed out into a clear starry sky.
I wrote all the songs as little stories. ‘Fernando’ was about two old freedom-fighters from the war between Texas and Mexico. I was lying outside one summer night, looking at the stars and it suddenly came to me. I knew that the title ‘Fernando’ had to be there, and after pondering a while, I had this vivid image in my mind of two old and scarred revolutionaries in Mexico sitting outside at night talking about old memories”
Bjorn Ulvaeus
By the time the song was recorded by Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid for ABBA in early 1976 the narrative developed the potential to be interpreted as a female freedom fighter recalling an affair with a gentleman named Fernando. Over and above ‘Fernando’s popularity, the song becomes even more intriguing as it evolves through additional languages and interpretations. This point is further enhanced when you consider a Spanish version of ‘Fernando’ was recorded in 1980. It appeared on the group’s Spanish album ‘Gracias Por La Musica’. While the lyrics were adapted to stay true to the basic rhythm and rhyme, the sentiment of the song remained most true to the English version. The one exception was the chorus became;
“Something was around us perhaps of clarity Fernando, that shone for us two in protection, Fernando” (“Algo había alrededor quizá de claridad Fernando, que brillaba por nosotros dos en protección, Fernando”.)
Bjorn Ulvaeus
Here is the Spanish version.
Upon its release in 1976 ‘Fernando’ became ABBA’s first non – album single. This speaks to its origin as an Anni-Frid release. Based on its obvious potential and the adaptation by Bjorn, ABBA released ‘Fernando’ as a brand – new track to aid in the promotion of their 1976 Greatest Hits compilation. To add to its potential ABBA released ‘Fernando’ as a single on the New Zealand and Australian edition of their fourth studio album ‘Arrival’. Based on the strategic deployment of the song worldwide ABBA was poised for unprecedented success and that plan proved to be perfectly executed. ‘Fernando’ sold over 6 million copies in 1976 alone and it went on to become one of fewer than forty singles to have sold 10 million plus copies. It went to #1 in at least 13 countries and true to the plan it became the longest running #1 song in Australian history at 14 weeks and a total of 40 weeks on the charts in that country. The list of accolades goes on and on.
There have been several cover versions of ‘Fernando’ over the years but there is one version by another pop music icon that speaks to the heights of its popularity. In 2018 Cher released a version of’ ‘Fernando’ as the third single from the ‘Mamma Mia – Here We Go Again’ soundtrack. This version debuted at #22 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in July of 2018. It featured actor Andy Garcia on backing vocals. The fact that this release was produced by Benny Andersson definitely added to the authenticity. Cher also recorded a cover on her ABBA tribute album called Dancing Queen; this version did not include Andy Garcia.
ABBA takes me way back to when I was 9 years old. I remember getting a clock radio for my birthday. The cool thing about that radio was being able to set the alarm each night, and every day. In those younger days I set it to wake up to CFRB 1010, and the Wally Crouter Show. Typically, I would listen to a couple of songs and then the sportscast featuring Bill Stephenson at five minutes to the hour. This way, I could get the previous night’s hockey or baseball scores. It was in this short period of time each day that I got to hear two acts that left a permanent impression on me. The first was Gordon Lightfoot and the second was ABBA. If I fast forward a couple of years I moved on to more music – oriented stations like CHUM-AM and CFTR and ultimately at the urging of friends I discovered the album – oriented format of FM radio. It was here that I discovered my four early music favourites; Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Rush. As a result, ABBA kind of slipped into the background but they had this sneaky way of always coming back. At about the same time I started my record collection with ‘A Farewell to Kings’ by Rush, my sister Susan was playing ABBA’s Greatest Hits. Outwardly I teased Susan about listening to ABBA when there was so much more out there to listen to. Oh…I was such a worldly music aficionado. Truthfully, I was just being a pain in the ass big brother. Secretly, I always liked the songs I was hearing. They were catchy and fun to listen to and inevitably I would find myself singing along, but I stopped before Susan caught me in a weak moment.
