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Post by Alan on Aug 10, 2019 20:52:16 GMT
![]() ![]() ![]() 40 years ago this week, Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous reached its highest chart position in the UK of number 3. I was reminded of this when Tony Blackburn played this chart on his BBC Radio 2 “Pick of the Pops” programme today. It was presumably one of the few times that Angeleyes is played on the radio these days, as its status as primary A-side has largely been written out of history. This release was significant in that it was the first UK ABBA single to be released in a picture sleeve. Due to printing variations, there were actually two versions of the sleeve: the natural photo (used elsewhere for Chiquitita) on slightly thicker paper and one with enhanced colours, rendering the background much more blue, on slightly more flimsy paper. Furthermore, it was the first time that CBS (ABBA’s UK licensee who released ABBA records on their Epic label) had openly disagreed with Polar’s choice of an A-side. Previously, CBS had released a remix of Ring Ring in place of Honey Honey, and not released Eagle as a single at all. As ABBA and Polar were not going to support CBS in this choice - by not making a video - the compromise was to release it as a double A-side. However, Angeleyes would be listed first and would therefore be the primary A-side. Although there is some controversy over the number 3 official chart position (it peaked lower in other charts), CBS were apparently vindicated when this single did better in the UK and Ireland than it did in most other countries. As there was a video for Voulez-Vous, it was this that was shown on Top of the Pops, but when the international Greatest Hits Vol 2 was compiled later in the year, it was Angeleyes that was included and not the international A-side. Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous was also used as a trial for various different colour vinyls. None were commercially released and it’s thought that there might be just a few copies of each colour. In 1984, a boxed set of ABBA singles was released in the UK. All were on blue vinyl. This time, the international Voulez-Vous sleeve was adapted, but reversing the titles and including a red border. Although Angeleyes has been included on More ABBA Gold and various other expanded compilations since 1992, it is invariably Voulez-Vous that appears on the main ones, including Gold. Gold especially has helped to write Angeleyes out of singles history (even in the UK). Whatever your opinion of the two songs, the fact remains that Voulez-Vous was the secondary A-side in the UK.     
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Post by josef on Aug 10, 2019 22:19:00 GMT
Some facts there I had no knowledge of, Alan, but interesting nonetheless. I have always been miffed that Angeleyes didn't have a video even though I like both songs equally- for different reasons.
I still have the picture cover although for some reason it has a mark on it, somewhat like the stain from a tea/coffee cup. Heavens knows how that got there! It certainly wasn't me.
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Post by josef on Aug 10, 2019 22:25:22 GMT
Something else: didn't Roxy Music have a single out at the same time by the same name? No idea of its chart position or if it did 'better' than the ABBA single by the same name? My theory is that Voulez Vous took off because it had that dance thing going on. Angeleyes has more of a classic pop feel, slightly motown-ish. It's a cracker of a song- unfairly (mostly) forgotten.
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Post by foreverfan on Aug 11, 2019 8:04:46 GMT
Roxy Music.. Angel Eyes, was a number 4 hit, released about 1 month later than ABBAs a good track, rumoured at the time if my memory serves me right( funny how things stick) that as both tracks named similar effected chart positions, personally I doubt it, as stated released a month apart, ABBA at their peak of 3 Roxy Music had just entered at 32.The closest they got was 9 and 12 w/e 25th August.
Another strange fact is the AA/VV was a surprisingly initial low chart entry.in the UK....48.23.12.5.3.5.9.14.29.40.66..which also again from vague memory was due to radio stations not knowing which side to play..
However went on to sell over 250, 000 and a top 50 ( around) best seller of the year.
Personally, one of my favourite pics, love both tracks , with I guess VV slightly edging it...
ABBA we’re lucky they could’ve had numerous double A tracks which was popular at the time.. we never had another...
40 years ago..😳 I remember it so well....🤪
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Post by Alan on Aug 11, 2019 8:36:39 GMT
Another colour vinyl. Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous was not unique here as other ABBA singles, such as Fernando, had also been trialled. It is thought that they were trials to use for other acts and never intended for ABBA commercially. This one here sold for £260 in 2011.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2019 14:33:40 GMT
Very interesting stuff. I remember it being a bit weird that ABBA had a song in the chart with (more or less) the same title as a song by another act. More than that, I always associated ABBA with 'original' song titles so it was unusual that 'Angeleyes' (more or less) used the title of the old Brent/Dennis 1950s(?) jazz standard, which had been recorded by countless artists and immortalised by being the final song Frank Sinatra sang when he 'retired' for the first (or second?) time in the early '70s. Did any other ABBA singles 'borrow' titles from other well-known songs? I'm not sure that they did.
