Baking Bread
Baking bread, but mostly fooling around with the new Google Camera app which, amongst other features, lets you focus on the main subject, blurring the background. For a camera phone app, it’s pretty good, eh?’
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Dancing Queen – 50 years of inspiration
I made a guest appearance on ABC Radio in Australia tonight, talking about the songs that inspired ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” and the songs inspired by it.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/nightlife/50-years-dancing-queen/107040960
Andrea Ho: This is Nightlife on ABC Radio. Let’s take a moment to go back in time. Let’s go back to nineteen ninety four. And this movie I know you know it. It’s Muriel’s Wedding.
Andrea Ho: This is Nightlife on ABC Radio. All around Australia. Now can you believe it’s been fifty years since that masterpiece came out? It was the lead single from ABBA’s nineteen seventy six album arrival. It was officially released on, depending on where you were in the world August fifteen or sixteen now went to number one in Sweden, obviously, but then number one after that in Britain, Mexico, Belgium, the US, South Africa. Wow. How about that? So what better excuse to hit the dance floor and celebrate this weekend? Someone who’s going to be doing that is ABC Radio exec James O’Brien. He’s going to be joining in the celebrations in Australia. Hello there James.
James O’Brien: Hi there Andrea.
Andrea Ho: People will remember you on the radio from the radio in different contexts.
James O’Brien: And certainly one thing that people in Lismore may remember me from, from forty years ago is I used to host a radio show on the local community radio station, where every week for five years, I hosted a program playing ABBA music. It was called ABBA The Scrapbook.
Andrea Ho: And it would have been quite modern music back then.
James O’Brien: It was. They were still currently releasing songs.
Andrea Ho: Wow. Okay. After that, then you went on to the ABC and the rest is history. So welcome back into the studio. Now, what is it that makes Dancing Queen so good?
James O’Brien: I think it’s a bunch of things going on, one of which it starts with the absolute opener with that piano tune sound, which is so good. It’s a good, feel good kind of song. It’s lovely and innocent, you know? It’s about the girl who’s seventeen years old, and she just wants to go out on a Friday night and dance. And how beautiful is that? I think it’s been one of those songs which has been reinvented over the years too, in lots of different ways, although it’s the original version that is so memorable. And in fact, the song was based on someone else’s song. Back in the seventy four, George McCrae had a song called Rock Your Baby, which you may remember, and they used that as the inspiration for Dancing Queen.
James O’Brien: But over the years there have been lots of other versions too. For example, the earliest inspiration I can find is from Elvis Costello.
Andrea Ho: Elvis Costello did a version. What?
James O’Brien: He didn’t do a version. He really loved ABBA, and he did some versions later in his career. But Oliver’s Army. Let’s have a listen to Oliver’s Army and see if you can connect with the Dancing Queen riff.
James O’Brien: I recognize you can hear the piano.
Andrea Ho: You actually can,
James O’Brien: And it was apparently one of the musicians in his band said, look, we just need something to make this song a little more interesting. And that’s what they did. They basically went back to Dancing Queen, which was a huge hit a couple of years earlier and incorporated it into that song.
Andrea Ho: Wow. Elvis Costello, who knew for all of you music snobs out there, and I know that I count myself amongst you. You and I, we’re friends. There you go. Elvis Costello, even he looked up to ABBA. Okay. Who’s somebody else who we should know a bit more about and who loved ABBA?
James O’Brien: U2
Andrea Ho: Really?
James O’Brien: Back in the nineties, you two were probably the coolest band in the world, weren’t they?
Andrea Ho: They looked down their nose at everybody. Everybody knew it, you know. Bono, the edge, all of them. I don’t see them. And ABBA, even in the same universe.
James O’Brien: Okay, so at the time, they were cool, but ABBA was very uncool. But they performed in Stockholm, and they invited Björn and Benny onto the stage in Stockholm at Global Arena to perform dancing Queen. Have a listen to this.
Andrea Ho: Listener. That is U2 singing “Dancing Queen” and James O’Brien, t he thing I find most fascinating about that clip is not so much that you U2 were singing it, although that is shocking in itself, but it’s that their crowd of fans and people who are attending to see you two knew all the lyrics and sang along.
James O’Brien: Yeah, and that was about the time that ABBA started to become popular again. So a couple of years later, they were featured in the film Muriel’s Wedding, an Australian film, and also Priscilla, Queen of the desert. And so that’s really when ABBA started to go from being very daggy to being popular again. And, you know, I was talking to one of our sports commentators here at the ABC, and he told me about his five year old son who’s obsessed with ABBA. So who would have thought, fifty years after dancing Queen came out, it would still be a big hit song.
Andrea Ho: All right, so who’s somebody else who we should know about? Because lots of people have covered ABBA, of course, but you’ve got some other really great examples.
James O’Brien: Yeah. Another Irish example now, the great singer Luka Bloom and his brother Christy Moore. They also recorded a version which they performed on stage, and they described this version as a traditional Swedish folk song.
Andrea Ho: You know, James, if I had been dropped here by aliens and had never heard dancing Queen. But I knew Luka Bloom’s music, or indeed Christy Moore’s music, which I do, I would have thought that was one of their songs.
