My Mind Is Blown From This ABBA Bass Line!

[@MrCrrispy]

My mind is blown by how their music still sounds good after 4-5 decades 🙂

[@mikosoft]

It's because it wasn't a massproduced generic corporate pop. The four members were all heavily involved in songwriting and production of all their music so it isn't just a singer singing somebody else's lyrics to somebody else's music. And another factor is Benny and Bjorn were really perfectionists when it comes to arrangements, it's crazy how complex the music actually is. Me and my band we tried our hand at Mamma Mia, it was NOT straightforward at all! But it's a blast, it's a crowd pleaser and we really enjoy playing it

[@Saibotz1]

J.S. Bach still sounds great after almost 300 years.

[@noahnordenstrom3175]

@@Saibotz1not really lmao

[@elforeigner3260]

Frida and Agnetha perfected the overdub vocal in real time! They almost sound like one voice with light flange

[@samanthasabbath3745]

I noticed that too. Even better than the Everly Brothers

[@abbantologiabbavoyage]

R.I.P Rutger Gunnarsson a real master in bass 😢🕯

[@anderschristensen4072]

that bassline here was easy

[@rocknrollhippy771]

A lot of really great bass playing is 👍

[@Frontdesk99]

@@anderschristensen4072 Sure. Now try to *come up with it* , and not just try to replicate it.

[@bezalel5081]

Definitely one of the coolest names ever.

[@hackapump]

@@Frontdesk99 This. Exactly. The true masters come up with the best part for the song, often times on the spot. Very few are this good at it.

[@billybud9557]

RIP, Rutger.......you were one of the 3 best bass players in rock. Under appreciated. "Knowing me, Knowing you" was one of your best.....

[@onesong2001]

pop

[@whitebeardskydaddy6756]

I'm a hard rocker. Over the years though, I've become interested in what differentiates the two kinds of music. Yeah, the two kinds. GOOD and BAD. Just like with so many things in life. This is phenomenal. Good breakdown. They're great musicians.

[@keefos66]

Awesome introduction to Rutger’s playing. The real mad-scientist stuff is on Knowing Me, Knowing You. Even when you know it, it’s hard to fathom how or why he decided on his parts. His timing and note selection are so odd but so perfect.

[@jemsar2]

Totally wish I could have met Rutger! What a master musician! Very, very underrated!

[@jc3drums916]

I think the C sounds better than C# (Db). It is possible that the muted open D just before it, if it were a note to be played normally, would be played as Db, thus giving the descending chromatic line D-Db-C-B. Or as someone else commented, it's possible there's a Eb dim7 chord passing before the B min. IMHO both are reasonable enough that, considering his skill level, I believe the C was intentional.

[@JohnScott-up4hr]

Incredible band

[@dirface]

385.000.000 underrated albums sold.

[@TheJimbo1791]

THANK YOU for this. I am no professional musician but I know genius pop when I hear it - Abba is one of my favourite bands, probably my fav alongside the Beatles. I enjoyed your analyzing very much, this was so in-depth and still easy to comprehend and enjoy. The bass is truly one of the very important ingredients of iconic Abba songs! Greetings from Finland.

[@chrissargent8398]

What a great discussion. Thanks for doing this! Very well done. What a talent and iconic tune.

[@rockkstah2550]

Since the early 80's, when I first heard ABBA's dancing queen, the bass player has always blown me away, and this is coming from someone that grew up being influence by EVH. Dancing queen never gets old because of that bass line and the rest of the talents in that band..

[@niklasleijer8917]

I think the C that Rutger plays in the end of the last chorus is totally what he wanted. When I studied this bassline I also thought that he made a mistake but when I thought it over I came to the conclusion that these guys don’t make a mistake like that. I think the purpose with playing that C was to get a stronger feeling that the song is ending. When listening to it over and over I think it gives that feel, the song is ending. That Rutger played the wrong tone without noticing is not possible in my mind, he’s truly a music genius and a world class bassist. And Björn and Benny are perfectionists.

[@gizmokaiba]

Rutger, besides being a badas basist, did a lot of ABBAs string arangements. Overall I'd say that the bas line in a lot of ABBAs tunes really stands out, both being very percussive and musical. Often overlooked. Just great. And Rutger...he was a genius!!

