Maps of Music

Waterloo (1974)

Where the lyrics of Waterloo take you, and where it was really made.

The name ABBA first appeared in writing on a recording sheet from this album's sessions, though the group had been called Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid before.

Key places

Recorded at Atlantis Studios (1974)

Recording site Atlantis Studios — Recording sessions for the album were held at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm, which is listed as the studio for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Cover photo at Gripsholm Castle (1974)

Album cover Gripsholm Castle — The cover photo was shot at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Sweden, where bass player Mike Watson appears dressed as Napoleon. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Waterloo: second studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA
• The first ABBA album released internationally
• Released 4 March 1974 in Sweden through Polar Music
• Lead single won ABBA the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest
• The single became a global hit and launched the group's career
• Topped the charts in Sweden and Norway; reached the top ten in Finland and Germany

Background

• "Waterloo" won the Swedish selection heats; the group represented Sweden in Brighton, England
• Two Eurovision candidates: "Waterloo" and "Hasta Mañana"
• The group preferred "Waterloo" but felt "Hasta Mañana" was the safer bet
• They chose "Waterloo" because it matched the direction they wished the group to take
• The announcement of ABBA's Swedish selection appearance came on 14 November 1973, the day "King Kong Song" was recorded

Recording

• Sessions began on 24 September 1973 with "Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)"
• That track is the only ABBA song without Benny Andersson on keyboards; American pianist John "Rabbit" Bundrick played instead
• Bundrick was not credited on the album
• "Suzy-Hang-Around" and "My Mama Said" followed three weeks later
• A recording sheet from that day credits the artist as "ABBA", the first written use of the name
• "Waterloo" and "Watch Out" were recorded on the same day; "Watch Out" became the B-side
• Producers were Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus; engineer was Michael B. Tretow

Cover

• Cover sub-title lists "Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida"; some editions changed "Agnetha" to "Anna"
• Cover photo taken at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Sweden
• Bass player Mike Watson appears dressed as Napoleon
• Photography by Ola Lager; album design by Ron Spaulding

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

• Christer Faleij of Aftonbladet reviewed the album on 1 March 1974, before its release
• Faleij called it an "incredibly professional production" and gave it a positive review
• Cash Box called it a positive blast of inspirational music and said it had the potential to break big in the U.S.
• Phonograph Record's Greg Shaw said it might turn out to be one of the classic debut LPs of the 70s
• Rolling Stone also gave the album a favourable review

Reappraisal

• AllMusic's Bruce Eder gave a 3-star retrospective review
• Eder called the album unusual in the group's output because of its variety of sounds
• Eder noted that the members are still featured fairly prominently in some of the vocals

Records

• Topped the Swedish album charts for 12 weeks
• Became one of the biggest-selling Swedish albums up to that point
• Reached No. 28 in the UK, the first time a foreign Eurovision act had charted an album there
• Performed well in the rest of Europe
• The single "Waterloo" peaked at No. 6 in the US

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The only ABBA track without Benny Andersson on keyboards was played by American pianist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, who was not credited on the album.
• "King Kong Song" was recorded on 14 November, a song that Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus today single out as one of their weakest tracks.
• Stig Anderson had informally been calling the group ABBA with the media for some time before the recording sheet used the name.
• The international edition opens with the English version of "Waterloo" and closes with the English version of "Ring Ring".
• Some editions of the cover replaced the name Agnetha with Anna, the name by which Agnetha Fältskog was known in some countries.
• The Aftonbladet reviewer said "Waterloo" had passed the gold mark through pre-orders before the album reached stores.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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