Abba - Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
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- čas přidán 21. 11. 2009
- It was Frida's 64th birthday last week on November 15th. This is William Orbit's remix for Madonna's unreleased 1999 cover of Like An Angel Passing Through My Room and is set to Frida's original 1981 singing. Madonna's version did not make her album Music, but was leaked onto the internet in August 2008. It can be found on youtube, giving an opportunity to directly compare the 2 singers with the same backing track. This video is provided courtesy of Philippe Dupont at abbainter.net.
Abba commenced work on Like An Angel Passing Through My Room on May 26 1981 and recorded 3 versions on June 5, October 23 and November 8 before the final version was recorded on November 10. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room was released as the last track of Abba's final album The Visitors on November 30 1981. It is the only Abba song to feature a completely solo vocal. Initially the track featured vocals from both Agnetha and Frida and at one point it was turned into a disco track. Frida recalls: "This song means a lot to me. Benny and I were alone in the studio. Alone with the 'tick-tock' of the metronome. I love this kind of song."
Unlike many other ABBA songs, the final mix of the track was sparsely produced. The entire track consists of the soloist's vocals and the music box sound effects of the synthesiser with the sound of a ticking clock throughout. Rune Söderqvist's design of the album sleeve for The Visitors was partly inspired by this song's theme. He recalls: "I knew the painter Julius Kronberg's studio in Skansen very well and immediately thought of this place when I found out one of the songs was called 'Like An Angel Passing Through My Room'. He had painted this huge angel called Eros which you can see on the sleeve. I love the atmosphere created by photographer Lars Larsson, although I have bad memories of the photo shoot because it was very cold. Benny arrived late, there was no heating and the atmosphere was tense. You could feel that it was the end of the group. When you look you can see that they are all standing away from each other. Without anyone of us being aware of it, it looks like they're living in separate worlds on the sleeve. The photo shoot was very brief that day because everyone was in a hurry to leave."
Frida and Benny had seperated in February 1981 and were divorced on November 26 after 12 years together and 3 years of marriage. One week later and three days after the release of The Visitors, Benny married Mona Norklit in a secret ceremony in Stockholm on December 3. Frida recalls "This was a very sad time personally, because I split up with Benny. We still went on because we wanted to finish The Visitors album. We never mentioned it, but there was a certain atmosphere between the four of us."
Frida's grandmother Agny brought her up after her mother died young and often sang songs to her (notably old Norwegian songs) which resulted in her love for music. She soon showed musical talent at an early age, beginning in her first years at school. On Fridays she was often asked by her teacher to sing in front of the class and soon became known in school and in the neighborhood for her beautiful voice. At 13 she got her first job as a dance band and schlager singer in 1958 with The Evald Eks Orchestra. The sets often lasted up to five hours at weekends. Evald Ek remembers: "It was hard to believe such a young person could sing that well. She was so easy to rehearse with and she was never shy onstage. The only thing I taught her was to sing out." Later she teamed up with a 15-piece 'jazz big band' covering Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Count Basie; her vocal idols being Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. In 1963 she formed her own band, the Anni-Frid Four. On September 3 1967 Frida won the Swedish national talent competition "New Faces" and a recording contract with EMI Sweden, and her career took off. In 1969 she participated in Melodifestivalen - the Swedish heats for the Eurovision Song Contest - and finished fourth. Backstage she met Benny who participated in the contest as a composer and they soon became a couple. Today Frida engages in charity work and environmental issues and lives in Switzerland.
Music / Lyrics: Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus
Lead vocal: Frida
Long awaited darkness falls
Casting shadows on the walls
In the twilight hour I am alone
Sitting near the fireplace
Dying embers warm my face
In this peaceful solitude
All the outside world subdued
Everything comes back
To me again in the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
Half awake and half in dreams
Seeing long forgotten scenes
So the present runs into the past
Now and then become entwined
Playing games within my mind
Like the embers as they die
Love was one prolonged good-bye
And it all comes back
To me tonight in the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
I close my eyes and my twilight
Images go by all too soon
Like an angel passing through my room - Hudba
Frida, the one and only 💋
Yes you can tell just how beautiful Frida's singing is here. This is the only Abba song to feature a completely solo vocal - it's clear it does not need anyone else!
Absolutely. ABBA released a ‘medley’ of this song in its various iterations as they tinkered with the song in the studio before coming up with the final version. The first part is Björn (!) singing completely different lyrics, then Frida, and then in one or two versions with Frida as lead and Agnetha singing back up vocals/harmonies. It just sounds best with Frida alone. It’s one of my favourites. I absolutely adore her voice and always will. Mad respect to Agnetha, but Frida is my girl!
