Abba-esque

Last updated

Abba-esque
Abba-esque.jpeg
EP by
Erasure
Released1 June 1992 (1992-06-01)
Genre Synth-pop
Length17:46
Label Mute
Producer David Bascombe
Erasure EPs chronology
Am I Right?
(1991)		Abba-esque
(1992)		 I Love Saturday
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Entertainment Weekly C+ [1]
Freaky Trigger 5/10 [2]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [3]

Abba-esque is an extended play (EP) by English synth-pop duo Erasure. Released on 1 June 1992, the EP was Erasure's first and only number one on the UK Singles Chart and also became a number-one hit in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, and Sweden.

Contents

As big fans of the Swedish group ABBA, Erasure (Vince Clarke and Andy Bell) had often performed ABBA songs in concert over the years. They had originally planned to release an album of ABBA covers but instead opted to release an EP of four of ABBA hits.[ citation needed ]

Background

Mute Records released Abba-esque in the UK, while Elektra Records released it in the US. Music videos were produced for all four tracks, and issued as a video EP on VHS. A remix EP was also released by Mute Records in the UK which featured the same four songs in heavily reworked form. [4] Shortly after the release, ABBA's Gold: Greatest Hits album was released, sparking a revival of ABBA's music that has endured well into the 21st century.

After peaking at number two twice (with "Sometimes" in 1986 and Crackers International in 1988), Erasure finally reached number one in the UK with this release, remaining there for five weeks. [5] In the United States, where EPs chart on the Billboard 200, Abba-esque peaked at number 85. [6] Although never officially released as a single by itself, the song "Take a Chance on Me", which features a guest rap by MC Kinky, received significant radio play in the US, allowing it to peak at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. [7] In Sweden, the EP peaked at number one, staying there for six consecutive weeks, [8] and it also peaked atop the charts of Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece and Ireland. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

The release of the Abba-esque EP in due course precipitated the release of a similar EP, Erasure-ish, by the ABBA tribute band Björn Again, which features two Erasure tracks ("A Little Respect" and "Stop!") performed in the style of ABBA as an answer record.

Critical reception

Joe Brown from The Washington Post wrote, "To promote its summer tour, reportedly a camp extravaganza surpassing the last one, electroduo Erasure offer a sweet, cool pop-sicle - a four-song EP of faithful ABBA covers, delivered without perceptible irony. Like George Michael, who sang a slew of beloved '70s songs on his most recent tour, Andy Bell gets to pretend he is ABBA - specifically Frida and Agnetha. You can imagine Bell singing "S.O.S." and "Lay All Your Love On Me" in front of his bedroom mirror (complete with faintly phonetic English), while synthmeister Vince Clark handles the Bjorn-and-Benny parts singlehandedly - dense, bleeping-and-whooshing synth textures that sound like Giorgio Moroder's late-'70s settings for Donna Summer. Erasure drags yet another guilty pop pleasure out of the closet - what's surprising now is how grown-up and complex these ABBA songs really were beneath their candy coatings." [14]

Music videos

The music video for "Take a Chance on Me" was directed by Philippe Gautier, and the other three were directed by Jan Kounen. [15]

Track listings

All tracks written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus; "SOS" was co-written with Stig Anderson.

Abba-esque

  1. "Lay All Your Love on Me" – 4:45
  2. "SOS" – 3:49
  3. "Take a Chance on Me" – 3:43
  4. "Voulez-Vous" – 5:35
iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleLength
5."Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"3:55

Abba-esque – The Remixes

  1. "Voulez-Vous" (Brain Stem Death Test Mix) (remixed by Fortran 5)
  2. "Lay All Your Love on Me" (No Panties Mix) (remixed by Fortran 5)
  3. "Take a Chance on Me" (Take a Trance on Me Mix) (remixed by Philip Kelsey)
  4. "SOS" (Perimeter Mix) (remixed by Chris & Cosey)

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria) [43] Gold25,000*
Germany (BVMI) [44] Gold250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [45] Gold400,000^

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

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United Kingdom1 June 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Mute [46]
Japan21 July 1992CD [47]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erasure (duo)</span> English synth-pop duo

Erasure is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo. From their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), Erasure established themselves on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of the most successful acts of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. From 1986 to 2007, the pair achieved 24 consecutive top-40 entries in the UK singles chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK top 40, including 17 climbing into the top 10. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mamma Mia (ABBA song)</span> 1975 single by ABBA