James O’Brien: Yeah, it’s a beautiful thing, and it’s got that lovely melancholic feeling about it too. I think that version.
Andrea Ho: And exactly the way that he’s brought it into his style of playing and his style of singing, in fact, his style of storytelling, he brings that Irish storytelling sensibility to his version.
James O’Brien: Yeah. Luka Bloom has done some other great covers. For example, I Need Love by L.L. cool J.
Andrea Ho: That’s actually pretty funny. That is fantastic.
James O’Brien: And also his version of wishing on a Star by Rose Royce. Yes, he’s beautiful as well, you know.
Andrea Ho: I’m going to reassess my view of Luka Bloom. He’s one of the world’s great cover artists. Amazing. Okay. Do you want to try something that sounds a little bit different?
James O’Brien: Yeah. This is possibly my favorite cover version of all time. Of dancing Queen. This was released in about two thousand and four by a Swedish funk band. A jazz trombonist called Nils Landgren.
Andrea Ho: And Nils Landgren is really. Well, I know his music. Yes.
James O’Brien: Have a listen to this version of dancing Queen, which is very, very different.
Andrea Ho: Well, Swedish musician Nils Landgren in the house. James less dancing queen vibes for me. More Tina Turner private dancer vibe.
James O’Brien: It does feel like Private dancer, doesn’t it? Absolutely. But he’s got a whole album called funky ABBA, which has got all these ABBA songs in that, in that kind of style, which is beautiful.
Andrea Ho: So it just goes to show that the song can be done in lots of different ways.
James O’Brien: I’ve heard a bluegrass version. I’ve heard an old style jazz version. If you go onto YouTube and just look for dancing Queen cover versions, there is so much out there.
Andrea Ho: Okay, so it’s quite a resilient song. It stands up to many different treatments. Is this true of all ABBA songs, or do you actually feel that this is perhaps peculiar? Like something special in their oeuvre?
James O’Brien: There must be something special about it. Because I think a billion plays on YouTube or something like that. It’s one of those songs that now, if you are a DJ looking after maybe a forty plus kind of audience at a party or whatever it is, put on dancing Queen and the Floor Will fill and everyone seems to know the words.
Andrea Ho: Which it’s going to do tonight. Yeah. Everybody who’s out and hears dancing Queen because hopefully somewhere everywhere where there’s a DJ playing tonight, they will actually have that on their list. Oh they should. Right. So is it your favorite ABBA song, do you think?
James O’Brien: It’s my favorite? It’s pretty close to my favorite top five. Absolutely. My number one would be the Winner Takes It All, which is that beautiful song about a breakup, their own breakups, and which is just so poignant and wonderful. So that’s probably number one, to be honest, but dancing Queen could be two or three. I think.
Andrea Ho: Okay. It’s not even.
James O’Brien: And it’s because it’s a very different song. You know, it’s still got that lovely, sort of almost melancholic feel about the, you know, the innocence of youth that, you know, and all she wants to do on a Friday night is go out dancing, not sit there looking at her mobile phone.
Andrea Ho: Yeah, I know times have changed, haven’t they? James O’Brien. So glad that you could come in and actually share some reflections on ABBA and dancing Queen for this particular anniversary. I mean, ABBA, beloved by Australians from Muriel’s Wedding all the way through to this particular movie. I think I might leave us with just these sounds. Enjoy the rest of your night. Have a really great Friday night.
James O’Brien: Thank you very much.
Andrea Ho: Thanks so much, John. Thank you. James O’Brien, ABC Radio executive and lover of ABBA.
Happy New Year
I’m back in Sydney for New Year, for the first time in a few years. For the last few years, I’ve been spending New Year’s Eve in Lismore, often attending the Tropical Fruits party. While I’ve enjoyed those events, I must admit the music has changed a bit too much for my liking—it seems to be all “doof, doof, doof” without any lyrics these days! I usually find myself gravitating toward the Cabaret area, which is more my speed, but this year I didn’t feel like staying and decided to head back to Sydney instead.
I’d had a vague idea of attending the City of Sydney party at the Opera House, but I never quite got around to it. Interestingly, I discovered you can get tickets to watch the fireworks from the Cahill Expressway. A friend whose partner is in a wheelchair mentioned it to me, as they were heading there for the accessible display. While the idea of getting “down and dirty” with the massive Sydney crowds usually worries me, the Expressway vantage point seems like a great option for next year.
The highlight of my return was the flight back yesterday. We flew right past the harbour, offering a perfect view of the Opera House and the Bridge. It even passed near my office, so I could spot my building before we touched down.
Despite being back in the thick of it, I had a very quiet night. I watched a bit of the coverage on TV, listened to the radio, and was in bed early. I slept right through, save for that typical 3:00 AM wake-up call we men tend to have, and woke up feeling refreshed.
Travelling into town this morning, I’d forgotten how wonderful Sydney is at this time of year. So many people leave the city, making it surprisingly peaceful. Most shops in my area are closed, but the pubs and supermarkets are open. I ran into a friend from New Zealand who has lived here for 30 years, and we both agreed how lovely the city is when it’s this quiet. Fond memories of COVID!
