Maps of Music

Arrival (1976)

Where the lyrics of Arrival take you, and where it was really made.

ABBA's fourth album started as a track called "Boogaloo" before it became "Dancing Queen", the group's biggest hit.

Key places

Recording studio in Stockholm (1976)

Recording site Master Plan — The album was recorded at Metronome and Glen studios in Stockholm, from August 1975 to September 1976. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Arrival: fourth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA
• Originally released in Sweden on 11 October 1976 by Polar Records
• One of ABBA's most successful albums to date
• Produced hits "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You"
• "Fernando" included on the Australian and New Zealand versions
• Best-selling album of 1977 in the United Kingdom
• Selected in 2024 for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress

Background

• By August 1975, ABBA had modest success around the world
• With Arrival, the group achieved global superstardom
• "Boogaloo" was the first song to enter the studio, on 4 August 1975
• Backing track inspired by the disco sound, especially George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby"
• Later rewritten with new lyrics and retitled "Dancing Queen"
• "Fernando" was recorded in Swedish for Anni-Frid Lyngstad's solo album Frida ensam
• In March 1976, "Fernando" was rewritten in English and released as an ABBA single, reaching No.1 in many countries
• "Knowing Me, Knowing You" was begun in late March 1976
• "Money, Money, Money" was worked into "Gypsy Girl" and then reverted to its original title
• June 1976: a TV special dedicated to the group, ABBA-dabba-dooo!!, was filmed
• "Tiger" and "Dum Dum Diddle" were recorded by late July
• "My Love My Life" was originally a more upbeat song titled "Monsieur Monsieur"
• The final track recorded was the instrumental "Ode to Dalecarlia", renamed "Arrival"

Recording

• Sessions ran from August 1975 to September 1976 at Metronome and Glen studios in Stockholm
• Work on the album was finished by September 1976
• Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were the producers and arrangers
• Michael B. Tretow was the engineer

Cover

• Cover shots show the group posing in and out of a Bell 47 helicopter at Barkarby Airport, northwest of Stockholm
• The "mirrored-B" ABBA logo, an ambigram designed by Rune Söderqvist in 1976, debuted on this cover

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
• Their name is an acronym of the members' first names; it was officially adopted in 1973.
• Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson first collaborated as songwriters in 1966 and became hit writers in 1969.
• Stig Anderson, founder of Polar Music, pushed the pair toward international success.

Members

• Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus were married from 1971 to 1980.
• Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were married from 1978 to 1981.
• Fältskog sang lead and backing vocals; Lyngstad sang lead and backing vocals.
• Ulvaeus played guitar and sang; Andersson played keyboards and sang.

Career

• The group won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 for Sweden with "Waterloo".
• Hits include "Dancing Queen", "Fernando", "Mamma Mia" and "The Winner Takes It All".
• They disbanded in December 1982 after their final public performance.
• ABBA Gold, released in 1992, became a worldwide best-seller.
• Mamma Mia! the stage musical premiered in 1999 and was adapted into a 2008 film.
• The group reunited in 2016 and released the album Voyage in 2021.
• ABBA Voyage, a concert residency with digital avatars, opened in London in May 2022.
• In 2024 all four members were appointed Commanders, First Class, of the Royal Order of Vasa.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Rolling Stone critic Ken Tucker panned the album
• Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave it a "C"
• Record Mirror gave it five stars and called it "their best yet"
• Record Mirror singled out "Arrival", "My Love My Life" and "Money Money Money" as excellent
• Reviews at release were mixed

Reappraisal

• AllMusic editor Bruce Eder found the material brilliant in his review of the 2001 Universal reissue
• Eder praised the upgraded sound of that reissue
• The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) recommended the Universal reissue to consumers

Records

• Best-selling album of 1977 in the United Kingdom
• Top-selling album of 1977 in West Germany as well
• Certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
• Included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
• Re-entered the UK album charts at No.94 for the week of 3 August 2018, its first UK chart reappearance since 1979
• Selected in 2024 for the United States National Recording Registry

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• "Boogaloo", the first song recorded for the album on 4 August 1975, later became "Dancing Queen".
• "Fernando" was added to the Australian and New Zealand releases of the album, adding more than 4 minutes of playtime to Side two.
• The album cover was shot with the group posing in and out of a Bell 47 helicopter at Barkarby Airport.
• The mirrored-B ABBA logo, designed by Rune Söderqvist in 1976, first appeared on this album cover.
• "That's Me" was released as a single in Japan only.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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