The ‘ABBA’ album receives the Deluxe Edition treatment
Hot on the heels of the well-received Deluxe Edition of The Visitors, November 2012 will see another release in the ABBA Deluxe Edition series.
This time the 1975 album simply entitled ABBA, featuring classic hits such as ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘SOS’ and ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do’, will receive the Deluxe treatment.
The first disc in this 2-disc package is a CD, which features the original album plus three bonus tracks, all of which have been remastered especially for this release.
The second disc is a DVD, featuring 60 minutes of previously unreleased television performances, including the complete 1976 television special ABBA In Australia – the export version of the famous The Best Of ABBA special, which had higher viewer ratings than the moon landing in Australia. 6 of the 12 songs in the special are performances of tracks from the ABBA album.
In addition, there are three songs from the 1975 television special Made In Sweden – For Export, along with two fab performances from the BBC archives: ‘SOS’ on Seaside Special, first broadcast in 1975, and ‘Mamma Mia’ on Top Of The Pops (1976).
To round off the DVD there are two vintage television commercials, one for the Australian hits album The Best Of ABBA (along with the other albums released by ABBA in Australia up to that point) and the other for ABBA’s Greatest Hits album.
The package also includes a 24-page booklet featuring an extensive essay on the making of the album, for which ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have contributed fresh insights and stories.
Don’t miss out on this Deluxe Edition of ABBA – featuring the hits that made Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida household names all over the world!
ABBA – DELUXE EDITION
DISC 01: CD
1. Mamma Mia
2. Hey, Hey Helen
3. Tropical Loveland
4. SOS
5. Man In The Middle
6. Bang-A-Boomerang
7. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
8. Rock Me
9. Intermezzo no 1
10. I’ve Been Waiting For You
11. So Long
Bonus Tracks:
12. Crazy World
13. Medley: Pick A Bale Of Cotton – On Top Of Old Smokey – Midnight Special
14. Mamma Mia (Spanish Version)
DISC 02: DVD:
1. ABBA In Australia (Television Special)
Mamma Mia
Hasta Mañana
Ring Ring
Tropical Loveland
Waterloo
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
Rock me
Dancing Queen
Honey, Honey
Fernando
So Long
SOS
2. Made In Sweden – For Export (SVT)
Mamma Mia
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
So Long
3. SOS (Seaside Special, BBC)
4. Mamma Mia (Top Of The Pops, BBC)
5. The Best Of ABBA, TV Commercial
6. Greatest Hits, TV Commercial
7. International Sleeve Gallery
We all have now a good 2012 Christmass treat. It’s nice to see that all ABBA’s studio albums is being receiving the deluxe treatments, well deserved. Can’t wait to take mine for my own deluxe!
hurray at last ! i didn’t think this deluxe edition would happen. Darren L.
This is wonderful news. I can’t wait for it to come out in November. There are only two albums left now Ring Ring and Waterloo. So I hope they get the deluxe treatment as well.
Waterloo sorta got the deluxe treatment in 2004 with the 30th anniversary addition. I wonder if they’ll do a second deluxe version? Wait, this is ABBA / Universal. Of course they will!!! I would love a deluxe version of Ring Ring – it would be nice for that album to receive the same treatment as the rest of ABBA’s catalogue, as it’s generally overlooked in relation to the rest of their albums.
I don’t normally join in the chorus of whiners opening the lack of fresh material, but in this case the CD effort is lazy. If Bjorn and Benny could be inveigled to reminisce for the booklet, couldn’t they have turned their minds to demos in the vaults from this classic period?
I don’t normally join in the chorus of whiners opining the lack of fresh material, but in this case the CD effort seems lazy. If Bjorn and Benny could be inveigled to reminisce for the booklet, couldn’t they have turned their minds to demos in the vaults from this classic period?
is it already november i can not wait FANTASTIC
Steve, this looks like a nice package altogether, with the news centered around the videos. Although, the Medley is a nice addition.
