I’m very excited that my friend Carl Magnus Palm is writing a revised, updated, and expanded version of his first ABBA book, The Complete Recording Sessions.With so much more information that has come to light since the book was published in 1994, through Carl Magnus’s research for other ABBA book, CD, and DVD projects, and because it’s long out-of-print and highly in demand, the idea of a new version of this book is something we’ve talked about for several years.
I’ve been honoured to read draft versions of the first four chapters, covering the period from Benny and Björn’s first collaborations in 1966, through the gradual formation of ABBA, and up to the end of 1974. The most recent versions of the chapters include all the latest details and insights gleaned from Carl Magnus’s unique opportunity to listen to the unreleased studio tapes from the so-called Polar Archive.
Particularly fascinating to me is learning just how much work went into the recording of ‘Waterloo’, as ABBA worked to create the song that would have the most impact for the Eurovision Song Contest. How instruments and vocals were added and removed from the song, how many different mixes were attempted to find the right sound, how the song was edited to fit within the mandated three minutes, and why the various released versions (in Swedish, English, German, French, the alternate English mix, and the playback version used at Eurovision) sound a bit different from each other.
But it’s not just ‘Waterloo’ that’s got me excited. As ABBA’s recordings became more ambitious, when they began recording tracks for their third album later in 1974, they tried and discarded so much that was never heard on record, that will now be revealed in the book. Though we will probably never hear what’s on those tapes, they are described in such detail that we can imagine what they sound like.
I can’t wait to read what the rest of the chapters hold and what future research brings to the book. I’m really looking forward to the end of next year when we should all be holding copies of the book in our hands (and/or on our devices).
If you’re an ABBA fan, even if you have the original edition – perhaps especially if you have the original edition – you will want to read this vastly expanded and improved version of the book. Pre-order it now at http://abbathecompleterecordingsessions.com/
ABBA Omnibus blog 