The Winner's Gonna Take It All: The final...
- Thread starter Remorque
- Start date
It's getting so tough now!
D
Deleted member 312
I was on board until the final sentence.
Oh Mamma Mia is a fabulous song, but in relation to what came after it- it feels rather... basic? I'm not sure if that's the right word to use or not, but their music definitely did get more and more sophisticated as they went on.
D
Deleted member 312
For me, Mamma and SOS are the two earlier songs that do hold up to the later greats.
Neither are My Secret Heart though.
SCREAMING!
I did the same, but yes, there are definitely much better tracks left in the top 10.
He/Him
10.
'You can take your time baby, I'm in no hurry... Know I'm gonna get you... You don't wanna hurt me, baby don't worry, I ain't gonna let you...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Take a Chance on Me -
'You can take your time baby, I'm in no hurry... Know I'm gonna get you... You don't wanna hurt me, baby don't worry, I ain't gonna let you...'
- Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in Take a Chance on Me -
Fabulous shoe game there.
Average: 9.0625
Highest score: 25 * 10.00 - @Uno @haps @Epic Chocolat @Weslicious @LTG @Animalia @kalonite @constantino @idratherjack @Terminus @AGiantSheep @Mumty @ufint @Gotnomoretosay @VivaForever @tylerc904 @WhatKindOfKylie? @CasperFan @AllGagaLike @WhipperSnapper @chris4862 @SecretsOfFatima @GhettoPrincess @Hudweiser @Mina
Lowest score: 2 * 6.00 - @bichard @2014
My score: 7.50
Take a Chance on Me is the song to break in our top 10...
Which means another album falls...
The song came to form after Björn had this little rhythm he would sing to himself while he was running and it kinda lodged itself into his brain. So Benny and Björn started working on the track in 1977 without the involvement of their manager Stig Andersson (which means this was the first single to be released without him having a hand in writing the song) and it was eventually recorded in August that year.
It was eventually released as the second single from the band's fifth album The Album in January 1978 in Europe, while the United States got the single in April that same year... It proved to be one of their biggest hits up until then, reaching the top spot in Belgium (KWEENZ!), Austria, Ireland and Mexico, becoming a top 3 hit in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and reaching the top 10 in France, Norway and South Africa. More notably, it became a chart-topper on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming their third consecutive no. 1 in the United Kingdom and also reaching the highest position in the United States, while racking up another top three hit in Canada. In Australia it narrowly missed the top 10, stalling at no. 12...
Now... About my 7,50.
I've always liked the song. It's one of those tracks you can act silly to, get a feeling of happiness from and the girls, especially Agnetha during her solo parts, give us a great performance. Yet, excluding I Have a Dream, which I seemed to always skip, this was never a song I actively sought out on Gold. I didn't mind it, but it was still probably my third least liked track, after the aforementioned and Thank You for the Music. Hence... A 7,50.
What's your excuse, bichard? "Always better in your head than when you actually listen to it. I liked this much more as a youngster, but as I've matured my feelings towards it have cooled somewhat."... TrueBeliever is of the same mind, admitting that "As a child, this was one of my very favorite ABBA offerings. Over time, however, it’s downgraded to a more middling single. It’s not as up-tempo as I imagine it should be, so I think it necessitates some celerity."...
Well, I'm afraid I somewhat agree with you, though with me it's the opposite. I used to dislike this when I was younger, yet as I grew older I started to appreciate its pure pop simplicities.
Poor ol' Sprockrooster doesn't think it "entirely survived the test of time." while Filippa states the obvious in that it was "Very successful", before admitting she "never really got into it..." in her own unique way
Now we've got our flop opinions out of the way, it's time for our esteemed panel of judges to say what's on their mind when listening to this song.
We'll start with CasperFan with a threat to all of the above and some of the below... "If anyone rates this less than a 10 they are dead to me! Brilliant opening vocals from A & F and great backing from the B & B -the Take a chance , take a chance , take a chicca chan chance bit is genius! It’s just a song full of great moments and never let’s up from beginning to end. Perfect!".
