Monday 9/5/22 10pm ET: Feature LP: Abba – The Visitors (1981)

The Visitors is the eighth studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on November 30, 1981.

With The Visitors, ABBA took several steps away from the “lighter” pop music they had recorded previously and the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort. The opening track, “The Visitors”, with its ominous synthesizer sounds and the distinctive lead vocal by Frida, announced a change in musical style. With Benny and Frida going their separate ways, the pain of splitting up was explored yet again in “When All Is Said and Done”. The major hit single on the album, “One of Us”, also depicted the end of a love story. Elsewhere there were Cold War themes—highly topical at the time—and further songs of isolation and regret.

The Visitors was one of the first records ever to be digitally recorded and mixed, as well as one of the earliest in history to be pressed on the CD format in 1982[ (in terms of commercial release dates, it was predated by the Japanese release of Billy Joel’s 52nd Street.) The Visitors has been reissued in digitally remastered form four times—first in 1997, then in 2001, again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set and most recently in 2012.

For four decades, The Visitors stood as ABBA’s last studio album, until the release of their 2021 album, Voyage.

1. “The Visitors” 5:49
2. “Head over Heels” 3:45
3. “When All Is Said and Done” 3:20
4. “Soldiers” 4:38
5. “I Let the Music Speak” 5:20
6. “One of Us” 3:55
7. “Two for the Price of One” 3:36
8. “Slipping Through My Fingers” 3:51
9. “Like an Angel Passing Through My Room” 3:25
10. “Should I Laugh or Cry”
11. “The Day Before You Came”
12. “Under Attack”
13. “You Owe Me One”

Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
Björn Ulvaeus – acoustic guitar, guitar, mandolin, vocals
Benny Andersson – synthesizers, keyboards, vocals
Ola Brunkert – drums
Rutger Gunnarsson – bass, mandolin
Janne Kling – flute and clarinet
Per Lindvall – drums (on “Soldiers” and “The Visitors”)
Åke Sundqvist – percussion
Lasse Wellander – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin

Sunday 7/17/22 1pm ET: Feature LP: ABBA – Super Trouper (1980)

Super Trouper is the seventh studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA, released on November 3, 1980. It features the No.1 singles “The Winner Takes It All” and “Super Trouper”. The album became the biggest-selling album of 1980 in the UK.

Led by the international hit “The Winner Takes It All”, Super Trouper was the group’s sixth chart-topping album in the UK. It was also the best-selling album in Britain for 1980. Super Trouper was first released on CD in 1983 by Polar Music International, in the early 1980s by Polydor, and in the late 1980s by Atlantic Records for the US. The album has been reissued in digitally remastered form four times; first in 1997, then in 2001, again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set and as a Deluxe Edition (containing a bonus DVD) in 2011. The previous year’s divorce between Björn and Agnetha was explored in “The Winner Takes It All”, and the members’ lives in Stockholm high society circles coloured the lyrics for “On and On and On”. Other well-known songs on the album include the hit single title track “Super Trouper”, as well as the electro-dance of “Lay All Your Love on Me”.

Probably due to the disco backlash at that time, the album saw ABBA returning to a more straightforward pop sound, as opposed to the preceding (and noticeably more dance-oriented) Voulez-Vous album. The album closed with “The Way Old Friends Do”, which was recorded live a year earlier during their 1979 concert tour. Although not released as a single with this album, the song was later released as a single in 1992 to promote the compilation More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits. The song was later covered by The Alexander Brothers, The Kingston Trio, Philomena Begley and Faryl Smith. On some European vinyl issues, the cheering and applause at the end of “The Way Old Friends Do” is recorded up to the run-out groove, playing in an endless loop on manual turntables.

1. “Super Trouper” 4:13
2. “The Winner Takes It All” 4:55
3. “On and On and On” 3:41
4. “Andante, Andante” 4:38
5. “Me and I” 4:53
6. “Happy New Year” 4:24
7. “Our Last Summer” 4:18
8. “The Piper” 3:25
9. “Lay All Your Love on Me” 4:33
10. “The Way Old Friends Do” 2:53 (Live)
11. “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” 4:53
12. “Put On Your White Sombrero” 4:34

Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
Björn Ulvaeus – acoustic guitar, vocals
Benny Andersson – synthesizers, keyboards, vocals
Ola Brunkert – drums (2-9)
Lars Carlsson – horn (3)
Rutger Gunnarsson – bass (3-9), guitar
Janne Kling – flute (8), saxophone (3)
Per Lindvall – drums (1)
Janne Schaffer – guitar
Åke Sundqvist – percussion
Mike Watson – bass (1, 2)
Lasse Wellander – guitar
Kajtek Wojciechowski – saxophone (3)

