Maps of Music

Voulez-Vous (1979)

Where the lyrics of Voulez-Vous take you, and where it was really made.

Part of this album's title track was recorded in Miami, making it the only ABBA album with a studio recording made outside Sweden.

Key places

Where most of the album was recorded (1979)

Recording site Polar Studios — ABBA opened Polar Studios in Stockholm and mainly recorded this album there, the first ABBA album to be made that way. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The only recording made outside Sweden (1979)

Recording site Criteria Studios — The backing track for the title song was partly recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, the only ABBA studio recording made outside Sweden. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Cover shot at a Stockholm nightclub (1979)

Album cover Master Plan — The album cover shot was taken at Alexandra's nightclub in Stockholm, a choice that matched the move toward disco. The point marks the city only. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Voulez-Vous: sixth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA
• Released 23 April 1979
• Yielded five hits, all of them big 1979 singles in Britain
• Title track showed the group embracing disco music, which was at its peak at the time
• Album topped the charts in a number of countries
• Ranked among Britain's five best-selling albums of the year
• First ABBA album mainly recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm
• Only ABBA album to include a studio recording made outside Sweden

Background

• Sessions began 13 March 1978 with 'Dr Claus von Hamlet', which was never released
• Several compositions were demoed and rejected, and only two finished songs were ready after six months
• The group opened Polar Studios in Stockholm, among the most advanced studios in the world at the time
• Members Ulvaeus and Fältskog announced their divorce in late 1978, which freed up tension within the group
• 'Chiquitita' became one of ABBA's biggest hits around the world in early 1979

Recording

• At the end of January 1979, Andersson and Ulvaeus left Sweden and rented an apartment in the Bahamas
• They wanted to hear American music and experience a very different vibe from Stockholm
• The backing track for 'Voulez-Vous' was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami with the disco band Foxy
• 'Does Your Mother Know' was recorded after the group returned to Sweden
• The final two tracks, 'As Good as New' and 'I Have a Dream', were finished by the end of March

Cover

• The cover shot was taken at Alexandra's nightclub in Stockholm
• The location was chosen to emphasise the shift toward a disco sound

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
• Their name is an acronym of the members' first names; it was officially adopted in 1973.
• Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson first collaborated as songwriters in 1966 and became hit writers in 1969.
• Stig Anderson, founder of Polar Music, pushed the pair toward international success.

Members

• Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus were married from 1971 to 1980.
• Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were married from 1978 to 1981.
• Fältskog sang lead and backing vocals; Lyngstad sang lead and backing vocals.
• Ulvaeus played guitar and sang; Andersson played keyboards and sang.

Career

• The group won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 for Sweden with "Waterloo".
• Hits include "Dancing Queen", "Fernando", "Mamma Mia" and "The Winner Takes It All".
• They disbanded in December 1982 after their final public performance.
• ABBA Gold, released in 1992, became a worldwide best-seller.
• Mamma Mia! the stage musical premiered in 1999 and was adapted into a 2008 film.
• The group reunited in 2016 and released the album Voyage in 2021.
• ABBA Voyage, a concert residency with digital avatars, opened in London in May 2022.
• In 2024 all four members were appointed Commanders, First Class, of the Royal Order of Vasa.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Dutch magazine Hitkrant made it 'LP of the Week' and praised it as an album of unprecedented class
• Manchester Evening News said the singer's vocals had gained assurance and the lyrics were coming out of their naivete
• Smash Hits reviewer Red Starr found the album clean but clinical, and said it did not convey the magic and impact of the group's singles
• Record Mirror mostly praised the album and singled out 'If It Wasn't for the Nights' as the best song on it
• Record Mirror criticised the lyrics and called 'I Have a Dream' the worst song on the album

Reappraisal

• Bruce Eder of AllMusic noted that about half the album shows the heavy influence of the Bee Gees' disco era
• Eder also noted a pair of soft, lyrical Europop-style ballads on the album
• Sean Egan from the BBC gave the album a favourable review and said its ballads offered relief on the dance floor

Records

• Topped the charts in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Finland
• UK: peaked at number one for a whole month
• Top 10 in countries including Canada, New Zealand and Australia
• US: ABBA's third album to reach the top 20, peaking at number 19
• Japan: reached number 1 in 1979

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The band recorded its backing track for the title song in Miami, the only time it recorded a song outside Sweden.
• 'Does Your Mother Know' was the only mainstream release to feature Ulvaeus on lead vocals.
• 'I Have a Dream' featured a local children's choir from the International School of Stockholm.
• The album was mainly recorded at the group's own Polar Studios, which it had opened in Stockholm during the sessions.
• The single 'Chiquitita' was a bigger hit worldwide than the album's follow-up single 'Does Your Mother Know'.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact