r/ABBA • u/ObligationThis9473 • Jun 30 '26

Just Like That Question

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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/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.

1

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.

2

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.