The Visitors
Encyclopedia
The Visitors is the eighth and final studio album by Swedish
pop
group ABBA
, released on November 30, 1981.
With The Visitors, ABBA took several steps away from the "lighter" pop music they had recorded previously and the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort. The opening track, "The Visitors
", with its ominous synthesizer sounds and the distinctive lead vocal by Frida
, announced a change in musical style. With Benny and Frida going their separate ways, the pain of splitting up was explored yet again in "When All is Said and Done
". The major hit single on the album, "One of Us
" also depicted the end of a love story. Elsewhere there were current cold war themes—highly topical at the time—and further songs of isolation and regret.
The Visitors album was one of the first records to be recorded and mixed digitally, and was the first in history to be manufactured on the new CD
format in 1982 on Atlantic. The Visitors has been reissued in digitally remastered form three times—first in 1997, then in 2001 and again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set.
and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
, recording began on what was to become ABBA's final studio album on 16 March 1981. Only one month had passed since their divorce when the group entered the studio.
The members of ABBA and their personnel have memories of the recording sessions for this album being rather difficult. To begin with, their sound engineer Michael Tretow
had to become accustomed to using the new 32-track digital recorder that had been purchased for Polar Music Studios. He said, "Digital recording...cut out all the hiss, but it also meant that sounds were sharply cut off below a certain level. The sound simply became too clean, so I had to find ways of compensating for that." The first three tracks for the album had already been recorded using analogue tape and therefore Tretow had to transfer all subsequent tracks from digital to analogue and back again to avoid a difference in quality.
Ulvaeus also mentioned in retrospect that the recording sessions were troubled. "It could be frosty sometimes," he acknowledged in an interview. Lyngstad also commented that they were beginning to tire of working together.
On its release, The Visitors reached the top of the charts in a number of territories but was not as successful as their previous albums.
Group managed to sell 4 000 000 copy to the end of 1982.
: "The inevitable culmination of introspection, experience and fantasy into a marriage of music and words that is Abba's first true masterpiece – song after song... Abba and pop music at its endearing best."
Trouser Press
: "Its high points must be the sort of thing you hear in heaven..."
New Musical Express
: "The Visitors" provokes...thoughts after you drift away with those exquisite harmonies..."
Los Angeles Times
: "Biggest departure to date from the bubbly, sprightly pop sound which first brought [them] fame in the mid-70s...While rich, sophisticated music isn't as instantly accessible as Abba's past hits, in the end it's just as rewarding....Abba's thoughtful treatment of mature themes here shows impressive growth..."
Creem
: "Abba feel. Abba are socially concerned. In fact, Abba take things so seriously and react to life and love with such overwhelming intensity that Ingmar Bergman would do well to sign them on for a soundtrack."
Melody Maker
: "Music like this is a juke box dream, golden sparkle and inspiration that's instantly singable yet lasts a virtual lifetime..."
A negative review came from Rolling Stone
magazine's reviewer who sorely missed ABBA's upbeat tunes: "The boys and girls of Abba are in a slump. Synth-drenched, melodramatic balladeering seems to have supplanted almost entirely the perky pop."
Even more intriguing, however, was that the reviews of The Visitors now freely included references to "[The] Beatles' psychedelic harmonies, moods and textures", "George Harrison's beguiling eastern charms", and "Steven Sondheim's dark melodies". It reflected further shifting of critical attitudes towards the essence of ABBA's music.
's painting of Eros. The room is the Atelje Studio in Skansen
Park, Stockholm. The group are positioned apart and appear to be waiting solemnly in the shadows.
& Björn Ulvaeus
.
Side A:
Side B:
B-sides:
(P) 1981 Polar Music International AB, Stockholm
& Björn Ulvaeus
.
The Visitors CD version of the 2005 edition of The Complete Studio Recordings
box set
Bonus tracks
(P) 1981 Polar Music International AB (1–12).
(P) 1982 Polar Music International AB (13–16).
The songs "No Hay a Quien Culpar
" and "Se Me Está Escapando
" translation into Spanish Buddy McCluskey and Mary McCluskey.