Mina simply states it's "Pop perfection.", with idratherjack saying this is "Imperial phase ABBA. Just a perfect pop song." and ufint calling it "Quintessential ABBA. So much fun, incredibly captivating. That spoken riff is one of the best riffs in any song ever.". Are we really forgetting Kimberley's part in Something Kinda Ooooh, sis? Edit: we are.
I also saw the word 'classic' being thrown around a lot...
While VivaForever keeps it simple with "Classic. Fucking classic.", we've got WhatKindOfKylie? screaming "CLASSIC ALERT! And then some! From that distinctive intro, to that super sing-a-long chorus, to that much lampooned iconic music video, everything about it is just WOW! ABBA at their finest.".
tylerc904 sums up his favourite bits "Those whispered verses, the male-chants, the self-assuredness while offering to be sloppy seconds!!" before stating it's "A true ABBA classic." and GhettoPrincess also finds it "Classic. I like the guy's backing vocals, I prefer the verses to the chorus slightly.".
To Mikey1701 it's "another of ABBA’s major successes that I don’t really ‘use’ that often- I really am drawn to their lesser known work- but one that I can’t deny isn’t stone cold brilliant. The “tck-a-ch” hook is one of their most infectious, Agnetha gives the vocals her all and there are some wonderful synth flourishes. A timeless classic.". This is actually only one of a handful of songs he didn't score a 10 in the entire top 40...
SecretsOfFatima thanks Frida "that Björn went out running. Another masterpiece and career highlight.", while constantino calls it an "Anthem. The part where the synths kick in after the acapella intro it absolutely decimates my puss every time.".
Hudweiser is reminded of the good old days, as he says this is "Signature super-happy-fun-times ABBA," and that "this was likely recorded when they WERE at their happiest. There was no way in hell this song could ever fail to be a huge hit. Fuck that Erasure version though.". Don't look down, sis!
We'll end with Mumty for this one, preaching the gospel...
"ABBA have so many fine pop singles, but I think this is the best representation of ABBA as a whole. 4 minutes of pure pop bliss."...
Enjoy, ghewls.
The video features the band members ACTUALLY HAVING FUN, which is quite an anomaly in their videography... The girls look incredible (I'm guessing Mikey1701 was a big fan of Frida's 'do) and they're living it up for the cameras. Just look at Frida's dance moves! Although it's definitely not my favourite single of theirs, this is one of my favourite videos by far.
The song was heavily promoted, with television appearances in Germany in 1978...
(the girls missing their cue there...)
...in Japan that same year...
Average: 9.0625
Highest score: 25 * 10.00 - @Uno @haps @Epic Chocolat @Weslicious @LTG @Animalia @kalonite @constantino @idratherjack @Terminus @AGiantSheep @Mumty @ufint @Gotnomoretosay @VivaForever @tylerc904 @WhatKindOfKylie? @CasperFan @AllGagaLike @WhipperSnapper @chris4862 @SecretsOfFatima @GhettoPrincess @Hudweiser @Mina
Lowest score: 2 * 6.00 - @bichard @2014
My score: 7.50
Take a Chance on Me is the song to break in our top 10...
Which means another album falls...
The song came to form after Björn had this little rhythm he would sing to himself while he was running and it kinda lodged itself into his brain. So Benny and Björn started working on the track in 1977 without the involvement of their manager Stig Andersson (which means this was the first single to be released without him having a hand in writing the song) and it was eventually recorded in August that year.
It was eventually released as the second single from the band's fifth album The Album in January 1978 in Europe, while the United States got the single in April that same year... It proved to be one of their biggest hits up until then, reaching the top spot in Belgium (KWEENZ!), Austria, Ireland and Mexico, becoming a top 3 hit in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and reaching the top 10 in France, Norway and South Africa. More notably, it became a chart-topper on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming their third consecutive no. 1 in the United Kingdom and also reaching the highest position in the United States, while racking up another top three hit in Canada. In Australia it narrowly missed the top 10, stalling at no. 12...
