Fernando (song)

"Fernando"
Song by Anni-Frid Lyngstad from the album Frida ensam
Released	November 10, 1975 (1975-11-10)
Language	Swedish
Length	4:14
Label	Polar Music
Writer	Björn Ulvaeus / Benny Andersson / Stig Anderson
Producer	Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus
Frida ensam track listing
"Fernando" (1) "Jag är mig själv nu" (2)

"Fernando"
Single by ABBA
from the album Greatest Hits
B-side	"Hey, Hey, Helen"
Released	March 27, 1976 (1976-03-27) (see Release history)
Format	Vinyl
Recorded	3 September 1975 at Metronome Studio
Genre	Pop, europop
Length	4:12
Writer(s)	Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus
Producer	Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus
Certification	Gold (Germany), Gold (UK), Gold (France), Gold (Canada)
ABBA singles chronology
"Mamma Mia" (1975) "Fernando" (1975) "Rock Me" (1976)

"Fernando" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the group's first non-album single and was released in November 1975 through Polar Music. Lead vocals were sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The track was featured on the compilation album Greatest Hits (1976) in some countries, although in Australia and New Zealand, "Fernando" was included on the group's fourth studio album Arrival. "Fernando" is also featured on the multi-million selling ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits compilation. The song was to become ABBA's best-selling single of all time, with 6,000,000 copies sold in 1976 alone. It is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide.

History

"Fernando" was not originally an ABBA song but was written for Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It was featured on her number 1 Swedish solo album Frida ensam (1975). The song was composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and carried the working title of "Tango". Preparations for recording began in August 1975. Originally named "Hernandez", the writers made last-minute changes to the title before recording.^{[citation needed]} The suggestion of the name "Fernando" was given by their limousine driver Peter Forbes in Shepperton, England. Tony Fernando, a wealthy exports director for celebrities such as Princess Anne and Tom Selleck, was a friend of Peter Forbes.^{[citation needed]} Forbes suggested the name "Fernando" might fit better than the original, the title "Fernando" was loved by all^{[citation needed]} and became an instant hit.

Swedish-language version

The original Swedish language version's lyrics were written by ABBA's manager Stig Anderson and differ 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 sing a song of happiness. Long live love, Fernando".

English-language version

The English version, with completely different lyrics by Björn Ulvaeus, presents a vision of nostalgia for two veterans reminiscing in old age about a lost battle that they participated in during their younger days fighting under Emiliano Zapata in a battle of the Mexican revolution of 1910. This was confirmed by Bjorn Ulvaeus in an ABBA special interview screened on December 31, 2008 in Australia.^{[citation needed]}

The B-side to "Fernando" was the song "Hey, Hey, Helen", a track from the group's self-titled third studio album (1975), although in some countries "Tropical Loveland" (also from the album ABBA) was used instead. Some copies of the single use "Rock Me" as a B-side.

Spanish-language version

The title and rhythm of the song made it an obvious choice for inclusion in their Spanish album. Lyrics translated into Spanish by Mary McCluskey. Recorded on January 3, 1980, in the Polar Music studios. The song is part of the Gracias Por La Música album and is listed as track #5, in the "ABBA Oro" album as track #1 and as a Bonus Track on the Arrival album. The song was released as a promotional single in Spain. The lyrics, while adapted for rhythm and rhyme, carry the same sentiment and roughly the same meaning as the English version. "There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright, Fernando. They were shining there for you and me, for liberty, Fernando." becomes "Algo había alrededor quizá de claridad Fernando, que brillaba por nosotros dos en protección, Fernando" (Something was around us perhaps of clarity Fernando, that shone for us two in protection, Fernando.)

Reception

After the huge success Lyngstad had scored in Sweden with the Swedish version of "Fernando", the group decided to record it in English. This was a wise step, as "Fernando" became one of ABBA's best-selling singles, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide and topping the charts in at least 13 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, West Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, and Switzerland. In Australia "Fernando" stayed at number 1 for 14 weeks and spent 40 weeks in the charts, making "Fernando" one of the best selling singles of all time in Australia. In fact, it still holds the record for the single spending most weeks at number 1 (along with The Beatles' "Hey Jude"). "Fernando" also reached the Top 3 in Canada, Finland, Norway, Spain, Sweden & Rhodesia. If Lyngstad's number 1 position in Sweden is included, (her version stayed at number 1 on the Swedish charts for 10 weeks) "Fernando" was actually a chart-topper in 14 countries, which probably makes this song ABBA's 2nd most sold single, after "Dancing Queen".

"Fernando" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it, at the time, ABBA's highest-charting American single after "Waterloo". However, "Fernando" did peak at number 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary, the first of two number ones for ABBA on the chart (the 2nd being "The Winner Takes It All"). The song remains an airplay staple on American radio stations specializing in the MOR, adult standards and easy listening formats.

