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Ring Ring (album)

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Ring Ring
Studio album by
Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida
Released26 March 1973
Recorded29 March 1972, 26 September 1972 – 15 March 1973[1]
StudioMetronome, Europafilm and KMH Studio, Stockholm[2]
Genre
Length35:43
LabelPolar
Producer
Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida chronology
Ring Ring
(1973) 		Waterloo
(1974)
Singles from Ring Ring
  1. "People Need Love"
    Released: 1 June 1972
  2. "He Is Your Brother"
    Released: 22 November 1972
  3. "Ring ring (bara du slog en signal)"
    Released: 14 February 1973
  4. "Ring Ring (English Version)"
    Released: 19 February 1973
  5. "Another Town, Another Train"
    Released: March 1973
  6. "I Am Just a Girl"
    Released: May 1973 (Japan only)
  7. "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)"
    Released: June 1973
  8. "Rock'n Roll Band"
    Released: July 1973
  9. "Ring Ring (German Version)"
    Released: 10 August 1973
  10. "Nina, Pretty Ballerina"
    Released: 6 October 1973
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Blender[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[7]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide4/10[9]

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.[10] It was a chart-topping album in Belgium, and a big success in the Netherlands, Norway and South Africa.[11]

The album was re-released in Australasia in 1975, but was not released in the United Kingdom until 1992, and the United States until 1995.

Overview

[edit]

When the first song "People Need Love" was recorded in the spring of 1972, the group was just one of many projects the four members were involved in. Only after the title track, "Ring Ring" became a hit, did the four decide to go on working together as a permanent group.[12] The original 1973 Polar version of the album opens with "Ring ring (bara du slog en signal)", the Swedish version of the track, and places the English-language version as track four on side two.

The track "She's My Kind of Girl", included on the international editions, was originally recorded by Björn & Benny in 1969 for the Swedish pornographic film Inga II: the Seduction of Inga. Released as a single in 1970, it became a hit in Japan,[13] and was released as the B-side of the English version of the "Ring Ring" single in Scandinavia. The track "Disillusion" was originally written in Swedish by Agnetha Fältskog for her solo album Elva kvinnor i ett hus. Although she had composed much of her Swedish solo output, "Disillusion" is the only song released on an ABBA studio album to feature a songwriting contribution from her.[14]

Ring Ring was first released on CD in Scandinavia in 1988 by Polar Music alongside Waterloo and ABBA's self titled album. It follows the same running order as the original Scandinavian LP, being the only CD of this album to do so.[15] Also in 1988, the international version was first released on CD in Australia by Rainbow Music Group.[16] In 1990, the international version of the album was released on CD throughout Europe by Polydor Records with the discs manufactured in West Germany. In the United States, Ring Ring would not be made available on CD - or indeed at all - until 1995 when it was released there by Polydor.[17] The album has been digitally remastered on CD multiple times: in 1997 as part of "The ABBA Remasters" series,[18] in 2001 with an updated cover artwork and some bonus tracks,[19] in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set, and most recently in 2013 as a "Deluxe Edition".[20]

On 19 May 2023, a collection of vinyl products was released to celebrate Ring Ring's 50th anniversary: a double-LP edition of the album, pressed on 180g black vinyl and half-speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios; a 7" box set of five of the album's singles, pressed on colored vinyl; and 7" picture discs of each of these singles.[21][22][23]

Deluxe edition

[edit]

On 14 October 2013, Ring Ring was reissued as a deluxe edition for its 40th anniversary. It was released as a CD and DVD set, alongside a 20-page illustrated booklet with an essay on the making of the album.[24][25]

The CD consisted of the original album, expanded with thirteen bonus tracks and featuring: "Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan", a 1972 hit for Frida, with backing vocals from the other ABBA members; The 1970 recording "There’s A Little Man", which features backing vocals from Agnetha and marks her first contribution to a song written and produced by Björn and Benny; "En hälsning till våra parkarrangörer", a 1972 spoken-word promotional single, in which all members promote their 1973 Sweden tour; rare original versions of tracks like "I Am Just a Girl" and "I Saw It In The Mirror"; among other tracks.[24]

The DVD featured the "International Sleeve Gallery" and contained the following television content: a performance of "People Need Love" from SVT's Vi i femman; one of "Ring Ring" from ORF's Spotlight; and a 2012 Swedish report where Benny talks about the album's creation, titled "Ring Ring revealed" from Låtarna som förändrade musiken, on UR.[24][25]

Track listing

[edit]

The information is based on the Scandinavian edition of the album, and has been adapted from the official ABBA website.[26] All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ring ring (bara du slog en signal)"
3:04
2."Another Town, Another Train" 3:12
3."Disillusion"
3:04
4."People Need Love" 2:46
5."I Saw It in the Mirror" 2:34
6."Nina, Pretty Ballerina" 2:51
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" 2:53
2."Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother" 2:50
3."He Is Your Brother" 3:18
4."Ring Ring" (English version)
3:03
5."I Am Just a Girl"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
3:01
6."Rock'n Roll Band" 3:09
Total length:35:43

The album's international edition opens with the English version of "Ring Ring" and features "She's My Kind of Girl" as track four on Side two.

