Continuing this week’s telephone-based theme, today’s classic song about calling somebody up on the phone of the day is “Ring Ring” by ABBA. This was the group’s second release in their native Sweden (following 1972’s “People Need Love”), and their first release in the UK and the rest of Europe. Released in February of 1973 in Sweden (but not until June 1974 in the UK and December 1974 in the U.S. and Canada), “Ring Ring” was a #1 hit in Sweden and Denmark and a top ten hit in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and South Africa. It only reached #32 in the UK, however—and failed to crack the Hot 100 in the U.S. (ABBA was always more successful outside the States, for whatever reason.)
“Ring Ring” was written, in Swedish, by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, along with their manager Stig Anderson, with the original title of “Ring Ring (Bara du Slog en Signal),” which translates into “Ring Ring (If Only You Called)” in English. To break the song outside of Sweden, they decided to enlist famed American hitmaker Neil Sedaka. Neil enlisted the help of his then-new lyricist Phil Cody, with whom he had written “Laughter in the Rain,” to write the English-language lyrics. The new lyrics kept the general theme of the Swedish original but put their own spin on things.
Just prior to the release of “Ring Ring,” ABBA was still known as Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid, which is a mouthful in any language. Benny and Björn were invited to enter a song into Melodifestivalen 1973, a Swedish contest whose winner would represent Sweden in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest. “Ring Ring” was that song, and it only finished third, if you can believe that, not even making into Eurovision. No problem; ABBA would go on to win the entire Eurovision contest the following year with the massive hit, “Waterloo.”
Sedaka and Cody’s lyrics to “Ring Ring” were about an individual futilely waiting by the telephone after their last relationship has ended. The full-sounding backing on the recording was accomplished by engineer Michael B. Trelow recording the backing tracks twice at almost-imperceptive different speeds and pitches; when played together, they produced a Wall of Sound-like effect.
By the way, the group changed their name to the simpler ABBA with the release of “Ring Ring.” That was the start of ABBA as it we know them, as they followed “Ring Ring” with “Waterloo” and “Honey, Honey” in 1974 and a string of worldwide hits in the years following.
And here’s today’s daily bonus video of the day, ABBA’s official music video for “Ring Ring.” Love the outfits.
