Fernando (song)
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| “Fernando” | |||||
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| Single by ABBA from the album Arrival (Australian and New Zealand release) |
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| Released | April 12, 1976  March 27, 1976  September 4, 1976  |
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| Format | 7" Single | ||||
| Genre | Pop/Europop | ||||
| Length | 4:12 | ||||
| Writer(s) | Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson |
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| Producer | Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson |
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| Certification | Gold (Germany), Gold (UK), Gold (France), Gold (Canada) | ||||
| ABBA singles chronology | |||||
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"Fernando" is Swedish pop group ABBA's first non-album single, released in the spring of 1976. The lead vocals was sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The track appeared on the 1976 ABBA release Greatest Hits in some countries, although in Australia and New Zealand, "Fernando" was included on the group's Arrival album. "Fernando" also features on the multi-million selling ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits compilation.
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[edit] History
"Fernando" was not originally an ABBA song but was written for ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It appeared on her 1975 No.1 Swedish solo album, Frida ensam. The song was written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Stig Anderson, and carried the working title of "Tango". Preparations for recording began in August 1975.
[edit] Swedish language version
The original Swedish language version's lyrics were written by ABBA's manager Stig Anderson and differs substantially from the English language version. In the original, the narrator tries to console the heartbroken Fernando, who has lost his great love. "The sorrow can be hard to bear, but the fact that friends let us down is something we all have to cope with". The bittersweet chorus goes: "Long live love, our best friend, Fernando. Raise your glass and propose a toast to it, to love, Fernando. Play the melody and a sing a song of happiness. Long live love, Fernando".
[edit] English language version
The English version, with re-written lyrics by Ulvaeus, present a vision of nostalgia for presumably two veterans reminiscing in old age about some war of liberation that they participated in during their younger days. Their reference to "the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande" appear to tie the setting to the Mexican Revolution, which began when Francisco Madero led an armed band across the border from Texas on November 20, 1910, to overthrow the 34 year dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz.
The B-side to "Fernando" was the song "Hey Hey Helen", a track from the group's 1975 self-titled album, although in some countries "Tropical Loveland" (also from the ABBA album) was used instead.
[edit] Reception
After the huge success Frida had scored in Scandinavia with the Swedish version of "Fernando", the group decided to go for a re-recording in English. It was a wise step, as "Fernando" became one of ABBA's best-selling singles ever, topping the charts in twelve countries worldwide: West Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia, where "ABBA-mania" had reached epic proportions. It remained at No.1 for 14 weeks (and stayed in the Australian charts for 40 weeks), making "Fernando" one of the best-selling singles of all time in Australia. "Fernando" also reached the Top 3 in ABBA's native Sweden (although Frida's Swedish version was No.1 in Sweden for 10 weeks), Norway, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), Canada and Spain. If Frida's No.1 position in Sweden is included, "Fernando" was actually a chart-topper in 13 countries, equal to "Dancing Queen".
"Fernando" peaked at No.13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making it (at the time) ABBA's highest charting American single after "Waterloo". However, "Fernando" did reach the top spot on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the first of two chart-topping AC hits for ABBA on this chart (the second being "The Winner Takes It All"). The song remains an airplay staple on North American radio stations specializing in the MOR, adult standards and easy listening formats.
"Fernando" was also chosen as the "Best Studio Recording of 1975", ABBA's first international prize.
[edit] Chart positions
| Chart (1976) | Position (Weeks on top) |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 114 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 18 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 13 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 13 |
| French Singles Chart | 13 |
| German Singles Chart | 17 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 16 |
| Mexican Singles Chart | 15 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 19 |
| South African Singles Chart | 16 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 111 |
| UK Singles Chart | 14 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Zimbabwean Singles Chart | 2 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
[edit] Cover versions
- In 1976, Swedish singer Lena Andersson recorded a German language version of this song. Andersson was also signed to the Polar label and thus could use the original Anni-Frid Lyngstad/ABBA backing track produced by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. The German version is of particular interest to fans of the band since it contains a two bar long instrumental passage after the first chorus that was edited out from both the Swedish and the English language versions.
