Annotation
If you're an ABBA fan who's been around for a while, you are probably aware that the so-called Folk Medley was released twice during ABBA's heyday: first in 1975 on a German charity album under the title 'Pick A Bale Of Cotton - On Top Of Old Smokey - Midnight Special', and then, in 1978, as the B-side of the 'Summer Night City' single. On the single, the word "medley" was added to the title: 'Medley: Pick A Bale Of Cotton - On Top Of Old Smokey - Midnight Special'.
The two issues of the medley sound just slightly different, and at one point, around the time of the writing of my book ABBA - The Complete Recording Sessions, I was led to believe that they were two different mixes. This was supported by the fact that the original 1975 recording had been transferred from the original 16-track tape to a 24-track tape around the time when the 'Summer Night City' single was prepared, indicating that Björn, Benny and Michael Tretow were planning to remix it for the single.
When The Complete Studio Recordings was put together, I and the mastering engineer tried to determine whether it actually was two different mixes. The conclusion was that it probably was and so both versions were included in the box set. However, since then it's finally been determined that they are one and the same mix, the difference being that the 1978 "version" was subjected to a lot more compression, presumably to make it sound more like the highly compressed 'Summer Night City' A-side of the single. So, as far as I've been able to determine, Björn, Benny and Michael never did a new mix back in 1978, they just fiddled a bit with the original 1975 mix.
This means that one of the different "mixes" of the Folk Medley included in the box set should have been left off since it's not, in fact, a different mix. Well, consider it another bonus, folks!
Mystery, hopefully, resolved...
Appears on releases
| # | Title | Length | Track Artist | Release Title | Release Artist | Release Group Type | Country/Date | Label | Catalog# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official | |||||||||
| 1.2 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:23 | ABBA | Summer Night City | ABBA | Single |
| Polar | POS 1239 |
| 1.2 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:15 | ABBA | Summer Night City | ABBA | Single |
| Epic (US label founded by CBS in 1953, now owned by Sony) | S EPC 6595 |
| 1.2 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:15 | ABBA | Summer Night City | ABBA | Single |
| Polydor (worldwide imprint, see annotation) | 2001 810 |
| 4.8 | Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | Thank You for the Music | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polydor (worldwide imprint, see annotation) | 523 472-2 |
| 4.8 | Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | Thank You for the Music | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polydor (worldwide imprint, see annotation), Polar Music International AB | 31452, 3472-2 |
| 4.8 | Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | Thank You for the Music | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar Music International AB, BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. (BMG company that owned their direct marketing company/club editions) | 31452 3472-2, D207209 |
| 1.18 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:23 | ABBA | ABBA (1997 remaster) | ABBA | Album |
| Polar, Polydor (worldwide imprint, see annotation) | 533 983-2 |
| 16.2 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:24 | ABBA | Singles Collection: 1972 ★ 1982 | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 561 252-2 |
| 1.13 | Medley: Pick Up a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | ABBA (2001 remaster) | ABBA | Album |
| Polar | 549 960-2 |
| 1.13 | Medley: Pick Up a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | ABBA (2001 remaster) | ABBA | Album |
| Polar | 549 952-2 |
| 1.13 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | ABBA (2001 remaster) | ABBA | Album |
| Polar | |
| 1.13 | Medley: Pick Up a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | ABBA (30th anniversary sound+vision) | ABBA | Album |
| Polar | 0602498107287 |
| 3.13 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special (1978 mix) | 4:21 | ABBA | The Complete Studio Recordings | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 987 232-7 |
| 9.2 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special (original album mix) | 4:22 | ABBA | The Complete Studio Recordings | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 987 232-7 |
| 3.13 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special (1978 mix) | 4:21 | ABBA | The Complete Studio Recordings | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 170 932-1 |
| 9.2 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special (original album mix) | 4:22 | ABBA | The Complete Studio Recordings | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 170 932-1 |
| 4.8 | Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | Thank You for the Music | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 060251743234 |
| 9.9 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | The Albums | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 060251774852 |
| 1.13 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | ABBA | ABBA | Album |
| Polar | UICY-93888 |
| 1.13 | Medley: Pick Up a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:21 | ABBA | ABBA / Arrival | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Universal Music B.V. (not for release label use! NL subsidiary of UMG) | 533 287-2 |
| 1.15 | Medley | 4:22 | ABBA | Collected | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar, Polydor (worldwide imprint, see annotation) | 533 377-7 |
| 1.13 | Pick A Bale Of Cotton / On Top Of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | ABBA (deluxe edition) | ABBA | Album |
| Polar | 00602537123094 |
| 1.13 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:21 | ABBA | ABBA (mastered for iTunes) | ABBA | Album | Polar | ||
| 3.13 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:19 | ABBA | Gold: Greatest Hits (40th anniversary edition) | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar | 0602537740130 |
| 3.13 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:19 | ABBA | Gold: Greatest Hits (40th anniversary edition) | ABBA | Album + Compilation | Polar | 3774013 | |
| 4.13 | Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:19 | ABBA | Gold: Greatest Hits | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar Music International AB | |
| 4.8 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton | 4:22 | ABBA | Thank You for the Music | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Polar Music International AB | |
| Bootleg | |||||||||
| 1.9 | Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton / On Top of Old Smokey / Midnight Special | 4:22 | ABBA | Gold Christmas | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Sirius Ltd. | S 94013 |
| 1.36 | Medley | 4:22 | ABBA | VIP Collection: MP3 Premium Edition | ABBA | Album + Compilation |
| Sound MAN Records | 2544135006 6 |
Relationships
| engineer: | Michael B. Tretow |
|---|---|
| arranger: | Benny Andersson (ABBA) Björn Ulvaeus |
| phonographic copyright (℗) by: | Polar Music AB (from 1978 to present) Polar Music International AB (in 2001, in 2014) |
|---|
| recording of: | 1. Pick a Bale of Cotton (medley) 2. On Top of Old Smoky (medley) 3. Midnight Special (medley) |
|---|
Related works
Midnight Special
| writer: | [traditional] (special purpose artist) |
|---|
| publisher: | Union Songs AB (publisher) |
|---|
| later translated versions: | Laisse tomber le ciel Le Train de minuit |
|---|---|
| later versions: | The Midnight Special Train |
| is the basis for: | Ļauj, lai lietas notiek |
| arrangements: | Midnight Special (Harry Belafonte) Midnight Special (Travellers) Midnight Special (Van Morrison) Midnight Special Part 2 The Midnight Special (CCR) The Midnight Special (Rawlings/Watson) |
On Top of Old Smoky
| writer: | [traditional] (special purpose artist) |
|---|
| publisher: | Union Songs AB (publisher) |
|---|
| referred to in medleys: | The Fighters of Korea (order: 1) Shticks of One and Half a Dozen of the Other (order: 6) |
|---|---|
| later translated versions: | Au loin dans la plaine |
| is the basis for: | On Top of Old Smoky |
| arrangements: | On Top of Old Smokey |
Pick a Bale of Cotton
| writer: | [traditional] (special purpose artist) |
|---|
| publisher: | Union Songs AB (publisher) |
|---|
| later parody versions: | Jump Down, Spin Around (Pick a Dress o’ Cotton) |
|---|