I've lived long enough to remember when so many wrote off ABBA as faceless disco music with no soul. Forty years later those same people realize the genius of Benny and Bjorn and the amazing voices of Agnetha and Frida, especially when compared to the vapid trash that passes off as "music" today.
Well said. Abba,s songs had so much drama and complexity while being truly memorable. The more I listen to abba , the more I realize how genius this band really was.
There is a single reason why you don't like music today, and you should know that sales are so bad that they are still half of what they were in 1999. Here goes. Then there were hundreds of labels competing, now there are 3. Big 3 Labels, and they have ruined the entire industry. That's why the thousands of musicians in the music revolution.
Yeah, totally correct...ABBA were true masters of music 🎶 now we have the likes of sherin and Adel, who gave ruined music with their bland tripe....then you have the American, porn star ,pop stars like cardi b and nicky (show you my "minge")....
@@frankly-he1kf the reason that is true is because 3 Labels control the entire music industry, the Big Three Labels, instead of hundreds competing like from 1955 to 1985.
Such a fair comment, they are in there 70’s for their age, their voice is astounding. It’s hard to compare someone’s voice who is no longer young. But pretty good still.
Wow I just discovered this analysis and it is so great to be reminded of the beauty and perfection of Agnetha’s voice. I always thought her occasional sharpness and shrillness was part of the ABBA sound which added to the intensity. I love it!
"Agnetha, one of THE top vocalists in the world, EVER for pitch." - I couldn't agree more! Her voice transcends reality. I could listen to her sing anything. ABBA had so much talent back in the day and were so underappreciated. They were ahead of their time with videos too, nobody was doing them when ABBA was. It was a vehicle to get their songs heard globally and it worked. I have to say Benny and Bjorn, Benny in particular, were musical geniuses. I think it was John Lennon who said that SOS was one of the best pop songs ever written and I have to agree.
Frida is the singer that’s typically regarded as the pitch perfect singer in the group. If you listen to live vocals she sounds virtually identical to studio recordings. Agnetha occasionally suffered both from illness and from stage fright, so her live vocals suffered sometimes. You can tinker with anyone’s vocals in the studio and make them sound perfect. Both women were powerful singers with different strengths and you don’t have ABBA without either of them. I wish more people recognized the outstanding contributions Frida brought to the group, instead of focusing on just the blonde. Frida is quite possibly the best mezzo soprano singer in pop music history.
@@graphiquejack I agree, Frida never got the recognition she deserved, she is a top notch vocalist. However, my ear prefers the pitch and tone of Agnetha, regardless of the color of her hair or the fact that she may not have been as technically perfect on live stage as Frida.
Great analysis! I have always thought that Agnetha was pretty much peerless in her pitch and range. When you add the way she brings such emotions to her works, becoming a master storyteller with her voice, NO ONE even comes close to her.
Abba are way more than 4 people, The years of lives spent together, the talent, skill, intimacy, shared emotions, experiences and a passion for music. The marriages may have ended but there is still trust and respect.
I remember reading a few years ago that the remnants of Queen had been accused (I think that is how they took it), and it was by som 'Murrican music journalist, of course, of performing with autotune because their vocals were so good. Roger Taylor commented on that with something along the lines of: "No, we rehearse". I liked that.
Fascinating analysis. And the more one delves into the ABBA women's vocal prowess, the admiration of just how good they were (and are) grows. Over the years, we've had some glimpses of ABBA's studio methods through interviews with their old sound engineer, Michael Tretow and the excellent books by Carl Magnus Palm. A few years ago, the producer Gregg Field gave a fascinating interview with the ABBA Fan Club. He was producing the 'Duets' album for Jazz trumpeter, Arturo Sandoval and Anni-Frid had contributed with a Spanish version of 'Andante Andante'. A further insight into how ABBA recorded was revealed. After a few run through's of the song, they went for a proper recorded 'take'. 'Half way through the fourth take when she sang a wrong lyric, she stopped and laughed. These days, when singers record and make a mistake, we roll back a bit and ‘punch-in’ to the recording. I asked Frida if she wanted to punch-in, and she said, “No, ABBA never recorded like that,” and she would sing it from the beginning. Nobody does that these days. Frida began to sing the fifth take and what became the vocal you hear on the recording. It was a flawless and breathtaking performance. We then watched as Frida built that ABBA sound. She began by tripling her lead vocal with a precision I have rarely experienced in the studio. She then added the harmony parts and, when finished, came into the studio to listen back. For the first time, we all heard Frida’s amazing vocals with Arturo’s soaring trumpet, and it was very emotional for all of us.' This from a guy who is a multiple Grammy winner and worked with many of the great singers about a woman who hadn't recorded an album since 1996. This was also around the time that the first two songs of 'Voyage' were being recorded. When you've 'got it', you've 'got it'. Four tremendous talents.
Perfect practice makes perfect. Whenever I flub a lyric in rehearsing I slways make myself start over, it also helps your body physically remember the breathing, stsnce, and movement to get you through the verse and then have more time to express/convey/add dynamics without having to concntrate just on the line.
Only ABBA could dominate the disco world in the 70s, get back together after 40 years with a new album, and STILL absolutely nail it!! Absolute legends, I cannot stop playing my vinyl copy of voyage ❤️
My stepfather was a physicist but he also played first violin until an accident damaged his pinkie finger. He never listened to pop music except for ABBA because he said they had pretty much perfect voices.
I adore Keep an Eye on Dan. Just hooked to the sound they create on that one. If you ever have a chance you should also do an analysis on Anni-Frid’s voice. She did opera training back in the day alongside her work in ABBA. Her vocals in “I Let the Music Speak” absolutely blows me away (not opera but it’s definitely one where she really shows off her skills) She has an absolutely gorgeous singing voice that has only become more rich with the decades. Her performance of Bumblebee and I Still Have Faith in You on Voyage had me so happy (and singing along as well!) As someone between a lower mezzo and lighter-sounding contralto the sound and richness of her voice has inspired me so much to appreciate my vocal range (and the fact that I’ll just never be a soprano…) and keep developing and improving what I do have. I know this is random coming from a 19-year-old American in this century, but Anni-Frid has just been so inspiring to me as a person and as someone who wants to develop musically and vocally. Can’t say it enough!
"Frida" was NEVER an opera singer. She was a jazz and lounge singer. I'm not. Saying her voice isn't good, she won a prestigious talent show, and had a #1 hit. If you want to compare the two singers, Agnetha's first #1 was a song she wrote and performed when she was 17. She had multiple hits, different record labels and more of a following than the other 3 combined prior to ABBA. She could be compared to the Swedish version of Taylor Swift in her time.
@@mountain262 Annifrida voice has high quality vocals, and she is opera, go take a look at the Oliva Newton Jonhs TV special where you will hear Annifrida opera vocals...then come back and tell me she isn't lol.😂 tune your ears in Shannon.
@@mountain262 Goodness me Shannon! Go back and re read what Michelle wrote. Then come back and tell me where she said that Frida was an opera singer. As a side note her voice lends itself very well to opera. But for you to call Frida a jazz lounge singer and then to say you’re not saying her voice isn’t good just takes the biscuit! It is insulting. Frida is one of the greatest singers of all time. Oh, and please don’t compare a young Agnetha to Tay Tay. Agnetha is in a different league. Always has been, always will be.
Your comment is anything but random. It's infromative, passionate and convincing. Frida is an incredible singer and I am also blown away by her perfromance on Voyage. Her voice is just like a warm blanket that envelopes the listener. Good luck to you in the music world!
Yes, Agnetha doesn't just sing - she is THE most expressive storyteller; it's so much more than words and notes. Listen to 'I Can Be That Woman'. I've a feeling 'Keep an Eye on Dan' will be the next single. Looking forward to the Voyage concert in May and how they mix the live band with the original vocal recordings. Another great video, Fil.
Interesting analysis! As a Swede and longtime ABBA fan, I was so shocked and happy when they announced that they were going to release a new album after all these years. I really like the new songs and I think Agnetha and Frida sound amazing! 😊
When I was a little kid I couldn't talk properly or read at all and I would usually point my finger if I want something. But when Mama Mia came out my dad said here is a group who couldn't speak english properly and he told me just to copy what they did. So I did, even though I couldn't speak properly and maybe didn't hold a tune that I learnt to speak english by imitating ABBA singing. Watching their videos and listening to their records helped me to speak english. As well as appreciate their talent.
So, so interesting to listen to your analyses. Agnethas voice is outstanding, still I never thougt of her having that amazing range. Judt loved her. All the reactions one can listen to today has really made me listening to ABBA again and in a different way than when I grew up with them. Voices, guitars, bases, words, harmonies, you name it. I knew I must have loved them for some reason! ;o)
I was a bit guilty of some musical snobbery back in the day. I heard Dancing Queen and just wrote ABBA off as a disco group and I had no interest. Later I heard Fernando on the car radio and my jaw dropped when the DJ said "That was ABBA." Songs like Fernando, Chiquitita, Take a Chance on Me and many others proved what a great pop song writing team Benny and Bjorn was and how beautiful the girl's voices were either singing alone or in harmony
Yep Fil, ABBA is probably the Only Group with 2 Top-Level Singers, who are Technically Gr8 and have Incredible Tone, especially when they sing in Unison. Best Group of ALL-Time, IMHO. Cheers from Damo.
