ABBA (album)



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. 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").

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. ABBA was then released on CD in West Germany in 1987 (later released internationally), with five bonus tracks of songs from the albums 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.

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

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 1997 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:

 <LI>"Crazy World" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:46 <LI>"Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special (1978 mix)" (Trad. Arr. Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:21 <LI>"Mamma Mia" (Spanish version) (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus, Buddy McCluskey, Mary McCluskey) – 3:34 </OL>

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.


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

Non-album tracks
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.
 * "Baby"

"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. "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. 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. "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.
 * "Crazy World"
 * "Here Comes Ruby Jamie"
 * "Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special"
 * "Rikky Rock 'N' Roller"

Personnel
ABBA
 * 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