Hi, great analysis of the anomalies! One thing I didn't notice you talking about though is something I heard on the intro glissando. Underneath the gliss it sounds like there is also the last two staccato piano chords of the accompaniment that sits under the main intro to the song. It sounds like the intro was longer, possibly 12 or 16 bars instead of the current 8, but was cut just before the glissando to go straight into the more orchestrated current intro?
Mmmm, intriguing Marine! I knew something was up - at any rate I would imagine that from a technical pov achieving a powerful glissando would be much more likely if it was recorded separately from the main track and flown in. The main track would've needed some kind of count in bars, so maybe it is those that were chopped in the way you describe. At the time that I recorded that video, I hadn't noticed all the anomalies I now notice, and I desperately need to revisit this video and update it!
It's a bit tedious to follow all the comments and related videos and their comments to get a whole picture. Someone should write a conclusive report with exact timings and perhaps graphics. Mark, Rudolf?
Recording tecniques aside, I'm very fond of Rutger's playing here. Who'll find the one "wrong" note he plays on Dancing Queen?
My timings are from the Polydor CD. Polydor and Johnsson align very neatly in a sound editor so it's easy to alternate and compare. The removed verse edit is at 2.14 and is very clear in and out of phase.
I don't think they actually cut the multitrack tape very often. The edits are rather punch-ins (push the record button while the tape is running). I believe the two string (1.24 and 2.36) edits are such, because they stand out in the mix and sound very abrupt when listening out of phase.
I'm having a hard time trying to hear this 2.07 dropout and repair. Hadn't you told I wouldn't notice it. But clearly there's an edit as Astley confirms. As I understand, there's a tape dropout at 2.03 (Polydor and Tretow) and Astley used another chorus to patch it. The edit is at 2.07 where the refrain (wordless) vocals fade for a moment and the "queen" ends very slightly earlier than in Polydor and Tretow. Johnsson doesn't use Astley's repair (though I'm not sure).
Try listening on one of those ghastly non hi-fi iPod things! I have sent you an email with a chart of the main anomalies (in reply to your 31/7 comment about tedium!) Part of the reason for doing it like this, other than making new friends, was that I don't have the technical expertise to create and manage a website. If you want a good non-ABBA anomalies website, then try What Goes On - The Beatles Anomalies list. Is there a wrong bass not in DQ?
Can I thank everyone who has watched this video - the first Anomalies video to top 1,000 viewings! Long may it continue. I'd like to thank all those who have encouraged me to continue with the Anomalies series too. :) :) xx
what you said about the cut for the extra verse.. You've played a stupid version of Dancing Queen (a good example is the GOLD version), the aaah-aah between the chorus and the final verse is cut, if you listen to a good CD version, you'll hear that there is no dip there.
I played the Polydor CD in the video I think, which is very faithful to the original vinyl cut. The Gold version is the only remastered CD that has the SAME edit point as vinyl & Poly CD. I detected the edit on Gold first, years ago! Later mixes have been tampered with as you say, but these versions are sonically inferior to the original CD on Polydor and vinyl copies. See Abba Plaza on the web for more details about the different mixes available. You need to click on the Albums menu and...
then look under Audiophile. However, there are also notable differences in the stereo positions between editions, which the writer does not acknowledge.
I don't think I explained the missing verse edit very well here did I? The extra long "queen" I think is 2 "queens" spliced together. Avoided in Spanish cos they remade the vocal.
Yes I get what you meant :), but the Spanish version sounds like it has the same error in it at around the same place as the English Version, which I found interesting.
@MarkPMus I have been listening to this 'missing' verse edit over and over, and my conclusion is that the edit point is at 2:14 (yes late, just before last verse kicks in). You can hear in left channel (original CD from 80s) a sort of click sound (cut in beat) just as the last chorus begins. That tape wear at 2:07 is also noticeable on the Spanish version (Original ABBA ORO from 1993 & CSR from 2005). Strangely enough no tape wear on the 1999 remaster of ABBA ORO!
Thank you so much for this video!! I am a huge ABBA fan, and I have also listened to all of the ABBA remasters, and found anomalies, bad edits, and tape dropouts on different remasters. The last bad edit you talk about is interesting, as the 1997, 2001 and 2005 remasters try to "repair" it. ABBA Gold (1992) was the only remastered edition to have this "anomalies." The repaired versions sound like the girls can't sing in tune! Thanks again for this!!!!
Try my ABBA Gold Anomalies introduction video. Full instructions are there...But:
Disconnect red & black leads from right speaker, and black lead only from left speaker. Take the red lead from the right speaker and plug it into black socket of left speaker. (Works with hi fi separates systems, if you have an all in one system try karaoke software on the computer, that's supposed to work too. Haven't tried that. :)
Hi, great analysis of the anomalies! One thing I didn't notice you talking about though is something I heard on the intro glissando. Underneath the gliss it sounds like there is also the last two staccato piano chords of the accompaniment that sits under the main intro to the song. It sounds like the intro was longer, possibly 12 or 16 bars instead of the current 8, but was cut just before the glissando to go straight into the more orchestrated current intro?
marinedalek 1 year ago
Mmmm, intriguing Marine! I knew something was up - at any rate I would imagine that from a technical pov achieving a powerful glissando would be much more likely if it was recorded separately from the main track and flown in. The main track would've needed some kind of count in bars, so maybe it is those that were chopped in the way you describe. At the time that I recorded that video, I hadn't noticed all the anomalies I now notice, and I desperately need to revisit this video and update it!