[@chrisyarbrough785]

There really once was love and joy in the world huh!I knew something was missing

[@robbedontuesday]

Man, I guess you were not even born when this show took place... welcome to the amazing ABBA legacy.

[@glenngastonjonsson7954]

Brilliant stuff. Thanks!

[@supremelordoftheuniverse5449]

ABBA is more metal than most modern mainstream metal bands

[@aceaudiohq]

When Björn Ulvaeus of Abba was asked about it, he said there is no wrong note. To me it works, and it suits well as the song is coming to a close, though I’ve never heard it on any other version than the original recording

[@pathslesstrampled9906]

I saw them live in Edmonton in 1979. Thought it was a great show! Although at the time I didn’t quite realize exactly what it was I was witnessing…

[@oldtimer7635]

Well done! : )

[@IkanGelamaKuning]

i like bass on Knowing Me Knowing You. Different and out of the box concept.

[@juani2929]

I love these breakdowns. keep'em coming. new subscirber!

[@realomon]

Abba bass is top of the line. Check out „as good as new“

[@Krusagarden]

Abba och Rutger. Mycket bra.

[@aerotube7291]

A beautiful song

[@Eden_Rubin_Music]

The mistake is just a proof that even great radio songs can have tiny mistakes. We are just humans and that's what's beautiful about it

[@martinkelly9763]

I was always amazed they done it all without a drummer.

[@paulrerrie75]

All the bass lines were re-recorded by him for the Mamma Mia soundtrack (supposedly higher in the mix).

[@samfrizzell2508]

I hope he's feeling better soon.

[@boki77]

Rutger 🤘

[@donmcbass]

I don't know if the "approach note" was wrong, it sounds AMAZING cool!. I say Rutger chose it - although happy accidents DO happen!!

[@andrewcoates4952]

I always feel that the core musicians of Abba wanted to be more than just a pop band and wanted to explore more prog/folk feels

[@RickDanner]

Agnetha Faltskog is perfection looks wise and voice and the other girl can sing too great artists , did you know Agnetha was an accomplished pianist . Your bass playing is awesome i play in a trio and the bass player is great its just bass guitar and drums .

[@juniorrecordable67]

The other girl? Really?

[@katherinewelling6026]

Not a bass player but I really enjoyed this. Oh, and your R2-D2 rocks. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@childofthe60s100]

The picture said "This bassist is sick"! Despite that he played really well and didn't look too poorly?

[@1973833]

Underrated band?? Bro.... One of the best pop, or generally best bands. I highy doubt that any band will ever put such hits again..

[@SvenElven]

You can say they are e “underrated” among a lot of musicians and music connoisseurs, writing them off as just another commercial pop group and not appreciating the amazing songwriting and performing chops that lie behind these songs!

[@martinhumble]

​@@SvenElven Though they don't

[@GVike]

As for that "error"... more like a happy accident. They probably heard it and were like... hmm, interesting. Don't change it.

[@frankmartinez8630]

Underrated band???? Maybe for young People....

[@danielesbordone1871]

Tell me that they sold millions of records and were a worldwide success , but don't tell me they were funky because they weren't , they were pure glam pop.

[@davidkerr4137]

Hey there. Been trying to learn the piano track for this cool tune - what was the software you're using to isolate the instruments?

[@BassFreedom]

Moises!

[@marktravis4697]

Winter Melody Donna summer what aa cool bass line and there's no tab, can it be deciphered?

[@beirch]

How is it an underrated band? They're literally one of the most celebrated bands of all time.

[@benjaminvolant2469]

I know. But I get what he means. Ibrahimovic (another Swede, funnily enough) is regarded as a world class football player, but despite all this, he was still underrated compared to more often put forward names like Ronaldo, Zidane, Messi, Beckham, Ronaldinho. If that makes sense.

[@k1200ltse]

It doesn't. ABBA is a worldwide phenomenon. They might be underrated in the USA but that's the US's problem. Everywhere else? They aren't. mamma Mia! The musical on stage is worldwide (Inc the USA), two smash movies based on the stage show, a hugely popular 'live' show ongoing in London, 3 themed restaurants, a museum & massive (& on going) sales on cd's & downloads. Underrated isn't a term that applies to ABBA.

