Mamma Mia (song)
Encyclopedia
"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. The song's name is derived from Italian
, where it is an interjection
(literally, "My mother").
The song is about a woman who is time and time again disappointed by her unfaithful partner, but forgives him anyway.
.
"Mamma Mia" was written at the home of Agnetha Fältskog
and Björn Ulvaeus
, and was the last track recorded for the album "ABBA
". The song was one of the four songs from the album to have a promo clip
made to promote the album. The song, however, was never intended for release as a single. Around this time, many artists were recording ABBA songs (such as "Honey, Honey
" and "Bang a Boomerang"), similarly ABBA offered "Mamma Mia" to British pop group Brotherhood of Man
, who turned it down.
When "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
" topped the Australian charts for 3 weeks, the Australian public was hungry for more ABBA - the beginnings of ABBAmania. It was the promo clip for Mamma Mia that was proving the most popular after repeat screenings on Australian television, notably Molly Meldrum
's Countdown. ABBA’s Australian record company, RCA, asked that Mamma Mia be released as a single but Polar Music refused. However, in the end Stig Anderson
agreed & "Mamma Mia" was released in Australia in August 1975 where it spent 10 weeks at #1.
After this success in Australia, Epic Records
in Great Britain
took notice of ABBA for the first time since Eurovision and "Waterloo". From then on, Epic began to heavily promote ABBA's singles with the immediate result of "S.O.S.
" reaching the Top 10 in the important British market, their 1st hit since "Waterloo". "Mamma Mia" soon followed reaching #1 on the British charts in early 1976, the 2nd of ABBA's 18 consecutive Top 10 singles.
The B-side
for the Australian release of "Mamma Mia" was "Hey, Hey Helen". In most other countries the singles' B-Side was the instrumental "Intermezzo Number 1". However ABBA's British label Epic selected "Tropical Loveland" as the B-side for the UK release, feeling another vocal track especially one showcasing ABBA in a different musical style would better promote the parent album.album, as it showed a different style of music and they thought it would be better than an instrumental song.
In the UK Singles Chart
of January 1976, "Mamma Mia" replaced Queen
's song "Bohemian Rhapsody
" at the number 1 position, which itself coincidentally contains the lyrical phrase "Mama Mia".
The song is ABBA
sound engineer Michael B. Tretow's favorite ABBA song.
of the popular hit by ABBA
.
When the single came out in the spring of 1999
, it became a smash hit in their home country, Sweden
, where it peaked at number-one and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks earning a platinum certification
.
On the initial pressings of the single, the name of the band appeared as ABBA*Teens, but Universal Music thought it would be better to change the name of the band to A-Teens so the new pressings of the single were made.
The single hit Top Twenty in almost every Europe
an country, reaching number-three in Norway
, number-nine in Switzerland
& Netherlands
, number-ten in Germany
, number-twelve in the United Kingdom
, number-fourteen in Austria
and Finland
, among others. A Spanish version of the song was recorded for promotion in Latin America
and Spain
.
Despite the worldwide success, the song failed to attract the Australian public, peaking at seventy-two on the ARIA Charts. The album flopped and the A-Teens stopped releasing singles/albums in that country until the 2002 single "Can't Help Falling in Love
". "Mamma Mia" also peaked at thirteen in New Zealand
, but due to the lack of success in Australia, the further singles were never released in that country either.
In the United States the single peaked at sixty-three on the Billboard
Hot Single Sales Chart, becoming the band's first single to chart in the country.
and was filmed in Sweden. It shows the A-Teens as waiters in an art exposition, suppressed by the Manager, but soon they discover that one of the paintings transports them to a party.
The video hit number-one on several music channels and was the main single outside the US, where "Dancing Queen
" was used as the main single to promote the album.
International Edition
U.K. CD1
Video: Mamma Mia
U.K. CD2
U.K. Cassette
U.S. CD Single
Promo CD
12" Vinyl Promo
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...
's 3rd album, ABBA
ABBA (album)
1975 Polar Music international AB, Stockholm, Sweden.Stig Anderson helped us with the lyrics on "Mamma Mia", "Tropical Loveland", "SOS", "Bang-A-Boomerang", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "I've Been Waiting for You".-CD re-issues, bonus tracks:...
, written by 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!...
, 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!...
& Stig Anderson
Stig Anderson
Stig '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...
, with the lead vocals shared by 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...
. The song "Mamma Mia" is a common song used in bands or orchestras. The song's name is derived from Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, where it is an interjection
Interjection
In grammar, an interjection or exclamation is a word used to express an emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker . Filled pauses such as uh, er, um are also considered interjections...
(literally, "My mother").
