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1974 1976 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1988 1990 1992 2004
The presence in the Spanish language territories was of course very important for ABBA. They were probably the first pop act ever recording a whole album in Spanish and during the later period of their career releasing alternate versions of their studio albums including some tracks sung in Spanish. The group recorded several songs which were inspired by the Latin music.
Waterloo - the single in Spain
The single "Waterloo" b/w "Watch Out" was released in Spain in April 1974. The cover featured a wider shot from the "Gripsholms"-session (see ABBA related places) and it had especially designed lay-out. The single was very successful on the Spanish single chart where it stayed for 15 weeks reaching #3.
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Waterloo - the album in Spain
The album "Waterloo" saw its release in Spain at the beginning of May 1974. Under the title of the album there was even a plain information that it was the same group that won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. The Spanish album cover had different design to the other releases but the same cover photo. The track listing was slightly different to the original Swedish release as Ring Ring was the opening track on the side B and not Honey Honey. The album was released by the Spanish record company "Carnaby".
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The promotion in Spain
The first ABBA appearance Spain took place on May 20, 1974. The group arrived in Madrid in order to do a TV special. They performed four songs: "Waterloo", "Ring Ring", "Hasta Manana" and "Honey Honey" from their first international album "Waterloo". "Ring Ring" had been re-recorded and this much heavier US version was presented in this show.
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Björn showed his language skills probably for the first time presenting the group in Spanish. The song "Ring Ring" which had been re-recorded in Spanish already in July 1973 remained though unreleased until 1999 when it came on the compilation album "Oro" including all 15 songs ever recorded by ABBA in Spanish. It was never used as a playback in any of their performances for Spanish speaking territories.
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Fernando - the single in Spain
The single with Spanish flavoured song "Fernando" b/w "Intermezzo No. 1" was released in Spain in March 1976. "Fernando" became a big hit all over the world and even in the Spanish language territories. In Spain it stayed on the single chart for 24 weeks reaching #3.
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ABBA in "La noche de Lina Morgan" - Spanish TV - summer
ABBA taped in Sweden two videos: Waterloo & their latest single hit Fernando especially for the show "La noche de Lina Morgan". These videos featured ABBA in their blue clothes from the period. The background pictures showed ABBA pictures from the 1975 tour and from the Lois sessions in Stockholm taken earlier the same year.
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Chiquitita - the Spanish single
The following years would not bring any ABBA performances in Spain or South America. The group was concentrated on being successful in Great Britain and USA in the first hand. It took quite a long time before ABBA could be sure that they are not a one-hit wonder anymore.
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The first real attempt to approach the Spanish language markets came in March 1979 when the group re-recorded their hit "Chiquitita" in Spanish and released as a single in both Spain and several countries in South America. The management realized that ABBA were not big enough in these territories and it was high time for some extra actions. The lyrics were written by Buddy and Mary McCluskey working at RCA in Argentina. The single became not quite unawaited a huge success in Spain and South America topping all charts.
Voulez-Vous - the album
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In April 1979 the new album "Voulez-Vous" was released all over the world. It was the first ABBA album released in two versions. The second version was prepared especially for Spain and South America and included both Spanish and English versions of "Chiquitita".
ABBA in Madrid - May 79
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On arrival at the Madrid airport (thanx Maurits)
The group went to Madrid on May 27, 1979 and performed in two TV shows: "300 millones" and "Aplauso".
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In "Applauso" they presented songs from their new album: "I Have a Dream", "Does Your Mother Know" (featuring Frida in absolutely top form), "Voulez-Vous" and "Chiquitita" - of course in Spanish.
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The second TV show recorded during their two-day stay in the capital of Spain was "Aplauso" where they sang "Does Your Mother Know", "Voulez-Vous" and "Chiquitita" in Spanish as well. During the show they received a gold disc for sales of "Chiquitita".
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Estoy Soñando - the single
After the great success of Spanish version of "Chiqutita" it was decided to re-record one more track from the album "Voulez-Vous" in Spanish for forthcoming single release. "I Have A Dream" was chosen for this purpose and re-recorded in Spanish in August 1979. The video was made on September 5 in Polar Studios.
