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Lost in the ’70s: ABBA, “Angeleyes”

John C. Hughes February 14, 2008 12

lit70s.jpg

The double A-side single had a nice little streak in the late ’70s; Queen alone had two. But one of my favorites didn’t chart nearly as high, and one of its sides became far more well-known than the other.

ABBA never replicated their Beatlemania-level European pop success in America, but the quartet scored a big hit now and then, and 1979 was no exception, when “Does Your Mother Know,” the lead single from Voulez-Vous, became a Top 40 hit. When it came time for the follow-up, “Angeleyes” (download) was paired with the album’s title track as a double A-side single, with the former being the focus. Funny thing happened, though, as radio programmers and dance clubs focused instead on “Voulez-Vous,” which fit into the disco scene quite nicely. “Voulez-Vous” eventually made the track list for the zillion-selling ABBA Gold, even though it charted at a paltry #80 in America.

Why no respect for “Angeleyes”? While time has been kind to this classic ABBA narration pop song about a cheated lover narcing on her ex to his new squeeze, at the time it sounded a bit dated, more in line with the ABBA of “Waterloo” than the new, disco-fied ABBA. Its relatively stronger showing on the adult contemporary chart reflected the group’s standing in the States at the time, shuffled off to the AC ghetto while the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and the Knack took over Top 40 radio. If it was any consolation, a Roxy Music song by the same name that same year flopped here as well, even after it was rerecorded as a disco tune. Maybe it was the title …

“Angeleyes” got some vindication 14 years later when it was included on More ABBA Gold, another huge-selling compilation, giving the song its widest exposure ever in America. On this Valentine’s Day take a moment to give ABBA’s classic cautionary tune about lowdown, cheating, lying snakes in the grass a spin. Ah, love.

“Angeleyes” peaked at #64 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart and at #37 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1979.

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  • http://popdose.com MatthewBolin

    This is a GREAT song. Hooks on top of hooks on top of hooks. I WISH Benny & Bjorn didn't think that they were too old to write new “pop” material that could compete in this day and age: even critics went kind of gaga over “Umbrella” last year, and it had only one hook, which these two guys could have tossed off in their sleep.

    The “Ah-ah-ah” part is esp. arranged quite nicely, almost with a bit of mysteriousness–like the narrator is trying to keep everything on the downlow–setting “Angeleyes” up for the kill later.

    Finally, some props to my wife on V-Day today for re-introducing me to this song.

  • Pete

    While I don't hate “Angeleyes”, it's always been one of the lesser Abba singles to me. As a kid I loved “Voulez-Vous”, and I still prefer it over the two.

    But I do appreciate this post, as I realized I had never really paid attention to the lyrics of this song until now. They're pretty great.

  • DestinyClontz

    The vocal arrangements are a piece of wonder.
    As the first commentor said, this is material for three songs rolled into one. They change seemlessly from rock to northern soul to disco to “schlager” and back again.

    I think the production could have lived with a bit more sequencer and synths sounds. For my tastes Abbas arrangements tended to be a bit too pedestrian and vintage boogie.
    Despite having a full band, a string section, a moog in overdrive and multiple overdubs, it didn´t sound very contemporary.

    Even Voulez Vous suffered from this, but it had this tough hook which stomped over the whole production.

    Sometimes I think that beside all the vocal and instrumental wizardry Abba were not very strong in the rhythmic section.
    To be blunt: They were pretty un-groovy. White as bread.
    Can someone name me an Abba song which really lives from a strong groove?

  • JohnHughes

    I'm gonna go with the obvious here and say “Does Your Mother Know” is built entirely around that sequenced bass at the beginning that's pretty gosh darn groovy!

  • joelo

    I love “Angeleyes” (along with most of Abba's catalog). The Czars did a wonderful version of it.

  • joelo

    I love “Angeleyes” (along with most of Abba's catalog). The Czars did a wonderful version of it.

  • Pete

    While I don't hate “Angeleyes”, it's always been one of the lesser Abba singles to me. As a kid I loved “Voulez-Vous”, and I still prefer it over the two.

    But I do appreciate this post, as I realized I had never really paid attention to the lyrics of this song until now. They're pretty great.

  • DestinyClontz

    The vocal arrangements are a piece of wonder.
    As the first commentor said, this is material for three songs rolled into one. They change seemlessly from rock to northern soul to disco to “schlager” and back again.

    I think the production could have lived with a bit more sequencer and synths sounds. For my tastes Abbas arrangements tended to be a bit too pedestrian and vintage boogie.
    Despite having a full band, a string section, a moog in overdrive and multiple overdubs, it didn´t sound very contemporary.

    Even Voulez Vous suffered from this, but it had this tough hook which stomped over the whole production.

    Sometimes I think that beside all the vocal and instrumental wizardry Abba were not very strong in the rhythmic section.
    To be blunt: They were pretty un-groovy. White as bread.
    Can someone name me an Abba song which really lives from a strong groove?

  • JohnHughes

    I'm gonna go with the obvious here and say “Does Your Mother Know” is built entirely around that sequenced bass at the beginning that's pretty gosh darn groovy!

  • joelo

    I love “Angeleyes” (along with most of Abba's catalog). The Czars did a wonderful version of it.

  • Pingback: Lost In The ’70s: ABBA, “Hey Hey Helen” | Popdose

  • http://seventiesmusic.net Doc7373

    ABBA kept our so called Disco going back in the day! Only time the patrons would dance was to their music.