"Mamma Mia" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA, written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with the lead vocals shared by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It is the opening track on the group's third album, the self-titled ABBA (1975). The song was released in September 1975 as its sixth single. It tells the story of the narrator's on-again, off-again relationship with a lover who is repeatedly unfaithful to her. The song's name is derived from Italian and literally translates as "my mother", but is used as an interjection in situations of surprise, anguish, or excitement. The song was ABBA's first number one in the UK since "Waterloo" in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruel Summer (Bananarama song)</span> 1983 single by Bananarama

"Cruel Summer" is a song by English girl group Bananarama. It was written by Bananarama and Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, and produced by Jolley and Swain. Released in 1983, it was initially a stand-alone single but was subsequently included on their self-titled second album a year later. The song reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1983 and the group appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops that summer, and after its inclusion in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, it reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Voulez-Vous</i> 1979 studio album by ABBA

Voulez-Vous is the sixth studio album by the Swedish supergroup ABBA. Released on 23 April 1979, the album yielded five hits, all of them big 1979 singles in Britain – "Chiquitita", "Does Your Mother Know", "I Have a Dream" and the double A-side "Voulez-Vous"/"Angeleyes".

<i>Greatest Hits Vol. 2</i> (ABBA album) 1979 ABBA compilation album

Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is a compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released on October 29, 1979, to coincide with their tour of North America and Europe, which took place between September and November 1979. It was ABBA's second chart-topping album of the year and featured "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ", a brand new single, recorded in August 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABBA discography</span>

The discography of Swedish pop music group ABBA consists of nine studio albums, two live albums, seven compilation albums, four box sets, five video albums, 50 singles, and 43 music videos. To date, ABBA have sold more than 150 million records worldwide becoming one of the best-selling music artists in history. They have scored 9 No. 1 singles and 10 No. 1 albums in the UK, becoming the most successful Swedish act of all time on the Official Charts.

<i>Crackers International</i> 1988 EP by Erasure

Crackers International is a Christmas EP released by English synth-pop duo Erasure in November 1988, in between the albums The Innocents (1988) and Wild! (1989). The EP reached number-one in Denmark and Argentina, and peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

<i>Hits! The Very Best of Erasure</i> Compilation album by Erasure

Hits! The Very Best of Erasure is the second greatest hits album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 20 October 2003 by Mute Records. Capitalising on a resurgence of Erasure's music after their successful covers album Other People's Songs, Mute released Hits! in order to reintroduce people to the duo's music and to give an update to their 1992 singles compilation Pop! The First 20 Hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOS (ABBA song)</span> 1975 single by ABBA

"SOS" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in June 1975 as the fifth single from their self-titled 1975 album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Night City</span> 1978 single by ABBA

"Summer Night City" is a song recorded by the Swedish pop group ABBA, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus as a tribute to their hometown of Stockholm. It is the group's second non-album single, released on 6 September 1978. It was recorded during the sessions of the group's upcoming Voulez-Vous album, but was eventually not included. However, it was included on the ABBA compilation album Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in October 1979, more than a year after its release. It was also featured as a bonus track on both the 1997 and 2001 CD re-issues of Voulez-Vous and as the full length version with the original intro on the 2010 re-issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Have a Dream (song)</span> 1979 single by ABBA

"I Have a Dream" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in December 1979 as the sixth and final single from the group's sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous. Anni-Frid Lyngstad sang lead vocals. It was a major hit, topping the charts in many countries and peaking at No. 2 in the UK over the Christmas week of 1979. Twenty years later, Irish pop group Westlife released a version that reached No. 1 in the UK over the Christmas week of 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take a Chance on Me</span> Song by Swedish pop group ABBA

"Take a Chance on Me" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in January 1978 as the second single from their fifth studio album, ABBA: The Album (1977). Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad share the lead vocals on the verses and choruses, with Fältskog singing two bridge sections solo. The song reached the top ten in both the UK and US, and was notably covered by the British band Erasure in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voulez-Vous (song)</span> 1979 single by ABBA

"Voulez-Vous" is a 1979 song by the Swedish group ABBA, written and composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad shared the lead vocals. It is the second track on the group's 1979 album of the same name. In the UK and Ireland, "Voulez-Vous" was released as a double A-side, though nearly everywhere else, "Voulez-Vous" was a single A-side. The double A side single is, as of September 2021, ABBA's 13th-biggest song in the UK, including both pure sales and digital streams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Does Your Mother Know</span> 1979 single by ABBA

"Does Your Mother Know" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the second single taken from their sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous, as was the B-side, "Kisses of Fire". The track is notable for its emphasis on male vocals, performed by Björn Ulvaeus, with female backing vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erasure discography</span>