Deluxe edition

[edit]

Released for the album's 40th anniversary, this edition also features "Ring ring (bara du slog en signal)" as a bonus track. Its B-side, "Åh, vilka tider", was not included in this edition, but could be found on The Complete Studio Recordings.

All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.

Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Merry-Go-Round" (B-side of "People Need Love")
3:24
2."Santa Rosa" (B-side of "He Is Your Brother")
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
2:59
3."Ring ring" (Spanish version)
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Doris Band
3:00
4."Wer im Wartesaal der Liebe steht" (German version of "Another Town, Another Train"; B-side of the German version of "Ring Ring")
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Fred Jay
3:21
5."Ring Ring" (German version)
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Peter Lach
3:09
6."En hälsning till våra parkarrangörer" (1972 spoken-word promotional single for the band's 1973 Sweden tour, with excerpts of recent hits; previously unreleased) 2:26
Extra bonus tracks - early versions
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hej gamle man!" (performed by Björn & Benny; from Lycka) 3:21
2."There's a Little Man" (performed by Billy G-Son) 2:45
3."I Saw It in the Mirror" (performed by Billy G-Son) 2:20
4."Jag är blott en man" (performed by Jarl Kulle)
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
3:04
5."Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan" (performed by Anni-Frid Lyngstad)
  • Vittorio Tariciotti
  • Marcello Marrocchi
  • Franca Evangelisti
  • Anderson
2:53
6."Välkommen till världen" (performed by Lill-Babs) 3:19

Personnel

[edit]

Additional musicians

  • Ola Brunkert – drums
  • Roger Palm – drums on "Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother" and "Rock'n Roll Band"
  • Jan Bandel – drums on "He Is Your Brother"
  • Rutger Gunnarsson – bass
  • Mike Watson – bass on "Disillusion", "People Need Love", "I Saw It in the Mirror" and "Love Isn't Easy"
  • Stefan Brolund – bass on "He Is Your Brother"
  • Janne Schaffer – acoustic guitar on "Another Town, Another Train", electric guitar
  • Håkan Jansson – baritone saxophone on "He Is Your Brother"

Production

  • Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus – producers, arrangers
  • Michael B. Tretow – engineer
  • Björn Almstedt, Lennart Karlsmyr, Rune Persson – assistant engineers
  • Sven-Olof Walldoff – string arrangements on "I Am Just a Girl"[27]
  • Lars Falck, Bengt H. Malmqvist – photography
  • Peter Wiking – original album design
  • Jon Astley, Tim Young, Michael B. Tretow – remastering for the 1997 remasters
  • Jon Astley, Michael B. Tretow – remastering for the 2001 remasters
  • Henrik Jonsson – remastering for The Complete Studio Recordings box set

Charts

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Chart (1973–76) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[28] 10
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[29] 32
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[30] 10
Swedish Albums Chart[31] 2
Chart (2023-2024) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 29
Greek Albums (IFPI)[33] 20

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34] 3× Platinum 150,000^
Norway — 10,000[35]
Sweden — 116,627[36]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Liner notes, part 1". 9 October 2016. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. ^ Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p. 22
  3. ^ "Ring Ring - ABBA | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  4. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 4. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  5. ^ AllMusic
  6. ^ Blender Magazine
  7. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  8. ^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 1–2.
  9. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 3–4.
  10. ^ Ring Ring at AllMusic
  11. ^ Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p. 24
  12. ^ Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1991). Guinness Book of Rock Stars. Enfield: Guinness Publishing Ltd. pp. 1–2. ISBN 0-85112-971-4.
  13. ^ Palm, C. M. Thank You for the Music. Polar Music International AB, 1994.
  14. ^ "Mecm - Mecm csajok - Hotdog.hu". 13 October 2013. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Swedish Polars (1988)". Abba on CD. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  16. ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (1988, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
  17. ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (1995, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
  18. ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (1997, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
  19. ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (2001, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
  20. ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (2013, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
  21. ^ Sinclair, Paul (23 March 2023). "ABBA / Ring Ring 50th anniversary reissue – SuperDeluxeEdition". Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Ring Ring (50th Anniversary): Half Speed Master Vinyl 2LP". ABBA. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Ring Ring (50th Anniversary): Coloured Vinyl 5 x 7" Box Set". ABBA. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  24. ^ a b c Sinclair, Paul (3 July 2013). "ABBA / "Ring Ring" 40th anniversary deluxe edition coming soon – SuperDeluxeEdition". Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  25. ^ a b "CD ABBA - Ring Ring - Deluxe Edition CD+DVD". Sound of Music. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  26. ^ "Discography". ABBA. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  27. ^ Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p.
  28. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  29. ^ "Charts.nz – Björn, Benny & Agnetha, Frida – Ring Ring". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  30. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Björn, Benny & Agnetha, Frida – Ring Ring". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  31. ^ "ABBA: The Worldwide Chart Page". home.zipworld.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  32. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Björn, Benny & Agnetha, Frida – Ring Ring" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  33. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 29/2024)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  34. ^ "ABBA The History". Billboard. 8 September 1979.
  35. ^ Hultin, Randi (8 September 1979). "Abba The World – Norway". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  36. ^ Schulman, Leif (8 September 1979). "Abba The World – Sweden". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
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