The Visitors album was also released and remastered in 1997 with a bonus "Should I Laugh or Cry
", "The Day Before You Came
", "Cassandra
" and "Under Attack
". 2001, a new mastering with bonuses "Should I Laugh or Cry", "The Day Before You Came", "Under Attack" and "You Owe Me One".
The Visitors was reissued once again in 2008 as part of the The Albums
box set but without any bonus tracks.
Additional personnel
A song sung in Swedish, recorded as a tribute to Stig Anderson's 50th birthday in 1981, and released on a limited amount of singles for the guests attending the party only. The title is a play on words; Hova is the small village in Västergötland in which Anderson was born, and Vittne is a reference to Jehovah's Witnesses. The song includes a four bar passage that was later used in the Chess ouverture "Merano".
"Tivedshambo" is an instrumental recording of Stig Anderson's first published song, recorded in 1981. It is the B-side of "Hovas vittne".
An instrumental track recorded in 1981 with a different bridge. A version with vocals featured a more emotional repetition of the first verse after the third, making the track 4:20 instead of 3:15. When the video was released in 1981 it featured another alternate version with a different ending.
An instrumental track that later was used in "Anthem" from the musical Chess. The song is well known as "Opus 10" among ABBA fans due a misunderstanding made by a journalist.
An instrumental demo track recorded in 1981. Later the song was included in the musical ABBAcadabra and recorded by B. A. Robertson with the slightly altered title '(I Am) The Seeker'. The melody to the chorus was later used by Benny Andersson in the song 'Upp Till Dig' from his 2007 album, BAO 3.
A short instrumental track written for the Ice Hockey World Championship hosted by Sweden in 1981. Used as the jingle/opening theme for the television special Dick Cavett Meets ABBA aired later in 1981.
This early version has slightly different lyrics, and is sung from a first person perspective (I have what you might call a simple occupation/I clean the toilets of the local railway station/With no romance in my life/Sometimes I wish I had a knife).[40][42]
Another early demo version of "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room". The song had an operatic feel to it, with shared lead vocals by Agnetha & Frida. Also, the song had a full backing band instead of the synth only backing that eventually became "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room".
According to The Official Charts Company, the album spent 18 consecutive weeks in the Top 40 from 19 December 1981 to 3 April 1982. It went straight into the Top 40 at Number One.
Weekly chart positions from 19 December 1981 to 3 April 1982:
1-1-1-2-3-4-6-11-15-21-19-21-19-26-25-28-28-37
Singles (Australian Singles Chart)
Singles (New Zealand Singles Chart)
Singles (Norwegian Singles Chart)
Singles (Swedish Singles Chart)
Singles (UK Singles Chart)
Singles Billboard (North America)
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, released on November 30, 1981.
With The Visitors, ABBA took several steps away from the "lighter" pop music they had recorded previously and the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort. The opening track, "The Visitors
The Visitors (song)
"The Visitors", originally "Den första" , was the final single release from Swedish pop group ABBA's studio album of the same name, released in the United States in 1982...
", with its ominous synthesizer sounds and the distinctive lead vocal by Frida
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
, announced a change in musical style. With Benny and Frida going their separate ways, the pain of splitting up was explored yet again in "When All is Said and Done
When All Is Said and Done (song)
"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
". The major hit single on the album, "One of Us
One of Us (ABBA song)
"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
" also depicted the end of a love story. Elsewhere there were current cold war themes—highly topical at the time—and further songs of isolation and regret.
The Visitors album was one of the first records to be recorded and mixed digitally, and was the first in history to be manufactured on the new CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
format in 1982 on Atlantic. The Visitors has been reissued in digitally remastered form three times—first in 1997, then in 2001 and again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set.
Recording and release
Following the divorce of Benny AnderssonBenny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
, recording began on what was to become ABBA's final studio album on 16 March 1981. Only one month had passed since their divorce when the group entered the studio.