Erasure are an English synth-pop duo that have released 19 studio albums, six live albums, nine compilation albums, seven box sets, 14 extended plays, 62 singles, 14 video albums and 50 music videos. Erasure consists of keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do</span> 1975 single by ABBA

"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the third single to be released from their third studio album, ABBA (1975). The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and their manager Stig Anderson, and was released in April 1975 with "Rock Me" as the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Little Respect</span> 1988 single by Erasure

"A Little Respect" is a song written and recorded by British synth-pop duo Erasure, released in September 1988 by Mute. It was written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. The lyrics are a plea to a lover to show compassion and respect. The heavily synthesized instrumentation is accentuated by acoustic guitar and Bell's vocal falsetto in the chorus. It was their tenth single and was taken from their third studio album, The Innocents (1988). Known as one of their signature songs, the single reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and was Erasure's second consecutive top-20 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it made number 14, and reached number two on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dub Be Good to Me</span> 1990 single by Beats International

"Dub Be Good to Me" is a song by British dub group Beats International featuring singer Lindy Layton, released on 24 January 1990 as the first single from their debut album, Let Them Eat Bingo (1990). It was written by frontman Norman Cook and interprets the SOS Band's 1983 hit "Just Be Good to Me", which it is named after. It also samples the songs "The Guns of Brixton" by the Clash, the Once Upon a Time in the West theme by Ennio Morricone, and "Jam Hot" by Johnny Dynell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Stars</span> 1981 single by Stars on 45

"More Stars" a.k.a. "Stars on 45 Vol. 2" is a song issued in 1981 by the Dutch studio group Stars on 45, in the UK credited to 'Starsound'. It was the follow-up to the US and Dutch #1 and UK #2 single "Stars on 45". "More Stars" was later included on the band's second album Longplay Album - Volume II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bring Me Edelweiss</span> 1988 single by Edelweiss

"Bring Me Edelweiss" is a song by Austrian band Edelweiss, first released in late 1988 as a stand-alone single, then later included on their debut album Wonderful World of Edelweiss. The song was a hit in Europe and New Zealand, reaching the number-one position in six countries and peaking within the top five on several other music charts, going on to sell over five million copies worldwide. The song contains numerous samples from other artists and features yodeling.

References

  1. ↑ Brod, Doug (15 September 1992). "Erasure: Abba-esque". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Ewing, Tom (24 August 2011). "Erasure - ABBA-Esque EP". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  3. ↑ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Erasure". Spin Alternative Record Guide . New York: Vintage Books. pp. 131–132. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  4. ↑ "Erasure Releases/Other". Erasure the Official Website. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Erasure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Erasure Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Erasure – Abba-esque". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Erasure – Abba-esque" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 29. 18 July 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  11. 1 2 Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  12. 1 2 "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 27. 4 July 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  13. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Abba-esque (EP)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  14. ↑ Brown, Joe (17 July 1992). "Moving the Feet, Shaking the Mind". The Washington Post .
  15. ↑ "Erasure" . Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "Erasure – Abba-esque". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "Erasure – Abba-esque" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  18. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1904". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2022." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  20. ↑ "Discos Más Populares de América Latina". El Siglo de Torreón. 17 November 1992. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 28. 11 July 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  22. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . 19 September 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Erasure – Abba-esque" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  24. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1992. 39. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  25. ↑ "Vinsældalisti Íslands". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 24 July 1992. p. 22. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  26. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 31, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  27. ↑ "Erasure – Abba-esque" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  28. ↑ "Erasure – Abba-esque". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  29. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 28. 11 July 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  30. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  31. ↑ "Erasure – Abba-esque". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  32. ↑ "Erasure Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  33. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1992 (61–100) (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 152)". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 2 August 2019– via Imgur.
  34. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1992" (in German). Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  35. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1992" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  36. ↑ "1992 Year-End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 51/52. 19 December 1992. p. 17. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  37. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1992" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  38. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1992". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  39. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  40. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1992" (in German). Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  41. ↑ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week . 16 January 1993. p. 8.
  42. ↑ "Bestenlisten – Singles 1990er". Hung Medien Austrian Charts Portal (in German). Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  43. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Erasure – Abbaesque" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  44. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Erasure; 'Abbaesque')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  45. ↑ "British single certifications – Erasure – Abba-Esque EP". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  46. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 30 May 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  47. ↑ "アバ-エスク | イレイジャー" [Abba-esque | Erasure] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 14 January 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.