(Just while we're reminiscing, I remember being appalled by Roxy Music's 'Angel Eyes' single, which was an anodyne re-recorded version of a great, gritty track from the 'Manifesto' album. 'Dance Away' (to which 'Angel Eyes' was the follow up) was a watershed for Roxy. Up to that point, I'd loved them but DA marked their decisive turn towards a 'smooth' sound which lasted for the rest of their career but left me completely cold. Roxy's career really was a game of two halves, the neat dividing line being the end of Side One of 'Manifesto').
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Post by madonnabba on Aug 11, 2019 15:30:29 GMT
I remember preferring Angel Eyes to Voulez Vous but now I love them both equally but cannot understand Angel Eyes being omitted from Gold and TYTM being included. A video for Angel Eyes might have pushed the single up further. Epic also made the mistake of not releasing the singles on Tuesdays to take advantage of getting maximum first week sales in the Uk to getting higher first week placings - the charts used to be compiled on a Tuesday and the run down was the same day. In recent years artists made sure their singles got a full 7 day run for maximum impact to achieve higher first week placings. That’s why so many mediocre songs debut at No.1. What used to be a rare event became run of the mill. Still can’t understand this fascination for Ed Sheernan . Songs are bland and at best nice. But got to hand it to him...not a pin up by boy band standards but he does write his own songs. Same with Adele. I reach for the off button. If I answered the phone to her ‘Hello’ I would hang up. What next ? Another moany song about childbirth or motherhood. Sam Smith is another.
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Post by Alan on Aug 11, 2019 15:55:17 GMT
^^ In those days, singles rarely entered the chart at their peak position. They would enter lower and then climb, as Angeleyes did.
Just checked a few of ABBA’s chart entry positions and the lowest I can find so far (other than Angeleyes’ no. 48), is Money Money Money at no. 34. Only checked about five though.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2019 17:12:20 GMT
At first ABBA used to enter quite low in the UK Top 50. (Which is all the Singles Chart was in ABBA's early days).
Waterloo was an exception, as it had the boost from The ESC. That went in at No.17 -- (Peaked at No.1).
Ring Ring -- Entered at No.48 -- (No.32 Peak)
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do -- Entered at No.50 -- (No.38 Peak)
SOS -- Entered at No.47 -- (No.6 Peak)
Mamma Mia -- Entered at No.43 -- (No.1 Peak)
Fernando -- Entered at No.44 -- (No.1 Peak)
Dancing Queen -- Entered at No.23 -- (But it really went in the Week before at No.6 in the Top 10 'Breakers'. That's a No.56 Entry really). -- (No.1 Peak)
Money, Money, Money -- Entered at No.34 -- (No.3 Peak)
Knowing Me, Knowing You -- Entered at No.48 -- (No.1 Peak)
After that ABBA's UK Hits began to mostly enter in the Top 30 -- usually in the Top 20. 'Angel Eyes' / 'Voulez Vous' only went in at No.48 however...(No.3 Peak).
It wasn't until 1982 that ABBA began to enter low again. That was due to less interest in their Singles:
Head Over Heels -- Entered at No.41 -- (Peaked at No.25)
The Day Before You Came -- Entered at No.41 -- (Peaked at No.32)
Under Attack -- Entered at No.46 -- (Peaked at No.26)
Thank You For The Music -- Entered at No.64 -- (Peaked at No.33) -- (BBC Radio One said it was going to be the UK's Christmas No.1
that Year - 1983 -- but it had sold well over a UK Million on both
'The Album' and 'Greatest Hits Vol. 2', so I knew it had no chance
to sell well as a UK Single...)
ABBA were big again by 1992, so 'Dancing Queen' went in at No.21. (Peaked at No.16).
'Waterloo' went in at No.20, (& Peaked there), as a 2004 Re-Issue.
'Mamma Mia' went in at No.57 in 2008. As a Download. (It Peaked at No.56).
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Post by Alan on Aug 11, 2019 17:50:01 GMT
^^ Who was it at Radio 1 that said that? How could a six-year-old song from an act that was no longer active be predicted to do so well? Wishful thinking on behalf of whoever said it?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2019 19:46:53 GMT
The Radio 1 DJ, who said that 'Thank You For The Music' was going to be the UK's 1983 Christmas No.1, was Peter Powell...