"Fernando" was the second of three consecutive UK number 1 singles for ABBA, after "Mamma Mia" and before "Dancing Queen".

The song was also chosen as the Best Studio Recording of 1975, ABBA's first international prize.

Release history

Region	Date
United Kingdom	March 27, 1976 (1976-03-27)
Sweden	April 12, 1976 (1976-04-12)
United States	September 4, 1976 (1976-09-04)

Chart positions

Chart (1976)	Position
Australian Singles Chart	1
Austrian Singles Chart	1
Belgian Singles Chart	1
British Singles Chart	1
Canadian Singles Chart	2
Dutch Singles Chart	1
Finnish Singles Chart	2
French Singles Chart	1
German Singles Chart	1
Hungarian Singles Chart	1
Irish Singles Chart	1
Italian Singles Chart	6
New Zealand Singles Chart	1
Mexican Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	2
Rhodesian Singles Chart	2
South African Singles Chart	1
Spanish Singles Chart	3
Swedish Singles Chart	2
Swiss Singles Chart	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	13
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	1

Preceded by "Mississippi" by Pussycat	Swiss Singles Chart number-one single April 2, 1976 – June 18, 1976	Succeeded by "Let Your Love Flow" by The Bellamy Brothers
Preceded by "The Alternative Way" by Anita Meyer	Dutch Top 40 number-one single April 3, 1976 – April 17, 1976	Succeeded by "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man
Preceded by "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen	Australian Kent Music Report number-one single April 5, 1976 – July 5, 1976	Succeeded by "Howzat" by Sherbet
Preceded by "Ich bin wie du" by Marianne Rosenberg	Belgian Flemish VRT Top 30 number-one single (first run) April 10, 1976 – April 17, 1976	Succeeded by "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man
Preceded by "Rocky" by Frank Farian	German Singles Chart number-one single (first run) April 30, 1976	Succeeded by "Rocky" by Frank Farian
Preceded by "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man	Irish Singles Chart number-one single May 1, 1976 – May 29, 1976	Succeeded by "Arms of Mary" by Sutherland Brothers
	UK Singles Chart number-one single May 8, 1976 – June 4, 1976	Succeeded by "No Charge" by J.J. Barrie
Preceded by "Rocky" by Frank Farian	German Singles Chart number-one single (second run) May 14, 1976 – June 18, 1976	Succeeded by "Let Your Love Flow" by The Bellamy Brothers
Preceded by "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man	Belgian Flemish VRT Top 30 number-one single (second run) May 15, 1976	Succeeded by "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man
Preceded by "My Little World" by Waterloo & Robinson	Austrian Singles Chart number-one single June 14, 1976 – August 2, 1976	Succeeded by "Let Your Love Flow" by The Bellamy Brothers
Preceded by "Like a Sad Song" by John Denver	Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single October 16, 1976 (2 weeks)	Succeeded by "Muskrat Love" by Captain & Tennille

Cover versions

• The Colombian duo, Angela & Consuelo, recorded a Spanish language version of Fernando in the 1970s.
• 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.
• In 1976, Finnish saxophonist Seppo Rannikko recorded an instrumental version of "Fernando" in his album "Sahara" (only released as an LP), which also included an instrumental version of ABBA's "Dancing Queen".
• In 1976, Paraguayan/Brazilian camp singer Perla covered "Fernando" on her album "Palabras 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 year was 1997, as her dansband recorded the song on the Tolv i topp album.
• The famous Swedish dansband 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.
• A dance/pop cover of the song by Belgian group Sha-Na was released as a single in 1992.
• 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.
• New York jazz band Sex Mob covered the song for their 2000 album Solid Sender.
• 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 song was covered in a jazz/lounge music style by American group BNB on their 2008 album Bossa Mia: Songs of ABBA.
• Australian rock band Audioscam covered the song on their 2008 album Abbattack. Samples from the album can be heard on their official MySpace page.

Live cover performances

• Only a few lines of the song are sung briefly by the character of Donna in the Mamma Mia! musical. The song was originally to be featured in the musical as a flamboyant dance number, with Donna entertaining the clientele at the taverna, but was cut as it didn't move the story along.
• The song has been performed live in English as a duet by Swedish singers Helen Sjöholm and Karin Glenmark.
• The song was sung on Australian Idol season 6 by Wes Carr during ABBA week. A recorded version of Carr's version was included on the album Australian Idol Top 10:The Most Memorable songs from the series.
• Charo performed the song at her 1988 concert in Reno at Bally's.

Appearances in other media

• ABBA perform parts of the song live in the film "ABBA: The Movie" (1977).
• The ABBA recording was featured in the films "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (1993) and "Muriel's Wedding" (1994).
• 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 countries where the brand-name "National" was still widely used by Matsushita.

External links

• Background information on the making of the commercials, plus lyrics and voiceovers used