ABBA: The Album

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ABBA: The Album
ABBA - The Album (Polar).jpg
Studio album by
ABBA
Released12 December 1977 (1977-12-12)
Recorded31 May – November 1977
StudioMarcus, Metronome and Glen Studios, Stockholm and Bohus Studio, Kungälv
Genre
Length40:01 (Polar LP 1977)
Label Polar
Epic (UK)
Atlantic (US original release)
Producer
ABBA chronology
Arrival
(1976)		ABBA: The Album
(1977)		 Voulez-Vous
(1979)
Original UK album cover
Abba-the-album-front.jpg
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
The Girl with the Golden Hair: Three Scenes from a Mini-Musical
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
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
CD edition
No.TitleLength
1."Eagle"5:50
2."Take a Chance on Me"4:07
3."One Man, One Woman"4:34
4."The Name of the Game"4:54
5."Move On"4:43
6."Hole in Your Soul"3:41
7."Thank You for the Music"3:50
8."I Wonder (Departure)"4:34
9."I'm a Marionette"4:09
Total length:40:22
2001 CD edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
10."Thank You for the Music" (Doris Day version)4:03
The Complete Studio Recordings bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Al Andar" (Spanish version of "Move On")
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Buddy McCluskey
  • Mary McCluskey
4:43
11."Gracias por la música" (Spanish version of "Thank You for the Music")
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • B. McCluskey
  • M. McCluskey
3:49
2007 deluxe edition (The Watershed Album) bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Eagle" (single edit) 4:25
11."Take a Chance on Me" (live version; alternate mix) 4:25
12."Thank You for the Music" (Doris Day version) 4:03
13."Al Andar" (Spanish version of "Move On")
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • B. McCluskey
  • M. McCluskey
4:43
14."I Wonder (Departure)" (live version)
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
4:27
15."Gracias por la música" (Spanish version of "Thank You for the Music")
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • B. McCluskey
  • M. McCluskey
3:49
2007 deluxe edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Eagle"/"Thank You for the Music" ( Star Parade , ZDF) 
2."Take a Chance on Me" (Am Laufenden Band, Radio Bremen) 
3."The Name of the Game" (ABBA Special, TBS) 
4."Thank You for the Music" (Mike Yarwood's Christmas Show, BBC) 
5."Take a Chance on Me" (Star Parade, ZDF) 
6."ABBA on Tour in 1977" ( Rapport , SVT) 
7."Recording ABBA – The Album" (Gomorron Sverige, SVT) 
8."ABBA in London, February 1978" ( Blue Peter , BBC) 
9."ABBA in America, May 1978" (Rapport, SVT) 
10."ABBA – The Album Television Commercial I" (UK) 
11."ABBA – The Album Television Commercial II" (Australia) 
12."International sleeve gallery" 

Personnel

Cited from liner notes. [15]

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", [16] "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

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [38] Platinum50,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [39] 2× Platinum200,000^
Czechoslovakia—100,000 [40]
Denmark—225,000 [41]
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [42] Platinum57,618 [42]
France—150,000 [43]
Germany (BVMI) [44] Platinum500,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [45] Platinum20,000*
Japan—300,000 [46]
Netherlands (NVPI) [47] Platinum100,000^
Norway—200,840 [48]
Sweden—753,420 [49]
United Kingdom (BPI) [50] Platinum1,000,000 [51]
United States (RIAA) [52] Platinum1,300,000 [53]

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

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References

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  2. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (11 August 2018). "The 25 Best ABBA Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 4. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
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  6. 1 2 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. ↑ "ABBA – The Album (2008, 180g, Gatefold,, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  8. 1 2 Eder, Bruce. "The Album - ABBA | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 10 November 2020.
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  10. ↑ 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.
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  12. ↑ Rockwell, John (23 March 1978). "ABBA: The Album : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  13. ↑ "Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  14. ↑ "Album the-album « ABBA – The Album | Albums | ABBA". Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  15. ↑ ABBA: The Album (booklet). ABBA. New York: Atlantic Records. 1977.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ↑ Palm, Carl Magnus (2005). Abba : the complete guide to their music. London: Omnibus Press. pp. 44–50. ISBN   1-84449-505-1. OCLC   60589495.
  17. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 . St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 10. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  18. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – ABBA – The Album" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4628a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
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  21. ↑ 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.
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  23. ↑ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us. ISBN   9781094705002.
  24. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
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  26. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  27. 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  28. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
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  32. ↑ "Top 100 Albums of '78". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  33. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  34. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  35. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  36. ↑ "1970s Albums Chart Archive". everyhit.com. The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  37. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard . Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  38. ↑ "CashBox Magazine" (PDF). Billboard . 16 September 1978. p. 50. Retrieved 13 November 2021– via World Radio History.
  39. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Abba – The Album". Music Canada . Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  40. ↑ "Abba The World - Czechoslovakia". Billboard. 8 September 1979. p. ABBA-8.
  41. ↑ 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.
  42. 1 2 "Abba" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland . Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  43. ↑ 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.
  44. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Abba; 'The Album')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  45. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  46. ↑ "ABBA Cracks Japan Mart; Sales Surge". Billboard. 10 March 1979. p. 76.
  47. ↑ "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".
  48. ↑ Hultin, Randi (8 September 1979). "Abba The World". Billboard.
  49. ↑ Schulman, Leif (8 September 1979). "Abba The World". Billboard.
  50. ↑ "British album certifications – ABBA – The Album". British Phonographic Industry.
  51. ↑ "ABBA Million". Billboard . 90 (30): 70. 29 July 1978. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 31 May 2022– via Google Books.
  52. ↑ "American album certifications – Abba – The Album". Recording Industry Association of America.
  53. ↑ Schulman, Leif (5 May 1979). "ABBA LP Sets Scene For Foreign Touring". Billboard. p. 38. Retrieved 4 November 2020– via Google books.
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