ABBA unreleased songs

This is a list of songs that were either recorded or written by ABBA, but which were never released for various reasons.

Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida era

*"En hälsning till våra parkarrangörer" (1972) is a recording promoting Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida's Summer 1973 Folkpark tour. Includes spoken words and excerpts from "People Need Love", "Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan" (solo work of Frida) and "Så glad som dina ögon" (solo work of Agnetha).

ABBA era

1974

*"Rikky Rock 'N' Roller" is a song recorded during the recording sessions for ABBA's self-titled album in 1974, but the song was left unfinished. The Swedish rock star Jerry Williams recorded and released it as a single after ABBA had decided their version was unsuitable for release. An excerpt of the demo of this song was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music".
*"Here Comes Rubie Jamie" is the working title of a song recorded in 1974, which had acquired the name "Terra Del Fuego" by the time the lyrics were recorded. The song is unique in that it is the only studio recording to feature lead vocals by all four ABBA members. An excerpt of this song was released on the box set "Thank You For The Music", although here only Benny and Frida are heard. The song is listed using its working title for reasons unknown. The excerpt was also particularly edited so as not to include the chorus, as is it said that Björn and Benny violently dislike it.
*"Baby" is the early demo version of "Rock Me" recorded in 1974 with the lead vocals by Agnetha. An excerpt of this song was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music".

1975

*"To Live With You" is an attempt to record the song "Lycka" (previously released by Björn and Benny for their first album by the same title, and also recorded by Frida on her first album) in English. The demo recording dates from 1975, and was later released on the remastered CD of Björn & Benny's "Lycka" album in May 2006.
*"Dancing Queen" (Early Version) is a demo version with an extra verse. The extra verse can be heard on the documentary "The Winner Takes It All". The extra verse appears on the Spanish version of "Dancing Queen".
*"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" (early version) is a demo version with an extra verse.

1976

*"When I Kissed The Teacher" (Early mix) is the video version of the song. Later remixed for the album release.
*"Funky Feet" is a song recorded during the 'Arrival' sessions that eventually was dropped due to the similarity of "Dancing Queen". Later the song was recorded by Svenne & Lotta, Australian group The Studs, Alcazar, and Arrival, a Swedish ABBA tribute band.
*"National Song" is a short track recorded for the Australian TV Commercial of the National appliances. It is a re-recording of "Fernando" with new lyrics, using the backing track from this song.
*"Monsieur, Monsieur" is the title of the early demo version of "My Love, My Life" with lead vocals by Agnetha.
*"Memory Lane" is a third title of "Why did it have to be me"/"Happy Hawaii" that is said to have been recorded but never released.

1977

*"I Am An A" is a song written for the 1977 Tour with lyrics written by all four, jokingly depicting themselves as A, B, B and A. The song was never considered for a studio version, but parts of the chorus was later reused in "Free As A Bumblebee", and as that song never progressed beyond the demo, the chorus surfaced during the "Chess" songwriting sessions as the No. 1 hit "I Know Him So Well".
*"Get On The Carousel" is another song from the 1977 Tour, written for the mini-musical "The Girl With The Golden Hair". The song was considered too weak to progress further, but the chorus surfaced as a melody line in "Hole In Your Soul" (the part "...ahaa-, the songs you sing are too romantic..."). "Get On The Carousel" appears in "".
*"Scaramouche" is a demo instrumental recording from 1977. Some parts surfaced in the recording sessions for "Chess" and resulted in a melody line in the track "Merano". An excerpt of this song was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music".
*"Billy Boy" is the early version of "Take a Chance On Me". An excerpt of this track was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music".

1978

*"Free As A Bumble Bee" is a demo recorded in 1978 with lead vocals by Björn and Benny, released in the box set "Thank You For The Music". Part of the chorus was later reused in "I Know Him So Well" from the musical "Chess".
*"Mountain Top"/"Dr.Claus Von Hamlet nos. 1, 2 and 3" are several demos recorded in 1978. The composition underwent several changes and [fun] demo titles during the sessions. At one point the demo featured lyrics and vocals by Björn titled "Mountain Top", and another instrumental attempt ("Part I") and later reworking "Part 2" (with lead vocals by Agnetha & Frida) was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music". Parts of the composition would re-surface in the June 1980 demo "Burning My Bridges", but eventually the song was defined as a 'schottis' and put aside until Benny made his first instrumental folk album "Klinga Mina Klockor" in 1987, and there named "Lottis Schottis".
*"Summer Night City" (Early mixes) according to Michael B. Tretow there are over 30 different mixes of this song preserved on old tapes, some which are very different from that which was later released as a single. One version was released on the 1994 box set "Thank You For The Music", with an instrumental string intro. This version, in an improved edit, was released on "The Complete Studio Recordings".
*"Just A Notion" is a demo recorded in 1978. A snippet of this track was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music". A complete version was recorded by cover band Arrival, which features original ABBA bass player Rutger Gunnarsson, and was included on their 1999 album "First Flight". This recording features a full set of lyrics unlike the snippet of ABBA's version released, but it's not clear whether they are in fact the same as ABBA's original lyrics, or written especially for Arrival's version.
*"Crying Over You" is a demo recorded in 1978 with lead vocal by Björn. An excerpt of this track was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music".
*"If It Wasn’t For The Nights" (Early Mix) was performed on the TV special ABBA In Japan, and most noticeably differs from the released version in that it doesn't have any string overdubs.
*"In The Arms Of Rosalita" is an early demo version of "Chiquitita". An excerpt can be heard in the TV documentary "The Winner Takes It All". It featured lead vocals by Frida. A later version "Chiquitita Angelina" was sung by both girls in unison.
*"Does Your Mother Know" (Early Mix) is a complete version with a different intro that can be heard on the TV special "ABBA in Switzerland". Part of this version comes from the unrecorded song "I Want You" (1975) and was included in the "Does Your Mother Know" scene in "Mamma Mia!" musical. A few notes from the unused early intro would later end up in the 1982 recording of You Owe Me One.