He didn't just say it. He announced it as if it were a certain fact, in a smug tone of voice.
Just before he played it he said:
'Ladies and Gentlemen - This Year's Christmas No.1...'
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Post by madonnabba on Aug 11, 2019 20:17:50 GMT
A few did manage to enter high on their first week of release Take a chance on me no.14, Chiquitita no.8, TWTIA no 9, Super Trouper no.14 and I think One of us no.11 .
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Post by Alan on Aug 11, 2019 20:23:08 GMT
^^ I think possibly a bit tongue-in-cheek there! Peter Powell would have known better.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2019 20:30:29 GMT
Peter Powell was, of course, notorious for saying plenty of daft things on the radio. One week, I believe, the whole of Private Eye's 'Colemanballs' column was devoted to 'Powellisms'. Wasn't pronouncing 'Chihuahua' (by Bow Wow Wow) 'Chi-hooa-hooa' one of his?
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Post by Alan on Aug 11, 2019 20:33:17 GMT
For ABBA Epic geeks like me (if there are any on here!), Angeleyes was the second of three ABBA singles in the orange Epic label era to be released on an injection-moulded (ie. plastic) label. This was due to CBS UK being able to call upon its CBS associates in other countries to press records. France was responsible for the plastic labels. The others were Take A Chance On Me and Gimme Gimme Gimme. All three were simultaneously available in the usual paper labels. In the blue Epic label era, the plastic label would be quite common.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2019 21:44:56 GMT
THE POLYHEX UK SINGLES CHART RUNS SITE -- It is run by a fellow called Colin. It is used by every Chart Fan that I know. It is excellent for finding the entire Top 75 UK Chart Runs of every Act that has ever had a UK Hit Single. It starts when the UK Singles Chart started - W/E 15th November 1952. I Donate about £60 a Year to Colin, to help him keep the Site going. As you can see, ABBA were the 7th 'Most Searched' Act on the Site, in the 6 Months from December 2018 to May 2019. (Oh - When searching for ABBA - remember to choose the Whole Field option. Then you will just get ABBA's Chart Runs. Otherwise you will also get the Chart Runs of any act with 'abba' in its name - such as Black S abbath...). www.polyhex.me.uk/uksingles/chartruns-uksingles.cfmMadonnabba -- You got a couple of the UK ABBA Entries wrong. 'Take A Chance On Me' entered at No.10. 'Super Trouper' went in at No.13. Others were -- 'Summer Night City' - No.21. 'Does Your Mother Know' - No.19, 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!' - No.30. 'I Have A Dream' - No.21. That one rose to No.2 in Week 2. However, it was unable to dislodge 'Another Brick In The Wall' by Pink Floyd, from No.1. It spent 4 Weeks at No.2. The sad thing was that Pink Floyd had not released a Single in Years, so ABBA lost out on a 10th No.1 Single, due to Pink Floyd deciding to have a Hit Single. At the time, 'I Have A Dream' became the biggest climber to No.2 that failed to reach No.1. 'Lay All Your Love On Me' started very well - in at No.17, but it was twice the price of the other Hits in the Chart, due to being on 12" Vinyl. Nor was it Extended. It was seen as being poor value for money - hence why it got no higher than No.7. A great pity, as on 7 inch Vinyl, it would have easily gone into the Top 5. The Song is fine. As well as Roxy Music's 'Angel Eyes' being in the Chart at the same time as ABBA's, we also had John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's 'Summer Nights', in the Charts, at the same time as 'Summer Night City'. Their Hit was far bigger than ABBA's - No.1 for 7 Weeks, and well over a Million sold... It is ironic that ABBA's 'Chiquitita' was their highest ever UK Chart Entry - No.8 - as it failed to get higher than No.2. Unlike many other Groups, that were big in the UK - The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Slade, T. Rex, Sweet, Blondie, The Jam - ABBA were never able to enter the UK Singles Chart inside the Top 5.
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Post by Alan on Aug 11, 2019 22:15:11 GMT
Looking at the ABBA discography page on Wikipedia (which may not necessarily be complete or accurate), it appears “Voulez-Vous” did particularly badly in comparison with other singles. Nine countries’ chart positions are listed for Does Your Mother Know but only six for Voulez-Vous, or Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous. Did it not chart at all in the three missing countries (Austria, Canada and New Zealand) or was it not released in those?
