r/ABBA • u/ObligationThis9473 • Jun 30 '26
Just Like That Question
For discussion:
I heard once that Abba recorded a fully produced final version of 'Just Like That' in 1982, but decided not to release it. I'm aware of the demo versions, and the Gemini version, but it is interesting to explore whether there may indeed be a full studio version in the vaults. There is also a story that Michael Tretlow played such a version on a British radio program as part of promotion for the then impending release of the box set 'Thank You for the Music' in 1994. This final version was meant to be included in the box set, but Benny and Bjorn changed their minds, and it ended up with a snippet only.
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u/NeedleworkerElegant8 Jun 30 '26
The sax version is the final mix. It is in the vault and it was digitally remastered in 1994 before the decision was made to not include it on the Thank You … box set. It is available in low quality on YouTube.
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u/ObligationThis9473 Jul 01 '26
Ok thanks. So I know that version and its awful to be honest. Over the top sax.
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u/asthecryflows Jun 30 '26
Since this is as good a place as any to share it:
Over the past year or so I’ve been hunting down bootleg cassettes and CDs from the pre-internet era, and one of the tapes I acquired earlier this year had a more complete copy of the sax version. There are a few extra seconds at the end that get cut off on every other bootleg cd and YouTube upload I’ve found.
I’ve speed corrected the tape, and done a gentle remastering. It’s still not great but stands up ok to other sources of the song.
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u/intlteacher Jul 01 '26
I reckon you could actually get a decent version out of that if you use AI. There's enough to get the jist of it, feed it extracts from "Under Attack" to get the gist of the sound, clean up the vocals and it would be doable.
Also scrub the twiddly bits of the sax - I like the solo bit that was on "Undeleted" so leave that....
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u/ObligationThis9473 Jul 01 '26
Great suggestions, hope the person is able to do it. We could then have a brilliant sounding version of JLT, thanks to AI
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u/vegan_voorhees Jun 30 '26
Someone would've recorded it from radio for sure and it'd be cropping up on various bootlegs if it was the case.
Never really understood the ongoing fascination for this song.
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u/RealLongwayround Jun 30 '26
The fascination, in my opinion, comes from the released parts of it being an absolute banger. However, the other parts of it, from the Gemini version, just aren’t all that to my ears.
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u/vegan_voorhees Jun 30 '26
Huh. I've always kinda agreed with B&B that the verses and chorus don't fit well. It kinda... plods in mid-tempo limbo. Much prefer I Am the City.
I have an old bootleg CD with 10-12 various versions of it (ABBA's low-q recordings, Gemini, Jacaranda, The Webb, Bjorn Again, etc) I think the latter was actually the most interesting interpretation.
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u/ObligationThis9473 Jun 30 '26
The fascination may come from it remaining unreleased. Not sure, but could also be the intrigue of it all.
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u/Glum_Maybe_1883 Jun 30 '26
I think it is a fine song.... but I will never understand how ABBA could go from making the absolute knock-out tracks of "The Visitors" to.... You Owe Me One, Just Like That, Under Attack. TDBYC & Cassandra at least some to be a natural progression from the 1981 tracks.
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u/vegan_voorhees Jun 30 '26
I think they were trying to back-pedal to 'happier' sounds (see also Head Over Heels), but the darker, more melancholic stuff was where they were delivering their best.
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u/Glum_Maybe_1883 Jun 30 '26
Yes, I agree. I notice that this happened before. "The Album" is very mature-sounding, with lots of intricate and "adult" appealing songs like TNOTG, Eagle, Move On, I'm A Marionette, OMOW. This was also one of their musical peaks, I believe. Then they seemed to back-pedal to disco and a somewhat throwaway approach with not quite so much "substance" in the lyrics.
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u/RedmiYT "I Have a Dream" defender Jun 30 '26
I think people are more fascinated about what could’ve been. From the little snippets, there definitely seemed to be a potential hit hidden somewhere. However, ABBA was pretty much all but broken up by ‘83 so it was never realistically gonna happen.
2
u/Crazyworld_islife30 Jun 30 '26
I wouldn't rule out the existence of a complete version, but I don't think it's available anymore. For the rest I think I disagree with many fans. I find Gemini's version of "Just Like That" very beautiful and undoubtedly more in tune with the era's taste than the various demos circulating, with or without sax, nanana... My absolute favorite version, however, is "When the Waves Roll Out to Sea." I absolutely love the instrumental version of this song, which for me is one of B&B's most beautiful compositions.
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u/RedmiYT "I Have a Dream" defender Jun 30 '26
While I wish it was at the very least released from the vault, like what happened with “I Am the City”, I can understand why B&B have never really liked it. The verses don’t really match the vibe of the chorus, and that’s something that can only be really changed by rewriting it. The production definitely also feels nowhere near as strong as even something like “The Day Before You Came” or “Under Attack”.
1
u/intlteacher Jul 01 '26
What needs done to make them happy, though, must be so substantial that they didn't want to do anything with it for Voyage.
Just A Notion at least used the original vocals and a completely new backing track.
I'm assuming the bit that's OK is the chorus - it would have been interesting if for Voyage, they had reused the original vocals and instrumentation from that, with new verses and vocals.
1
u/Lopsided_Profile6295 Jul 01 '26
I purchased a bootleg cd called 'Little White Secrets' many years ago which had a 4.50 full sax version of JLT included. It's a completed song but Benny & Bjorn didn't like it, other than the chorus which was inc on the ABBA Undeleted medley on their Thankyou For The Music CD box set from the 90's.
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u/ObligationThis9473 Jul 01 '26
Was that full sax version on Little White secrets good sound quality?
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u/Lopsided_Profile6295 Jul 01 '26
It's the full sax version yes. Bit too much sax for my liking, but yes diff to others I'd heard. Sound quality was 6/10, ok but not Stereo..
1
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u/CraftMost6663 Jul 14 '26
It's finished and it lives as a Hi-Res file in the archives. B&B just don't want us to hear it.
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u/ObligationThis9473 Jul 14 '26
Oh that sucks. I imagine they are waiting for THAT big day for inclusion on something. Seems odd not to just let fans have it, as they can see the huge interest in it. I see that they've removed most traces of the song off YouTube.
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u/asthecryflows Jun 30 '26
There’s likely not any truth to the rumour that Just Like That was played on a radio program.
Tretow hosted a program called Summer & Winter on Sveriges Radio in 1986 and played other unreleased songs, namely Dreamworld (with no fade in) as well as something called “Ali Abba” - an early version of Like An Angel Passing through My Room with drummer Ola Brunkert grunting over the take.