Sharon Gupta
Trippin’ with ABBA
Calling
all music lovers!
Come,
join me on a trip down memory lane with ABBA!
Here’s
how we’ll proceed:
A)
Who, or what, are ABBA?
B)
An analysis of ABBA’s eight studio albums. An overview, the album’s Unique
Selling Point (USP), and fun facts;
C)
Study some of ABBA’s greatest hits and discover the stories behind them;
D)
See how ABBA’s music influenced my life.
Let’s
begin.
A)
Who, or what, are ABBA?
Once
upon a time in the beautiful Scandinavian country of Sweden, known for picturesque
islands, non-controversial Royals, gorgeous Tennis stars, and Volvo, there
lived four talented young musicians who met and fell in love, got married and
produced…music. Not just any music but the kind that would endure the test of
time and appeal to people from ages five to eighty-five! They’re the largest
selling pop group after The Beatles. Their first album was released in 1973 and
their last in 1981. Some of their biggest hits are Waterloo, Dancing Queen,
Money Money Money, Thank You for the Music, Mamma Mia, SOS, Voulez Vous…to
name a few.
So,
who were they?
Agnetha
Faltskog (pronounced ‘Un-nyetha Folshkog’), Bjorn Ulvaeus (‘Bee-yawn
Ull-vay-us’), Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (‘Ling-shtad’ courtesy a
German father). Agnetha and Bjorn got married in 1970 and had two children
before they split up eight years later. Benny and Anni-Frid (Frida, for short)
tied the knot after being engaged for a while and then split in 1980.
What
makes ABBA stand out from other pop groups of the time is their clean and
disciplined life-style.
They
didn’t do drugs;
Never
cursed in public;
Never
broke their guitars on stage;
They
were always soft-spoken and polite;
Their
lyrics were clean;
And,
wonder of wonders, they composed one hit song after another in a language that
wasn’t even their own!
Benny
and Bjorn composed all the songs except one, which was Agnetha’s original work.
Bjorn wrote all the lyrics. They never sang other artists’ work except for the
American medley Pick a Bale of Cotton/ On Top of Old Smokey/ Midnight
Special. Between 1973-81 they produced eight studio albums and some
singles. That’s averaging an album a year filled with (mostly) hit songs!
Agnetha- the blonde- was a soprano with a formidable range. Anni-Frid- the
brunette- was a mezzo soprano. They took care of the lead vocals most of the
time. Benny played the piano, keyboard and synthesizer (among other
instruments), while Bjorn played the guitar, mandolin and banjo.
The
Swedes are known for their reserve and Brit-like restraint in expressing their
emotions. ABBA were like that in public. But their music and lyrics were
astonishingly personal and mirrored the highs and lows of their relationships.
From the joyous insouciance of the early albums, we’ll see how things became
darker and more mature, reflecting their inner turmoil. The pain of separation
came forth through their later songs. It was almost as if Bjorn was using the
detached position of a songwriter to churn out heart-breaking, poignant
melodies by way of catharsis. He and the group have admitted this on record.
“It’s
easier to write lyrics from real life,” Frida said in a 1981 interview on
German TV, “That gives it a meaning, a depth.”
This
dark, seriousness pervades their last few albums but when the amazing foursome
started out, it was all ‘Honey, Honey, how you thrill me/ Ah ha, Honey Honey…’
B) ABBA’s eight studio albums
RING RING: The first
How
it all began.
Released:
26th March 1973
Recorded
at:
Metronome, Europa film, and KMH Studios, Stockholm.
Songs:
People Need Love, He is Your Brother, Ring Ring, Another Town Another Place,
Disillusion, I Saw it in the Mirror, Nina Pretty Ballerina, Love Isn’t Easy
(But It Sure Is Hard Enough), She’s My Kind of Girl, Me and Bobby and Bobby’s
Brother, Rock `n Roll Band, I am Just a Girl.
Overview:
Ring
Ring
is an experimental album and that’s because ABBA started out as something of a
hobby for the talented young musicians. The four were successful
singer-songwriters in Sweden before they got together. Bjorn played with a band
called The Hootenanny Singers; Benny was with The Hep Stars; Agnetha aspired to
be Sweden’s answer to Connie Francis (You can find some of her early solo
performances on You Tube); and Anni-Frid, although of German-Norwegian parents,
was raised by her grandma in Sweden, who recognized her potential at an early
age. With such bright talent in the Swedish musical scene, it was inevitable
their paths should cross. Bjorn and Agnetha met, and fell in love, in 1968 when
he was twenty-three and she was all of eighteen. Benny and he were friends and
started collaborating on and off. Then Benny met Frida at the 1969 Melodifestivalen,
Sweden’s national Eurovision finals and they, too, became a couple. Bjorn and
Agnetha got married in 1970 and the foursome decided to pool in their musical
talents. The result: People Need Love, the first song they recorded
together in the Spring of 1972. A folksy, feel-good tune. The lovely harmonies
of Agnetha and Frida’s contrasting voices, backed by the guys’ vocals, stand
out from the start. These were the building blocks of the ABBA phenomenon. At
the time, they weren’t even ‘ABBA’. The Ring Ring album was credited to
‘Bjorn, Benny & Agnetha, Frida’.
-
Ring Ring, the album’s biggest hit, was a chartbuster and the group’s
entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. It came third at the Swedish Nationals
and didn’t make it to Eurovision. But Stig Anderson, Bjorn’s manager at The
Hootenanny’s, recognized the foursome’s potential and got down to work,
preparing for the next year’s contest.
