SOS (ABBA song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from SOS (ABBA))
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other "SOS" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in June 1975 as the fifth single from their self-titled 1975 album.[1]

It was released with "Man in the Middle" as the B-side. Agnetha Fältskog, who sang lead, recorded the song in Swedish on her 1975 solo album Elva kvinnor i ett hus.[2] "SOS" was ABBA's first major worldwide hit since "Waterloo".

History

"SOS" (working title; "Turn Me On") was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson and was recorded at Glen Studio in Långängen, Sweden on 22–23 August 1974.[3] The title itself was coined by Stig, though the lyrics he provided were re-written by Ulvaeus.[1] "SOS" was among the first of three songs recorded for the group's 1975 album, ABBA and the opening track of their classic Greatest Hits LP released at the end of the same year.

The song opens with a piano intro, followed by the first verse sung by Fältskog. Biographer Carl Magnus Palm described it as 'Agnetha's first 'heartbreak classic, wherein the tear-filled vocal delivery, her trademark, would blend a pop melody, with a dash of melancholy.[1] The song features a heavy influence from the Wall of Sound instrumentation of Phil Spector and the melodies of the Beach Boys.[4]

Lyricist Ulvaeus has said that, after three years of trying to figure out what style would define them, ABBA found its identity as a pop group with the release of "SOS",[5] while Palm described it as 'pure ABBA'.[1]

During the band's first visit to the United States, ABBA performed "SOS" on the long-running television programs American Bandstand and Saturday Night Live on 15 November 1975.[6][7] The promotional video was directed by Lasse Hallström and released in the same year, along with the single.[8] The video and three others (for "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", "Mamma Mia" and "Bang-A-Boomerang"), were completed in two days for a total cost of Kr 50,000 (£5,500).[3] The video was uploaded to YouTube on 8 October 2009, on the AbbaVEVO channel, and has 88 million views as of February 2024.[9]

The song is also featured in the concert film ABBA: The Movie (1977), Good Night Oppy (2022), and Live at Wembley Arena, released in 2014.[10]

Reception

<templatestyles src="Template:Quote_box/styles.css" />

I remember hearing "S.O.S". on the radio in the States and realizing that it was Abba. But it was too late, because I was already transported by it. I just thought it was such a great sound, you know – great bass drum and the whole thing...

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

"SOS" marked a significant turnaround in ABBA's fortunes and returned them to the Top 10 in many countries.[11] Reaching #6 and #4 respectively, "SOS" started a run of 18 consecutive Top 10 hits for ABBA in the UK and Ireland.[12][13] "SOS" reached #1 in Australia, Belgium, France, West Germany (where it spent 7 weeks at the top), New Zealand and South Africa, and was a Top 3 hit in Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy (where it became ABBA's most successful hit), Mexico, Rhodesia and Switzerland. The song also became ABBA's second Top 20 hit in the United States, peaking at #15.[14][15]

As of September 2021, it is ABBA's 19th-biggest song in the UK, including both pure sales and digital streams.[16]

Chicago radio station WLS, which gave "SOS" much airplay, ranked the song as the 61st biggest hit of 1975.[17] It peaked at number six on their survey of 22 November 1975.[18]

"SOS" has been recorded and performed in concert by several prominent artists, including John Frusciante, Peter Cetera, Chris deBurgh, Cher, Portishead, Fozzy, and Canadian rock group Headstones. English synth-pop duo Erasure covered "SOS" and three other ABBA songs on their 1992 Abba-esque EP, reaching number one in the UK singles chart.[19]

Ray Davies of The Kinks said that he was taken with the song after seeing the group perform it on the BBC television show Seaside Special.[20] Pete Townshend said the song had "a great sound".[21]

American singer-songwriter and former Czars frontman John Grant has called "SOS" "one of the greatest pieces of music ever made", adding that Agnetha Fältskog's "perfect" lyrical interpretation and emotional delivery is "a beautiful thing".[5] British conductor and producer Charles Hazlewood called the song's "supersonic" transition from an acoustic D-minor key to an electric rock motif "absolutely genius".[5]

Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock has claimed to have been inspired to write the main riff of "Pretty Vacant" after hearing "SOS" on a jukebox.[22]

ABBA's performance of "SOS" on American Bandstand in 1975 has been included on lists of the most significant performances in the show's 31 seasons by several reviewers and critics. Bill Lamb put the song at number five,[23] as did Alicia Diaz Dennis[24] and Andres Jauregui.[25]

ABBA performed "SOS" on episode five of the inaugural season of the long-running comedy-variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL) on 15 November 1975.[26] SNL head writer Michael O'Donoghue staged the performance on a set of the deck of the Titanic and continued the sketch while the band were performing, according to bandleader Paul Shaffer, "They kept on singing like the pros that they are."[27]

To date, the song is the only US Hot 100 or UK Official Charts single (or #1 single in Australia[28]) in which both the title and the artist are palindromes.[29][30]

Track listing

Template:Track listing

Personnel

Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Chart performance

<templatestyles src="Col-begin/styles.css"/>

Certifications and sales

Template:Certification Table Top Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Summary Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Bottom