The song is about a woman who is time and time again disappointed by her unfaithful partner, but forgives him anyway.
History and impact
The distinctive sound at the start of the song is the marimbaMarimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
.
"Mamma Mia" was written at the home of 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 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!...
, and was the last track recorded for the album "ABBA
ABBA (album)
1975 Polar Music international AB, Stockholm, Sweden.Stig Anderson helped us with the lyrics on "Mamma Mia", "Tropical Loveland", "SOS", "Bang-A-Boomerang", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "I've Been Waiting for You".-CD re-issues, bonus tracks:...
". The song was one of the four songs from the album to have a promo clip
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
made to promote the album. The song, however, was never intended for release as a single. Around this time, many artists were recording ABBA songs (such as "Honey, Honey
Honey, Honey
"Honey, Honey" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released as the second single from their second studio album, Waterloo, after the success of the title track winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.-History:...
" and "Bang a Boomerang"), similarly ABBA offered "Mamma Mia" to British pop group Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s, most notably by winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
, who turned it down.
When "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" was a hit single for Swedish pop group ABBA, and was their next major worldwide hit after Waterloo. It was the second single to be released from their ABBA album, and one of the last songs to be recorded for the album...
" topped the Australian charts for 3 weeks, the Australian public was hungry for more ABBA - the beginnings of ABBAmania. It was the promo clip for Mamma Mia that was proving the most popular after repeat screenings on Australian television, notably Molly Meldrum
Ian Meldrum
Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM is an Australian popular music critic, journalist, record producer , and musical entrepreneur...
's Countdown. ABBA’s Australian record company, RCA, asked that Mamma Mia be released as a single but Polar Music refused. However, in the end Stig Anderson
Stig Anderson
Stig '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...
agreed & "Mamma Mia" was released in Australia in August 1975 where it spent 10 weeks at #1.
After this success in Australia, Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
took notice of ABBA for the first time since Eurovision and "Waterloo". From then on, Epic began to heavily promote ABBA's singles with the immediate result of "S.O.S.
SOS (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....
" reaching the Top 10 in the important British market, their 1st hit since "Waterloo". "Mamma Mia" soon followed reaching #1 on the British charts in early 1976, the 2nd of ABBA's 18 consecutive Top 10 singles.
The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
for the Australian release of "Mamma Mia" was "Hey, Hey Helen". In most other countries the singles' B-Side was the instrumental "Intermezzo Number 1". However ABBA's British label Epic selected "Tropical Loveland" as the B-side for the UK release, feeling another vocal track especially one showcasing ABBA in a different musical style would better promote the parent album.album, as it showed a different style of music and they thought it would be better than an instrumental song.
In 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 ...
of January 1976, "Mamma Mia" replaced Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's song "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
" at the number 1 position, which itself coincidentally contains the lyrical phrase "Mama Mia".
The song is 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...
sound engineer Michael B. Tretow's favorite ABBA song.
Chart positions
| Chart (1975–1976) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
3 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 2 |
| British Singles Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 20 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
13 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 14 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
2 |
| Rhodesian Singles Chart | 20 |
| South African Singles Chart | 5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
1 |
| U.S. 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... |
32 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
| Italian Singles Chart | 12 |
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
48 |
| British Singles Chart | 56 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
60 |
A-Teens version
"Mamma Mia" became the first single by the A-Teens which was released as the debut single from the album The ABBA Generation. The song is a cover versionCover 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...
of the popular hit by 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...
.
When the single came out in the spring of 1999
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
, it became a smash hit in their home country, 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....
, where it peaked at number-one and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks earning a platinum certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
On the initial pressings of the single, the name of the band appeared as ABBA*Teens, but Universal Music thought it would be better to change the name of the band to A-Teens so the new pressings of the single were made.
The single hit Top Twenty in almost every Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an country, reaching number-three in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, number-nine in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
& Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, number-ten 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...
, number-twelve in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, number-fourteen in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, among others. A Spanish version of the song was recorded for promotion in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Despite the worldwide success, the song failed to attract the Australian public, peaking at seventy-two on the ARIA Charts. The album flopped and the A-Teens stopped releasing singles/albums in that country until the 2002 single "Can't Help Falling in Love
Can't Help Falling in Love
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a pop song originally recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company. It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. The melody was based on "Plaisir d'Amour" but with a different...
". "Mamma Mia" also peaked at thirteen in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, but due to the lack of success in Australia, the further singles were never released in that country either.
In the United States the single peaked at sixty-three on the Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Hot Single Sales Chart, becoming the band's first single to chart in the country.