Yep, they were much more musically solid than the typical Eurovision act. In a Swedish context they were a bit of a "supergroup" - all four were famous and had achieved success on their own years before the band was formed. Benny and Björn came from two leading Swedish 60s bands and had been writing songs (and producing other artists) for years. Most Eurovision acts don't even write their own material, something ABBA did right from the start (sometimes with their manager Stikkan helping out with the English lyrics during the first few years). I think one proof of their skill as songwriters is how their songs have been adapted into lots of styles (by other acts and on tribute albums) without losing shape or sounding silly.
"Always" and "gimmick"are a bit strong words.n Anyone who listened to their output after Waterloo knew that they were a musical force to reckon with. Some of the so called experts often dismissed their music because they were buffled by their extraordinary success-without trying to please "progressive" critics.
ABBA was criminally criticized over the years as “too pop”, “too disco”, “too ______”, yet today, looking back, we see the brilliance of all 4 and how good they truly are. I had always liked them, though I was more into hard rock back in the 70’s, I knew talent when I heard it. I was studying for a music (teaching) degree and was able to tear apart sounds. Not to mention I had a huge crush on Agnetha… 😏
She's 70 something now. It wouldn't bother me a bit if they did a little dodging and burning with her vocal. I'm just happy they got in the studio and made some music again. They are good songs and well produced IMO. Thank you for the analysis Fil.
I found this analysis so very fascinating and interesting, thanks ! The quality of both Agnetha and Frida's individual voices and then that combined third voice
Really interesting analysis! And nice how you pointed out Agnetha's vibrato. She has one of my favourite vibratos in the music world. An analysis of Frida would be interesting as well, especially considering her low notes in "I Still Have Faith In You" and early songs like "Money Money Money". They do sound differently. And she is an outstanding vocalist, of course.
I remember them winning Eurovision when i was 11yrs old,and started collecting the monthly magazines that were released..in one it said that more often than not,when ready for the recording,it was sung from start to finish without a break. Now that is the talent of these two ladies..to still enjoy their voices today,we are all so lucky to have them here,right now.Happy New Year everyone.
I grew up with Abba as a child, but when thinking of Agnetha's extraordinary voice, the first song that usually comes in my mind (or inner ear) is her solo record "The Heat is on" from the early 80s. It's so fresh and clean up to the highest notes. Another great song for analysing her voice in isolation is probably "Slipping through my Fingers" from the Visitors album, although the refrain is sung closely together with Frida.
Michael hi there, her 1981 raw live performance to "STMF" on the Dick Cavet show is thrilling and a great example of her great vocal technics.Frida's backing support to this live version esp doing falseto's was exceptional.She even made it sound as Agnetha's vocal double(on purpose!.)That's more than a blissful coincidence but also a gifted skill.
Thanks for another great analysis. I grew up with this great Swedish group from the 70's-80's & had lots of their records. Nice to see them back again recording after all these years.
Those tuned sections are very likely intentionally planned. Their effect, however, could not have been successfully achieved had she not also intentionally kept it a bit flat, with the same controlled consistency when heard unaltered. So she's as skilled at 'bottom of the pitch' as top-down. THAT'S the amazing thing, really.
Bernhard Löhr was the person who was mixing this album and he has said that they haven't used autotune. I think both as respect of their voices and as a protest of autotune.
In the old days hardly no band went into the studio and just performed their songs in an hour and two and that was it. No, they where in the studio for months trying to perfect their singing and playing instruments and cut and paste everything to end up with a good end result. Now they can instead use autotune and pitch correction to speed up the process and not wear out the singers. When listening to Agnetha it sounds very weird thru a proper HiFi system at the places in the song that Fil points out so something have been done and it's pretty much impossible to hit the notes so accurately on the lines running up the scale the way she did. Perhaps it's a lot of manual pitch correction being done in post production if Löhr actually tells the truth. I wouldn't think that a 71 year old Agneta can spend weeks in the studio without her stiff vocal cords taking damage. So they had to do it this way to save her voice.
@@urbanlarsson8252 I think you're right. No doubt he meant that they didn't simply go in and sing badly and let auto-tune deal with it. Applying tuning to specific words in a specific part of the song, and for reasons other than being unable to hit the notes, is not what people would normally mean when they talk about auto-tune.
Haven't watched the video yet but, can't believe ABBA would need/want to correct the vocals. They were always impeccable. I'll watch this when I get a chance.
This was super interesting. Thank you for doing that. As many have said below, Frida deserves one too...I Let The Music Speak or The King Has Lost His Crown vs any song on Voyage.
Urs Geiser Thanks for this great voice analysis. It's remarkable despite of the LADIES ages. You - as professional - has surely realized (a few fans haven't, specially the one, who suggest Frida), that Agnetha starts singing in Keep An Eye On Dan till "... he loves his dad too" by 19:50, then Frida takes the lead vocal with "And I love him too" till the refrain (in the short promo studio video everybody can see it), then both sing the refrain. Every of the two LADIES has her own resonance (good reconizable), also her own technic and vibrato. Both voices are phenomenal, alone, but also together with their unique harmonies.
Thing is with ABBA is that their voices weren't perfect 100% but they harmonised to the point that it sounded like one ....and although their songs seem simple they're really not, hence so many singers can't sing the songs. And as someone else has said there's bound to be a difference between singing at 28 29 and at 71
What is important, and perhaps why so many singers can't sing their songs is that both Agnetha and AnnaFrid both studied singing long before ABBA was formed. In many of the songs there were sections sung in unison (the crossover of soprano/mezzo-soprano), and having small intervals (singing together) mostly inside a major 3rd. As well there was dialogue; one sings a solo, then the other an answering one. A differing, but equally successful (for the time, late 1950's-early 1960's) in the form of a duet were the Everly Brothers, using a major 6th as a common pitch interval... Now that brings me to The Mamas and the Papas, who were pioneers of the 2 male, 2 female vocal format, but through a number of distractions dispersed in a relatively short period. Definitely an influence...
@@jamesatkinson6480 Interesting. When I was growing up I "discovered" the Everly Brothers (I was allowed to play the records of the people I babysat for) and loved their harmonies. I always knew my fandom for ABBA formed because of the harmonies (although of course each lady is a stunningly talent singer in their own right). There is just something about the blending of voices that works for me I guess.
Really enjoyed this Fil, thank you! I was born mid-60s and while I got in on the tail end of disco (I took disco dance lessons one summer even! Haha), I did really like ABBA. Our music was so different then from now. I like a lot about all of our eras in music (not necessarily every genre), at this point I'm still partial to the 80s and 90s, I appreciate much from every decade though. I still feel very connected to music in the current years. This was a lot of fun, I'm really happy that ABBA is still making music, such beautiful people truly. Thank you for picking this group to do a focus video on their sound and amazing tone accuracy.
I'll add, I really enjoy bands that reinvent and stay relevant, like Bowie did, Duran Duran is also a good example. I love the efforts and results that come from all their work. Their appeal stays shiny for me when they can achieve this. Maybe do a video on Duran Duran or David Bowie sometime? I don't have a specific song or period but you have a lot of older material from both bands along with a lot of current potential auto tuned works. I have nothing against auto tune used without claims of not using it. It does disappoint me when singers claim they are all natural yet it's obvious they aren't through efforts like yours in putting vocals to the test with pitch software. Thanks again! Really enjoy all of your work... Plus hey, you're easy on the eyes and ears too, doesn't hurt. :D
as an assistant engineer and engineer at CTS studios in the days of tape, we were very skilled at cutting tape in this way. It was our everyday cut and paste.
Been a fan of ABBA for all these years. No band ever comes close to them in the aspect of beautiful lyrics. All their songs has MEANING, and that is what is sadly lacking in this present generation of songs. Parents could take their kids to the live show and expect nothing more than beautiful evening out with good lyrics, and no vulgar crass that we have now. Nobody can touch ABBA, period
The best episode yet, Fil! Agnetha Fältskog, is my all-time favourite, and is undoubtedly the abbasolute finest female pop vocalist in history! A fair and honest assessment... And I totally agree with you that Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus probably used the current technology (and sparingly) to make the mix and the overall sound of the album sound more up-to-date. Keep up the great work. Cheers! 🍻
Michael B Tretow was their engineer back in the day, and he was a genius. He'd put a thin piece of tape on the capstan of the tape recorder to get a slight pitch shift when doing multi track voices. And he had a lot of other tricks up his sleeve as well. He was heavily inspired by Phil Spector and the "Wall of sound", but did it his way.
I always presumed they had always done so. Love them though from 1974 till today. Their music always makes you happy..even when the songs are sad. There is a sweetness , kindness to their music.
Yet another very interesting and educational video. I was blown away when Agnetha nailed her vocal, exactly the same way twice. I am not entirely convinced that is the exact same take twice, the waveforms in the vibratos don't match perfectly. Of course, with digital copy and paste production techniques, they would be an exact match. They wouldn't necessarily by identical by the techniques we used in the 70s. Because by 1970 no-one would ever grab the scalp and splicing tape to drop in a vocal. it was too delicate, destructive and time consuming.The actual technique was to dub off a copy of the vocal track only (mute all other output channels when recording your copy), sync the two takes, then mute the vocal from take two for the segment being replaced. Then record the edit by bouncing both vocal takes down to a new, separate track. Then you have all three versions available for the mix down to a stereo master tape, instead of just one spliced version. Oh, by the way you describe how you are capturing your pitch map segments, and because when a copy was dubbed off to be dropped ("copied and pasted") into another take it would not be 100% exactly identical to the original, the minor discrepancies in the vibratos in the two pre-choruses are not proof you're wrong about them being the same take twice. It's thousands of times more likely that the tiny differences are artifacts of the process, than that the same vocalist hit the same line so close to exactly the same twice in a row. Coming up in the digital age you have missed the joy of invention and discover of the old tape processes. And the heartache of destroying something beautiful and irrecoverable in the process of creating a new, hopefully better thing. That heartache more than anything else lead us to almost doing away with splicing even before digital recording was invented.
