Bang-A-Boomerang

Last updated
"Bang-A-Boomerang"
Svenne & Lotta - Bang En Boomerang.jpg
Original Swedish language single artwork
Single by Svenne & Lotta
from the album Svenne & Lotta/2
B-side
  • "Kom Ta En Sista Dans Med Mej (Dance (While The Music Still Goes On))" (Swedish-language release)
  • "Roly-Poly Girl" (English-language release)
Released1975
RecordedNovember 1974
Genre Schlager
Length3:02
Label Polar
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Björn Ulvaeus
  • Benny Andersson
Svenne & Lotta singles chronology
"Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)"
(1975)
"Bang-A-Boomerang"
(1975)
"Tell Laura I Love Her"
(1975)
"Bang-A-Boomerang"
ABBA - Bang-A-Boomerang.jpg
Single by ABBA
from the album ABBA
B-side "SOS"
Released21 April 1975
RecordedNovember 1974; Spring 1975
Genre Schlager
Length3:05
Label Vogue
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Björn Ulvaeus
  • Benny Andersson
ABBA singles chronology
"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
(1975)
"Bang-A-Boomerang"
(1975)
"SOS"
(1975)
Music video
"Abba - Bang-A-Boomerang" on YouTube

"Bang-A-Boomerang" is a song by ABBA, first released by Svenne & Lotta (both Swedish and English-language versions). The track was first recorded as a demo with English lyrics (but without any recorded vocals) in September 1974 by the ABBA musicians for their eponymous album ABBA . The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson and at one point had the working title "Stop and Listen to Your Heart". The lyrics compare the "message of love" with the returning boomerangs which the Aboriginal Australians developed.

Contents

History

In late 1974 Andersson, Ulvaeus and Anderson were invited by Sveriges Television as composers to submit a song to the 1975 Melodifestivalen . Since ABBA themselves did not want to compete in the contest again, just one year after having won, they instead gave the opportunity and the song to Polar Music labelmates Svenne & Lotta. "Bang-A-Boomerang" was given new Swedish lyrics by Stig Anderson and retitled "Bang en Boomerang" and the duo subsequently made a vocal recording of the track in November 1974—produced by Björn & Benny—with a different arrangement, most noticeably slightly shorter (2:50) than the original demo, to fit the Eurovision three-minute rule. The song finished third in the Swedish preselections in February 1975, became one of Svenne & Lotta's biggest hits and spent seven weeks on the Svensktoppen radio chart during the period 9 March – 11 May 1975, with a second place as best result. [1] Svenne & Lotta also recorded the song with the original English lyrics, both versions were included on their 1975 album Svenne & Lotta/2 (Polar POLS 259). The English version was also released as a single in Denmark and became a big seller there, from a Scandinavian perspective the track is therefore still primarily seen as a hit single and Melodifestivalen classic by Svenne & Lotta. Under the name of "Sven & Charlotte", their original English version was also released in most European countries, and in Oceania, charting in several. [2]

ABBA then re-recorded their English-language version of the song in the Spring of 1975, using the Svenne & Lotta backing track—reputedly to the surprise of the duo, included it on their ABBA album and later also released it as a single in France on 21 April 1975, with "SOS" as B-side, where it was a minor hit. Although the track was included on the band's first Greatest Hits album, released on 17 November 1975, the ABBA version was in fact never issued as a single in Scandinavia.

Track listing

Svenne & Lotta's version

English version

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bang-A-Boomerang"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Anderson
3:02
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Roly-Poly Girl"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Anderson
2:37

Swedish version

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bang en Boomerang"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Anderson
3:02
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Kom Ta En Sista Dans Med Mej"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Anderson
3:19

ABBA's version

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bang-A-Boomerang"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Anderson
3:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."SOS"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Anderson
3:22

Other cover versions, appearances in other media etc.

Chart positions

Svenne & Lotta's version
Chart (1975)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] 94
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [6] 29
Denmark (Danmarks Radio)2
Norway (VG-lista) [7] 11
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) [8] 5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Andersson</span> Swedish musician and composer (born 1946)

Göran BrorBennyAndersson is a Swedish musician, composer and producer best known as a member of the pop group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! For the 2008 film version of Mamma Mia! and its 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, he worked also as an executive producer. Since 2001, he has been active with his own band Benny Anderssons orkester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Gärdestad</span> Swedish musician

Ted Arnbjörn Gärdestad was a Swedish singer, songwriter, musician and actor known internationally as Ted. Gärdestad began his acting career in 1966 and began playing music in 1971, signing with Polar Music. Assigned with in-house producers Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Gärdestad released his first single, "Hela världen runt," in late 1971 and worked closely with the four members of ABBA to create his debut album Undringar (1972). As Polar Music's best-selling solo artist, he continued to work with the group members throughout the 1970s, releasing three more albums Ted (1973), Upptåg (1974) and Franska Kort (1976), which were moderately successful. In 1978, Gärdestad released his first English-language album, Blue Virgin Isles, which did not have success internationally, as his predecessor albums had in his home country.

<i>Elva kvinnor i ett hus</i> 1975 studio album by Agnetha Fältskog

Elva kvinnor i ett hus is the fifth studio album by Swedish pop singer Agnetha Fältskog, released on 1 December 1975 by Cupol Records.

