(Blogger note: Except for 2013-14 updates below, much of this website was written between 2009-11. Reader notice: All 'abba4ever' forum hyperlinks (within the blog's text) are defunct. (Forum has closed.))

ABBA/Carpenters 'syndrome' (updated)

As noted several times within the blog/website, for a few decades this American music listener would not intentionally go near an ABBA song....

That's my mistake I now (belatedly) realize

I was hardly alone though. As the group's biggest hits spread around the world, ABBA occasionally would get an off-hand mention in "back-in-the-day" music conversations. Whoever was unfortunate enough to "go there" was invariably pounced upon, ridiculed, etc. etc....

But I know that some of those scorners secretly liked the band's efforts. It's certain that some also (clandestinely) enjoyed another  top-selling, 'lighter(?)', 1970's band: The CarpentersFWIW: The basic 'syndrome' (meaning #4) was captured pretty well in this movie scene:



(YouTube video link)

Under Karen Carpenter's (too 'low') entry in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Singers", John Fogerty got it exactly right: (Brief, edited excerpt, linked):

"...Still, she's a guilty pleasure for many... "Karen Carpenter had a great sound," John Fogerty once told Rolling Stone, "but if you've got three guys out on the ballfield and one of them started humming [a Carpenters song], the other two guys would pants him.""





(YT video link)


**Very nice.... (Though pop music voices are technically not "classified/categorized", probably a rich, contralto-type of voice.)

7/13 update: (Yeah, I'm back again for a sec.:) Agnetha makes a very cool choice on BBC Radio 2's "Tracks of My Years" segment recorded with Ken Bruce. (Weeks ago.) And shares a bit of a comment about briefly meeting The Carpenters, years ago, (and) being a fan....  
Along with other fans I really enjoy Agnetha's speaking voice. The 7/2/13 Ken Bruce show (temp. link; Agnetha is at about the 2:10 mark) is only available for a few days. 
Here's another link to The Carpenters' 1973 hit song selected by the Swedish singing superstar. (Certain song lyrics appropriate re Agnetha herself, of course...)  Off-site link, new window opens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTaWayUE5XA



Enough!:


(YT video link)


One more thing: A good March, 2013 article from BBC News about the new ABBA museum in Stockholm. Touches upon the whole (ongoing) ABBA phenomenon, just a bit. Off-site link, new window opens:   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21923649

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