The members of ABBA and their personnel have memories of the recording sessions for this album being rather difficult. To begin with, their sound engineer Michael Tretow
Michael B. Tretow
Bo Michael Tretow is a swedish record producer and audio engineer, Musician and composer, best known for his work with Swedish pop group ABBA , and with the musical Chess. Tretow experimented with different recording techniques, and played an essential part in creating the famous "ABBA-sound"...
had to become accustomed to using the new 32-track digital recorder that had been purchased for Polar Music Studios. He said, "Digital recording...cut out all the hiss, but it also meant that sounds were sharply cut off below a certain level. The sound simply became too clean, so I had to find ways of compensating for that." The first three tracks for the album had already been recorded using analogue tape and therefore Tretow had to transfer all subsequent tracks from digital to analogue and back again to avoid a difference in quality.
Ulvaeus also mentioned in retrospect that the recording sessions were troubled. "It could be frosty sometimes," he acknowledged in an interview. Lyngstad also commented that they were beginning to tire of working together.
On its release, The Visitors reached the top of the charts in a number of territories but was not as successful as their previous albums.
Group managed to sell 4 000 000 copy to the end of 1982.
Reviews
BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
: "The inevitable culmination of introspection, experience and fantasy into a marriage of music and words that is Abba's first true masterpiece – song after song... Abba and pop music at its endearing best."
Trouser Press
Trouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...
: "Its high points must be the sort of thing you hear in heaven..."
New Musical Express
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
: "The Visitors" provokes...thoughts after you drift away with those exquisite harmonies..."
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
: "Biggest departure to date from the bubbly, sprightly pop sound which first brought [them] fame in the mid-70s...While rich, sophisticated music isn't as instantly accessible as Abba's past hits, in the end it's just as rewarding....Abba's thoughtful treatment of mature themes here shows impressive growth..."
Creem
Creem
Creem , "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a glossy tabloid...
: "Abba feel. Abba are socially concerned. In fact, Abba take things so seriously and react to life and love with such overwhelming intensity that Ingmar Bergman would do well to sign them on for a soundtrack."
Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
: "Music like this is a juke box dream, golden sparkle and inspiration that's instantly singable yet lasts a virtual lifetime..."
A negative review came from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's reviewer who sorely missed ABBA's upbeat tunes: "The boys and girls of Abba are in a slump. Synth-drenched, melodramatic balladeering seems to have supplanted almost entirely the perky pop."
Even more intriguing, however, was that the reviews of The Visitors now freely included references to "[The] Beatles' psychedelic harmonies, moods and textures", "George Harrison's beguiling eastern charms", and "Steven Sondheim's dark melodies". It reflected further shifting of critical attitudes towards the essence of ABBA's music.
Album cover
Rune Söderqvist designed the cover and photographed the group in a room containing Julius KronbergJulius Kronberg
Julius Kronberg, Swedish painter, 1850 - 1921.Julius Kronberg received education at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm in the 1860s. A travel scholarship brought him to Paris via Düsseldorf and Copenhagen. He stayed in München where he continued studying before settling in Rome in 1877...
's painting of Eros. The room is the Atelje Studio in Skansen
Skansen
Skansen is the first open air museum and zoo in Sweden and is located on the island Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era....
Park, Stockholm. The group are positioned apart and appear to be waiting solemnly in the shadows.
LP track listing
All songs written and composed by Benny AnderssonBenny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
& Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
.
Side A:
- "The Visitors (Crackin' Up)The Visitors (song)"The Visitors", originally "Den första" , was the final single release from Swedish pop group ABBA's studio album of the same name, released in the United States in 1982...
" – 5:49 - "Head Over Heels" – 3:45
- "When All Is Said and DoneWhen All Is Said and Done (song)"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
" – 3:20 - "Soldiers" – 4:38
Side B:
- "I Let the Music Speak" – 5:20
- "One of UsOne of Us (ABBA song)"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
" – 3:55 - "Two for the Price of One" – 3:36
- "Slipping Through My FingersSlipping Through My Fingers"Slipping Through My Fingers" is a song written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA from their 1981 album, The Visitors, with lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog...
