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Super Trouper (song)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = Super Trouper

| cover = SUPER TROUPER - single cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = ABBA

| album = Super Trouper

| B-side = The Piper

| released = 3 November 1980

| recorded = 1980

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop Rock, Disco, 1980s music

| length = 4:10

| label = Polar Music, Epic Records (UK)

| writer = Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus

| producer = Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus

| prev_title = On and on and On

| prev_year = 1980

| next_title = Happy New Year

| next_year = 1980

| misc =

}}

"'Super Trouper'" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA, and the title track from their 1980 studio album of the same name, written by Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus. It was released in November 1980 as the album's third single. The song with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad had the working title "Blinka Lilla Stjrna" (i.e. Twinkle Little Star, in Swedish), and was the last track to be written and recorded for the album (ultimately replacing the track "Put On Your White Sombrero").

The song's name refers to the Super Trouper, a make of followspot used in large venues.

Reception



"Super Trouper" is an upbeat pop rock, it has a pop catchy disco 1980s track, it has a continued ABBA's run of chart success, particularly in Europe. It was to become ABBA's ninth (and final) No. 1 in the United Kingdom. This distinction placed ABBA fourth for the most UK chart-toppers in history (behind The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard); a position the group would keep for almost 20 years until Madonna scored her tenth UK No. 1 with "Music" in August 2000. The track was also the fourth biggest selling single in the UK for 1980. "Super Trouper" also topped the charts in Belgium, West Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, and was a Top 10 hit in Austria, Finland, France, Norway, Spain and Switzerland.

Outside of Europe, "Super Trouper" was a more modest hit. In the United States for example, where ABBA never quite managed to achieve the same sort of popularity experienced elsewhere, the single only reached No. 45. However, combined with "Lay All Your Love on Me" and "On and On and On", it topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart in May 1981. The song only reached the lower region of the charts in countries such as Australia and Japan, but did prove successful in Mexico, where it reached No. 3.

The song sold 709,000 copies in United Kingdom in 1980 alone. As of September 2021, it is the group's second biggest song in the country with 1.05 million chart sales, made up of 978,000 pure sales and 38 million streams.UK Official Charts [https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/abbas-official-top-20-biggest-songs__26113/ ABBA's Official Top 20 biggest songs]

Music video



In October 1980, the music video for "Super Trouper" used the largest number of artists that ABBA ever used in a music video, including a full circus troupe. The spotlight featured throughout the video is, in fact, a CCT Silhouette profile spot with followspot kit, as opposed to a real Super Trouper. The city of Glasgow mentioned in the lyric was suggested by Howard Huntridge who worked with their then-UK publishers Bocu Music. The music video was directed by Lasse Hallstrm. Parts of the video were later reused in the clip for the song "Happy New Year" (which also features on the 'Super Trouper' album).

Personnel



* Anni-Frid Lyngstad lead vocals

* Agnetha Fltskog background vocals

* Benny Andersson keyboards, synthesizer, background vocals

* Bjrn Ulvaeus guitar, background vocals

Additional musicians

* Janne Schaffer lead guitar

* Mike Watson bass guitar

* Per Lindvall drums

* ke Sundqvist percussion

Charts



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



Certifications and sales



A-Teens version



"'Super Trouper'" was A-Teens' second single from their first album, 'The ABBA Generation' (1999), a cover of ABBA's song. When the single came out in the fall of 1999, it became a hit around the globe, just as its predecessor "Mamma Mia", also an ABBA cover. "Super Trouper" debuted at No. 2 in Sweden and was later certified platinum.[http://www.ifpi.se/02.images/01.top/02.subnav_pdf/04.guld_platina/pdf/1999.pdf]

It also became their only Top 5 hit in Germany peaking at No. 4. The single also reached No. 21 in the United Kingdom, No. 18 in Switzerland, No. 15 in Norway, No. 11 in Austria and No. 12 in the Netherlands.

Music video

The music video was directed by Sebastian Reed and was filmed in Sweden. The video shows a girl so obsessed with the band that she owns posters, magazines, mugs, clothing, and a key chain. She also copies the band's choreography that is shown on TV. Some of the articles that feature pictures of the band come to life in the video.