Fast forward several years to a time where Heather and I had been married for a few years and had been blessed with two sons; Sebastian and Jeremy. We didn’t get to go out too much, so for my birthday one year, Heather got tickets to an ABBA tribute act at a venue called Stage West in nearby Mississauga. This was a perfect opportunity because Heather really liked ABBA, and Stage West had a phenomenal buffet so we were both extremely happy. I was still in my phase of musical toxic masculinity, so I feigned some marginal distaste at the idea of ABBA, but on several occasions during the show Heather caught me clapping and singing along to the infectious set list. From that day on I was exposed as an ABBA fan and I dispensed with the efforts to be all classic rock, all the time. In the early 2000s I was able to get some tickets to the Mirvish Production of Mamma Mia at the Royal Alex Theatre in Toronto. Somehow, we managed to be in the second row from the stage. If I wasn’t already a fan, I would have needed to check for a pulse if I didn’t enjoy this performance. The story was fantastic, and the music kept people entertained from open to close. Heather was dancing throughout the show and I kind of wobbled back and forth a little, which is an open display of enthusiasm for me. From here our love of ABBA moved on to sharing with the boys. One of our favourite things to do as a family while enjoying long trips in our minivan was blasting some of our mixed CDs. ABBA was always one of the top choices. By this time, we had added Nathaniel to our crew and our family was complete. One of the best memories I have is, while on a trip to the East Coast of Canada in the summer of 2003, we hit play on the ABBA Gold CD and the van exploded with fun. Everybody was singing along; even Nathaniel who was only 3 at the time. I can still remember the smile on everyone’s faces when I turned around. These are priceless moments and they are all directly connected to the catchy sounds of ABBA.
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019! I thought the best way to
ring in the new year would be to start it off with a timeless classic. ‘Dancing
Queen’ by ABBA was released as a single in the summer of 1976 and it is as
fresh and relevant today as it was over forty years ago. I was somewhat
surprised to learn that ‘Dancing Queen’ was the only ABBA song to hit #1 in the
United States. It is recognized world-wide and it is virtually guaranteed to
put a smile on the listener’s face and literally get people dancing.
When Dancing Queen was written it was a response to the emerging disco scene that was beginning to dominate the U.S. charts. Songwriters, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson aimed to replicate the Phil Spector Wall of Sound with their arrangements. The result became a very seductive series of verses with a powerful and extremely catchy chorus delivered by the enchanting duo of Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog. The combination of what I just described and the pure innocence of the main character(s) described in the song, enhances the accessibility of this timeless piece. It is literally about someone who loves to dance and embraces the club scene as her chance to escape the rigors of day to day life. As mentioned it has a universal appeal, which is attested to by the fact that it has over 300 million page views on Youtube alone.
As Benny Andersson was creating ‘Dancing Queen’ it touched
an emotional nerve with both Anni-Frid and Agnetha. According to the former;
I found the song so beautiful. It’s one of those songs that goes straight to your heart.”
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Faltskog follows with this recollection;
It’s often difficult to know what will be a hit. The exception was ‘Dancing Queen’. We all knew it was going to be massive.”
Agnetha Faltskog
Admittedly, I knew very little about the background to
‘Dancing Queen’ when I chose it for today’s feature. While researching it I
discovered old names from Ted Tocks Covers had a certain level of influence.
The songwriters have suggested that the drum beat of New Orleans master, Dr.
John’s 1972 album, ‘Dr. John’s Gumbo’ provided some inspiration for the groove
and the opening melody has been noted as a tip of the hat to ‘Sing My Way Home’
by Delaney and Bonnie. Here is ‘Sing My Way Home’ for your reference. Listen to
the melody and you hear a slowed down similarity for sure. I found this
absolutely fascinating. It is yet another example of how music from a wide
degree of styles and genres literally have a very narrow degree of separation
when it comes to the creative process.
What ‘Dancing Queen’ did for ABBA was solidify them as a
massive worldwide act that still resonates today. On dance floors everywhere
‘Dancing Queen’ is guaranteed to fill the floor with people of all ages. It is
so catchy, and it brings about a feeling of optimism and excitement. What a
nice way to start the year. We could all use a little injection of positivity
as we begin a new calendar. Next to the Beatles and Michael Jackson, it is
difficult to think of an act that has as much of a universal appeal as ABBA.
Part of what brought my attention to ‘Dancing Queen’ in time for today’s post was Cher being the recent recipient of a Lifetime Achievement recognition by The Kennedy Centre. Cher performs a version of ‘Dancing Queen’ in Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again. She literally turns back time as she plays the role of Meryl Streep’s mother. For the record, Cher is 72 years old and Meryl Streep is 69. It sounds funny, but I am sure, somehow the two iconic actors make it work. Here is Cher doing ‘Dancing Queen’.
‘Dancing Queen’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in
2015. A very justified honour.
All the best in 2019. Dance like nobody’s watching. I say
all this, and I am quite possibly the world’s worst dancer.
Today we celebrate another of the blues pioneers. A fascinating and volatile character known as Lead Belly. He died on this day in 1949. In his 61 years he lived an action packed life of musical brilliance and crime that would leave any normal person’s head spinning. This is a story that needs to be told.
