Chiquitita

January 16, 1979

Chiquitita is a ballad of the Swedish pop group ABBA. The lead vocals Agnetha Fältskog took mainly; later in the verses and the chorus Anni-Frid Lyngstad also be heard. The song was released in January 1979 with the Love Light B-side as a single. Chiquitita is Spanish and means something like " My little one".

Formation

To a " perfect take " to achieve at Chiquitita, the group needed the entire month of December 1978. The working title was initially Kalsupare and Three Wise Guys, there were also other tunes with other texts in question. One of these versions was called In the Arms of Rosalita.

A week before the release of the single Chiquitita, on January 8, 1979 presented the ABBA song at a UNICEF benefit concert as a contribution to the "International Year of the United Nations in 1979 child " in the " General Assembly Hall of the United Nations" in New York. On January 16, the song was finally released as a single. The revenue of the single ABBA donated to UNICEF. To date, all income einspielt the song sent to UNICEF, which has since also holder of the license rights to this song.

In the United States refused the label Atlantic Records, for unknown reasons, to bring the single in the spring of 1979 to the market, which is why it was published only in November.

Success

The song was so far very important for the group because he is a " comeback hit" was virtually. The previous Singles Summer Night City and Eagle had been anything but satisfactory. Moreover, it was held due to the separation of Fältskog and Ulvaeus at that time a successful continuation of the group is unlikely, so it was even more important now to have a hit.

The expectations were fulfilled, Chiquitita was in 12 countries, a number -one hit, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Mexico. In the UK, the single was the first since Take a Chance on Me at # 2 and thus ascend into the top 3, they also reached the Top 5 in Germany, Argentina and even in the English Single could reach 7th place. In Australia, Chiquitita ABBA reached the first single for over two years, the Top 5 of the charts. In the spring of 1979, the song for the compilation Gracias por la música was recorded in Spanish. This single release reached in some Spanish-speaking countries are also the top of the charts.