Hi Bro, great analysis. I'm a musician too and after checking out on what you commented, I BEG to differ from your analysis on Agnetha's vocal (and on Frida's vocal too, if anyone pass the same verdict on her). On this point I agree 💯 with Sintemal's arguments. For me, there's more than enough evidence that Agnetha's and Frida's vocals NEED NO vocal auto tunes or pitch corrections.. they're just PERFECT as they are without having to be mechanically corrected. I have SOO much love, respect and admiration for ABBA 😊😄❤️👍
Hmmmm... Benny and Bjorn claim they didn't use autotune... in any case, ABBA are the most under-rated band of all time. They are genius, and Agnetha and Frida are among the best pop sopranos and mezzo-sopranos in the world.
@@davidsiegfriedklinger2422 I said under-rated, not over-rated. How old are you? I'm 75, the same age as ABBA so I've been a fan since the beginning. Most people in North America considered them a "pop-joke" in the beginning, but no-one is laughing now, finally coming to their senses and realizing how good they really are. They just released Voyage in their 70s that went platinum in 2 weeks, what other group can claim that?
Much of this with vocal pitch 'accuracy' comes from practising scales and arpeggios in training, long before ABBA was formed. What made their great style was using the two female vocals of different natural range. (Agnetha (soprano) 'Freda (mezzo-soprano)). A slight 'sharp' on a lead vocal note makes for a prominent solo (statement), cutting through the accompaniment...
I think I saw that the first song on the album has 34 plus million views on youtube. Another track over 27 million. Think they are no longer relevant? The first song on side 2 is " I Can Be That Woman" Just beautiful. One of my favorite ABBA songs ever.
Very clear explanation! I knew of ABBA, but didn't really have a picture of them in my mind, so I asked Google for some and, wow, very snazzy flashy costumes! It turns out that Swedish tax law allowed the cost of the clothes to be deducted if they could ONLY be worn for performing!
I'm a hard-core life-long ABBA fan and I LOVE this new album. Benny and Bjorn used modern recording technology to ENHANCE and improve the classic ABBA sound to its full potential. I am very confident that they will record at least one more new album.
That was very fascinating. I've been a great admirer of Frida & Agnetha's vocals since I was a little kid. The power and versatility that they brought to the music through the decades has been incredible. I know the ladies put a lot of work into layering to achieve a choir effect on many of their finest recordings. On a recording such as Chiquitita, the vocals during the verses are soft and calm, but then the choruses on this particular track really take a lot of energy and control. They knock the vocals out of the park on that one. Also, very interesting to see the copy and paste of "no-one to hear my prayer", but it left me thinking "did they paste it for a third time after the bridge, previous to the final choruses?" It's very close, but I can't tell 😁 Thanks Fil 👌💗
Interesting. I don't know anything about musical technique, so I had no idea that Agnetha was such an accurate a singer - I just knew she was (is) an amazing one. Likewise, my untrained ears didn't pick up any auto tune or pitch correction on the new album, but I know I don't necessarily "hear" it so that's no surprise. I kind of sense it in some cases but this album - I didn't, so I was certainly curious to see what the software revealed. I don't think this would have been an attempt to sound modern - Benny and Bjorn specifically said in an interview they weren't trying to do that - they didn't intend to sound like Drake, I believe is how they put it. But as an artistic choice, I can see that. These guys have never been adverse to new technology (like a virtual tour!). They have used synthesizers to alter the singers' voices in the past (the "everyone's a freak" line in "Me and I" for example). So if they though it would add to the mood of "Don't Shut Me Down" to, as was mentioned in another comment, make the vocal more mechanical sounding due to the character of the song being a hologram, I could see them using the tools at their disposal. As for "Keep An Eye on Dan" the character of the song is trying to hold it together - so sounding a bit mechanical combined with the emotion in her voice achieves that sense. Of course I've been a fan since I was a kid, so I am biased.
Wow, I came to your channel lured by the auto-tune info and found a whole treasure trove of fantastic critical analyses of bands I absolutely love! So I started back at the beginning and sampled more than a couple and have learned so much already. I look forward to looking through the back catalogue and even more to your new episodes. Big thanks from a new subscriber! Peace from Ohio …
First of all, thank you for your ongoing search for vocal honesty these days! I also prefer singers who are actually capable of singing and don't require technical help with their intonation. But if one searches as eagerly as you do, isn't there a certain danger of false positives? So, you made me really curious whether that end of the second verse of "Gimme, gimme, gimme" was actually a copy of the first one - just as you declared it to be. You show the pitch curve in both cases, so I figured I could check it for myself. To do this, I made a screenshot of the video when you show the end of verse one and a second screenshot for the end of verse two. The curves are quite similar, indeed, but clearly different. It's actually plain to see if you take the time to compare them side to side. This shows to me that Agnetha really did the second time with the very same accuracy - which is quite impressive, I think. So, please don't be too quick and alway take a close enough look before asserting something that many people will believe you without verifying it for themselves. Likewise, given that Agnetha is such an expressive singer, a mere change in the timbre of her voice cannot be enough evidence that some of her surprisingly accurate intonations in the recent ABBA songs were created or adjusted by artificial means. Actually, with such a precise and, at the same time, highly expressive singer, it might even be impossible to figure this out with any reasonable degree of certainty. Furthermore, Agnetha's and Frida's vocals have traditionally been and, according to studio footage of the new album, still are recorded together. They have become famous for their astonishingly precise vocal harmonies and, even more, their unisons which have been termed "the third voice". Since they are always recorded together (for "Gimme, gimme, gimme" they even used the same microphone placed between them), none of the two singers could have been pitch-corrected separately. And, thus, they both must be singing really, really precise to make that famous unison effect even possible. Their famous vocal harmonies and unisons are still present on the recent album. To me, that is yet another argument against Agnetha needing technological help with her intonation. The precision she needs for those exact harmonies and unisons with Frida gives us a good indication of the amount of control she must still have over her voice. And, vice versa, the same goes for Frida. Concluding, I would say, there is rather more evidence for two still (after four decades) amazingly precise and talented singers than for the assumption that any one of them was pitch-corrected. Cheers and happy new year from Vienna, Harald
Hi Sintemal😊👍. I've checked out on what you said too, and I think I agree with you 💯 that when those who are technically knowledgeable pass comments on Agnetha's (or Frida's) vocal, they SHOULD be done with GREAT responsibility, carefully and meticulously. For me, there's more than enough evidence that Agnetha's and Frida's vocals NEED NO vocal auto tunes or pitch corrections.. they're just PERFECT as they are without having to be mechanically corrected. I have SOO much love, respect and admiration for ABBA 😊😄❤️👍
I wish all musicians would listen to both your analyses! Especially the wanna be musicians in the music scene today. Maybe they could hear and see the truth, and honestly face the music. I loved both of your opinions and critiques of Agnetha's vocals. I also questioned whether they copied the second phrase in Gimme Gimme Gimme, then when you mentioned Frida stood across from her during the recording, I knew you were correct because I have seen that video many times! I have a good ear for pitch, and as a teen in high school, our choir and two select groups I was in sang ABBA songs. This was 1976-1979. I used to aggravate some of my fellow vocalists because I would point out who was flat and who was sharp. I guess I was young and stupid at the time. They voted .me "best ears" my senior year, which was not what I particularly wanted to be remembered for! I think there may have been some pitch correction in Keep an Eye on Dan, however. The notes go up and down so much in every phrase, I think it would almost be impossible to hit the pitch straight on, on each note. Especially when on the final notes of the phrase she goes a bit flat. It would be much easier to hit the last notes or at least correct the last note from flat to spot on by sliding up a bit. Also the final note has the verbrado, giving someone even more time to correct the pitch. (That is something I have to do myself when I sing Gimme Gimme Gimme at the end of each of those same phrases...but to the CD) But if her final notes were a bit flat, but yet easier to hit, then how come all the notes where her voice had to keep going up and down are completely on pitch? Anyway, it doesn't matter to me what they did, because they are still the best! No other group could even attempt what they can still do in their 70's! I really loved your analysis, and I loved this entire video!
Servus Harald, ich denke, Du hast recht. Ich hatte schon bedauert, dass er bei "Gimme Gimme Gimme" die beiden Aufnahmen nicht übereinander gelegt hat. Dann könnte man sehen, ob kopiert wurde oder nicht.
ABBA's intention was to record a trend-blind "farewel"l album not so unbashefully modernized,but consiously and artistically raw and pure.It's far more decent and honest than a lot of Faceless and unemotional music that polutes the charts of today.A+F were the hottest vocal babes i'm sure many would have killed to have them singing in their band!You being a rocker praising Agnetha's skills showed lack of predjudice and well intented judgement.You made me proud of my heroes.I love you man!You made a popmusic lover happy n proud...