" – 3:51 - "Like An Angel Passing Through My RoomLike An Angel Passing Through My RoomUnlike many other ABBA songs, the final mix of the track was sparsely produced - the entire track consisting of the soloist's vocals, synthesized strings, and a music box melody...
" – 3:25
B-sides:
- "Should I Laugh or CryOne of Us (ABBA song)"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
" – 4:29
(P) 1981 Polar Music International AB, Stockholm
- "Should I Laugh or CryOne of Us (ABBA song)"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
" was recorded for the album The Visitors, but was eventually eliminated from the album. It was, however, released as the B-side for the singles "One of UsOne of Us (ABBA song)"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
" and "When All Is Said and DoneWhen All Is Said and Done (song)"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
".
CD re-issues, bonus tracks
All songs written and composed by Benny AnderssonBenny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
& Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
.
The Visitors CD version of the 2005 edition of The Complete Studio Recordings
The Complete Studio Recordings (ABBA album)
The Complete Studio Recordings is a box set of all of the studio material released by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on 7 November 2005 and consists of 9 CDs and 2 DVDs, plus a full colour booklet with timeline and photos. Another booklet containing the complete lyrics was also...
box set
- "The Visitors (Crackin' Up)The Visitors (song)"The Visitors", originally "Den första" , was the final single release from Swedish pop group ABBA's studio album of the same name, released in the United States in 1982...
" – 5:45 - "Head Over Heels" – 3:47
- "When All Is Said and DoneWhen All Is Said and Done (song)"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
" – 3:17 - "Soldiers" – 4:38
- "I Let the Music Speak" – 5:19
- "One of UsOne of Us (ABBA song)"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
" – 3:55 - "Two For the Price of One" – 3:36
- "Slipping Through My FingersSlipping Through My Fingers"Slipping Through My Fingers" is a song written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA from their 1981 album, The Visitors, with lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog...
" – 3:53 - "Like An Angel Passing Through My RoomLike An Angel Passing Through My RoomUnlike many other ABBA songs, the final mix of the track was sparsely produced - the entire track consisting of the soloist's vocals, synthesized strings, and a music box melody...
" – 3:34
Bonus tracks
- "Should I Laugh or CryOne of Us (ABBA song)"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
" – 4:30 - "No Hay a Quien CulparWhen All Is Said and Done (song)"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
" (Spanish version of "When All Is Said and DoneWhen All Is Said and Done (song)"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
") – 3:12 - "Se Me Está EscapandoSlipping Through My Fingers"Slipping Through My Fingers" is a song written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA from their 1981 album, The Visitors, with lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog...
" (Spanish version of "Slipping Through My FingersSlipping Through My Fingers"Slipping Through My Fingers" is a song written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA from their 1981 album, The Visitors, with lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog...
") – 3:52 - "The Day Before You CameThe Day Before You Came"The Day Before You Came" is a song recorded and released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in October 1982, as the first new song from ABBA's double compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years...
" – 5:50 - "CassandraThe Day Before You Came"The Day Before You Came" is a song recorded and released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in October 1982, as the first new song from ABBA's double compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years...
" – 4:52 - "Under AttackUnder Attack"Under Attack" is the latest widely-released single by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured as a track on the 1982 compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years, but was released as a single the following year in most countries. In the United Kingdom however, it was released on...
" – 3:45 - "You Owe Me One" – 3:26
(P) 1981 Polar Music International AB (1–12).
(P) 1982 Polar Music International AB (13–16).
- Songs 1–12 digitally recorded and mixed March 16–November 24, 1981 at Polar Music Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Songs 13–16 digitally recorded and mixed May 3–August 26, 1982 at Polar Music Studios, Stockholm, Sweden scheduled for 9th studio album, which was finally completed, and these songs were released as singles October 18, 1982 "The Day Before You CameThe Day Before You Came"The Day Before You Came" is a song recorded and released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in October 1982, as the first new song from ABBA's double compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years...
"/"CassandraThe Day Before You Came"The Day Before You Came" is a song recorded and released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in October 1982, as the first new song from ABBA's double compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years...
