Often regarded as Agnetha's best studio album. It's certainly the one that she put the most effort into. Aggie produced this album ( remember this was 1975 when woman did not generally produce their own records) and she wrote most of the music, Bosse Carlgren wrote most of the lyrics based on themes and dummy lyrics put together for the songs by Agnetha.

ELVA took a long time to record partly due to Agnetha's work with ABBA. Thus there is a four year gap between ELVA and Aggie's previous studio album.

The album 's title translates to "Eleven Woman in One House". An actual Stockholm building was pictured on the back cover. Each of the 11 songs tells the story of one of the eleven woman living in the building pictured on the cover.

This album includes the Swedish versions of two Abba tracks-"SOS" and "Disillusion" which somehow becomes "Mina Ogon" here. Also included here is"Gulleput" a Swedish version of "Golliwog" . Golliwog was the B-side of 1974 non-album single "Here For Your Love' ." Here for you love" was the English version of "Tio Mil Kvar Till Korpilombolo" . "Tio Mil ..." was released as a non-album B-side in 1973. Yes it can all be very confusing.

Some of the more memorable tracks on ELVA are "Doktorn" which has a beat and you can dance to it: " Dar Hom Glut" and the lovely "Tacks for Underwear".OOPS! Actually ,the title of that last song is "Tack For En Underbar vanlig Dag"(Thanks for a Wonderful ordinary Day) The album closes interestingly with "Visa i attonde manaden " (Song in the Eight Month).

A play was adapted from the album and performed in Stockholm at the Improvision Teater ( that's the Swedish spelling) in 1997.

With the exception of "SOS" and Frida's backing vocals on "Var det Med dej" the other ABBA members had very little to do with this album. This album was originally released on Lp by CBS-Cupol in late 1975 . It was only released in Scandinavia.

Strangely, this album hasn't been reissued independently
on CD as of yet. It was reissued as part of box set of Agnetha's first 5 solo albums that was released in the late 2004 .CD buyers can also find ELVA tracks on the Tio AR MED, and My LOVE, MY LIFE CD's.

Track listing :

1.S.O.S. (3:19) (Swedish version of ABBA's S.O.S) 2.En egen trädgård (2:37) A private garden 3.Tack för en underbar, vanlig dag (2.40) Thanks for a wonderful,ordinary day 4.Gulleplutt (2.49) sweetheart? 5.Är du som han? (2.48) Are You Like Him? 6.Och han väntar på mig (3.01) And he is waiting for me 7.Doktorn! (2.47) Doctor! 8.Mina ögon (3.03) my eyes 9.Dom har glömt (3.42) They have forgotten 10.Var det med dej? (3.34) Was it with you 11.Visa i åttonde månaden (3.55) Song in the Eighth Month

ELVA KVINNOR details

* Released on Lp (Scandinavia only) December 1, 1975 * Produced by Agnetha Faltskog * Engineered by Michael B. Tretow * Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden 1974-1975 *Back cover (building )photo taken in Sodermalm in Stockholm

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