Music video
The music video was directed by Henrik SylvénHenrik Sylvén
Henrik Sylvén, Henrik Wilhelm Sylvén, born in Lidingö, Sweden 11 June 1971 is a film director and scriptwriter for films, television shows and commercials...
and was filmed in Sweden. It shows the A-Teens as waiters in an art exposition, suppressed by the Manager, but soon they discover that one of the paintings transports them to a party.
The video hit number-one on several music channels and was the main single outside the US, where "Dancing Queen
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 used as the main single to promote the album.
Chart positions
- #1 (ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , 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...
, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , 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....
) - #3 (NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) - #9 (BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) - #10 (GermanyGermanyGermany , 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...
) - #12 (MexicoMexicoThe 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...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) - #13 (New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) - #14 (AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) - #51 (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - #72 (AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
)
Releases
European 2-Track CD Single- Mamma Mia [Radio Version] - 3:43
- Mamma Mia [Extended Version] - 5:48
International Edition
- Mamma Mia [Radio Version] - 3:43
- Mamma Mia [Giuseppe Remix] - 5:35
- Mamma Mia [Jam Lab Remix] - 3:56
- Mamma Mia [Extended Version] - 5:48
U.K. CD1
- Mamma Mia [Radio Version] - 3:45
- Lay All Your Love On Me - 4:04
- Mamma Mia [Karaoke Version] - 3:45
Video: Mamma Mia
U.K. CD2
- Mamma Mia [Extended Version] - 5:48
- Mamma Mia [The Bold & The Beautiful Glamourmix Edit] - 3:46
- Mamma Mia [Trouser Enthusiasts' Undying Dub] - 9:20
U.K. Cassette
- Mamma Mia [Radio Version] - 3:45
- Mamma Mia [Karaoke Version] - 3:45
U.S. CD Single
- Mamma Mia [Radio Version] - 3:43
- Mamma Mia [Extended Version] - 5:48
Promo CD
- Mamma Mia - 3:43
12" Vinyl Promo
- A. Mamma Mia [The Bold & The Beautiful Glamourmix Edit] - 3:46
- B. Mamma Mia [Extended Version] - 5:48
Other cover versions
- French singer Karen Cheryl recorded a French language cover of the song in 1976.
- The 1995 New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
tribute compilation AbbasalutelyAbbasalutelyAbbasalutely is a compilation album released in 1995 by New Zealand recording label Flying Nun Records as a tribute album to ABBA.-Track listing:-External links:*...
includes a cover by alternative pop band The 3DsThe 3DsThe 3Ds were an alternative pop/rock band based from Dunedin, New Zealand, together from 1988 to 1997. The band was formed in May 1988 by* Dominic Stones — drums,* Denise Roughan — bass, keyboards, tambourine, vocals...
. - The song was covered by A*Teens on their debut album The ABBA Generation in 1999 (see above section).
- The exact same music from the A*Teens version was re-used for another cover of "Mamma Mia" by Danish singer Kate Hall on the German compilation ABBA Mania a few years later.
- British singer/actress Martine McCutcheonMartine McCutcheonMartine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK...
covered the song for the 1999 tribute AbbamaniaABBAmaniaABBAmania is a tribute album to Swedish pop band ABBA, released in 1999. It followed an ITV programme of the same name and featured various British and Irish artists covering ABBA songs.-Track listing:# "Money, Money, Money" – Madness...
. She also performed the song on the TV special. On the subsequent ABBAMania 2 album from 2004, the song is covered by British actress Tricia PenroseTricia PenrosePatricia "Tricia" Penrose is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Gina Ward in ITV1's long-running 1960s drama Heartbeat, a role she played continuously from 1993 to 2010...
. - British singer Hazell DeanHazell DeanHazell Dean is a British dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top ten hits "Searchin' ", "Whatever I Do " and "Who's Leaving Who"...
recorded a dance-oriented cover for her 1996 album The Winner Takes It All: Hazell Dean Sings Abba. - Dance covers of "Mamma Mia" have been recorded by Abbacadabra (produced by Almighty RecordsAlmighty RecordsAlmighty Records is a British recording label and remix production team founded in 1989, releasing their first single in the same year. Producing mainly Dance-Pop and Hi-NRG music, the label is best known for releasing remakes and remixes of mainstream pop songs...
), Angeleyes on their 1999 tribute album ABBAdance, Sabu on the 2001 Japanese ABBA Ibiza Caliente Mix compilation, Euphorica on their 2003 album ABBA Dance, and DJ Ensamble on their 2006 Trancing Queen tribute album. - On the 2004 tribute compilation Abbalicious, the song is performed by several American drag queens.