Beautiful, Angelic Frida. Her voice is absolutely stunning!
Brilliant Tune. Tick Tock.
that' s Frida, her voice is so warm , so clear ,reaching my heart............. that`s ABBA
Cheers Jose - yes everyone loves Frida, she's been like an angel passing through our lives with her beautiful singing and great personality! All that hard early work while still at school deservedly paid off for her and she's had a fantastic life given her very difficult start!
And no matter how much Agnetha fanatics try to diminish Frida in comparisons, she is every bit as beautiful and talented as Agnetha and enormous numbers agree.
Thanks John - yes Frida's singing here is very pure and the melody is gentle, making this an ideal song to sit back and relax to and reflect on lost loves - which is just what Bjorn intended at this time of break-ups within the group!
Benny wrote the music and Bjorn wrote the lyrics, as they always did. Benny made the music sorrowful and Bjorn knew what to write about - which was the recent split between Benny and Frida at the time this was recorded.
miss you mom 😤
Frida is amazing
Somehow I should have known the first time I heard this that it was a song of good bye, but I didn't. Now low these many years that have gone by, it haunts me. So beautiful Frida, so beautiful this song. I still to this day drift into dream when I hear it. Truly this song is a lost ABBA triumph. thank you, Christian
Cheers Bill - yes this really is Frida's original singing from the Abba song released on The Visitors in 1981. Its been set to a more melodic remix that was done for Madonna's 1999 cover of this song, which allows direct comparison of their singing. I've listened to Madonna's cover, and although its ok its fairly clear why it didn't get released. The pureness and clarity of Frida's singing simply cannot be matched, and the reviews would have jumped on that!
The strings etc add so much beauty to this and with having Frida's vocals it retains the quality of the original. (It was never a song that Madonna should have covered, she doesn't have the beauty in her voice that this song requires.)
Anni Frida Lingstaatd... angelic voice...
Ante Kovina for me Abba is mainly Agnetha, but Frida is better for this song. And i love her. Just dont imagine Agnetha singing it
I love Frida!!!!
I love Agnetha!
the best group ever. timeless music.
That's right Dorie this song is very personal to Frida because of her long relationship with Benny who wrote it. Its the only Abba song with a completely solo vocal, and she can put her emotions properly into singing it!
Long awaited darkness falls
Casting shadows on the walls
In the twilight hour I am alone
Sitting near the fireplace, dying embers warm my face
In this peaceful solitude
All the outside world subdued
Everything comes back to me again
In the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
Half awake and half in dreams
Seeing long forgotten scenes
So the present runs into the past
Now and then become entwined, playing games within my mind
Like the embers as they die
Love was one prolonged good-bye
And it all comes back to me tonight
In the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
I close my eyes
And my twilight images go by
All too soon
Like an angel passing through my room
Thank you for the lyrics.
Beautiful. rendition of the Abba song ....
This melancholia is the life, the surrounding sadness, the passing of youth and everything thats left behind, An amazing song to be honest irrespective of the video who doesn't suit the song so well, but its Frida's so well polished voice we are loving.
ABBA FOR EVER!! , einfach toll dieses Lied
I love this version sooo much! Since middle of december until now I have heard it more than 100 times :)
I Always loved her voice
Adrie Louwe : Me too....
Yes this is a quite haunting melody - apparently simple but complex and effective - with beautiful singing by Frida. Its very good for an album track as it really grows on you - but thats the power of Abba!
Oh my I love Frida
It was Frida the last 40 years❤and it will be 40 more years if i'll be around👍love her and her voice,the most beautiful voice i've ever listen to❤❤💓💓
Beautiful song.
Hi Christian - yes its not until you reach the line "Love was one prolonged good-bye" that you realise this is a song about lost love. Frida's singing is beautiful and haunting here and I guess she has the recent break-up with Benny on her mind. Its a very under-rated song, and good to hear it now and then rather than their more upbeat best sellers. It shows life has its downs as well as ups - and their relationships were clearly in decline at that time!
Sissel has recorded this (in the mid-2010s), and it is also glorious.
Yes this is a beautiful melody and song Andrea, sung movingly by Frida when you think of her sadness at this time!
HI John
a very emotional song really .
