Abba lived through the "Disco" Era. They used the popularity of that style to the Max, But transcended it. They were not pure "Disco" group. They were Pop Group that understood music enough to take advantage of tools given to them. And also be in tune with the prevailing style of the day. Thanks again for you enjoyable reactions.
Voulez-Vous is a great track - so dansable and uplifting! I mentioned earlier that the sound on this album is so clear and sharp. It is probably due to the fact, that this album and the two next albums all were recorded in Polar Music Studio in Stockholm - ABBA´s own studio built after their wishes and with all the new equipment available at the time! Many artists chose to record there too - among others Genesis, Roxy Music, Backstreet Boys, Roxette, Celine Dion and also Frida and Agnetha for their solo-albums - and many more. Unfortunatly the Studio was closed in 2004. And one other thing that should be mentioned about the special ABBA-sound: Their sound engineer Michael B. Tretow. He was a genious in making that rich and special sound and production. He was full of ideas and "tricks" that made ABBA stand out. Sadly, he suffered a stroke in 2001 and stopped working.
The only ABBA song recorded outside of Sweden. At Criteria studios in Miami with backing band ‘Foxy’. However the finished product is very much heavily overdubbed back in Sweden. The original backing track is very deeply hidden in the background.
A-ha! I heard you, Matt! 😁 I have this strange habit of noting down things while I am (for instance) watching your reactions, and I was amazed that just when I was hearing the chorus and writing "a-ha" I heard you say "Shout-out to a-ha"! One of those moments when I laugh out loud at the coincidence.😜 I always took it for granted that the song title was obviously a shortened version of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi". For some reason, it used to be quite a common phrase for Portuguese people, often used as an unimaginative pick-up phrase, and I remember vaguely that sometimes I had to pretend I didn't understand French to get away "graciously". 😉😅 Thanks to this reaction and this song for bringing all this stuff back to my mind. 🤣
You can hear the American styled rhythmic influence in the track and it does stand out as quite not your typical Abba-ish flavoured track. Kisses Of Fire was the other track that began its life in the Miami sessions.
best regards from Buenos Aires Argentina "Voulez Vous" (1979) means 'do you want' in english or 'quieres tu' in spanish is one of ABBA songs with tittle in other languages, like in spanish Fernando & Chiquitita and in italian Mamma Mia & Andante Andante "Voulez vous" (in double A-side with "Angeleyes"), pick at # 3 in the U.K., is the third single from their sixth album "Voulez vous" (ABBA's album with the most sound and disco influence, for the Bee Gees hits in "Saturday night fever" movie) "Voulez Vous" is the only ABBA song that the music was recorded outside Sweden in a trip of the songwriters Björn & Benny but the vocals was in Sweden, as always some context data: the official video is from April 5 & 6, 1979 (also in the same days ABBA filmed the official video of the single "Does your mother know" too) curiously those two days were: Agnetha's 29th birthday and the fifth anniversary of unforgettable ABBA triumph in the Eurovision Song Contest (with iconic song "Waterloo") the blonde singer Agnetha and guitarist Björn were already separated since end of 1978 (with two young children) what will be legal divorce in July 1980 It must have been a very difficult birthday for Agnetha; but still, here She looks beautiful and radiant in this official video (if you see it) "Voulez Vous" was performed in Spanish TV , and is the opening song of the North American and Europe Tour 1979 And is included in the disci section of the new ABBA Voyage Concerts at London UK since last May 2022 "Voulez Vous" is one of my favourite tracks of the same album, 8/9 pts to me Greatest vocals, powerful rythm, it's disci style by ABBA, more eurodisco I see that you have two reactions today I'm going to the next See you later. Cheers
That first note on many ABBA tunes like this one gets you right into it and you can only hang on for the ride. That beat is relentless and so are the a-has. This is a brilliant dance track, a frenzied masterpiece. Thanks Matt 👍
@@mattsnider2667 i've read somewhere that they had in mind to work with Monty Python at some stage(i think late '70s around the time of the Super Trouper album sessions) but MP rejected them,lol!Not sure though if that' much is true.
@@alexioverdo5225 I think Benny and Björn once approached John Cleese, one of the members of Monty Python, for a possible cooperation when they were thinking of writing a musical. John Cleese supposedly denied and later on they got to meet Tim Rice and collaborated on the musical "Chess" with him.
