The Winner's Gonna Take It All: The final...
- Thread starter Remorque
- Start date
Honestly, I wish I had voted in this, because y'all clearly needed me to tank "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." It's made it way too far.
Honestly, all the others are tens. Sorry not sorry for my controversial opinion about this particular song.
Honestly, all the others are tens. Sorry not sorry for my controversial opinion about this particular song.
D
Deleted member 312
Dancing Queen or Knowing next please!
he/him
Whew, sounds like we dodged a bullet then!
#5 is coming.
What's it gonna be theaux?
There should be an ABBA single covers rate. I have so much to say about these.
He/Him
5.
'...I wasn't jealous before we met... Now every woman I see is a potential threat....'
- Agnetha Fältskog in Lay All Your Love On Me -
Queen of pastel.
Average: 9.4348
Highest score: 1 * 11.00 - @haps
27 * 10.00 - @Angeleyes @nlgbbbblth @GhettoPrincess @SecretsOfFatima @chris4862 @WhipperSnapper @P'NutButter @AllGagaLike @CasperFan @Mikey1701 @WhatKindOfKylie? @tylerc904 @Sprockrooster @DJHazey @2014 @Gotnomoretosay @ufint @Mumty @Ed72 @constantino @kalonite @ohnostalgia @Animalia @Scoundrel_Days @LTG @Uno @Remorque
Lowest score: 1 * 7.50 - @VivaForever
My score: 10.00
The little not-quite-single that could...
Falling at #5 is one of the last songs recorded for the band's seventh album, Super Trouper. Lay All Your Love On Me was written by Benny and Björn in 1980 and recording for the song began in early September of that year, ending in October, a full month before the album was to be released. Although the song was Agnetha's to shine on, Benny actually was the star of the song, seeing as it's a highly synthesized, electronic affair, designed to bring ABBA to da clerb again, seeing as on the previous record Voulez-Vous did just that.
It was shopped around to different remixers to get clubbers up and dancing to ABBA once again. One of the producers who got their hands on the song was Raul A. Rodriguez, also known as (C.O.D) of Disconet. He remixed the track and it instantly was a hit in discothèques and clubs around the United States, soaring to the top of the US Club Play Chart, along with On and On and On and the album's title track, Super Trouper.
Thus the record company made a last minute decision to release the song as a 12" single in a couple of territories, such as Ireland (where the song became a top 10 hit), Belgium (this was the only song of theirs not to reach the top 10 over here, reaching no. 13) and Germany (where it was a minor top 30 hit). In the United Kingdom Lay All Your Love On Me reached no. 7, becoming their lowest charting single since I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do hit no. 38 way back in 1975, yet became the highest selling 12" single of all time up until that point.
That the song wasn't really a huge hit anywhere probably has to do with the fact that the song was released in 1981... That's a full year after it had initially been unleashed to the public as an album track and the band didn't have time to promote as the boys were working on their eighth album, The Visitors.
I've always fucking LOVED everything about the song, to Agnetha getting to be a true disco diva once more, Frida delivering on the harmony department, Benny's excellent synthesizer production accompanied wonderfully by Björn's guitar work. Not to mention how fucking ECSTATIC I was seeing this land in the top 5 after it was languishing around the lower end of the top 15 for a while...
WhipperSnapper admitted to me at the last minute that he had "nothing to say about Lay All Your Love On Me. Is it really top 5 material???"...
.............
....................................................
Let's see, shall we.
P'nutbutter preaches to the choir "Again, one of the best pop songs ever. EVER!".
I'm not arguing, sis. It's delicious.
SecretsOfFatima calls it "Classic, when I was first a fan I presumed it came from Arrival or The Album. Timeless.", though CasperFan is reminded of another album when listening to this... "Love,love,love this song- sounds like it could’ve slotted into the Voulez-Vous album. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are very understated but effective.". Well, it was kinda constructed to include another club stomper on Super Trouper and seeing as their last one came off Voulez-Vous...
