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ABBA

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  • Artist: ABBA
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1975
  • Total Time: 36:09
  • Genre: Rock

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ABBA's self-titled third album was the one that really broke the group on a worldwide basis. The Eurovision Song Contest winner "Waterloo" had been a major international hit and "Honey, Honey" a more modest one, but ABBA was still an exotic novelty to most of those outside Scandinavia until the release of ABBA in the spring of 1975. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do," a schmaltzy tribute to the sound of '50s orchestra leader Billy Vaughn, seemed an unlikely first single, and indeed it barely scraped into the Top 40 in the U.K. But in Australia, it topped the charts, causing the Australian record company to pull its own second single, "Mamma Mia," off the album. This far more appealing pop/rock number followed its predecessor into the pole position Down Under and also topped the charts throughout Europe. "Bang-A-Boomerang," another big production, was less memorable and had less of an impact, but "S.O.S." brought ABBA back to big success in the U.S. and the U.K., pulling along the first two singles. Beyond these tracks, the LP-only songs showed off the group's eclecticism, from the crunchy hard rock guitar riff that propelled "Hey, Hey Helen" to the ambitious instrumental "Intermezzo No. 1," which showed off Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus' classical leanings and foreshadowed their bigger composing projects of the 1980s. ABBA was a surprisingly effective synthesis of pop and rock styles, surprising because the non-English-speaking world had not produced such effective Anglo-American-style contemporary music before, at least for more than a song or two. (The 2001 reissue of ABBA, first released internationally and finally in the U.S., contains "Crazy World," a song from the sessions for the album later released as a B-side, and a medley of folk songs first heard on a charity album.) ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi

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Wikipedia on Answers.com:

ABBA (album)

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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
ABBA
Studio album by ABBA
Released 21 April 1975
Recorded 22 August 1974–16 March 1975 at Glen, Metronome and Ljudkopia Studios in Stockholm
Genre Pop, Glam rock, Schlager, Pop Rock
Length 36:09
Label Polar
Atlantic (US original release)
Producer Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
ABBA chronology
Waterloo
(1974)		 ABBA
(1975)		 Arrival
(1976)
Alternative cover
CD re-issue with ABBA logo.
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars link

ABBA is the eponymously-titled third studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released on 21 April 1975 through Polar Music.

Following the Eurovision success of "Waterloo", ABBA saw the band gaining worldwide recognition. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" topped the charts in Australia, as did "Mamma Mia" shortly after. "SOS" and "Mamma Mia" became hits in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and two of its most famous songs. The album saw ABBA dabble into reggae with "Tropical Loveland" and includes a grand pseudo-classical keyboard instrumental in the traditions of Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman with "Intermezzo No. 1" (originally entitled "Mama").[1]

ABBA was first released on CD in Japan in 1986, with an alternative mix of "Man in the Middle" not found on any subsequent CD pressing.[2] " ABBA was then released on CD in West Germany in 1987 (later released internationally), with five bonus tracks of songs from Waterloo and Ring Ring, which had not been released on CD at that time. ABBA was released on CD in Sweden in 1988 featuring the original 11 tracks only. The album has been reissued in digitally remastered form three times; first in 1997, then in 2001 and again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus. 

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Mamma Mia"   3:32
2. "Hey, Hey Helen"   3:16
3. "Tropical Loveland"   3:05
4. "SOS"   3:22
5. "Man in the Middle"   3:00
6. "Bang-A-Boomerang"   2:50
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"   3:15
2. "Rock Me"   3:03
3. "Intermezzo No. 1 (Instrumental)"   3:48
4. "I've Been Waiting for You"   3:39
5. "So Long"   3:06
Total length:
 35:56

(P)1975 Polar Music international AB, Stockholm, Sweden.
Stig Anderson helped us with the lyrics on "Mamma Mia", "Tropical Loveland", "SOS", "Bang-A-Boomerang", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "I've Been Waiting for You".

CD re-issues, bonus tracks

ABBA was released on CD in 1987 with five additional tracks from the albums Waterloo and Ring Ring:

  1. "Waterloo" (Andersson, Stig Anderson, Ulvaeus)  – 2:44
  2. "Hasta Mañana" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus)  – 3:09
  3. "Honey, Honey" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus)  – 2:55
  4. "Ring Ring" (Andersson, Stig Anderson, Ulvaeus, Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody)  – 3:06
  5. "Nina, Pretty Ballerina" (Andersson, Ulvaeus)  – 2:53

ABBA was remastered and reissued in 1997 two further bonus tracks:

  1. "Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus)  – 3:48
  2. "Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special" (Trad. Arr. Andersson, Ulvaeus)  – 4:21

ABBA was remastered and reissued again in 2001 with two bonus tracks, but without the five tracks from Waterloo and Ring Ring:

  1. "Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus)  – 3:48
  2. "Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special" (Trad. Arr. Andersson, Ulvaeus)  – 4:21

ABBA was remastered and reissued again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set with following bonus tracks:

  1. "Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus)  – 3:46
  2. "Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special (1978 Mix)" (Trad. Arr. Andersson, Ulvaeus)  – 4:21
    • B-side to the "Summer Night City" single (1978). Recording of the song began 6 May 1975.
  3. "Mamma Mia" (Spanish version) (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus, Buddy McCluskey, Mary McCluskey)  – 3:34

ABBA was reissued once again in 2008 as part of the The Albums box set but without any bonus tracks.