Now... About my 7,50.
I've always liked the song. It's one of those tracks you can act silly to, get a feeling of happiness from and the girls, especially Agnetha during her solo parts, give us a great performance. Yet, excluding I Have a Dream, which I seemed to always skip, this was never a song I actively sought out on Gold. I didn't mind it, but it was still probably my third least liked track, after the aforementioned and Thank You for the Music. Hence... A 7,50.
What's your excuse, bichard? "Always better in your head than when you actually listen to it. I liked this much more as a youngster, but as I've matured my feelings towards it have cooled somewhat."... TrueBeliever is of the same mind, admitting that "As a child, this was one of my very favorite ABBA offerings. Over time, however, it’s downgraded to a more middling single. It’s not as up-tempo as I imagine it should be, so I think it necessitates some celerity."...
Well, I'm afraid I somewhat agree with you, though with me it's the opposite. I used to dislike this when I was younger, yet as I grew older I started to appreciate its pure pop simplicities.
Poor ol' Sprockrooster doesn't think it "entirely survived the test of time." while Filippa states the obvious in that it was "Very successful", before admitting she "never really got into it..." in her own unique way
Now we've got our flop opinions out of the way, it's time for our esteemed panel of judges to say what's on their mind when listening to this song.
We'll start with CasperFan with a threat to all of the above and some of the below... "If anyone rates this less than a 10 they are dead to me! Brilliant opening vocals from A & F and great backing from the B & B -the Take a chance , take a chance , take a chicca chan chance bit is genius! It’s just a song full of great moments and never let’s up from beginning to end. Perfect!".
Mina simply states it's "Pop perfection.", with idratherjack saying this is "Imperial phase ABBA. Just a perfect pop song." and ufint calling it "Quintessential ABBA. So much fun, incredibly captivating. That spoken riff is one of the best riffs in any song ever.". Are we really forgetting Kimberley's part in Something Kinda Ooooh, sis? Edit: we are.
I also saw the word 'classic' being thrown around a lot...
While VivaForever keeps it simple with "Classic. Fucking classic.", we've got WhatKindOfKylie? screaming "CLASSIC ALERT! And then some! From that distinctive intro, to that super sing-a-long chorus, to that much lampooned iconic music video, everything about it is just WOW! ABBA at their finest.".
tylerc904 sums up his favourite bits "Those whispered verses, the male-chants, the self-assuredness while offering to be sloppy seconds!!" before stating it's "A true ABBA classic." and GhettoPrincess also finds it "Classic. I like the guy's backing vocals, I prefer the verses to the chorus slightly.".
To Mikey1701 it's "another of ABBA’s major successes that I don’t really ‘use’ that often- I really am drawn to their lesser known work- but one that I can’t deny isn’t stone cold brilliant. The “tck-a-ch” hook is one of their most infectious, Agnetha gives the vocals her all and there are some wonderful synth flourishes. A timeless classic.". This is actually only one of a handful of songs he didn't score a 10 in the entire top 40...
SecretsOfFatima thanks Frida "that Björn went out running. Another masterpiece and career highlight.", while constantino calls it an "Anthem. The part where the synths kick in after the acapella intro it absolutely decimates my puss every time.".
Hudweiser is reminded of the good old days, as he says this is "Signature super-happy-fun-times ABBA," and that "this was likely recorded when they WERE at their happiest. There was no way in hell this song could ever fail to be a huge hit. Fuck that Erasure version though.". Don't look down, sis!
We'll end with Mumty for this one, preaching the gospel...
"ABBA have so many fine pop singles, but I think this is the best representation of ABBA as a whole. 4 minutes of pure pop bliss."...