-
The other songs on the Ring Ring album aren’t exceptional. She’s My
Kind of Girl, a light, perky number reminiscent of The Beatles, was Bjorn
and Benny’s first hit together. Nina Pretty Ballerina became popular but
it’s not among ABBA’s greatest songs.
-
Another downside to the album is that Bjorn had most of the lead vocals. He’s a
brilliant composer and song-writer but not so great a singer. Agnetha and Frida
got just one song each in the lead (Disillusion and Me and Bobby and
Bobby’s Brother, respectively). Fortunately, this would change soon enough.
The
Album’s USP:
-Lovely,
hummable songs and the amazing ABBA sound of interwoven styles and contrasting
voices.
-Lots
of experimentation, so there’s a variety in the genres. Ring Ring and Nina
Pretty Ballerina are easy listening; People Need Love and He is
Your Brother are folk-based with a social message, in line with Sweden’s
welfare state concept; Disillusion is a beautiful ballad.
-
Besides Benny, who played the piano, keyboard and mellotron and Bjorn, who was
on the acoustic guitar, three musicians on this album went on to become ABBA’s
core team. Drummer Ola Brunkert, Bassist Rutger Gunnarsson, and guitarist Janne
Schaffer. Mike Watson (Electric Bass) and Roger Palm (Drums) were also ABBA
regulars.
-
Sound engineer Michael B. Tretow worked on all ABBA’s studio albums. He played
a major role in developing the group’s sound with the use of double-tracking,
i.e, duplicating all the instruments and vocals, creating a ‘wall of sound’
effect. That made ABBA sound huge.
-
Overall, the album has a joyous, happy vibe despite Disillusion. Go
check out the video of People Need Love online. It has the three sitting
around Benny’s piano. Bjorn is on the guitar. All four look so happy. It’s the
early days, they’re very much in love. Bjorn and Agnetha can’t keep their eyes
off each other! If only love lasts forever…
Fun
Facts:
-
Ring Ring was originally composed in Swedish (Bara Du Slog En Signal-
quite a mouthful, even in the Swedish!). Stig Anderson approached the famous
American singer Neil Sedaka to write the English lyrics. So, Neil Sedaka and
his co-writer Phil Cody figure in the sing-writer’s credits. Bjorn admitted
later that this was a gimmick to get attention in the English Music Industry.
-
Disillusion is the only song composed by Agnetha for ABBA. Bjorn wrote
the lyrics and produced it.
-
Benny played the organ at Bjorn and Agnetha’s wedding!
-
Schlager, the German term for rock n’ roll songs, is an important
element in ABBA’s early works. It’s characterized by simple, lively (sometimes
sentimental) lyrics, accompanied by catchy instrumental music.
WATERLOO The Second Album
Released: 4th March 1974
Recorded
at:
Metronome Studio, Stockholm
Songs:
Waterloo, Honey Honey, Sitting in the Palmtree, King Kong Song, Hasta
Manana, My Mama Said, Dance (While the Music Still Goes On), Watch Out, What
About Livingstone, Gonna Sing You My Love Song.
Overview:
Waterloo’s
upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics proved irresistible for the judges at the 1974
Eurovision Song Contest, and ABBA won the first prize! The album also made an
entry into the UK charts, peaking at No. 28, while the Single Waterloo
went right up to No. 1. It reached No. 6 in the US, too, signalling the arrival
of pop group you couldn’t ignore.
-
The album’s other two big hits were Honey Honey and Hasta Manana.
The rest of the numbers make for pleasant, easy listening but they’re not so
memorable, in my view. Sitting in the Palmtree is a rare occasion
where ABBA went reggae. King Kong Song is pure rock, which goes to show
Benny and Bjorn were still experimenting at this stage.
- The girls’ vocals were gaining prominence although Bjorn still got 3 songs!
The
Album’s USP:
-
Waterloo has Stig Anderson’s stamp all over it. He co-wrote the three
best numbers: the title song, Honey Honey and Hasta Manana.
-
Stig Anderson is the one who came up with the group’s title: ABBA. The
recording sheet for My Mama Said (16th October 1973) names
the artist as ABBA, the first time they used it officially.
-
Benny and Bjorn started hiring more musicians and using more instruments. Benny
himself played the piano, keyboard, the moog synthesizer, mellotron and
clarinet! Christer Eklund was chosen for the tenor saxophone on Waterloo.
Malando Gassama was in charge of percussion and the conga for Sitting in the
Palmtree.
-
The use of a string arrangement in the songs was effective and became a
noticeable feature in ABBA’s music. Note the string section in Honey Honey
where Bjorn sings: I don’t wanna hurt you, Baby/ I don’t wanna see
you cry… That’s credited to Sevn-Olof Walldoff, who did the same for I
am Just a Girl in the previous album.
-
Just like the Ring Ring album, pure joy emanates from Waterloo.
It’s reflected in the album’s cover, where the foursome looks so happy! There’s
the unmistakable excitement of living a dream.
Fun
Facts:
-
The man dressed as Napoleon on the album’s cover is Mike Watson, ABBA’s bass
player.
-
ABBA is the only group to have achieved international success after winning the
Eurovision. Established stars avoid the contest. Newcomers might become famous
in parts of Europe, but that’s about it. Julio Iglesias came fourth in the
Eurovision in 1970. Celine Dion won in 1988 singing in French (Ne Partez Pas
Sans Moi) but she was already a popular star in Francophone countries. Her
rise in the English music scene had nothing to do with the Eurovision contest.
