To Turn the Stone

Last updated

"To Turn the Stone"
Single by Frida
from the album Something's Going On
B-side "I Got Something"
Released8 October 1982
RecordedFebruary – March 1982
Studio Polar Music Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Genre Pop
Length5:26 (album) 3:24 (single)
Label Polar
Songwriter(s) Pete Belotte and Giorgio Moroder
Producer(s) Phil Collins
Frida singles chronology
"I Know There's Something Going On"
(1982)
"To Turn the Stone"
(1982)
"I See Red"
(1982)

"To Turn the Stone" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, first recorded by American singer Donna Summer for her 1981 album I'm a Rainbow . This album, however, was shelved until 1996. The song was then recorded in 1982 by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad for her 1982 album Something's Going On , produced by Phil Collins.

Contents

Frida cover

Background

While the aim for Frida's first English-language solo album was to include only original compositions, several songs, recorded by other artists were chosen for the album, since those were eligible to include. [1] For instance, "You Know What I Mean" (previously recorded by Phil Collins), "Here We'll Stay" (previously recorded by Sonia Jones), and "To Turn the Stone". [1] It was ABBA manager Stig Anderson who had suggested this song for Frida's album. [1] Frida's version is driven by synths and has an Irish influence. [1] While recording "To Turn the Stone", Phil Collins had set out to achieve the Phil Spector "sound", and therefore bought Spector's albums to perfect an echo sound. [1]

Release and reception

"To Turn the Stone" was first released as part of the album Something's Going On on the 6 September 1982. The album had received positive reviews. However, this song was deemed "weak", "pale" by critics, and that the composition was "surprisingly impersonal" by highly prolific composer Moroder. [1] The critics from the USA, responded that within the album, "To Turn the Stone" sounds the most like ABBA. [1]

"To Turn the Stone" was the second single released from Frida's album after "I Know There's Something Going On" on 8 October 1982. It was released in selected countries around the world, including the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. RCA Australia had intended to have "Tell Me It's Over" as the second single instead of "To Turn the Stone". However, Polar overruled this decision. [1] "I See Red" was released in South Africa instead of "To Turn the Stone". [1] The UK single cover had the same artwork as the album by Yves Poyet, with different text in the top-left corner, [2] while the other countries had the regular artwork. The UK pressing was also pressed on clear vinyl. [3] The song was edited down to 3:24 for single release, snipping out the majority of the instrumental breaks. This single edit has not been included as a bonus track for the reissues for the album. However, it can be found on the German and Dutch ABBA compilations, "I Love ABBA", from 1983 [4] and "From ABBA With Love", from 1984. [5] Frida began promoting the single on first October in the Netherlands on TV shows, Mies and Toppop, where she awaited crowds of people. [1] At this time. Frida did not have a music video for "To Turn the Stone". [1] Jan Bekema and Bert van der Veer, a director from Toppop gave help and recorded the music video in Almere, Netherlands. [1] The video consists of Frida singing in front of a mountain backdrop, cats, barbed wire, dancers, an lightbulb exploding and an eagle. [6]

Critics in the UK had responded harshly towards this single. [1]

Charts

Chart (1982–1983)Peakposition
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)19
West Germany (Official German Charts)39

Helen St. John cover

Around the same time as Frida's single release in late 1982, Helen St. John released her debut album Power to the Piano, produced by Moroder. This consisted of an instrumental version of "To Turn the Stone". This album was released in France and Italy. "To Turn the Stone" was also St. John's debut single, only released in France.

Joe Esposito covers

Joe Esposito recorded and released two versions of "To Turn the Stone". The first, produced by Moroder and included on the 1983 album Solitary Men , credited to both of them. "To Turn the Stone" was also the B-side of "Lady, Lady, Lady" from the Flashdance soundtrack in the USA and Austria. This single peaked at No. 86 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, No. 36 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and No. 7 in the Austrian Single Charts.

The second version was produced by Biff Vincent and Helmuth Schärf in 1989. This cover was only released as a single in Austria.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABBA</span> Swedish pop group

ABBA are a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the best-selling music acts in the history of popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ronettes</span> American girl group

The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett, her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. They had sung together since they were teenagers, then known as "The Darling Sisters". Signed first by Colpix Records in 1961, they moved to Phil Spector's Philles Records in March 1963 and changed their name to "The Ronettes".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anni-Frid Lyngstad</span> Swedish singer (born 1945)

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad, also known simply as Frida, is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA. Courtesy titles Princess Reuss and Countess of Plauen are also in use due to her third marriage. Born in Bjørkåsen (Ballangen), Norway, to a Norwegian mother and a German father, she grew up in Torshälla, Sweden, and started her first solo career there, as a jazz singer in 1967, through a talent competition called New Faces.

<i>No Jacket Required</i> 1985 studio album by Phil Collins

No Jacket Required is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 18 February 1985 by Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic and WEA internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darlene Love</span> American singer and actress (born 1941)

Darlene Wright, better known by the stage name Darlene Love, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing Queen</span> 1976 single by ABBA

"Dancing Queen" is a Europop and disco song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus also produced the song. "Dancing Queen" was released as a single in Sweden on 16 August 1976, followed by a UK release and the rest of Europe a few days later. It was a worldwide hit. It became ABBA's only number one hit in the United States, and topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, West Germany and the Soviet Union. "Dancing Queen" also reached the top five in many other countries.