Release history

Region Date Title Label Format Catalog
Netherlands May 1975 "SOS" / "Man In The Middle" Polydor 7-inch vinyl 2001 585
Denmark, Norway Jun 1975 Polar POS 1213
Belgium Jul 1975 Vogue VF. 421
USA, Canada Atlantic 45-3265
USA "SOS" / "SOS" 7-inch vinyl, promo
UK 5 Sep 1975 "SOS" / "Man In The Middle" Epic 7-inch vinyl S EPC 3576
Australia, New Zealand 27 Oct 1975 RCA Victor 102690
Yugoslavia 29 Oct 1975 PGP RTB S 53 896
Mexico Oct 1975 RCA Victor SP-4390
Italy 19 Nov 1975 "SOS" / "Mamma Mia" Dig-It International Records DG 1124
Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, West Germany 1975 "SOS" / "Man In The Middle" Polydor 2001 585
Philippines PRO 3441, 2001 585
Panama, Peru RCA Victor XRPBO 793
El Salvador "SOS" / "Hey, Hey Helen" XYPBO-759
Brazil "SOS" / "Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)" 101.8043
Greece "SOS" / "Hasta Mañana" Pan-Vox PAN 7593
East Germany 1975 "SOS" / "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" Amiga 4 56 160
Spain Carnaby MO 1496
Turkey Balet BE 172
Venezuela RCA Victor 45.661
Japan Jan 1976 Discomate DSP-1
Apr 1980 7-inch vinyl, reissue DSP-151
25 Jan 2001 "SOS" / "Chiquitita" Polar CD single UICY-5001

Swedish version by Agnetha Fältskog

Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other

Agnetha Fältskog's version was the second single from her fifth Swedish solo-album Elva kvinnor i ett hus (Eleven Women in One House).[1] It was the only song from this album not to have been composed by Fältskog herself.

Despite the fact that Fältskog never promoted the single in Sweden, it peaked at No. 4 on the singles chart on 1 January 1976 during a 20-week chart run, and it also became Fältskog's third No. 1 on radio chart Svensktoppen, entering the chart on 22 November 1975 and spending a total of eleven weeks on the listing.[50]

The B-side of the single, "Visa I Åttonde Månaden" (Song in the Eighth Month) was a song written from a very personal perspective, as it was composed during Fältskog's pregnancy with daughter Linda Ulvaeus in 1973.[3]

Chart (1975-1976) Peak position
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[50] 4
Sweden (Svenkstoppen)[51] 1

Cher version

Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other

American singer Cher's version was the second single from her 2018 album Dancing Queen. It was released on 23 August 2018.[52] The song peaked at number 56 in the Scottish singles chart in August of that year.[53]

Critical reception

Writing for Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos felt that "working with producer Mark Taylor who helped seal Cher’s legacy with the game-changing "Believe" in the late Nineties, she finds subtle changes that update ABBA classics without totally stripping them of the catchiness that made those songs beloved hits well beyond their heyday. "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)," "SOS" and "Mamma Mia" are given just enough of a knob turn that they're transformed from upbeat FM radio pop into club bangers, pulsating with every beat."[54]

Music video

An accompanying music video for "SOS" was directed by Jake Wilson, and was premiered through Cher's official YouTube channel on 18 September 2018. The video features Rumer Willis, singer Betty Who, Transparent star Trace Lysette, comedian Sabrina Jalees, Elena of Avalor voice actor Aimee Carrero and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend cast member Vella Lovell. It was styled by fashion director William Graper in a similar fashion to the original ABBA video.[55] It was also listed as the 18th best music video of 2018 by Paper. Roytel Montero said that "in a studied homage to the original ABBA classic from 1975, [the] interpretation of the video renders it a poignant call to female solidarity".[56]

Live performances

Cher appeared on The Ellen Show on 7 September 2018, to promote her ABBA tribute album, Dancing Queen. During her appearance on Ellen, Cher also performed her rendition of ABBA’s "SOS" and discussed her upcoming world tour.[57] During her Here We Go Again Tour she performs "SOS" together with "Waterloo" and "Fernando".[58] On 31 October 2018 "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" and "Take Me Home" were cut from her Classic Cher concert residency and "Waterloo", "SOS" and "Fernando" were added.[59]

Track listings and formats

Digital download

  • "SOS" – 3:22

Credits and personnel

Credits for Dancing Queen adapted from AllMusic.[60]

Management

  • Published by Universal Songs of PolyGramInt., Inc. (ASCAP) and EMI Grove Park Music Inc. (BMI)
  • Recorded by Mark Taylor and Paul Meehan at Metrophonic Studios, London
  • Mixed at by Matt Furmidge and Mark Taylor at Metrophonic Studios, London
  • Mastered by Sthephen Marcussen Mastering, Hollywood, CA

Personnel

Charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chart
Chart (2018) Peak
position
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[61] 78

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:ABBA songs Template:Cher singles Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  5. ↑ a b c BBC documentary "The Joy of ABBA", produced by Ben Whalley (2013)
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Sheridan, Simon. The Complete ABBA, London, England, Titan Books, 22 May 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2017. Template:ISBN
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ UK Official Charts ABBA's Official Top 20 biggest songs
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ A is for ABBA, TV documentary. BBC television, July 1993
  21. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Whitburn, J. (2004) The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th ed. New York: Billboard Books
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Spinetoli, John Joseph. Artisti In Classifica: I Singoli: 1960-1999. Milano: Musica e dischi, 2000
  33. ↑ Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  50. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  51. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  52. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  53. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  56. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  60. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  61. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=SOS_(ABBA_song)&oldid=2069199"