[@iainwall]

Music snobs like to turn their nose up at them though. I think that's what he means.

[@rsmickeymooproductions4877]

One track that Abba did was called Eagle. Not sure if it was a big popular hit but its absolutely immense compared to their usual poppie stuff. It was a masterpiece in my opinion.

[@virginia3168]

He's young.

[@leokimvideo]

ABBA knew when to funk it up. And it worked

[@rinkinkel]

If by 'it worked' you mean 'it sold', you're right. Funky like a log of timber on marching day.

[@abaxteria]

@@rinkinkel Don't be that guy. Nobody likes that gun.

[@danielesbordone1871]

@@rinkinkel , you're right , they weren't funky at all.

[@atlasgunther8947]

the bassist in this case in particular

[@kaaring]

Check the bass on My Mama Said

[@kitko33]

ABBA is not underrated band. Claiming otherwise shows a profound gap in your knowledge. It's one of the most influential bands in the history of music - I'd argue that they share the top spot with Beatles.

[@philspear73]

Probably depends on the country. I have no doubt Europe and the world outside of the US understand their genius. A lot of people just think of them as a pop act with catchy melodies without understanding the musical complexity.

[@alanshewitt]

@@philspear73they were huge in the US as well. Even the jukebox musical “Mama Mia” based on their catalog is one of the top grossing musicals of all time.

[@BmcC102]

I think they are underrated in the US for sure.

[@vallanddess]

Calm down😂

[@anonymusum]

Every real musician has a lot of respect for ABBA and their backing band. You don´t have to like their songs, but the skills and musicianship is on top level - and I mean top level.

[@MrKennyBones]

Definitely, any songwriter should be in awe of their craftsmanship. These songs are absolutely stellar in both composition, arrangements and instrumentations. This is Beatles, Beach Boys, Billy Joel and Michael Jackson level of songwriting

[@neocollective]

@@MrKennyBones Completely agree, this one makes the short list of greatest pop songs of all time; and they have a bunch of other great songs.

[@evankeal]

That chord change under 'see that....' is so unique and powerful.

[@supremelordoftheuniverse5449]

Metalhead here, ABBA is one of my all time favorite bands

[@annika8207]

ABBA’s plan was to play/sound the music at concerts as close/near to the studio track as possible- live! 🥹😘 Bye from 🇸🇪

[@rogier9512]

00:15. Underrated band???? By whom?? ABBA Is legendary famous.

[@joerichardwad1645]

Rutger’s choices in their song Knowing Me Knowing You are downright mind boggling and awesome. Best baseline in an ABBA track in my opinion.

[@ProgrammedForDamage]

Couldn't agree more. I started learning to play it because my dad loves the song, and the more and more I listened to it the more nuance I discovered.

[@Urfinchannel]

This song infected me to be a huge Fan until Now!

[@ainsleystones4600]

As a bass teacher, I'm in full agreement with you Joe!

[@pihermoso11]

Mama Mia

[@eggy1962]

One of us…..resonates with me for a good bass sound, i cannot speak for any technical side as i cannot play or read music

[@NelsonMontana1234]

I did the Mama Mia show and all the bass parts were transcribed exactly. It was a bitch! So cool. So funky. So musical. Rutger is a monster. Dancing Queen is often played differently because there's so much improvisation going on. I used to think ABBA was a nice slick sweet pop music , but after doing the show I realize they're songwriting geniuses. And yeah, the girls vocals are balls on.

[@thethinredline4714]

Very few singers would be able to match those girls

[@davideanil]

One of the best bass lines for me...

[@theendmyfriend]

Cool. Yeh ABBA has some nice progressions good song writing. Same here. I played theatre bass and guitar choir musicals and stuff. Did the ABBA Grease Bee Gees Rocky Horror Jesus Super Star Cats etc Learn a lot respect once you have to work out some parts and write your own charts which of course then the damned choir want to change into some messed up key hahaa hate that. Such is life. Rock on. Peace.

[@bjornjohanlinder2089]

me thinks..bassline on the particular..song MamaMia is played by...another great:MikeWatson(?)

