Do you know how much of ‘Hamlet III’ was completed. Is there a full song hiding in the vaults? Is ‘In The Arms Of Rosalita’ complete?And well since I am asking how many other songs from the medley are full songs? ‘Baby’.. would be fun. And ‘Ricky Rock ‘n’ Roller’. And of course we know ‘Just Like That’ is complete. Other than that what other hidden treasures are there. 

Stephen, USA 

All the songs in the ‘ABBA Undeleted’ medley would have full versions (that is, a couple of verses and choruses, maybe a middle eight, space for an instrumental break, or another chorus), not just the minute or two featured. But depending on the recording, they may be in different states of completeness. Some songs have complete lyrics, others just one verse and chorus repeated. We know ‘Just Like That’ is complete. I believe ‘In The Arms Of Rosalita’, ‘Baby’, ‘Ricky Rock ‘n’ Roller’ are complete, but songs like ‘Hamlet III’ (Autumn Days) and ‘Givin’ A Little Bit More’ just have one set of lyrics repeated. You’ll find more information in Carl Magnus Palm’s books The Complete Recording Sessions and ABBA On Record. The chapter on the Michael B. Tretow Tapes in the latter book reveals information about many previously unknown treasures.

I was listening to the box ABBA The Albums – the black box with 9 CDs. The album Waterloo has 11 songs while the cardboard says 12. Is this a misprint or a mistake of the designer at the company.

Greetings
Jaap, Netherlands

It’s no mistake. The album covers in that box set are reproductions of the original Swedish sleeves. Waterloo had 12 tracks, including the title track in Swedish and English, but the CD itself is based on international versions of the album, removing the Swedish ‘Waterloo’ and moving the English version to track 1. You’ll notice in the same box the Ring Ring CD sleeve lists the Swedish version of ‘Ring Ring’ as track 1, and the English version as Side 2 track 4, but that track (track 10 on the CD) is actually ‘She’s My Kind Of Girl’. The actual disc contents are detailed in the booklet in the box set.

I wonder if you could tell me if the book ABBA – The Scrapbook due to be released on Amazon next month. Is just a re-release or an updated version?

Thank you,
Shella

The book has indeed been updated with 24 additional pages, but it has not been updated by the original author Jean-Marie Potiez. A few weeks ago, Jean-Marie posted on Facebook that he was not aware of the reprint, had not been contacted by the publisher, does not endorse this reissue of his book, and recommends that fans do not buy it.

It’s well known and documented that various artists recorded at Polar Studios since 1978 onwards. Did bands ever use the instruments and keyboards that were already there, or did they bring their own? Trying to imagine ABBA’s drums, guitars and keyboards used on Led Zepplin and Genesis albums.

Simon, UK

Probably a mix of both. Professional musicians tend to prefer their own instruments, though they might make use of resident instruments in the studio, particularly something large and difficult to transport like a grand piano. We know when ABBA recorded at Metronome Studio they made use of instruments already in the studio, such as the marimba in ‘Mamma Mia’ or the grand piano used on many songs (both of which are still in the studio, now named Atlantis, all these years later, along with other equipment used by ABBA in the Seventies). When Led Zeppelin recorded at Polar in November 1978, John Paul Jones had his Yamaha GX1 synthesizer shipped over, which is when Benny first encountered the instrument. He soon acquired his own, first used on ‘Does Your Mother Know’.