I'm going to let Mikey1701 take the stage and tell you something I didn't tell you in my write-up above, seeing as the good sis is quite educated in all things ABBA. Ha teaching ways tell us the song's "Deliberately structured and produced as though it was a church hymn, Lay All Your Love On Me really dives down the synthpop hole and never lets up. This was one of the first ABBA tracks that really snared my attention as a 10 year old and it’s one that still gets to me all these years later, even if I rarely listen to it, largely because the idea of Agnetha as a woman who has love affairs and smokes is intriguing.". And let this be something that's always kinda irked me too in that Agnetha never seemed to be anything she describes in the song, yet sells it to the Gods and back.
"As a child," TrueBeliever didn’t "think much of this song. However, as an adult I’ve really warmed to this song, so I think it stands up to the test of time. I love the swirling, sweeping instrumentation and driving bassline. However, I do think it’s a step back vocally for the girls. Minus half a point for insipid reference to being a “sitting duck”."... I'll tell you, being from Flanders and only speaking notions of English as a young child, that one was a real riddle to me.
constantino admits "ABBA going synthpop is everything I never knew I wanted. I find a lot of Super Trouper a tad low-energy (considering the title), but this more-than compensates. One of their best.", while ufint goes all punny on us with "I won't go wasting all my emotions, Imma lay all my love on this.", yet still didn't give it ha 11...
Just like WhatKindOfKylie? who admits it was "Very almost my #11, and a worthy runnerr up in that respect. It's incredible to think this was out way back in 1980, and yet it still sounds such a fresh piece of Dance music, all these years on. It this doesn't make you wanna bop, I'd be very surprised!!! Deserved a proper single treatment with a full 7 AND 12 release with shot promo video too!" and tylerc904, who tells us it was his "personal runner-up. It feels more like an 11 (to my real 11’s 12) than any other 10 I’ve ever handed out in a rate. The two (this and my 11) ran side by side as my favorites for so long, until about two-three years ago when one edged the other out (probably permanently). But there is not one thing about this I would change. The way the synths and the vocals cascade over one another is magic. The isolated Frida vocals (on yewtewb for anyone curious) were such a cool discovery and only made me appreciate the layers that went into this even more. I hope this hangs around until the Top 10 at the very least.". Ya happy, sis?
It did have a few naysayers, though, but a 7,50 as lowest score is nothing to be sniffed at.
"The vocals on this make it really hard for" VivaForever "to listen to tibb. Too thin.", while Mina does seem to think the production contains a "Really good use of vocal harmonies.".
Filippa almost was the lowest scorer with her 8, proclaiming "Ok, it’s not my song.". Sis, that is unintentionally shady and that's the worst kind, but werk.
dancingwithmyself gives us a good bit of extra advice, saying ""Don't go wasting your emotion" is an advice everyone should follow."... Everyone really should, but we've all been there, haven't we?
chris4862 thinks it's "So strange that this wasn't even a proper single. I love that they have been able to achieve this revisionist kind of effect with some of their songs." and talking about a revisionist kind of effect, we have poor ol' Sprockrooster reminiscing about the fact that "This and Dancing Queen are probably the most popular in the playlist from my local gay bar (especially on draq nights). I somehow connect it to being there. And it always is a good time, so let me channel that when scoring this.". Sorry, sis, you know I love ya, but what's draq, precious?
bichard wonders how "Agnetha really did scoop the better leads (Me and I aside) on Super Trouper despite having one less than Frida... This really should have been an international single. Why did ABBA insist on releasing so few singles from their albums???"... Actually, only Super Trouper and The Visitors suffer from few singles released though?
We'll end with our sole 11-giver haps, who yasses "YAS. It never gets old on me. Legendary and timeless beat.".
Enjoy!
Call it one of the biggest fucking missed opportunities of their career, but no music video was ever filmed for the song... So Epic rush-released a montage video (ugh!) to coincide with the release of the 12" single...
Fellow Eurovision winners Brotherhood of Man released a cover version of the song on their 1981 album 20 Disco Greats...
s
...while in 1986 Poison #9 recorded a Hi-NRG cover of Lay All Your Love On Me, which was released as a single in the United Kingdom.
- Agnetha Fältskog in Lay All Your Love On Me -
Queen of pastel.
