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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Fernando |
| 2. S.O.S. |
| 3. He Is Your Brother |
| 4. Ring Ring |
| 5. Hasta Manana |
| 6. Nina, Pretty Ballerina |
| 7. Honey, Honey |
| 8. So Long |
| 9. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do |
| 10. People Need Love |
| 11. Bang-A-Boomerang |
| 12. Another Town, Another Train |
| 13. Mamma Mia |
| 14. Dance (While The Music Still Goes On) |
| 15. Waterloo |
Product Description
Album Description
To commemorate its 30th Anniversary, Universal Music Catalogue is delighted to announce the reissue of the first of ABBA's many hits collections, GREATEST HITS.
This album was originally released in Sweden in 1975, internationally in 1976 and was one of ABBA's most successful albums during their years as an active group (It was the biggest selling album in the UK in 1976, spending 11 weeks at #1, and was the UK's second biggest seller in the 70's after Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water). As such, this album holds a very special place in the hearts of ABBA's very loyal fanbase.
We are also delighted to replace the UK-only 'parkbench' sleeve with the original Swedish illustration.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
One of the great music mysteries to me was why had 'Abbas greatest hits' not been released on cd ? Everyone had a copy when it came out, my best mate, my Auntie and even my first girlfriend ! The album must have been in the charts for years but somehow, it never was deemed suitable for release.....until now !
The running order of tracks will always stay in my mind; whenever I hear 'SOS', it's 'He's your brother' next, whenever I hear 'Honey Honey', it's 'So long' next etc. etc. For those of us who don't burn their own cds, this release provides a cd presentation of that order......except someone in their infinite wisdom stuck 'Fernando' at the start rather than the end !!!! Oh no, how could they ? Ah well can always program the correct order on my player !
As for the music, well it's timeless. Three number one hits and many that should have been hits but were released in that hiatus period between 'Waterloo' and 'SOS'. I particulary like 'Another town another train' with Bjorn taking lead vocals in the verses and also 'Hasta Mania' with it's spoken second verse from Agnetha in such a sexy voice.... The differing styles of the tracks makes for a balanced album with even the heavy 'So long' cutting in between the ballads.
Who chose the sleeve ? The 'real' sleeve is in the middle (you know, the one with the park bench and the snogging). Fold inside out for greater satisfaction.....
The running order of tracks will always stay in my mind; whenever I hear 'SOS', it's 'He's your brother' next, whenever I hear 'Honey Honey', it's 'So long' next etc. etc. For those of us who don't burn their own cds, this release provides a cd presentation of that order......except someone in their infinite wisdom stuck 'Fernando' at the start rather than the end !!!! Oh no, how could they ? Ah well can always program the correct order on my player !
As for the music, well it's timeless. Three number one hits and many that should have been hits but were released in that hiatus period between 'Waterloo' and 'SOS'. I particulary like 'Another town another train' with Bjorn taking lead vocals in the verses and also 'Hasta Mania' with it's spoken second verse from Agnetha in such a sexy voice.... The differing styles of the tracks makes for a balanced album with even the heavy 'So long' cutting in between the ballads.
Who chose the sleeve ? The 'real' sleeve is in the middle (you know, the one with the park bench and the snogging). Fold inside out for greater satisfaction.....
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
ABBA's Greatest Hits is an album that has many interesting anegdotes about it. It took 30 years to see it become available on CD, because there was no need to do so with Gold, More Gold and tons of other (better) compilations available. It was a really odd decision to release it only 2-3 years into ABBA's shaky career (they were barely 2 years famous when this album hit European markets), but it was a great move. After its first release in Sweden (November 1975), it was re-released in Europe in spring of 1976 (different cover, Fernando added to the tracklisting). In UK alone, it became one of the biggest 70s album, spent 130 weeks on chart, many weeks on #1 (actually, it was their first major album success), still it only contained 6 UK hit singles(!), 3 of them reaching #1 with ease.
Only 2 years of international career and just half a dozen hits on a greatest hits smash album. It could only mean ABBA. And things really became easy for them from then on.
One could speculate that Greatest Hits Volume 2 (1979) and The Singles-the First Ten Years (1982) should also become available on CD, and I have to agree, although I wouldn't reccomend spending money on it unless you are true ABBA freak. It would be far wiser to make your own copy (you know you have all the tracks on numerous CDs) and print the covers when they become available.
However, there are 4 ABBA #1 greatest hits packages out there, and only two are now available on CD. Any #1 album, in my opinion, qualifies for a CD release.
I hope you'll enjoy the weirdest official ABBA cover, some largely unknown tracks such as Another Town, Nina, He Is Your Brother (released as a single only in Sweden) under the everpopular Greatest Hits tag.