@@tullfan2560 i realized that later on.Actually twas mainly the USA n UK press and rock critics and venomous "specialists" that were dismissing them as" non serious" "commercial crap" and stuff.But famous rockers and punks could see that Abba were real pop masters and some became closet lovers of their music while others publicly admitted their love such as R.Blackmoore did in 1979.I know I.Dury,,Springsteen,guys from Clash etc had joined the audience in their '79 gigs.Thanks for commenting Tull Fan.
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee Hi Eric HNY!Well i lived all that ABBAera in real time and i know how it felt.Cheesy or not i assume it was at least honest and naive and pure.Abba represented for many "hard" rockers n metal heads the joyful, and sensitive part of their selves.And what is soft and vulnerable we tend to hide it.It's a kind of self defence.It's human after all.Stay safe.
@@alexioverdo5225 Back in the day, there was a school of thought that bubblegum pop should have its head chopped off. Bono of U2 said he was happy to be the one to carry the axe. After a while, the penny dropped in the rock community how much more there was to ABBA when SOS first came out. It showed a more nuanced and complex side to the band. Later on, Bono invited Benny and Bjorn up on stage with U2 at one of their concerts. Most famously, John Lennon, Pete Townshend and Gene Simmons all had flattering things to say about ABBA. And then they stopped, which sort of suggests that further comparisons with ABBA might not be good for their own careers.
@@tullfan2560 Yes i know Tull.Finally today its not so uncool for musicians from different music field to praise Abba.Such as D.Grohl/Slipknot/Bjork/A+N.Wilson/Jake Buggs/J.F from RHCP/D.Leppard/B.Corgan from S.Pumpkins/N.Gallaher/F.Mac's L.Buckinham/Portishead/Porcupine Tree's St.Wilson/Lemmyonce of Motorhead...to name but a few.My hat off to them.
It requires a special talent because not only she is nailing it, she is also singing in a foreign language, which makes it more difficult....Phil this is great stuff, you and Rick Beato had made my understanding of music wayy more profound, thanks. BTW the edit would have been done by recording the vocals to a 4 track and edit there and then back to the 2 inch tape.
I subscribed to your channel yesterday - really fascinating analyses on a lot of artists that mean a lot to me. Glad to have found your channel! I totally agree with you that the choice of using pitch correction on "Keep An Eye On Dan" was an attempt to make it sound more contemporary, and hence an artistic decision.
Thanks for another really interesting analysis. Hope you had a great New Years! Looking forward to another year of education, entertainment, listening , Live Streams and laughing!
We also have to remember that in 1979, Agnetha was 29. In 2021, she turned 71. Not many male singers can maintain that level of accuracy over that time naturally. Given also that she did very little singing for decades makes her latest vocals even more remarkable. Thanks Fil, as illuminating as ever.
Yeah, i also instantly thought that and even though im mostöy against using auotune and pitch correction i feel it can be a justifiable "crutch" therefore. I really love Agnetha and Anni- Frid s singing and voices myself and i grew up hearing them on the records here in Sweden in the 70´s. Im a musican myself that write,records and produces more at a hobby/semi pro level but the music i play is Heavy metal, but i love a lot of different music.
@@GothicLightingQueen I think the statement about male singers is true (Elton John admits a lowering pitch of his vocal range (tenor - baritone)), but think the intention Coupe Deville was to refer to female vocalists..
Would you do this also with a Frida lead please? Knowing Me, Knowing You or Fernando for example vs I Still Have Faith In You. Fridas warm tone and vibrato should be interesting, I think.
Yes, so many have said she's technically the better singer, has the wider range and pitch perfect. She's known for being spot on when it comes to singing in tune, even Phil Collins was surprised how good she was, so it would be interesting.
I agree with you Fil, that the pitch-correction is probably for artistic purposes. I did see that they are using computer technology in preparation for a concert, such as creating avatars of themselves. I'm guessing it is to give audiences the live and current ABBA experience with a virtual version of the younger ABBA. The pitch-correction probably adds to the experience they are creating as well as fitting in with modern music. I prefer their natural voices, but I am just happy that they have released new music.
It just might be a "protest" against autotune 😂 I hope so fil! Wow, that's so interesting. Music is what feelings sound like...therefore, I don't like autotune! Another great analysis, thank you fil!🌷
You realllllly love Agnetha's voice. But I'm glad you take pains to not dismiss Frida too much. Nice explanation about the tuning and how Benny & Bjorn used the techniques creatively. Bravo.
One has to appreciate that Agnetha is a lot older now, and she went through long periods where she did not sing at all, and one can get rusty. I think she said in one of her interviews there was a time when she went back to a vocal coach to help get her voice back into shape, so there are a lot of factors to consider here.
Excellent analysis. Re. the copy and paste part of Agnetha's vocal: I think by 1979 they had the technology to simply bounce Agnetha's isolated vocal down onto another tape 'track'' [they were using 24 track machines at this point] if they wished to re-use it on another section of the song rather than physically cut it out and splice as per in the earlier days of the recording industry.
Great. It would be very interesting to do the same comparison with Frida's lead vocals on - let's say - 'I Let the Music Speak' from The Visitors (1981) and 'Bumblebee' from Voyage (2021). These were the two songs that were played in the BBC programme in November, where Frida was interviewed by Zoe Ball. It stroke me how good she still sounded, when hearing 'Bumblebee', but also how much her voice had changed since 1981. It would be so much fun to hear your analysis of these two great (though lesser known) songs.
There are some vocal combinations that when blended together create musical magic. Agnetha and Frida of ABBA are a perfect example. In my eyes, and ears, they can do no wrong. While watching this video (very good analysis by the way) two other unique female performers came to mind. Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of The B52s. The outstanding and rather unusual harmonics that occur when they duet is an extraordinary aural experience. I'd so enjoy seeing you break down the kitschy artistry of The B52s through their production techniques. Love your videos. Keep up the great content. You're amazing.
She has said many times in interviews her greatest vocal infliuence was Connie Francis, and in some songs, such as "Hasta Manana", you can really hear that Connie Francis influence in her phrasing and vibrato.
I've lived long enough to remember when so many wrote off ABBA as faceless disco music with no soul. Forty years later those same people realize the genius of Benny and Bjorn and the amazing voices of Agnetha and Frida, especially when compared to the vapid trash that passes off as "music" today.
Well said. Abba,s songs had so much drama and complexity while being truly memorable. The more I listen to abba , the more I realize how genius this band really was.
There is a single reason why you don't like music today, and you should know that sales are so bad that they are still half of what they were in 1999. Here goes.
Then there were hundreds of labels competing, now there are 3. Big 3 Labels, and they have ruined the entire industry. That's why the thousands of musicians in the music revolution.
Yeah, totally correct...ABBA were true masters of music 🎶 now we have the likes of sherin and Adel, who gave ruined music with their bland tripe....then you have the American, porn star ,pop stars like cardi b and nicky (show you my "minge")....
@@frankly-he1kf the reason that is true is because 3 Labels control the entire music industry, the Big Three Labels, instead of hundreds competing like from 1955 to 1985.
There's still plenty of good new music if you know where to look.
Agnetha and Frida had unbelievable voices. I'm proud to be Swedish and say I still listen to ABBA 🙂. Not many singers today can even come close.
No auto-tune needed, we are talking about incredible professionals and gifted singers
40 years. Nobody's voice is going to sound the same. Absolutely incredible for a band in their 70s.
Such a fair comment, they are in there 70’s for their age, their voice is astounding. It’s hard to compare someone’s voice who is no longer young. But pretty good still.
Agnetha was 68 in 2018 for the first two singles released in September 2021. That is, the vocals were finished in 2018.
@@thomashernandez8700 2017
@@dalebaker9109age will make their voices sound better. Experience.
Wow I just discovered this analysis and it is so great to be reminded of the beauty and perfection of Agnetha’s voice. I always thought her occasional sharpness and shrillness was part of the ABBA sound which added to the intensity. I love it!
"Agnetha, one of THE top vocalists in the world, EVER for pitch." - I couldn't agree more! Her voice transcends reality. I could listen to her sing anything.
ABBA had so much talent back in the day and were so underappreciated. They were ahead of their time with videos too, nobody was doing them when ABBA was. It was a vehicle to get their songs heard globally and it worked. I have to say Benny and Bjorn, Benny in particular, were musical geniuses. I think it was John Lennon who said that SOS was one of the best pop songs ever written and I have to agree.
Frida is the singer that’s typically regarded as the pitch perfect singer in the group. If you listen to live vocals she sounds virtually identical to studio recordings. Agnetha occasionally suffered both from illness and from stage fright, so her live vocals suffered sometimes. You can tinker with anyone’s vocals in the studio and make them sound perfect. Both women were powerful singers with different strengths and you don’t have ABBA without either of them. I wish more people recognized the outstanding contributions Frida brought to the group, instead of focusing on just the blonde. Frida is quite possibly the best mezzo soprano singer in pop music history.
@@graphiquejack I agree, Frida never got the recognition she deserved, she is a top notch vocalist. However, my ear prefers the pitch and tone of Agnetha, regardless of the color of her hair or the fact that she may not have been as technically perfect on live stage as Frida.
@@JaneSmith0709 They all got the recognition they deserved.
@@graphiquejack Frida is my absolute favourite.
FRIDA❤
Great analysis! I have always thought that Agnetha was pretty much peerless in her pitch and range. When you add the way she brings such emotions to her works, becoming a master storyteller with her voice, NO ONE even comes close to her.
I totally agree. THE greatest singer of all time, and she wasn't even singing in her own language.