The available ones are:
Voulez-Vous:
79 Australia
14 West Germany
3 Netherlands (significant as this was an ABBA stronghold with 10 number one hits including, apparently, Head Over Heels)
80 USA
Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous
3 UK
3 Ireland
Angeleyes
64 USA
Therefore, not only did Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous fare better in the UK and Ireland than Voulez-Vous did in most other countries, but Angeleyes also did better in the US (where they were released on separate singles).
Voulez-Vous was probably a number one hit in Belgium as practically every ABBA single was...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2019 22:44:48 GMT
There are 2 Dutch Charts - The Top 100 and The Top 40. ABBA had 10 No.1 Top 100 Hits - including 'Waterloo' and
'Head Over Heels'. They had 8 Top 40 No.1 Hits. 'Waterloo' was a No.2 Top 40 Chart Hit & 'Head Over Heels' got no
higher than No.4 in the Top 40 Chart...
'Voulez-Vous' was not a Hit in New Zealand - even though it was released there. The New Zealand Singles Chart was a
Top 50 at the time. In Germany, it was the 2nd ABBA Single, in a row, that struggled a bit. 'Does Your Mother Know' got
no higher than No.10 & then 'Voulez-Vous' stalled at No.14. However, all was well again, when 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!'
did what 'Chiquitita' had done - became a huge No.3 Hit, that hung around for Months...
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Post by josef on Aug 11, 2019 23:20:03 GMT
I'm impressed with these statistics (although I read through them, it'll be out of my head in half an hour).
How someone can recall all this data baffles me. I can't even remember what I had for breakfast.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2019 0:14:54 GMT
Josef -- I memorise most of 'my' Chart Statistics, but I always check them also. Sometimes I 'mis-remember' things.
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Post by Alan on Aug 12, 2019 10:50:54 GMT
ABBA’s era was a strong one for the charts. I like how singles could go in quite low and then slowly rise. Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous starting at number 48 and then rising to 3 several weeks later is particularly impressive. It meant singles had a decent chart run.
It went downhill in the 1990s, with most singles entering at their peak position. It meant there was only one way for them to go. It also distorted things a bit as the chart position would indicate the single was a much bigger hit than it really was. An example is Pet Shop Boys’ Red Letter Day in 1997. Entered at number 9 and then down to 42 the following week.
I’m glad ABBA’s singles were genuine hits. It’s just a pity (to me anyway) that Angeleyes is largely forgotten about. ABBA’s lost UK hit. The ABBA Gold generation would assume Voulez-Vous was the sole hit.
Is it just me that thought it must have been a double-A side everywhere? I don’t think it was until More ABBA Gold (1993) that I realised it wasn’t. The liner notes I think mentioned it being promoted as the main A-side in the UK, while everywhere else it was merely the b-side. Even when Voulez-Vous appeared on The Singles (1982), I had just assumed it was to offer something different as Angeleyes had already been on Greatest Hits Vol 2.
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Post by gazman on Aug 12, 2019 12:43:36 GMT
Alan - Voulez-Vous (the single) was indeed a number 1 hit in Belgium.
In the US, I don't believe that Angeleyes and Voulez-Vous were separate singles. I understand that Atlantic initially went with the Polar-suggested release, and issued VV as a single, with AE as the B-side. When the single 'stalled' at number 80 and then dropped, and, with the tour imminent, Atlantic 'flipped' the single, perhaps noting its UK success as a 'double A-side', and radio-stations began playing AE and providing that 'mini-boost' up to the dizzy heights of number 64.
It has always intruiged me that Polar went for AE on GHV2, as opposed to VV - but, perhaps it was due to a combination of the UK success, the US 'push', and the fact that sales for the Voulez-Vous album were still moderately healthy, so people looking for the song might still buy that one and then possibly the compilation too....
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Post by Alan on Aug 12, 2019 16:22:12 GMT
Ah, thanks for that info, Gazman.
Not sure if someone has been editing Wikipedia since I checked but there appears to be a few other chart positions available:
Voulez-Vous
87 Canada
20 Finland
4 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
9 Switzerland
Year-end:
15 Belgium
54 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
83 Netherlands (Single Top 100)
Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous
Year-end:
51 UK
As for why Voulez-Vous was left off Greatest Hits Vol 2, I think you might be right. The Voulez-Vous album was still their current studio album, so they didn’t want to kill off future sales by including all of the singles released so far from it (I’m not sure I Have A Dream was ever intended as a single at that stage). I Wonder could easily have been left off the compilation in favour of Voulez-Vous. I Wonder was not a single anywhere and it meant that, at five tracks out of nine, The Album was over-represented.