Hahaha, it might happen. We''ll have to see. I've been trying to restrain myself (my earliest techno and gabber videos were rather animated, lol), but perhaps I'll let loose at some point. Again, I'm out of practice, but I used to pop-lock something fierce in drum & bass rooms. :)
Weirdly, Voulez-Vous is a song I often skip. Not because it’s bad, but because I have to be in the mood for it. There’s just too much repetition in it for me. So it’s great at a party but not always when just wanting to enjoy listening. (Any Ace of Base coming up? *waiting patiently* 😅)
Same here, I also feel the same about 'If it wasn't for the nights'. They work as dance numbers but otherwise slightly too long and repetitive to my ears. But still good!
@@geordieboy8945 Disco/funk/soul songs were 'repetitive' all that period(late 1975-6/1979) cause they were meant to sound 'endless' for dance purposes.So it was all in the game i guess.That's why many of them had also had 12 inch maxi single releases or even a vey long duration while being in albums.At the time ou could easily find albums that had only 3 songs per side.I guess it was some similar case that had also taken place in the early '70s with prog rock artists that made albums which had less songs with huge duration but mainly for 'acoustic purposes'.
Hello again Matt 🙂 In the UK Voulez-Vouz was released as a double A side along with Angeleye's. Voulez-Vouz got the most airplay and Angeleye's hardly got any, and I myself preferred Angeleye's, you'll get to hear it further on in this Album. Someone once asked me "what's a Double A Side"🤣🤣😯 I laughed out loud and then realised that I'm getting old🤬
@marvinquezada7203 Hi Marvin 🙂, yes I'm in the UK and yes Voulez-Vouz was more popular than Angeleye's as it got played more on the radio and Angeleye's hardly any airplay and Voulez-Vouz was popular in the discotheque's as it was a better song to dance to🕺💃
Hello again Marvin 🙂 I forgot to mention that when I went to see ABBA at Wembley Arena in London they opened with Voulez-Vouz, but they didn't sing Angeleye's...
For me, "The Album" was peak ABBA. Although there are some fantastic songs still to come I never felt compelled to buy another album until their "Gold" compilations.
I'm with you, I think 'The Album' has the very best sound/multi layers/ mix of sounds etc. It just sounds like they put the most work into that album. They moved to their purpose built Polar studio's after this, but for some reason, I prefer the Metronome sound. I also think that, apart from 'Hole in your soul', you get to hear the true sound of the ladies voices, without the speeding up wizardry etc, of other albums.
@@markwillcocks7701 For me The Album was an artistic and lyrical peak at the time maybe together with The Visitors album.But vocalwise it's VV and Super trouper album (again for me).
The Voulez Blue album because of the album cover color. ABBA's album cover tend to color brown & yellow. The only one's that weren't are The Album and this one. The live version is also good.
I always loved how they went with a darker-sounding vibe for this one. A lot of disco at this time was all major key stuff, this has MUCH more of a Euro-centric sound to it. Very Italo Disco of the time. I just noticed your shirt! You might like some stuff from a guy from my hometown, name is Tony Rohr. He was a decently well-known minimal techno producer in the early to mid 2000's (he recently came out of retirement to do some remixes for another friend's techno label CMD CTRL). He has a song called Eden Acid that you'd probably dig, or his track A Mind Of It's Own (written along w/ Alexi Delano).
@Marvin MQZ Ahaaa!'Arabic".I can quite agree!Quite on point imo.Btw after reading your comment i remembered Bananarama did a cover of "Summer night city' while touring some years ago and instantly rang a bell on me since that they had added some "Arabic' elents in the intrumentation that fit perfectly the song. th-cam.com/video/6PjXeOyaHLs/w-d-xo.html
From the first 2 songs i got the impression that VV would be a 'fast paced' album as opposed to the artistic "The Album'.VV' song is another indicator of a lush production with perfect tight vocals that only Abba could manage in its case(or even the Bee Gees on a supposedly male version) with a killer electric guitar riff that even some metalheads would love to have written.I love this album for various reasons as well as i might belong to the minority who also loves the silvery-blue disco-shinny flavoured cover sleeve.
@marvinquezada7203 thanx Marvin.I had read a couple of months ago some commentators (USA wise if i remember well ) on a forum, also commenting on Benny's holding that kinda "Starwars light sword" and some 'disco-negativeness' on the supposedly 'kitcshy' cover but that was it at the time.As well shone and flashy as was the era.and the girls look so beautiful.
Only time used real brass instruments."..I do I do I do I do I do ."..and the unreleased " just like that " . + sax on just like that = same guy who plays on gerry rafferty's = "Baker Street". . If you know what / who I mean = you tube it ?.🎉. Anyhow. ENJOY 🌈💚
+ the USA 🇺🇸 extended remix. Is worth a 🎶listen 🎶 just a little instrumental, heavier beat . One and a half minutes longer than album version. . Just a thought for you 🤔
Indeed, I have that in my possession. I was thinking of finishing Super Trouper before going back to the extended mix of "Voulez-Vous," but perhaps I'll do it sooner than that. But either way, the reaction to the longer version is coming, I promise!