Abba are way more than 4 people, The years of lives spent together, the talent, skill, intimacy, shared emotions, experiences and a passion for music. The marriages may have ended but there is still trust and respect.
Trust and respect! U feel honest and deep for ABBA. Thank you.
The amazing beautiful ABBA will never be duplicated ever by any group or person
it is amazing that you can distinguish auto-tuned and merely pitch corrected -- this video taught me something widely useful today -- many thanks.
Agnetha still has it !! She was perfect back then. She has hardly changed 💜
No autotune because they Anni-Frid (Frida) and Agnetha can actually Sing unlike modern pop.
A filter? Lay All your love had the vocals altered through reducing the pitch of the vocals and some instruments.
I remember reading a few years ago that the remnants of Queen
had been accused (I think that is how they took it), and it was by
som 'Murrican music journalist, of course, of performing with autotune
because their vocals were so good. Roger Taylor commented on that
with something along the lines of: "No, we rehearse". I liked that.
@@anitaaustralia Like Agneta and Frida in ABBA, No hardly.
Fascinating analysis. And the more one delves into the ABBA women's vocal prowess, the admiration of just how good they were (and are) grows. Over the years, we've had some glimpses of ABBA's studio methods through interviews with their old sound engineer, Michael Tretow and the excellent books by Carl Magnus Palm.
A few years ago, the producer Gregg Field gave a fascinating interview with the ABBA Fan Club. He was producing the 'Duets' album for Jazz trumpeter, Arturo Sandoval and Anni-Frid had contributed with a Spanish version of 'Andante Andante'. A further insight into how ABBA recorded was revealed. After a few run through's of the song, they went for a proper recorded 'take'.
'Half way through the fourth take when she sang a wrong lyric, she stopped and laughed. These days, when singers record and make a mistake, we roll back a bit and ‘punch-in’ to the recording. I asked Frida if she wanted to punch-in, and she said, “No, ABBA never recorded like that,” and she would sing it from the beginning. Nobody does that these days. Frida began to sing the fifth take and what became the vocal you hear on the recording. It was a flawless and breathtaking performance. We then watched as Frida built that ABBA sound. She began by tripling her lead vocal with a precision I have rarely experienced in the studio. She then added the harmony parts and, when finished, came into the studio to listen back. For the first time, we all heard Frida’s amazing vocals with Arturo’s soaring trumpet, and it was very emotional for all of us.'
This from a guy who is a multiple Grammy winner and worked with many of the great singers about a woman who hadn't recorded an album since 1996. This was also around the time that the first two songs of 'Voyage' were being recorded. When you've 'got it', you've 'got it'. Four tremendous talents.
A would just like to say you are spot on thank you that feels that has came from the heart ...
And a lot of hard work.
Amazing detailed analysis thank you so much. 👍❤️🎶🎶🎶👌
Perfect practice makes perfect. Whenever I flub a lyric in rehearsing I slways make myself start over, it also helps your body physically remember the breathing, stsnce, and movement to get you through the verse and then have more time to express/convey/add dynamics without having to concntrate just on the line.
Yes Dear! Amen to that true Statement!!,!👍❤🎶
Only ABBA could dominate the disco world in the 70s, get back together after 40 years with a new album, and STILL absolutely nail it!! Absolute legends, I cannot stop playing my vinyl copy of voyage ❤️
Sorry, ABBA made ONE disco album. The y never were a straight Disco Band.
No autotune. Sheer genius. Who today has this type of accuracy, of pitch?? Anyone? Anyone?
My stepfather was a physicist but he also played first violin until an accident damaged his pinkie finger. He never listened to pop music except for ABBA because he said they had pretty much perfect voices.
I adore Keep an Eye on Dan. Just hooked to the sound they create on that one. If you ever have a chance you should also do an analysis on Anni-Frid’s voice. She did opera training back in the day alongside her work in ABBA. Her vocals in “I Let the Music Speak” absolutely blows me away (not opera but it’s definitely one where she really shows off her skills) She has an absolutely gorgeous singing voice that has only become more rich with the decades. Her performance of Bumblebee and I Still Have Faith in You on Voyage had me so happy (and singing along as well!) As someone between a lower mezzo and lighter-sounding contralto the sound and richness of her voice has inspired me so much to appreciate my vocal range (and the fact that I’ll just never be a soprano…) and keep developing and improving what I do have. I know this is random coming from a 19-year-old American in this century, but Anni-Frid has just been so inspiring to me as a person and as someone who wants to develop musically and vocally. Can’t say it enough!
"Frida" was NEVER an opera singer. She was a jazz and lounge singer. I'm not. Saying her voice isn't good, she won a prestigious talent show, and had a #1 hit. If you want to compare the two singers, Agnetha's first #1 was a song she wrote and performed when she was 17. She had multiple hits, different record labels and more of a following than the other 3 combined prior to ABBA. She could be compared to the Swedish version of Taylor Swift in her time.
@@mountain262 Annifrida voice has high quality vocals, and she is opera, go take a look at the Oliva Newton Jonhs TV special where you will hear Annifrida opera vocals...then come back and tell me she isn't lol.😂 tune your ears in Shannon.
@@mountain262 Goodness me Shannon!
Go back and re read what Michelle wrote.
Then come back and tell me where she said that Frida was an opera singer.
As a side note her voice lends itself very well to opera.
But for you to call Frida a jazz lounge singer and then to say you’re not saying her voice isn’t good just takes the biscuit! It is insulting.
Frida is one of the greatest singers of all time.
Oh, and please don’t compare a young Agnetha to Tay Tay. Agnetha is in a different league. Always has been, always will be.
Frida got opera training as ahobby. She sung in a opera style voice on a olivia newton john special, and a couple other songs.
Your comment is anything but random. It's infromative, passionate and convincing. Frida is an incredible singer and I am also blown away by her perfromance on Voyage.
Her voice is just like a warm blanket that envelopes the listener.
Good luck to you in the music world!
Yes, Agnetha doesn't just sing - she is THE most expressive storyteller; it's so much more than words and notes. Listen to 'I Can Be That Woman'. I've a feeling 'Keep an Eye on Dan' will be the next single.
Looking forward to the Voyage concert in May and how they mix the live band with the original vocal recordings.
Another great video, Fil.
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A world without autotune !
Interesting analysis! As a Swede and longtime ABBA fan, I was so shocked and happy when they announced that they were going to release a new album after all these years. I really like the new songs and I think Agnetha and Frida sound amazing! 😊
And with the success of Voyage let’s hope that encourages them to keep working on songs 😁
Maybe Agnetha doesn't have the voice anymore so they used it a little bit. But she's still amazing.
No autotune because they Anni-Frid (Frida) and Agnetha can actually Sing unlike modern pop.
When I was a little kid I couldn't talk properly or read at all and I would usually point my finger if I want something. But when Mama Mia came out my dad said here is a group who couldn't speak english properly and he told me just to copy what they did. So I did, even though I couldn't speak properly and maybe didn't hold a tune that I learnt to speak english by imitating ABBA singing. Watching their videos and listening to their records helped me to speak english. As well as appreciate their talent.
Both Frida and Agnetha have perfect pitch. I'll just leave it at that😎❤
Frida is awesome!!!!
dont be a small minded pratt
So, so interesting to listen to your analyses. Agnethas voice is outstanding, still I never thougt of her having that amazing range. Judt loved her. All the reactions one can listen to today has really made me listening to ABBA again and in a different way than when I grew up with them. Voices, guitars, bases, words, harmonies, you name it. I knew I must have loved them for some reason! ;o)
Wow I am a big fan from the beginning of Agnetha and I always says that she is one of the best singers of the world. Thank for analyse this. Nice!!!!!
I was a bit guilty of some musical snobbery back in the day. I heard Dancing Queen and just wrote ABBA off as a disco group and I had no interest. Later I heard Fernando on the car radio and my jaw dropped when the DJ said "That was ABBA." Songs like Fernando, Chiquitita, Take a Chance on Me and many others proved what a great pop song writing team Benny and Bjorn was and how beautiful the girl's voices were either singing alone or in harmony
Yes, ABBA was regularly as good as the writers of Sugar, Sugar.
Swell.
Anyone who claimes abba is nothing but superficial and laughably cheesy is truly musically illiterade.
I loved pop, rock and disco so ABBA's disco style songs were a bonus.
Dancing Queen is my least favorite song of theirs. But the rest are magical! Fernando and Chiquitita are some of my faves.
Yep Fil, ABBA is probably the Only Group with 2 Top-Level Singers, who are Technically Gr8 and have Incredible Tone, especially when they sing in Unison. Best Group of ALL-Time, IMHO. Cheers from Damo.
Nuts baby, this lady can hit a note.
ABBA was always a band that was easy to pass off as a gimmick from Eurovision, but their talent was evident.
Yep, they were much more musically solid than the typical Eurovision act. In a Swedish context they were a bit of a "supergroup" - all four were famous and had achieved success on their own years before the band was formed. Benny and Björn came from two leading Swedish 60s bands and had been writing songs (and producing other artists) for years. Most Eurovision acts don't even write their own material, something ABBA did right from the start (sometimes with their manager Stikkan helping out with the English lyrics during the first few years). I think one proof of their skill as songwriters is how their songs have been adapted into lots of styles (by other acts and on tribute albums) without losing shape or sounding silly.
"Always" and "gimmick"are a bit strong words.n Anyone who listened to their output after Waterloo knew that they were a musical force to reckon with. Some of the so called experts often dismissed their music because they were buffled by their extraordinary success-without trying to please "progressive" critics.
