"People everywhere, a sense of expectation, hanging in the air!"
ABBA- VOULEZ-VOUS 1979 Available worldwide on CD
This may be ABBA's most controversial album. No doubt, this is due to the high octane Euro- disco
content found in many of the songs on this album. Some people wondered if ABBA were just following a trend rather then setting
one. One tends to forget that ABBA was just one of many established artists turning part time to disco and that many of the
resulting songs were actually fairly good. (ex. Rolling Stones,Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney...). Like some of those acts -ABBA
only injected disco influences into some of their music, and rarely did pure disco tracks.
The jump from THE ALBUM to VOULEZ -VOUS is a particularly jarring one. The two albums seem to have
little in common. In a sense, one album is poetry, the other is motion! It's hard to find people who love both of these albums,
they appeal to different kinds of people. Yet, both albums are ABBA, both have flaws and strengths.
It was probably a reasonable idea ,in retrospect, for the group that did "Dancing Queen" to try their
hand at more dance music. Certainly ,recording dance music was a sound idea commercially and commercial pop music was what
ABBA was about. Five songs from VOULEZ-VOUS were hits, (only the 1975 ABBA album had more), so it's clear that ABBA were still
in sync with the music scene at this point.
It was not totally clear that ABBA had it in them to make a good dance album, after all, they were
some of the whitest yes, the whitest people
in the music business. But an act that could make you believe they were Spanish (on "Fernando") was probably capable of anything.
To try to make a more legitimate dance track, they recorded the instrumental backing for Voulez-Vous'
title track in Miami at the famous disco studios-Criteria using some of their house musicians . The title track is certainly
ABBA's most unabashed disco track. This was the only time that a ABBA studio recording was made outside of Sweden. The rest
of the tracks on the album were recorded in Stockholm ,mostly at their new Polar Studios.
The other disco" songs on this album are "If It Wasn't For The Nights""As A Good As New","The King
has lost his Crown" and "Lovers Live a Little Longer'. Three other songs have some disco elements
but are not really disco. "Does Your Mother Know ""Kisses of Fire" and "Angeleyes".
VOULEZ VOUS has two ballads, one on each side, one great song ("Chiquitita" ,one not so great-"I have
A Dream".
VOULEZ-VOUS was the first album with songs written entirely by Andersson-Ulvaeus. All of B&B's
previous albums had included help on the lyrics of some songs by Stig Anderson. But by,1979, Stig didn't have time to write
lyrics and Bjorn had taken over the onerous task of coming up with words for the songs.
The early troublesome sessions for VOULEZ VOUS in 1978 left a whole pile of songs that were left off
the album,amongst them were "Lovelight' which was released as the b-side to "Chiquitita" and the 1978 A side "Summer Night
City". Five other songs were stuck in the vault for many years until they appeared on the box set -"Dreamworld", "Just a Notion",
"Crying Over You" , "Free As A Bumble Bee" and "Hamlet III".
Abba also performed two never released songs on their 1979 tour (see GH II below).
1. As Good As New (Andersson-Ulvaeus) 3.32 Lead Vocal Agnetha Recorded March 1979
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad ,Guitars-Janne Schaffer, Bass-Rutger
Gunnarsson, Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson String Arrangement-Rutger Gunnarsson.
Agnetha sings a juicy lead on "As A Good As New" this albums' opener. I find the classical intro jars
too heavily with the rest of the song, but the chorus to the song is catchy. "
2. Voulez-Vous (Andersson-Ulvaeus) 5.11 Lead Vocals Agnetha& Frida Recorded February
1979
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog & Frida Lyngstad , Guitar-Ish Ledesma, George
Terry, Janne Schaffer, Bass-Arnold Paseiro, Drums-Joe Galdo, Piano-Paul Harris , Synthesizers-Benny Andersson Tenor Sax-Halldor
Palsson, Johan Stengard ,Trombone-Nils Landgren
To try to make a more legitimate dance track, ABBA recorded most of the instrumental backing for Voulez-Vous''s
title track in Criteria Studios in Miami using some of Criteria's house musicians . The title track is certainly ABBA's most
unabashed disco track. This was the only time that a ABBA studio recording was made outside of Sweden. The rest of the tracks
on the album were recorded in Stockholm ,mostly at their new Polar Studios. This track seems very forced, very labored , and
is not one of their better singles..
