The Visitors (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Visitors", originally "Den första" (meaning "The First"), was the final single release from Swedish
pop group ABBA
's studio album of the same name, released in the United States
in 1982. The lead vocal was sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad
and its mix of psychedelic, Indian-flavoured verse melody and 1980s synth rock in the chorus, was an unusual and intriguing step for ABBA.
at the time, as ABBA seemed to input political issues into their lyrics in the final days of the group. That said, Björn deliberately made the lyrics obscure enough to be open to other interpretations.
In 1982, the album The Visitors
was banned from the Soviet Union, though it is likely due to the band's participation on the United States Information Agency
television special, Let Poland Be Poland, broadcast via satellite around the world on January 31, 1982. The show, which also featured Frank Sinatra
, Paul McCartney
, Orson Welles
, Henry Fonda
and U.S. President Ronald Reagan
, was a public protest against the then-recent imposition of martial law in Poland
.
The single peaked just outside of the Top 60 at #63 on the singles chart
in the U.S., and a double A-sided "The Visitors" / "When All Is Said and Done
" 12" single reached #8 on the Billboard dance chart
. AllMusic reviewer Bruce Eder describes the song as "a topical song about Soviet dissidents that also manages to be very catchy." The song did not have any success in any other countries.
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 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...
's studio album of the same name, released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1982. The lead vocal was sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
and its mix of psychedelic, Indian-flavoured verse melody and 1980s synth rock in the chorus, was an unusual and intriguing step for ABBA.
Meaning
The official stated theme is a protest against the mistreatment of political dissidents in the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
at the time, as ABBA seemed to input political issues into their lyrics in the final days of the group. That said, Björn deliberately made the lyrics obscure enough to be open to other interpretations.
In 1982, the album The Visitors
The Visitors (ABBA album)
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...
was banned from the Soviet Union, though it is likely due to the band's participation on the United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
television special, Let Poland Be Poland, broadcast via satellite around the world on January 31, 1982. The show, which also featured Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
and U.S. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, was a public protest against the then-recent imposition of martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
.
Reception
"The Visitors" was released as the album's second (and final) single in the US instead of "Head Over Heels", which remained as the b-side.The single peaked just outside of the Top 60 at #63 on the singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the U.S., and a double A-sided "The Visitors" / "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...
" 12" single reached #8 on the Billboard dance chart
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
. AllMusic reviewer Bruce Eder describes the song as "a topical song about Soviet dissidents that also manages to be very catchy." The song did not have any success in any other countries.
Cover versions
- A Hi-NRGHi-NRGHi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
cover versionCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song was released as a single by a group called Moonstone in the late 1980s. - AbbacadabraAbbacadabraAbbacadabra is the name of a French children's musical based on songs from the pop group ABBA, originally produced for French television in 1983 by Alain and Daniel Boublil, but which was later also transferred to an English stage version and two other television programs.-French television...
released several dance cover remixes of the song under Almighty RecordsAlmighty RecordsAlmighty Records is a British recording label and remix production team founded in 1989, releasing their first single in the same year. Producing mainly Dance-Pop and Hi-NRG music, the label is best known for releasing remakes and remixes of mainstream pop songs...
during the late 1990s. Various remixes can be found on the 2008 compilation We Love ABBA: The Mamma Mia Dance Compilation. Audio samples can be heard on the official Almighty Records website. - British group the Television Personalities included a cover of the song on their 2006 album And They All Lived Happily Ever After.