ABBA
The third album
Released:
21st April 1975
Recorded
at:
Glen, Metronome and Ljudkopia Studios, Stockholm.
Songs:
Mamma Mia, Hey Hey Helen, Tropical Loveland, SOS, Man in the Middle,
Bang-A-Boomerang, I Do I Do I Do, Rock Me, Intermezzo No. 1, I’ve Been Waiting
For You, So Long. Bonus Tracks: Crazy World, Pick A Bale of Cotton/ On
Top of Old Smokey.
Overview:
ABBA
gets better and better! Stalwarts in the music world might’ve dismissed the
group as Eurovision Winners, that’s all. But ABBA returned the next year with
an eponymous album containing 5 solid hits. Mamma Mia, SOS, I Do I Do I Do,
Rock Me and So Long. The other songs were good, too. ABBA was still
experimenting with genres, so you have Tropical Loveland (reggae, like Sitting
in the Palmtree), Man in the Middle (simply quirky), Pick A Bale
of Cotton/ On Top of Old Smokey (Old American, western), while So Long
has the same upbeat tempo of Waterloo.
-
The album hit No. 13 on the UK Charts, with Mamma Mia and SOS
going up to No. 1.
-
Bjorn and Benny employed a number of additional musicians. Besides the core
group of Ola Brunkert, Rutger Gunnarsson and Janne Schaffer, there’s Ulf
Anderson on the saxophone, Bruno Glenmark on the trumpet, Mike Watson on the
bass and two additional guitarists Finn Sjoberg and Lasse Wallander. Along with
Bjorn and Schaffer, that’s four dedicated guitarists!
The
Album’s USP:
-
So much better than the previous two.
-
The girls getting more songs. Agnetha is ethereal in SOS, which has been
described as one of the greatest pop songs ever written. Mamma Mia became
iconic, especially after the musicals and movies named after it.
-
The unique ABBA technique of having instruments responding to the vocals. Check
out Mamma Mia, for instance. The first line: ‘I’ve been cheated by
you since I don’t know when’ and the piano riff after that. Same after each
line. This style is emphatic in Honey Honey and The Name of the Game,
too, and in so many other songs.
-
As in the case of the previous albums, the jacket reflects the mood of the
entire work. Celebratory, revelling in success. It has the foursome all dressed
up and sitting in the backseat of a limousine. And, why not?
Fun
Facts:
-
Ulf Andersson was one of the most famous saxophone players in the `Seventies.
His opening strains in I Do I Do I Do I Do are unforgettable.
-
Stig Anderson, who shared the writing credits for 6 songs on this album, came
up with the title SOS. Earlier, it was called ‘Turn Me On’.
-
SOS reached fourth place on the UK Singles’ Chart and kick-started a
love affair with ABBA, which would lead to 18 consecutive Top Ten hits there!
It also hit No. 1 in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and Top Five in
many other countries.
-
The Who guitarist Pete Townsend said SOS is one of the best pop songs
ever written.
-
Bjorn said that after three years of trying to figure out what style would
define them ABBA found its identity as a group with the release of SOS.
ARRIVAL The fourth studio album
ABBA
have arrived!
Released:
11th October 1976
Recorded
at:
Metronome Studio, Stockholm.
Songs:
When I Kissed the Teacher, Dancing Queen, My Love My Life, Dum Dum Diddle,
Knowing Me Knowing You, Money Money Money, That’s Me, Why Did it Have to be Me,
Fernando, Tiger, Arrival.
Overview:
What
can you say about an album with so many great hits? I love them all, some more
than others. Arrival went to No. 1 in the UK and received rave reviews
from critics. Dancing Queen, one of ABBA’s greatest hits, was No. 1 in
the UK, Germany, Australia and the US. Knowing Me Knowing You was
another No. 1 hit in many countries along with Money Money Money.
-
ABBA made a number of music videos for the songs on this album. I love the one
for When I Kissed the Teacher. It’s playful and the group’s smiles
reveal the fun they’re having. The lyrics of Knowing Me Knowing You (‘…we
just have to face it this time/ We’re through…) seem to foreshadow Bjorn
and Agnetha’s split. Perhaps the cracks had started to appear, since they
announced their break-up two years later. If so, they concealed it well for the
videos and most of the songs are happy and filled with joie de vivre.
The
Album’s USP:
-
An even bigger improvement in the sound production. These guys and their team
of musicians were so talented! Benny played no less than five instruments for
this album: the synthesizer, piano, accordion, chimes and marimba! Ola Brunkert
and Roger Palm were on the drums and they also took care of the string
arrangements, along with Gunnarsson, their bassist. And listen to the flute in Fernando;
that was their saxophone player Janne Kling.
-
Fernando received an award for the best studio recording of 1975.
-
The cover photo of the four in a helicopter is a thumbs up to their success:
jet-setting stars of the music world.
Fun
Facts:
-
The album’s cover features the now-famous ABBA logo for the first time, the one
with the first ‘B’ reversed. This was designed by Rune Soderqvist, a Swedish
designer, who went on to do the rest of their album jackets.
-
Fernando topped the Australian charts 14 weeks in a row. The only other
song to achieve this was The Beatles’ Hey Jude.
-
Arrival was the first ABBA album to be certified Gold by the Recording
Industry Association of America.
ABBA:
The Album The fifth studio album
ABBA
at their peak!
Released:
12th December 1977
Recorded
at:
Marcus, Metronome and Glen Studios, Stockholm.
Songs:
Eagle, Take a Chance on Me, One Man One Woman, The Name of the Game, Move
On, Hole in Your Soul, Thank You for the Music, I Wonder, I’m a Marionette.