This is adult Abba, it's dark nightclubs and bright eyes, seduction and sex, the game of love. It's got a dark edge to it, it's serious stuff this scene, it's a long way from the innocence of Dancing Queen. I've often wondered if they took some inspiration from Lady Marmalade and the famous "voulez-vous couchez avec moi, ce soir?" line, as it is essentially the same question being asked, just in a more PG way. It was the only single from the album I bought at the time (it was a double A side with Angeleyes). Fabulous.
I remember back in 1979 at the time of release some reviwer charachterised its lyrical context as a dealing with 'socialising" or'social awareness" .Kinda similar but less 'saucy' perception lol.
![[UNCUT] The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์ EP.4 (4/4)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/d3l5rxl5CVo/mqdefault.jpg)
![[UNCUT] The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์ EP.4 (4/4)](/img/tr.png)
This song is perfection
Without a doubt one of their catchiest songs. A perfect dance track.
Back than I did this disco dance,at my grandfather's house party.
Abba lived through the "Disco" Era. They used the popularity of that style to the Max, But transcended it. They were not pure "Disco" group. They were Pop Group that understood music enough to take advantage of tools given to them. And also be in tune with the prevailing style of the day. Thanks again for you enjoyable reactions.
well said.
Stunning dance track, disco or otherwise, and you can hear elements of future dance tracks within it, even all the way into the 90's millennium
Indeed, as a techno and trance raver from the '90s, I think you're spot-on there!
Bang and your their...🥳⭐
The best ABBA song imo
The definition of a song that slaps
And the computer generated horns.. genius ! 🎉
Voulez-Vous is a great track - so dansable and uplifting! I mentioned earlier that the sound on this album is so clear and sharp. It is probably due to the fact, that this album and the two next albums all were recorded in Polar Music Studio in Stockholm - ABBA´s own studio built after their wishes and with all the new equipment available at the time! Many artists chose to record there too - among others Genesis, Roxy Music, Backstreet Boys, Roxette, Celine Dion and also Frida and Agnetha for their solo-albums - and many more. Unfortunatly the Studio was closed in 2004.
And one other thing that should be mentioned about the special ABBA-sound: Their sound engineer Michael B. Tretow. He was a genious in making that rich and special sound and production. He was full of ideas and "tricks" that made ABBA stand out. Sadly, he suffered a stroke in 2001 and stopped working.
The only ABBA song recorded outside of Sweden. At Criteria studios in Miami with backing band ‘Foxy’. However the finished product is very much heavily overdubbed back in Sweden. The original backing track is very deeply hidden in the background.
A-ha! I heard you, Matt! 😁 I have this strange habit of noting down things while I am (for instance) watching your reactions, and I was amazed that just when I was hearing the chorus and writing "a-ha" I heard you say "Shout-out to a-ha"! One of those moments when I laugh out loud at the coincidence.😜
I always took it for granted that the song title was obviously a shortened version of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi". For some reason, it used to be quite a common phrase for Portuguese people, often used as an unimaginative pick-up phrase, and I remember vaguely that sometimes I had to pretend I didn't understand French to get away "graciously". 😉😅 Thanks to this reaction and this song for bringing all this stuff back to my mind. 🤣
Its the song to summons the Sumerian God's and Godeses to return 🎉🎉🎉
Some 12" Releases of Voulez Vous had Angel Eyes as a Double A Side.
You can hear the American styled rhythmic influence in the track and it does stand out as quite not your typical Abba-ish flavoured track. Kisses Of Fire was the other track that began its life in the Miami sessions.
