| Voulez-Vous | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 April 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 13 March 1978 – 29 March 1979 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:43 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| ABBA chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Voulez-Vous | ||||
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Voulez-Vous (pronounced[vulevu];French for "Do you want (to)?") is the sixth studio album by the SwedishsupergroupABBA. Released on 23 April 1979, the album yielded five hits, all of them big 1979 singles in Britain – "Chiquitita", "Does Your Mother Know", "I Have a Dream" and thedouble A-side "Voulez-Vous"/"Angeleyes".
The title track showed the group embracingdisco music, which at the time was at its peak. The album topped the charts in a number of countries and ranked among Britain'sfive best-selling albums of the year.
It was the first ABBA album to be mainly recorded atPolar Studios inStockholm, and the only ABBA album to include a studio recording made outside Sweden: the instrumental backing track for the title track was partly recorded atCriteria Studios inMiami.
Voulez-Vous was first released on CD in 1984. The album has been digitally remastered and reissued four times: first in 1997, then in 2001 and in 2005 as part ofThe Complete Studio Recordings box set, and yet again in 2010 for theVoulez-Vous Deluxe Edition.
In early 1978, ABBA were at the peak of their success and having just completed promotion for theirlatest album andtheatrical film release, thoughts were turned to the next album, which was planned to be released in time forChristmas. Sessions however proved to be difficult and after starting on 13 March 1978 with the ultimately unreleased track "Dr Claus von Hamlet", a number of compositions were demoed and rejected. Indeed, after six months, only two songs that would end up on the finished album ("The King Has Lost His Crown" and "Lovers (Live a Little Longer)") were completed.[1]
During this time the group opened their own recording studio,Polar Studios inStockholm, which was among the most advanced in the world at the time and would be where ABBA would work from here on. Two songs recorded at this time were "Lovelight" and "Dream World". However, neither song would appear on theVoulez-Vous album ("Lovelight" would be used as the B-side to the single "Chiquitita", while "Dream World" would remain unreleased until 1994; both songs are now featured as bonus tracks on re-issues of theVoulez-Vous album). Other tracks started but subsequently scrapped included "Just a Notion", which was later included onVoyage (2021).
By September 1978, ABBA had been absent from the charts for some months, and so a song from the recording sessions, "Summer Night City", was released as a single. Never happy with the finished song, members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus regretted the release and lamented the fact that it peaked lower than previous singles in the charts, not being released at all in the US. They considered the UK to be their most important market, and there it had ended a run of No. 1 hits by stalling at No. 5 - their smallest hit for three years. A full-length version was however still planned for the upcoming album, but ultimately never used. By this time, tensions were growing within the group due to the low productivity of the period, as member Agnetha Fältskog commented; "I can tell from the look in Björn's eyes when he gets home how the day's work has been. Many times the boys have been working for ten hours without coming up with one single note". Andersson talked to a reporter at the time saying; "The prospects are not good. It’s worse than ever...We have no idea when we’ll be finished".[1] It became obvious that the album wouldn't be completed by the end of the year and the deadline was extended into 1979. In late 1978, further indication of internal struggles became widely known when it was announced that married couple Ulvaeus and Fältskog were to divorce. Rather than spelling the end for the group however, this freed up a lot of the tensions between the two and in late 1978, work suddenly took off apace for the album.
In October, two tracks were completed: "Angeleyes" and "If It Wasn't for the Nights". Although seen as an archetype ABBA track, the former of these was deemed dated by Andersson, labelling it "back to the sixties". The second track however featured an all-out contemporary vibe, being quite disco-orientated and considered the strongest song that had been recorded for the album. It was intended to be not only the next single but also the song that ABBA would perform at theMusic for UNICEF Concert in January 1979. This plan was changed however when an even-better song came along in December. With the original title of "In the Arms of Rosalita", "Chiquitita" was the song the band performed. Although rather moreschlager in style, Andersson considered it the best of their new songs, despite the feeling that it was very out of style with the rest of the acts performing that night. "It was pretty strange, but we felt it was the best song we had and that's why we chose it, however wrong it may have been", he said.[1] In early 1979, "Chiquitita" became one of ABBA's biggest hits around the world, reaching No. 1 in many countries, although just being clipped byBlondie's "Heart of Glass" in the UK at No. 2.[2]
At the end of January, Andersson and Ulvaeus left Sweden and rented an apartment in the Bahamas where they felt they could get some inspiration by listening to American music and experiencing a whole different vibe to the rather conservative Stockholm. Two songs emerged from this time; "Voulez-Vous" and "Kisses of Fire". Excited by the former, they went toCriteria Studios in Miami to record the backing track with the disco bandFoxy — the only time they recorded a song outside Sweden.[1] Upon returning to Sweden to finish the songs, another track, "Does Your Mother Know", was recorded - a song that was to be the next single, and also the only mainstream release to feature Ulvaeus on lead vocals. The single would not become as big a hit worldwide as "Chiquitita", but was the most successful release from the album in the US.
By the end of March, the final two tracks were finished; "As Good as New" and "I Have a Dream" (the latter featuring a local children's choir from the International School of Stockholm).[3]
At the end of April the album, titledVoulez-Vous, was finally ready for release and to emphasize the shift towards a disco sound, the album cover shot was taken atAlexandra's nightclub in Stockholm.[3] The album was released on 23 April 1979, and in the following months of its launch, ABBA released a number of other singles from it. The title track was released as a double A-side with "Angeleyes", while "I Have a Dream" was belatedly released in December 1979 following their recent world tour. A track recorded in August 1979 (four months after the release of the album), "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", was released as a single in October and was later included as a bonus track on CD versions ofVoulez-Vous.