Overview:
ABBA
continued their awesome streak with The Album. ABBA: The Movie, which
covered their Australian tour, was released at the same time.
-
Fantastic songs! The Album went to No. 1 in the UK and No. 14 in the US
Charts.
-Take
a Chance on Me proved to be the biggest hit, topping the UK Charts and
reaching No. 3 on the US Charts. It sold more copies in the US than Dancing
Queen.
-
Thank You for the Music with its hymn-like chorus became one of ABBA’s
best loved songs.
I
love Hole in Your Soul, too. The boom! boom! boom! beginning is like a
victory chant, announcing: Here we come! It was used effectively in the movie
as a background score for their plane landing in Australia. Agnetha hits
incredibly high notes; she could’ve sung opera.
-
The Name of the Game was a UK No. 1 hit. One Man One Woman is
another beautiful, poignant ballad. Eagle has a lovely, rousing chorus. Move
On and I Wonder are ho-hum, but overall, the album is magical.
-
Stig Anderson decided to concentrate on the business aspect of ABBA and
contributed only three songs as writer/ composer. Bjorn had only one as the
lead vocalist: Move On.
The
Album’s USP:
-
A profusion of instruments, just like in the Arrival album. ABBA’s
confidence had grown by now and they knew exactly what kind of sound they
wanted. Each song is perfectly crafted. Roger Palm was used on the drums
specifically for Take A Chance on Me, One Man One Woman and Thank
You for the Music. Janne Schaffer is credited with the lead guitar only for
Eagle. Besides them, it’s the usual: Ola Brunkert on drums, Lasse
Wellander on the lead and rhythm guitars, Gunnarsson on string arrangements.
The flute and saxophone are credited to Lars O. Carlsson.
Fun
Facts:
-
ABBA toured less than other contemporary bands. Agnetha, in particular, hated
leaving home and her two young children Linda and Peter Christian. But they
were on the road a lot in 1976/77. Thomas Johansson, CEO of EMA Telstar, who
produced many ABBA tours, reveals they were always focussed on giving the
audience a good time. Benny and Bjorn were concerned about ticket prices, keen
to make them affordable so that the maximum possible fans could attend their
shows.
-
I’m a Marionette is a brilliant song but the lyrics are disturbing,
reflecting the aspect of showbiz Agnetha was becoming uncomfortable with. She
didn’t like being under scrutiny. Just a marionette, pulled by strings.
Breaking up is hard, and it seems clear things had begun to unravel for Bjorn
and Agnetha by this time.
VOULEZ-
VOUS
The Sixth studio album
ABBA
at the disco
Released:
23rd April 1979
Studio:
Polar Studios, Stockholm.
Songs:
As Good As New, Voulez- Vous, I Have a Dream, Angeleyes, The King Has Lost
His Crown, Does Your Mother Know That You’re Out, If It Wasn’t For the Nights,
Chiquitita, Lovers (Live a Little Longer), Kisses of Fire. Bonus tracks: Summer
Night City, Lovelight.
Overview:
Voulez-Vous
saw ABBA in a more mature, more sophisticated avatar. The playfulness and
lightness of being was gone. The songs were disco-based, huge hits but not the
ABBA of old. Bjorn and Benny have gone on record to declare they’d hit a low
period of productivity while making this album. Agnetha and Bjorn announced
their split in late 1978. One can almost feel the build up of tension in the
music of Voulez-Vous.
-
All the tracks are brilliant. I Have a Dream became iconic. It featured
a children’s choir from the International School of Stockholm. The album went
to No. 1 in the UK and No. 19 in the US.
-
If It Wasn’t For the Nights, As Good As New, Voulez- Vous, Lovers and Summer
Night City are all dance tracks. Angeleyes seemed ‘dated’ according
to Benny. He said it was like going back to the `Sixties. But I love its
foot-tapping beat.
-
To highlight the disco-theme, the album’s cover photo was taken at Stockholm’s
Alexandria Night Club. The group is dressed in classy outfits and wearing
serious expressions. Agnetha and Bjorn are standing far apart. What a contrast
to their first few albums…
The
Album’s USP:
-
Voulez- Vous’s chic sound and high-quality production sound came about
through twenty-three additional musicians! Instruments like the trombone, oboe,
sitar and banjo are mentioned in the credits for the first time.
-Bjorn
features in only one lead vocal: Does Your Mother Know.
-
None of the songs are attributed to Stig Anderson.
-
Nearly all the music, except the backing track for Voulez- Vous, was
recorded at Polar Music Studios, recently acquired by ABBA. No longer would
they have to hire studios to work their genius; they’d found a work place of
their own.
-
Besides the production quality, this album stands out for revealing Bjorn and
Agnetha’s personal conflict. Bjorn admitted, for instance, that If It Wasn’t
for the Nights came about on a lonely night after the break-up. Agnetha
said many of the lyrics on Voulez-Vous are ‘deeply personal’. (Courtesy:
www.abbasite.com)
-
Chiquitita, another touching song with a rousing chorus, became one of
ABBA’s biggest hits and reached No. 1 in many countries. They performed it at a
UNICEF Concert on January 9, 1979 to celebrate the International Year of the
Child.
Fun
Facts:
-
The backing track of Voulez- Vous was recorded at Criteria Studios in
Miami with a disco band called Foxy. It was the only music ABBA recorded
outside Sweden.