Agnetha Fältskog, she is an angel to me.
Great analisys, Fil. Thank you 🖤🤘🏽
ABBA was criminally criticized over the years as “too pop”, “too disco”, “too ______”, yet today, looking back, we see the brilliance of all 4 and how good they truly are. I had always liked them, though I was more into hard rock back in the 70’s, I knew talent when I heard it. I was studying for a music (teaching) degree and was able to tear apart sounds. Not to mention I had a huge crush on Agnetha… 😏
greedy abba is to greedy to stop
@@robertradwanski7982… they didn’t release any studio album of new music between 1982 and 2021
She's 70 something now. It wouldn't bother me a bit if they did a little dodging and burning with her vocal. I'm just happy they got in the studio and made some music again. They are good songs and well produced IMO. Thank you for the analysis Fil.
What a fantastic analyse of real singer capacity,we do not have today...
I found this analysis so very fascinating and interesting, thanks ! The quality of both Agnetha and Frida's individual voices and then that combined third voice
Really interesting analysis! And nice how you pointed out Agnetha's vibrato. She has one of my favourite vibratos in the music world. An analysis of Frida would be interesting as well, especially considering her low notes in "I Still Have Faith In You" and early songs like "Money Money Money". They do sound differently. And she is an outstanding vocalist, of course.
Yes please! Can we have an analysis of a Frida vocal too - to balance things out!
I remember them winning Eurovision when i was 11yrs old,and started collecting the monthly magazines that were released..in one it said that more often than not,when ready for the recording,it was sung from start to finish without a break. Now that is the talent of these two ladies..to still enjoy their voices today,we are all so lucky to have them here,right now.Happy New Year everyone.
They are the Gods of pop. ♥
I grew up with Abba as a child, but when thinking of Agnetha's extraordinary voice, the first song that usually comes in my mind (or inner ear) is her solo record "The Heat is on" from the early 80s. It's so fresh and clean up to the highest notes. Another great song for analysing her voice in isolation is probably "Slipping through my Fingers" from the Visitors album, although the refrain is sung closely together with Frida.
Michael hi there, her 1981 raw live performance to "STMF" on the Dick Cavet show is thrilling and a great example of her great vocal technics.Frida's backing support to this live version esp doing falseto's was exceptional.She even made it sound as Agnetha's vocal double(on purpose!.)That's more than a blissful coincidence but also a gifted skill.
Thanks for another great analysis. I grew up with this great Swedish group from the 70's-80's & had lots of their records. Nice to see them back again recording after all these years.
Those tuned sections are very likely intentionally planned. Their effect, however, could not have been successfully achieved had she not also intentionally kept it a bit flat, with the same controlled consistency when heard unaltered. So she's as skilled at 'bottom of the pitch' as top-down. THAT'S the amazing thing, really.
Bernhard Löhr was the person who was mixing this album and he has said that they haven't used autotune. I think both as respect of their voices and as a protest of autotune.
In the old days hardly no band went into the studio and just performed their songs in an hour and two and that was it. No, they where in the studio for months trying to perfect their singing and playing instruments and cut and paste everything to end up with a good end result. Now they can instead use autotune and pitch correction to speed up the process and not wear out the singers. When listening to Agnetha it sounds very weird thru a proper HiFi system at the places in the song that Fil points out so something have been done and it's pretty much impossible to hit the notes so accurately on the lines running up the scale the way she did. Perhaps it's a lot of manual pitch correction being done in post production if Löhr actually tells the truth. I wouldn't think that a 71 year old Agneta can spend weeks in the studio without her stiff vocal cords taking damage. So they had to do it this way to save her voice.
@@urbanlarsson8252 I think you're right. No doubt he meant that they didn't simply go in and sing badly and let auto-tune deal with it. Applying tuning to specific words in a specific part of the song, and for reasons other than being unable to hit the notes, is not what people would normally mean when they talk about auto-tune.
Haven't watched the video yet but, can't believe ABBA would need/want to correct the vocals. They were always impeccable. I'll watch this when I get a chance.
This was super interesting. Thank you for doing that. As many have said below, Frida deserves one too...I Let The Music Speak or The King Has Lost His Crown vs any song on Voyage.
Urs Geiser
Thanks for this great voice analysis. It's remarkable despite of the LADIES ages.
You - as professional - has surely realized (a few fans haven't, specially the one, who suggest Frida), that Agnetha starts singing in Keep An Eye On Dan till "... he loves his dad too" by 19:50, then Frida takes the lead vocal with "And I love him too" till the refrain (in the short promo studio video everybody can see it), then both sing the refrain.
Every of the two LADIES has her own resonance (good reconizable), also her own technic and vibrato.
Both voices are phenomenal, alone, but also together with their unique harmonies.
Thing is with ABBA is that their voices weren't perfect 100% but they harmonised to the point that it sounded like one ....and although their songs seem simple they're really not, hence so many singers can't sing the songs. And as someone else has said there's bound to be a difference between singing at 28 29 and at 71
What is important, and perhaps why so many singers can't sing their songs is that both Agnetha and AnnaFrid both studied singing long before ABBA was formed. In many of the songs there were sections sung in unison (the crossover of soprano/mezzo-soprano), and having small intervals (singing together) mostly inside a major 3rd. As well there was dialogue; one sings a solo, then the other an answering one. A differing, but equally successful (for the time, late 1950's-early 1960's) in the form of a duet were the Everly Brothers, using a major 6th as a common pitch interval... Now that brings me to The Mamas and the Papas, who were pioneers of the 2 male, 2 female vocal format, but through a number of distractions dispersed in a relatively short period. Definitely an influence...
@@jamesatkinson6480 Interesting. When I was growing up I "discovered" the Everly Brothers (I was allowed to play the records of the people I babysat for) and loved their harmonies. I always knew my fandom for ABBA formed because of the harmonies (although of course each lady is a stunningly talent singer in their own right). There is just something about the blending of voices that works for me I guess.
@@michelemercier2286 That's the "Third voice of ABBA", the two girls together.
@@darkiee69 Yes. And as much as I admire Agnetha and Frida's voices individually, the "Third Voice" is what really made and kept me a fan.
Not perfect? Untrue. They are perfect. The control they have over their voices is nothing I’ve heard elsewhere.
Hole in Your Soul…give it a listen.
"I'm not the one you knew, I'm now and then combined"
Really enjoyed this Fil, thank you! I was born mid-60s and while I got in on the tail end of disco (I took disco dance lessons one summer even! Haha), I did really like ABBA. Our music was so different then from now. I like a lot about all of our eras in music (not necessarily every genre), at this point I'm still partial to the 80s and 90s, I appreciate much from every decade though. I still feel very connected to music in the current years. This was a lot of fun, I'm really happy that ABBA is still making music, such beautiful people truly. Thank you for picking this group to do a focus video on their sound and amazing tone accuracy.
I'll add, I really enjoy bands that reinvent and stay relevant, like Bowie did, Duran Duran is also a good example. I love the efforts and results that come from all their work. Their appeal stays shiny for me when they can achieve this. Maybe do a video on Duran Duran or David Bowie sometime? I don't have a specific song or period but you have a lot of older material from both bands along with a lot of current potential auto tuned works. I have nothing against auto tune used without claims of not using it. It does disappoint me when singers claim they are all natural yet it's obvious they aren't through efforts like yours in putting vocals to the test with pitch software. Thanks again! Really enjoy all of your work... Plus hey, you're easy on the eyes and ears too, doesn't hurt. :D
Wow, first start off Fantastic, Loved all, Great job !!! Beautiful voice,
Thank you for sharing.
Agnetha is a goddess. We all know this. It’s good to have confirmation though.
Thank you for such a professional and in-depth analysis! 🙋🏻♂️😊
as an assistant engineer and engineer at CTS studios in the days of tape, we were very skilled at cutting tape in this way. It was our everyday cut and paste.
Been a fan of ABBA for all these years. No band ever comes close to them in the aspect of beautiful lyrics. All their songs has MEANING, and that is what is sadly lacking in this present generation of songs. Parents could take their kids to the live show and expect nothing more than beautiful evening out with good lyrics, and no vulgar crass that we have now. Nobody can touch ABBA, period
The drop to D flat is the trademark "tear" in her voice.
The best episode yet, Fil! Agnetha Fältskog, is my all-time favourite, and is undoubtedly the abbasolute finest female pop vocalist in history! A fair and honest assessment... And I totally agree with you that Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus probably used the current technology (and sparingly) to make the mix and the overall sound of the album sound more up-to-date. Keep up the great work. Cheers! 🍻
Michael B Tretow was their engineer back in the day, and he was a genius. He'd put a thin piece of tape on the capstan of the tape recorder to get a slight pitch shift when doing multi track voices. And he had a lot of other tricks up his sleeve as well. He was heavily inspired by Phil Spector and the "Wall of sound", but did it his way.
You can actually hear the difference between Tretow recorded ABBA and Benny Andersson‘s re-imagined ABBA. Totally different sound.
@@Claude_van This is true. I missed the Michael B Tretow magic. But I read that, sadly, he had/has been unwell so couldn't make this one.
Agnetha and Frida are some of the best in the business.
Love ABBA music
I always presumed they had always done so. Love them though from 1974 till today. Their music always makes you happy..even when the songs are sad. There is a sweetness , kindness to their music.
It's emotionally comforting.
Abba,s songs had so much drama and complexity while being truly memorable. Nothing compares to them.
