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Qualität des Beitrags:
Beteiligte Poster: drimnagh - DancingQueen - Toni - abbascots - ABBAnator - michiganrafter - Pabs - Maxi-saxi - agnetha_andrea - Fire&Ice - de solere - Gines - restareabear
Forum: www.abba4ever.com
Forenbeschreibung: The World-Spanning ABBA Fan Online Community - Welcome!
aus dem Unterforum: The Music
Antworten: 22
Forum gestartet am: Dienstag 10.10.2006
Sprache: englisch
Link zum Originaltopic: The Third Voice
Letzte Antwort: vor 6 Jahren, 3 Monaten, 18 Tagen, 21 Stunden, 13 Minuten

Alle Beiträge und Antworten zu "The Third Voice"

Re: The Third Voice

drimnagh - 27.01.2007, 12:53
The Third Voice
It's a well known fact that as well as two talented female lead vocalists in ABBA there was also a third (we'll leave B and B out of the equation for now)..We all know this 'third' singer was the combined vocals of Agnetha and Frida. But on which tracks do you think this third voice was the most mesmeric?

I'm torn between two: 'That's Me' and 'Eagle'. The harmonies on 'That's Me' are awesome and on 'Eagle' it is spooky because they really do seem to blend together to form 'one voice'.

Which songs do others think are the best examples of this fusion?

Joe

Re: The Third Voice

DancingQueen - 27.01.2007, 13:00

I agree with your choice: Eagle is a fantastic song and the combination between both voices is wonderful. But I think Dancing Queen is a better one, especially in the high tunes. I like the sound of the 'third voice' so to say, but I prefer hearing it only a few times, and not the whole song like in Dancing Queen.

Re: The Third Voice

Toni - 27.01.2007, 14:05

My favourite songs with the so-called "third voice" are:

1. Honey Honey
2. When I Kissed The Teacher
3. Dum Dum Diddle
4. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
5. Take A Chance On Me
6. If It WasnŽt For The Nights
7. Ring Ring
8. Mamma Mia
9. Dancing Queen
10. Happy Hawaii

In early days I even thought, that only one woman has the lead-vocal on some of these songs.

Toni :thumbup:

Re: The Third Voice

abbascots - 27.01.2007, 16:03

Hi Joe i sometimes was unsure who's voice was singing what part in many Abba songs,Agnetha and Frida voices blended perfectly so even now and then i have to listen very clearly to reconise if its Frida or Agnetha singing that particular part,I think Eagle is a good example there are many more When i kissed the teacher,Move on corus,On and on and on,Dum dum diddle,Ageleyes,The way old freinds do,Hasta manana,People need love,Dream world,Under attack
Theres many more that the voices blended perfectly
Regards johnsteven :)

Re: The Third Voice

ABBAnator - 27.01.2007, 17:49

DancingQueen wrote: I agree with your choice: Eagle is a fantastic song and the combination between both voices is wonderful. But I think Dancing Queen is a better one, especially in the high tunes. I like the sound of the 'third voice' so to say, but I prefer hearing it only a few times, and not the whole song like in Dancing Queen.

That would be my choice as well DQ. That's a great example of the 3rd voice. Listening to Dancing Queen it's almost impossible to distinguish between Agnetha and Frida. Also the vocal range in Dancing Queen is amazing as it varies between 2 full octaves.

Bruce

PS: discussing the song Dancing Queen with a member named Dancing Queen is a bit befuddling.... :? :)

Re: The Third Voice

DancingQueen - 27.01.2007, 19:19

ABBAnator wrote: PS: discussing the song Dancing Queen with a member named Dancing Queen is a bit befuddling.... :? :)

That's why I took this nickname. ;) No, but it's still ABBA's biggest hit and it will always be one of the most fantastic pure popsongs ever made. I am still wondering why there's no member of this forum called Fernando or something, I mean, using some title is not that original..

So for me, Dancing Queen is the best example, but I agree with abbascots: Angeleyes is a fantastic song too and of course, Tiger. Although I have to admit you only hear the third voice in the studio recordings. Both voices of A and A are not equil, and when you listen to some live recordings, you will notice that there really is a difference.

Re: The Third Voice

michiganrafter - 28.01.2007, 01:43

I agree with both Eagle and Dancing Queen. I think the use of the third voice creates very positive and warm tones. Some of the other songs that were mentioned included Mamma Mia, Move On, When I Kissed The Teacher, Honey Honey, Take A Chance On Me....all these are bright and upbeat.

So here's another question: Why wasn't the third voice used more in the sadder or melancholy songs? Like Slipping Through My Fingers, or KMKY, or TWTIA? Are sadness or melancholy emotions that the third voice can't convey?

Cheers!

Matt Urdan

Re: The Third Voice

Pabs - 28.01.2007, 01:57

Perhaps certain songs - the more intensely personal ones - are more appropriately sung by one voice?

Just a suggestion.

What do you say?

Re: The Third Voice

Pabs - 28.01.2007, 02:10

Put the other way around:

Maybe the third voice would take something away from the personal emotion. Can you imagine Frida and Agnetha singing together "I don't want to talk about things we've gone through. Though it's hurting me, now it's history..." ?

Sung together, the line would probably sound good, but would inevitably lose a great deal of its emotional impact.

