The Winner's Gonna Take It All: The final...

WhipperSnapper

WhipperSnapper

Remorque said:
Tonight the next one is coming, sistren!
Click to expand...

Uh, I'm straight.


(just kidding)

I have always loved this melody, and stand by my 10 (again!). I imaging it playing in the background as I wake up to strong coffee in Västmanland, served by my handsome stable master Jens....anyway, Two For The Price of One better be next!
 
Sprockrooster

Sprockrooster

I am on a holiday (Bremen, Germany) and I always check out the biggest record store. I found ABBA Gold and More Gold priced both at 3 euro's (new albums cost 20 in this currency). But together they were 5. I couldnot resist with especially this rate in mind. Shook at the very low pricing (also Lemonade was at 5 euro). But the the new Texas album was 20 with only 10 tracks and a cardboard cover. Nonetheless definitely worth it.
 
Remorque

Remorque

He/Him
72.

'...Where is the dream we were dreaming and all the nights we shared... Where did they go? I just don't know...'
- Agnetha Fältskog in Hasta Mañana -

abba-hasta_manana_s_1.jpg

The quality of this is atrocious, but I quite lke the ambiance...

Average: 6.1957
Highest score: 1 * 10.0 - @tylerc904
Lowest score: 5 * 3.00 - @Terminus @AGiantSheep @WhatKindOfKylie? @cityofdoomsday @dancingwithmyself
My score: 8.00

IMAGINE!

...

A group of four people are representing Sweden in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. They have a fun bop under their belt to woo the nations participating (and maybe beyond), but it's a bit risqué and nothing like anyone had ever sung on the contest before. They decide to go with a safer option and choose a ballad instead. They end in 9th place, release their album in their native Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia, and are never heard of again.

The end.

...

I know I'm reaching when I guess they're never heard of again, but fuck me... Let's all hold hands and praise Frida they took a fucking risk!

Agnetha's the one taking a hit at #72, as Hasta Mañana says goodbye to us. Written and recorded in 1973, it was the group's backup plan for singing at Eurovision, because they initially feared that Waterloo was a bit too weird and out there for the contest. What eventually made them go with the latter was that it had the two girls on lead vocals, instead of having just Agnetha fronting the band.

In Australia it was first released as the b-side to So Long in 1974, but in some countries it was actually released as a stand-alone single that same year, such as Italy (where it reached the top 30), South Africa (where it reached no. 2 and is said to still be immensely popular over there) and Sweden (where it reached the top spot of the charts).
After the very popular broadcast of The Best of ABBA special in Australia and New Zealand in 1976, it also became a top 10 hit over there.

Personally, I think it's quite enjoyable in a floaty, airy, hearing-it-in-passing kinda way, but I don't think I've ever actively sought this one out... Agnetha's vocal isn't her best and I just think it's a bit too country.
Apparently so did a lot of you, as it received only a single 10 and a whole slew of 3's. Good on the song for getting the highest low score yet though!

Let's move over to our panel, shall we?

A lot of you actually quite liked this one...
Our highest scorer tylerc904 thinks it's "So lovely, so beautifully sung.". Bless your heart.
To poor ol' Sprockrooster this is "a summerbop! And it is so cold and rainy as I am typing this, but this one brings me to an entirely different season." and CasperFan thinks it has a "Lovely melody and great lead vocal-catchy.". Then gives it a 5. You're just an enigma, aren't you?

Some of you had rather troubling opinions.
idratherjack calls it "A better Eurovision song than Waterloo." and bichard says that "Whilst they clearly made the right decision taking Waterloo to Eurovision, I do prefer this. It's a shadow of most Agnetha MegaBallads, but it shows some indication of what was to come.". Naming this song and Agnetha MegaBallads in the same sentence nearly had me done. Done!

SecretsOfFatima thinks it's "Perfect for Eurovision…", but then shows that head's on straight, saying "if they wanted to win and fade into obscurity. From the key change to the mournful sentiment, it had cutesy Euro victor written all over it, but wouldn’t have made ABBA. Nonetheless, a great album track.". I actually agree with all of this. See, sis... Growing closer as we're nearing the top.

We've reached a point where "Only the beautiful soft vocals of A and A save this one. They turn an otherwise dull, boring song into something a little above plain boring." is something you'd expect WhatKindOfKylie? to give us, n'est-ce pas?
Sis, Frida's voice is so drowned out, she's practically inaudible.

Mina's not impressed, uttering "Inoffensive but bland.", but she's in good company...
Hudweiser calls it "Cute and summary, but a bit slight. Banjo for the win though." and Mumty thinks it's "A bit oom pah pah oom pah pah for my liking.".
I've grown to live for constantino's commentary as it's usually in line with mine, and we agree on this one again. "The rattling guitars are the only part of the song that grab me, everything else kinda washes over." and that's kinda my problem with it too.
Filippa calls it the "First Agnetha Special", but ultimately finds it "a little bit boring".

P'nubutter's swooning while calling it "Camp as fuck." and he may be right, because ufint guesses "Atomic Kitten would have a feast doing a remake of this song. It’s right on their alley, bland and kitschy.". I'm sending a communiqué to their A&R as we speak.

VivaForever asks "Isn't this considered somewhat of a lost ABBA classic? I don't know why. The Day Before You Came it AIN'T!", but eventually gives it an "Extra half point for the key change.". She gave it a 5... Ouch.

We'll end with Mikey1701 as he does the ever swell job of giving us a little write-up of what the song is about too...
"ABBA’s backup plan in case they decided not to perform Waterloo and one of their biggest successes in South Africa! Agnetha sounds lovely with her Connie Francis style delivery and the chorus is lush and whereas the tropical overtones ruined Sitting In The Palmtree, they work quite well here as undertones.".
The song was actually in danger of never getting completed, because both girls were having trouble singing it. Legend has it that Agnetha had a bit of fun with it in the studio and decided to sing it in Connie Francis' style and that vocal is the one we were left with.

The more you know... *and shooting star*



They shot a video for it in 1974. You'll have to excuse me for the awful quality though.


This was also performed in Eskilstuna in 1975. Awful quality again, but you've heard these ones before, seaux...

​

And here is their performance of it during the 1976 Australian TV special I mentioned before.


In 1980 it was re-recorded in Spanish for their Gracias Por La Musica album.
​
 
Remorque

Remorque

He/Him
TrueBeliever calls it "Lovely and bittersweet tune. The spoken bits bring it down a bit from a 9. It’s also brought down by traumatic memories of Army of Lovers’ shit show remake.".
Here's that shit show remake for you all to enjoy.

I'm actually bopping. Kii.

Fellow Eurovision contestant Lena Andersson met Benny and Björn when they were touring Japan as a duo and later became a backing vocalist for the group during their 1977 world tour. In 1974 she released a cover version of the Hasta Mañana in her native Swedish and German. Here's the German version:
​
 
Uno

Uno

Okay, it took me to be tipsy and accidentally playing Waterloo for me to admit it's nothing as terrible as I used to preach.

It's something I'd sing/dance along to if someone played on a jukebox but I probably won't find myself alone and singing the night away to it like I would with anything on Voulez-Vous.
 
Hudvar

Hudvar

Hasta Manana went sooner than I thought.

Based on the trend I'd say some of these are in the next 10 out:
  • My Mama Said
  • Dum Dum Diddle
  • Thank You for the Music
  • I Wonder
  • I'm a Marionette
  • I Have a Dream about a cat stuck in my bagpipes
  • Lovers (Live a Little Longer)
  • Elaine
  • Andante Andante
  • Two for the Price of One
 
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