My main focus is now on my overseas holiday in mid-February. I’m off to Sweden, Thailand, and the UK, so I popped into town this morning to grab a few essentials. That is my big focus for 2026 so far!
Six months later
They seem to have either removed or painted over the 1974 flood signs in Lismore. The signs have been a constant reminder of the near record flood that engulfed Lismore. The 1954 flood was slightly higher and saw many more deaths. Maybe the signs have also been useful for those buying a property? Anyway, they’re gone now, replaced by a few signs around the CBD which go up to a 13 metre flood, roughly the same height as the awnings. That’s still not high enough, as the flood peaked at over 14 metres.
No one ever thought the floods would go beyond the 1974 level.
A photograph I shared on Twitter a couple of days ago has sparked a cord with people around Australia. As of Tuesday night, the photograph has reached 300,000 people, with over 1,000 retweets.
Janice : Without being there it is difficult to imagine, then I see an image like this is just unfathomable how high the water got. Terrifying.
The Smith Kid : Holy SH.T that’s is incredible and hard to imagine until we see the graphic. Now that putting the impact of flood into perspective
Jon : I’ve heard people wonder why Lismore is still reeling so much from this year’s floods 6 months on, but this puts it in perspective. Lismore well equipped to deal with floods, but 2022 was unprecedented at a level once thought impossible, but that climate change now makes possible
https://twitter.com/jcjobau/status/1566234626590650368
There were also a bunch of offensive comments from people who said things along the lines of “Well if you live on a floodplain…(followed by an offensive term about people with disability)… and “You’re just posting this for political and ideological reasons…” (meaning climate change). They don’t really add anything to the conversation, aside from repeating their own ideological perspective. But on Twitter, you can always block them, and so that’s what I’ve done.
Hopefully, the photograph has given a new perspective to a lot of people.
It’s mostly the large supermarkets and chain stores that have re-opened. They have the backing of a large corporation behind them. Many of the smaller shops have struggled to re-open.
I’m always optimistic, and there’s room for optimism, but I’ve also encountered a sense of pessimism and a lot of fatigue.
“James, we’re all just bloody tired,” an old classmate from primary and high school told me. She owns a shop, and two houses in South Lismore, all of which were almost completely destroyed by the flood. “We work here Monday to Friday, and then we go home and have to repair our home and Jess’ place”. Jess, by the way, is a young adult who was living in a group home for people with disability.
Six months after the floods and Lismore (and all of the other surrounding towns) are a long way from recovery.
Kung Hei Fat Choi
“Kung Hei Fat Choi” is a Cantonese phrase which means “Happy New Year”. It’s just one of the phrases and things I’ve learned over the last few days working on a radio program to celebrate “Lunar New Year”. And I use the phrase “Lunar New Year” in preference to Chinese New Year (most commonly used in Sydney because City of Sydney celebrates Chinese New Year), because Koreans, Vietnamese and many others also celebrate New Year right now, or around this time.
There were lots of good things about this. Mostly, though because I got to work with a great team from ABC Local Radio, ABC Multi-platform and Radio Australia who were so incredibly passionate about doing this. The slideshow below features the program co-presenters, David and Andrea who are featured “over the moon”, as you would be with Lunar New Year, with happiness and excitement. David got to meet Canto-pop superstar, Frances Yip, who sang the song “Shanghai Beach” which was the theme music for an iconic Hong Kong 80s soap opera, and who sells out stadiums when she performs in Asia. Back in Australia, where she mostly lives now, she is happy to perform at the equally iconic Rooty Hill RSL. In another photograph, you’ll see Andrea eating some yummy food (Yee Sang which is a terrific dish) and who I think really, really enjoyed working on the program on so many levels, and who I also, personally, enjoyed working with again.
At the end of it all, I was tired, elated, and well and truly informed about so many things I had only a cursory knowledge of before. Oh, and totally in love with Frances Yip. “Hubba hubba”, as David commented on the radio yesterday.
And here’s the audio from the program.
1st hr
2nd hr
3rd hr
It’s Almost Summer
As I headed to the Art Gallery of NSW this morning, it was already bloody warm outside.
An hour or two in the gallery provided some welcome relief to an otherwise almost unexpectedly warm day.
I was at the gallery for a work-related activity. But in between keeping an eye on things, it was great just to have time to wander around the gallery for a while.
In the current exhibitions, unfortunately, there was nothing which really grabbed me. I did, however, enjoy having a look around some of the classic works of Dobel, Roberts etc.
Coming outside I felt the warmth again as I walked through The Domain. A bite or two followed in Chinatown, and then I came home.
I’m pretty sure we hit at least thirty-degrees and it felt like it.
But it wasn’t too hot to have an afternoon nap, and for a walk around the park.
When I arrived home, I even considered putting on the air conditioner.
And that’s the weather from Sydney.
I don’t know if it works – it doesn’t look very blurry in the background to me…. ;)
I had the same reaction as Sue.
Oh good – not just me then!
I wonder if this is like the iphone camera filters which look awesome until you try to get the photos off the phone – whereupon the effects vanish entirely.