Knowing Me, Knowing You

"Knowing Me, Knowing You"
Single by ABBA
from the album Arrival
B-side "Happy Hawaii"[1]
Released 14 February 1977[1]
Format 7" single
Recorded 23 March 1976 at Metronome Studio
Length 4:00
Label Polar (Sweden)
Epic (UK)[1]
Atlantic (US)
Writer(s) Benny Andersson
Björn Ulvaeus
Stig Anderson[1]
Producer(s) Benny Andersson
Björn Ulvaeus[1]
Certification Gold (UK)
ABBA singles chronology
"That's Me"
(1976)		 "Knowing Me, Knowing You"
(1977)		 "King Kong Song"
(1977)
Music video
"Knowing Me, Knowing You" on YouTube

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" is a hit single recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with Anni-Frid Lyngstad singing the lead vocals. During recording sessions, it had the working titles of "Ring It In" and "Number 1, Number 1"; the single did reach number 1 in the UK. The song is featured on the group's album Arrival, and also on the Gold: Greatest Hits compilation.

History

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" was recorded in 1976 at the Metronome studio in Stockholm and was released as a single in February 1977, becoming one of the group's most successful hits. The B-side was "Happy Hawaii", an arrangement of another ABBA song, "Why Did It Have to Be Me?", but with a different lead vocalist and lyrics. "Knowing Me, Knowing You" was one of the first ABBA songs to deal with the break-up of a relationship. It predates the divorces of the ABBA members, as well as further break-up songs to come: "The Winner Takes It All", "One of Us" and "When All Is Said and Done". Group member Benny Andersson named "Knowing Me, Knowing You" as one of ABBA's best recordings in a 2004 interview, along with "Dancing Queen", "The Winner Takes It All" and "When I Kissed the Teacher". "Conociéndome, Conociéndote" is the Spanish-language version of the song. It was included in the compilation Oro: Grandes Éxitos released in 1993.

Music video

The music video depicts the band against various colored backdrops singing while facing each other, turning away as a new line is sung. At the end of the video, the band's female members are seen walking away through thick snow. The video was directed by future Academy Award nominee Lasse Hallström and is a landmark in his career alongside most other videos of the band which were directed by him.[2]

Reception

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" proved to be one of ABBA's most successful singles, hitting #1 in Germany (ABBA's sixth consecutive chart-topper there), the United Kingdom,[3] Ireland, Mexico and South Africa,[4] while reaching the Top 3 in Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It was also a Top 10 hit in Australia, France, New Zealand and Norway. In the United States, it became ABBA's sixth Top 20 single, peaking at #14 on the Hot 100, and also reached #7 on Billboard's AC chart.

In the UK, "Knowing Me, Knowing You" began a second run of three consecutive #1 singles for ABBA (followed by "The Name of the Game" and "Take a Chance on Me"), the group having already had three consecutive No. 1 hit singles in 1976.

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1977) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 9
Austrian Singles Chart 2
Belgian Singles Chart 2
UK Singles Chart[3] 1
Canadian Top Singles [5] 5
Canadian Adult Contemporary [6] 6
Dutch Singles Chart 3
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1
Finnish Singles Chart 16
French Singles Chart 9
German Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
Mexican Singles Chart 1
New Zealand Singles Chart 8
Norwegian Singles Chart 6
South African Singles Chart 1
Spanish Singles Chart 17
Swiss Singles Chart 3
US Billboard Adult Contemporary 7
US Billboard Hot 100 14
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles[7] 11

Year-end charts

Chart (1977) Rank
Australia [8] 88
Canada [9] 61
UK [10] 6
US Billboard Hot 100 [11] 97
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] 37

Preceded by
"When I Need You" by Leo Sayer		 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles number-one single
19 March 1977 – 9 April 1977 		Succeeded by
"Lay Back In The Arms of Someone" by Smokie
Preceded by
"Chanson D'Amour" by The Manhattan Transfer		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
2 April 1977 – 7 May 1977 		Succeeded by
"Free" by Deniece Williams
Irish Singles Chart number-one single
9 April 1977 – 7 May 1977 		Succeeded by
"It's Nice To Be In Love Again" by The Swarbriggs
Preceded by
"Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie		 German Singles Chart number-one single
8 April 1977 – 15 April 1977 		Succeeded by
"Lay Back In The Arms of Someone" by Smokie

Cover versions

Live cover performances and appearances in other media

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "ABBA - Knowing Me, Knowing You (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  2. ↑ "Knowing me Knowing you/ABBA Lasse Hallström". indielisboa.
  3. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 338–9. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ↑ "South Africa". Home.zipworld.com.au. 2014-01-05. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  5. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  6. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  7. ↑ Downey, Pat; Albert, George; Hoffmann, Frank W (1994). Cash Box pop singles charts, 1950–1993. Libraries Unlimited. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-56308-316-7.
  8. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  9. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  10. ↑ Hunter, Nigel; Scaping, Peter, eds. (1978). "Top 100 Singles in 1977". BPI Year Book 1978 (3rd ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 216–17. ISBN 0-906154-01-4.
  11. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  12. ↑ Billboard, December 24, 1977.
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