In the first few seconds of the video, before the actual song starts, 'Mamma Mia' can be faintly heard in the background.

The video was a hit in most TV stations charting inside the Top 10 countdowns in late 1999 and early 2000.

Releases

* 'European 2-track CD single'

#"Super Trouper" (Radio Version) 3:52

#"Super Trouper" (Super Radio Remix) 4:04

* 'European CD Maxi'

#"Super Trouper" (Radio Version) 3:52

#"Super Trouper" (Super Super Remix) 8:58

#"Super Trouper" (Pinocchio Remix) 5:08

#"Super Trouper" (Extended Version) 6:05

* 'German CD Maxi' (3 January 2000)

#"Super Trouper" (Radio Version) 3:52

#"Super Trouper" (Perre J's Remix) 4:04

#"Happy New Year" 4:23

#"Mamma Mia" (Radio Version) 3:43

:*Video: "Mamma Mia"

* 'UK CD1' (22 November 1999)

#"Super Trouper" (Radio Version) 3:52

#"A*Teens Medley" (Pierre J's Full UK Mix) 7:27

#"Super Trouper" (Karaoke Version) 3:52

:*Video: "Super Trouper"

* 'UK CD2' (22 November 1999)

#"Super Trouper" (Extended Version) 6:05

#"Super Trouper" (W.I.P.) 6:10

#"Super Trouper" (The Bold & The Glamour Mix) 6:50

* 'UK Cassette' (22 November 1999)

#"Super Trouper" (Radio Version) 3:52

#"Super Trouper" (Karaoke Version) 3:52

* 'Japan CD Maxi' (1 December 1999)

#"Super Trouper" (Radio Version) 3:52

#"Happy New Year" 4:23

#"Super Trouper" (Super Super Remix) 8:58

#"Super Trouper" (Extended Version) 6:05

* 'Sweden promo CD'

#"Super Trouper" (Radio Version) 3:52

* '12" vinyl promo (1-track)'

# A. "Super Trouper" (Extended Version) 6:05

* 'UK 12" vinyl promo (3-track)' (22 November 1999)

# A1. "Super Trouper" (Extended Version) 6:05

# B1. "Super Trouper" (The Bold & The Glamour Mix) 6:50

# B2. "Super Trouper" (W.I.P.) 6:10

Charts



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' version



'Super Trouper' was released on 13 July 2018, alongside the soundtrack of 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again', by Capitol and Polydor Records. The song is performed by the whole main cast (Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Cher, Dominic Cooper, Alexa Davies, Josh Dylan, Colin Firth, Andy Garca, Jeremy Irvine, Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgrd, Hugh Skinner, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and Jessica Keenan Wynn) and it was produced by Benny Andersson. The song was also performed in the first film by Streep, Baranski, and Walters.

Charts



Appearances in other media



*The song is performed in the 'Mamma Mia!' stage musical, as well as the 2008 film adaptation. In the musical and film, Donna, Tanya and Rosie perform the song at Sophie's hen party dressed in the tight lycra suits they used to wear when they were a girl band called "Donna and the Dynamos". In the context of the musical, it explains that even though Donna has a hard life sometimes, all she has to know to feel better is that Sophie is there. When Niklas Strmstedt wrote lyrics for the Swedish staging of the musical, "Glasgow" was replaced by "Grnna" as the place from which the singer calls in the lyrics.

The song was also played in the background during a Top Gear segment on the Saab 9-5. After mentioning that the car was from Sweden, Jeremy Clarkson mentioned that ABBA was from Sweden as-well before the song played.

References



Category:1980 songs

Category:1980 singles

Category:ABBA songs

Category:Songs written by Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus

Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles

Category:Number-one singles in Germany

Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles

Category:Number-one singles in Belgium

Category:Number-one singles in Zimbabwe

Category:1999 singles

Category:A-Teens songs

Category:Glasgow

Category:Music videos directed by Lasse Hallstrm

Category:Polar Music singles

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:Universal Music Group singles

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