Re: The Third Voice

Maxi-saxi - 28.01.2007, 06:28

Dancing Queen
Eagle
Move On
Summer Night City

Maxi-saxi

Re: The Third Voice

agnetha_andrea - 28.01.2007, 06:37

Hi Joe,

I agree with you :wink: Both Eagle and That's Me are good choices of this so called 'third voice', but I would add the following songs:

If It Wasn't For The Nights
Dancing Queen
Summer Night City
On and On and On

Love,
Andrea :wink:

Re: The Third Voice

ABBAnator - 28.01.2007, 06:42

Pabs wrote: Put the other way around:

Maybe the third voice would take something away from the personal emotion. Can you imagine Frida and Agnetha singing together "I don't want to talk about things we've gone through. Though it's hurting me, now it's history..." ?

Sung together, the line would probably sound good, but would inevitably lose a great deal of its emotional impact.

I agree with you Pablo, In deeply emotional songs the 3rd voice is fine for the chorus, but the verse would lose, as you say, a personal impact.

Bruce

Re: The Third Voice

Fire&Ice - 28.01.2007, 11:56

I was watching an interview with Bjorn on TV once (hadn't recorded it, bugger..) and I don't know which show that was but he was talking about how the blend is created. This is what he said - as far as my memory serves me:

"Frida is a kind of a mezzo soprano, Agnetha is a true soprano. When Frida tries to reach Agnetha, she creates a very special sound and the two voices blend in a third voice.."

This is the closest possible explanation of how the third voice came to be I have ever heard.

Re: The Third Voice

de solere - 28.01.2007, 12:17
the third voice
Hello Joe,
That's an interisting topic and difficult because the both voices were perfect together; like you, i adore Eagles, i love too the combinaison of the both voices in the chorus of Move On, in If it wasn't for the nights, On & on & on, in Dancing Queen and That's me, I do i do ido and i find very "sexy" the interpretation from Voulez vous.
Best regards,
Pierre

Re: The Third Voice

Pabs - 28.01.2007, 13:05

Fire and Ice, I taped a whole series produced by the BBC called "Walk on By - The History of Popular Music". Each episode including the last one, which featured ABBA, was truly excellent.

In the part which featured ABBA, Bjorn was interviewed and said something like this: "The times when Frida struggled to reach Agnetha's highest notes... ahh!... that was in---credible to hear. An amazing sound. Their voices in unison. I've never heard anything like it again. (Bjorn shakes his head and smiles) It was unique."

I can watch it again to give you the exact quote if you wish, but you'll have to give me time to find and watch the tape.

Re: The Third Voice

Fire&Ice - 28.01.2007, 13:45

Thanks a lot Pablo! Yes you are right!

Watch it if you feel like it, you don't have to do it for me. :)

I am glad you backed my inaccurate quote, but the essence is there!

Re: The Third Voice

DancingQueen - 28.01.2007, 13:51

Fire&Ice wrote: This is the closest possible explanation of how the third voice came to be I have ever heard.

Maybe we can hear something of that mix in Slipping Through My Fingers? I am still wondering who's voice is singing in the second part of the song, so to say. Can it be Frida who's trying to sing the high tunes, something like Björns explanation? If that's true, then we have found a kind of a third voice in one of the more personal songs..

Re: The Third Voice

Gines - 28.01.2007, 16:52

I also heard Bjorn say on a documentary I was watching once about bands in the '70s and '80s that in the studio Frida would struggle to reach Agnetha but when she did it was magic. I taped it and for the life of me I can't find it. This was about four years ago.

I also agree with Eagle and That's me but although I prefer That's me (by just a little), if we are talking about the "third voice" I would have to say that Eagle is a better example. You can still hear the highs and lows on That's me in other words the harmonizing of the two ladies but on Eagle for me you really can't tell who is who. That is what the third voice really is. They sang lots of songs in unison but you could still hear on some of them the difference in the two voices, which is also beautiful. Like on I do x 5 at times I can hear Frida hitting that low. So lovely.

I agree and think Eagle is probably the best example.

Maybe I should go and listen to all the songs again and come up with some more ideas!!!!

:wink: Such a chore!!!

Gina

Re: The Third Voice

Pabs - 29.01.2007, 08:24

I think one of the best examples of the "Third Voice", where both ladies' voices are so well blended that it has become ONE SINGLE voice, is in the song "Mamma Mia". Two girls singing, but one voice heard.

The Third Voice is NOT when they sing harmonies, as they do for example in "Fernando" and the second verse of "Slipping Through My Fingers". You can clearly hear TWO separate voices when the girls harmonize.

(Incidentally, in the HARMONIES of the "Fernando" verses, of the second verse of "Slipping Through My Fingers", and of the second verse in "Move On", it is Frida who sings the higher notes, Agnetha the lower ones.)

Re: The Third Voice

Maxi-saxi - 29.01.2007, 08:25

Some Great choices coming in

Maxi-saxi

Re: The Third Voice

drimnagh - 30.01.2007, 15:47

Thank you all so much for the feedback- you've given me lots of food for thought.

Joe

Re: The Third Voice

restareabear - 30.01.2007, 17:43

What amazes me about the third voice is the talent it took for both Frida and Agnetha. The timing is what I'm talking about. Both vocals have to begin and end in the same instant to achieve this. No starting early or coming in late or taking a breath when the other isn't for either voice. It all, every nanosecond, HAS to be instantaneous to achieve this feat. Otherwise it just sounds like a duet.

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