If you change your mind, I'm the first in line. Honey I'm still free. Take a chance on me

Hip to be Square

“Take a Chance on Me” by Abba (1977)

Back in the day, I would sometimes buy albums on spec. I had maybe heard one song on the album; not really knowing what it was. Sometimes you were pleasantly surprised. This was one of those times.

Peeling it out of its cellophane the album cover showed (to me) a more mature set of two couples enjoying some champagne in the back of a limo....So I threw on the album (o.k. gingerly placed), not expecting a lot really.

A funky piano intro and this weird sound on the stereo leading into this punchy bass beat and this exotic euro sound floating around on top of it with those voices. Those voices – controlled yet somehow evocatively emotional. What was going on? Who the hell was this band? ‘Mamma Mia’ what the hell is that? Some Italian thing?

All wet hey you might need a raincoat. Shakedown dreams walking in broad daylight. Three hun-dred six-ty five de-grees - burning down the house!

Quick Hit

“Burning Down the House” by Tom Jones and the Cardigans (2008)

Now in his seventies it is hard to believe that women used to throw undergarments at Tom Jones as he ripped it up in the swingin’ sixties. Such classics as “It’s Not Unusual”, “The Green, Green Grass of Home”, “She’s a Lady”. “Delilah”, “Daughter of Darkness”, “Help Yourself” and my favourite “What’s New Pussycat” topped the charts in the 60's and early 70's.. Elvis was said to have been very moved by “The Green, Green Grass of Home” and played it over and over when it first came out.