Added: 4 years ago
From: abbafanglosuk
Views: 129,476
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  • This is almost as hard to sing as "we didn't start the fire"!

  • Fabulous melodies in the verses!! Great song, one of my favourities!

  • I miss you, New York City!

  • Does anyone here on YouTube relate this wonderful music to 1982?

  • @kzbxvz 1982? No! Way advanced for 1982!

  • Abba, gewoon helemaal TOP.

    Ik kende dit nummer eigenlijk niet, maar na één keer luisteren was ik al helemaal om; allemachtig wat zit dit knap in elkaar!

    En wij in Nederland maar luisteren naar al die rotzooi die ons via alle zogenaamde "nieuwe idolen programma's op ons af wordt gestuurd; mensen die over het algemeen geen hebbelijke noot kunnen zingen en/of een gruwelijk gebrek aan talent hebben.

  • ABBA's identification with the city is complete. The city throbs, and so does the beat. They are singing of Stockholm. The island city extends its invitation.

  • @JimColyer

    I love Stockholm more then my self but I alsow been party on a Brocklyn roof near prospekt park and that sky-line is not Stockholm in evening fore shour

  • An ABBA gem.

    Their music is great and timeless.

    I am proud to be a ABBA fan.

    I will always love them.

    George Vreeland Hill

  • such a fuckin good song - i am the sound abba was sound never reached before or after

    

  • In 1981 ABBA was way ahead of their time. It still sounds modern, not 1981.

  • @kzbxvz In my opinion it sounds like the music of '90s :D

  • @friend01sd ABBA's music is always timeless!

  • What a wonderful melody and such clever lyrics - this is brilliant !

  • Gibt es diesen great nice Song irgendwie auf Vinylschallplatte????? Iss ja ein bärenstarkes seltenes Stück, schon alleine wegen der Überlänge!!!!

  • This so cool,love the vid. Is it dubai??

  • unbelieveble good song in a style of the new age of the eighties and a amazing good video....

  • one of my favorites- awesome !

  • fast 30zig jahre alt,und kann immernoch mit den hits von heute mithalten.1000prozentig!!

  • @messiforfcb nope, the way is to browse eBay, either track down the double LP or original Polydor CD of More Abba Gold. The iTunes and latest remasters have compressed the life out of them and sound like shit.

  • Abba sounds genuinely cool here. Like Kraftwerk or something.

  • Hello John,

    one of my favorites!!!

  • It's a Great SONG :)

  • I think this is the part where ABBA was almost perfect

  • I am an ABBA fan. The weird thng is that I'm 9 years old. That is way after ABBA broke into their seprate ways. I wish that they could've released this song back in their time. It could've become a hit! Thumbs up if ABBA is the best band ever! =)

  • I love this "extended" version and the video is fantastic! Is this longer version of the song available anywhere? Is this on the MORE ABBA GOLD remaster? I read they included longer versions of songs that were edited for the 1993 release.

  • The 2008 remastered version was made to correct a fault and to correct the speed, and is the same length at 4:03 as the 1993 release on More Abba Gold. I don't think this extended version is available anywhere.

  • @abbafanglosuk how did you get it then?

  • What a large, spectacular ball-park they ended up playing in. A revised 'just a notion' would have fit well into their end game.

  • This is one of my favourite ABBA songs. Songs like this one, Under Attack and Should I Laugh Or Cry showcased a "new" ABBA style after their pop-rock and disco years that could well have caught on if they'd continued as a group. But if they'd lost the spark, it was fair enough for them to break up I guess. Thanks for the memories ABBA!

  • Looks like abba were planning another album past the visitors, but maybe because of the lack of chart success of Under Attack and the Day before you came, they may have scrapped the project.

  • I just love ABBA. :-)

  • Love this song !! :-)

  • I Am The City and You Owe Me One are very radio friendly and could have charted.

  • Thanks for posting this song and sharing all the details... really fascinating. I never imagined there was an Abba song I hadn't heard!

  • I don't blame ABBA for stopping. If you're heart isn't in it anymore, why carry on? If you carry on, things will only get worse. ABBA had ten years together. The spotlight was dimming. it was time for ABBA to go.

  • aren't these scenes from Madonna's "Get Together" music video?

  • Just had a look at "Madonna Get Together [Official Music Video]" by MadonnaVideoHD, the answer is no - there's not much similarity. Happy New Year to you anyway!

  • @abbafanglosuk not the official one, the alternative version :D

  • Yes you're right, these scenes are also in Get Together "Official Alternative Music Video". I didn't know that before - so well spotted!

  • @abbafanglosuk no problem! I love ABBA and Madonna!

  • @EXthesweetlamb Madonna obviously has been heavily influenced by Abba's music and technical expertise. Her hit Hung up in 2005 was composed around the tune for gimme gimme gimme

  • @EXthesweetlamb Madonna obviously has been heavily influenced by Abba's music and technical expertise. Her hit Hung up in 2005 was composed around the tune for gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight.