The video that you have choosen go well with this lullaby
SENSATIONAL INTENSE
Stunning
Yes its dark and sombre, but with a nice haunting underlying melody and some great gentle singing by Frida. This was the period when Abba were in their self analysis mode, and writing about the effects of the breakdown of the relationships within the group. It all gets quite emotional, in the lyrics and in the singing!
Hi Leon - yes this gets better every time you hear it. Frida's singing is really beautiful and the underlying melody is incredibly soothing and atmospheric!
Cheers Bruno - its very melodic and peaceful and beautifully sung by Frida and does indeed create the image of an angel floating by!
You're right, this remix and Frida's original singing is a great combination! The original melody was quite sparse, but that was for deliberate reasons to reflect sadness - this feels much more appealing and haunting! I've listened to Madonna's version, there's one under related videos to the right. I can only say Frida makes her sound dull in comparison, and Madonna sensibly dropped it from her album!
@Rhiabbaco
For me, there surely are several layers of meaning behind the lyrics - I understood it as the reflection of someone who's peacefully falling asleep... and dying. The song is another addition to the generally very melancholic tone of the album - the evanescence of love, life and happiness forming its guiding theme.
Good for you Slavici, Abba have inspired many people with their wonderful songs like this one!
Yes this nice tuneful melody coupled with Frida's pure singing is amazingly soothing when you just sit back quietly and take it in!
This song blows me away
Beautiful 💗
Thanks Carina - yes Frida has an angelic quality about her in both her singing and her life and has done a lot of good work for many causes. She came from your great country, and first learnt to sing old Norwegian songs from her grandmother and would go back there for summer holidays. Its produced some lovely people with you there too - lots of love from me!
Parabéns Frida, linda música!
ABBA sera toujours ABBA. Les meilleurs ils étaient ils sont et ils le seront toujours .
The great mezzo-soprano. I like this version; it's like a smooth lullaby and Frida's voice remains with its beauty and dramatic strength. Thanks for posting this video. Cheers John
Benny always wrote the music once the group had formed. Bjorn wrote all the lyrics, with some early exceptions. But he would run them past Benny for approval, and then amend if they both agreed, although that rarely happened as he was very good first time at the lyrics. In fact when you look at them he was a genius with words as much as Benny was a genius with music - that's why their songs are so good, catchy and timeless!
Absolutely! They are magic.
Hi Isabele yes there are lots of angelic qualities here - the haunting melody, Frida's pure and peaceful singing from personal sadness, the lyrics themselves and the video in which the figure appears to be both angelic and a bit like Frida!
A+ on the video. The visuals were very fitting.
I find this song very sad. I recall giving my sister in law to be a copy of this song. She was to be married to my brother when several months before they were to be married she died of a sudden heart attack We just did not realize just how depressed she had becom. 18 months later she committed suicide. I just wished i had never given her this song. I'ts just resonates too much sadness even though I feel it is so beautiful
Carmel Correale I know how you feel. my mom died OCTOBER 1 2010 of kidney failure which mom kept from me to spare me it didn't I had a nervous breakdown My world wasn't important no more to me I just wanted to died mom was one in a million it will never feel better in time she is a Angel forever with me 😤 don't let yourself down I know you are a good person by what I read Remember that
Carmel Correale im so sorry. She died cos of heart attack or commited suicide? Maybe she was afraid that the whole romantism and love will fade away after wedding. Maybe her parents divorced and she was afraid of it. Cos thats my case and thats why im afraid of getting married. But im more afraid of single motherhood. Anyway im sorry.
I find this Song very sweet.
One of the most beautiful songs ever! Nice one.
Es ist so schön
Zo mooi.
Amazing song!!!
Just beautiful my friend.
I love this song so much and I love her so much.
Thanks for sharing dear.
5 stars*
Love from yr friend in Norway
Carina*
Nope, this piece is NOT meant to by drowned by percussion, it was always written to be pure, melancholic and nostalgic
Hi ... This is an absolutely lovely rendition of an Abba classic. It's like hearing Frida all over again. It proves that the gals don't need B & B to produce the music for them. There are other incredibly talented composers/producers like William Orbit who can supply sublime orchestration to those Agnetha's and Frida's voices. I'd love to hear the two of them together again doing songs like this one ... just the two of them. What an album that would be. Regards, Ivy Smith (Ohio, USA)
It's Beautiful Version John Thanks For Post
beautiful ..
I love Abba and I am Scottish and German who cares what englisch say.Abba ist mein beste band im der welt
Yes The Visitors album would be perfect background music for studying, as Abba were at their most creative by then! Every track is uplifting and melodic like this one, and just right for singing along to!
