"One of Us" | ||||||||
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Single by ABBA | ||||||||
from the album The Visitors | ||||||||
B-side | "Should I Laugh or Cry" | |||||||
Released | 7 December 1981 (Sweden) 4 December 1981 (UK) 12 February 1983 (US) |
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Format | 7" single | |||||||
Recorded | 21 October 1981 at Polar Music Studios |
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Genre | Pop, Europop, Eurodisco | |||||||
Length | 3:55 | |||||||
Label |
Polar (Sweden) Epic (UK) Atlantic (US) |
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Writer(s) |
Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus |
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Producer(s) | Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus |
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ABBA singles chronology | ||||||||
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"One of Us" | ||||
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Single by Pandora | ||||
from the album Tell the World | ||||
Released | June 1995 | |||
Format |
CD Single CD Maxi |
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Recorded | 1995 | |||
Genre |
Dance Eurodance House |
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Length | 3:56 | |||
Label | Virgin Records | |||
Producer(s) |
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Pandora singles chronology | ||||
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"One of Us" ("En av oss" in Swedish) was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic. It was released in December 1981. The song is also included on the Gold: Greatest Hits compilation album.
"One of Us"—which had the working titles "Number 1" and "Mio Amore"—was one of the last songs recorded for ABBA's 1981 album The Visitors, and features a lead vocal by Agnetha Fältskog. It was one of a number of tracks that explored the darker territory of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson's songwriting, as the two men's divorces were beginning to influence their musical output. Indeed, the message of the song was about a woman trying to revive a relationship she had ended. Despite misgivings on the part of manager Stig Anderson, and its somewhat depressing lyric, "One of Us" was released as the first single from The Visitors, coupled with the non-album track "Should I Laugh or Cry". Ulvaeus had favored releasing it as the first single from the new album and the majority of the record companies agreed with him; it proved a wise move as it reached No. 1—ABBA's last single to do so. The decision to release it as a single was made so late that it did not become available in Swedish shops until after The Visitors had been released.
In the United Kingdom this single was issued in a different sleeve. The sleeve used in most countries repeated the album cover photo. However Epic Records wanted a different image for the British release, and used separate photos of the group members together with a large ABBA logo. Agnetha and Frida appeared on the front cover, with Björn and Benny on the back. The photos were actually out-of-date, as Frida was depicted still with her frizzy perm, while Björn was beardless. A limited-edition picture disc using very similar artwork was also issued.