" and February 21, 1983 "Under AttackUnder Attack"Under Attack" is the latest widely-released single by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured as a track on the 1982 compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years, but was released as a single the following year in most countries. In the United Kingdom however, it was released on...
"/"You Owe Me One". - Songs 11–12 are from the Spanish and Latin American version of the album.
The songs "No Hay a Quien Culpar
When All Is Said and Done (song)
"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
" and "Se Me Está Escapando
Slipping Through My Fingers
"Slipping Through My Fingers" is a song written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA from their 1981 album, The Visitors, with lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog...
" translation into Spanish Buddy McCluskey and Mary McCluskey.
The Visitors album was also released and remastered in 1997 with a bonus "Should I Laugh or Cry
One of Us (ABBA song)
"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
", "The Day Before You Came
The Day Before You Came
"The Day Before You Came" is a song recorded and released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in October 1982, as the first new song from ABBA's double compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years...
", "Cassandra
The Day Before You Came
"The Day Before You Came" is a song recorded and released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in October 1982, as the first new song from ABBA's double compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years...
" and "Under Attack
Under Attack
"Under Attack" is the latest widely-released single by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured as a track on the 1982 compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years, but was released as a single the following year in most countries. In the United Kingdom however, it was released on...
". 2001, a new mastering with bonuses "Should I Laugh or Cry", "The Day Before You Came", "Under Attack" and "You Owe Me One".
The Visitors was reissued once again in 2008 as part of the The Albums
The Albums
The Albums is a box set of recordings by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on November 11, 2008 through Universal Music. The box set includes nine discs, the first eight are all of the original studio albums the way they were originally released between 1973 and 1981 while the ninth disc...
box set but without any bonus tracks.
Singles
- "One of Us"/"Should I Laugh or Cry" (December 1981)
- "When All is Said and Done"/"Soldiers" (December 1981)
- "Head Over Heels"/"The Visitors" (February 1982)
- "The Visitors" (single edit)/"Head Over Heels" (March 1982)
Personnel
ABBA- Benny AnderssonBenny AnderssonGöran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
– synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, backing vocals and Drum machineDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
on ("Givin' A Little Bit More" and "The Day Before You Came") - Agnetha FältskogAgnetha FältskogAgnetha Åse Fältskog is a Swedish recording artist. She achieved success in Sweden after the release of her début album Agnetha Fältskog in 1968, and reached international stardom as a member of the pop group ABBA, which to date has sold over 375 million records worldwide, making it the fourth...
– vocals, backing vocals - Anni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
– vocals, backing vocals - Björn UlvaeusBjörn UlvaeusBjörn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
– acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Ola BrunkertOla BrunkertOla Brunkert was one of the main session drummers for ABBA. Brunkert and bassist Rutger Gunnarsson are the only two side musicians to appear on every ABBA album....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Rutger Gunnarsson – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Janne Kling – fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... - Per Lindvall – drums (on "Soldiers" and "The Visitors")
- Åke Sundqvist – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- The Three Boys (Rutger Gunnarsson, Björn UlvaeusBjörn UlvaeusBjörn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
, Lasse Wellander) – mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Lasse Wellander – acoustic guitar, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Production
- Producers: Benny AnderssonBenny AnderssonGöran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
, Björn UlvaeusBjörn UlvaeusBjörn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!... - Arrangers: Benny AnderssonBenny AnderssonGöran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
, Björn UlvaeusBjörn UlvaeusBjörn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!... - Engineer: Michael B. Tretow
- Design: Rune Söderqvist
- Remastered for the 1997 Remasters by Jon Astley and Tim Young with Michael B. Tretow
- Remastered for the 2001 Remasters by Jon Astley with Michael B. Tretow
- Remastered for the 2005 Complete Studio Recordings Box Set by Henrik Jonsson
Non Album Tracks
- "Hovas vittne"
A song sung in Swedish, recorded as a tribute to Stig Anderson's 50th birthday in 1981, and released on a limited amount of singles for the guests attending the party only. The title is a play on words; Hova is the small village in Västergötland in which Anderson was born, and Vittne is a reference to Jehovah's Witnesses. The song includes a four bar passage that was later used in the Chess ouverture "Merano".