@jordimla yes, that's frida. this clip was taken from frida's aven en blomma single released in 1996.
my favourite version
Hi Francisco - yes this song is ideal for Frida's more pure and peaceful style. This different melody adds a lot more musical content without losing any of the sadness of the original - so its a great combination and more haunting!
Honours for this video (2)
#85 - Most Discussed (Today) - Music
#93 - Top Rated (Today) - Music
i adore it
wonderful song....and she is Scorpio like me......
I did an analysis of 110 ABBA songs, dividing them into nine categories. The categories cut across the albums. This came about after concentrated listening over time. Certain songs point to and coalesce with other songs with similar themes.
The 110 songs fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Once connected, they form a picture of youth. When ABBA closes their eyes in Like An Angel Passing Through My Room, they are passing into middle age. The creative fires burn low from then on.
Thanks Shay - yes the Abba original is fairly sparse musically as it was their intention to reflect the bleakness of a failed relationship. This remix takes the nice underlying melody and populates it a lot more increasing the haunting effect. There was plenty to write about here, both for the song and for Frida's very interesting life!
Fill me in. Frida is part of Abba and she is now 71? It is a great song. Just discovered it, even though I grew up with Abba inToronto
Hi Ivy, yes this is a beautifully arranged version of this song set to Frida's original singing. it certainly would be nice to hear Agnetha and Frida singing together again. I believe Abba are to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on March 15 so there's just the remotest chance they might do something for that - cheers from John!
Melodía a mis oídos, preciosa
Non c è paragone con niente vi amo ❤️❤️❤️❤️
@Dadak Thanks for the information. I'll try to check it up
the most buetifull.....
Yes - it is Frida when filming for the Djupe Andetag album x
This is a great version of the song - I've not heard it before. I like the William Orbit backing - it adds another dimension to the original song. Very thoughtfully done.
I've written an instrumental version of the song myself, posted here on youtube - i can't seem to paste in the link
c est de l histoîre ancienne dieux merci et belle lurette que je me suîs remis
Cheers Alex - yes there is a lot more musical content in this remix, while retaining the gentleness and not obscuring the singing, than in the original which is quite sparse in comparison but for deliberate reasons!
That's right again Dorie - Bjorn has admitted using the relationships within the band as a source of inspiration for his lyrics - both before and after the break-ups!
j.aime.magnifique.et.geniale.melodie.
@caquerio The world famous swedish mezzo soprano Anne Sofie Von Otter recorded a version of this song in her Duo Album with Elvis Costello...I think it might be in you tube.
Masterpiece.
indeed
it is frida. pictures were taken from the video of 'även en blomma' from the album 'djupa andetag'.
I really loved Madonnas version of this , its a pity it didnt make the cut for her Music album :(
Kai Ciccone , loved madonnas video
sans.avoir.vu.cette.magnifique.video.je.dessinne.depuis.dix.kinze.ans.anormme.parapluies..
just wonderschön :)
It is frida....clips taken from one of her solo music video..
@Rhiabbaco
Its actually about love that is fading away between 2 people.
The key line is:
"Love was one prolonged good-bye"
Its probably auto-biographic, as it was recorded just 2 weeks before Frida and Benny divorced!
melancolie.presque.joyeuse.entouca.melodieuse.et.geniale.pas.reelement.triste.
So my true luv turned 64 this november 15? (sighs)On first sight of beautiful Frida it was luv at first sight, but alas, she's a scandinavian beauty and me, just a se utah hillbilly! = P Sendin' ya 5 stars John boy and thankin' ya for another AWESOME Share!= )
@abbafanglosuk that is frida. the clip was taken from frida's aven en blomma video released in 1996.
a.l.inverse.ici.toutai.trankile..
cette.contine.ainsi.que.la.video.sont.magnifique...c.est.melodieux.sans.etre.triste.c.est.une.reussite.bravo.abba.
sans.jamais.au.paravent
avoir.vu.cette
video..j.ai.dessinne.peint..des.parapluies.des.centainnes
de.fois.en.vint.ans..ayou.you.you
Hello its not Frida in the video and I don't know who made it - though its very atmospheric to match her beautiful singing!
It is Frida..
Madonna done an unreleased cover of this and its actually just as beautiful . I wish she included it on her album
death of Abba like a death of a butterfly in this song..
bien.joue.la.france.!!
@abbafanglosuk SURE!