best regards from
Buenos Aires Argentina
"Voulez Vous" (1979)
means 'do you want' in english or 'quieres tu' in spanish
is one of ABBA songs with tittle in other languages,
like in spanish Fernando & Chiquitita
and in italian Mamma Mia & Andante Andante
"Voulez vous" (in double A-side with "Angeleyes"),
pick at # 3 in the U.K., is the third single from their sixth album "Voulez vous"
(ABBA's album with the most sound and disco influence,
for the Bee Gees hits in "Saturday night fever" movie)
"Voulez Vous" is the only ABBA song that the music was recorded outside Sweden
in a trip of the songwriters Björn & Benny
but the vocals was in Sweden, as always
some context data:
the official video is from April 5 & 6, 1979
(also in the same days ABBA filmed the official video of the single "Does your mother know" too)
curiously those two days were:
Agnetha's 29th birthday and
the fifth anniversary of unforgettable ABBA triumph in the Eurovision Song Contest
(with iconic song "Waterloo")
the blonde singer Agnetha and guitarist Björn were already separated since end of 1978
(with two young children)
what will be legal divorce in July 1980
It must have been a very difficult birthday for Agnetha;
but still, here She looks beautiful and radiant in this official video (if you see it)
"Voulez Vous" was performed in Spanish TV , and is the opening song of the North American and Europe Tour 1979
And is included in the disci section of the new ABBA Voyage Concerts at London UK since last May 2022
"Voulez Vous" is one of my favourite tracks of the same album, 8/9 pts to me
Greatest vocals, powerful rythm, it's disci style by ABBA, more eurodisco
I see that you have two reactions today
I'm going to the next
See you later. Cheers
That first note on many ABBA tunes like this one gets you right into it and you can only hang on for the ride. That beat is relentless and so are the a-has. This is a brilliant dance track, a frenzied masterpiece. Thanks Matt 👍
p.s. You gotta getup and dance to this Matt!lol.
More "A Ha" to come to great effect. Great tune, wonderful harmonies. And now for something completely different...
Haha, cheers for throwing a Monty Python reference in there!
@@mattsnider2667 i've read somewhere that they had in mind to work with Monty Python at some stage(i think late '70s around the time of the Super Trouper album sessions) but MP rejected them,lol!Not sure though if that' much is true.
@@alexioverdo5225 I think Benny and Björn once approached John Cleese, one of the members of Monty Python, for a possible cooperation when they were thinking of writing a musical. John Cleese supposedly denied and later on they got to meet Tim Rice and collaborated on the musical "Chess" with him.
How catchy can you get..
My favorite ABBA is edgier but that’s because I am a New Waver. I love the Shaherazad feel to it. I wore this album out back then as an 8 year old.
Oh wow, a Scheherazade reference! The Rimsky-Korsakov suite is a favorite of mine. And cheers, I'm enjoying the edgier parts of ABBA's catalog too.
@@mattsnider2667 can’t wait for you to get to “the visitors” 😃
Isn't just Disco... It's ABBA's Disco ...
pure dance vibe!🕺
See ya, Matt (& Lucca)
❤️🇨🇱👍
Ooh + American version of " Ring ring " . Bit'a'brass . 😉
i wouldn't mind a Matt dancing video.
Hahaha, it might happen. We''ll have to see. I've been trying to restrain myself (my earliest techno and gabber videos were rather animated, lol), but perhaps I'll let loose at some point. Again, I'm out of practice, but I used to pop-lock something fierce in drum & bass rooms. :)
🙂
Weirdly, Voulez-Vous is a song I often skip. Not because it’s bad, but because I have to be in the mood for it. There’s just too much repetition in it for me. So it’s great at a party but not always when just wanting to enjoy listening. (Any Ace of Base coming up? *waiting patiently* 😅)
Same here, I also feel the same about 'If it wasn't for the nights'. They work as dance numbers but otherwise slightly too long and repetitive to my ears. But still good!
@@geordieboy8945 Disco/funk/soul songs were 'repetitive' all that period(late 1975-6/1979) cause they were meant to sound 'endless' for dance purposes.So it was all in the game i guess.That's why many of them had also had 12 inch maxi single releases or even a vey long duration while being in albums.At the time ou could easily find albums that had only 3 songs per side.I guess it was some similar case that had also taken place in the early '70s with prog rock artists that made albums which had less songs with huge duration but mainly for 'acoustic purposes'.
Hello again Matt 🙂
In the UK Voulez-Vouz was released as a double A side along with Angeleye's. Voulez-Vouz got the most airplay and Angeleye's hardly got any, and I myself preferred Angeleye's, you'll get to hear it further on in this Album.
Someone once asked me "what's a Double A Side"🤣🤣😯 I laughed out loud and then realised that I'm getting old🤬
@marvinquezada7203
Hi Marvin 🙂, yes I'm in the UK and yes Voulez-Vouz was more popular than Angeleye's as it got played more on the radio and Angeleye's hardly any airplay and Voulez-Vouz was popular in the discotheque's as it was a better song to dance to🕺💃
Hello again Marvin 🙂
I forgot to mention that when I went to see ABBA at Wembley Arena in London they opened with Voulez-Vouz, but they didn't sing Angeleye's...
