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Abba-esque
EP by Erasure
Released	June 1, 1992 (UK) June 30, 1992 (US)
Recorded	1991
Genre	Synthpop
Length	17:46
Label	Mute Records
Producer	David Bascombe
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Erasure chronology
Chorus (1991) Abba-esque (1992) Pop! - the First 20 Hits (1992)
Erasure singles chronology
"Breath of Life" (1991) "Take a Chance on Me" (1992) "Who Needs Love Like That (Hamburg Mix)" (1992) Cover art for Erasure's Abba-esque remix EP

Abba-esque is an EP by Erasure. It scored their first number one on the UK singles chart with the release in 1992. Always big fans of the Swedish quartet ABBA, performing various songs in concert for years, Erasure (Vince Clarke and Andy Bell) released this four-song covers EP, which was originally intended as a full album.

The name "Abba-esque" means "in the style of ABBA", similar to the way in which "Pythonesque" means "in the style of Monty Python"^[1].

Background

Mute Records released Abba-esque in the UK, while Elektra Records released it in the US.

Many^[who-] credit this EP release as a major catalyst for a revival of ABBA's music in the 1990s. The greatest hits album ABBA Gold would be released by the end of the summer, and the coming years saw a heavy emphasis on ABBA music in the Australian motion pictures Muriel's Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. By the decade's end, the musical Mamma Mia! had opened in the West End.

At the time, EPs were eligible for the singles chart in the UK. After peaking at number two twice (with "Sometimes" and Crackers International), Erasure hit number one with this release and it remained there for five weeks. In Germany the EP climbed to number two. In the U.S., where EPs chart on the Billboard 200, Abba-esque peaked at number eighty-five. Although never officially released as a single, the song "Take a Chance on Me" received significant radio play in the U.S. At the time, Billboard Hot 100 policy prevented songs not released as singles from entering the chart, although the track did hit number fifty-one on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. In Sweden the EP peaked at number 1 staying there for six consecutive weeks.

A remix EP was also released by Mute in the UK which featured the same four songs.

The release of the Abba-esque EP in due course precipitated the release of a similar EP, Erasure-ish, by ABBA tribute band Björn Again, which featured two Erasure tracks ("A Little Respect" and "Stop!") performed in the style of ABBA as an answer record.

The Abba-esque remix EP was reissued by Mute August 10, 2009 (2009-08-10) as a digital download, catalogue number LiMute144.

Track listing

Abba-esque

1. Lay All Your Love on Me (B. Andersson / B. Ulvaeus)
2. SOS (S. Anderson / B. Andersson/B. Ulvaeus)
3. Take a Chance on Me (B. Andersson / B. Ulvaeus)
4. Voulez-Vous (B. Andersson / B. Ulvaeus)

Abba-esque - The Remixes

1. Voulez-Vous (Brain Stem Death Test Mix) (remixed by Fortran 5)
2. Lay All Your Love on Me (No Panties Mix) (remixed by Fortran 5)
3. Take a Chance on Me (Take a Trance on Me Mix) (remixed by Philip Kelsey)
4. SOS (Perimeter Mix) (remix by Chris & Cosey)

References