<i>Frida ensam</i> 1975 studio album by Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Frida ensam is the second studio album by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It was first released by Polar Music in 1975 while Lyngstad was a member of the pop group ABBA and produced by her then-fiancé and fellow ABBA member, Benny Andersson. It has since been re-released several times, most significantly in remastered form in 2005 with bonus tracks. The lead song was the original version of "Fernando" sung in Swedish by Lyngstad. The album was a huge success in Sweden and Lyngstad was awarded a platinum disc. The album is included in the box set, Frida – 4xCD 1xDVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring Ring (ABBA song)</span> 1973 single by Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida (ABBA)

"Ring Ring" is a song by Swedish group ABBA, released as the title track of their 1973 debut album. The single gave the group their big break in several European countries (although the rest of Europe, North America and Australia would be introduced to ABBA the following year). The song was written in Swedish by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, along with their manager Stig Anderson, with an original title of "Ring Ring (Bara du slog en signal)" ("Ring Ring (If Only You Called)"). Translation into English lyrics was helped by Neil Sedaka and his collaborator Phil Cody. The Swedish version reached No. 1 in the Swedish charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kikki Danielsson</span> Swedish singer (born 1952)

Ann-Kristin "Kikki" Danielsson is a Swedish country, dansband and pop singer. Sometimes, she also plays the accordion and she has also written some lyrics. She has gained notice for yodeling in some songs. Danielsson gained her largest popularity in the Nordic region from the late 1970s until the late 1990s. She also gained popularity at the US country stage during the 1980s. In 1986, she had the "Kikki i Nashville" TV show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotta Engberg</span>

Anna Charlotte "Lotta" Engberg is a Swedish singer.

<i>Tio år med Agnetha</i> 1979 compilation album by Agnetha Fältskog

Tio år med Agnetha is a 1979 compilation album by Swedish pop singer Agnetha Fältskog, one of the members of ABBA. The album, released when ABBA's international career was at its peak, features the most successful Swedish solo recordings Fältskog made before and during her career with the band and it was her last album on the CBS-Cupol label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dag efter dag</span>

"Dag efter dag" is a song in Swedish, with melody by Lasse Holm and text by Monica Forsberg. The pop and country group Chips won the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1982 with it. Chips, as Swedish representatives, finished eighth in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svenne and Lotta</span> Swedish pop duo

Svenne & Lotta was a pop duo composed of Svenne Hedlund and Lotta Hedlund. They met in 1967, when Svenne Hedlund was the vocalist in the band Hep Stars and a black woman Charlotte Jean Walker, which was Lotta Hedlund's name at that time, toured in Sweden with the all-girl US R&B trio The Sherrys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotta Hedlund</span> American-Swedish singer (born 1944)

Charlotte Jean "Lotta" Hedlund is an American-Swedish singer who has been living in Sweden since the late 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley</span> 1984 song

"Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 performed in Swedish by the trio of brothers Herrey's, representing Sweden. Lyrics were written by Britt Lindeborg, and the tune by Torgny Söderberg. It was produced by Anders Engberg and Torgny Söderberg.

Dansband, or danseband in Norwegian and Danish, is a Swedish term for a band that plays dansbandsmusik. Dansbandsmusik is often danced to in pairs. Jitterbug and foxtrot music are often included in this category. The music is primarily inspired by schlager, country, rock'n'roll and some swing. The main influence for rock-oriented bands is the rock music of the 1950s and 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Det vackraste</span> 1995 single by Cecilia Vennersten

"Det vackraste" is a Swedish love song. It was originally sung by Swedish pop singer Cecilia Vennersten and finished second in the Melodifestivalen 1995, the Swedish selections for Eurovision Song Contest. The song was released as a single and stayed 47 weeks in the Swedish singles chart total, including seven weeks at number-one. It also stayed at Svensktoppen for 26 weeks during the period 29 April-21 October 1995, with 3rd place as best result there. The song was awarded a Swedish Grammy Award, Grammis, for Best Song of 1995. In Norway, "Det vackraste" peaked at number 2.

"100%" is a Swedish language song, written by Torgny Söderberg and Monica Forsberg. The song was sung by Lotta Engberg of the group Triple & Touch at the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1988, where it finished third with 47 points. The song text describes the days as a roller coaster, but it's also about love.

"En gång till", written by Christer Lundh and Mikael Wendt, is the song that Swedish dansband singer Lotta Engberg performed when it competed in the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1990, where it finished 8th. In 1990, Lotta & Anders Engbergs Orkester released the single En gång till, with the song Bara du as B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasta Mañana</span> 1974 single by ABBA

"Hasta Mañana" is the fourth track on Swedish pop group ABBA's second studio album, Waterloo. It was released in 1974 as the album's third and final single.

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

"Satellit", known in English as "Satellite", is a soft rock song written by Swedish composer and singer Ted Gärdestad and lyricist Kenneth Gärdestad. Originally performed by Ted, the song was performed in its native language as the Swedish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, finishing in 17th place.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (ABBA album) 1975 compilation album by ABBA

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in Scandinavia on 17 November 1975 and in other parts of the world in 1976, notably the UK on 10 April, and on 18 September in the US and Canada. The 1976 version of the album included the band's most recent single "Fernando".

"Dansa i neon" is a Swedish language song, sung by Swedish pop singer Lena Philipsson and finishing 5th at the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1987. "Dance in the Neon Light" is an English version of the Swedish language song. Dansa i neon was written by Tim Norell, Peo Thyrén and Ola Håkansson, and was first meant to have been performed by Lili & Susie. Ola Håkansson proposed that, but Sveriges Television said no.

References

  1. Svensktoppen - 1975
  2. "Bright Lights Dark Shadows - the Real Story of ABBA - Biography". Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-04-02. ABBA - The Complete Recording Sessions, Palm, Carl Magnus, page 45
  3. Information at Svensk mediedatabas
  4. entry in the official German charts website (retrieved 2021-05-02)
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 301. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Svenne & Lotta – Boom-A-Boomerang" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  7. "Svenne & Lotta – Boom-A-Boomerang". VG-lista.
  8. "Kvällstoppen 1972–1975" (PDF). www.hitsallertijden.nl. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-10-12. Retrieved 2021-06-15.