ABBA have announced a special edition reissue of ‘Waterloo’.
The Swedish pop group – which consisted of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with the title track from their second album and now in honour of the record’s 50th anniversary, it will be released in a host of formats along with brand new merchandise.
The album will be released as a Half-Speed mastered 45RPM 2LP Vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released by Polar in 1974.
The singles – which as well as the title track include classics such as ‘Honey, Honey’ and ‘Hasta Mañana’ will also be made available as separate picture discs and a 10-inch vinyl featuring the title track in four different languages will also be released.
At the time of its initial release, no other album had sold as many copies in the group’s home country and Bjorn – who wrote the track alongside Benny, whilst Agnetha and Anni-Frid performed lead vocals – recalled that the song propelled them to stardom at a time when they were all struggling artists in the “rat race” just trying to pay rent.
He told Sky News: “Before we won the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Waterloo’, Benny Andersson and I had been in a rat race,” he said. “We were running around producing other people’s records, writing songs for other people, even going on tours in different constellations just to pay the rent.
“But from ‘Waterloo’, when the royalties came pouring in, from that time we could afford to say no to everything else and just concentrate on the writing. That’s when you get better at it. And that’s what I wish for most songwriters today.”
The 50th anniversary reissue of ‘Waterloo’ is due for release on April 5.
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