ABBA -- Dancing Queen

 

Well, I've finally relented and put in the new Label of Disco. It's not that I think that disco sucks...it doesn't to me at all since I've stated that I enjoyed acts such as Van McCoy and KC and the Sunshine Band. Frankly, it's only because I realized that I had to re-categorize a lot of those songs which takes a fair amount of time, and I'm lazy. However, I'm already off to a galloping start.

The final straw was also realizing that with all of that disco music up here on KKP in the Reminiscings of Youth articles, I hadn't even written about ABBA's "Dancing Queen". In fact, this is ABBA's first entry in a ROY article. "Dancing Queen" isn't really in the R&B wing of disco and I can't really consider it as simple pop, so in went the disco label. 

"Dancing Queen" was released as an August 1976 single and I should give myself yet another Gibbs slap up the head for not having covered it because the song is a perennial favourite in the karaoke booths, sung by both Japanese and non-Japanese alike. I certainly heard it enough times while I was drinking down my Brown Cows and chugging on karaage and chips. I may have even tried singing it myself although I can't (and perhaps shouldn't) remember.

As Wikipedia will tell you, the song was an international behemoth. It hit No. 1 on America's Billboard, Canada's RPM, Czechoslovakia, Norway and of course, ABBA's native Sweden. In Japan, "Dancing Queen" managed to sell about 500,000 records and has been covered by folks like Kahoru Kohiruimaki（小比類巻かほる）and Little Glee Monster.

So, what was also coming out onto the shelves for the first time in August 1976?

Koichi Morita and The Top Gallants -- Seishun Jidai （青春時代）

Pink Lady -- Pepper Keibu (ペッパー・警部)

Hiromi Iwasaki -- Kiri no Meguriai（霧のめぐり逢い）