  • @secondchancedad yes I know, I'm a big fan of both. ABBA and Madonna have changed the landscape of pop music so much, it would be impossible to imagine today's artists [the valuable ones] would still exist

  • vielen dank fürs einstellen.ein super titel von einer unvergessenen band,die wir uns alle wahrscheinlich zurück wünschen.

  • thats it- now i will learn to sing this song as fast as i can and i wont stpo until i will do it perfectly like they. Such an inspiring and though ironic song...

  • I've never heard this song before. It's very cool.

  • good 80´s song

  • Brilliant! Love the final ABBA songs! I always wonder what could they possible create if they continued together today...

  • Wow, I have always thought this song was ahead of it's time for when it was recorded in 1982 and could explain why it wasn't releeased until the 1990s...To me this was a glimpse of what ABBA would have been had they stayed together as a group through the 1980s...This song and the song "The Visitors" were ABBA going to the next phase of their evolution...Too bad that they decided to split...

  • Very in vibe with THE VISTORS album - could this have been so different to make a top 10 impact? Like it though

  • This is my new favorite ABBA-song :)

  • Thanks for posting this. It's a shame this tune didn't chart, or at least feature in 'The Visitors' album.

  • Outstanding!

  • i'm listenning this group since 1981 and still listenning. ABBA, BONEYM and BEEGEES are forever. I love ABBA

  • wow.great video!!!!!!!!!

  • Good grief, it's been a while since I listened to Abba. 1980s Abba has always been my favorite from the lyrics and the music, even though it was their breakup years :(

    Even though I don't listen to Abba as much as I did a year ago, there will always still be a special place in my heart for them :D

  • xcvava

  • For anyone who wants to buy this song simply open iTunes.

    Go to the Store.

    Search ''More Abba Gold''.

    Go to See All beside ''Songs''

    Then scroll down to Track 15.

    Have fun listening to this song!

    Only €0.99 in the Euro countries!

  • THAT'S ABBA-SOUND IN PERFECTION !!!!

    I LIKE IT SO MUCH !!!!!!

  • Oh my goodness where did you get this? Its so good! favorited and voted up! :)

    ABBA 4EVER!

  • this in indeed a mindblower to follow,but it's great.how could we survive without gifted songwriters such as this.ABBA is pure gold! thanks for the video

  • good song! i like this :)

  • Such a goddam shame that ABBA didnt think this song was good enough back in 1982 for public consumption. It could have saved them in the charts back then. THIS IS A MIGHTY FINE SONG. Very very catchy ...

  • Bjorn really is the magical genius behind ABBA for arranging the lyrics to suit every song in it's own way. `I Am The City` really is a tongue twister but is awesome because it lets you know `I Am The City`. ALL HAIL BJORN ALVAEUS!!!

  • Yes that's right, Bjorn's lyrics are always very clever and meaningful! I always put the lyrics in the description to each video for viewers, including this one. They were easily readable until youtube made some bad and unwanted changes last month and unnecessarlly moved the description out of sight beneath the video!

  • The version on the 1993 MORE ABBA GOLD is much better than the 2008 Remaster. In fact all the ABBA remasters suffer from being TOO LOUD, which means they have been compressed, removing the full dynamic range. Remastering is a bad thing if not done properly.

  • Love this song, as all the ABBA songs :)

  • LOVE THIS VIDEO :)

  • Seriously, iTunes needs to get on the ball. I had to get this in a cover version because it's unavailable. However, this song is amazing....very advanced for the time it was released!

  • @LatinoAzure This song can be bought on iTunes by searching ''More ABBA Gold''

    Click see all beside Songs.

    Then scroll down to Track 15 and scroll right until you see the price.

    Then you can buy it!

    It is only 99 cent in the Euro zone.

    Hope this helped!

    =)

  • i love abba and this is one of their greatest songs!!

  • @Dominostein95 I agree :)

  • This song is just amazing! I was born a month after this song was recorded. I cannot believe that song of this calibur was made in the 80s. ABBA was one of the best music groups in pop culture. Though I never had a chance to experience the music when they first appeared, I can still capture the essence of all their music today!

  • This. Toon. Is. AMAZING. that's all.

  • And now they are in the Rock Hall Of Fame.

  • And now they are in the Rock Hall Of Fame.

  • Cannot believe they didn't release this at the time!! Maybe if it had been a couple of years later...?

  • This is an extremely catchy song, I think it could have been a MAJOR hit if it had been released as a single in 1982. Radio friendly.

  • Fantastic video! (and song)

    Wonder what program the video was made in, i´m stunned :P

  • ABBA FOREVER !!!!!!!