Tuesday 6/14/22 8pm ET: Feature LP: ABBA: The Album (1977)

ABBA: The Album is the fifth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in Scandinavia on December 12, 1977 through Polar Music, but due to the massive pre-orders the UK pressing plants were not able to press sufficient copies before Christmas 1977 and so it was not released in the UK until January 1978. The album was released in conjunction with ABBA: The Movie, with several of the songs featured in the film. Altogether the album contains nine songs.

The album contained two UK number-one singles, “Take a Chance on Me” and “The Name of the Game”, as well as European hits “Eagle” and “Thank You for the Music”.

1. “Eagle” 5:50
2. “Take a Chance on Me” 4:07
3. “One Man, One Woman” 4:34
4. “The Name of the Game” 4:54
5. “Move On” 4:43
6. “Hole in Your Soul” 3:41
7. “Thank You for the Music” 3:50
8. “I Wonder (Departure)” 4:34
9. “I’m a Marionette” 4:09

Agnetha Fältskog – lead, harmony, and backing vocals
Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead, harmony, and backing vocals
Björn Ulvaeus – harmony and backing vocals, acoustic and electric rhythm guitars, spoken word lead vocals on “Move On”
Benny Andersson – harmony and backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers
Lasse Wellander – lead guitar (except “Eagle”), acoustic and electric rhythm guitars
Janne Schaffer – lead guitar on “Eagle”
Rutger Gunnarsson – bass, string arrangements
Ola Brunkert – drums (except “Take A Chance on Me,” “One Man, One Woman,”, and “Thank You For The Music”)
Roger Palm – drums (on “Take a Chance on Me”, “One Man, One Woman”, and “Thank You for the Music”)
Lars O. Carlsson – flute, saxophone
Malando Gassama – percussion

Friday 5/13/22 11pm ET: Feature LP: Abba – Arrival (1976)

Arrival is the fourth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in Sweden on October 11, 1976 by Polar Records. It became one of ABBA’s most successful albums to date, producing three of their biggest hits: “Dancing Queen”, “Money, Money, Money” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You”. The track “Fernando”, which had been recently released as a single in March 1976, was included on the Australian and New Zealand versions of the album. Arrival was the best-selling album of 1977 in the United Kingdom and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

1. “When I Kissed the Teacher” 3:00
2. “Dancing Queen” 3:50
3. “My Love, My Life” 3:52
4. “Dum Dum Diddle” 2:50
5. “Knowing Me, Knowing You” 4:02
6. “Money, Money, Money” 3:05
7. “That’s Me” 3:15
8. “Why Did It Have to Be Me?” 3:20
9. “Tiger” 2:55
10. “Arrival” 3:00
11. “Fernando” 4:12
12. “Happy Hawaii” 4:25
13. “Fernando” (Spanish version) 4:17
14. “La reina del baile” (Spanish version of Dancing Queen) 4:04
15. “Conociéndome, conociéndote” (Spanish version of Knowing Me, Knowing You) 4:04
16. “Fernando” (Frida’s Swedish solo version) 4:14

Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
Björn Ulvaeus – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Benny Andersson – piano, synthesizer, accordion, chimes, marimba, backing vocals
Ola Brunkert – drums
Roger Palm – drums, tambourine and hi-hat percussion on “Dancing Queen”
Malando Gassama – percussion
Rutger Gunnarsson – bass, string arrangements on “My Love, My Life”
Janne Schaffer – electric guitar on “My Love, My Life”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You” (rhythm), “That’s Me” and “Why Did It Have To Be Me?”
Lasse Wellander – acoustic guitar on “Dum Dum Diddle”, electric lead guitar on “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and “Tiger”
Anders Glenmark – electric guitar on “Money, Money, Money”
Lars Carlsson – saxophone on “Why Did It Have To Be Me?”
Sven-Olof Walldoff – string arrangements on “Dancing Queen”
Anders Dahl – string arrangements on “Arrival”

Thursday 4/21/22 9am ET: Artist Countdown: Abba Top 30 Hits (Rev2)

ABBA are a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group’s name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. Widely considered one of the greatest musical groups of all time, they became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1983, and in 2021. ABBA have achieved 48 hit singles.