3. I Have A Dream 4.44(Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocals Frida Recorded March 1979
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Guitars-Janne Schaffer
& Bjorn Ulvaeus, Bass-Rutger Gunnarsson, Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson, Choir Vocals-International
School of Stockholm Choir.
VOULEZ VOUS has two ballads, one on each side, one great song ,one not so great. "The not so great
ballad-"I Have a Dream" ,has an annoying children's choir on it, and the unoriginal lyrics seem a little insincere coming
from somebody like Björn who has never openly expressed any spiritual beliefs. However , Frida manages to wring some honest
emotion out of the song, (especially on the live version) and like "Chiquitita", IHAD has some crisp guitar and piano work.
4. Angeleyes 4.20 (Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocals- Agnetha, Frida & Bjorn Recorded
October 1978
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad & Bjorn Ulvaeus, Guitar-Janne
Schaffer, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Bass-Mike Watson , Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson, Stringarrangment-Anders
Eljas
I like "Angeleyes", a rare three part shared lead vocal between Björn and the girls , it provides
a healthy dose of ABBA's trademark "a-ha's ". There is awful of lot high singing on
this record...Not perhaps a great record-but a great example of what good background singers Agnetha and Frida were with ABBA,
especially in the last round of the chorus....
5. The King Has Lost His Crown 3.30(Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocal-Frida Recorded August
1978
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad, Guitars-Lasse Wellander, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Bass-Rutger Gunnarsson, Drums-Rolf Alex , Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson, Oboe-Jan Risberg, String arrangment
-Anders Eljas
"The King has lost his Crown" is sung by Frida and is a very elegant track with good lyrics. It is
a song espeicially suited for Frida's lower vocal register.
6. Does Your Mother Know 3.13 (Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocal-Bjorn Recorded February
1979
Vocals-Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad Guitar-Lasse Wellander,
Bass-Miike Watson, Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson, Tenor Sax-LArs O. Carilsson, Kajtek Wojiechowski
"Does Your Mother Know ", has Björn singing the main lead vocal for the first and only time on a worldwide
ABBA single. The lyric for DYMK is cleverer than it seems. It's not every day you hear a song about a older guy being hit
on by a younger girl. but even so, I thought it was a poor choice for the first single from the album in a place like the
USA.
7. If It Wasn't For The Nights 5.13(Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocal-Agnetha & Frida
Recorded October 1978
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad, Guitars-Janne Schaffer, Bjorn Ulvaeus,Bass-Mike
Watson Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson, Percussion-Malando Gassama String and Horn arrangment-Anders
Eljas
The best of the disco numbers is perhaps the very listenable
"If It Wasn't For The Nights" which
nevertheless, seems overly repetitive for an ABBA song, though not for a dance number.
8. Chiquitita 5.26 (Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocal-Agnetha Recorded December 1978
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad Guitar-Lasse Wellander, Bjorn Ulvaeus,
Banjo-Bjorn Ulvaeus, Bass-Rutger Gunnarsson, Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson
Yes, as I said before-VOULEZ VOUS has two ballads, one on each side, one great song ,one not so great.
The great ballad Chiquitita" does seem a little out of place on this album , but this is clearly one of ABBA's best ballads.
"Chiquitita" is powerfully sung, has well executed lyrics, crisp guitar work and uplifting piano work. Listen for the great
contrapuntal backing vocals on the chorus and the way the girls prnounce the last Chiquitita.""Chiquitita" is one of the few
ABBA singles that tug a little on your heart. The publishing rights to the song were given in to Music for Unicef (1979 was
the International Year of the Child) (SEE review of The Music for Unicef Concert) ."Chiquitita" was the biggest hit of the five songs that were hits from the Voulez Vouz .
