Tune du Jour: “Dancing Queen” – ABBA
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Milo Binder vs. Glow
Peruse, Comment and Vote (I Beseech, Implore and Urge Thee, respectively)
CoverMeImpressed.com CoverMeImpressed.com CoverMeImpressed.com
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And In My Hour of Need,
I Truly Am Indeed,
Alone Again, Broccoli …
Dancing Queen was released by ABBA in August 1976. It is commonly referred to as one of the most successful singles of the 1970s. Dancing Queen became a massive worldwide hit, topping the charts in more than a dozen countries including ABBA’s native Sweden (where it spent 14 weeks at the top), Australia, Belgium, Brazil, West Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico,the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway (where it charted for 32 weeks), making it the 11th best-performing single of all time in that country), South Africa and Rhodesia. Dancing Queen also topped the charts in the United States, ABBA’s only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a Top 5 hit in Austria, Canada, Finland, France and Switzerland. The song sold over three million copies. And yet, it is still remarkably atrocious. Or, to put it more technically, it is unequivocally an “auditive malady”.
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The Original
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ABBA:
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THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
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As alluded to above, despite the substantial acclaim achieved and accolades bestowed upon it, this is truly an abysmal song, the quintessential auditive malady. The 1970s probably produced the worst body of music in the last century and very possibly the entire history of the planet. And Dancing Queen certainly is exemplary in epitomizing all that was wrong with the 70s music scene; perfectly straight pearly white teeth centering witless, blissful, smiley faced “musicians” donning polyester, pastel leisure suits while assaulting the listening public with insipid lyrics that convey vapid bubble-gum bromides, which were required for the era’s pretentious dance gyrations and subsequent vacuous mating rituals. Songs of this era are easily mocked and lampooned.
Yet, despite covering a dead-weight anchor of a song, the offerings below are quite frankly brilliant, in that they manage to make this disaster (aka Dancing Queen) actually enjoyable and, particularly in the case of Milo Binder, sound poignant! Skeptical, are you? Well, bang on …
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Milo Binder vs. Glow
Milo Binder:
Milo Binder holds the distinction of being CMI’s Reigning Exultant Virtuosic Performer of Dancing Queen. Additionally, Milo Binder is a recipient of CMI’s universally coveted title of Uni Victor Melodious Maximus in Adversarial Replication. Among the title’s myriad of rewards and benefits, perhaps most desirous is that it bestows upon the recipient the eminently yearned for privilege of having one’s name appear in print media in bold yellow!
Milo Binder’s triumph in CMI’s THE CLASH of Cover Tunes competition is detailed below:
1/3/2014 – “Dancing Queen” (ABBA) – Milo Binder (84%) thumps Robbie Fulks (16%)
Glow:
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Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. Only one cover tune will live to play another day and it is your solemn responsibility to decide which one prevails. So tell me … Which Side Are You On?!!?
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Votes can be cast up to three months from the day and time of the original post.
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
I definitely like Binder’s version. It sounds enough different from the original to actually be enjoyable. But Glow’s version is even better. It sounds even less like the original, which is an even better thing, and sounds like a lot of fun. I expected to prefer Milo; but I’m going with Glow.
I went to the ABBA Museum when I went to Stockholm a few years ago. The museum had only been open a few weeks. I had to reserve my ticket online. Museum was great. Unlike y’all, I have no problem with ABBA.
I listened to all three and voted, but I’ll decline to comment. I’m still troubled by a word choice in the lyrics of “Hooked on a Feeling”. They sing “…thirsty for another cup of wine”. Why wouldn’t they say “glass of wine”? I know you need a one syllable word to fit the meter of the song, but “cup” and “glass” are each a single syllable. And who drinks wine from a cup?
Well, on one hand, if it is a fine enough vintage I just might drink wine from a spittoon. But I do hear what you’re saying. I never gave it any thought until I was researching videos for this competition and one of them showed a coffee cup with wine in it. I thought, “What the…” but that was about the extent of my reactions until I read your thoughtful comment.
I agree with Zaner that Glow’s version is excellent and it sounds like those guys were really have a good time doing it. But I’m simply mesmerized by Milo Binder’s version. It is superlative by any measure. I mean, Holy Gombolli, the damn song actually sound poignant in Binder’s care!!! Now ask yourself, how did he do that?!!?