Enjoy, ghewls.
The video features the band members ACTUALLY HAVING FUN, which is quite an anomaly in their videography... The girls look incredible (I'm guessing Mikey1701 was a big fan of Frida's 'do) and they're living it up for the cameras. Just look at Frida's dance moves! Although it's definitely not my favourite single of theirs, this is one of my favourite videos by far.
The song was heavily promoted, with television appearances in Germany in 1978...
(the girls missing their cue there...)
...in Japan that same year...
He/Him
...and the band also performed the song on Olivia Newton-John's 1978 tv special.
Here's another '78 performance from France, with an extremely uncomfortable interview afterwards...
...and they performed it again on their 1979 ABBA in Switzerland tv special.
Having been one of their biggest hits the year before, the song was, of course, performed live during their 1979 world tour.
In 1982 the Chipmunks released their version of the song on their Chipmunk Rock album...
Here's another '78 performance from France, with an extremely uncomfortable interview afterwards...
...and they performed it again on their 1979 ABBA in Switzerland tv special.
Having been one of their biggest hits the year before, the song was, of course, performed live during their 1979 world tour.
In 1982 the Chipmunks released their version of the song on their Chipmunk Rock album...
He/Him
...but it took up until 1992 for the song to become a chart-topper again. Erasure released their version as part of their ABBA-esque EP and their cover version ended up at the top of the charts of the United Kingdom for five weeks. The video features Vince Clark dressed as Agnetha and Andy Bell as Frida, with MC Kinky also making an appearance, giving the song a ragga-style flavour, which was very en vogue at the time.
The Chipmunks released a Hi-NRG version of their cover... Oh...... Wait. Never mind the Chipmunks. It's the A*Teens who recorded a cover of the song for their 2000 tribute album The ABBA Generation. The song was released as a promo single in Spain to make some bigger waves over there and was also part of the Head Over Heels soundtrack in 2001.
Swedish musician Nils Landgren included a cover on his 2004 album Funky ABBA...
..., while German AC/DC tribute band Riff Raff recorded a cover for their 2006 album Rock 'N' Roll Mutation Vol. 1: Riff Raff Performs ABBA.
And, finally, on the 2008 soundtrack to the movie adaptation of Mamma Mia!, the song was performed by Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgård, as well as other cast members during the later part of the movie.
The Chipmunks released a Hi-NRG version of their cover... Oh...... Wait. Never mind the Chipmunks. It's the A*Teens who recorded a cover of the song for their 2000 tribute album The ABBA Generation. The song was released as a promo single in Spain to make some bigger waves over there and was also part of the Head Over Heels soundtrack in 2001.
Swedish musician Nils Landgren included a cover on his 2004 album Funky ABBA...
..., while German AC/DC tribute band Riff Raff recorded a cover for their 2006 album Rock 'N' Roll Mutation Vol. 1: Riff Raff Performs ABBA.
And, finally, on the 2008 soundtrack to the movie adaptation of Mamma Mia!, the song was performed by Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgård, as well as other cast members during the later part of the movie.
Take A Chance On Me, can never not be be anything other than a classic!
I love you so much sis. You know I’m always here for Frida’s evolving weave!
D
Deleted member 312
Ah a six falls. Good.
Although I have to say, much as I prefer The Name of the Game, I'm very surprised it was chosen as lead for The Album. Take A Chance was so obvious.
Although I have to say, much as I prefer The Name of the Game, I'm very surprised it was chosen as lead for The Album. Take A Chance was so obvious.
D
Deleted member 26234
Everything is good as long as "Knowing Me, Knowing You" stays. There are some true masterpieces left which I respect and admire but my favourites (apart from "Knowing Me, Knowing You") are gone ...
D
Deleted member 312
Oh. I only gave Knowing Me Knowing You a seven. After my two remaining sixes, I want it gone. Sorry!
D
Deleted member 312
Not bad...
But not good.