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"Estoy soñando" was released in Spain, USA and South America in September 1979. The b-side of the single was "Kisses of Fire" in most of territories but not in Mexico where "Rock Me" was chosen.
Estoy Soñando - the video
On September 5, 1979 the video for "Estoy Soñando" (the Spanish version of "I Have A Dream") was filmed in the Polar Studios in Stockholm.
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As Good As New - the single
In some countries in South America "As Good As New"/"I Have A Dream" (English version) was released as the third single from the album "Voulez-Vous" in the early autumn of 1979.
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The year 1980 would bring two ABBA studio albums! Benny and Björn spent some time on Barbados trying to wake up their musical creativity. Frida and Agnetha stayed at home in Sweden with lots of spare time. The group's management decided that the girls would re-record some of the group's "Spanish sounding" songs and some of the greatest hits which would be released later this year on a new album.
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Agnetha and Frida started working with the new project at the beginning of January 1980. Eight songs were chosen for re-recording. The upcoming album would contain totally 10 tracks (including two smash hits which already had Spanish versions: "Chiquitita" and "Estoy soñando"). The other songs re-recorded and remixed for this album were: "Dancing Queen", "Move On", "Mamma Mia", "Fernando", "Thank You For the Music", "Knowing Me Knowing You", "Gimme Gimme Gimme" and "Hasta Mañana". The lyrics were written by Buddy and Mary McClusky. The songs were remixed by Michael B. Tretow and sound quite different to the original English versions which makes the album very interesting.
Dame! Dame! Dame! - the single
A new single in Spanish "Dame Dame Dame" (Gimme Gimme Gimme) was released in Spanish speaking territories in February 1980.
Gracias por la musica - the album
The Spanish album entitled "Gracias por la musica" was released in May 1980. It contained 10 tracks with Spanish lyrics translated from English by Buddy and Mary McCluskey who were South American agents for Polar Music. Already at the time of going to press the album sold 130.000 copies in Argentina and it was only the beginning. The album was available even in Europe. In UK and Sweden it was available as a collector's item on import on the Swedish "Septima" label.
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It was promoted on Spanish TV in the show "Applauso". The Spanish TV team came this time to Stockholm and made an interview with the group.
The Spanish editions of the album released by Epic and Carnaby
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Applauso in Stockholm - May 1980
ABBA performed three songs: "Conociendome Conociendote" (Knowing Me Knowing You), "Gracias por la musica" (Thank You For The Music) and "Dame Dame Dame" (Gimme Gimme Gimme). The show was done in the "applauso way" ie the programme host talked with one ABBA member at the time. First Björn then Frida and Benny. Agnetha did not answer any questions only read a kind of message to Spanish fans of ABBA. The strangest thing in this show was the playback performance of "Dame Dame Dame" featuring Agnetha reading the lyrics from the sheet of paper. Frida had very difficult to sit down and sing a disco song so she started dancing.
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The video "Gracias por la musica" featured all four members in the outfits they even had on the cover of the "Gracias..." album. In "Conociendome Conociendote" the group members had quite "usual" clothes.
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At the end of the show Benny opened up a bottle of champagne and the foursome sang together a traditional Swedish song. All ABBA members seemed to be totally relaxed and happy.
Super Trouper - the album
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The new studio album called "Super Trouper" was released in two versions: the international one and the alternative version for Spanish speaking territories. ABBA re-recorded two tracks in Spanish "Andante Andante" and "Felicidad" (Happy New Year) and they were included on the Spanish versions of the album.
In November Björn promoted both the TV special "ABBA in Concert" and the new album "Super Trouper" in Madrid. He gave a 5-minute interview for "Aplauso Especial" in fluent Spanish. Spanish TV showed the ABBA in Concert show the same evening.
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On November 8, a video for "Felicidad" was filmed by Lasse Hallström in his flat in Stockholm.
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If you look at Frida, you can see that she does not remember the lyrics. Many times during the recording her eyes move quickly to the left where the singers had a screen with lyrics.