[@ruthietreselan]

somewhere on youtube Ani does an interview...the brunette with the very recognizable voice.....she said it was because of Hitler she was born...he had homes and nurses for babies and outlawed abortion...she was in that program.....@@thethinredline4714

[@josemiranda1241]

As a DJ in the 70's I had a blast playing ABBA. It was a musical feast! And in love with Frida since 1975. The American critics tried to destroyed them! But when you like the music, you give a crap about the critics!

[@fearnpol4938]

So you’re saying if you like the music you actually care what critics think! It’s usually the opposite for most people they don’t care.

[@mkhud50n]

I used to always compare ABBA to Led Zeppelin, mainly to throw people for a loop but the musicianship is kind of mind blowing for a pop group, especially the bass lines And nothing beats their vocals.

[@virginiaviola5097]

Once upon a time, to get really famous as a musician, you needed actually to be one. But auto tune, beats and songs by committee put an end to all that talent and creativity. And as for ABBA all four were already successful and established artists quite separately each other before the 4 musical friends and couples pooled their musical talent, for fun.

[@christianoazzuro6711]

thank you sir!

[@bachatamusica]

@mkhud50n 😐Led Zeppelin recorded one of their albums, at ABBA's studio, in downtown Stockholm.

[@shadow-js2hn]

​@@bachatamusica yes- Polar Music- most advanced studio then.

[@bachatamusica]

@@shadow-js2hn 😐That building looks the same from the outside, as it was back then.....but on the inside, it is no longer a music recording studio.

[@kennet7837]

Another great ABBA bassline (also played by Rutger) is "One of Us" from The Visitors.

[@Lisa-M]

Or Bang-A-Boomerang

[@nlptrckshmn5535]

It has such a satisfying tone, in part down to the short note lengths I think.

[@herrbonk3635]

@@nlptrckshmn5535 Sounds like he plays fretless bass on that one. Like Stefan Brolund (Sw) or Jaco Pastorius (Am, Weather Report) did in the 70s.

[@javierduhart336]

Ever noticed the bass level drop in the intro of Mamma Mia?

[@stevenorman4190]

I’ll throw in “Money, Money, Money”. Some of my favorite bass work from anyone on any song.

[@chelseacharger]

Among ABBA's hardcore fans, Rutger is a legend. He was also classically trained and did many of ABBA's string arrangements. A lot of great bass lines in ABBA songs. 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' is well worth checking out and especially the long album version where it gets seriously funky during the instrumental break. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3vXiKqjqZWWjq8

[@thomasnicolaisen7312]

Wasn't "Gimme Gimme Gimme" recorded with Mike Watson on bass?

[@chelseacharger]

@@thomasnicolaisen7312 No, Although Mike Watson was involved around that time (he is bassist on 'Does Your Mother Know') GGG was definitely Rutger. It's detailed in the 'ABBA Complete Recording Sessions' book. Rutger can also be seen playing in the background of the GGG official video plus he played it on the 79/80 tours.

[@eggy1962]

@@chelseacharger watson did ...If it wasn't for the nights if im not mistaken from the same album

[@FunkyDisco79]

I love Rutger's funky playing on "Lovers (Live A Little Longer)".

[@jamesdignanmusic2765]

It's surprising how much ABBA is bass-driven. My favourite of their songs, "The Name of the Game" has immaculate arrangement and production, and beautiful melody and lyrics - but it's the bass that drives it along.

[@FunkyDisco79]

Pop and rock music were generally much more bass-driven in the 70's than today.

[@alanscopp1114]

I totally agree. That funky syncopated bass line is killer. I don't know why this song isn't included more in the best of ABBA bass lines (maybe because there are so many good ones!). The whole song is a gem.

[@mattias5157]

"Rutger" is pronounced with an "u" like in bull, not like in butter. Same with his family name Gunnarsson. Not that it matters in base heaven where he is now, probably playing a duet with ABBA guitarist Lasse Wellander that went over yesterday. RIP both of you guys. Vila i frid!

[@robert4you]

Hello from Sweden! Really enjoyed this video. A huge shout out to Michael B.Tretow, an audio engineer, musician and composer. Tretow experimented with different recording techniques, and played an essential part in creating that special "ABBA sound". He also composed several themes and jingles for Swedish national radio and television. In 2001 Michael suffered a severe stroke, he lost his speech for ten years and all the memories from the ABBA-time vanished... he sold his studio in 2004. You will always be in our hearts, Mr Tretow, what a brilliant man you are. 🎸🎵🎶🎹💛💙

[@inspector_7152]

Bass-wise my favorite ABBA song is “One of us”. It is epic in my humble opinion.