Huddie William Ledbetter was born on a plantation in Mooringsport, Louisiana on January 12, 1888. Some reports indicate 1889 but this can be traced to draft registration of 1942 where he inexplicably dropped his age by a year. Ledbetter began his career as a musician early. As a 15 year old he was playing guitar in the red light district of Shreveport. By the time he was 19 he had moved to Texas with his family and subsequently married his first wife, 15 year old, Aletha. The couple resided next to his parents. The problem was, work was scarce and over the years he had fathered at least two children. He was forced to leave home and work as a combination of a guitarist and occasional labourer. The first of Ledbetter’s many prison sentences was in 1915 for simply carrying a pistol. He spent some time on the Harrison County chain gang before escaping. He fled to Bowie County where he lived under an assumed name of Walter Boyd. In January of 1918 he was sent to prison for the murder of a relative named Will Stafford in a fight over a woman. While in prison he got in a vicious row with another inmate and ended up with a stab wound in the neck that left a wicked scar. He served seven years of what was a 35 year sentence before being released in part for good behavior and, more notably because he was known for entertaining his fellow prisoners. He was actually pardoned because he wrote a song for the Governor Pat Morris Neff. Neff had a soft spot for Lead Belly. He would often bring guests to the prison for Sunday picnics and ask Lead Belly to perform for the attendees. You would think this new lease on life would have scared Ledbetter straight but there were two more violent acts that saw him jailed for attempted murder and assault.
Somehow through all of this Lead Belly was able to carve out a career in music. This was not easy, due to the fact he obviously had a bad reputation, and he was challenged by prolonged bouts in prison. On the positive side he was a captivating performer who had a gift for writing original material about timely topics. His library covers styles from gospel to blues and discusses women, politics, religion, racism and all stops in between. He could play and he could write. A major break in his life occurred when he took a job with John Lomax as a driver. John Lomax is a noted musicologist and folklorist who worked to preserve American folk music. Those of you who recall my post about ‘House of the Rising Sun’ may remember his role in bringing versions of that song through generations of performers. So Lead Belly spent three months driving around with Lomax. During that time he absorbed everything he saw and heard. Lomax and Lead Belly had originally met during one of his earlier prison stays while the latter was performing to the Governor’s invitees. John and his son Alan were captivated, and when the opportunity arose they arranged to record literally hundreds of his songs on the high end recording equipment that they owned. It is widely thought that the Lomax’s had a hand in getting Leadbelly his pardon. Late in 1934 John Lomax spoke about Lead Belly while in New York City as part of a lecture series. This event was widely attended and due to Lomax’s reputation people were intrigued about his accounts of the singing convict. Within a week Lomax and Lead Belly were back in the Big Apple talking about publishing rights for his library. Newspapers wanted to share the story and Time Magazine wrote a feature article. The early part of 1935 was very eventful. It combined more recording, a book written by Lomax called ‘Negro Folk Songs As Sung By Lead Belly’, interviews and concert performances. Lead Belly even married a Louisiana girl named Martha Promise who joined them on their tour. Unfortunately, things soured and Lomax and Lead Belly parted ways by the end of March. Lead Belly’s drinking was a huge concern and Lomax feared for his ability to handle his own money. He gave Martha a third of what he was owed and sent them back home to Louisiana. The remainder would be sent in installments. This did not sit well with the performer and he sued for the full amount and the right to be released from his management contract. Such a shame.
While reading about Lead Belly’s life I encountered several side stories that were way too much to get into in a post that I try to keep to approximately 1000 words. I urge you to explore this fascinating character’s life. You won’t be disappointed. I will speak to his range of influence shortly but in this paragraph I want to share a bit that speaks to the fact he was a product of his time. As mentioned Lead Belly’s rise to modest prominence was based on the fact he was promoted as a bad black man trying to get back on the straight and narrow. This pattern would continue as the 1930s went on. In 1937 Lead Belly was featured in a three page article titled (now get this);
Lead Belly: Bad Nigger Makes Good Minstrel. “
Life Magazine
This was complete with a full page colour photo of the man himself. A series of additional photos included Martha, who was portrayed as his manager and a close up of his hands playing a guitar with the caption “these hands once killed a man”. Fortunately, the article concluded with a ray of sunshine;
“He…may well be on the brink of a new and prosperous period.”
Life Magazine
This article failed to give rise to any additional success in the form of record sales. For the most part his success came in the form of his adaptability when performing live. By the very nature of his past association with the Lomax’s he was introduced to what would now be considered a ‘leftist’ folk music culture. Three significant connections he made here were an association with the black novelist, Richard Wright, folk singer/songwriter extraordinaire, Woody Guthrie, and a re-acquaintance with Alan Lomax who facilitated his connection with industry insiders through more recordings and tours. The saddest part is, just as everything was starting to really take off for Lead Belly in the late 1940s, as he was himself in his late ‘50s he was struck down with ALS. This insidious disease would take Lead Belly’s life on this day in 1949.