    A GREAT SONG

  • Howdy John, I just realized you had the lyrics posted here. WOW!!! Even with the lyrics it's hard to follow this one. It's amazing how they can stay in sync for such a difficult song. It just reinforces the fact their talent was second to none. Lenny

  • Hi Lenny that's right - I just tried following the lyrics as they sing them, and it makes you realise just how skilful and controlled their singing is to get everything just right to follow the musical variations at this speed! Plus you also realise Bjorn is a literary genius to once again come up with such original lines - who else could write a song from the point of view of a city and it makes good sense!

  • Howdy John, I think as Bjorn matured his lyrics did as well. Tword the end ABBA's music got more serious but never lost the magic it always had. Fortunately for all of us the talent the four them brought to the stage made that magic possible. Lenny

  • Howdy John, I don't know how you do it but the quality on this one is as good as any DVD or CD I'vd seen. This one would have been hard to perform live but what a show it would have been. Lenny

  • Hiya Lenny, thanks for that - yes their vocal exchanges were sometimes so fast and technically complex that they simply could not do some songs live outside the studio. This song clearly falls into that category - its very challenging indeed to sing or play!

  • If ever anyone needed proof ABBA were moving with the times this gorgeous song is it-perfect lyrics-aggressively and confidently sung-especially by Agnetha-and how clever their voices switch so they never sing together! I'm so glad to hear a longer version-THIS one should have been put on the cd-not the barely there 4minute version. God I could kill Benny and Bjorn. Hw many versions of the embarrassing Thank U 4 The Music do they think we want. Well I'dd rather have 'Get On The Carousel'!

  • So was this the last Abba song? I cant believe it wasnt released until 1993

  • "The Day Before You Came" was the last song Abba recorded on August 20 1982. They recorded "I Am The City" on May 8 1982, but disbanded before they got round to releasing it - which was a major blow for us!

  • Actually, I think "Under Attack" was the last one.

  • agnetha faltskogs vocals are amazing

  • Truly fantastic, just as Frida's (wich personaly, i like a lil better)

  • This is brilliant! Indeed a true masterpiece

  • music quality of another era

  • Yes ABBA's music will newer get old :)

  • The vocals on this recording are pristine.

  • some part is reggae.

    i love this music. can't help stomping my feet and bang my head.

  • Their final session was called Opus10, wasn't it?

    It should've been a gr8 last album for ABBA!

    We should unite and try to get it released!

  • I love the way Benny's synth mimics the sound of a siren. Really feels like your in the big city. Just close your eyes and your in the big city walking around with ABBA at night. Watching them preform this song. I Am the City indeed.

  • This is a great song

    I wonder why they did not realise it

    I think it could be a great hit today

  • They made it close to when they suddenly split. It was intended for their next album that never happened, so unfortunately ended up not being released If they had kept going another 6 months, it would most likely have been the next single! Yes this song sounds quite futuristic, and would grace any later decade! Benny & Bjorn were ahead of their time!

  • ABBA could have released this as thier final single.

  • Yes even if they had released this many years after they split, it would still have been a major hit. It's unique and very creative with fantastic harmonised singing at pace, and unlike anything else out there. But that's true of many of their songs!

  • I love this song.

    Why wasn't this come out until 1993 on 'MORE ABBA GOLD' compilation album?

    Is this the full-length version?

    48 seconds longer than 'MAG' version.

  • I have to correct.

    About 36 seconds longer.

  • Why in hell was this never released as a single? It sounds so good even today

  • Good question, this futuristic sounding song could live in any later decade! Unfortunately it was recorded just before Abba split and was one of a number of tracks intended for their next album that never happened. They released The Day Before You Came and Under Attack as singles instead. Maybe they thought this was too ahead of its time for 1982! After they split the singles stopped, so it remained unreleased until More Abba Gold came out in 1993 - fortunately for us it was on that!

  • goosebumps. did not know this song till yesterday! unbelievable. it is like abba is back! a great tune!

  • Yes it does give you that feeling when you hear one of their very clever songs like this one for the first time! Its quite futuristic and only Abba could have done it with their fast paced harmonious singing!They did make a few that did not get originally released for one reason or another. I've done Hamlet Parts 1 & 2 and Just Like That.

  • love this track....eye can play it over and over ; way ahead of its time.

  • Yes it races along and you get visions of flying saucers zipping about the city just like it that classic futuristic film Metropolis! Their fast paced harmonious singing is brilliant, and light years ahead of anyone else! This could still be a hit today - listener's would be amazed who it was from!

  • In my opinion, ABBA should have tried this song as a single release, because it is a very strong song which offers the wonderful combination of the voices of Agnetha and Frida- something they´ve always been successful with.

    Many people don´t know it, because it´s just included on box sets and the "More Gold" CD, but it´s timeless and could possibly even reach the charts today, as it is simply timeless.