[@superbrainboy5382]

I agree with you 100 percent - almost every morning on the way to work I demand everything from my 15 inch woofer just to hear that exact bassline

[@paulecrosby2006]

One of the best bands ever.

[@jerrycote659]

😮 Wow! I was blown away with this video. First, I’m coming from a totally non-musician’s perspective. I clicked to this because it came up in my feed and being a huge ABBA fan I love hearing how a song can be broken down into individual, isolated parts. Your video did this but in a way that blew my mind. I was totally hearing something completely new from a song I have heard since the day it was released (yup! that old! 😆). But having you break down the bass lines was just amazing. I am not going to hear Dancing Queen the same way ever again, and that’s a great thing! I’m so pumped that I will be able to hone in on the bass, which I think is freaking awesome on both versions, and I actually had never really like the live version very much, but, I absolutely LOVE it now and I think your acknowledgement of it being so good and just the points about their live performance being so professional and how great Agnetha and Frida’s vocals were, I was like “yes! Exactly!”. And you are so right! I watched the live version again after your video and, yup! Amazing. Your excitement and your obvious love of music and the bass is so evident in your presence and your delivery and also when you played. It’s awesome to hear someone like you who is obviously an amazing musician and an obvious student of your artistry. There was so much you shared I had absolutely no knowledge of, such as song structure and progression, transition and other terms and concepts that I now will have in my head when listening to songs, particularly the ones I love the most and Dancing Queen is absolutely one of those songs. I’m definitely gonna check all your videos out. You are extremely talented and a really positive force. Thanks so much!

[@BassFreedom]

Jerry, thanks so much for the lovely comment. It means the world to me that you not only enjoyed the video, but it changed the way you'll hear it from now on! The reason I do these videos are exactly for people like you. Thanks again my friend!

[@MakeAllThingsBeautiful]

I'm gonna have to listen to Dancing Queen a few times and focus on the base and other instruments because there are these songs where on its own I'm not sure i would recognise the bass line as having anything to do with song, which is awesome in itself ... or i'm just totally tone, music, beat and everything else deaf. Having said that 'My Generation' is one of my all time favorites especially for that raw dominating bass line. Music is so fascinating esepcially the way the bassline can seemingly hide in plain sight.

[@thethinredline4714]

@@BassFreedom Maybe you should take a look on bass player Peter Hook of Joy division and New order , he plays the bass almost like a guitar

[@daze023]

Gotta love KZbin channels. I've heard Abba from day 1 and never noticed the bass guitar until now

[@ronaldl9085]

Incredible how fresh Abba's music still sounds after decades. Underrated band.

[@rikprince8414]

I was amazed that when they released "Voyage" last year, it sounded like they had just taken a feww weeks off and started recording again. But, it was 40 years! LEGENDS!!

[@avonacolyte]

For a band that dominated the world music scene for the best part of a decade... yes, somehow they are still underrated.

[@Peppeblackmetal]

Underrated maybe in the US, in the UK they are massive.

[@anderschristensen4072]

underrated they are known around the world,sold mil. of albums have tons of fans. underatet no way

[@anderschristensen4072]

@@Peppeblackmetal in the hole world

[@morodersson303]

Two things: I do think that tension note was a happy little accident. From what I've gathered, B&B weren't overly concerned with perfection for perfection's sake - they were open to experimenting with the sound (which happened to be Michael B. Tretow's forte), and if something sounded good in the mix, it stayed. (Also, in 1975 when the song was recorded/mixed, fixing stuff "in the mix" wasn't as easy as it would be later in the digital era. Sure, they could have spliced some different takes together if necessary - but for a small, barely noticeable "defect" I hardly think it would have been worth the effort.) Regarding ABBA being underrated - they _were_ massively underrated at the time on the subject of artistic merit. They were seen as a purely commercial act with little to none artistic value. Fortunately, time has proved their detractors wrong and I think it is fair to say that they are now receiving an almost universal (and IMO well deserved) appreciation.

