Ring Ring (album)
| Ring Ring | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 March 1973 | |||
| Recorded |
| |||
| Studio | Europafilm, Metronome, and KMH, Stockholm[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:51 | |||
| Label | Polar | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Björn & Benny chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Ring Ring | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
| Ondarock | 5/10[6] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 4/10[7] |
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.[8] It was a chart-topping album in Belgium, and also a big success in the Netherlands, Norway and South Africa.[9]
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
When the group's first recording "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 on permanent basis.[10]
While the original 1973 Polar version of the album opens with the Swedish "Ring ring (bara du slog en signal)", the English-language version was placed as track four on side two. The international editions open with the English version. Filling its original slot (in mono) is "She's My Kind of Girl", a track originally recorded by Björn & Benny in 1969 for the Swedish soft porn film Inga II: the Seduction of Inga.[11] Released as a single in 1970, it became a hit in Japan,[12] and was also released as the B-side of the English version of the "Ring Ring" single in Scandinavia. The track "Disillusion" was co-written by Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog. Although Fältskog had composed much of her solo output prior to ABBA, "Disillusion" is the only song released on an ABBA studio album to feature a songwriting contribution from her. "Disillusion" would later appear with Swedish lyrics on Fältskog's solo album Elva kvinnor i ett hus.
Ring Ring was first released on CD in 1988. Polar Music released in Scandinavia, alongside Waterloo and ABBA's self titled album, the version with the running order of the original Scandinavian LP. This is the only CD issue of this album to do so.[13] The same year in Australia, Rainbow Music Group issued the international version on CD.[14] In 1990, the international version of the album was released on CD throughout Europe by Polydor Records.
In the United Kingdom, Ring Ring was first issued on 7 September 1992, on cassette[15], and on CD the following year. In the United States, the album was not available until 1995 when it was released there on CD by Polydor.[16] The album has been remastered on CD multiple times: in 1997 as part of "The ABBA Remasters" series,[17] in 2001 with an updated cover artwork and some bonus tracks,[18] in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set, and in 2013 as a "Deluxe Edition".[19]
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-inch box set of five of the album's singles, pressed on colored vinyl; and 7-inch picture discs of each of these singles.[20][21][22]
Deluxe edition
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.[23][24]
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.[23]
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.[23][24]
Track listing
Based on the original Swedish release.[25] All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ring ring (bara du slog en signal)" |
| 3:10 |
| 2. | "Another Town, Another Train" | 3:12 | |
| 3. | "Disillusion" |
| 3:03 |
| 4. | "People Need Love" | 2:45 | |
| 5. | "I Saw It in the Mirror" | 2:33 | |
| 6. | "Nina, Pretty Ballerina" | 2:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" | 2:54 | |
| 2. | "Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother" | 2:50 | |
| 3. | "He Is Your Brother" | 3:18 | |
| 4. | "Ring Ring" (English version) |
| 3:05 |
| 5. | "I Am Just a Girl" |
| 3:01 |
| 6. | "Rock'n Roll Band" | 3:09 | |
| Total length: | 35:51 | ||
The album's international edition replaces the Swedish version of "Ring Ring" with the English and features "She's My Kind of Girl" as track 4 on side two.
