ABBA (album)
Untitled | |
---|---|
ABBA is the third album by the Swedish pop group of the same name, first released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). Also known as "The Limo[usine] Album" among the fans.
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 thereafter. "SOS" and "Mamma Mia" became hits in both the U.S. and UK, and two of their most famous songs. ABBA was first 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.
Track listing
Side A:
- "Mamma Mia" (Andersson, Stig Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:32
- "Hey, Hey Helen" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:17
- "Tropical Loveland" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:06
- "SOS" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:23
- "Man in the Middle" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:03
- "Bang-A-Boomerang" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:04
Side B:
- "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:17
- "Rock Me" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:06
- "Intermezzo No. 1" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:48
- "I've Been Waiting for You" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:41
- "So Long" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:06
(P)1974(10-11)/1975(1-9)Polar Music International AB
CD re-issues, bonus tracks
ABBA was first 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 1997 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:
- "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 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
- B-side of 1978 single "Summer Night City". Recording of this song began May 6, 1975.
- "Mamma Mia (Spanish Version)" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus, Buddy McCluskey, Mary McCluskey) – 3:34
- Vocals recorded January 1980. From the album Gracias Por La Música (Septima SRLM 1, June 23, 1980).
ABBA was reissued once again in 2008 as part of the The Albums box set but without any bonus tracks.
Singles
- "So Long"/"I've Been Waiting For You" (November 1974)
- "I've Been Waiting For You"/"King Kong Song" (November 1974) (Australia only)
- "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do"/"Rock Me" (April 1975)
- "S.O.S"/"Man In The Middle" (June 1975)
- "Mamma Mia"/"Intermezzo No. 1" (August 1975)
- "Bang-a-boomerang"/"Intermezzo No. 1" (1975) (France only)
- "Rock Me" (1976) (Australia, New Zealand and Yugoslavia)
"Tropical Loveland" was released as the B Side of "Mamma Mia" in the UK and "Hey, Hey Helen" was the B side of "Fernando" in most territories. In the UK alone, 11 of the 12 tracks from the album eventually were released on single as either A or B sides. The most of any Abba album.
Personnel
ABBA
- Benny Andersson – synthesizer, piano, keyboards, vocals, clavinet
- Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
- Björn Ulvaeus – guitar, vocals
Additional personnel
- 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
- Producers: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
- Engineer: Michael B. Tretow
- Arranger: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
- String arrangements: Björn J:son Lindh, Sven-Olof Walldoff
- Horn arrangements: Björn J:son Lindh
- Photography: Ola Lager
- Original album design: Sten-Åke Magnusson
- Remastered for the 1997 Remasters by Jon Astley and Tim Young with Michael B. Tretow
- Remastered for the 2001 Remasters by Jon Astley with Michael B. Tretow
- Remastered for the 2005 Complete Studio Recordings Box Set by Henrik Jonsson
Charts
Album
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1975 | UK albums chart | 13 |
Australia - ARIA Albums Chart | 1 | |
The Billboard 200 - USA | 174 | |
Cashbox album chart - USA | 165 | |
1976 | RPM album chart - Canada | 55 |
1975 | New Zealand | 3 |
Italy | 8 | |
Sweden | 1 | |
Norway | 1 |
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 | |
Norway's singles chart | 2 | ||
"S.O.S." | UK singles chart | 6 | |
Norway's singles chart | 2 | ||
"Mamma Mia" | UK singles chart | 1 | |
Norway's singles chart | 2 |
Singles - 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 |