ABBA – Voulez-Vous

“Voulez-Vous” – Single by ABBA from the album Voulez-Vous
B-side “Angeleyes”
Released 6 July 1979
Label Polar, Atlantic
Songwriters Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Producers Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Charted No.1 in Belgium; No.3 in Ireland, No.3 in UK, No.80 in US; No.14 in West Germany.

Video: Live performance from ABBA’s 1979-80 tour of North America and Europe

Besides the song’s title (which is French for “Do you want”), this song also contains the line “La question c’est voulez-vous,” which means “The question is do you want” in French.

The working title for this song was “Amerika.”

A songwriting trip to the Bahamas saw the birth of this melody, and the proximity to Miami made it convenient to record the backing track at Criteria Studios with members of the disco group Foxy. “Voulez-Vous” is the only ABBA song (other than live recordings) to be recorded outside of Sweden, additionally the use of the Phrygian dominant scale marks it as very unusual as a pop song and gives it a unique sound.

Compared to ABBA’s hits both before and after, “Voulez-Vous” was not a major hit for the group. It did top the charts in Belgium, while reaching the Top 3 in Great Britain, Ireland and The Netherlands. It also peaked at No. 9 in France, Spain and Switzerland.