-
Benny acquired a highly advanced, limited- edition Yamaha Synthesizer- the
GX-1- in January 1979. It was the largest programmable analog synthesizer ever
to be made commercially available. Only a dozen-odd units were produced, and
Stevie Wonder was one of the first recipients. The first song Benny used it on
was Does Your Mother Know?
SUPER
TROUPER The seventh studio album
Aftermath
of divorce
Released:
3rd April 1980
Recorded
at:
Polar Music Studios, Stockholm
Songs:
Super Trouper, The Winner Takes It All, On and On and On, Andante Andante,
Me and I, Happy New Year, Our Last Summer, The Piper, Lay All Your Love on Me,
The Way Old Friends Do. Bonus track: Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man after
Midnight).
Overview:
ABBA
returned to pop with this album except for one track, an electro-dance number: Lay
All Your Love on Me. The album was a hit and two songs reached No. 1 in the
UK: Super Trouper and The Winner Takes It All.
-
The production was top-notch, something we’d come to expect from ABBA. Benny
and Bjorn employed ten additional musicians. Benny used his newly acquired
synthesizer to great effect.
-But
it’s not my favourite album. There’s something sad and poignant about most of
the songs. Gimme Gimme Gimme is fun and Lay All Your Love is
foot-tapping but besides Super Trouper and The Winner…, none of
the tracks do it for me. Benny and Frida were on the verge of a divorce while
working on this album. Agnetha and Bjorn had split already. The sadness of good
times passing pervades all through the music of Super Trouper.
-
The cover is interesting. Super Trouper is a spotlight that follows performers
on stage. The album’s jacket designer Rune Soderqvist photographed the group
surrounded by two local circuses at Europa Film Studios in Stockholm. A number
of ABBA’s friends were invited for the shoot and they appear on the cover.
Among them is Anders Anderson, Stig Anderson’s son.
The
Album’s USP:
The
two fantastic songs: Super Trouper and The Winner Takes It All.
The title song succeeds in keeping a peppy tempo despite the ambivalent lyrics
that explore a performer’s discomfort at being in the spotlight (a la I’m a
Marionette). And then there’s The Winner…, one of the most beautiful
songs ever written. Agnetha is at her emotional best. We’ll discuss it in some
detail further down the line.
Interesting
Facts:
-
The cover was originally supposed to be done at Piccadilly Circus, London, but
there’s a law preventing any animals or entertainers appearing in Central
London!
-
The Way Old Friends Do is the only live recording to feature in ABBA’s
studio albums. They recorded it during their performance at Wembley in London
in 1979. This particular number has been covered by a number of artists
including The Kingston Trio, The Alexander Brothers and Faryl Smith.
-
Bjorn didn’t take the lead in any of the songs.
-
ABBA recruited a new drummer, Per Lindvall, who’d been playing in their
guitarist Janne Schaffer’s band Horselmat. His first session was the title
song.
THE
VISITORS The eighth and last studio album
ABBA’s
swan-songs.
Released:
30th November 1981
Recorded
at:
Polar Music Studios, Stockholm.
Songs:
The Visitors, Head Over Heels, When All is Said and Done, Soldiers, I Let
the Music Speak, One of Us, Two for the Price of One, Slipping Through My
Fingers, Like an Angel Passing Through my Room. Bonus tracks: Should I
Laugh or Cry, Under Attack, The Day Before You Came.
Overview:
ABBA’s
darkest and saddest album. My least favourite. Head Over Heels and the
quirky Two for the Price of One are the only perky songs. The rest are
unrelentingly bitter or sad, dealing with war (Soldiers);
totalitarianism (The Visitors); being Under Attack; broken
relationships (When All is Said and Done/ The Day Before You Came/ Should I
Laugh or Cry?/ One of Us); a mother pining for her kid (Slipping Through
My Fingers). The remaining two have poignant themes, as well.
-
The album’s cover mirrors the all-pervading sense of gloom. It’s a dark picture
of the foursome in a room with a huge painting of Eros (by Julius Kronberg) in
the background. The room is the Atelje Studio in Skansen Park, Stockholm. All
four are sitting or standing apart as if waiting for something unpleasant…what?
Are they waiting to play out the end?
The
album’s USP:
-
One of Us was the album’s biggest hit. It’s a heart-wrenching song with
Agnetha’s vocals portraying pain beautifully. Just like The Winner Take it
All.
-
The Visitors is technically superb. It was one of the first records to
be mixed digitally, making the sound crisper and cleaner. A testimony to Benny
and Bjorn’s dedication to their craft: embracing new technology even though
ABBA had reached the end. They both went on to pursue new horizons, achieving
success with West End musicals, Chess and then Mamma Mia. One
Night in Bangkok is one of their best- known works post- ABBA. Pitchfork
music review highlighted the group’s perfectionism and stated that ABBA’s music
on The Visitors is ‘more pristine and ambitious than it had ever been,
its themes darker, its personal politics more tangled.’
Interesting
Facts:
-
The intense, personal lyrics weren’t easy for ABBA and I think it was brave of
them to put everything out there for the world to see. Unusual, considering
their natural Scandinavian reserve. Anni-Frid acknowledged (in a BBC
documentary titled ‘A is for ABBA’) that they discussed this and Bjorn asked if
it was sometimes too emotional to sing those lyrics post-divorce. When All
is Said and Done is her and Benny’s break-up song. She said, yes, it was
hard but that was the challenge.
-
One of Us has three musicians on the mandolin! Bjorn himself, Rutger
Gunnarsson and Lasse Wellander.
-
Drummer Ola Brunkert and bassist Gunnarsson are the two musicians who worked
with ABBA on every album from Ring Ring to The Visitors.
