He/Him
32.
'...Over in the corner I could see this other guy... He was kinda flirty, he was giving me the eye... So I took advantage of the fact that I'm a star... Shook my hair and took a casual stroll up to the bar...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in On and On and On -
Recycling really was their thing, wasn't it?
Average: 8.0000
Highest score: 7 * 10.00 - @Terminus @2014 @DJHazey @P'NutButter @WhipperSnapper @chris4862 @SecretsOfFatima
Lowest score: 2 * 5.00 - @VivaForever @cityofdoomsday
My score: 8.00
Super Trouper loses the third song on its tracklisting and it's the first song in our countdown to reach an 8.0000 average. It was recorded in 1980 and had a number of different titles before settling on On and On and On. It was released in a select couple of countries, namely Argentina, Japan (narrowly missing the top 50), Canada, the United States (scraping the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100), France (reaching the top 20) and Australia (where it went top 10, of course).
The parent album did, however, have three songs on it that reached the American Dance Chart in 1981, as On and On and On was also issued as a 12 inch single over there with Lay All Your Love On Me and Super Trouper. Dannii Minogue whew?
I personally love the song. It's definitely one of their most straightforward songs, especially during those later years. Lyrics like the ones I posted above make this song so brilliant, yet they make it come across so simple and effortless. The girls give it their sassy all and sell the fuck out of this.
P'nutbutter gets exactly what I'm saying, calling it "Brilliant!", then reciting the "Who am I and who are you, and who are we?" lyric. Right back at ya, sis. Filippa keeps it simple and screams "Love the lyrics!", with kalonite explaining to us that "“I said I was not exactly waiting for the bus” is clearly the original “I didn't just come here to dance, if you know what I mean?” Carly could never.". The girl tries though, so she's rightfully earned a place in our hearts.
A lot of you are quite bitter this wasn't released as a single internationally, except for that select couple of countries. Hudweiser wonders "Why this wasn't thrown out as the third single at the start of 1981 is anyone's guess as there was a mammoth 8-month gap between Super Trouper and Lay All Your Love On Me? I remember being given The Video Hits on VHS for Christmas 1988 and being wowed by the hidden verse about Humpty Dumpty.". More on that below, children!
On the other side of the fence there's VivaForever ugh'ing "Ugh, cannot believe this was a single.", giving it a 5... What up, girl?
"This one knocks." for Mikey1701, before admitting "I’ve not played this in some time although I used to love it on More ABBA Gold and it feels like a companion piece to the similarly synth driven Lay All Your Love On Me. The synths mashed against the piano shouldn’t work but this being ABBA, B&B clearly found a way to make them. I love the two girls being sassy and having some fun ‘in the club’.".
Speaking of sassy, WhatKindOfKylie? is reminded of another iconic girlgroup when listening to this. "Straight away from the song's intro, it has yet another one of those ABBA hooks that gets right into your head. Love how A and A sound almost like Bannanarama with their slightly stroppy and girlish vocal take on it.". Yath, represent.
And while we're on the subject of vocals and Bananarama, here's True Believer kinda giving us a mix of both... "…and on and on… Strangely monotonous while simultaneously vocally challenging.". I feel so bad for shading one of my faves.
Mina's not quite as impressed as the rest of you, thinking "This one is pretty unremarkable but surprisingly doesn't sound too dated almost 40 years later.". 'Timeless' is the word you're looking for. You're welcome.
ufint admits he does "like it and it's got that classic ABBA-sound, but the chorus doesn't have the oomph that a lot of their other songs do.". Meanwhile, tylerc904 sees it exactly for what it is... "A necessary uptempo injection and would have easily been a huge hit had it come a year or two prior.".
constantino wasn't quite as certain from the beginning though... "I wasn’t sure about this at first but now I’m bopping. It’s one of their more experimental tracks but I appreciate that about it.". I'm glad it won you over, sis.
For bichard it's a "great ABBA rock n roll number that the girls sound brilliant on. Not top tier ABBA, but probably would have made a good UK single had the label wanted a 4th from the album.". It really should have been released everywhere as it was a fan favourite and the band loved performing it.
CasperFan is delighted to be hearing "More pop/rock ABBA and I love it!".
Poor ol' Sprockrooster simply says "Let me play this On and On and On.".
Let's!
In 2011 an early mix of the song was released on record, featuring an extra verse...
...but the promotional clip for the song already used this early mix (or extended version, however you wish to see it), but instead of shooting an actual video for the song, a photo montage was made from their Las Vegas concert during their 1979 United States tour and tried to somewhat match the action of the photos with the song. Let's just say they shouldn't really have bothered, eh...
SecretsOfFatima has some feelings about this one too... "Such a flawless bop that was treated so badly. It didn’t deserve the weird iMovie tour montage video that it got lumbered with. I needed a video in the vein of I Won’t Let You Go, Agnetha’s solo visual magnum opus.".
In 1981 threats were made to kidnap Björn and Agnetha's children, so because of safety reasons this performance that was shown on the German show Show Express was shot in Stockholm after the set of Show Express, their technicians and crew were flown over to a studio in Sweden.