<i>Ring Ring</i> (album) 1973 studio album by ABBA/Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid

Ring Ring is the debut studio album by the Swedish group ABBA, initially credited as Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida. It was released in Scandinavia on 26 March 1973, and later in a limited number of other territories, including West Germany, Australia, South Africa and Mexico, through Polar Music. It was a chart-topping album in Belgium, and a big success in the Netherlands, Norway and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Spector</span> American singer (1943–2022)

Veronica Yvette Greenfield was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group the Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterloo (song)</span> 1974 single by ABBA

"Waterloo" is the first single from the Swedish pop group ABBA's second album of the same name, and their first under the Atlantic label in the US. This was also the first single to be credited to the group performing under the name ABBA. The title and lyrics reference the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, and use it as a metaphor for a romantic relationship. The Swedish version of the single was backed with the Swedish version of "Honey, Honey", while the English version featured "Watch Out" on the B-side.

<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.

<i>Love to Love You Baby</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Donna Summer

Love to Love You Baby is the second studio album by American singer Donna Summer, released on August 27, 1975, and her first to be released internationally and in the United States. Her previous album Lady of the Night (1974) was released only in the Netherlands. The album was commercially successful, mainly because of the success of its title track, which reached number 2 on the US Pop charts despite some radio stations choosing not to play the song due to its sexually explicit nature.

<i>Somethings Going On</i> 1982 studio album by Frida

Something's Going On is the third solo album by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida), one of the founding members of the Swedish pop group ABBA, and her first album recorded entirely in English. Her previous two albums had been recorded in Swedish. Recorded in early 1982 during the final months of ABBA, the album was released on 10 September of that same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Deep – Mountain High</span> 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner

"River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by Ike & Tina Turner released on Philles Records as the title track to their 1966 studio album. Produced by Phil Spector and written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Rolling Stone ranked "River Deep – Mountain High" No. 33 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. NME ranked it No. 37 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added it to the list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One of Us (ABBA song)</span> 1981 single by ABBA

"One of Us" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in December 1981 by Polar Music as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album, The Visitors (1981). Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who also produced it, the song has lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog and is about a woman trying to revive a relationship she had ended. It would become ABBA's last major hit for 40 years, and the last No. 1 single of their career, topping the charts in Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. "One of Us" was also a top-10 hit in countries like Austria, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In the US, where it was released in 1983, it only charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart and the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 107 and 33, respectively. The music video for the song was directed by Lasse Hallström, featuring Fältskog as a woman moving in her new house. "One of Us" has since been covered by Pandora in 1995, A-Teens in 1999 and Cher in 2018.

<i>A Love Trilogy</i> 1976 studio album by Donna Summer

A Love Trilogy is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer. It was released on March 5, 1976, eight months after her international breakthrough with the single and album of the same name – "Love to Love You Baby". The bold, sexual nature of that particular song had earned Summer the title 'the first lady of love'. By now Summer's work was being distributed in the U.S. by Casablanca Records, and the label encouraged Summer, Moroder and team to continue in this vein. A Love Trilogy uses the first side for one long disco track in three distinct movements 'Try Me', 'I Know', 'We Can Make It', and coalescing into the "love trilogy" of the title – "Try Me, I Know We Can Make It". Side two contained three additional erotic disco songs, including a cover of Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic". The album's artwork showed Summer floating light-heartedly through the clouds, again adding to the image of her as a fantasy figure.

<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">I Know There's Something Going On</span> 1982 single by Frida

"I Know There's Something Going On" is a song recorded in 1982 by ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida). It was the lead single from her solo album Something's Going On.

<i>Lady of the Night</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Donna Summer

Lady of the Night is the debut studio album by American singer Donna Summer, released in the Netherlands on February 26, 1974, by Groovy Records. The album contains such European hits as "The Hostage" and "Lady of the Night".

<i>Im a Rainbow</i> 1996 studio album by Donna Summer

I'm a Rainbow is the ninth studio album recorded by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. The album was recorded in 1981 and scheduled to be released on October 5 of that year but was shelved. It was not released until fifteen years later, on August 20, 1996 by Casablanca and Mercury Records. There was no promotion for the album. No singles or music videos were released. AllMusic gave the album a positive review, naming it her most personal record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anni-Frid Lyngstad discography</span>

Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad has recorded five studio albums, six compilation albums, twenty-eight singles, and five guest singles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "FRIDA BEYOND ABBA" . Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  2. "Frida - "To Turn the Stone"". 8 November 1982. Retrieved 8 September 2023 via www.discogs.com.
  3. "Frida - "To Turn the Stone"". 8 November 1982. Retrieved 8 September 2023 via www.discogs.com.
  4. "ABBA - I Love ABBA". 8 September 1983. Retrieved 8 September 2023 via www.discogs.com.
  5. "ABBA - From ABBA With Love". 8 September 1984. Retrieved 8 September 2023 via www.discogs.com.
  6. "ABBA on TV". www.abbaontv.com. Retrieved 8 September 2023.