Som jag är explained

Som Jag Är
Type:studio
Artist:Agnetha Fältskog
Cover:Agnetha Fältskog - Som Jag Är.jpg
Released:October 1970
Recorded:January – October 1970
Studio:Metronome Studio (present-day Atlantis Studio (sv), Stockholm
Genre:Pop
Length:36:37
Label:Cupol
Producer:
Prev Title:Agnetha Fältskog Vol. 2
Prev Year:1969
Next Title:När en vacker tanke blir en sång
Next Year:1971

Som jag är (English: As I Am) is the third solo album by Swedish pop singer and ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog, released in late 1970.

Album information

The album was co-produced by Little Gerhard (Karl-Gerhard Lundqvist) and Agnetha's boyfriend at the time, Björn Ulvaeus. Recording took place in January 1970 ("Om tårar vore guld") as well as September and October of the same year. All songs were recorded in Metronome Studios, Stockholm. Like on her second album, two of the songs were composed by Agnetha herself ("Om tårar vore guld" and "Jag skall göra allt"), while she wrote the Swedish lyrics to a couple of cover versions. "Jag skall göra allt" was recorded in German as "Tausend Wunder" (Thousand Wonders).

The best known track is "Om tårar vore guld", a Svensktoppen top 3 hit, which was also released as the first single from the album. The song can be regarded as one of her most successful numbers in Sweden before the ABBA period and it was also a highlight in the set of her folk park tour in the summer of 1970. This was in spite of a claim from a Danish composer that she had used 22 bars from his composition "Tema", even though this had been written in the 1950s and had never been recorded. The case dragged on until 1977, when a settlement was reached and Fältskog paid the Dane SEK 5,000.

The album has since been re-issued both on CD, iTunes and vinyl.[1]

Singles

Altogether three singles (one of which being just a promo-single for radio) were released off Agnetha's third album. None of them charted on the official Swedish sales chart Kvällstoppen.The first single, "Om tårar vore guld", features a cover version of "Little Altar Boy" on its b-side, titled "Litet Solskensbarn" (Little Child Of The Sun). The song was recorded together with "Om tårar vore guld" in early 1970, but subsequently left off the album.

Release date A-Side B-Side Label number Swedish charts peak
March 1970 Om tårar vore guld Litet solskensbarn CS 264
1970 Ta det bara med ro Som ett eko CS 272
1971 En sång och en saga Jag ska göra allt CS 275 (radio promo only)

Svensktoppen

Two tracks from "Som jag är" appeared on the important Swedish radio chart Svensktoppen, "Om tårar vore guld" being the most successful, reaching the top 3 and eventually staying on the chart for 15 weeks in the spring of 1970.[2]

Chart entry Title Peak position Time in (weeks)
12 April 1970 Om tårar vore guld
28 March 1971 En sång och en saga

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Record Store Day 2017 Exclusive Releases. Filed under Fältskog, Agneta (sic). Record Store Day Germany. 7 May 2017.
  2. Svensktoppen archiv. http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2023&artikel=454888. Retrieved on 20 May 2011.
  3. Web site: Sverigetopplistan – Sveriges Officiella Topplista. Sverigetopplistan. 28 April 2017. Click on "Veckans albumlista".