Thank You for the Music
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- For the album, see Thank You for the Music (album)
| "Thank You for the Music" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Thank-You-For-The-Music.jpg | |||||
| Single by ABBA from the album The Album | |||||
| Released | November 6, 1983 | ||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1977 | ||||
| Genre | Europop, Pop | ||||
| Length | 3:51 | ||||
| Label | Epic | ||||
| Writer | Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus | ||||
| Producer | Michael Tretow | ||||
| ABBA singles chronology | |||||
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"Thank You for the Music" was the twenty-fifth and final UK single for Swedish pop group ABBA, released in November 1983 to promote the Epic Records compilation Thank You for the Music - A Collection of Love Songs. The Super Trouper album track "Our Last Summer" was the B-side. "Thank You for the Music" had actually been recorded six years earlier, in 1977, and was released as the B-side of "Eagle", which itself was only released in limited territories, namely Belgium, West Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Australia. "Thank You for the Music" was also included on The Album, and formed part of "ABBA-The Movie".
Agnetha Fältskog performed the lead vocal, with Anni-Frid Lyngstad joining in on the chorus. The song was intended to form part of a "mini-musical" that songwriters Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson had planned, but later scrapped. However, "Thank You for the Music" did make its way into broadway musical Mamma Mia!.
[edit] Reception
The single was released only in the UK at the time, peaking at a lowly No.33. This low placing could be attributed to ABBA's declining popularity since their last Top 10 hit in 1981. Their 1982 single releases, "Head over Heels", "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack", all failed to reach the Top 20. Also, "Thank You for the Music" had been heard many times before, having been included on the aforementioned album and was a concert favourite for many years.
[edit] Cover versions, appearances in other media etc.
- A live version was performed on TV by The Carpenters during the 1970s.
- Irish siblings The Nolans, who were often seen on various British variety TV programs in the 1970s and early 1980s, recorded their own cover of this song.
- German Eurodance group E-Rotic recorded a cover of the song for their ABBA tribute album Thank You For The Music.
- The compilation ABBAMetal features a cover by German power metal band Metalium.
- British vocalist, Dame Vera Lynn recorded a version of this song.
- The British ABBAMania 2 album from 2004 contains a cover of the song performed with British TV actors Charlotte Bellamy, Jane Danson, Wendi Peters, Bernie Nolan (of the Nolans), Tricia Penrose, Will Mellor, and Lee Otway on lead vocals.
- The German ABBA Mania compilation features a cover version performed by all the music artists who appeared in the TV special with Barbara Schöneberger on lead vocals.
- A live version was recorded by Norwegian art band, Hurra Torpedo.
- The song is performed in the Mamma Mia! musical by the characters of Sophie and Harry. However, it omits the first verse of the original song.
- A cover was recorded by Swedish celebrities Tina Leijonborg and Sten Nilsson. Like the Mamma Mia! version, this one also omits the first verse.
- 16 year old, Zoe Birkett performed a rendtion of this song on the final 6 round of hit series Pop Idol, in 2002.
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