Average: 9.4348
Highest score: 1 * 11.00 - @haps
27 * 10.00 - @Angeleyes @nlgbbbblth @GhettoPrincess @SecretsOfFatima @chris4862 @WhipperSnapper @P'NutButter @AllGagaLike @CasperFan @Mikey1701 @WhatKindOfKylie? @tylerc904 @Sprockrooster @DJHazey @2014 @Gotnomoretosay @ufint @Mumty @Ed72 @constantino @kalonite @ohnostalgia @Animalia @Scoundrel_Days @LTG @Uno @Remorque
Lowest score: 1 * 7.50 - @VivaForever
My score: 10.00
The little not-quite-single that could...
Falling at #5 is one of the last songs recorded for the band's seventh album, Super Trouper. Lay All Your Love On Me was written by Benny and Björn in 1980 and recording for the song began in early September of that year, ending in October, a full month before the album was to be released. Although the song was Agnetha's to shine on, Benny actually was the star of the song, seeing as it's a highly synthesized, electronic affair, designed to bring ABBA to da clerb again, seeing as on the previous record Voulez-Vous did just that.
It was shopped around to different remixers to get clubbers up and dancing to ABBA once again. One of the producers who got their hands on the song was Raul A. Rodriguez, also known as (C.O.D) of Disconet. He remixed the track and it instantly was a hit in discothèques and clubs around the United States, soaring to the top of the US Club Play Chart, along with On and On and On and the album's title track, Super Trouper.
Thus the record company made a last minute decision to release the song as a 12" single in a couple of territories, such as Ireland (where the song became a top 10 hit), Belgium (this was the only song of theirs not to reach the top 10 over here, reaching no. 13) and Germany (where it was a minor top 30 hit). In the United Kingdom Lay All Your Love On Me reached no. 7, becoming their lowest charting single since I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do hit no. 38 way back in 1975, yet became the highest selling 12" single of all time up until that point.
That the song wasn't really a huge hit anywhere probably has to do with the fact that the song was released in 1981... That's a full year after it had initially been unleashed to the public as an album track and the band didn't have time to promote as the boys were working on their eighth album, The Visitors.
I've always fucking LOVED everything about the song, to Agnetha getting to be a true disco diva once more, Frida delivering on the harmony department, Benny's excellent synthesizer production accompanied wonderfully by Björn's guitar work. Not to mention how fucking ECSTATIC I was seeing this land in the top 5 after it was languishing around the lower end of the top 15 for a while...
WhipperSnapper admitted to me at the last minute that he had "nothing to say about Lay All Your Love On Me. Is it really top 5 material???"...
.............
....................................................
Let's see, shall we.
P'nutbutter preaches to the choir "Again, one of the best pop songs ever. EVER!".
I'm not arguing, sis. It's delicious.
SecretsOfFatima calls it "Classic, when I was first a fan I presumed it came from Arrival or The Album. Timeless.", though CasperFan is reminded of another album when listening to this... "Love,love,love this song- sounds like it could’ve slotted into the Voulez-Vous album. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are very understated but effective.". Well, it was kinda constructed to include another club stomper on Super Trouper and seeing as their last one came off Voulez-Vous...
I'm going to let Mikey1701 take the stage and tell you something I didn't tell you in my write-up above, seeing as the good sis is quite educated in all things ABBA. Ha teaching ways tell us the song's "Deliberately structured and produced as though it was a church hymn, Lay All Your Love On Me really dives down the synthpop hole and never lets up. This was one of the first ABBA tracks that really snared my attention as a 10 year old and it’s one that still gets to me all these years later, even if I rarely listen to it, largely because the idea of Agnetha as a woman who has love affairs and smokes is intriguing.". And let this be something that's always kinda irked me too in that Agnetha never seemed to be anything she describes in the song, yet sells it to the Gods and back.
"As a child," TrueBeliever didn’t "think much of this song. However, as an adult I’ve really warmed to this song, so I think it stands up to the test of time. I love the swirling, sweeping instrumentation and driving bassline. However, I do think it’s a step back vocally for the girls. Minus half a point for insipid reference to being a “sitting duck”."... I'll tell you, being from Flanders and only speaking notions of English as a young child, that one was a real riddle to me.
constantino admits "ABBA going synthpop is everything I never knew I wanted. I find a lot of Super Trouper a tad low-energy (considering the title), but this more-than compensates. One of their best.", while ufint goes all punny on us with "I won't go wasting all my emotions, Imma lay all my love on this.", yet still didn't give it ha 11...
