Nina, Pretty Ballerina


"Nina, Pretty Ballerina" is a song recorded in November 1972 by Swedish pop group ABBA and released on their debut album Ring Ring.

Background

"Nina, Pretty Ballerina" is a third-person story song written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The song describes a mundane lifestyle of a young woman who works at an office, but on a Friday night, she transforms and lives her dream on the dancefloor.
The initial recording took place on 17 October 1972 alongside "He Is Your Brother" in Europa Film Studios, Stockholm, but the end result of this song was unsatisfactory. The song was re-recorded in 2 November 1972 at Kungliga Musikhögskolan, Stockholm’s Royal College of Music. This is considered to be the first ABBA song to have the ABBA sound, where Agnetha Fältskog and Frida Lyngstad have lead vocals in unison.
Several sound effects are used including a train whistle and cheering. Andersson and sound engineer Michael B. Tretow pioneered a technique similar to Vari-speed, where the song tape had been slowed down and the piano score had been overlaid. With the song back in the original speed, this resulted in the instrument being sped up, so fast that it would not be possible to play.
"Nina, Pretty Ballerina" was released on 7" vinyl record in France in October 1973 without any chart success. After radio success in Austria, the song was released in February 1974, serving as the seventh and final single from the band's debut album Ring Ring. The single reached #8 on the singles chart in Austria.

Personnel

Additional musicians

Covers

  • The song was covered in Swedish, titled "Nina Fina Ballerina," in 1974 by several groups including Jigs, Sewes and singer Dick Zetterlund. The version by Sewes reached number 5 in the Svensktoppen charts on 27 October 1974.