[@ainsleystones4600]

What a great choice Andrew! I love Rutger's playing and teach many of his bass lines. I'm a huge ABBA fan and also a good, old-fashioned hairy Metaller! It's very easy to love ABBA and say, Iron Maiden for example, for pretty much the same reasons: great playing, great singing and fab tunes!

[@christianoazzuro6711]

For me the ultimate live version was from 1977 Aussie tour filmed in Abba the movie.This is 1979 Wembley London.But wait till you hear ''Gimme Gimme Gimme is another one with and killer bass and killer riff too.They had a genius sound engineer Michael Tretow that made every single detail audible and sparkling shinny.

[@bachatamusica]

@CHRISTIANO AZZURO 👍😉I agree, the same for me❗ That Australian Tour 1977 version is the best❗And, in Sydney, when they performed "S.O.S." with the torrential rain downpour, was ABBA's most memorable performance of their entire career.

[@Urfinchannel]

@@bachatamusica and they’ve had an orchestra in Australia

[@janmuenther]

Rutger is absolutely going WILD on "Summer Night City" from the 1979 London Wembley show. The whole thing is musically really impressive. Fantastic musicians, all of them.

[@jossieassie4682]

Underrated band? Not if you look at the sales. In the USA? Yes.

[@tiffsaver]

Thank you for posting this great tutorial. I used play in a well-known rock band in the mid-seventies. I admit it, I used to HATE Abba, and even groups like the Carpenters, because I thought that they were all playing "bubble gum" music. But only when I became much older do I truly appreciate and enjoy these bands and their music, in spite of myself. Abba's ability to write hit songs, their live performances, were superb by anyone's calculations. And Karen Carpenters incredible voice and drumming abilities were on a level far above most musicians of my era. I'm just glad I lived long enough to put my "purist" ideas behind me and truly appreciate all kinds of music, in all their limitless iterations.

[@creativesource3514]

Which band were you in?

[@tiffsaver]

@@creativesource3514 I started with a little known rock group that you've probably never even heard of. We used to open for bigger groups like Ike and Tina Turner "back in the day." Then I joined a group called "Climax" in the early seventies when their drummer took ill when they were touring the country. Our guitar player Walter Nims wrote a hit song in '71 called "Precious and Few," and our lead singer Sonny Geraci passed away a couple of years ago. Sonny and Walt pretty much pioneered "soft rock," after their mainstream rock tune "Time Won't Let Me" was released in 1964. After that, musical tastes began to change with groups like Bread and The Association, and they had to change with it.

[@Jonas_Fridh]

ABBA used the elite of Swedish studio musicians on their records.

[@peternordahl5323]

Did you say ABBA is underrated?? They have over 28 million listeners every month on Spotify …

[@stuartcarden1371]

Abba basslines make me cry as I always get them wrong. Such epic musicianship!

[@valve0radio]

😂,, &&; oh i knoww!

[@jerrytaylor8889]

I've been a drummer for the past 43 years & always loved & enjoyed playing this song, especially the syncopated snare / open hi-hat at the end of certain verses. The bass, however, - WOW! I just happened across your video while listening to different reaction videos & was so glad to see someone besides me had picked up on that bass line. Dancing Queen has one of my favorite bass guitar riffs, I never really had to learn notes with the exception of Jr. & High school band. I played the quads (new to the scene) my senior year in marching band, but the tympani during concert season. That was the extent of my knowledge of my note scale, but I wished I had learned at some point in my life to play the bass guitar & am glad to hear you breaking it down. My favorite part is at the end of the second verse where he does that very quick slide, for lack of the proper term. New subscriber as soon as I saw this!!

[@BassFreedom]

Thats amazing!!! Thanks so much for watching 😀🤘

[@batira]

How is ABBA underrated? It's one of the most famous, classic groups.

[@gnordache4405]

One thing is being successful and another one being respected. Another example: the Bee Gees.

[@MrMvidz]

ABBA underrated..? One of the most recognizable super groups ever?