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Post by Alan on Aug 12, 2019 16:37:39 GMT
One other fact about Angeleyes is that it’s the only track from Voulez-Vous with no visual performance whatsoever.
If It Wasn’t For The Nights was performed (mimed) on Mike Yarwood and also in Japan.
The King Has Lost His Crown, Lovers (Live A Little Longer) and Kisses of Fire were all mimed on ABBA In Switzerland.
Chiquitita was mimed during the making of ABBA In Switzerland.
Does Your Mother Know and Voulez-Vous both have videos (again, mimed performances), with Does Your Mother Know also being mimed at ABBA In Switzerland.
As Good As New and I Have A Dream were both performed live on the 1979 tour, the latter being filmed for the music video and also a proper video for the Spanish version.
This leaves Angeleyes as the one completely ignored track. I wonder what Polar’s reaction was when CBS spoke to them to tell them of their decision? “You can if you really want to, but ABBA will not be available to promote it or even film a video.” And CBS probably slightly miffed at that reaction but determined to carry it through anyway.
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Post by Alan on Aug 12, 2019 16:53:25 GMT
One final fact about Angeleyes:
There have been seven charting singles with “Angel Eyes” includes in the title. ABBA’s is the only one to style it as one word, “Angeleyes”. ABBA’s is probably styled wrong - it’s not a common enough expression to have earned the right to merge the words.
The list is:
Angeleyes/Voulez-Vous - ABBA (1979)
Angel Eyes - Roxy Music (1979)
Angel Eyes (Home and Away) - Wet Wet Wet (1987)
Angel Eyes - Jeff Healey Band (1989)
Angel Eyes - Raghav (2005)
Pretty Little Angel Eyes - Curtis Lee (1961)
Pretty Little Angel Eyes - Showaddywaddy (1978)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2019 17:44:48 GMT
Did any other ABBA singles 'borrow' titles from other well-known songs? I'm not sure that they did. To answer my own question (and with a grateful nod to onlyabba4me for highlighting the 'Summer Night City'/'Summer Nights' linkage), the nearest instances in terms of hit records I can come up with are 'Waterloo' and The Kinks' 'Waterloo Sunset' , 'The Name of the Game' and Shirley Ellis's 'The Name Game', and 'Lay All Your Love on Me' and Racey's 'Lay Your Love on Me'. (Curiously, Roxy Music's last self-penned hit, in '82, was 'Take a Chance with Me'.) I reckon ABBA should actually get a lot more credit for the originality/distinctiveness of their song titles - most especially the titles of their singles. This is one aspect of their creativity that I've not really seen highlighted before. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2019 18:45:37 GMT
A USA Country Singer - Stonewall Jackson - had a USA No.4 Hit & UK No.24 Hit with a Song called 'Waterloo' in
1959. It was a Country type Song. In fact it was a UK Hit almost exactly 60 Years ago - July 1959. Like ABBA's
'Waterloo' it mentions Napoleon in the lyrics. But several mentions of 'A puppy' too. I've only heard it once. I
don't really like it...
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Post by Alan on Aug 12, 2019 19:03:51 GMT
When The Winner Takes It All was released, I instantly thought of the game show with Jimmy Tarbuck called “Winner Takes All”. My assumption was that the title of the ABBA song was inspired by that of the game show, and that they’d merely expanded it slightly...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2019 20:17:17 GMT
When The Winner Takes It All was released, I instantly thought of the game show with Jimmy Tarbuck called “Winner Takes All”. My assumption was that the title of the ABBA song was inspired by that of the game show, and that they’d merely expanded it slightly... Amazing! We're clearly part of the same ABBA fan intake because I vividly recall thinking exactly the same thing at the time!!! In fact, when the song first came out, I remember thinking the title sounded a bit odd with the 'It' inserted into it! |
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Post by shoshin on Aug 13, 2019 0:12:27 GMT
Did any other ABBA singles 'borrow' titles from other well-known songs? I'm not sure that they did. To answer my own question (and with a grateful nod to onlyabba4me for highlighting the 'Summer Night City'/'Summer Nights' linkage), the nearest instances in terms of hit records I can come up with are 'Waterloo' and The Kinks' 'Waterloo Sunset' , 'The Name of the Game' and Shirley Ellis's 'The Name Game', and 'Lay All Your Love on Me' and Racey's 'Lay Your Love on Me'. (Curiously, Roxy Music's last self-penned hit, in '82, was 'Take a Chance with Me'.)... For several reasons I sometimes conflate MLML and Queen's (earlier) track Love of My Life |
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