It was also performed live for their 1981 tv special Dick Cavett Meets ABBA, albeit with a different composition.
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in On and On and On -
Recycling really was their thing, wasn't it?
Average: 8.0000
Highest score: 7 * 10.00 - @Terminus @2014 @DJHazey @P'NutButter @WhipperSnapper @chris4862 @SecretsOfFatima
Lowest score: 2 * 5.00 - @VivaForever @cityofdoomsday
My score: 8.00
Super Trouper loses the third song on its tracklisting and it's the first song in our countdown to reach an 8.0000 average. It was recorded in 1980 and had a number of different titles before settling on On and On and On. It was released in a select couple of countries, namely Argentina, Japan (narrowly missing the top 50), Canada, the United States (scraping the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100), France (reaching the top 20) and Australia (where it went top 10, of course).
The parent album did, however, have three songs on it that reached the American Dance Chart in 1981, as On and On and On was also issued as a 12 inch single over there with Lay All Your Love On Me and Super Trouper. Dannii Minogue whew?
I personally love the song. It's definitely one of their most straightforward songs, especially during those later years. Lyrics like the ones I posted above make this song so brilliant, yet they make it come across so simple and effortless. The girls give it their sassy all and sell the fuck out of this.
P'nutbutter gets exactly what I'm saying, calling it "Brilliant!", then reciting the "Who am I and who are you, and who are we?" lyric. Right back at ya, sis. Filippa keeps it simple and screams "Love the lyrics!", with kalonite explaining to us that "“I said I was not exactly waiting for the bus” is clearly the original “I didn't just come here to dance, if you know what I mean?” Carly could never.". The girl tries though, so she's rightfully earned a place in our hearts.
A lot of you are quite bitter this wasn't released as a single internationally, except for that select couple of countries. Hudweiser wonders "Why this wasn't thrown out as the third single at the start of 1981 is anyone's guess as there was a mammoth 8-month gap between Super Trouper and Lay All Your Love On Me? I remember being given The Video Hits on VHS for Christmas 1988 and being wowed by the hidden verse about Humpty Dumpty.". More on that below, children!
On the other side of the fence there's VivaForever ugh'ing "Ugh, cannot believe this was a single.", giving it a 5... What up, girl?
"This one knocks." for Mikey1701, before admitting "I’ve not played this in some time although I used to love it on More ABBA Gold and it feels like a companion piece to the similarly synth driven Lay All Your Love On Me. The synths mashed against the piano shouldn’t work but this being ABBA, B&B clearly found a way to make them. I love the two girls being sassy and having some fun ‘in the club’.".
Speaking of sassy, WhatKindOfKylie? is reminded of another iconic girlgroup when listening to this. "Straight away from the song's intro, it has yet another one of those ABBA hooks that gets right into your head. Love how A and A sound almost like Bannanarama with their slightly stroppy and girlish vocal take on it.". Yath, represent.
And while we're on the subject of vocals and Bananarama, here's True Believer kinda giving us a mix of both... "…and on and on… Strangely monotonous while simultaneously vocally challenging.". I feel so bad for shading one of my faves.
Mina's not quite as impressed as the rest of you, thinking "This one is pretty unremarkable but surprisingly doesn't sound too dated almost 40 years later.". 'Timeless' is the word you're looking for. You're welcome.
ufint admits he does "like it and it's got that classic ABBA-sound, but the chorus doesn't have the oomph that a lot of their other songs do.". Meanwhile, tylerc904 sees it exactly for what it is... "A necessary uptempo injection and would have easily been a huge hit had it come a year or two prior.".
constantino wasn't quite as certain from the beginning though... "I wasn’t sure about this at first but now I’m bopping. It’s one of their more experimental tracks but I appreciate that about it.". I'm glad it won you over, sis.
For bichard it's a "great ABBA rock n roll number that the girls sound brilliant on. Not top tier ABBA, but probably would have made a good UK single had the label wanted a 4th from the album.". It really should have been released everywhere as it was a fan favourite and the band loved performing it.
CasperFan is delighted to be hearing "More pop/rock ABBA and I love it!".
Poor ol' Sprockrooster simply says "Let me play this On and On and On.".
Let's!
In 2011 an early mix of the song was released on record, featuring an extra verse...
...but the promotional clip for the song already used this early mix (or extended version, however you wish to see it), but instead of shooting an actual video for the song, a photo montage was made from their Las Vegas concert during their 1979 United States tour and tried to somewhat match the action of the photos with the song. Let's just say they shouldn't really have bothered, eh...
SecretsOfFatima has some feelings about this one too... "Such a flawless bop that was treated so badly. It didn’t deserve the weird iMovie tour montage video that it got lumbered with. I needed a video in the vein of I Won’t Let You Go, Agnetha’s solo visual magnum opus.".
In 1981 threats were made to kidnap Björn and Agnetha's children, so because of safety reasons this performance that was shown on the German show Show Express was shot in Stockholm after the set of Show Express, their technicians and crew were flown over to a studio in Sweden.
It was also performed live for their 1981 tv special Dick Cavett Meets ABBA, albeit with a different composition.
