Arts
Take a trip down memory lane with those well-loved songs
View(s):As the hit Broadway musical MAMMA MIA! presented by Cinnamon Life, comes to Colombo’s Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre from December 22 – 30, the music of ABBA will, no doubt, be ringing in our ears.
ABBA in their heyday: Anni-Frid, Benny, Agnetha and Björn
Capturing the hearts of millions, the musical retells the story of a mother, a daughter, three possible fathers and an unforgettable trip down the aisle. The songs in the production are some of Swedish pop group ABBA’s best-loved hits.
Here we take a closer look at the ABBA chart-toppers at the heart of ‘Mamma Mia!’
The Winner Takes it All- #1 in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United Kingdom, Top 5 in Austria, Finland, France, West Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Zimbabwe and Top 10 in Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain and the United States.
Originally titled The Story of My Life, the song was recorded in the same year that ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog divorced.Although Björn has repeatedly pointed out that most of the song is fictitious, he has also admitted that its narrative of lost love and heartbreak had its roots in his and Agnetha’s separation.
It has also resonated with Benny and Frida, ABBA’s other two members who too were married and went through a separation on a deeply personal level.
The Winner Takes it All is also one of the major show-stoppers in the MAMMA MIA! musical, and producer Judy Craymer has said that the powerful and moving song was what initially inspired her to create the show. Directed by the globally acclaimed Lasse Hallström, the song’s promo clip featured Agnetha playing the role of a lonely, abandoned woman as depicted in the lyrics. The poignant portrayal seemingly addressed the world of the saddening reality that this is what has become of the two happy couples that once formed ABBA.
Mamma Mia- #1 in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Germany and Sweden.
Today, when we hear the title Mamma Mia, the first thoughts that come to mind are the musical and the hit movie that became one of the most prominent box office successes of all time. However, the original Mamma Mia song that gave the show its name, was also the single that elevated ABBA as an international hit act. Written by Benny Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus’ and their manager Stig Anderson, with the lead vocals shared by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-FridLyngstad, Mamma Mia is the opening track on the group’s third album, the self-titled ABBA. The song’s name is derived from Italian, where it is an interjection used to express surprise, anguish or excitement.
‘Mamma Mia’ helped the group make a smashing comeback in Britain. The song is said to have been written in the library of Björn and Agnetha’s then home in the Stockholm suburb of Lidingö.
Dancing Queen-#1 in Sweden, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the US, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Few can disagree that Dancing Queen is one of the greatest disco records ever made. Its initial glissando followed by the endless pirouettes, tepid beats and choral whirls make one want to break out in dance each and every time the song comes on. While this song is misunderstood by most to be a purely light hearted and upbeat disco number, its actual legacy which carries much more weight, explores a whole other dimension that is revealed upon the close inspection of its lyrics:
“You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, digging the Dancing Queen…”
Though the song is by all account about a carefree 17-year old, its vantage point and the fact that it is not sung in the first person, deems it to be a nostalgic narrative by a woman who is no longer young, no longer sweet and no longer 17.The song is essentially written from the perspective of a woman who looks on at a dance floor, which has now become a maelstrom of lost faith, memories, and missed opportunities in her life. Both infectiously joyous and slightly bittersweet, Dancing Queen remains one of ABBA’s most beloved songs of all time.
I Have a Dream: Featured on the group’s sixth studio album Voulez-Vous, I Have a Dream was released as a single in December 1979 and became a huge hit, topping charts in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland as well as the United Kingdom.
Super Trouper: This perky hit single featuring the lead vocals of Anni-Frid Lyngstad has appeared in the number 1 spot of singles charts in numerous countries, including Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
SOS: The third single in ABBA’s self-titled album which was released in 1975, SOS was the group’s first major worldwide hit since ‘Waterloo’. The song which features the lead vocals of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, has topped charts in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa.
Take a trip down memory lane with MAMMA MIA!in Colombo from December 22-30. Tickets for the musical are priced at Rs 7,500, 10,000,15,000 & 20,000. For more details or ticket reservations, please contact +94 71 711 8111 or email events@cinnamonhotels.com. Tickets can also be booked online at www.cinnamonboxoffice.com.