- SkaSkaSka |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band Five Iron FrenzyFive Iron FrenzyFive Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011....
recorded their own rendition of the song. - Musician/songwriter Pamela McNeillPamela McNeillPamela NcNeill is an American singer-songwriter. She grew up in Winona, Minnesota. She studied classical music for 16 years and formed her first rock and roll band playing throughout the Midwest at the age of 16...
included a cover of the song on her album Tribute To ABBA, which was produced by her husband Dugan McNeillDugan McNeillDugan McNeill, is an American musician and record producer who most notably worked with the 1980s Minnesota rock band Chameleon with members: Charlie Adams, Yanni, Mark Anthony, and Johnny Donaldson. The band recorded four albums together. Other recording credits include bass on the 1984 album...
. - A cover of the song was recorded by indie rock artist DackAttac.
- Indie rock band Seks Bomba from Boston recorded a cover of the song for their 2005 album Thanks & Good Night.
- Swedish studio musicians The Black Sweden included the song on their ABBA tribute album entitled Gold. Their version featured an opening riffRIFFThe Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
borrowed from the Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
song "Smoke on the WaterSmoke on the Water"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
". - A cover of the song by Storm Corp. can be found on the 2006 chill out musicChill out musicChill out music is an umbrella term for several styles of electronic music characterized by their mellow style and mid-tempo beats — "chill" being derived from a slang injunction to "relax."Chill out music emerged in the early and mid-1990s in "chill rooms" at dance clubs, where relaxing music...
compilation ABBA Chill Out. - GermanGermansThe Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
tribute band Riff Raff recorded a cover in AC/DC style for their 2006 album Rock 'N' Roll Mutation Vol. 1: Riff Raff Performs ABBA. - A cover of the song by FinnishFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
choral ensemble RajatonRajatonRajaton is a Finnish a cappella ensemble, founded in Helsinki in 1997. The Finnish word rajaton means "boundless", to indicate the breadth of their repertoire, from sacred classical to near Europop...
can be found on their 2006 ABBA tribute album Rajaton Sings ABBA With Lahti Symphony Orchestra. - Tribute band Gabba (band)Gabba (band)Gabba is a London-based British tribute band performing ABBA songs in the stripped down punk style of the Ramones, a style of pop punk they dubbed discopunk and claim to have invented. They formed in 1996 and took their name in 1999...
recorded a cover of the song, in the style of The Ramones. A sample can be heard on their official website. - A dance version by Shana Vanguarde omits the second half of the chorus.
- The song was covered in a jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/lounge musicLounge musicLounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
style by American group BNB on their 2008 album Bossa Mia: Songs of ABBA. - American indie alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Miniature TigersMiniature TigersMiniature Tigers is an Indie rock band with elements of indie pop based in Brooklyn, NY. The band is made up of frontman-guitarist Charlie Brand, Rick Schaier on drums and vocals, Algernon Quashie on guitar, keyboard....
recorded a cover of the song that was available for download on the Net. - British Folk Punk band Smokey Bastard cover Mamma Mia on their 2011 album Tales From The Wasteland
Live cover performances
- Taiwanese singer A-meiA-MeiA-Mei , also known by her birth name Chang Hui-mei , is an aboriginal Taiwanese pop singer and occasional songwriter. She is also known by her aboriginal name Gulilai Amit . She was born in the rugged mountains of eastern Taiwan and is the third youngest of nine siblings. A-mei made her debut in...
has performed the song live. - The song is featured in the 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...
musical, and sung by the character of Donna. In the context of the musical, the song is used as Donna's surprise at finding the three men she went out with at the same time. Donna explains how much pain the men caused her at the separation, but also in the song she explains how easily she can succumb to temptation. In the 2008 Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia! (film)Mamma Mia! is a 2008 musical/romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End/2001 Broadway musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson...
film adaptation, it is sung by Meryl StreepMeryl StreepMary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
, who plays Donna. - Elena TemnikovaElena TemnikovaElena Vladimirovna Temnikova is a Russian singer. She came to prominence as a contestant in the talent show Star Factory and as one of the three members of the Russian girl group Serebro.-2003—2006: Star Factory and solo career:...
, Russian singer, sang this song on the 2003 television show Star FactoryStar FactoryStar Factory is a Russian television show aired on Channel One since 13 October 2002. The show is the Russian version of the Endemol format Operación Triunfo....
. - Miley CyrusMiley CyrusMiley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
sang this song in 2005 in one of her Hannah MontanaHannah MontanaHannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
audition tapes. - The Phoenix Metropolitan Men's Chorus sang "Mamma Mia" in a show entitled ExtrABBAganza that included almost all of the group's greatest hits.
- The song was sung on Australian IdolAustralian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
Season 6 by Chrislyn Hamilton during Abba week. - The song has also been performed, but without the lyrics, by the Royal Philharmonic OrchestraRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraThe Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
.