ABBA: The Album

This article is about the 1977 album. Not to be confused with the 1975 album ABBA (album).

ABBA: The Album
Studio album by
ABBA
Released12 December 1977 (1977-12-12)
Recorded31 May – November 1977
Studio
Genre
Length40:01 (Polar LP 1977)
LabelPolar
Epic (UK)
Atlantic (US original release)
Producer
ABBA chronology
Arrival
(1976) 		ABBA: The Album
(1977) 		Voulez-Vous
(1979)
Original UK album cover
Singles from ABBA: The Album
  1. "The Name of the Game"
    Released: 17 October 1977
  2. "Take a Chance on Me"
    Released: January 1978
  3. "Eagle"/"Thank You for the Music"
    Released: May 1978
  4. "Move On"
    Released: 1979

ABBA: The Album (also known as simply The Album) is the fifth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in Scandinavia on 12 December 1977 through Polar Music, but due to the massive pre-orders the UK pressing plants were not able to press sufficient copies before Christmas 1977 and so it was not released in the UK until January 1978. The album was released in conjunction with ABBA: The Movie, with several of the songs featured in the film. Altogether the album contains nine songs.

The album contained two UK number-one singles, "Take a Chance on Me" and "The Name of the Game", as well as European hits "Eagle" and "Thank You for the Music".[4]

Background and production

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The album includes three songs from ABBA's 1977 tour mini-musical The Girl with the Golden Hair performed during each of their European and Australian shows in 1977. Andersson and Ulvaeus wanted to offer more than "a run through of their hits and assorted album tracks" for their concerts.[5] Although the songs received a "less-than-tumultuous" reception during the first performances of the mini-musical, three of the tracks ("Thank You for the Music", "I Wonder (Departure)" and "I'm a Marionette") were included on the new album. A fourth song written for the musical, "Get on the Carousel", was rewritten as the up-tempo track "Hole in Your Soul" with "a substantial part of the melody [being] incorporated into [its] middle eight". Parts of "Get on the Carousel" appeared in ABBA: The Movie.[6] The "25-minute opus" had a storyline about a talented "small-town girl leaving her hometown" on her "quest for stardom",[5] with each song representing a different part of her personality. Fältskog and Lyngstad shared the lead-role and wore matching blonde wigs and costumes "for optimum dramatic effect".[6]

Release

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ABBA: The Album was released in Scandinavia on 12 December 1977. It was first released on CD in 1984. The album has been reissued in the format by PolyGram (later Universal Music) four times; first in 1997, then in 2001, in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set and again in 2007 as a two disc "Deluxe Edition".

The deluxe edition was issued for the album's 30th anniversary and consisted of two discs.[7][8] The first one was a CD version of the album, expanded with six bonus tracks, and featuring the first recording of "Thank You for the Music", known as the Doris Day version due to Agnetha's vocal inspiration.[7][8] The second one was a DVD of previously unreleased TV material, which included: two performances of "Take a Chance on Me" from ZDF's Star Parade and Radio Bremen's Am laufende Band; two performances of "Thank You for the Music" from Star Parade (performed alongside "Eagle") and Mike Yarwood's Christmas Show; a "The Name of the Game" performance from the Japanese ABBA Special (on TBS); a February 1978 interview with the band from BBC's Blue Peter, titled "ABBA in London"; three SVT news reports on the band: two from Rapport, titled "ABBA in America" (May 1978) and "ABBA on tour in 1977", and one from Gomorron Sverige, titled "Recording ABBA – The Album"; two ABBA: The Album television commercials; and the "International Sleeve Gallery".[7][8] This set also featured a 28-page illustrated booklet with an essay on the making of the album.[7][8]

On November 3, 2017, ABBA: The Album was reissued for its 40th anniversary with a half-speed mastered, 45rpm cut double-LP version of the original album, featuring new liner notes by Carl Magnus Palm; a 7” singles box set of "The Name of the Game", "Take a Chance on Me", and "Eagle", pressed on colored vinyl (blue, red and yellow, respectively); and 7" picture discs of each of these three singles.[9][10]

Album cover

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Polar's official cover made by art director Rune Söderqvist featured an entirely white background, and is the basis for current CD versions. However, Epic Records' original UK release of the LP featured a blue background on the front cover, fading to white at the bottom. It also featured a gatefold sleeve. The back cover was altered, incorporating a similar photo of ABBA to that used elsewhere in the world for the inner sleeve, and referencing tracks included in ABBA: The Movie. The inner gatefold was designed to look like an air mail envelope, similar to the style later used for Gracias Por La Música and even had a photo of ABBA incorporated into a stamp in the corner.