1979

*"Sång till Görel" is a tribute song for Görel Johnsen's 30th birthday recorded in 1979. It was never commercially released; however, a very limited number of records were pressed and given to people who attended the party.
*"Lady Bird" is a song with no vocals recorded, later used in "Someone Else's Story" from the musical "Chess".
*"I'm Still Alive" (with music by Agnetha and lyrics by Björn) was performed live on the North America and Europe tours in 1979. Later recorded in Swedish by Polar Music artist Kicki Moberg.
*"Rubber Ball Man" is a demo version, containing dummy lyrics, of a song entitled "Under My Sun", recorded in 1979. The lyrics do not make sense - they were recorded so that Björn could get a feel for the sound of the song, before any real lyrics were to be written. The lead vocals are shared by Agnetha and Frida. An excerpt of this track was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music". The melody of the verse would later be heard as a part of the melody for the verses in "Under Attack" ("and every day the hold is getting tighter.../I wish there was a way that I could show you...").
*"Dream World" "- see main article"

1980

*"Burning My Bridges" is a country/rockabilly song recorded in 1980 with lead vocal by Björn. An excerpt of this track was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music".

1981

*"Hovas vittne" is a song sung in Swedish, recorded as a tribute to Stig Anderson's 50th birthday in 1981, and released on a limited amount of singles for the guests attending the party only. The title is a play on words; Hova is the small village in Västergötland in which Anderson was born, and Vittne is a reference to Jehovah's Witnesses. The song includes a four bar passage that was later used in the "Chess" ouverture "Merano".
*"Tivedshambo" is an instrumental recording of Stig Anderson's first published song, recorded in 1981. It is the B-side of "Hovas vittne".
*"When All Is Said and Done" (Demo Version and various mixes) is an instrumental track recorded in 1981 with a different bridge. A version with vocals featured a more emotional repetition of the first verse after the third, making the track 4:20 instead of 3:15. When the video was released in 1981 it featured another alternate version with a different ending.
*"Nationalsång" is an instrumental track that later was used in "Anthem" from the musical "Chess". The song is well-known as "Opus 10" among ABBA fans due a misunderstanding made by a journalist.
*"I Am A Seeker" is an instrumental demo track recorded in 1981. Later the song was included in the musical "ABBAcadabra" and recorded by B. A. Robertson with the slightly altered title 'I Am The Seeker'. The melody to the chorus was later used by Benny Andersson in the song 'Upp Till Dig' from his 2007 album, BAO 3.
*"Fanfare For Icehockey World Championships '81" is a short instrumental track written for the Ice Hockey World Championship hosted by Sweden in 1981. Used as the jingle/opening theme for the television special "Dick Cavett Meets ABBA" aired later in 1981.
*"Two For The Price Of One" (Early demo Version) has slightly different lyrics, and is sung from a first person perspective (I have what you might call a simple occupation/I clean the toilets of the local railway station/With no romance in my life/Sometimes I wish I had a knife).
*"Givin’ A Little Bit More" is a demo recorded in 1981 with lead vocals by Björn. An excerpt of this track was released in the box set "Thank You For The Music".
*"An Angel's Passing Through My Room" is an early demo version of "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room" with both Frida and Agnetha on lead vocals. The track was at some point arranged and mixed in the disco-style of "Lay All Your Love On Me" and later heavily reworked.
*"Another Morning Without You" is another early demo version of "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room". The song had an operatic feel to it, with shared leadvocals by Agnetha & Frida. Also, the song had a full backing band instead of the synth only backing that eventually became Like An Angel Passing Through My Room.

1982

*"Just Like That" "- see main article"
*""I Am The City" is a song recorded in May 1982, originally made for inclusion on what would have been the group's ninth studio album. However, these plans were soon abandoned by the band members, instead settling for a double-compilation album release of their most successful singles, '. As a result of this, "I Am The City" remained unreleased for eleven years until it was first commercially released on the ' compilation CD in 1993. Previously the song had surfaced on bootleg recordings.

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