Just like WhatKindOfKylie? who admits it was "Very almost my #11, and a worthy runnerr up in that respect. It's incredible to think this was out way back in 1980, and yet it still sounds such a fresh piece of Dance music, all these years on. It this doesn't make you wanna bop, I'd be very surprised!!! Deserved a proper single treatment with a full 7 AND 12 release with shot promo video too!" and tylerc904, who tells us it was his "personal runner-up. It feels more like an 11 (to my real 11’s 12) than any other 10 I’ve ever handed out in a rate. The two (this and my 11) ran side by side as my favorites for so long, until about two-three years ago when one edged the other out (probably permanently). But there is not one thing about this I would change. The way the synths and the vocals cascade over one another is magic. The isolated Frida vocals (on yewtewb for anyone curious) were such a cool discovery and only made me appreciate the layers that went into this even more. I hope this hangs around until the Top 10 at the very least.". Ya happy, sis?
It did have a few naysayers, though, but a 7,50 as lowest score is nothing to be sniffed at.
"The vocals on this make it really hard for" VivaForever "to listen to tibb. Too thin.", while Mina does seem to think the production contains a "Really good use of vocal harmonies.".
Filippa almost was the lowest scorer with her 8, proclaiming "Ok, it’s not my song.". Sis, that is unintentionally shady and that's the worst kind, but werk.
dancingwithmyself gives us a good bit of extra advice, saying ""Don't go wasting your emotion" is an advice everyone should follow."... Everyone really should, but we've all been there, haven't we?
chris4862 thinks it's "So strange that this wasn't even a proper single. I love that they have been able to achieve this revisionist kind of effect with some of their songs." and talking about a revisionist kind of effect, we have poor ol' Sprockrooster reminiscing about the fact that "This and Dancing Queen are probably the most popular in the playlist from my local gay bar (especially on draq nights). I somehow connect it to being there. And it always is a good time, so let me channel that when scoring this.". Sorry, sis, you know I love ya, but what's draq, precious?
bichard wonders how "Agnetha really did scoop the better leads (Me and I aside) on Super Trouper despite having one less than Frida... This really should have been an international single. Why did ABBA insist on releasing so few singles from their albums???"... Actually, only Super Trouper and The Visitors suffer from few singles released though?
We'll end with our sole 11-giver haps, who yasses "YAS. It never gets old on me. Legendary and timeless beat.".
Enjoy!
Call it one of the biggest fucking missed opportunities of their career, but no music video was ever filmed for the song... So Epic rush-released a montage video (ugh!) to coincide with the release of the 12" single...
Fellow Eurovision winners Brotherhood of Man released a cover version of the song on their 1981 album 20 Disco Greats...
s
...while in 1986 Poison #9 recorded a Hi-NRG cover of Lay All Your Love On Me, which was released as a single in the United Kingdom.
He/Him
American band Information Society recorded a version of the song for their 1989 self-titled album. It eventually hit the lower end of the top 85 of the Billboard Hot 100 that same year.
Erasure recorded their version for their 1992 chart-topping Abba-esque EP and even filmed a video for it...
...while German power metal band Helloween released theirs on their 1999 album Metal Jukebox. The song was eventually released as a single in Japan.
For once, I'm going to let Hudweiser have an ad-lib during our cover versions... "Here's a weird thing, vocals excepted, I think a lot of other acts have done this a bit better. There are so, so many dance mixes of it that gave it a deeper throb; the A*Teens version chucked in a great organ solo, and even the Steps take brought the treble train-track synths to the top of the mix. But for 1980 keyboard technology, it's still solid.".
Dreadful opinion aside... WELL, HERE THEY ARE!
A*Teens recorded the song for their 1999 debut The ABBA Generation...
...and Steps recorded their cover for the 1999 ABBAmania compilation and tv-special.
H's take on Agnetha is quite... something, innit. After calling Lay All Your Love On Me "One of my fave Abba songs," GhettoPrincess declares "I also adore the Steps cover of it…. hopefully that’s an okay opinion to have.". dddd I'm not answering that.
