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:

1. "Mamma Mia" (Andersson, Stig Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:32
2. "Hey, Hey Helen" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:17
3. "Tropical Loveland" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:06
4. "SOS" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:23
5. "Man in the Middle" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:03
6. "Bang-A-Boomerang" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:04

Side B:

1. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:17
2. "Rock Me" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:06
3. "Intermezzo No. 1" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:48
4. "I've Been Waiting for You" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) – 3:41
5. "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:

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

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

17. "Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:48
18. "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:

12. "Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:48
13. "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:

12. "Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:46
13. "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.
14. "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

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 UK and "Hey, Hey Helen" was the B side of "Fernando" in most territories. In the UK alone, 9 of the original 11 tracks from the album eventually were released on single as either A or B sides (plus all the later bonus tracks). 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