- Also in 1976, Paraguayan/Brazilian camp singer Perla covered "Fernando" on her album "Palavras de Amor". Perla also covered ABBA's "Chiquitita" on her 1979 album.
- A Swedish country band called Nashville Train (which included some of ABBA's own backing band members) also covered the song in 1977 on their album ABBA Our Way, released on the Polar Music label in Sweden.
- The Swedish singer Lotta Engberg has recorded a cover version of the Swedish language version of the song.
- The famous Swedish dance band Vikingarna has also recorded a cover version of the Swedish language version of the song.
- American actress/singer Audrey Landers (best known for her role on the TV series Dallas) recorded a cover of the song.
- U.S. musician/songwriter Pamela McNeill included a rendition of the song on her Tribute To ABBA album. Her husband, Dugan McNeill, helped produce the album.
- British dance tribute group Abbacadabra released a cover and several remixes of the song through Almighty Records in the late 1990s.
- German Eurodance group E-Rotic covered the song on their album Thank You For The Music.
- An electronica version by Bug Funny Foundation is included on the compilation The Electronic Tribute To ABBA.
- The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus recorded a cover of the song for their 1997 album ExtrABBAganza!.
- Local Seattle gay men's chorus Captain Smartypants recorded a cover of the song for their album Undercover.
- Danish rock/pop duo Olsen Brothers recorded a cover for their 2003 album More Songs.
- The 2004 album ABBAMania 2 featured a cover by British TV actress Jane Danson.
- The German ABBA Mania compilation includes a cover of the song by Barbara Schöneberger and German comedian Dirk Bach.
- A cover of the song by Velvet Set can be found on the 2006 chill out music compilation ABBA Chill Out.
- Taiwanese singer Tracy Huang recorded an English cover of the song.
- A cover of the song by Finnish a cappella choral ensemble Rajaton can be found on their 2006 ABBA tribute album Rajaton Sings ABBA With Lahti Symphony Orchestra.
- The Colombian duo, Angela & Consuelo, recorded a Spanish version of Fernando in the 1970's.
[edit] Live cover performances, appearances in other media, etc.
- Only a few lines of the song are sung briefly by the character of Donna in the Mamma Mia! musical.
- The song has been performed live in English as a duet by Swedish singers Helen Sjöholm and Karin Glenmark.
- The Dutch soccer player Fernando Ricksen was named after this tune by his mother.
- The pre-school music specialists The Wiggles make an allusion to this song, perhaps as a joke for parents, in "Wiggly Safari". One of the members hears drums in the distance, turns to his Spanish friend Fernando, and asks, "Can you hear the drums, Fernando?".
- Fernando is also the name of the son of the fictional character Alan Partridge, a noted ABBA fan.
- "Fernando" was used in an episode of the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. The episode featured Bea Arthur playing a babysitter in charge of taking care of Dewey while the rest of the family is away. The relationship between the two starts off rocky, but slowly improves. It culminates with a classic scene of the two dancing to "Fernando" passionately, with Bea Arthur's character eventually passing out. She is then drive away in an ambulance; whether she lived or not is unknown.
- "Fernando" was also used in "That Disco Episode", a Season 1 episode of That '70s Show. Hyde dances with Donna to the song at the disco. Eric Forman later starts singing a verse from the song to Donna, and they start dancing to it.
- "Fernando" was also used in the trailer for Spike Lee's 1999 movie Summer of Sam. The movie itself also featured a few other ABBA songs, most notably "Dancing Queen".
- In 1976, the song was adapted, and performed by ABBA in this version, for use in a series of five television commercials promoting the National brand, used by the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. These were shown in Australia, where the brand-name "National" was still widely used by Matsushita.
- The song was later modified to criticize Philippine movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. and his 2004 presidential campaign.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen |
Australian Kent Music Report number one single April 5, 1976 - July 11, 1976 |
Succeeded by "Howzat" by Sherbet |
| Preceded by "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man |
UK number one single May 8, 1976 |
Succeeded by "No Charge" by J.J. Barrie |
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