-
The video of One of Us depicts Agnetha moving into an empty flat after a
break-up. Must’ve cut to the bone, since her divorce from Bjorn had come
through by then (although, I presume, he was the one that moved out!). It was
filmed in Lasse Hallstrom’s home. He was the director of ABBA: the Movie.
(C) A
study of Five of ABBA’s best songs
(i)
Mamma Mia
(ii)
Thank You for the Music
(iii)
Voulez-Vous
(iv)
Does Your Mother Know that You’re Out?
(v)
The Winner Takes It All
ABBA
didn’t tour much but they were keen to connect with their fans. So, they made
many music videos and gave lots of interviews, discussing their music and the
stories behind the songs.
Bjorn
revealed (in the BBC documentary previously mentioned) that while composing a
song, they started out simple. Initially it would be just him on the guitar and
Benny on the piano. They’d work around a hook and bring in drums, bass and the
electric guitar. Then the backing track. Surprisingly, neither he nor Benny
could read or write music! Benny says he used the synthesizer a lot because of
this. He could achieve orchestra sounds without actually using a full
orchestra. Once the basics were done, Bjorn would get down to writing the
lyrics. He says he’d listen to the backing track over and over again until it
spoke to him. An avid jogger, he says many lyrics came to mind while he was out
on a run. Case in point: Take a Chance on Me. The staccato ‘Take a
Chance, Take a Chance, Take a take a take a take a chance…’ seemed to run
with his rhythm.
Now,
for details of the songs mentioned in the list above.
(i)
Mamma Mia
One
of ABBA’s most famous songs, spawning a musical and two movies by that name.
The phrase is Italian, an interjection, as most people might know.
The
musicians:
Besides
Bjorn and Benny, there’s Roger Palm on the drums; Janne Schaffer and Finn
Sjoberg on the guitars; Mike Watson on the bass; and Sven Olof Walldoff in
charge of string arrangements. Agnetha and Anni-Frid share the lead vocals.
-
According to ABBA’s official website (www.abbasite.com),
Mamma Mia was ‘the song that saved ABBA’. The group had released three
albums by then and achieved a lot of success in Europe but they were yet to
conquer the UK. And, then, Mamma Mia happened. Bjorn reveals he and
Benny wrote it in his home in Lidingo, Stockholm.
-
The song opens with a distinctive ‘tick-toc, tick-toc’ sound. That’s the
marimba, a percussion instrument with a set of wooden bars. Benny reveals he
just happened to find it in Metronome Studio, where they were recording. He
tried it out for a lark and found it worked perfectly. Accompanying the marimba
is Benny’s piano, and then the electric guitars and synthesizer. Benny says Mamma
Mia is one of those typical ABBA songs that are dependent on ‘all the
little whims and harmony parts…which are what ABBA were all about.’
-
There’s the interesting technique of instruments responding to the singer.
Listen to the piano after each opening line: ‘I’ve been cheated by you,
since I don’t know when…’ and then after: ‘So I’ve made up my mind, it
must come to an end…’ This is what makes the song ‘whole’; the music and
singers are in perfect harmony.
-One
of the ‘whims’ Benny referred to is the unique chorus, which is the quietest
part of the song. How often do you see that in music? The chorus is always the
loudest, most stimulating part of a song. But ABBA chose to experiment by
overturning the rules of the game.
-
Mamma Mia became a huge hit in Australia and its success there made
ABBA’s British record company Epic Records, realize the group’s potential.
Until then they were considered a one-hit wonder, like most Eurovision winners.
Epic Records started pushing SOS, which had been released as a single
earlier, and the song broke into the UK Top Ten. Then they released Mamma
Mia as a single in January 1976 in the UK and ABBA got their first UK No. 1
hit since Waterloo.
Fun
Fact:
Who
designed ABBA’s costumes?
For
all their great music, ABBA did not distinguish themselves in the wardrobe
department…at least not in their videos and stage performances. Most of the
costumes, particularly in the early videos, were garish and outlandish. The man
responsible was a Swedish designer, Owe Sandstrom. He said the group was keen
to try out new things and Bjorn once told him nothing was too wild! Check out
the Ring Ring video. Agnetha’s costume is fantastic; Anni-Frid is
wearing some sort of snake skin jumpsuit. Okey-dokey. But Bjorn’s outfit…?
Looks like Scotty’s just beamed him down from Mars!
(ii)
Thank You for the Music
Perhaps
ABBA’s most performed song. It was recorded at Glen Studio, Stockholm on 21st
July 1977 with Agnetha in the lead.
The
musicians:
Bjorn
played the rhythm guitar and the mandolin. He was supported by Roger Palm on
the drums and tambourine, Rutger Gunnarsson on the bass, and Lasse Wellander on
the acoustic lead guitar and mandolin. Benny was on the keyboards.
-
The song was envisioned as part of a musical called ‘The Girl with the Golden
Hair’, which was to include I Wonder (Departure), I’m a Marionette
and Get on the Carousel. ABBA performed the first two along with Thank
You for the Music during their tour Down Under in `77 but Thank You…became
so popular, it shone as a single.