@@tullfan2560 Exactly!
Yet another very interesting and educational video. I was blown away when Agnetha nailed her vocal, exactly the same way twice. I am not entirely convinced that is the exact same take twice, the waveforms in the vibratos don't match perfectly. Of course, with digital copy and paste production techniques, they would be an exact match. They wouldn't necessarily by identical by the techniques we used in the 70s. Because by 1970 no-one would ever grab the scalp and splicing tape to drop in a vocal. it was too delicate, destructive and time consuming.The actual technique was to dub off a copy of the vocal track only (mute all other output channels when recording your copy), sync the two takes, then mute the vocal from take two for the segment being replaced. Then record the edit by bouncing both vocal takes down to a new, separate track. Then you have all three versions available for the mix down to a stereo master tape, instead of just one spliced version.
Oh, by the way you describe how you are capturing your pitch map segments,
and because when a copy was dubbed off to be dropped ("copied and pasted") into another take it would not be 100% exactly identical to the original, the minor discrepancies in the vibratos in the two pre-choruses are not proof you're wrong about them being the same take twice. It's thousands of times more likely that the tiny differences are artifacts of the process, than that the same vocalist hit the same line so close to exactly the same twice in a row.
Coming up in the digital age you have missed the joy of invention and discover of the old tape processes. And the heartache of destroying something
beautiful and irrecoverable in the process of creating a new, hopefully better thing. That heartache more than anything else lead us to almost doing away with splicing even before digital recording was invented.
Hi Bro, great analysis.
I'm a musician too and after checking out on what you commented, I BEG to differ from your analysis on Agnetha's vocal (and on Frida's vocal too, if anyone pass the same verdict on her). On this point I agree 💯 with Sintemal's arguments.
For me, there's more than enough evidence that Agnetha's and Frida's vocals NEED NO vocal auto tunes or pitch corrections.. they're just PERFECT as they are without having to be mechanically corrected.
I have SOO much love, respect and admiration for ABBA 😊😄❤️👍
Yes it's exactly what I'm saying, they don't need it, it is being used artistically for effect ☺
👍😀Thank you for this Fil ❗From an ABBA fan (since 1976).
Hmmmm... Benny and Bjorn claim they didn't use autotune... in any case, ABBA are the most under-rated band of all time. They are genius, and Agnetha and Frida are among the best pop sopranos and mezzo-sopranos in the world.
They used Pro Tools pitch correction.
Underrated? What planet are you on?
@@davidsiegfriedklinger2422 I said under-rated, not over-rated. How old are you? I'm 75, the same age as ABBA so I've been a fan since the beginning. Most people in North America considered them a "pop-joke" in the beginning, but no-one is laughing now, finally coming to their senses and realizing how good they really are. They just released Voyage in their 70s that went platinum in 2 weeks, what other group can claim that?
Still not underrated! Remind how millions of records they have sold and many No 1 they had???
Much of this with vocal pitch 'accuracy' comes from practising scales and arpeggios in training, long before ABBA was formed. What made their great style was using the two female vocals of different natural range. (Agnetha (soprano) 'Freda (mezzo-soprano)). A slight 'sharp' on a lead vocal note makes for a prominent solo (statement), cutting through the accompaniment...
I think I saw that the first song on the album has 34 plus million views on youtube. Another track over 27 million. Think they are no longer relevant? The first song on side 2 is " I Can Be That Woman" Just beautiful. One of my favorite ABBA songs ever.
Very clear explanation! I knew of ABBA, but didn't really have a picture of them in my mind, so I asked Google for some and, wow, very snazzy flashy costumes! It turns out that Swedish tax law allowed the cost of the clothes to be deducted if they could ONLY be worn for performing!
@@brianwhittington5086 Haha!!! Thanks, Brian, I will!
@@brianwhittington5086 Check out Roxy Music in the early 1970s. They had even weirder outfits than ABBA back then.
I'm a hard-core life-long ABBA fan and I LOVE this new album. Benny and Bjorn used modern recording technology to ENHANCE and improve the classic ABBA sound to its full potential. I am very confident that they will record at least one more new album.
I so appreciate this perspective Fil. Thank you for sharing this video with us.
That was very fascinating. I've been a great admirer of Frida & Agnetha's vocals since I was a little kid. The power and versatility that they brought to the music through the decades has been incredible. I know the ladies put a lot of work into layering to achieve a choir effect on many of their finest recordings. On a recording such as Chiquitita, the vocals during the verses are soft and calm, but then the choruses on this particular track really take a lot of energy and control. They knock the vocals out of the park on that one. Also, very interesting to see the copy and paste of "no-one to hear my prayer", but it left me thinking "did they paste it for a third time after the bridge, previous to the final choruses?" It's very close, but I can't tell 😁 Thanks Fil 👌💗
Thanks!
Interesting. I don't know anything about musical technique, so I had no idea that Agnetha was such an accurate a singer - I just knew she was (is) an amazing one. Likewise, my untrained ears didn't pick up any auto tune or pitch correction on the new album, but I know I don't necessarily "hear" it so that's no surprise. I kind of sense it in some cases but this album - I didn't, so I was certainly curious to see what the software revealed. I don't think this would have been an attempt to sound modern - Benny and Bjorn specifically said in an interview they weren't trying to do that - they didn't intend to sound like Drake, I believe is how they put it. But as an artistic choice, I can see that. These guys have never been adverse to new technology (like a virtual tour!). They have used synthesizers to alter the singers' voices in the past (the "everyone's a freak" line in "Me and I" for example). So if they though it would add to the mood of "Don't Shut Me Down" to, as was mentioned in another comment, make the vocal more mechanical sounding due to the character of the song being a hologram, I could see them using the tools at their disposal. As for "Keep An Eye on Dan" the character of the song is trying to hold it together - so sounding a bit mechanical combined with the emotion in her voice achieves that sense. Of course I've been a fan since I was a kid, so I am biased.
Loved every second of this.. Great job
Wow, I came to your channel lured by the auto-tune info and found a whole treasure trove of fantastic critical analyses of bands I absolutely love! So I started back at the beginning and sampled more than a couple and have learned so much already. I look forward to looking through the back catalogue and even more to your new episodes. Big thanks from a new subscriber! Peace from Ohio …
Great content FIL! I think they wanted to sound modern but also she isn't young anymore. I think she sounded awesome.
First of all, thank you for your ongoing search for vocal honesty these days! I also prefer singers who are actually capable of singing and don't require technical help with their intonation. But if one searches as eagerly as you do, isn't there a certain danger of false positives?
So, you made me really curious whether that end of the second verse of "Gimme, gimme, gimme" was actually a copy of the first one - just as you declared it to be. You show the pitch curve in both cases, so I figured I could check it for myself.
To do this, I made a screenshot of the video when you show the end of verse one and a second screenshot for the end of verse two. The curves are quite similar, indeed, but clearly different. It's actually plain to see if you take the time to compare them side to side. This shows to me that Agnetha really did the second time with the very same accuracy - which is quite impressive, I think.
So, please don't be too quick and alway take a close enough look before asserting something that many people will believe you without verifying it for themselves.
Likewise, given that Agnetha is such an expressive singer, a mere change in the timbre of her voice cannot be enough evidence that some of her surprisingly accurate intonations in the recent ABBA songs were created or adjusted by artificial means. Actually, with such a precise and, at the same time, highly expressive singer, it might even be impossible to figure this out with any reasonable degree of certainty.
Furthermore, Agnetha's and Frida's vocals have traditionally been and, according to studio footage of the new album, still are recorded together. They have become famous for their astonishingly precise vocal harmonies and, even more, their unisons which have been termed "the third voice". Since they are always recorded together (for "Gimme, gimme, gimme" they even used the same microphone placed between them), none of the two singers could have been pitch-corrected separately.
And, thus, they both must be singing really, really precise to make that famous unison effect even possible. Their famous vocal harmonies and unisons are still present on the recent album. To me, that is yet another argument against Agnetha needing technological help with her intonation. The precision she needs for those exact harmonies and unisons with Frida gives us a good indication of the amount of control she must still have over her voice. And, vice versa, the same goes for Frida.
Concluding, I would say, there is rather more evidence for two still (after four decades) amazingly precise and talented singers than for the assumption that any one of them was pitch-corrected.
Cheers and happy new year from Vienna,
Harald
And to you too!
Great analysis! Thanks for share
Hi Sintemal😊👍. I've checked out on what you said too, and I think I agree with you 💯 that when those who are technically knowledgeable pass comments on Agnetha's (or Frida's) vocal, they SHOULD be done with GREAT responsibility, carefully and meticulously.
For me, there's more than enough evidence that Agnetha's and Frida's vocals NEED NO vocal auto tunes or pitch corrections.. they're just PERFECT as they are without having to be mechanically corrected.
I have SOO much love, respect and admiration for ABBA 😊😄❤️👍
I wish all musicians would listen to both your analyses! Especially the wanna be musicians in the music scene today. Maybe they could hear and see the truth, and honestly face the music. I loved both of your opinions and critiques of Agnetha's vocals. I also questioned whether they copied the second phrase in Gimme Gimme Gimme, then when you mentioned Frida stood across from her during the recording, I knew you were correct because I have seen that video many times! I have a good ear for pitch, and as a teen in high school, our choir and two select groups I was in sang ABBA songs. This was 1976-1979. I used to aggravate some of my fellow vocalists because I would point out who was flat and who was sharp. I guess I was young and stupid at the time. They voted .me "best ears" my senior year, which was not what I particularly wanted to be remembered for!