Erasure recorded their version for their 1992 chart-topping Abba-esque EP and even filmed a video for it...
...while German power metal band Helloween released theirs on their 1999 album Metal Jukebox. The song was eventually released as a single in Japan.
For once, I'm going to let Hudweiser have an ad-lib during our cover versions... "Here's a weird thing, vocals excepted, I think a lot of other acts have done this a bit better. There are so, so many dance mixes of it that gave it a deeper throb; the A*Teens version chucked in a great organ solo, and even the Steps take brought the treble train-track synths to the top of the mix. But for 1980 keyboard technology, it's still solid.".
Dreadful opinion aside... WELL, HERE THEY ARE!
A*Teens recorded the song for their 1999 debut The ABBA Generation...
...and Steps recorded their cover for the 1999 ABBAmania compilation and tv-special.
H's take on Agnetha is quite... something, innit. After calling Lay All Your Love On Me "One of my fave Abba songs," GhettoPrincess declares "I also adore the Steps cover of it…. hopefully that’s an okay opinion to have.". dddd I'm not answering that.
He/Him
Swedish singer Michael Michailoff released an acoustic version of the song...
...yet the next few acts put a fucking DONK on it.
Abbacadabra released their Hi-NRG version in the late 90s...
...German dance group E-Rotic released their cover on their 1997 Thank You for the Music tribute album...
...and DJ Ensamble was featured with the song on the 2006 Trancing Queen compilation.
Now... Flemish dance band Sylver, consisting of DJ Wout and ICON Silvy De Bie, released the song as the lead single for their 2006 Crossroads album. I may be biased, but this is probably the best cover version on this list.
@DJHazey I'm ready for that rate now, sis.
...yet the next few acts put a fucking DONK on it.
Abbacadabra released their Hi-NRG version in the late 90s...
...German dance group E-Rotic released their cover on their 1997 Thank You for the Music tribute album...
...and DJ Ensamble was featured with the song on the 2006 Trancing Queen compilation.
Now... Flemish dance band Sylver, consisting of DJ Wout and ICON Silvy De Bie, released the song as the lead single for their 2006 Crossroads album. I may be biased, but this is probably the best cover version on this list.
@DJHazey I'm ready for that rate now, sis.
He/Him
In 2007 German symphonic metal band Avanatasia released the song on their Lost In Space Part 1 EP...
...and in 2008 the song was covered by Susanna and the Magical Orchestra on their album Flower of Evil.
Here's a live performance of said cover...
That same year, the song was featured in the movie adaptation of Mamma Mia!, sung by Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper.
American rock band The Pretty Reckless sampled Lay All Your Love On Me for their 2010 debut single Make Me Wanna Die, later released on their debut album Light Me Up...
...and Irish band Ash covered the song in 2012 on the EP Little Infinity.
...and in 2008 the song was covered by Susanna and the Magical Orchestra on their album Flower of Evil.
Here's a live performance of said cover...
That same year, the song was featured in the movie adaptation of Mamma Mia!, sung by Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper.
American rock band The Pretty Reckless sampled Lay All Your Love On Me for their 2010 debut single Make Me Wanna Die, later released on their debut album Light Me Up...
...and Irish band Ash covered the song in 2012 on the EP Little Infinity.
D
Deleted member 3416
What a bop.
What a BOP this is! I really think it is perhaps their most ageless up tempo cut. Sounds so good still now.
I didn't have anything to say about Lay All Your Love On Me until I heard the 8-minute extended mix and then I GOT IT. Better late than never. Making it to #5 is an achievement!
I remember watching this live with some friends, when H moved to the middle we all gasped. When he started singing we all threw things at the TV. Lisa really should've been given that part.
He/Him
And yet y'all sent it there...
D
Deleted member 26234
Shady?
Really very unintentionally.
But I'm glad "Knowing Me, Knowing You" is still in. Please let "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" be out next!
D
Deleted member 3416
The perks of sleeping with your manager.
Lee seems to be struggling with the routine, and Lisa is barely featured at all. I did just spent 20 minutes looking for my (highly collectible) Abbamania CD to no avail. Surely, the gay gods would have intervened if I had decided to get rid of it, right?