-
The song begins in a self-effacing manner: ‘I’m nothing special/ In fact,
I’m a bit of a bore…’ As it progresses, the lyrics describe the singer’s
love affair with music and how that turned into a blessing. The rousing chorus,
just like I Have a Dream later on, is almost like a hymn: ‘So I say
Thank You for the Music/ The songs I’m singing/ Thanks for all the joy they’re
bringing…’
-
Elizabeth Vincentelli, in her book called ‘ABBA’s ABBA Gold’ talks about the
production of this song being ‘inventive as ever’. When the chorus bursts out,
‘suddenly there are dozens of voices but Agnetha’s still stands out in the
middle of them all…’
-
The Carpenters performed a live version of the song on The Tonight Show hosted
by John Davidson on 27th June 1978 but they never released the
recording. Richard Carpenter said, ‘Nobody does ABBA like ABBA’. Bjorn and
Benny had done the ‘definitive arrangement’ and all he’d be doing was copying
it. Good ol’ Carpenter didn’t want to take the credit for something that wasn’t
his own.
Fun
Fact:
Which
of their own songs are ABBA’s favourites?
ABBA
were asked to pick a favourite among their songs during a 1982 BBC Michael Hurl
Production. Their responses were:
Agnetha:
Fernando. (Interesting choice, for Anni-Frid did the lead vocals for Fernando.
Later, Agnetha chose The Winner Takes It All as her favourite).
Anni-Frid:
Dancing Queen.
Benny:
Chiquitita.
Bjorn:
The Winner Takes It All.
(iii)
Voulez- Vous:
This
song signalled a distinctive change in ABBA’s style. Bjorn and Benny began
working on the track in February 1979 after spending some time in the Bahamas.
It was the only song they recorded parts of outside Sweden. They were going
through personal turmoil at this time. Agnetha and Bjorn had split and Benny’s
marriage to Frida was on the rocks; they announced their divorce the next year.
One can imagine the two song-writers taking a break, getting away from the
tension at home, and trying to release some creative juices. The result was Voulez-Vous,
a song meant for a night at the disco. It’s French for ‘Do you want?’ ABBA was
a little late catching in on the disco scene. The Bee Gees had already peaked
with Saturday Night Fever, and the disco craze was on the wane. All the
same, Bjorn and Benny got into an upbeat dance style and recorded the backing
track with an American band at Criteria Recording Studios, Miami, the very
place where the Bee Gees had recorded some of their biggest songs.
-
Bjorn reveals he struggled to find lyrics for the chorus and suddenly came up
with ‘Voulez- Vous?’ in French! He had a flair for languages and
sometimes sang in French, while trying to find English lyrics.
The
musicians:
Since
they wanted a different vibe for the song, Bjorn and Benny used an entirely new
group of musicians. Joe Geldo (not Roger Palm or Ola Brunkert) on the drums;
Nils Landgren on the trombone; Ish Ledesma and George Terry on the guitars;
Arnold Pascino on the bass; Halldor Pallson and Johan Stengard on the
Saxophone; and Paul Harris on the piano.
-
Voulez- Vous didn’t go to No. 1 but it’s one of my favourites. It’s one
track that defines ABBA even today. It has stood the test of time.
Fun
Facts:
The
silliest question ABBA were asked: Being in the spotlight,
ABBA were constantly hounded for interviews, and journos were always popping
questions at them. In 1982, Benny revealed (during an interview on Swedish TV),
the most stupid question he’d ever been asked. It was… ‘Do you like music?’
(iv)
Does Your Mother Know that You’re Out?
One
of the rare hits with Bjorn in the lead. By 1979, the distinctive ABBA sound
included Agnetha or Anni-Frid as lead vocalists and all four doing backing
vocals. But every now and again, they thought it would make for a nice change
if Bjorn sang a track or two. He sang a lot in the beginning, remember? Then he
gave way to the girls. I think Does Your Mother Know that You’re Out? is
his best work as a singer, the other good ones being Rock Me, Another Town
Another Train and Two for the Price of One. He’s good in Why Did
It Have to be Me? but that’s more of a duet with the girls, not a solo
performance.
The
musicians:
It
was the first song they recorded after Bjorn and Benny’s return from the US,
and they were still high on disco. Benny had just acquired his new, exclusive
Yamaha synthesizer (as mentioned earlier) and the opening riffs of the bass in Does
Your Mother Know came from that. ABBA was back at their Polar Music Studios
and the musicians were those of the inner core: Lasse Wellander, Rutger
Gunnarsson and Ola Brunkert. It started as a rock n’ roll number but then they
decided to give it a metronomic dance twist. So, they brought in Mike Watson,
the drummer/ guitarist/ bassist to re-record the track. Extremely pleased at
the outcome, Benny says the Yamaha synth investment was worth every penny!
-
The rather adult lyrics (You’re so hot, teasing me… and I can see
what you want/ but you seem pretty young to be searching for that kinda fun)
emanated from Bjorn’s personal experience! He revealed in a recent interview in
The Guardian, UK that it was about a young girl he must’ve met while on
tour. She’d approached him but he never crossed the limit. ‘As you see in the
song, I told her to stay off, take it easy. You’re too young. My conscience is
clear.’
-
Does Your Mother Know is a catchy number with naughty words and unusual,
falsetto backing vocals by Agnetha and Anni-Frid. ABBA did all the back tracks
themselves. Listen to Two For the Price of One. That has the girls and
the boys doing fun falsettos, as well.
Fun
Fact:
Stig
Anderson’s observations on each ABBA member:
Stig
Anderson probably knew ABBA better than anyone else. He was sometimes referred
to as the fifth member of ABBA. In an interview with Peter Salinger in 1979, he
was asked to describe them as individuals. Here’s what he said:
Agnetha:
‘People think she’s Swedish, blonde and a little cold, but she isn’t like that
at all.’
Bjorn:
‘Very intelligent. Very good at languages. A little bit cold versus Benny.’