  • Yes you're right, they could have released singles from their last batch of unheard songs like this one after they split to keep the fans happy for some time and make those songs much better known. Their songs became more technically complex as the group progressed, so later songs like this were well ahead of their time and still sound current. Their harmonious singing is superbly orchestrated with this fast paced music, as only Abba can do it!

  • yay ABBA lol

  • This is a masterpiece, like many of their songs... but this one has some major lyrics! and to think it was written by people writing in English, not their primary language. ABBA was/is sensational!

  • maybe the best

  • This is so awesome.

  • listen to those synths and the vocal arrangement!! WOW!

  • why didn't they finish the last album ? ahh oh well. at least we got this great song.

  • Click on "more info" in top right to see the reasons. Basically their divorces left things a bit strained and Benny & Bjorn were due to start work on their impending Chess musical

  • Great song and video, hypnotizing....

  • With a bit of tweaking this could actually be the official video to 'I Am The City' if it were ever to be released as a single. I would have images of ABBA's performances on the buildings - I think that would look amazing. This would be a big summer hit if released with some remixes as it is way ahead of it's time.

  • Hell if they had 7 songs, why didn't they just release some old unreleased stuff and actually make the opus 10 album?

  • Its because they were perfectionists and only released songs that they were completely happy with - so when they split the final album was never finished!

  • One of the greatest piece from ABBA.

    What a pity it has never been released...

  • Fantastic! A No.1 that was never allowed to be!

  • like finding a lost masterpiece! thanks for posting.

  • This is the most awesome song. I just listen to it over and over. It is so sad there is no video of ABBA singing it.

  • SO GREAT:)

  • This could have been a hit if they would have released it. Nice and catchy.

  • I love how Frida says 'irresistible'.

  • thank you for posting this ,, it hurts to know it was to be relised in an album ,,,

  • OMG, why oh why didn't they finish that 'last' album? This would've been a HIT without a doubt, can't get it out of my head!

  • Ein Meisterstueck...wie fast alle Abba Songs !!!!!!!!!

  • Concuerdo con mullinahack. Si fuera lanzado en estos años, sería un exitazo

  • If this was released today it would be HUGE, such a pity that final album was never finished.

  • very very good..i love it

  • my favorite at the moment!!!

  • a mixture of tempos. uniquely made.

  • love it...the song and video are like a mix of a-ha's take on me and the movie blade runner!!!

  • very cool, saugeiles video

  • Abba forever

  • They should release it with the other unreleased songs for the ninth and final studio album. The time has come to make us happy again!

  • this is my fave ABBA song x

  • was this a single?

  • Nope. It was made for an unfinished album. Only released much later.

  • This is just so great. Can't make up my mind if it's early euro-tech, pop, ballad.

    In any event this is really an awesome song.

    Thank you for loading it,

    Kiss, KS

  • love this song!

  • some ABBA´s critics, said that they compose their songs with peaces of hits of other groups

    what ridiculous!!!! they were very talented, and pioneers in video and music.

    this song is one example. do you heard something like this? It´s a perfect combination of two differents styles. but the result is wonderful and amazing.

    ABBA FOREVERRRRRRRRR!

  • Well said Angie - Abba's music is definitely unique - just like this groovy futuristic song!

  • Cool

  • cool song

  • awsome song...very 80s!

  • Yes its quite futuristic - and I like your background a lot! I've sent friends invite thanks - its John from England.

  • hey your welcome...i love Abba!

  • Hey, you could start a petition to get this track released as a single!! :) It would top the charts for weeks. This version is great, and it's ABBA!!!!

  • Yeah you're right, its definitely vastly superior to today's poor stuff and sounds very futuristic! Abba's standards were extremely high that they didn't release this when it was written. This is the only version of this song too.

  • That's really true. Well, I actually thought I heard a very similar version that did not have Agnetha saying "I am the city... you let me be" at 0:18.

  • Its possible that is so, as the song was remastered in 2008 from the original 1982 recording for release on More Abba Gold - More Abba hits. Abba also taped demo versions of most songs before deciding on the best version to go with. And weird remixes of many songs by obscure DJ's are out there in clubland!

  • Benny Andersson is a genius.

  • One of ABBAs rare songs, but one of the good ones ! Thank you for the music !

  • Just fantastic, the 9. album (guessed to be called "Opus") would have been a masterpiece of the 80s music.

  • Great video!! Too bad they disbanded. I LOVED the direction theyn were going in with this and Just Like That.

  • thanks for this video !! i didn t know it....

  • Marvelous! I'm a new ABBA fan, although I was in my 20's when their big hits came out. When you start digging into their work you find nuggets of gold like this one, wonderfully complex and beautifully sung. Can you imagine How difficult it must have been sing? The girls did an awsome job as usual. Thank you for sharing. You did a super job!

  • This song is AH-MAZING.