Gracias Por La Música
Encyclopedia
Gracias Por La Música is a 1980 album
by Swedish
pop group ABBA
(see 1980 in music
). Gracias Por La Música was originally released due to the unexpected surge in popularity for the group in Latin American countries such as Mexico
and Argentina
after the release of the Spanish language versions of "Chiquitita" and "I Have a Dream" in 1979. These tracks were both released as singles and went on to become big hits. Encouraged by this success, the band therefore decided to record another eight tracks in Spanish and release a full-length album especially for the Latin American market. The songs selected were familiar hits, plus tracks that were thought to have a Latin flavour, such as "Move On" and "Hasta Mañana".
The couple Buddy and Mary McCluskey, both working at RCA Records
in Argentina at the time, were again called in to translate the lyrics. During the recording sessions which took place in January of 1980 in the Polar Music
studios the lead vocalists Agnetha Fältskog
and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
were helped with the pronunciation by Swedish/Spanish journalist Ana Martinez.
Neither Benny Andersson
nor Björn Ulvaeus
played an active role in the creation of the eight new Spanish tracks, leaving the production in the hands of the group's sound engineer Michael B. Tretow
, who recorded the new Spanish vocal overdubs onto existing backing tracks at his home studio.
The absence of Andersson and Ulvaeus is most apparent on "Al Andar" (the Spanish version of "Move On
") where the original opening speech from Ulvaeus was replaced by a more conventional opening verse sung by Agnetha.
Meanwhile, some of Tretow's new Spanish mixes were significantly different to their English counterparts, reflecting his own personal preferences regarding the handling of drum sounds as well as the significant time gap between the two versions, with some tracks being revisited up to six years after their original completion.
Gracias Por La Música saw numerous CD issues in the 1980s including releases in Japan in 1986 (on Polydor), Spain in 1989 (on RCA
) and a rare CBS
issue of an unknown date.
The album was deleted in most territories after the compilation CD ABBA Oro: Grandes Exitos
, which contained the ten tracks of Gracias Por La Música, was released in 1992, rendering this album obsolete.
However, the original version of the album continued to be available in Japan and Argentina until the late 1990s.
The album's title is the Spanish
translation of the title of one of ABBA's hits, "Thank You for the Music
".
Side A
Side B
* The Spanish version of "Dancing Queen
" was originally titled "Reina Danzante", but was retitled "La Reina Del Baile" for the 1993 ABBA Oro
CD release.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Swedish
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....
pop group 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...
(see 1980 in music
1980 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
). Gracias Por La Música was originally released due to the unexpected surge in popularity for the group in Latin American countries such as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
after the release of the Spanish language versions of "Chiquitita" and "I Have a Dream" in 1979. These tracks were both released as singles and went on to become big hits. Encouraged by this success, the band therefore decided to record another eight tracks in Spanish and release a full-length album especially for the Latin American market. The songs selected were familiar hits, plus tracks that were thought to have a Latin flavour, such as "Move On" and "Hasta Mañana".
The couple Buddy and Mary McCluskey, both working at RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in Argentina at the time, were again called in to translate the lyrics. During the recording sessions which took place in January of 1980 in the Polar Music
Polar Music
Polar Music is a Swedish record company founded in 1963 by Stig Anderson and his friend Bengt Bernhag. The first act that it signed was the Hootenanny Singers featuring Björn Ulvaeus. Polar eventually gained prosperity producing Ulvæus' next group, international superstars ABBA...
studios the lead vocalists Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Åse Fältskog is a Swedish recording artist. She achieved success in Sweden after the release of her début album Agnetha Fältskog in 1968, and reached international stardom as a member of the pop group ABBA, which to date has sold over 375 million records worldwide, making it the fourth...
and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
were helped with the pronunciation by Swedish/Spanish journalist Ana Martinez.
Neither Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran 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!...
nor Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn 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!...
played an active role in the creation of the eight new Spanish tracks, leaving the production in the hands of the group's sound engineer Michael B. Tretow
Michael B. Tretow
Bo Michael Tretow is a swedish record producer and audio engineer, Musician and composer, best known for his work with Swedish pop group ABBA , and with the musical Chess. Tretow experimented with different recording techniques, and played an essential part in creating the famous "ABBA-sound"...
, who recorded the new Spanish vocal overdubs onto existing backing tracks at his home studio.
The absence of Andersson and Ulvaeus is most apparent on "Al Andar" (the Spanish version of "Move On
Move On (ABBA song)
Move On is a waltz song recorded by the Swedish music group ABBA their 1977 release, ABBA: The Album. The lead vocals were performed by Björn Ulvaeus in the first verse and by Agnetha Fältskog in the second and third verses...
") where the original opening speech from Ulvaeus was replaced by a more conventional opening verse sung by Agnetha.
