Ring Ring

by ABBA

Overview

If it seems as though the familiar ABBA sound isn't present on this album, that's because there was no entity known as ABBA at the time that the earliest sides here were recorded. Growing out of an attempt by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus to record together with their respective companions, Agnetha Faltskog and Frida "Anni-Frid" Lyngstad, the first side cut here, "People Need Love," featured the two men singing just as prominently as the women, and was credited to "Bjorn and Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid." It was only after its release and the cutting of a further single, "Ring, Ring," that the more familiar sound of the quartet began to coalesce along with the idea of a permanent professional association. Unreleased in the United States until 1995, this album is more of a generic European pop release than an ABBA release; the music has several unusual attributes, including Andersson and Ulvaeus singing lead on several cuts, and also one original song, the moody ballad "Disillusion," co-authored by Agnetha Faltskog. Most of what's here is pleasantly upbeat Europop, with unusually good playing and a lot of spirit, all showing the influence of mainstream American and British pop/rock, including the late-era Beatles and early Elton John, and on the title track, a Phil Spector-proportioned production. Ring Ring was reissued in October of 2001 with extensive notes, state-of-the-art sound, and three bonus tracks: the single B-sides "Merry-Go-Round" and "Santa Rosa" (a smooth piece of California-style rock in the mold of the early Eagles) and the Swedish version of "Ring, Ring" (which charted number one in Sweden to the English version's number two spot). ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	10/18/2011
Label:	Polydor / Universal
UPC:	0602527346472
Rank:	55995

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Ring, Ring (Bara Du Slog En Signal)
2. Another Town, Another Train
3. Disillusion
4. People Need Love
5. I Saw it in the Mirror
6. Nina, Pretty Ballerina

Disc 2

7. Love Isn't Easy (But it Sure is Hard Enough)
8. Me and Bobby And Bobby's Brother
9. He is Your Brother
10. Ring Ring
11. I Am Just a Girl
12. Rock'n'Roll Band

Album Credits

Performance Credits

ABBA   Primary Artist
Benny Andersson   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Mellotron
Bjoern Ulvaeus   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Anni-Frid Lyngstad   Primary Artist
Lill Babs   Primary Artist
Billy G-Zon   Primary Artist
Jarl Kulle   Primary Artist
Janne Schaffer   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Mike Watson   Bass (Electric)
Agnetha Faeltskog   Vocals
Frida   Vocals
Rutger Gunnarsson   Bass (Electric)
Ola Brunkert   Drums
Roger Palm   Drums
Sven-Olof Walldoff   Ensemble,Orchestra

Technical Credits

Benny Andersson   Composer,Producer
Bjoern Ulvaeus   Composer,Producer
Phil Cody   Composer
Neil Sedaka   Composer
Rune Persson   Assistant Engineer
Michael B. Tretow   Engineer,Remastering
Anni-Frid Lyngstad   Composer
Agnetha Faeltskog   Composer
Stig Anderson   Composer
Jon Astley   Remastering
Rolf Adlercreutz   Photography
Bengt H. Malmqvist   Photography
Sven-Olof Walldoff   Arranger,String Arrangements
Lennart Karlsmyr   Assistant Engineer
Peter Wiking   Art Direction
Bjoern Almstedt   Assistant Engineer
M. Marrocchi   Composer
Vittorio Tariciotti   Composer
Franca Evangelisti   Composer