On 31 May 2010, the deluxe edition ofVoulez-Vous was released internationally.[4] It featured a remastered and expanded CD version of the album, with six bonus tracks, along with a companion DVD of TV content from 1978 and 1979. Found on this second disc were: the BBC TV specialABBA in Switzerland; the "Chiquitita" performance from theMusic for UNICEF Concert and another one fromABBA Snowtime; a performance of "If It Wasn't for the Nights" from theMike Yarwood Christmas Show (1978); a Björn and Benny interview on theMulti-Coloured Swap Shop; an extended promo of "I Have a Dream"; twoGreatest Hits Vol. 2 TV commercials; and the "International Sleeve Gallery".[4] The reissue also contained a 28-page illustrated booklet with an essay on the making of the album.[5]
The album was reissued for its 40th anniversary on 14 June 2019, as a multi-format release. It included: adouble-LPhalf-speed master of the original album, pressed on 180g vinyl, cut at 45rpm, and mastered atAbbey Road Studios; acolored-vinyl 7" box set of seven singles issued during theVoulez-Vous era; and stand-alonepicture discs of each of these singles.[6][7][8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| Blender | [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| Ondarock | 6/10[12] |
| Record Mirror | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
| Smash Hits | 6/10[15] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[16] |
| Uncut | [17] |
The album received favourable reviews from contemporary music critics.
The Dutch magazineHitkrant made it "LP of the Week" and stated: "This time, the Swedish foursome has delivered an album that will be talked about for a long time to come, because it namely is of an unprecedented, enormous class."[18]
TheManchester Evening News determined that "Frida vocalises with increased assurance, now making words count much more—in fact the lyrics are slowly coming out of their sometimes naivete".[19]
Less positively,Smash Hits' reviewer Red Starr found that ABBA "don't disappoint but they don't exactly inspire either with this clean but clinical collection of European disco-orientated songs. They've still to make an album that conveys the magic and impact of their singles, and this isn't it".[15]
Bruce Eder ofAllMusic retrospectively noted that "about half ofVoulez-Vous shows the heavy influence of the Bee Gees from their megahit disco era" but that it also "had a pair of soft, lyrical Europop-style ballads" which according to him sounds like "popular folk music during the mid-to-late '60s".
Sean Egan from theBBC gave the album a favourable review writing that the album "was an effort that saw Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni-Frid put their dancing shoes on to join in with the dominant disco craze" and also that the album's ballads "are able to provide a pocket of air on a disco floor that would otherwise get sweaty and stultifying".[20]
Voulez-Vous topped the charts Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Finland. In the UK, it entered the charts at No. 1 (where it remained for a month),[21] and was a Top 10 success in countries including Canada,[22] New Zealand[23] and Australia.[24] In the US,Voulez-Vous became ABBA's third album to reach the top 20 (peaking at No. 19).[25] It reached number 1 in Japan in1979.[26]
All tracks are written byBenny Andersson andBjörn Ulvaeus.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "As Good as New" | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Voulez-Vous" | 5:11 |
| 3. | "I Have a Dream" | 4:44 |
| 4. | "Angeleyes" | 4:20 |
| 5. | "The King Has Lost His Crown" | 3:30 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Does Your Mother Know" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "If It Wasn't for the Nights" | 5:13 |
| 3. | "Chiquitita" | 5:26 |
| 4. | "Lovers (Live a Little Longer)" | 3:28 |
| 5. | "Kisses of Fire" | 3:16 |
| Total length: | 41:43 | |
Notes
Released on May 31, 2010. "Estoy Soñando" and "¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!" (the Spanish versions of "I Have a Dream" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", respectively), along with the Spanish version of "Chiquitita", were not included on this reissue, but could be found onGracias Por La Música and as bonus tracks onThe Complete Studio Recordings.
All tracks are written byBenny Andersson andBjörn Ulvaeus.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Summer Night City" (full-length version) | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Lovelight" (B-side of "Chiquitita") | 3:48 |
| 3. | "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" | 4:53 |
| 4. | "Dream World" (first released onThank You for the Music) | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Voulez-Vous" (extended remix, 1979 US promo) | 6:11 |
Adapted from the album's liner notes.[27]
ABBA
Additional musicians
Production
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavia | 23 April 1979 | Polar | LP ·cassette | POLS 292 | [60][61] |
| United Kingdom | 4 May 1979 | Epic | LP ·picture disc ·cassette ·8-track cartridge | EPC 86086 | [62] |
| Netherlands | May 1979 | Polydor | LP ·cassette | 2344 136 | [63] |
| USA | June 1979 | Atlantic | LP · cassette · 8-track cartridge ·Reel-to-reel tape | 16000 | [26] |
| Canada | LP · cassette · 8-track cartridge | [64][65] |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | — | 200,000[66] |
| Australia (ARIA)[67] | 2× Platinum | 200,000[67] |
| Belgium (BRMA)[68] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[69] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[70] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[71] | Platinum | 82,340[71] |
| France | — | 200,000[72] |
| Germany (BVMI)[73] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
| Greece | — | 50,000[74] |
| Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[75] | Gold | 10,000* |
| Hungary | — | 75,000[76] |
| Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 623,000[34] |
| Malaysia | — | 10,000[77] |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[78] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[79] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[80] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Sweden | — | 289,925[81] |
| Taiwan | — | 2,500[82] |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[83] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[84] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Studio albums | |
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| Compilation albums |
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| Live albums | |
| Box sets | |
| Concerts and tours | |
| Films and musicals |
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| TV specials | |
| Video games | |
| Related articles | |
| Related individuals | |