[@terrykemp1876]

The vocal range in this song is insane. 🎉

[@stevecarter8810]

Backing Vocals go full metal scream on the record after 'tambourine'

[@thethinredline4714]

Which is why no one attempts to copy them

[@annika8207]

I’ve sung this song in a huge choir as the high soprano. ABBA conserto in April in Malmö, Sweden 2014. We were three girls singing the high notes at the besinning (Aaaaa aaa aaa aaa aa as a! 😂) It’s really high in the choir version! We were standing on our toes hitting the highest notes! 😅😛 Bye from 🇸🇪

[@johnnyrosenberg9522]

Autotune didn't exist back then, but obviously they didn't need it anyway. 👍

[@wildcard04]

Great analysis. I was also surprised at how great ABBA was live. The ‘Does Your Mother Know/Hole In Your Soul’ live performance by them is my favourite..

[@annika8207]

Yess! Hole in your soul is one of my favourites too! Nobody ever mentions this, almost hard rock track with the girls almost screaming a crecendo!😍🤩

[@RebornThroughHate]

All that 70's stuff has great bassists and great basslines. ABBA were an amazing band, as were the Bee Gees. I'm mostly into death / thrash / black metal, but fact is fact.

[@HearGear]

This is awesome, Rutger Gunnarsson and Ola Brunkert got some really good beats going on no matter its recorded or live, these two legends are gone but their legacy will live for ever, you know, most of them appearing on studio music and live music are fantastic and Janne Schaffer not to forget.. sometimes i live in the past, just watching and listen to all this great old recorded live and studio music, it´s an era that will never come back... thanks..

[@snillethans]

Rutger has arranged and played bass on a whole line of Swedish hits from the -70s and -80s, the Abba ones is just a bit of his astounding legacy.

[@louise_rose]

Yes, musicians who were in completely different genres recognized the playing skills and solid production on ABBA's albums - Phil Collins obviously (who recorded at Polar both with Genesis and later when producing a solo album for Frida) and Big Country.

[@simonjackman6135]

Definitely a mistake but brief and deep in a rich funky mix; in that day and age you could easily let it go even if you heard it in the booth.

[@mv9787]

I got a LOT of chills from their singing. Modern singers don’t do this. I don’t know what happened?

[@adrianflaherty240]

Laziness.

[@yoddeb]

Rutger gunnarsson is a genius

[@rinkinkel]

Really? What's so genius? It's average and mostly clichés, and what was good about got flattened in post production.

[@ImaginaryEvil]

​@@rinkinkelmillions of people disagree with you

[@rinkinkel]

delusion is common.

[@perwestermark8920]

​@@rinkinkelAnd you are an example of that...

[@rinkinkel]

@@perwestermark8920 I rest my case.

[@jayse1195]

Great vid! Always been a big ABBA bass fan. But just to think a bit leftfield, you heard the bass line from the DALLAS tv show? Slick and sick :) Subscribed, thanks man, -Jay.

[@soul72music]

Rutger Gunnarsson was The Man 💥

[@99f234]

Thanks for highlighting this song. I think this is probably my favorite bass line to hear and play. I have always been in metal/rock bands but my heart is in pop/country bass lines. I always bust out these riffs in between songs during practice hoping the drummer will fall in lol

[@SusanneBreul]

as a drummer and loyal abba fan, I would 😄

[@FreeSociety1]

Listen to the bass guitar work in ABBA's: "Knowing Me Knowing You" -- its Awesome!

[@andrewpappas9311]

I remember having to learn this song for my high school band (I played bass) since that was one of the songs we were doing that year and it was honestly pretty fun to do, I sometimes forget just how funky the bass in this song is

[@Al69BfR]

13:09 I especially like that C because it has a more bluesy vibe. And it makes the difference between amateur and pro bass players in a cover band. Everytime I hear that C played by a bassist I nod to him expressing my respect for her/his approach to Rutger Gunnarsson‘s style.

[@PatNetherlander]

Same here!

[@Johannes_Tube]

I totally agree about the more bluesy flavor that the C chord adds. I've noticed this in a number of rock songs as well, sometimes playing the major seventh over a major chord tends to sound a bit too pretty, and using the flat seventh instead adds a bit more spice -- provided it doesn't clash too much with the rest of the instruments. In this case it definitely works as the C is used as an approach note. It seems to be similar in Hysteria, where Chris also chooses the flat seventh over the major seventh when playing over the C major chord later on. I also often hear rock players choose the perfect fourth instead of the sharp fourth over the IV chord, and the major sixth instead of the flat sixth over the VI chord.

