ABBA (album)

"So Long"
Released: 18 November 1974
"I've Been Waiting for You"
Released: 18 November 1974 (AUS), December 1977 (NZ)
"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
Released: April 1975
March 1976 (US)
"Bang-A-Boomerang"
Released: 21 April 1975
"SOS"
Released: June 1975 (Sweden), 8 September 1975 (US), 20 September 1975 (UK)
"Mamma Mia"
Released: September 1975
"Rock Me"
Released: 1976

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

ABBA is the eponymously titled third (second internationally) studio album by the Swedish pop group of the same name. It was originally released on 21 April 1975 through Polar Music and featured the hits "Mamma Mia" and "SOS".

Overview

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" (early working title: "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 several times; first in 1997, then in 2001 and again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set. In 2012, it was released as a deluxe edition CD / DVD set. On the original UK cassette release of the album "Bang a Boomerang" was split in two parts, being faded during the second verse at the end of side one and continued at the beginning of side two.^[3]

Track listing^[4]

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Mamma Mia"	Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus / Stig Anderson	3:32
2.	"Hey, Hey Helen"	Andersson / Ulvaeus	3:16
3.	"Tropical Loveland"	Andersson / Ulvaeus / Anderson	3:05
4.	"SOS"	Andersson / Ulvaeus / Anderson	3:22
5.	"Man in the Middle"	Andersson / Ulvaeus	3:00
6.	"Bang-A-Boomerang"	Andersson / Ulvaeus / Anderson	2:50

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"	Andersson / Ulvaeus / Anderson	3:15
8.	"Rock Me"	Andersson / Ulvaeus	3:03
9.	"Intermezzo No. 1" (Instrumental)	Andersson / Ulvaeus	3:48
10.	"I've Been Waiting for You"	Andersson / Ulvaeus / Anderson	3:39
11.	"So Long"	Andersson / Ulvaeus	3:06
Total length:			35:56

(P)1975 Polar Music international AB, Stockholm, Sweden.

CD version

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
7.	"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"	3:15
8.	"Rock Me"	3:03
9.	"Intermezzo No. 1 (Instrumental)"	3:48
10.	"I've Been Waiting for You"	3:39
11.	"So Long"	3:06
Total length:		35:56

CD re-issues, bonus tracks

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

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

ABBA was remastered and reissued in 1996 with two further bonus tracks:

"Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:48
"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. This version is also used for the Spotify streaming service:

"Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:48
"Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smoky/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:

"Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:46
"Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special (1978 mix)" (Trad. Arr. Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:21
"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.

ABBA (Polar 549952-2) was issued along with ARRIVAL (Polar 549953-2), as part of the dual CD package ABBA+ARRIVAL. Both CD's have the bonus tracks.

The 2012 issue includes the same bonus tracks as the 2005 version along with a bonus DVD.

ABBA in Australia (Television Special)
1. "Mamma Mia"
2. "Hasta Mañana"
3. "Ring Ring"
4. "Tropical Loveland"
5. "Waterloo"
6. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
7. "Rock Me"
8. "Dancing Queen" (not available on Australian version)
9. "Honey, Honey"
10. "Fernando"
11. "So Long"
12. "SOS"
Made in Sweden – For Export (SVT)
1. "Mamma Mia"
2. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
3. "So Long"
"SOS" (Seaside Special, BBC)
"Mamma Mia" (Top of the Pops, BBC)
The Best of ABBA, TV Commercial
Greatest Hits, TV Commercial
International Sleeve Gallery

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.^[5]

"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 studio recorded 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 featured (with a slight audio tweak, for many years mistakenly referred to as a 'remix') 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.^[5]

"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. Later released by Jerry Williams on the album Kick Down in 1976.

Personnel

Benny Andersson – synthesizer, piano, keyboards, vocals, clavinet
Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
Björn Ulvaeus – guitars, vocals, lead vocals on Man in the Middle and Rock Me

Additional musicians

Ulf Andersson – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Ola Brunkert – drums
Bruno Glenmark – trumpet
Rutger Gunnarsson – bass
Roger Palm – drums
Janne Schaffer – guitars
Finn Sjöberg – guitars
Björn Utvous – guitars
Mike Watson – bass
Lasse Wellander – guitars
Uncredited – percussion

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	3
	ARIA Albums Chart	1
	Billboard 200	1
	Cashbox album chart – USA	1
	RPM album chart – Canada	5
	Składnica Księgarska – Poland	1
	Belgium	2
	Finland	6
	The Netherlands	3
	Zimbabwe	1
	New Zealand	3
	Italy	1
	Sweden	1
	Norway	1
2012	UK^[6]	3

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1974	"So Long"	UK Singles Chart	32
1975	"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"	UK Singles Chart	38
		Norwegian Singles Chart	2
		Billboard Hot 100	3
		Billboard Adult Contemporary	8
	"S.O.S."	UK Singles Chart	6
		Norwegian Singles Chart	2
		Billboard Hot 100	5
		Billboard Adult Contemporary	9
		RPM Top 100 Singles	6
	"Mamma Mia"	UK Singles Chart	1
		Norwegian Singles Chart	2
1976		Billboard Hot 100	3
		Billboard Adult Contemporary	2
		RPM Singles	8

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)^[7]	Gold	25,358^[7]
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)^[8]	Gold	10,000^*
United Kingdom (BPI)^[9]	Gold	100,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone

References

↑ Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p.67
↑ "Polydor P33P series (1986) « Abba on CD". Abbaoncd.wordpress.com. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
↑ Discogs - ABBA, Epic Records cassette version
↑ http://www.abbasite.com/discography/album/abba/
1 2 Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p.69
↑ Zobbel - artist search 2012, A
1 2 "Abba" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1978". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
↑ "British album certifications – Abba – Abba". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2016-01-08. Enter Abba in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search

External links

ABBA at Discogs (list of releases)

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

ABBA

Anni-Frid Lyngstad Björn Ulvaeus Benny Andersson Agnetha Fältskog

Studio albums	Ring Ring Waterloo ABBA Arrival ABBA: The Album Voulez-Vous Super Trouper The Visitors

Compilations	Greatest Hits Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Gracias Por La Música The Singles: The First Ten Years Thank You for the Music Hits! Hits! Hits! The Songbook – Australian Chart Hits Gold: Greatest Hits Oro: Grandes Éxitos More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits Thank You for the Music (box set) Love Stories The Definitive Collection 18 Hits The Complete Studio Recordings Number Ones The Albums

Other albums	ABBA Live List of ABBA tribute albums Abba-esque The ABBA Generation ABBAmania Abbasalutely Rajaton Sings ABBA with Lahti Symphony Orchestra A Tribute to ABBA Mamma Mia Mamma Mia! Original Cast Recording Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack Live at Wembley Arena

Tours and TV specials	Eurovision Song Contest 1974 European & Australian Tour (ABBA) ABBA: The Tour Dick Cavett Meets ABBA Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest

Films and musicals	ABBA: The Movie The Girl with the Golden Hair Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia! (film)

Video games	SingStar ABBA ABBA: You Can Dance

Related music	Discography Awards and nominations Songs Just Like That Unreleased songs ABBA: The Museum Music of Sweden

Related individuals	Stig Anderson Rutger Gunnarsson Ola Brunkert Michael B. Tretow Lasse Hallström A-Teens Björn Again Linda Ulvaeus

Book:ABBA

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