Deluxe edition
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.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Ring ring (bara du slog en signal) (Swedish Version)" (B-side of "Åh, vilka tider") |
| 3:09 |
| 14. | "Merry-Go-Round" (B-side of "People Need Love") |
| 3:24 |
| 15. | "Santa Rosa" (B-side of "He Is Your Brother") |
| 2:59 |
| 16. | "Ring ring" (Spanish version) |
| 3:00 |
| 17. | "Wer im Wartesaal der Liebe steht" (German version of "Another Town, Another Train"; B-side of the German version of "Ring Ring") |
| 3:21 |
| 18. | "Ring Ring" (German version) |
| 3:09 |
| 19. | "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 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20. | "Hej gamle man!" (performed by Björn & Benny; from Lycka) | 3:21 | |
| 21. | "There's a Little Man" (performed by Billy G-Son) | 2:45 | |
| 22. | "I Saw It in the Mirror" (performed by Billy G-Son) | 2:20 | |
| 23. | "Jag är blott en man" (performed by Jarl Kulle) |
| 3:04 |
| 24. | "Man vill ju leva lite dessemellan" (performed by Anni-Frid Lyngstad) |
| 2:53 |
| 25. | "Välkommen till världen" (performed by Lill-Babs) | 3:19 |
Personnel
Adapted from the liner notes of the original Swedish album release and AllMusic.[8][25]
ABBA
- Agnetha Fältskog – lead vocals (3, 11), co-lead vocals, backing vocals
- Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead vocals (8), co-lead vocals, backing vocals
- Björn Ulvaeus – guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vocals (2, 5, 7, 12), co-lead vocals, backing vocals
- Benny Andersson – piano, keyboards, mellotron, co-lead vocals, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Janne Schaffer – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Rutger Gunnarsson – electric bass
- Mike Watson – electric bass
- Ola Brunkert – drums
- Roger Palm – drums ( track 12 )
Production
- Benny Andersson; Björn Ulvaeus – producers
- Michael B. Tretow – engineer
- Åke Eldsäter; Rune Persson; Lennart Karlsmyr (KMH); Björn Almstedt (Europafilm) – assistant engineers
- Sven-Olof Walldoff – string arrangements (11)
- Bengt H. Malmqvist – front cover photography
- Lars Falk – back cover photography
- Peter Wiking – layout, art direction
- Jon Astley; Michael B. Tretow – remastering
Charts
| Chart (1973–76) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[26] | 10 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[27] | 32 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[28] | 10 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[29] | 2 |
| Chart (2023–24) | Peak position |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[30] | 29 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI)[31] | 20 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[32] | 3× Platinum | 150,000^ |
| Norway | — | 10,000[33] |
| Sweden | — | 116,627[34] |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ a b Palm 2017, pp. 23–78.
- ^ a b Eder, Bruce. "Ring Ring – ABBA – Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 4. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
- ^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 1–2.
- ^ Fiori, Stefano. "ABBA - Orgoglio e pregiudizio del pop". Ondarock (in Italian). Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 3–4.
- ^ a b "Ring Ring". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ^ Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p. 24
- ^ Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1991). Guinness Book of Rock Stars. Enfield: Guinness Publishing Ltd. pp. 1–2. ISBN 0-85112-971-4.
- ^ Palm 2017, p. 62.
- ^ Palm, C. M. Thank You for the Music. Polar Music International AB, 1994.
- ^ "Swedish Polars (1988)". Abba on CD. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (1988, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
- ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 5 September 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (1995, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
- ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (1997, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
- ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (2001, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
- ^ ABBA – Ring Ring (2013, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
- ^ Sinclair, Paul (23 March 2023). "ABBA / Ring Ring 50th anniversary reissue – SuperDeluxeEdition". Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "Ring Ring (50th Anniversary): Half Speed Master Vinyl 2LP". ABBA. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "Ring Ring (50th Anniversary): Coloured Vinyl 5 x 7" Box Set". ABBA. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Sinclair, Paul (3 July 2013). "ABBA / "Ring Ring" 40th anniversary deluxe edition coming soon – SuperDeluxeEdition". Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ a b "CD ABBA - Ring Ring - Deluxe Edition CD+DVD". Sound of Music. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b Björn Benny & Agnetha Frida (1973). Ring Ring (liner notes). Polar Music. POLS 242.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Björn, Benny & Agnetha, Frida – Ring Ring". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Björn, Benny & Agnetha, Frida – Ring Ring". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "ABBA: The Worldwide Chart Page". home.zipworld.com.au. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Björn, Benny & Agnetha, Frida – Ring Ring" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "ABBA The History". Billboard. 8 September 1979.
- ^ Hultin, Randi (8 September 1979). "Abba The World – Norway". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ Schulman, Leif (8 September 1979). "Abba The World – Sweden". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
Sources
- Palm, Carl Magnus (2017). ABBA : The Complete Recording Sessions - Revised and Expanded Edition (2nd ed.). Stockholm: CMP Text. ISBN 978-91-639-2656-3.