Arrival Album UK Release Dates, Formats, and Chart Positions - Donbyron - ABBA Music, Archival History and Record Collecting

Release information (UK) :

Date	Title	Format	Chart position	Catalouge #
21/08/76	Dancing Queen	Single	1	Epic EPC 4499
05/11/76	Arrival	Album	1	Epic EPC 86018
20/11/76	Money, Money, Money	Single	3	Epic EPC 4713
05/02/77	Knowing Me, Knowing You	Single	1	Epic EPC 4955

Arrival – Images

The images for “singles” are actually images of sheet music from the UK as until 1979 the UK had no picture covers, if we did, maybe tehy would have looked like these.

Arrival – Reviews:

From Billboard:

January 15, 1977,
Arrival

Abba is the consummate singles band and the new Abba LP is chock full of new songs that will be welcome on the radio. The band`s vocals are as good as anybody`s and here they receive as good an instrumental background as ever they`ve had. While the band hasn`t completely broken away from bubblegum, the album does show signs of artistic growth. Best cuts: “Dancing Queen,” “My Love, My Life,” “Dum Dum Diddle,” “Money, Money, Money,” “Arrival.” Dealers: Expect good radio support.

AMG Media:

The aptly-named Arrival being the quartet’s fourth, ABBA had perfected its approach, and few acts can match the melodic power the world’s most famous Swedes pack into less than four minutes on every winner here. First and foremost, this hit disc heralds the unveiling of “Dancing Queen,” the Hope diamond of hot pop, demonstrating Bjorn and Benny were the Beethoven and Bach of pop. Carl Magnus Palm reveals in his superlative linear notes that “Dancing Queen” grew from “Rock Your Baby,” George McCrae’s sole smash, and the rhythms of Gumbo by Dr. John. The beauty of the backing track and production of “Dancing Queen” even brought tears to the eyes of Frida when she heard it for the first time. Speaking of crying, in “Knowing Me, Knowing You” the band delivers more poignant angst in one succinct song than every alternative moaner in the 90’s coughed up in their entire career. And as always, ABBA spruces the piece beautifully, razor-sharp rock guitars cutting through haunting vocal imagery. “Money, Money, Money” may not be quite as perfect, but still maintains the peerless level of song-craft (It is funny, as all four now lived in the “rich man’s world,” which somehow still doesn’t seem so sunny.). The songs between the singles aren’t as blindingly brilliant, because then Arrival would simply be the greatest record ever made. But make no mistake, “When I Kissed the Teacher,” “My Love, My Life (inspired by “I’m Not in Love” and planting the seeds of “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes”),” “Dum Dum Diddle,” “The Tiger (shades of Rocky Balboa),” “That’s Me” and “Why Did It Have to Be Me (classic boy-girl vocal trades)” are definitely worthy of your time. This lushly refurbished edition adds the immortally impassioned anthem “Fernado” and closes with a pop postcard from “Happy Hawaii.” Arrival brings many happy returns.

Amazon.co.uk Reviews:

1976’s Arrival is among ABBA’s best full-lengths. To begin with, it boasts “Dancing Queen”, the group’s only US No 1 hit and what may well be their most covered song. Almost as good, “Knowing Me, Knowing You” pulls the usual ABBA trick of turning loneliness and alienation into catchy pop. Songs not only withstand repeated listens but continually reveal new sonic layers. Even lesser known tunes, such as “Dum Dum Diddle”, are loaded with hooks. Bonus tracks include “Fernando” and the B-side of its single, an early version of “Why Did It Have to Be Me” called “Happy Hawaii”. –Elisabeth Vincentelli

At the height of their success, ABBA were second only to Volvo as Sweden’s biggest export earners. Arrival (1977) sees the quartet just finding their stride, after a year of relative obscurity which followed the success of “Waterloo”, their 1973 Eurovision Song Contest winner. Like their 1970s peers ELO, ABBA knew the value of tunes, tunes, tunes. Arrival ‘s hits include the glistening, full-on sheen of “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, the irrepressible, piano-led disco stomp of “Dancing Queen”, and the almost Cabaret -esque sarcasm of “Money, Money, Money”–all three co-written by manager and mentor Stig Anderson. The album ends, meanwhile, on an almost Celtic theme with the soaring, wordless title track. Arrival is super-confident and super-polished, and was an unstoppably chart-bound record of its moment. –Everett True

Arrival – Tracklist and Lyrics
Click a song to read the lyrics:

Related Tracks

Fernando – Swedish, Frida solo

Fernando – Not released on studio album (except Australia)
Happy Hawaii – Unreleased prior to “Knowing Me, Knowing You” single as it’s B-side
Dancing Queen – Deleted verse

Recorded in 1980 for the compilation album of Spanish songs, “Gracias Por La Musica”
Fernando – Spanish version
La Reina Del Baile/ Reina Danzante – Spanish version of Dancing Queen
Conociéndome, Conociéndote – Spanish version of Knowing Me Knowing You

ABBACadabra
In 1983 a musical based on ABBA songs was made, it had the lyrics written differently and there were two versions, a French and English production.
Time – A duet with Frida and B. A Robertson, it is the tune of Arrival with new lyrics
Like An Image Passing By – By Elaine Paige, re-recorded lyrics for My love, My Life
Belle – A duet with Frida and Daniel Balovine
same as Time but in French.

1. When I Kissed The Teacher
Written by: Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus

Everybody screamed
when I kissed the teacher
and they must have thought they dreamed
when I kissed the teacher
all my friends at school
they had never seen the teacher blush
he looked like a fool
nearly petrified �cos he was

Taken by surprise
when I kissed the teacher
couldn’t quite believe his eyes
when I kissed the teacher
my whole class went wild
as I held my breath
the world stood still
but then he just smiled
I was in the seventh heaven
when I kissed the teacher

One of these days
gonna tell him I dream
of him every night
one of these days
gonna show him I care
gonna teach him a lesson alright

I was in a trance
when I kissed the teacher
suddenly I took the chance
when I kissed the teacher
leaning over me
he was trying to explain
the laws of geometry
and I couldn’t help it
I just had to kiss the teacher

One of these days
gonna tell him I dream
of him every night
one of these days
gonna show him I care
gonna teach him a lesson alright

What a crazy day
when I kissed the teacher
all my sense had flown away
when I kissed the teacher
my whole class went wild
as I held my breath
the world stood still
but then he just smiled
I was in the seventh heaven
when I kissed the teacher