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Just a Notion
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Just a Notion
| cover = ABBA - Just a Notion.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = ABBA
| album = Voyage
| released =
| recorded = 1978, 2021
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 3:31
| label = Polar
| writer =
* Benny Andersson
* Bjrn Ulvaeus
| producer =
* Benny Andersson
* Bjrn Ulvaeus
| prev_title = I Still Have Faith in You
| prev_year = 2021
| prev_title2 = Don't Shut Me Down
| next_title = Little Things
| next_year = 2021
| misc =
}}
"'Just a Notion'" is a song by ABBA that was released as a single on 22 October 2021.
Originally written and produced for the group's 1979 album 'Voulez-Vous', it was released over forty-three years later. "Just a Notion" was the second single to be released from ABBA's 2021 album 'Voyage' following the dual single of "I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down" released in September 2021. The recording retains its vocals from 1978 but includes re-recorded instrumentation added much later, during the reunion.
Background and recording
"Just a Notion" was initially recorded in September 1978 during sessions for the album 'Voulez-Vous'. Although progressing beyond the demo stage, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus became unsatisfied with it, deeming it to be "unmixable" and therefore leaving it unreleased. However, a snippet of a rough mix by ABBA's engineer Michael B. Tretow was ultimately released on the box set 'Thank You for the Music' in 1994. Carl Magnus Palm has also confirmed that the verse included in the "ABBA Undeleted" medley is the second verse of the song.Palm, Carl Magnus: 'ABBA Mnniskorna Och Musiken', page 178. Tiden Stockholm (1996). .Palm, Carl Magnus: 'ABBA The Complete Recordings Sessions', page 79. Verulam Publishing Ltd (October 13, 1994). . .
After ABBA reunited, and despite Andersson and Ulvaeus' prior criticism, "Just a Notion" was revisited for the reunion album 'Voyage'. Benny Andersson recorded a new backing track with drums and guitars for the 'Voyage' version, but it retains the vocals from the original 1978 version. "Just a Notion" was released as a single on 22 October 2021, before the November 5th release of 'Voyage'.
Prior to the full release of ABBAs partial re-recording, a complete version was recorded by cover band Arrival, which occasionally featured original ABBA bass player Rutger Gunnarsson as a special guest, and was included on their 1999 album 'First Flight'. While the full version of the song had not yet been released, it still featured the same lyrics as ABBA's original, even though much of the song remained unheard and unreleased at that point.
Lyric video
ABBA released a lyric video on YouTube for "Just a Notion" to accompany its release. The video is directed by Mike Anderson and produced by Nick Barratt of the production company Able.
The video received 583,000 views in its first 24 hours on YouTube.Views in ABBA's YouTube channel in 24 hours. A brief teaser video on TikTok earned over a million views in its first few days.
Critical reception
Emily Zemler of 'Rolling Stone' calls "Just a Notion" "buoyant" and a "hopeful, upbeat song." Devon Ivie of 'Vulture' writes that the song is "a ridiculously happy romp that finds Agnetha, Bjrn, Benny, and Anni-Frid harmonizing about the joys of flirting while a power piano noodles in the background."
Charts
Release history
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release history for "Just A Notion"
! scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Format
! scope="col"| Label
! scope="col"|
|-
! scope="row"| Various
| 22 October 2021
|
| Polar
|
|-
! scope="row"| Italy
| 12 November 2021
| Contemporary hit radio
| Universal
|
|}
References
Category:2021 singles
Category:ABBA songs
Category:Polar Music singles
Category:Songs written by Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus
Category:1978 songs
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