Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums (ABBA’s “Greatest Hits”)

The Analog Kid blog has been featuring out-of-print ’80s albums on “The Lost Boys” series for quite a while, and now it’s time for the ’70s to join the party! “Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums” will give you the chance to listen to some great music from the ’70s that can no longer be easily acquired on-line or at your local record store (especially since many of you probably no longer even HAVE a local record store!).

The Analog Kid loves ABBA, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it if you examined my iTunes library. The only CD I own from the band is the Gold compilation, so my digital ABBA library was actually a bit underwhelming…until yesterday, that is! I spent a big chunk of the day ripping most of my ABBA LPs to digital format, and I am not ashamed to admit that I had a fabulous time in doing so. I even discovered a number of great songs from my childhood that I had forgotten about, and many of those songs are featured on the 1976 Greatest Hits compilation.

I was nine when I first heard “Fernando” on the radio, and in my mind that’s where my love of ABBA began. Can I admit something? As a kid, the song always made me think about the classic children’s book (and cartoon) Ferdinand The Bull. Remember Ferdinand? He liked to sit and smell the flowers!

Of course, the song “Fernando” had absolutely nothing to do with Ferdinand and his love of blossoms– but that didn’t matter to my young brain. ABBA had made a connection with me, and that connection became cemented with my purchase of the “Dancing Queen” single later that year. I still own that original 45, although I would not dare play it for fear that it would annihilate my stylus.

“That 45 is like Jimmy Carter in a disco: NO GROOVES.”

Although “Fernando” turned me into an ABBA fan, some of their earlier tracks obviously made an impression on me as well. As I was ripping the Greatest Hits record yesterday, I was surprised to find myself singing along to “Ring Ring” and “Honey Honey” even though I didn’t know that I knew them.

The version of Greatest Hits featured below is the U.S. vinyl version from 1976. The track listing differs from its European counterpart, as does the cover art. Greatest Hits was released on CD in the U.S. back in the ’80s, but it has been out of print for years. Take a moment to sit, smell the flowers, and listen to “Fernando”– it will become immediately clear why ABBA were already European superstars by the time I “discovered” this legendary pop music machine.

ABBA: Greatest Hits [U.S. Version]

Atlantic Records, 1976

Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

1. “S.O.S.” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson)

S.O.S.

2. “He Is Your Brother” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

He Is Your Brother

3. “Ring Ring” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson/Neil Sedaka/Phil Cody)

Ring Ring

4. “Another Town, Another Train” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

Another Town, Another Train

5. “Honey Honey” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson)

Honey Honey

6. “So Long” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

So Long

7. “Mamma Mia” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson)

Mamma Mia

8. “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson)

I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

9. “People Need Love” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

People Need Love

10. “Waterloo” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson)

Waterloo

11. “Nina, Pretty Ballerina” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

Nina, Pretty Ballerina

12. “Bang-A-Boomerang” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson)

Bang-A-Boomerang

13. “Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)

14. “Fernando” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

Fernando

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

ABBA: “Dancing Queen” (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus/Stig Anderson)

From the album Arrival

Atlantic Records, 1976

Dancing Queen