Only 2 years of international career and just half a dozen hits on a greatest hits smash album. It could only mean ABBA. And things really became easy for them from then on.
One could speculate that Greatest Hits Volume 2 (1979) and The Singles-the First Ten Years (1982) should also become available on CD, and I have to agree, although I wouldn't reccomend spending money on it unless you are true ABBA freak. It would be far wiser to make your own copy (you know you have all the tracks on numerous CDs) and print the covers when they become available.
However, there are 4 ABBA #1 greatest hits packages out there, and only two are now available on CD. Any #1 album, in my opinion, qualifies for a CD release.
I hope you'll enjoy the weirdest official ABBA cover, some largely unknown tracks such as Another Town, Nina, He Is Your Brother (released as a single only in Sweden) under the everpopular Greatest Hits tag.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Greatest Hits was rush-released by Polar in late 1975, as they were concerned about imports of similar hits compilations from licensees of Abba's music in Europe and worldwide.
In the UK and elsewhere, the familiar "Park bench" sleeve was used. In Scandinavia this alternative artwork was used. Also, the Scandinavian version was re-released in 1976 with Fernando as a bonus track, placing it first on the album instead of last. It is this re-released album that the CD is based on.
Therefore this isn't quite as an exciting release as it could have been. True, the running order apart from Fernando is the same as the UK Epic re-release in 1976, and the park bench photo does make an appearance in the centre of the gatefold, but it's somehow not the same!
Even in 1976, "Greatest Hits" was an odd title - only seven of the 15 tracks had been UK hits, and only 4 of those had been big hits or Number 1's, (the other 8 tracks were hit singles elsewhere) but the attraction at the time was the inclusion of four tracks from the Ring Ring album which remained unreleased in the UK until the late 1980's/early 1990's. Abba's first two albums released in the UK had not been particularly successful by their later standards, so this was the first Abba album most of their later audience owned.
However, this is one of the most successful albums of the 1970's, and it's pleasing to see one version of it on CD for the first time. The black disc and original Polar label artwork is a nice touch.
Not an album to buy if you genuinely want Abba's Greatest Hits (if so get Abba Gold), but no Abba fan or collector will want to miss this.
In the UK and elsewhere, the familiar "Park bench" sleeve was used. In Scandinavia this alternative artwork was used. Also, the Scandinavian version was re-released in 1976 with Fernando as a bonus track, placing it first on the album instead of last. It is this re-released album that the CD is based on.
Therefore this isn't quite as an exciting release as it could have been. True, the running order apart from Fernando is the same as the UK Epic re-release in 1976, and the park bench photo does make an appearance in the centre of the gatefold, but it's somehow not the same!
Even in 1976, "Greatest Hits" was an odd title - only seven of the 15 tracks had been UK hits, and only 4 of those had been big hits or Number 1's, (the other 8 tracks were hit singles elsewhere) but the attraction at the time was the inclusion of four tracks from the Ring Ring album which remained unreleased in the UK until the late 1980's/early 1990's. Abba's first two albums released in the UK had not been particularly successful by their later standards, so this was the first Abba album most of their later audience owned.
However, this is one of the most successful albums of the 1970's, and it's pleasing to see one version of it on CD for the first time. The black disc and original Polar label artwork is a nice touch.
Not an album to buy if you genuinely want Abba's Greatest Hits (if so get Abba Gold), but no Abba fan or collector will want to miss this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
GREAT EARLY TUNES BUT ARTWORK DEBATE
Previously as noted by others this is the original collection of Abba's earliest hits and only involves their first seven u.k singles. Read more
Published on 24 July 2009 by S. V. Kerry
album cover
for those of you who don't know and were wondering about the cover on this release - this is the original cover of the euro version of the album. Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2007 by H. Cartwright
More like "Complete singles prior to early 1976"...
Not to be confused with "Gold: Greatest Hits", this album's title is somewhat misleading, particularly in a modern context. Read more
Published on 15 April 2007 by Penn Name
parkbench better!
Well..I have a very soft spot for this album...Played incessently when I was first in love at school!Ahh,,,such innocent days! Read more
Published on 3 May 2006 by zyggy
Excellent collectors edition
As well as being an excellent cd with great ABBA tunes on it, this CD brings back old values and memories of vinyl records. Read more
Published on 30 April 2006 by Swedish Fan
A little notice!
I'd like to notice,that this is not another Abba compilation but the official Greatest Hits from 1975 and it is presented in mini-vinyl replica special edition. Read more
Published on 29 April 2006 by M. Pranno
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