ABBA "The Visitors" (1981)

AM Matt

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I just downloaded on itunes ABBA final album "The Visitors" (from 1981). The title track reminds me of Led Zeppelin on acid dope as well as The Poppy Family (Susan & Terry Jacks) song "There's No Blood In Bone" (1970). The title track only went to # 63 in April or May of 1982 (Billboard Hot 100 Charts) & did not charted in the Adult Contemporary Charts. Their final Top 40 hit "When All Is Said And Done" went to # 27 (Hot 100) & # 10 (AC Chart) in January of 1982. Their final song "One Of Us" went to # 107 (Billboard's Bubbling Under The Hot 100 Charts) & # 33 (AC Charts) in April of 1983. Those were the only 3 songs that I downloaded. The Frida song "I Know There's Something Going On" went to # 13 in January of 1983 (Hot 100) & also # 17 (Mainstream Rock) (with Phil Collins on drums) & that is a great song which was the only one that I downloaded!! Frida also did the Phil Collins remake song "You Know What I Mean" (from Phil's "Face Value" 1981) & also a duet with Phil called "Here We'll Stay" which went to # 102 (Bubbling Under) back in May of 1983 all from her solo album "Something Going On". As for Agnetha Faltskog, the song "Can't Shake Loose" went to # 29 (Hot 100) in October of 1983. Her next & final single "I Wasn't The One (Who Said Goodbye") (duet with Peter Cetera) went to # 93 (Hot 100) & # 19 (AC Charts) in May of 1988. That duet is NOT on itunes or her 1988 album.
 
I have the ABBA vinyl and cd of most of their albums and I enjoy listening to all of them. My favorite is " The Album" especially for the song "Eagle." Thier box set is worth getting for all the unreleased items as well as b sides not on the regular albums.
 
My favorite ABBA songs are Angel Eyes and My Love My Life. Karen and Agnetha are my two favorite female vocalists of all time. Sad that ABBA only toured the once before breaking up.
Great show!!!!
 
A friend of mine recently tracked down a copy of the original CD release of this album - a super rarity, because it was the very first pop album ever pressed on CD (although in terms of commercial release, the theory goes that it was beaten by Billy Joel's 52nd Street).

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I have the first version that was made in West Germany. It has the Polar label though, Made in West Germany. At the top, same picture it reads Digital•Stereo POLCD 342(800 011-2)
It has the Polar label in bottom right corner. Bottom says Manufactured by Polygram in Hanover, West Germany. There’s no barcode on the back cover either. There is one for the import company that distributed it. Distrib;Vogue Villetaneuse.
I wonder which one came first?
The reissued versions are cardboard sleeves and extra tracks of course. Good find.
 
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I just checked my other discs and my early copies of Arrival, The Album, and Voulez-Vous are the same label, manufacturer.
Super Trooper is Japanese Discomate label, early albums on cd, Ring Ring and Honey Honey, Abba, Polygram West Germany
They were very very smart to be signed to different labels in other countries than their own. Better royalties that way. My Absolute collection is CBS Great Britain. Singles First Ten Years Polygram West Germany. Vinyl from Australia on RCA, Great Britain Epic, Polar in Sweden, Polydor in Germany and Atlantic U.S.A. except the Bjorn And Benny singles on Playboy. I’m sure there are many others. Smart manager, Stig Anderson. Carpenters could have used a sharp guy like him in their corner.
 
A friend of mine recently tracked down a copy of the original CD release of this album - a super rarity, because it was the very first pop album ever pressed on CD (although in terms of commercial release, the theory goes that it was beaten by Billy Joel's 52nd Street).

cdvisitors1.jpg


82gg5.jpg
Which version is it? If it has a red label then it is rare, but if it’s blue on silver, it was readily available until 1997 (I have one). Even though “West Germany” had ceased to exist as a state in 1990, the artwork remained unchanged until the 1997 remasters.

See Red Polydors
 
I’m guessing that the situation ABBA had with being signed to different record companies around the world couldn’t have applied to Carpenters. ABBA’s Scandinavian record company, Polar, didn’t operate outside that region, so different companies competed with each other for different markets.

CBS in the UK got lucky as they only signed them after several other major companies turned them down in 1973. All the licensees had to renew every three years, presumably on more favourable terms each time for Polar as ABBA became more successful.

With A&M operating in most countries, I’d imagine this option wasn’t available to Carpenters. Each local arm of the company was presumably obliged to sign them? Would major record companies licence their acts out to rivals in different markets?
 
Mine mostly say original release date plus either 83 or 84 on the disc. Polar blue labels. So common then I guess.
Lots of artists signed to different labels here from Europe or Japan if not available outside their country. Elton John is a good example of that. No Dick James Music here in USA. I’m sure A&M was very good at getting their acts sold all over the world. They share a label or distribution in parts of S. America. with EMI. It’s interesting.
 
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A&M began by licensing out their stuff to Stateside and PYE in the UK, Quality in Canada, Deutsche Grammophon in Germany, Festival in Australia, and King Records in Japan. As the company grew, it began to have its own presence in these territories. Early records on the label are found on these early licensees.

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Which version is it? If it has a red label then it is rare, but if it’s blue on silver, it was readily available until 1997 (I have one). Even though “West Germany” had ceased to exist as a state in 1990, the artwork remained unchanged until the 1997 remasters.

See Red Polydors

It's the red one - his has the Polydor label at the top and then across the bottom of the disc it reads "℗ 1981 Polar Music International AB, Stockholm". Other disc information:

GEMA 800 011-2
Made In West Germany
Stereo
LC0309 (bottom of disc)
 
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