Ring Ring (album)

Ring Ring is the first studio album to feature the Swedish foursome who would later become pop group ABBA. It was released in Scandinavia and a limited number of other territories, including Germany, Australia, South Africa and Mexico, on March 26, 1973 through Polar Music.[2]  The album was a chart-topping album in Belgium, and a big success in the Netherlands, Norway and South Africa.[3]

The album was re-released in Australasia in 1975, but was not released in the United Kingdom until 1992, and the United States until three years later. The re-release artwork for the album (see below) uses the name "ABBA", although at the time of the album's original release, the name ABBA had not yet been coined, and instead was awkwardly credited to "Björn Benny & Agnetha Frida".



Contents
[hide]  *1 Overview  ==Overview[ edit] == When the first song "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 as a permanent group. The original 1973 Polar version of the album opens with "Ring Ring (Bara Du Slog En Signal)", the Swedish version of the track, and places the English-language version as track four on side two.
 * 2 Track listing[4]
 * 2.1 CD version
 * 3 Re-releases
 * 3.1 1997 re-release
 * 3.2 2001 re-release
 * 3.3 2005 re-release
 * 3.4 2008 re-release
 * 3.5 2013 re-release
 * 4 Original Swedish tracklist from 1973
 * 4.1 Side one
 * 4.2 Side two
 * 5 Singles
 * 6 Chart positions
 * 6.1 Album
 * 7 Personnel
 * 7.1 Additional musicians
 * 7.2 Production
 * 8 References
 * 9 External links

The track "She's My Kind of Girl", included on the international editions, is in fact a song by Björn & Benny which dates back to 1969, which was a hit in Japan, and had also been included on the b-side of the English version of the "Ring Ring" single in Scandinavia. Ring Ring also features a song co-written by Agnetha Fältskog. Although she had composed much of her Swedish solo output, the song "Disillusion", for which she wrote the music, is the only song released on an ABBA album to feature a songwriting contribution from her.

Ring Ring was first released on CD in Sweden in 1988; a West German CD release followed in 1990 (later released internationally). The album has been reissued in digitally remastered form three times; first in 1997, then in 2001 and again in 2005 as part of the The Complete Studio Recordings box set.

 ==Track listing[4] <span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">All songs written and composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted. ===CD version<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ==Re-releases<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===1997 re-release<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Ring Ring was remastered and reissued in 1997 with the same track listing ===2001 re-release<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Ring Ring was remastered and reissued in 2001 with three bonus tracks (all songs produced by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus): ===2005 re-release<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Ring Ring was remastered and reissued again in 2005 as part of the The Complete Studio Recordings box set with several bonus tracks (all tracks were produced by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus): ===2008 re-release<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Ring Ring was reissued once again in 2008 as part of the The Albums box set but without any bonus tracks. ===2013 re-release<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Remastered Ring Ring was reissued again in 2013 as Deluxe Edition with several "bonus tracks" and "extra bonus tracks - early versions". Also came with a bonus DVD.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Bonus Tracks (all tracks were produced by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus): <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Extra Bonus Tracks - Early Versions (all tracks were produced by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus): <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Bonus DVD with the following clips: 1. People Need Love (Vi i femman, SVT) 2. Ring Ring (Spotlight, ORF) 3. Ring Ring Revealed (Låtarna Som Förändrade Musiken, UR) 4. International Sleeve Gallery ==Original Swedish tracklist from 1973<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Original vinyl release in Scandinavia did not include the track "She's My Kind of Girl", and featured the Swedish version of "Ring, Ring", in addition to the English version. ===Side one<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Side two<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ==Singles<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Chart positions<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Album<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ==Personnel<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Additional musicians<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Production<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===
 * 1) "Ring Ring (Bara du slog en signal)" (Swedish version)
 * 2) "Another Town, Another Train"
 * 3) "Disillusion"
 * 4) "People Need Love"
 * 5) "I Saw It in the Mirror"
 * 6) "Nina, Pretty Ballerina"
 * 1) "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)"
 * 2) "Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother"
 * 3) "He Is Your Brother"
 * 4) "Ring Ring" (English version)
 * 5) "I Am Just a Girl"
 * 6) "Rock'n Roll Band"
 * 1) "People Need Love"/"Merry-Go-Round" (June 1972)
 * 2) "He Is Your Brother"/"Santa Rosa" (November 1972)
 * 3) "Ring Ring"/"Rock'n Roll Band" (February 1973)
 * 4) "Nina, Pretty Ballerina"/"He Is Your Brother" (March 1973)
 * 5) "Another Town, Another Train"/"Rock'n Roll Band" (May 1973)
 * 6) "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)"/"I Am Just a Girl" (June 1973)
 * 7) "I Am Just a Girl"/"Ring Ring" (August 1973) (Japan only)
 * 8) "Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother"/"I Am Just a Girl" (1973) (Poland only)
 * 9) "Rock'n Roll Band" (USA)
 * Benny Andersson – piano, keyboards, vocals, mellotron
 * Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
 * Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
 * Björn Ulvaeus – acoustic guitar, guitar, vocals
 * Ola Brunkert – drums
 * Rutger Gunnarsson – electric bass
 * Roger Palm – drums
 * Janne Schaffer – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
 * Mike Watson – electric bass
 * Benny Andersson; Björn Ulvaeus - producers, arrangers
 * Michael B. Tretow - engineer
 * Björn Almstedt; Lennart Karlsmyr; Rune Persson - assistant engineers
 * Sven-Olof Walldoff - string arrangements on "I Am Just a Girl"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.909090995788574px;">[5]
 * Lars Falck; Bengt H. Malmqvist - photography
 * Peter Wiking - original album design
 * Jon Astley; Tim Young; Michael B. Tretow - Remastering for the 1997 Remasters
 * Jon Astley; Michael B. Tretow - Remastering for the 2001 Remasters
 * Henrik Jonsson - Remastering for The Complete Studio Recordings box set