Benny:
‘A very warm person. The musician. Loves to play.’
Anni-Frid:
‘Has red-hair temperament. Loves to be on stage.’
(v)
The Winner Takes It All
It’s
hard to complete any review or article about ABBA’s music without mentioning
this song. The Winner Takes It All is a moving, operatic number with a
powerful chorus, Agnetha sounding angelic. And there’s so much history behind
it.
-
Bjorn said some of their best work came after the divorces (BBC documentary,1993).
‘Everything we did, the private lives affected the writing.’ He also said it
was easier to work together (after the split) for in the studio Agnetha
listened to him ‘as a producer and friend, not as a husband.’
-
The emotions in the song are so hard-hitting, Bjorn admits to having finished a
bottle of brandy while working on the lyrics. He said to The London Times
(in March 2010) that usually it’s not a good idea to write when you’re drunk.
ABBA were known for eschewing drugs and alcohol. But this time, Bjorn made an
exception. ‘It all came out on that one,’ he said, ‘By the time I wrote The
Gods may throw their dice, the bottle was empty.’
-
Despite the break-up theme, Agnetha told The Mail on Sunday (in May
2013) that it’s her biggest favourite and the fact that Bjorn wrote it exactly
when they divorced ‘is touching, really.’ She added it was fantastic to do that
song because she could put in such feeling. ‘It was a mixture of what I felt
and what Bjorn felt, but also what Benny and Frida went through.’
The
musicians:
It
was perhaps fitting that ABBA kept their old favourite musicians on this song.
Ola Brunkert, Rutger Gunnarsson (string arrangements, not bass, though), Mike
Watson on the bass, while Lasse Wellander backed Bjorn on the guitars. The
result was a soulful rendition of two hearts breaking, the universal pathos of
the conundrum called love!
-
The video for this song hits the right note, focussing on Agnetha’s face with
blue-kohl lined eyes. It was shot just ten days after her divorce came through.
`Strikes deep into the heart, this one.
Fun
Fact:
(a)
Did any of ABBA’s kids become musicians?
Agnetha
and Bjorn had two children- Linda and Peter Christian. Bjorn had two more
daughters from his second marriage. Anni-Frid and Benny had children from
previous marriages. None of them, except for Benny’s son Peter Gronvall (who
took his mother’s surname), went into music. At least, not so far. Peter
Gronvall’s band One More Time came third at the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest.
Agnetha
recorded a children’s album with her son in 1987. It was very popular in
Sweden.
(b)
Which bands influenced ABBA?
Musicians
don’t work in a vacuum. They’re influenced by other bands. ABBA listened to a
lot of contemporary and older pop and rock music, especially in English. They
mentioned The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Connie Francis and Queen as some of their
favourites.
D) ABBA’s effect on my life
Imagine
a world without the internet, mobile phones, CDs and TV. That was how it was
growing up in the `70s. All we had were record and cassette players, the
radio…and ABBA! They sounded so clean and clear and their songs compelled you
to break into a dance. The other big band at the time- Boney M- had belted out
some big hits, too. Daddy Cool, Brown Girl in the Ring, Rasputin, among
others. But some of their lyrics were overtly sensual (Take the Heat Off Me
and Never Never Change Your Lovers, for example). ABBA, on the contrary,
managed to keep the words so innocent, you could stand up on a school stage and
sing their songs. My earliest memory of an ABBA number is Honey Honey.
It’s also the song that helped me overcome stage fright when I was five or six
years old. I sang it everywhere- at birthday parties, Christmas parties and
school functions (Feel sorry, now, for my poor, long-suffering relatives!).
Then came Ring Ring and Nina Pretty Ballerina. Ah, those were the
days…
-
ABBA made things look so easy and critics were unduly harsh at the beginning.
One magazine carried an article on them with the title: ‘How to make a million
without even trying.’ That’s grossly unfair. As we’ve seen during the review of
ABBA’s albums, success didn’t come easy. Agnetha said in an interview
celebrating a decade of ABBA (BBC, again! The Brits really loved them), ‘When I
look back ten years, it’s not been glamorous. I think it has been hard work,
consistently.’ Their initial years were filled with struggle. They worked hard
to gain international acceptance. Their dogged determination was a big
inspiration for me. Who would’ve thought the Swedes would conquer the music
world?
-
Throughout their career, ABBA conducted themselves with dignity. They suffered
heart break but didn’t let that affect the quality of their work. That’s a
great example of professionalism.
-
ABBA isn’t finished. They reunited in 2018 to compose two new songs. Their
website carries a touching message from them. ‘It was like time had stood still
and that we only had been away on a short holiday,’ it says. ‘…We may have come
of age, but the song is new. And it feels good.’
-
‘There’s nothing better than working with music,’ Benny said (in a documentary
called ‘ABBA, Words & Music’ about the making of the Super Trouper
album). Bjorn said: ‘It’s a constant kick to write a good song.’
VOYAGE
ABBA's ninth and final (?) studio album
Released on 5th November 2021, ABBA's last album shot off to a great start. It has ten tracks written by Bjorn and Benny. It's amazing, the ladies sound just the same. I like three of the tracks: I Still Have Faith in You, Don't Shut Me Down and Just a Notion. The opening bars of Don't Shut Me Down recalls If It Wasn't For the Nights. Love it!
Looks like they’re gonna be around for a while.
Benny has his own studio in Riksmixningsverket, Stockholm. If you happen to drop by- who knows?- you might just find him working on the awesome GX -1 synth. And if that should happen, please say a big ‘hello’…from me!
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