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

Remorque

Remorque

He/Him
39.​

'...I'd heard about you before... I wanted to know some more... And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine... Oh, you make me dizzy...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Honey, Honey -

abba-honey_honey_s_1.jpg


That fucking perm though...

Average: 7.7935
Highest score: 1 * 11.00 - @DJHazey
3 * 10.00 - @haps @idratherjack @ufint @Gotnomoretosay @Mikey1701 @WhipperSnapper @GhettoPrincess @Hudweiser
Lowest score: 1 * 4.00 - @Mina
My score: 7.50

Seaux... With Honey, Honey bowing out at #39, its parent album Waterloo is left with only its title track in the running to become PJ's favourite ABBA song ever. My sincerest condolances to DJHazey too, as the good sis loses her 11... I knew how passionate you were about it, so, sorry, babe!

The song was recorded in 1973 and was released in 1974 as the second single from Waterloo, after the title track, which had been a huge success for the group after they had won the Eurovision Song Contest that same year. It became a big hit in Germany (where it spent a whopping four months inside the top 5), Austria, Sweden and Switzerland and reached the top 20 in Belgium, Finland, The Netherlands and New Zealand. Australia never really embraced the track as it nearly missed the top 30 over there, but it did become a decent sized hit in the United States and Canada though.
And if you think I've glossed over the single release of the song in the United Kingdom, well... It was never actually released over there. The record company decided it didn't fit the UK's musical climate and instead released a remixed version of Ring Ring (which did become a top 40 hit for them). Instead, the group Sweet Dreams decided to cover the song with vocals sung by Polly Brown and that version reached the top 10 and top 15 of the United Kingdom and Ireland respectively, so it was definitely a missed opportunity for the group as it would take them a while to get a hit over there again...

It features both of the girls singing in harmony, longing after the boy they love and sighing erotically into his ear... It's actually one of the sweetest songs they ever recorded and the girls sound fantastic, while Björn gives a nice enough vocal addition to the song, yet it's never resonated any strong feelings within me. Hence the 7.50 I gave it...

I'm betting DJHazey isn't too happy about this, but let's hear what the rest of you had to say...

Not giving it a 10 and thinking it's "Perhaps a bit lightweight,", bichard still thinks this is "the best thing on the album. I even like the Bjorn bits. You can hear them finding their pop sensibilities here, ditching the 60s crap and moving towards their own sound. It's a shame it didn't follow Waterloo in the UK, as I'm sure it would have faired better than Ring Ring, as proved I suppose, by the (inferior) Sweet Dreams cover.". To these ears the Sweet Dreams version is definitely the lesser version, yes, but my God... What a fucking missed opportunity, eh?
Hudweiser reckons the same and thinks the song sounds "On form for the era - they would've been bigger sooner if this had been the follow-up to Waterloo.". Yes.

While idratherjack calls this a "Sweet little pop song.", SecretsOfFatima sees through the façade and finds "The breathy vocals, the literal breaths, the instrumental part, the general theme and the fact that parents gladly played this for unsuspecting children all make it incredible. Love the song.". It is rather naughty, innit.

TrueBeliever believes this is a "Classic ABBA song with a strong melody. However, ABBA singing about love machines makes me shriek in laughter if I really think about it. Bjorn’s vocals bring it down a bit too, in my estimation.". Someone who wasn't impressed with Björn barging in either is Mina... "I could definitely do without Bjorn's part here.", though personally I really don't mind him here...

To WhatKindOfKylie? it sounds "Cute and fun. It's not one of their all time best I admit, but once that hook gets inside your head, it's hard for it go all the very same.", while ufint had a bit too much listens to Everyday before rating the song, methinks... "I heard about it before and wanted to know some more. Such a love machine. Give the AA girls the good shit that make them nut quick.". It's actually really hard to see either of the girls in a sexual light, but hey ho... Do you.

And while P'nutbutter awws that this is "Underrated.", tylerc904 thinks "It’s amazing this charted higher than some of their signature hits in the US but wasn’t even a full single in the UK!".

It made a lot of you feel all warm inside...
CasperFan calls it a "Gorgeous song-again a much more ABBA song and so catchy and makes you feel happy..." and that's exactly what it does to GhettoPrincess as she just loves "how happy I get when listen to this. *big grin* Cheesy but in the best way pop music can be.".
Mikey1701 has "so much love for this. It’s by far the most instant of ABBA’s pre-imperial phase singles and I think that it was madness not to release this in the UK in the wake of Eurovision. Joyous and fun, it always put a smile on my face- even if I can’t help adding “and then he- dot dot dot!” at the end of every line because of Mamma Mia." and constantino simply thinks it's "so adorable, and I’m not usually one for this lovey-dovey shit.". See... It warms the coldest of hearts...