I remember hearing Angeleyes (sic) more than Voulez-Vous. I wonder if the latter was a tad too suggestive for some radio stations.
The USA extended version of this is worth a listen as the instrumentation is really brought to the foreground.
The Visitors is their best album. Can’t wait!
For me, "The Album" was peak ABBA. Although there are some fantastic songs still to come I never felt compelled to buy another album until their "Gold" compilations.
That’s different for anyone. Peak ABBA is for me Super Trouper, for a lot of fans it’s The Visitors.
Super trouper for me
I'm with you, I think 'The Album' has the very best sound/multi layers/ mix of sounds etc. It just sounds like they put the most work into that album. They moved to their purpose built Polar studio's after this, but for some reason, I prefer the Metronome sound. I also think that, apart from 'Hole in your soul', you get to hear the true sound of the ladies voices, without the speeding up wizardry etc, of other albums.
@@markwillcocks7701 For me The Album was an artistic and lyrical peak at the time maybe together with The Visitors album.But vocalwise it's VV and Super trouper album (again for me).
The Voulez Blue album because of the album cover color. ABBA's album cover tend to color brown & yellow. The only one's that weren't are The Album and this one. The live version is also good.
I always loved how they went with a darker-sounding vibe for this one. A lot of disco at this time was all major key stuff, this has MUCH more of a Euro-centric sound to it. Very Italo Disco of the time. I just noticed your shirt! You might like some stuff from a guy from my hometown, name is Tony Rohr. He was a decently well-known minimal techno producer in the early to mid 2000's (he recently came out of retirement to do some remixes for another friend's techno label CMD CTRL). He has a song called Eden Acid that you'd probably dig, or his track A Mind Of It's Own (written along w/ Alexi Delano).
@Marvin MQZ Ahaaa!'Arabic".I can quite agree!Quite on point imo.Btw after reading your comment i remembered Bananarama did a cover of "Summer night city' while touring some years ago and instantly rang a bell on me since that they had added some "Arabic' elents in the intrumentation that fit perfectly the song.
th-cam.com/video/6PjXeOyaHLs/w-d-xo.html
From the first 2 songs i got the impression that VV would be a 'fast paced' album as opposed to the artistic "The Album'.VV' song is another indicator of a lush production with perfect tight vocals that only Abba could manage in its case(or even the Bee Gees on a supposedly male version) with a killer electric guitar riff that even some metalheads would love to have written.I love this album for various reasons as well as i might belong to the minority who also loves the silvery-blue disco-shinny flavoured cover sleeve.
@marvinquezada7203 thanx Marvin.I had read a couple of months ago some commentators (USA wise if i remember well ) on a forum, also commenting on Benny's holding that kinda "Starwars light sword" and some 'disco-negativeness' on the supposedly 'kitcshy' cover but that was it at the time.As well shone and flashy as was the era.and the girls look so beautiful.
La question c'est voulez-vous
Only time used real brass instruments."..I do I do I do I do I do ."..and the unreleased " just like that " . + sax on just like that = same guy who plays on gerry rafferty's = "Baker Street". . If you know what / who I mean = you tube it ?.🎉. Anyhow. ENJOY 🌈💚
Imo Voulez Vous is the Best Song in the world.
Beats every song out there
+ the USA 🇺🇸 extended remix. Is worth a 🎶listen 🎶 just a little instrumental, heavier beat . One and a half minutes longer than album version. . Just a thought for you 🤔
Indeed, I have that in my possession. I was thinking of finishing Super Trouper before going back to the extended mix of "Voulez-Vous," but perhaps I'll do it sooner than that. But either way, the reaction to the longer version is coming, I promise!
This version with the long 'dance interlude' is definitely the better one.
This is adult Abba, it's dark nightclubs and bright eyes, seduction and sex, the game of love. It's got a dark edge to it, it's serious stuff this scene, it's a long way from the innocence of Dancing Queen. I've often wondered if they took some inspiration from Lady Marmalade and the famous "voulez-vous couchez avec moi, ce soir?" line, as it is essentially the same question being asked, just in a more PG way. It was the only single from the album I bought at the time (it was a double A side with Angeleyes). Fabulous.
I remember back in 1979 at the time of release some reviwer charachterised its lyrical context as a dealing with 'socialising" or'social awareness" .Kinda similar but less 'saucy' perception lol.
@@alexioverdo5225 Interesting. Sounds like he needed to get out more :)
Earth Wind and Fire on brass and trumpet
Frida was a big fan of EWAF btw.
The Question is lol
Please don't get up and groove 😂
You never know, the techno version of me can pop-lock. :)
@Marvin MQZ lol!yes!