I think there may have been some pitch correction in Keep an Eye on Dan, however. The notes go up and down so much in every phrase, I think it would almost be impossible to hit the pitch straight on, on each note. Especially when on the final notes of the phrase she goes a bit flat. It would be much easier to hit the last notes or at least correct the last note from flat to spot on by sliding up a bit. Also the final note has the verbrado, giving someone even more time to correct the pitch. (That is something I have to do myself when I sing Gimme Gimme Gimme at the end of each of those same phrases...but to the CD) But if her final notes were a bit flat, but yet easier to hit, then how come all the notes where her voice had to keep going up and down are completely on pitch?
Anyway, it doesn't matter to me what they did, because they are still the best! No other group could even attempt what they can still do in their 70's! I really loved your analysis, and I loved this entire video!
Servus Harald, ich denke, Du hast recht. Ich hatte schon bedauert, dass er bei "Gimme Gimme Gimme" die beiden Aufnahmen nicht übereinander gelegt hat. Dann könnte man sehen, ob kopiert wurde oder nicht.
Thank you for doing this video Fil!
One of my favorite solos by Agnetha Faltskog is “I Won’t Let You Go.” A most underrated song. I urge every ABBA fan to listen to it.
Amazing song!
Not underrated at all!
I like it too.
But my definite favourite from that album is "Man".
ABBA's intention was to record a trend-blind "farewel"l album not so unbashefully modernized,but consiously and artistically raw and pure.It's far more decent and honest than a lot of Faceless and unemotional music that polutes the charts of today.A+F were the hottest vocal babes i'm sure many would have killed to have them singing in their band!You being a rocker praising Agnetha's skills showed lack of predjudice and well intented judgement.You made me proud of my heroes.I love you man!You made a popmusic lover happy n proud...
Back in the 70s and 80s, the punks liked ABBA because their music was real.
@@tullfan2560 i realized that later on.Actually twas mainly the USA n UK press and rock critics and venomous "specialists" that were dismissing them as" non serious" "commercial crap" and stuff.But famous rockers and punks could see that Abba were real pop masters and some became closet lovers of their music while others publicly admitted their love such as R.Blackmoore did in 1979.I know I.Dury,,Springsteen,guys from Clash etc had joined the audience in their '79 gigs.Thanks for commenting Tull Fan.
@@Spo-Dee-O-Dee Hi Eric HNY!Well i lived all that ABBAera in real time and i know how it felt.Cheesy or not i assume it was at least honest and naive and pure.Abba represented for many "hard" rockers n metal heads the joyful, and sensitive part of their selves.And what is soft and vulnerable we tend to hide it.It's a kind of self defence.It's human after all.Stay safe.
@@alexioverdo5225 Back in the day, there was a school of thought that bubblegum pop should have its head chopped off. Bono of U2 said he was happy to be the one to carry the axe. After a while, the penny dropped in the rock community how much more there was to ABBA when SOS first came out. It showed a more nuanced and complex side to the band. Later on, Bono invited Benny and Bjorn up on stage with U2 at one of their concerts. Most famously, John Lennon, Pete Townshend and Gene Simmons all had flattering things to say about ABBA. And then they stopped, which sort of suggests that further comparisons with ABBA might not be good for their own careers.
@@tullfan2560 Yes i know Tull.Finally today its not so uncool for musicians from different music field to praise Abba.Such as D.Grohl/Slipknot/Bjork/A+N.Wilson/Jake Buggs/J.F from RHCP/D.Leppard/B.Corgan from S.Pumpkins/N.Gallaher/F.Mac's L.Buckinham/Portishead/Porcupine Tree's St.Wilson/Lemmyonce of Motorhead...to name but a few.My hat off to them.
It requires a special talent because not only she is nailing it, she is also singing in a foreign language, which makes it more difficult....Phil this is great stuff, you and Rick Beato had made my understanding of music wayy more profound, thanks. BTW the edit would have been done by recording the vocals to a 4 track and edit there and then back to the 2 inch tape.
I subscribed to your channel yesterday - really fascinating analyses on a lot of artists that mean a lot to me. Glad to have found your channel! I totally agree with you that the choice of using pitch correction on "Keep An Eye On Dan" was an attempt to make it sound more contemporary, and hence an artistic decision.
Thanks for another really interesting analysis. Hope you had a great New Years! Looking forward to another year of education, entertainment, listening , Live Streams and laughing!
We also have to remember that in 1979, Agnetha was 29. In 2021, she turned 71. Not many male singers can maintain that level of accuracy over that time naturally. Given also that she did very little singing for decades makes her latest vocals even more remarkable. Thanks Fil, as illuminating as ever.
Yeah, i also instantly thought that and even though im mostöy against using auotune and pitch correction i feel it can be a justifiable "crutch" therefore. I really love Agnetha and Anni- Frid s singing and voices myself and i grew up hearing them on the records here in Sweden in the 70´s. Im a musican myself that write,records and produces more at a hobby/semi pro level but the music i play is Heavy metal, but i love a lot of different music.
@Coupe DeVille Agnetha released solo albums in 1983, 1985, 1987, 2004 and 2013.
"male" singers, isin't Agnetha Female?
@@GothicLightingQueen I think the statement about male singers is true (Elton John admits a lowering pitch of his vocal range (tenor - baritone)), but think the intention Coupe Deville was to refer to female vocalists..
@@jamesatkinson6480 Sorry I thought you said Agnetha was a man, my bad
This was a really fascinating analysis. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights!
Would you do this also with a Frida lead please? Knowing Me, Knowing You or Fernando for example vs I Still Have Faith In You. Fridas warm tone and vibrato should be interesting, I think.
It's Bumblebee that I think sounds the most natural on the new record.
I agree... she's technically brilliant.. Woukd love to hear her songs analysed
Yes, so many have said she's technically the better singer, has the wider range and pitch perfect. She's known for being spot on when it comes to singing in tune, even Phil Collins was surprised how good she was, so it would be interesting.
What about ‘No Doubt About it’ ? Really allows her voice to open up & shows what she’s still capable of at 76. Astounding!
Absolutely Awesome Video Pil
cheers for that, that was really interesting from start to finish, i have learnt sumthing new today :)
OOOO! ANOTHER GREAT BAND! EXCITED TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER, IN THE WAY OF AN EXPERT'S OPINION!
I hope you have room for another subscriber/fan!
Always!🙂👍
Happy New Year, Fil May 2022 bring you peace, happiness, and more success!
I agree with you Fil, that the pitch-correction is probably for artistic purposes. I did see that they are using computer technology in preparation for a concert, such as creating avatars of themselves. I'm guessing it is to give audiences the live and current ABBA experience with a virtual version of the younger ABBA. The pitch-correction probably adds to the experience they are creating as well as fitting in with modern music. I prefer their natural voices, but I am just happy that they have released new music.
Great analysis, thank you!! Respect!!
It just might be a "protest" against autotune 😂 I hope so fil! Wow, that's so interesting. Music is what feelings sound like...therefore, I don't like autotune! Another great analysis, thank you fil!🌷
Only for voice? How about a piano need attention... or a one sting guitar that is out of tune" .. can that make beautiful music?
You realllllly love Agnetha's voice. But I'm glad you take pains to not dismiss Frida too much. Nice explanation about the tuning and how Benny & Bjorn used the techniques creatively. Bravo.
2'nd video I've watched from you. Well done.
Another good one Fil. These are all so very interesting 😊🙋🏼♀️
One has to appreciate that Agnetha is a lot older now, and she went through long periods where she did not sing at all, and one can get rusty. I think she said in one of her interviews there was a time when she went back to a vocal coach to help get her voice back into shape, so there are a lot of factors to consider here.
Thank you for this review. I did enjoy it. :)
Excellent analysis. Re. the copy and paste part of Agnetha's vocal: I think by 1979 they had the technology to simply bounce Agnetha's isolated vocal down onto another tape 'track'' [they were using 24 track machines at this point] if they wished to re-use it on another section of the song rather than physically cut it out and splice as per in the earlier days of the recording industry.
Great. It would be very interesting to do the same comparison with Frida's lead vocals on - let's say - 'I Let the Music Speak' from The Visitors (1981) and 'Bumblebee' from Voyage (2021). These were the two songs that were played in the BBC programme in November, where Frida was interviewed by Zoe Ball. It stroke me how good she still sounded, when hearing 'Bumblebee', but also how much her voice had changed since 1981. It would be so much fun to hear your analysis of these two great (though lesser known) songs.
There are some vocal combinations that when blended together create musical magic. Agnetha and Frida of ABBA are a perfect example. In my eyes, and ears, they can do no wrong. While watching this video (very good analysis by the way) two other unique female performers came to mind. Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of The B52s. The outstanding and rather unusual harmonics that occur when they duet is an extraordinary aural experience. I'd so enjoy seeing you break down the kitschy artistry of The B52s through their production techniques. Love your videos. Keep up the great content. You're amazing.
She has said many times in interviews her greatest vocal infliuence was Connie Francis, and in some songs, such as "Hasta Manana", you can really hear that Connie Francis influence in her phrasing and vibrato.
Yes, Connie was her idol, and Connie's idol was Mario Lanza. With that kind of musical lineage, it's no wonder that Agnetha sounds so good.
Would love to see a comparison of Agnethas A Album. Still love her and the group. Her voice on that album was as if it never left.