You Voulez, I Vous

Bear with me. I'm sure I read somewhere that Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus wrote a song for a Bond film, probably Voulez Vous, but naturally (or actually) it was declined.



Now, ABBA were 'big' 1974-84, so I assume this would've been a Moore film and probably in the 80s. Brian Wilson wrote "Pet Sounds" for a Bond film, supposedly, but was of course declined. We've had a few tracks declined since '62 including say Blondie's FYEO, Radiohead's Spectre and so on but what would an ABBA song have done? Or rather, would we have looked back on an ABBA song favourably?

If it was the right song for the right film, an ABBA song could've worked. After all the 60s had Tom Jones, the 70s Lulu and the mid 80s Duran Duran (the late 80s A-ha), so...would've it worked?

I can see Voulez-Vous fitting right in with Conti's score for FYEO.

I'd happily trade All Time High for an ABBA track for Octopussy. Perhaps if Bond went to Sweden instead of India (and Adams and Wayborn are Swedes) I can see it working very well. And with Barry collaborating with them to lend the Bondian touch, it could be one hell of a track, I agree.

ABBA have reunited, haven't they? There's still hope.

I can see an Abba Bond track definitely fitting in between '77 - '81, when the scores were flirting with disco.

An ABBA song certainly could've lasted the test of time like some of their songs (or at least still be popular after forty years). Definitely could've fitted in with FYEO, the Blondie song is not to far off an ABBA tune though different in its way.

Certainly if they had gone to Sweden for Bond, I dare push that we would've had ABBA cameo in some shape or form. Bond making an earmuff remark.

I'd wager their track would feel like The Living Daylights.

Hilly wrote:

I'm sure I read somewhere that Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus wrote a song for a Bond film, probably Voulez Vous, but naturally (or actually) it was declined.

We'd have to ask them while they're still around. Are they active on social media?

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

I'd wager their track would feel like The Living Daylights.

Hilly wrote:

I'm sure I read somewhere that Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus wrote a song for a Bond film, probably Voulez Vous, but naturally (or actually) it was declined.

We'd have to ask them while they're still around. Are they active on social media?

Not sure, I'll have to look at some point.

Something I kept forgetting to add to this thread was I wonder if they had worked together what Barry would've thought of ABBA.

He was quite dismissive of A-ha yet seemed to not mind Duran Duran. I like to think he would get on with Benny and Bjorn as they seem to be serious types when it comes to music, as it were.

For all the micktaking ABBA gets in some quarters, their music is relatively timeless. I mean, we still now say Dancing Queen, Waterloo et al compared to other's music.

Timeless indeed. It's no wonder when Gimme Gimme Gimme was remixed and rereleased last year it was such a hit.

Surely they were approached at some point.

I need to do some serious googling on this. As I say, I'm sure they did a song for Bond but was rejected. Their heyday was 74-84 so it'd have been the Moore era regardless. I think JB would've liked working with them compared with A-ha. He says.

Maybe they were approached for MR. Bassey was a last minute choice, wasn't she?

That was then, this is now ... they are back with a new album and gigs featuring their avatars (Abbatars?) at a purpose-built arena in London next year -

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/02/abba-reunite-for-voyage-first-new-album-in-40-years

There's still hope!

An Abba-sung theme song and a return to a 70s-style Rogscapade for Bond 26?

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

There's still hope!

An Abba-sung theme song and a return to a 70s-style Rogscapade for Bond 26?

I would support this. There are many, many worse options out there.