Let it be noted that Lead Belly performed his final concert early in 1949 where he sang many of his folk, blues and gospel songs with Martha accompanying him. He dedicated this swan song performance to his mentor, John Lomax who died the previous year. As much as their professional relationship ended badly, Lead Belly knew that it was Lomax who gave him the opportunities he was able to channel. He never forgot.
Speaking of ‘never forgotten’, Lead Belly holds a place of prominent folklore in the music world. His legacy is spread far and wide. The list of artists who have covered Lead Belly or paid tribute to him in their own songs is so vast I couldn’t do it justice. Again, check it out. It is truly jaw dropping. Before I sign off I want to do three things. Two brief stories and a couple of cover versions (chosen from literally thousands).
One artist who helped to bring LeadBelly to prominence was Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Cobain was a huge Lead Belly fan and he once famously lobbied the head of his record label, David Geffen to buy him Lead Belly’s guitar. This was a preamble to ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’; one of Lead Belly’s most covered songs. This can be seen on the famous MTV Unplugged in New York.
As noted, Leadbelly had a great ability to write songs in many styles, about many topics. He wrote a song about the sinking of the Titanic. The song had a twist though. He managed to connect it to racism. Here is how the story goes…He had heard that African American boxer Jack Johnson was denied passage on the ocean liner due to the fact he was black. The essence of the story is true, but it did not happen on the Titanic. He was denied passage on a ship though, and his skin colour was the reason. Horrible to know that this happened, but given the racial atrocities we see to this day, it is believable and sickening all at the same time. Lead Belly captured it in this passage:
Jack Johnson tried to get on board The Captain, he says, I ain’t haulin’ no coal! Fare thee, Titanic! Fare thee, well!
Titanic – Lead Belly
Leadbetter left this verse out of performances when he played to mostly white audiences. A strange form of self-censorship that also speaks to the times.
For today’s cover versions I will focus on two versions; the first being an unlikely tribute to one of Lead Belly’s most famous songs, by Abba. The upbeat and moderate disco style speaks to the adaptability of the man’s music.
The second is perhaps the most famous cover of a Lead Belly song by the classic rock hit machine, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Here they are doing their famous country/blues/rock rendition of Midnight Special. Enjoy!
Sometimes I think to myself…Of the many great acts that have called it quits, which one would be the highest grossing tour and cause the most hysteria if they were to do a comeback tour? (Yes…this is what I think about sometimes…it keeps me out of trouble). I have narrowed it down to two acts. Led Zeppelin and ABBA. All personal preferences aside, I think ABBA would be the ‘winner’. My personal favourite is Led Zeppelin because they were among my favourites as a young music fan but ABBA is a guilty pleasure. I am convinced that anyone who says they don’t like ABBA is lying. Their music is so much fun, so well written, so catchy. They were literally a hit machine. I think Heather and I have seen ABBAmania four times and we come out smiling every time (or laughing Ashlee Speirs 😉). I raise this point because in my research I discovered that according to a British survey ABBA tribute acts took over from Elvis tribute acts and Beatles tribute acts as the most tribute act. In short; ABBA sells.
Today’s song is ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’. This is just one of many gold Abba songs and I have chosen it because it connects well to the unlikely cover version that I discovered while researching possibilities. The song was written in 1979 by the prolific songwriting pair; Benny Andersson and Bjorn Faltskog. The enchanting Agnetha Faltskog delivers the song in a plaintive narrative that laments the absence of a partner in the darkness of night. The lyrics depict the character wondering why her life and the lives of movie characters are so different. As is often the case the happy overtones of Abba’s music are a cover for a sadder story hidden in the lyrics. Interestingly, ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’ was not initially released as a single world wide. Its initial release was in North America only by Atlantic Records. It wasn’t until it was released on a greatest hits package that it received issue in their native Sweden. Despite the staggered release of the song it, like so many others hit the from #1 to the Top 20 virtually everywhere. Part of the songs success can be attributed to the disco style beat and the fact it caught the tail end of the disco era. It became a dance club hit for that scene. ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’ features prominently in the play ‘Mama Mia’ because it ties in so well to the story of the brilliant play. Yes, I have seen that too. Loved it.
Today’s cover is by fellow Swede and guitarist tour de force Yngwie Malmsteen. Malmsteen is like an orchestra unto himself, combining heavy metal with a neoclassical style in his playing. Guess what? It really works on the whole and in this astounding cover. Time Magazine rated Malmsteen the tenth best guitarist ever in a 2009 article. His forty year career has yielded 20 albums. Enjoy this rousing version of the Abba classic which alters the title slightly to ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (Your Love After Midnight)’.
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day”
Ted Tocks Covers 