MarkPMus 1 year ago
It's a bit tedious to follow all the comments and related videos and their comments to get a whole picture. Someone should write a conclusive report with exact timings and perhaps graphics. Mark, Rudolf?
Recording tecniques aside, I'm very fond of Rutger's playing here. Who'll find the one "wrong" note he plays on Dancing Queen?
msunell 2 years ago
My timings are from the Polydor CD. Polydor and Johnsson align very neatly in a sound editor so it's easy to alternate and compare. The removed verse edit is at 2.14 and is very clear in and out of phase.
I don't think they actually cut the multitrack tape very often. The edits are rather punch-ins (push the record button while the tape is running). I believe the two string (1.24 and 2.36) edits are such, because they stand out in the mix and sound very abrupt when listening out of phase.
msunell 2 years ago
I'm having a hard time trying to hear this 2.07 dropout and repair. Hadn't you told I wouldn't notice it. But clearly there's an edit as Astley confirms. As I understand, there's a tape dropout at 2.03 (Polydor and Tretow) and Astley used another chorus to patch it. The edit is at 2.07 where the refrain (wordless) vocals fade for a moment and the "queen" ends very slightly earlier than in Polydor and Tretow. Johnsson doesn't use Astley's repair (though I'm not sure).
msunell 2 years ago
Try listening on one of those ghastly non hi-fi iPod things! I have sent you an email with a chart of the main anomalies (in reply to your 31/7 comment about tedium!) Part of the reason for doing it like this, other than making new friends, was that I don't have the technical expertise to create and manage a website. If you want a good non-ABBA anomalies website, then try What Goes On - The Beatles Anomalies list. Is there a wrong bass not in DQ?
MarkPMus 2 years ago
Can I thank everyone who has watched this video - the first Anomalies video to top 1,000 viewings! Long may it continue. I'd like to thank all those who have encouraged me to continue with the Anomalies series too. :) :) xx
MarkPMus 2 years ago
Good analysis and inferences of this song.
promagnum 2 years ago
what you said about the cut for the extra verse.. You've played a stupid version of Dancing Queen (a good example is the GOLD version), the aaah-aah between the chorus and the final verse is cut, if you listen to a good CD version, you'll hear that there is no dip there.
Joeluvsagnetha 3 years ago
I played the Polydor CD in the video I think, which is very faithful to the original vinyl cut. The Gold version is the only remastered CD that has the SAME edit point as vinyl & Poly CD. I detected the edit on Gold first, years ago! Later mixes have been tampered with as you say, but these versions are sonically inferior to the original CD on Polydor and vinyl copies. See Abba Plaza on the web for more details about the different mixes available. You need to click on the Albums menu and...
MarkPMus 3 years ago
then look under Audiophile. However, there are also notable differences in the stereo positions between editions, which the writer does not acknowledge.
MarkPMus 3 years ago
And also different reissues of Gold have different remasters too (1992 - Tretow, 1999 - Astley, 2008 - Johnssohn)
mozpiano2 3 years ago
I have responded to this video with another one I made that you might like to watch as well!
mozpiano2 3 years ago
I don't think I explained the missing verse edit very well here did I? The extra long "queen" I think is 2 "queens" spliced together. Avoided in Spanish cos they remade the vocal.
MarkPMus 3 years ago
Yes I get what you meant :), but the Spanish version sounds like it has the same error in it at around the same place as the English Version, which I found interesting.
mozpiano2 3 years ago
@MarkPMus I have been listening to this 'missing' verse edit over and over, and my conclusion is that the edit point is at 2:14 (yes late, just before last verse kicks in). You can hear in left channel (original CD from 80s) a sort of click sound (cut in beat) just as the last chorus begins. That tape wear at 2:07 is also noticeable on the Spanish version (Original ABBA ORO from 1993 & CSR from 2005). Strangely enough no tape wear on the 1999 remaster of ABBA ORO!
GPATRS1 1 year ago
Thank you so much for this video!! I am a huge ABBA fan, and I have also listened to all of the ABBA remasters, and found anomalies, bad edits, and tape dropouts on different remasters. The last bad edit you talk about is interesting, as the 1997, 2001 and 2005 remasters try to "repair" it. ABBA Gold (1992) was the only remastered edition to have this "anomalies." The repaired versions sound like the girls can't sing in tune! Thanks again for this!!!!
mozpiano2 3 years ago
Good God, my hair was a mess!!!
MarkPMus 3 years ago
Try my ABBA Gold Anomalies introduction video. Full instructions are there...But:
Disconnect red & black leads from right speaker, and black lead only from left speaker. Take the red lead from the right speaker and plug it into black socket of left speaker. (Works with hi fi separates systems, if you have an all in one system try karaoke software on the computer, that's supposed to work too. Haven't tried that. :)
MarkPMus 3 years ago
can...you write it down please?
LUVABBA1974 3 years ago