In 1974, ABBA were Sweden’s first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Waterloo”, which in 2005 was chosen as the best song in the competition’s history as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the contest. During the band’s main active years, it consisted of two married couples: Fältskog and Ulvaeus, and Lyngstad and Andersson. With the increase of their popularity, their personal lives suffered, which eventually resulted in the collapse of both marriages. The relationship changes were reflected in the group’s music, with latter compositions featuring darker and more introspective lyrics. After ABBA separated in December 1982, Andersson and Ulvaeus continued their success writing music for multiple audiences including stage, musicals and movies, while Fältskog and Lyngstad pursued solo careers.

Monday 1/17/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 15

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We complete letter S and begin our travels into T.

1pm to 4pm ET

Friday 1/14/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 14

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the letter S.

1pm to 4pm ET

Thursday 1/13/22 6pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1981 A to Z – Part 8

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1981 A2Z.

We complete letter H and begin I. We feature music from: Police, Peter Cetera, Lulu, Pretenders, Abba, The Who, Glen Campbell, Terri Gibbs, Foreigner, Ronnie Milsap, Phil Collins, Donald Byrd, Carly Simon, Bangles, U2, AC/DC, Santana and many more. . .

6pm to 10pm ET

Thursday 1/13/22 2pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 13

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter R and start with S into T.

2pm to 6pm ET

Wednesday 1/12/22 12pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 12

This RadioMax extended special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter N and start with O into R and feature music from: Hurricane Smith, Shocking Blue, Rod Stewart, Spinners, America, Three Dog Night, Eagles, Jackson Browne, Led Zeppelin, Ringo Starr, Jim Croce, Lighthouse, Clarence Carter, Allman Brothers Band and many more.

12pm to 6pm ET

Tuesday 1/11/22 2pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 11

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter M and start with N and feature music from: Paul McCartney & Wings, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Aretha Franklin, John Lennon, Steeleye Span, America, Pink Floyd, Tufano & Giammarese, Queen, Michael Jackson, Sweet, Doobie Brothers and many more.

2pm to 6pm ET

Monday 1/10/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 10

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter L and start with M and feature music from: Buckingham Nicks, Grass Roots, Brighter Side of Darkness, Jethro Tull, Abba, Paul Simon, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, O’Jays, Aerosmith, Four Tops, David Cassidy, Lobo, Robert Knight and many more.

1pm to 4pm ET

Wednesday 1/5/22 2pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 7

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter H and start letter I and feature music from: Al Green, Abba, Who, Ripple, John Lennon, Donovan, Gary Glitter, Tommy Cash, Five Man Electrical Band, Barry White, Merle Haggard, Don Covay, Clarence Carter, Brinsley Schwarz, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and many more.

2pm to 6pm ET

Tuesday 12/28/21 2pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 1

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We start this feature with the numbers or characters and then move through letter B. Artists featured in the segment: Abba, BW Stevenson, Gunhill Road, Elton John, Art Garfunkel, Who, Billy Joel, Ronnie Milsap, Gram Parsons, Loggins & Messina, Cher and many others.

2pm to 6pm ET

Saturday 12/25/21 5am ET: Feature LP: ABBA – Voyage (2021)

Voyage is the ninth studio album by Swedish group ABBA, released on November 5, 2021. It is the group’s first album of new material in 40 years following The Visitors (1981), and contains 10 songs all composed by ABBA’s songwriters, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

The album was supported by the dual single release of “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down”, released alongside the album announcement on September 2, 2021. “Just a Notion” was issued as the second single on October 22, 2021. A digital concert residency, also called ABBA Voyage, will take place in London beginning on May 27, 2022.

1. “I Still Have Faith in You” 5:09
2. “When You Danced with Me” 2:50
3. “Little Things” 3:08
4. “Don’t Shut Me Down” 3:56
5. “Just a Notion” 3:31
6. “I Can Be That Woman” 4:01
7. “Keep an Eye on Dan” 4:05
8. “Bumblebee” 3:57
9. “No Doubt About It” 2:56
10. “Ode to Freedom” 3:32

Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
Björn Ulvaeus – vocals, co-producer
Benny Andersson – vocals, piano, synthesizer, arrangements, mixing, producer
International School of Stockholm Choir
Jan Bengtson – baritone saxophone, flute
Mats Englund – bass (6)
Pär Grebacken – clarinet, recorder, tenor saxophone
Per Lindvall – drums, percussion
Lasse Jonsson – guitar
Lasse Wellander – guitar
Margareta Bengtson – harp