Singles

  1. "So Long"/"I've Been Waiting for You" (November 1974)
  2. "I've Been Waiting for You"/"King Kong Song" (November 1974) (Australia only)
  3. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"/"Rock Me" (April 1975)
  4. "S.O.S"/"Man in the Middle" (June 1975)
  5. "Mamma Mia"/"Intermezzo No. 1" (August 1975)
  6. "Bang-a-Boomerang"/"Intermezzo No. 1" (1975) (France only)
  7. "Rock Me" (1976) (Australia, New Zealand and Yugoslavia)

"Tropical Loveland" was released as the B-side of "Mamma Mia" in the United Kingdom and "Hey, Hey Helen" was the B-side of "Fernando" in most territories. In the United Kingdom, nine of the original eleven tracks from the album were eventually released on single as either A or B-sides (plus all the later bonus tracks), the most of any ABBA album.

Non Album Tracks

"Baby"

Recorded 18 October 1974 at Glen Studio. The lyrics for the song were later re-written and became "Rock Me". "Baby" was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music as part of the ABBA Undeleted section.

"Crazy World"

"Crazy World" was recorded on 16 October 1974 at Glen Studio during sessions for this album. The track was left unreleased until it surfaced again during the Arrival sessions, and was eventually released as the b-side to the "Money, Money, Money" single in November 1976. "Crazy World" was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music, and then appeared as a bonus track on the CD re-issue of the album ABBA.[3]

"Here Comes Ruby Jamie"

"Here Comes Ruby Jamie" was recorded on 16 September 1974 at Glen Studio, and is one of the rare occasions where Benny Andersson sings the lead vocals. The song was first released on CD on the box set "Thank You for the Music" as part of the ABBA Undeleted section.

"Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special"

Recording began on 6 May 1975 at Glen Studio. It remains ABBA's only release of material not written by themselves, and was originally released on the 1975 German charity album "Stars Im Zeichen Eines Guten Sterns". In 1978, it was remixed and released as the b-side of the "Summer Night City" single. The song was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music, and then appeared as a bonus track on the CD re-issue of the album ABBA.[3]

"Rikky Rock 'N' Roller"

"Rikky Rock 'N' Roller" was recorded on 15 September 1974 at Glen Studio, and was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music as part of the ABBA Undeleted section.

Personnel

Additional musicians

  • Ulf Andersson – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Ola Brunkert – drums
  • Bruno Glenmark – trumpet
  • Rutger Gunnarsson – bass
  • Roger Palm – drums
  • Janne Schaffer – guitar
  • Finn Sjoberg – guitar
  • Bjorn Utvous – guitar
  • Mike Watson – bass
  • Lasse Wellander – guitar

Production

  • Benny Andersson; Björn Ulvaeus – producers
  • Michael B. Tretow – engineer
  • Benny Andersson; Björn Ulvaeus – arrangers
  • Björn J:son Lindh; Sven-Olof Walldoff – string arrangements
  • Björn J:son Lindh – horn arrangements
  • Ola Lager – photography
  • Sten-Åke Magnusson – original album design
  • Jon Astley; Tim Young; Michael B. Tretow – remastering for the 1997 Remasters
  • Jon Astley; Michael B. Tretow – remastering for the 2001 Remasters
  • Henrik Jonsson – Remastered for The Complete Studio Recordings box set

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1975 UK albums chart 13
Australia – ARIA Albums Chart 1
Billboard 200 – USA 174
Cashbox album chart – USA 165
RPM album chart – Canada 55
Składnica Księgarska – Poland 1
Belgium 2
Finland 6
The Netherlands 3
Zimbabwe 1
1975 New Zealand 3
Italy 8
Sweden 1
Norway 1

UK Chart Position by Week

According to The Official Charts Company, the album spent 8 weeks in the Top 40 between 7 February 1976 and the 3 April 1976. The chart positions were 23-13-13-16-18-32-30-40.

Singles

Europe

Year Single Chart Position
1975 "So Long" UK Singles Chart failed to chart
"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" UK Singles Chart 38
Norwegian Singles Chart 2
"S.O.S." UK Singles Chart 6
Norwegian Singles Chart 2
"Mamma Mia" UK Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Singles Chart 2

USA and Canada

Year Single Chart Position
1975 "SOS" Billboard Hot 100 – USA 15
Cashbox Singles Chart – USA 12
Billboard Adult Contemporary – USA 19
1976 "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" Billboard Hot 100 15
Billboard Adult Contemporary 8
"Mamma Mia" Billboard Hot 100 32
Billboard Adult Contemporary 12
"SOS" RPM Singles – Canada 36
RPM Adult Contemporary – Canada 17
Steede Report Airplay – Canada 9
"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" RPM Singles 14
RPM Adult Contemporary 6
Steede Report Airplay 12
"Mamma Mia" RPM Singles 18
RPM Adult Contemporary 11
Steede Report Airplay 20
Preceded by
Atlantic Crossing by Rod Stewart		 Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
8 December 1975 – 22 February 1976		 Succeeded by
Desire by Bob Dylan

References

  1. ^ Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p.67
  2. ^ Name (required). "Polydor P33P series (1986) « Abba on CD". Abbaoncd.wordpress.com. http://abbaoncd.wordpress.com/japanese-cds/polydor-p33p-series-1986/. Retrieved 10 September 2011. 
  3. ^ a b Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p.69

External links

ABBA
Studio albums
Compilations
Live albums
Singles
Other songs
Video games
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