Meanwhile, some of Tretow's new Spanish mixes were significantly different to their English counterparts, reflecting his own personal preferences regarding the handling of drum sounds as well as the significant time gap between the two versions, with some tracks being revisited up to six years after their original completion.
Gracias Por La Música saw numerous CD issues in the 1980s including releases in Japan in 1986 (on Polydor), Spain in 1989 (on RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
) and a rare CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
issue of an unknown date.
The album was deleted in most territories after the compilation CD ABBA Oro: Grandes Exitos
ABBA Oro: Grandes Exitos
Oro: Grandes Éxitos is a greatest hits compilation album by ABBA, first released by Polydor in the United States in 1993, in which the songs are sung in Spanish. This album is the Spanish equivalent of their Gold: Greatest Hits album, originally released as Gracias Por La Música in early 1980...
, which contained the ten tracks of Gracias Por La Música, was released in 1992, rendering this album obsolete.
However, the original version of the album continued to be available in Japan and Argentina until the late 1990s.
The album's title is the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
translation of the title of one of ABBA's hits, "Thank You for the Music
Thank You for the Music
"Thank You for the Music" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured on the group's fifth studio album ABBA: The Album and was released as a single on November 6, 1983, to promote the Epic Records compilation album Thank You for the Music: A Collection of Love Songs...
".
Track listing
All songs in Spanish translation by Buddy and Mary McCluskeySide A
- "Gracias Por La Música" ("Thank You for the MusicThank You for the Music"Thank You for the Music" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured on the group's fifth studio album ABBA: The Album and was released as a single on November 6, 1983, to promote the Epic Records compilation album Thank You for the Music: A Collection of Love Songs...
") (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:49 - "Reina Danzante" a.k.a. "La Reina Del Baile" ("Dancing QueenDancing Queen"Dancing Queen" is a pop song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in August 1976, but was first performed two months earlier, on 18 June 1976, during a Royal Variety Show in Stockholm the evening before the Swedish royal wedding. It was the follow-up single to the hit "Fernando"...
") (AndersonStig AndersonStig 'Stikkan' Erik Leopold Anderson was born in Hova, Sweden, and is best known as the manager of the pop group ABBA.- Polar Music:Anderson was the founder of the Polar Music record label in 1963...
, Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:02 - "Al Andar" ("Move OnMove OnMove On may refer to:Songs* "Move On" * "Move On" * "Move On" * "Move On" * "Move On" * "Move On" * "Move On", a song by Jet from the 2003 album Get Born...
") (Anderson, Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:44 - "¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!" ("Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ", originally titled "Been and Gone and Done It", is one of Swedish pop group ABBA's biggest disco hits. It was recorded and released in 1979 with "The King Has Lost His Crown" as the B-side. It appears on ABBA's Greatest Hits Vol...
") (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:51 - "Fernando (Spanish Version)Fernando (song)"Fernando" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the group's first non-album single and was released in November 1975 through Polar Music. Lead vocals were sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad...
" (Anderson, Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:17
Side B
- "Estoy Soñando" ("I Have A Dream") (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:38
- "Mamma Mia (Spanish Version)Mamma Mia (song)"Mamma Mia" is a song from ABBA's 3rd album, ABBA, written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Stig Anderson, with the lead vocals shared by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The song "Mamma Mia" is a common song used in bands or orchestras...
" (Anderson, Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:34 - "Hasta Mañana (Spanish Version)" (Anderson, Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 3:09
- "Conociéndome, Conociéndote" ("Knowing Me, Knowing YouKnowing Me, Knowing You"Knowing Me, Knowing You" is a hit single recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with the lead vocal sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad. During recording sessions, it had the working titles of "Ring It In" and "Number 1, Number 1"...
") (Anderson, Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 4:04 - "Chiquitita (Spanish Version)Chiquitita"Chiquitita" was the first single release from Swedish pop group ABBA's Voulez-Vous album, their sixth for Polar, and their fifth for Epic and Atlantic...
" (Andersson, Ulvaeus) – 5:30
Dancing Queen
"Dancing Queen" is a pop song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in August 1976, but was first performed two months earlier, on 18 June 1976, during a Royal Variety Show in Stockholm the evening before the Swedish royal wedding. It was the follow-up single to the hit "Fernando"...
" was originally titled "Reina Danzante", but was retitled "La Reina Del Baile" for the 1993 ABBA Oro
ABBA Oro: Grandes Exitos
Oro: Grandes Éxitos is a greatest hits compilation album by ABBA, first released by Polydor in the United States in 1993, in which the songs are sung in Spanish. This album is the Spanish equivalent of their Gold: Greatest Hits album, originally released as Gracias Por La Música in early 1980...
CD release.
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Argentina | 4 |
| Spain | 5 |