Or does it?

VivaForever still can't hide her hatred towards the Waterloo album, even when listening to a song as positive as Honey, Honey... "This album - even more than Ring Ring - has a real tendency toward cutesiness that drags the songs down, and I think this is a good example of that. There's an 8 in here but it gets buried. Nonetheless the Amanda Seyfried version is amazing.". I've listed it below just for you, gurl.
And Filippa says it's "Ok," and "not bad", but then claims it's "not my song". We know, sis.

We'll end on a positive note from poor ol' Sprockrooster who calls it a "Positive jam. Now let me put some honey in my tea.". Let's!



The song was also recorded in Swedish and was the last song that would receive an official release in their native tongue...

This version was used as the b-side to the Swedish language single release of Waterloo.

An official video for the song was never shot, but performances aplenty though...

The song was performed on the Germand music show Star Parade in 1974...


...and in 1975 on Danish television for something called Omkring et flygel.


In 1976 the song was performed on a German tv special called Musikladen Extra: The Best of ABBA, where the group performed some of their biggest hits up until Dancing Queen, which had just been released...

​
 
Remorque

Remorque

He/Him
As you've read before, Sweet Dreams released their version in 1974 with vocals by Polly Brown, snatching a hit out of ABBA's hands...

That record company were fucking dumbwits, weren't they...

Tina Charles also recorded a cover of the song, but it never actually made it onto one of her main albums though.


Swedish country band Nashville Train have already made several appearances during our countdown and here they are again with their version of Honey, Honey, which they recorded for their 1976 album ABBA In Our Way.


In 1981, an Urdu version titled Kabhi, Kabhi was released by Pakistani sisters Salma and Sabina Agha, which was featured on their album Salma & Sabina AGHA Sing the Hits of ABBA - In Hindi.


Loves Ugly Children, a New Zealand based alternative rock band, recorded a version of the song for the 1995 ABBA tribute album Abbasalutely...

​
 
Remorque

Remorque

He/Him
...and in 1999 ABBA's sound engineer Michael B. Tretow recorded a cover of the song with his daughter Sofia for the compilation album ABBA: A Tribute - The 25th Anniversary Celebration.

As you can hear, it features various interpolations of several of the group's more famous hits.

In 2001 Housecream made their version of the song...


...and while we're stepping into dance territory, Abbacadabra also released a version of the song through Almighty Records.


We'll end with Amanda Seyfriend's version of the song, which was featured in the 2008 movie Mamma Mia!: The Movie. It features her cast mates Rachel McDowall and Ashley Lilley on backing vocals.

This version made the top 70 and top 50 of the United Kingdom and Australia respectively, simply credited to "Original Cast Recording", instead of being credited to the actress herself.​
 
Remorque

Remorque

He/Him
Guys, I'll try to do one more tomorrow, but I've got exams this week... Hence the relative quiet from my side since last Thursday. But bear with! It'll get interesting very soon. We've already lost The Piper and Honey, Honey, but let me tell you...

No one's 11 is safe from now on.

Even mine.

I'm actually fine with the next one going, though the one after that kinda stings. For nostalgic purposes.
 
P'NutButter

P'NutButter

Does anybody else hear the same melody from 'Honey Honey' in 'Jump Down' by B*Witched... especially the line "...'til now, I've never believed in us"?
 
D

Deleted member 312

P'NutButter said:
Does anybody else hear the same melody from 'Honey Honey' in 'Jump Down' by B*Witched... especially the line "...'til now, I've never believed in us"?
Click to expand...

The "you've always made me feel good" bit does remind me of "ooh you make me dizzy"!

Well, I gave Honey a 7 and may have underscored it by a point. I had hoped it might outlast the title track of its parent album, although I knew this hope was always in vain. It is much better though,
 
D

Deleted member 26234

What really, really still hurts is the loss of "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room". It's just one of my all-time-favourits ...Happy New Year has left unexpectedly soon - for me at least. It's such a hymn!

I still have some songs I have rated below 8 and maybe you won't like these ratings at all (lynching isn't an option here, is it?). Number 11s falling? I have a bad feeling about mine but still keep my fingers crossed!
 
TrueBeliever

TrueBeliever

Still haven't recovered from the holy trinity of Nina, Move On, and Marionette falling so soon. Don't think I can take it anymore, unless the chaff from the last three albums start bogging off ... and soon. Wouldn't mind if Arrival takes all Top 5 spots at this point.
 
Gotnomoretosay

Gotnomoretosay

Aw Honey Honey, I remember when I was a kid thinking it was amazing. But also thinking it was such a rude song and getting embarrassed when I played it when my grandparents/parents were in the room.

Oh how times change!
 
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