I don’t know of the existence of demos from that time, however, knowing that Benny was explaining the creative process in a recent interview with Ring Ring’s multitrack, gives us a hint that recorded material might have survived up till now.
Personally I have been many years wanting to have a unedited version of ABBA’s Midnight Special. In fact, longing since -here at Chile- the local television broadcasted the equally named american musical TV program, back at the late seventies, and for months it was preceded by a clip of ABBA’s version of that tune of a sequence of their pictures…
At the time it appeared it was a complete tune (or I was too young or impacted to tell otherwise), Since then I’ve been wanting for a complete rendition of that unique interpretation, … I am still very amazed by the voices, the welcoming uptempo intro and rhythm, and the joyous happy keyboard arrangement that complements the chorus.
I’ve been a Dj for quite long, and in my opinion, this track -if given the length it deserves-, will bring many generations together to the dancefloor. Probably not for a Deluxe edition, but since its been brought up, if I am not on the err side with my comments here, why not consider it for some apt project (like a themed EP or some creative else)?
It will be great to see the Aussie TV Special on DVD. I saw the original broadcast in March 1976 & the response of the Australian public was so great – that the special was repeated twice by June 1976.
Benny/Bjorn I hope you see & read this. How about adding the Swedish version of “SOS” (from Anna’s 1975 Swedish Solo Album) to this deluxe edition just like when you added the Swedish version of “Fernando” (from Frida’s 1975 Swedish Solo Album) to the “Arrival” deluxe edition!!! It should have no problem fitting on this CD not like the missing Spainish versions from the “Voulez Vouz” & “The Visitors” deluxe editions!!! This can be done by the release date of November 2012!!! I am surprised @ this oversight!!!
Just first of all: the album cover: please remove the 1976 ABBA logo and restore the original artwork…
I like the track listing; ashame there is not more to add.
True, Agnethas swedish version of SOS could be added: unlike with ‘Fernando’, which initially was a Frida solo track in swedish which they saw the unique potential in, and then wrote english lyrics to, SOS was recorded as an ABBA song, and then translated and added to Agnethas solo album to boost its sales (the swedish lyrics are not well crafted). But it sort of belongs there.
The spanish version of ‘Mamma Mia’, however, was recorded in 1980, and sort of belongs to the ‘Grazias Por La Musica’ album, and historically not on a 1975 release.
Are there more photos from the album cover photo sessions?
Looking forward 🙂
OK Please don’t get me wrong, I really like the deluxe series but, I feel perhaps more than with the previous releases, this one has a lot of missed oppertunities. Sadly most of what could have made this release fantastic wasn’t to be for two reasons. Firstly B&B’s reluctance to release anything from the vaults and secondly UMG’s inability to obtain true gems. Yes, its great were getting Made In Sweden and ABBA in Australia but, how much greater would it have been if they’d given us Ricky Rock “N” Roller (the glamest of ABBA rarities) and the performance of “Hey Hey Helen” from the US. There really was a wealth of possibilities with this album and it seems sad its not delivering on the highest level. Regarding the inclusion of the spanish songs, IMO they shouldn’t be included on the albums before they were actually recorded. I’m only buying this because of the DVD.
We need just a notion and just like that to be released in full version please benny and Bjorn thanks
I havent come across it as yet but I’ll continue to look for it.
I must admit tho that I was disappointed in the release of The Visitors. Not in the album but with the packaging. Ok I may be pedantic and fussy but it just didnt match the rest of the released albums. Why release all the previous albums in the cardboard double fold over case with the plastic dust cover sleeve, with each album being added to the similar styled layout, building up an easily recognised case for the newer versions of the past released albums only to then release The Visitors in a standard double crystal style cd case. Now makes the set look shabby and like its a last minute add on.
Considering you guys go to all the extra effort to be professional in your efforts before you release your songs to the public I just wish you had of applied that same professional standard to the covers and kept it all standardised.
thanks.