This was the first and only time that Epic radically broke away from the standard Polar Music design for an ABBA album. The UK design for ABBA: The Album has only been re-issued on LP format once, in the 2008 European reissue.[11]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[13]
NME7/10[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[14]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[15]

The Album received positive reviews from music critics. Bruce Eder from AllMusic wrote that the album marked a "step forward for the group" since they "absorb and assimilate some of the influences around them, particularly the laid-back California sound of Fleetwood Mac (...) as well as some of the attributes of progressive rock" but "without compromising their essential virtues as a pop ensemble".[12] John Rockwell from Rolling Stone gave the album a favorable review and wrote that The Album represents an interesting departure from their past formulas like "innocently superficial lyrics, bouncy Europop music, rock energy and amplification, soaring melodies" to a more mature and intelligent record.[16] NME wrote a short review to the album when it turned 30 years old, and wrote that the album "still sounds pleasantly nostalgic" and had "some delicious pop nuggets from their Swedish hatch".[1]

Commercial performance

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ABBA: The Album reached No. 1 in many territories. In the UK it debuted at the top and remained there for seven weeks,[17] ending up as the third biggest selling album of the year (behind the movie soundtrack LPs of Saturday Night Fever and Grease). In the US it became their highest-charting album during their original run, where during 1978 ABBA undertook a big promotional campaign.[4]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.[18]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Eagle" 5:51
2."Take a Chance on Me" 4:05
3."One Man, One Woman" 4:25
4."The Name of the Game"
4:54
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Move On"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
4:42
2."Hole in Your Soul" 3:41
3."Thank You for the Music" 3:48
4."I Wonder (Departure)"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
4:33
5."I'm a Marionette" 3:54
Total length:40:01

The last three tracks of Side two were originally from the 1977 tour mini-musical The Girl with the Golden Hair and presented on the album as "3 scenes from a mini-musical", labeled from A to C.[18][19]

Deluxe edition

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Released for the album's 30th anniversary. All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.

Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Eagle" (single edit) 4:25
2."Take a Chance on Me" (live version; alternate mix) 4:25
3."Thank You for the Music" (Doris Day version) 4:03
4."Al andar" (Spanish version of "Move On")
  • Andersson
  • Stig Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Buddy McCluskey
  • Mary McCluskey
4:43
5."I Wonder (Departure)" (live version; B-side of "The Name of the Game")
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
4:27
6."Gracias por la música" (Spanish version of "Thank You for the Music")
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • B. McCluskey
  • M. McCluskey
3:49

Personnel

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Adapted from the album's liner notes.[20]

ABBA

Additional musicians

  • Lasse Wellander – electric lead guitar, acoustic and electric rhythm guitars
  • Janne Schaffer – additional electric guitar on "Eagle"
  • Rutger Gunnarsson – bass, string arrangements
  • Ola Brunkert – drums
  • Roger Palm – drums (on "Take a Chance on Me", "One Man, One Woman", and "Thank You for the Music"), tambourine on "Take a Chance on Me" and "Thank You for the Music"
  • Lars O. Carlsson – recorders on "Eagle" and "Move On"
  • Malando Gassama – percussion

Production

  • Benny Andersson – producer, arranger
  • Björn Ulvaeus – producer, arranger
  • Michael B. Tretow – engineer
  • Rune Söderqvist – design
  • Barry Levine – photography
  • Björn Andersson – illustrations
  • Rune Söderqvist – illustrations
  • Jon Astley – remastering (1997 re-issue, 2001 re-issue)
  • Tim Young – remastering (1997 re-issue)
  • Michael B. Tretow – remastering (1997 re-issue, 2001 re-issue)
  • Henrik Jonsson – remastering (The Complete Studio Recordings box set)