Aniversario los 10 años de ABBA
In South America it was decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of ABBA in... 1981. Maybe a little bit strange as the group did not exist in 1971. Their first performances as Festfolket took place in Göteborg and Stockholm in 1970. Then the group recorded their first single "People Need Love" in 1972. Anyway, this compilation album contained 14 songs (see track list below) featuring 8 songs released in 1980 on the album "Gracias Por La Musica". The other songs included on this album were the smash hits: SOS, Money Money Money, I Do I Do I Do..., Waterloo and Take A Chance On Me. No songs from Super Trouper were included which can mean that the compilation was pressed already in 1980.
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Dez anos
Another compilation album was released in Brazil. It was called "ABBA Dez anos" and it contained 14 songs.
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The Visitors
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The last studio album recorded by the group contained two songs sung in Spanish. It was decided that "When All Is Said and Done" sung by Frida and "Slipping Through My Fingers" sung by Agnetha would be re-recorded in Spanish. The work was done on November 24th, 1981, six days before the release of the new album "The Visitors".
No hay a quien culpar - the video
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The video for "No hay a quien culpar" was partly filmed on November 27, 1981. It was quite funny as the new filmings for the Spanish video were mixed with the old ones from the English version of "When All Is Said And Done" video which had been filmed 3 months earlier and featured Frida with long hair. In November 1981 Frida was cut according to the latest trends in the "punk" style. Only Agnetha and Frida participated in this video recording.
La Carta Indiscreta - December 1981
Argentinian TV team arrived in Stockholm in December 81 and made a Christmas TV special. New videos: No hay a quien culpar and One of Us were presented as well. The show was divided into several parts. The first one was featuring the all ABBA members answering funny questions with funny answers.
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Part two of the show contained four individual interviews with all the members. The first and longest one was with Agnetha, the shortest with Frida. At the end of each interview the other three would describe the person who had been interviewed. An interesting thing was said by Agnetha when she was describing Frida. Agnetha said: "Frida is one of my best friends..."
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One of Us/No hay a quien culpar - the single
Two main single releases from the LP "The Visitors" in South America were "Head Over Heels" and "One Of Us" alt. "No hay a quien culpar" (Spanish version of "When all is said and done"). The first single was released at the beginning of 1982 and the second one about April/May 1982 - depending on country. The single in Peru featured "Uno de nosotros" (One of Us - sung in English) on side A and "No hay a quien culpar" on side B.
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ABBA in Applauso 1982
In February 1982 Spanish TV team went to Stockholm in order to make a TV special with ABBA about their new album "The Visitors". It was probably the strangest interview ABBA ever gave. All the four members seemed unhappy especially Frida. Agnetha was quite bored and Björn did not speak too much which is quite unusual.
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The clothes they wear in this TV special are well known from one of their photo sessions in the beginning of 1982. These pictures were used on many covers of various compilation albums released in 1983-1985 ("Thank You For The Music", "I love ABBA" and many more).
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Por siempre - a rarity from Argentina
"Por siempre" was an Argentinian compilation LP released in 1982. The LP belongs to big rarities in the ABBA world as it contains still unreleased on any other LP/CD live track "It's Got to Be Rock'n'Roll" better known as "Hole in Your Soul". The LP contains mostly no single hits as: Should I Laugh Or Cry, My Love My Life, If It Wasn't For the Nights, Lovers, Dum Dum Diddle or Move On. The only single hit that appears here is Lay All Your Love On Me.
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ABBA Golden Hits was a new Brazilian compilation that was released in 1983. The LP contained 14 songs and among them the last two singles "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack".
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"Os Grandes Sucessos" was the Brazilian compilation which was released in 1988. The LP contained 14 songs and among them a real rarity released only on this compilation - an extended remix of "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do".
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The album "Gracias Por La Musica" was released by Polydor in Japan in its original shape with the original cover. The sound on the CD was digitally remastered.
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The 1992 release of the 10 songs recorded in Spanish in 1980 was called "ABBA Oro". The songs appeared in a different order than on the original album. Fernando and Chiquitita were opening tracks on "Oro".
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Todo ABBA
A new compilation entitled "Todo ABBA" was released in Spain in 2004. The compilation contained 1 CD and 1 DVD. Both the CD and the DVD contained 19 songs and among them Spanish versions of "I Have a Dream", "When All Is Said and Done" and "Happy New Year". A special single edition with "Mamma Mia" and "Waterloo" promoted the release.
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