Abba-esque
Encyclopedia
Abba-esque is an EP
by Erasure
. It scored their first number one on the UK singles chart
with the release in 1992. Always big fans of the Swedish quartet ABBA
, performing various songs in concert for years, Erasure (Vince Clarke
and Andy Bell
) released this four-song covers
EP, which was originally intended as a full album.
released Abba-esque in the UK, while Elektra Records
released it in the US.
Many ABBA fans credit this EP release as a major catalyst for a revival of ABBA's music in the 1990s. The greatest hits album ABBA Gold would be released by the end of the summer, and the coming years saw a heavy emphasis on ABBA music in the Australian motion pictures Muriel's Wedding
and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
. By the decade's end, the musical Mamma Mia!
had opened in the West End
.
At the time, EPs were eligible for the singles chart in the UK. After peaking at number two twice (with "Sometimes
" and Crackers International
), Erasure hit number one with this release and it remained there for five weeks. In Germany
the EP climbed to number two. In the U.S., where EPs chart on the Billboard 200
, Abba-esque peaked at number eighty-five. Although never officially released as a single, the song "Take a Chance on Me" received significant radio play in the U.S. At the time, Billboard Hot 100
policy prevented songs not released as singles from entering the chart, although the track did hit number fifty-one on the Hot 100 Airplay
chart. In Sweden
the EP peaked at number 1 staying there for six consecutive weeks.
A remix
EP was also released by Mute in the UK which featured the same four songs.
The release of the Abba-esque EP in due course precipitated the release of a similar EP, Erasure-ish, by ABBA tribute band
Björn Again
, which featured two Erasure tracks ("A Little Respect" and "Stop!") performed in the style of ABBA as an answer record.
The Abba-esque remix EP was reissued by Mute as a digital download, catalogue number LiMute144.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
. It scored their first number one on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with the release in 1992. Always big fans of the Swedish quartet ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, performing various songs in concert for years, Erasure (Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....
and Andy Bell
Andy Bell (singer)
Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
) released this four-song covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
EP, which was originally intended as a full album.
Background
Mute RecordsMute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
released Abba-esque in the UK, while Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
released it in the US.
Many ABBA fans credit this EP release as a major catalyst for a revival of ABBA's music in the 1990s. The greatest hits album ABBA Gold would be released by the end of the summer, and the coming years saw a heavy emphasis on ABBA music in the Australian motion pictures Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding is a 1994 Australian-French romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by P. J. Hogan. The film, which stars actresses Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambition is to have a glamorous wedding and improve...
and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot is based on the journey of three drag queens who travel across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus that they have named...
. By the decade's end, the musical Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
had opened in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
.
At the time, EPs were eligible for the singles chart in the UK. After peaking at number two twice (with "Sometimes
Sometimes (Erasure song)
"Sometimes" is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in October 1986 as their fourth single overall.After three commercial flops from their debut album Wonderland, "Sometimes" became Erasure's first bonafide hit, peaking at number one in South Africa, number two in their native United...
" and Crackers International
Crackers International
Crackers International is an EP released by Erasure in 1988, in between the albums The Innocents and Wild!.- History :The EP appeared in several different versions. The original UK release by Mute Records consisted of four original, self-produced tracks...
), Erasure hit number one with this release and it remained there for five weeks. In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
the EP climbed to number two. In the U.S., where EPs chart on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, Abba-esque peaked at number eighty-five. Although never officially released as a single, the song "Take a Chance on Me" received significant radio play in the U.S. At the time, Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
policy prevented songs not released as singles from entering the chart, although the track did hit number fifty-one on the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
chart. In Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
the EP peaked at number 1 staying there for six consecutive weeks.
A remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
EP was also released by Mute in the UK which featured the same four songs.
The release of the Abba-esque EP in due course precipitated the release of a similar EP, Erasure-ish, by ABBA tribute band
Tribute band
A tribute act is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act - sometimes one which has disbanded, ceased touring or is deceased. Probably the largest class of tributes acts are Elvis impersonators, individual performers who mimic the songs and style...
Björn Again
Björn Again
Björn Again is a tribute show to the Swedish pop group ABBA founded in 1988 in Australia, but now involving multiple touring troupes performing under the Björn Again name...
, which featured two Erasure tracks ("A Little Respect" and "Stop!") performed in the style of ABBA as an answer record.
The Abba-esque remix EP was reissued by Mute as a digital download, catalogue number LiMute144.
Abba-esque
- "Lay All Your Love on MeLay All Your Love on Me"Lay All Your Love on Me", is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA in 1980 for their Super Trouper album. It was released only as a 12-inch single in 1981 in limited territories, rather than as a standard 7-inch record. At the time, it was the highest selling 12-inch record in UK chart...
" (B. AnderssonBenny AnderssonGöran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
/ B. UlvaeusBjörn UlvaeusBjörn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
) - "SOSSOS (ABBA song)Agnetha Fältskog's version was the second single from her fifth Swedish solo-album Elva kvinnor i ett hus . It was the only song from this album not to have been composed by Fältskog herself....
" (S. Anderson / B. Andersson/B. Ulvaeus) - "Take a Chance on MeTake a Chance on Me"Take a Chance on Me" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in 1978 as the second single from their fifth studio album, simply called The Album. The song has been featured on a number of ABBA compilations such as ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits.-History:The working title of "Take a...
" (B. Andersson / B. Ulvaeus) - "Voulez-VousVoulez-Vous (song)"Voulez-Vous" is a eurodisco track by Swedish pop group ABBA, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus . Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad shared the lead vocals....
" (B. Andersson / B. Ulvaeus)
Abba-esque – The Remixes
- "Voulez-Vous" (Brain Stem Death Test Mix) (remixed by Fortran 5Fortran 5Fortran 5 was an electronic music band recording music during the nineties.-Background:The band were made up of members David Baker and Simon Leonard, who had previously worked together on the music project known as I Start Counting. Around 1990 they had begun recording new material, and realised...
) - "Lay All Your Love on Me" (No Panties Mix) (remixed by Fortran 5)
- "Take a Chance on Me" (Take a Trance on Me Mix) (remixed by Philip Kelsey)
- "SOS" (Perimeter Mix) (remix by Chris & Cosey)
Chart Performance
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 13 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 38 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 4 |
| German Singles Chart | 2 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 42 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 | 85 |
| US Dance/Club Play Singles | 10 |