"Tivedshambo" is an instrumental recording of Stig Anderson's first published song, recorded in 1981. It is the B-side of "Hovas vittne".
- "When All Is Said and Done" (Demo version and various mixes)
An instrumental track recorded in 1981 with a different bridge. A version with vocals featured a more emotional repetition of the first verse after the third, making the track 4:20 instead of 3:15. When the video was released in 1981 it featured another alternate version with a different ending.
- "Nationalsång"
An instrumental track that later was used in "Anthem" from the musical Chess. The song is well known as "Opus 10" among ABBA fans due a misunderstanding made by a journalist.
- "I Am a Musician"
An instrumental demo track recorded in 1981. Later the song was included in the musical ABBAcadabra and recorded by B. A. Robertson with the slightly altered title '(I Am) The Seeker'. The melody to the chorus was later used by Benny Andersson in the song 'Upp Till Dig' from his 2007 album, BAO 3.
- "Fanfare for Icehockey World Championships '81"
A short instrumental track written for the Ice Hockey World Championship hosted by Sweden in 1981. Used as the jingle/opening theme for the television special Dick Cavett Meets ABBA aired later in 1981.
- "Two for the Price of One" (Early demo version)
This early version has slightly different lyrics, and is sung from a first person perspective (I have what you might call a simple occupation/I clean the toilets of the local railway station/With no romance in my life/Sometimes I wish I had a knife).[40][42]
- "Givin’ a Little Bit More" is a demo recorded in 1981 with lead vocals by Ulvaeus. On this song they didn't make a drummer play, but used a Linn LM-1 drum machine. An excerpt of this track was released in the box set Thank You for the Music.
- "An Angel's Passing Through My Room" is an early demo version of "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room" with both Frida and Agnetha on lead vocals. The track was at some point arranged and mixed in the disco-style of "Lay All Your Love On Me" and later heavily reworked.
- "Another Morning Without You"
Another early demo version of "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room". The song had an operatic feel to it, with shared lead vocals by Agnetha & Frida. Also, the song had a full backing band instead of the synth only backing that eventually became "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room".
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Australian Albums Chart | 22 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 3 | |
| Belgian Albums Chart | 1 | |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 1 | |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 3 | |
| French Albums Chart | 12 | |
| Italian Albums Chart | 35 | |
| Japanese Albums Chart | 12 | |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 38 | |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 19 | |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 1 | |
| South African Albums Chart | 3 | |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 6 | |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 1 | |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 1 | |
| UK Albums Chart | 1 | |
| West German Albums Chart | 1 | |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | |
| Canada | 18 | |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 29 | |
UK Chart Position by Week
According to The Official Charts Company, the album spent 18 consecutive weeks in the Top 40 from 19 December 1981 to 3 April 1982. It went straight into the Top 40 at Number One.
Weekly chart positions from 19 December 1981 to 3 April 1982:
1-1-1-2-3-4-6-11-15-21-19-21-19-26-25-28-28-37
Singles (Australian Singles Chart)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "One of Us" | Australian Singles Chart | 4 |
| "When All Is Said and Done" | 81 |
Singles (New Zealand Singles Chart)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "One of Us" | New Zealand Singles Chart | 43 |
Singles (Norwegian Singles Chart)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "One of Us" | Norwegian Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... Singles Chart |
6 |
Singles (Swedish Singles Chart)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "One of Us" | Swedish Singles Chart | 2 |
Singles (UK Singles Chart)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "One of Us" | UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| 1982 | "Head Over Heels" | 25 | |
Singles Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "When All Is Said and Done" | Adult Contemporary | 10 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 27 | ||
| "The Visitors"/"When All Is Said and Done" | Club Play Singles | 8 | |
| "The Visitors" | Billboard Hot 100 | 63 | |
| 1983 | "One of Us" | Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 107 |
| Adult Contemporary | 33 | ||