[@jazzpotato7483]

I can't understand how people think that this note would be a wrong note. I am 100% sure that it was just the jazzy attitude that Rutger had and that it was what he was hearing in his head when playing and that he was improvising. That chromatic playing is super common when you play jazz and with that choice of note you temporarry make the harmony to be a C7#11. It is unfortunally forbidden in Pop music but totaly normal in Jazz. Maybe Rutger also was playing some jazz between the ABBA gigs?

[@FFM0594]

ABBA - Underrated? Are you joking? Check their record. About 20 Nr.1's. About 150 million albums sold.

[@Urfinchannel]

500

[@kickitlikekirra]

Dude, this video was so much fun to watch and listen to! I don't even play bass, and your mastery of music in general is way above mine, but I know enough to appreciate your knowledge and passion. Thank you for your sincere and unbridled excitement! I was planning on skipping ahead when I saw the thumbnail (I'd never seen a video of yours before), but within seconds realized you and your breakdown were worth watching with my full attention.

[@BassFreedom]

Thank you SO much! I appreciate you! 🤘

[@annika8207]

Agree! Just found you here today! Looove ABBA!🤩😍🥰😘 Bye from 🇸🇪

[@robertbrand6712]

Underrated band? That’s just hilarious…

[@roberteriksson1629]

When ABBA had their big breakthrough at ESC in Brighton. The conductor of the orchestra steps out dressed as Napoleon looking very much like the doll you have in the background. Funny coincidence!

[@michaelconvery8871]

Knowing me knowing you by Abba had a killer bass groove as well. Rutger Gunnarsson was a virtuoso on the bass.

[@ianmccarty2632]

Love the combo of dissecting the song/reacting in real time to the live video! Great work!

[@danielpalmersofficial]

Rutger is amazing, all of his bass lines are wicked!! 😙👍

[@bartekgarbaczewski420]

Pete Townsend from The Who praised ABBA.

[@joemaldonado9231]

So glad you mentioned James Jamerson. I was waiting for that and you rightly so delivered. There would be no Rutger funk without Jamerson. Jamerson changed popular music with his bass lines. Before there was funk there WAS funk. It was just buried in Motown pop.

[@tonirusso9253]

When I started to listen to Abba, late 70”s I loved their songs and played them to death…. Fast forward to 1982 I started learning bass (16 years old). Played in many bands afterwards and discovered James Jameson in 1990. Since then JJ has influenced my playing like no other. However, today 11.01.24 I re listened to the entire Abba catalog… what struck me immediately was that Rutger”s bass lines where undoubtedly influenced by J.J both chromatically and in his choice of syncopation. Today I also found / watched Andrew’s video and it confirmed what I heard as well re JJ. Rutger took his ideas to a different level. Much respect and R.I.P. sir.

[@1965JB]

I’ve been geeking on this song’s bass and drum groove for at least 10 years. Thanks so much for this incredible video!

[@Liveleadplayer70]

as said below that chromatic note would be the bass note of a diminished passing chord .they can be used chromatically or as a device to modulate to a different key...i was 6 when abba "arrival" came out in Australia and my Oma got me it for a b'day present..even at that age i thought it was a bit bubblegum but unbelievably good and when i think about it, those sophisticated bass lines must've ingrained themselves into me as i could never abide a song or stereo without decent bass..defintely left an impression..now i have to go down a Rutger Gunnersson hole for a bit..peace

[@eggy1962]

its good that Abba are getting more love now from current generations that they did in their prime period, they really were innovative and well as just great artists

[@barackmycat9448]

You are describing me The incoming disco scene was a nightmare for the "cool" folk at that time. I was playing Hendrix type stuff. I play bass and this vid was great. They amaze me now.

[@nelsonmellososobrinho1123]

RIP Rutger Gunnarsson

[@orbitaljellyfish808]

8:25 after the 3 chromatic notes the backing vox begin their arp/riser scale into the chorus. Brilliant arrangement work.

[@uselessoldman7964]

One has to remember they were all accomplished professional musicians before they formed ABBA for the Eurovision contest. It came as no surprise they went on to the success they had, they made music people loved !