Muzikland

來自“ABBA”(1975/Polydor) 專輯的第三張單曲為“救命” - “S.O.S.” ﹐這張單曲成績不單比“I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do”更好﹐而且可說是令 ABBA吐氣揚眉﹐因為它令他們重新打入 UK Top 10。

S.O.S. (1975/Polar/Polydor) Track List:
01 S.O.S.
02 Man In The Middle

當宣傳“ABBA”專輯時﹐經理人 Stig Anderson 根本未想過以 S.O.S. 作為主打單曲﹐然而首張單曲﹐雖然重覆著 Waterloo 的風格﹐卻帶來 Waterloo成效﹐也差點兒把 ABBA成為 One Hit Wonder﹐幸好 S.O.S. 為他們挽回人氣﹐打入英國流行榜第6位及美國 Billboard第20位﹐在澳洲﹑新西蘭﹑德國等地皆成為冠軍歌﹐而且也首次打入加拿大流行榜。

S.O.S. 在同年也有一個瑞典語版本誕生﹐名為 Elva kvinnor i ett hus (1975/Cupol)﹐ 同是 ABBA成員Agnetha Fältskog主唱﹐不過這乃屬於她個人專輯的歌曲。本來專輯全由她創作﹐可是唱片公司為了加強銷售保證﹐堅持她再放一首 ABBA歌曲進去。

雖然當年香港電視台還沒有甚麼 Music Channel成立﹐可是S.O.S. 卻是熱播的 MV之一﹐因為電視台節目尚有多餘的 Air Time﹐於是這些兩三分鐘的 MV正好適合充塞時間﹐而這個MV經常運用鏡子效果以高鏡頭拍攝樂團成員昂首演唱﹐更成為經典鏡頭。記憶中電影“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) 及 Muriel's Wedding (1994) 中的主角便經常模仿 ABBA MV而令人捧腹大笑。


S.O.S.﹕原收錄於“ABBA”(1975/Polydor) 專輯中。
(Benny Andersson / Stig Anderson / Björn Ulvaeus)


Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find
I tried to reach for you, but you have closed your mind
Whatever happened to our love?
I wish I understood
It used to be so nice, it used to be so good

So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me
S. O. S.
The love you gave me, nothing else can save me
S. O. S.
When you're gone
How can I even try to go on?
When you're gone
Though I try how can I carry on?

You seem so far away though you are standing near
You made me feel alive, but something died I fear
I really tried to make it out
I wish I understood
What happened to our love, it used to be so good

**********

相隔多年﹐Erasure也曾翻唱﹐推出“Abba-esque”(1992/Mute/Elektra) EP﹐當中便收錄了Take A Chance On Me。據 Erasure稱﹐他們的音樂深受 ABBA影響﹐故灌錄了這張EP向他們致敬﹐個人感覺他們的版本跟原唱相距甚遠﹐不過“Abba-esque”在英國流行榜稱冠達5星期﹐也成為90年代跟ABBA有關的一張重要唱片。

S.O.S.﹕原收錄於“Abba-esque”(1992/Mute/Elektra) EP中。
(Benny Andersson / Stig Anderson / Björn Ulvaeus)


**********

Man In The Middle: 原是單曲S.O.S. 的 B Side﹐收錄於“ABBA”(1975/Polydor) 專輯中。
(Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus)


Did you see that man in the limousine
With a pretty blond, he is fifty and the girls only seventeen
But she doesn’t care, and she never will
If he’s ninety-five she don’t give a damn
Just as long as he pays the bill

Did you see that man with a fat cigar
He just left his lunch with a belly full of lobster and caviar
He can choose the wine from a vintage year
He can drink champagne in his limousine
While the rest of us drink a beer

‘Cause he’s the man in the middle, never second fiddle
Just like a spider in a cobweb
Hard as a hammer, not the kind of boss you double-cross
‘Cause he’s the man in the middle, knows the way to diddle
He’s never bothered by his conscience
Deals with the devil, ‘cause he wants to be
Man in the middle, the middle, the middle
In the middle (in the middle, in the middle...)

But you see that man made a big mistake
Even though he’s got all his servants and a mansion beside a lake
And the money too, all that he can spend
He can buy the most, nearly anything
But he can’t buy an honest friend

‘Cause he’s the man in the middle, never second fiddle
Just like a spider in a cobweb
Hard as a hammer, not the kind of boss you double-cross
‘Cause he’s the man in the middle, knows the way to diddle
He’s never bothered by his conscience
Deals with the devil, cause he wants to be
Man in the middle, the middle, the middle
In the middle (in the middle, in the middle...)



ABBA Official Website: http://www.abbasite.com



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