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[42] Platinum 50,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[43] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Czechoslovakia — 100,000[44]
Denmark — 225,000[45]
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[46] Platinum 57,618[46]
France — 150,000[47]
Germany (BVMI)[48] Platinum 500,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[49] Platinum 20,000*
Japan — 300,000[50]
Netherlands (NVPI)[51] Platinum 100,000^
Norway — 200,840[52]
Sweden — 753,420[53]
United Kingdom (BPI)[55] Platinum 1,000,000[54]
United States (RIAA)[57] Platinum 1,300,000[56]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "NME Album Reviews – Abba". NME. UK. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  2. ^ Sheffield, Rob (11 August 2018). "The 25 Best ABBA Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 4. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  4. ^ a b Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1991). Guinness Book of Rock Stars. Enfield: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 1. ISBN 0-85112-971-4.
  5. ^ a b Palm, Carl Magnus (1 September 2008). Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of Abba. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9781847724199.
  6. ^ a b Tesch, Christopher Patrick (2008). ABBA : let the music speak : an armchair guide to the musical soundscape of the Swedish supergroup (1st ed.). Fairfield Gardens, Qld.: Christopher J N Patrick. pp. 43–45. ISBN 9780646496764.
  7. ^ a b c d "In focus: ABBA - The Album - pushing boundaries". ABBA. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "CD ABBA - The Album - Deluxe Edition CD+DVD". Sound of Music. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  9. ^ "40th Anniversary Of ABBA – The Album". ABBA. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  10. ^ Sinclair, Paul (16 September 2017). "ABBA / The Album: 40th anniversary reissues across a number of formats – SuperDeluxeEdition". Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  11. ^ "ABBA – The Album (2008, 180g, Gatefold,, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  12. ^ a b Eder, Bruce. "The Album - ABBA | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  13. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  14. ^ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "ABBA". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 1. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  15. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 3, 4.
  16. ^ Rockwell, John (23 March 1978). "ABBA: The Album : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  17. ^ "Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Album the-album « ABBA – The Album | Albums | ABBA". Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  19. ^ "In Focus: The Girl With The Golden Hair – ABBA's mini-musical". ABBA. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  20. ^ ABBA: The Album (booklet). ABBA. New York: Atlantic Records. 1977.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 10. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  22. ^ "Austriancharts.at – ABBA – The Album" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4628a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – ABBA – The Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  25. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "ABBA". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 8. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – The Album" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  27. ^ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us. ISBN 9781094705002.
  28. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  29. ^ "Charts.nz – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  31. ^ a b "Swedishcharts.com – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  32. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  33. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Official IFPI Charts — Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) — Week: 45/2021". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1978" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  36. ^ "Top 100 Albums of '78". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  37. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  39. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  40. ^ "1970s Albums Chart Archive". everyhit.com. The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  41. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  42. ^ "CashBox Magazine" (PDF). Billboard. 16 September 1978. p. 50. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  43. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Abba – The Album". Music Canada. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  44. ^ "Abba The World - Czechoslovakia". Billboard. 8 September 1979. p. ABBA-8.
  45. ^ Orsted, Knud (3 June 1978). "Sales in Denmark Hit New High At $64 Mil; Imports Bite Reduced" (PDF). Billboard. p. 98 – via American Radio History.
  46. ^ a b "Abba" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  47. ^ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP – 1978". 40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles (in French). OCLC 469523661. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2022 – via Top-France.fr.
  48. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Abba; 'The Album')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  49. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  50. ^ "ABBA Cracks Japan Mart; Sales Surge". Billboard. 10 March 1979. p. 76.
  51. ^ "Dutch album certifications – ABBA – The Album" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 5 August 2018. Enter The Album in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1978 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  52. ^ Hultin, Randi (8 September 1979). "Abba The World". Billboard.
  53. ^ Schulman, Leif (8 September 1979). "Abba The World". Billboard.
  54. ^ "ABBA Million". Billboard. 90 (30): 70. 29 July 1978. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 31 May 2022 – via Google Books.
  55. ^ "British album certifications – ABBA – The Album". British Phonographic Industry.
  56. ^ Schulman, Leif (5 May 1979). "ABBA LP Sets Scene For Foreign Touring". Billboard. p. 38. Retrieved 4 November 2020 – via Google books.
  57. ^ "American album certifications – Abba – The Album". Recording Industry Association of America.
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