9. Lovers (Live A Little Longer) 3.28 (Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocal-Frida Recorded
April 1978
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad Guitar-Lasse Wellander, Bjorn Ulvaeus,
Bass-Rutger Gunnarsson, Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson, Percussion-Malando Gassama String
arrangment-Rutger Gunnarsson
Another Frida track-"Lovers Live a Little Longer' is probably sunk by a stupid lyric but it has some
great rythems,and a virtuoso backing vocal performance by Agnetha (and Frida).
10. Kisses Of Fire 3.16(Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocal-Agnetha Recorded February 1979
Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog, Frida Lyngstad Guitar-Lasse Wellander, Bjron Ulvaeus
Bass-Rutger Gunnarsson, Drums-Ola Brunkert, Keyboards & Synthesizers-Benny Andersson
I liked "Kisses of Fire" The B-side to DYMK better than DOES OUR MOTHER KNOW" "Kisses of Fire",is
also the last song on the VOULEZ VOUS album. "Kisses" has a great intro sung by Aggie and the rest of the song is highly listenable
(listen for the part where the girls sing"losing you") but, perhaps ,it lacks the kind of elegance you find on ABBA's classier
songs and the cleverness of the sillier numbers.
extra tracks:
11. Summer Night City (Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocals Bjorn, Agnetha, Frida Recorded
May 1978
Lead & Backing Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog Lead &Backing Vocals-Frida Lyngstad
Guitar
& Lead & Backing Vocals-Bjorn Ulvaeus
Backing Vocals,Keyboards-Benny Andersson
Lead Guitar-Lasse Wellander
String
Arrangement,Bass Guitar-Rutger Gunnarsson
Drums-Ola Brunkert,Rolf Alex, Various Swedes-Strings
A non-album single that was released to help fill the the year and a half gap between albums. That
song ."Summer Night City". was a nod in the disco direction , Björn sings along with the girls on it but B&B and Micke
Tretow had trouble getting a good mix of the song together, the mix that finally was released left out a elegant introduction.The
more observant may notice the seeming repeated use of an obscenity in SNC's chorus towards the end of the song. Bjorn has
denied that he is using a bad word."Summer Night City' would not be put on a album till GREATEST HITS II came out. It was
released as bonus track for the first time on the 1998 remasters.
12. Lovelight (Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocals- Agnetha & Frida Recorded April 1978
Lead & Backing Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog Vocals-Frida Lyngstad
Guitar & Backing
Vocals-Bjorn Ulvaeus
Keyboards, Backing Vocals -Benny Andersson
Lead Guitar-Lasse Wellander
Bass Guitar-Rutger Gunnarsson
Drums-Ola
Brunkert
One of the songs rejected for Voulez-Vous that was released as the b-side to "Chiquitita".
The original unedited b-side mix is a cult favorite among some fans. Annoyingly, since it's original B-side release usually
a shorter verson has been presented on most CD's..
13. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight ((Andersson-Ulvaeus) Lead Vocals -Agnetha
Recorded August 1979
Lead & Backing Vocals-Agnetha Faltskog Backing Vocals-Frida Lyngstad
Guitar &
Backing Vocals-Bjorn Ulvaeus
Keyboards & Sythesizers-Benny Andersson
Lead Guitar-Lasse Wellander
Bass Guitar-Rutger
Gunnarsson
Drums-Ola Brunkert,Ake Sundqist -percussion,Lars Carlsson, Halldor Passon-Tenor Sax,Christer Danielsson-Bass
Trombone
ABBA's sexy & entertaining 1979 Eurodisco single originally recorded for Greatest
Hits Vol.2 This was added as bonus track on the 2001 remasters. The song is carried by Benny synth riff. Agnetha is notably
great on this, it's seems amazing that those two girls recorded all those varied backing vocals... In 2005 the opening riffs
of this song became reborn as a Madonna single called "Hung Up", which brought Bjorn and Benny back to the US and British
charts...
