Does Your Mother Know

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"Does Your Mother Know"
Single by ABBA
from the album Voulez-Vous
B-side"Kisses of Fire"
Released27 April 1979
RecordedFebruary–March 1979
StudioPolar, Stockholm, Sweden
Genre
Length3:15
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Benny Andersson
  • Björn Ulvaeus
ABBA singles chronology
"Chiquitita"
(1979) 		"Does Your Mother Know"
(1979) 		"Voulez-Vous"
(1979)
Music video
"Does Your Mother Know" on YouTube

"Does Your Mother Know" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the second single taken from their sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous, as was the B-side, "Kisses of Fire". The track is notable for its emphasis on male vocals, performed by Björn Ulvaeus, with female backing vocals.[4]

Composition and recording[edit]

With lyrics described by ABBA biographer Carl Magnus Palm as "a daring tribute to cross-generational flirting in big city night clubs",[5] the track was recorded in February–March 1979 (initially under the working title "I Can Do It") and released as a single in April of that year. The distinctive guitar riff was taken from the recording of an unfinished song in August 1975,[6] whilst the middle section ("Take it easy...") was adapted from an unreleased track called "Dream World".[7]

"Does Your Mother Know" was composed by Benny Anderson and Ulvaeus at the beginning of 1979 on a songwriting trip to the Bahamas, rather than on the Swedish island of Viggsö [sv] in the Stockholm Archipelago, where much of their music had previously been written. The inspiration for the lyrics came from a newspaper article, whilst the title was a phrase Ulvaeus had seen in a book or magazine.[8] The demo featured his guide vocal and it was decided to keep this during the recording process.[4] An early, rockier version of song (with a longer introduction) was performed partially live for the BBC TV special, Abba in Switzerland, recorded in Leysin on 16 February and broadcast across Europe in April 1979.[9][10] The instrumental introduction on the released version featured a sound Anderson had created on an expensive Yamaha analogue synthesizer, somewhat similar in its operation to the Minimoog.[8] The drumming style was influenced by Carmine Appice, whom Ola Brunkert had seen perform with Rod Stewart at a concert in Leicester, while ABBA were in the United Kingdom doing some TV promotional work.[11]

In 2019, the single was re-released on picture disc.[12]

Personnel[edit]

Reception[edit]

"Does Your Mother Know" was another sizeable ABBA hit, hitting No. 1 in Belgium and reaching the top 5 in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland. It was also a top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, West Germany, Rhodesia and Switzerland. As of September 2021, it is ABBA's 14th-biggest song in the UK, including both pure sales and digital streams.[14]

Billboard felt the song sounds like those from the musical Grease, saying that "the sweet, airy vocals contrast effectively with the rocking instrumentation."[15] Cash Box said that it is a "rocking departure for the group, although the overall sound is still Europop."[1] Record World said that "this buoyant pop-rocker is destined to become a classic."[2] AllMusic reviewer Donald A. Guarisco said in a retrospective review of the song that "ABBA's recording balances the song's rock elements with dance music touches to create an intriguing dance/rock hybrid" and that its "macho feel is enhanced by a rockabilly-styled melody that flowers into a swinging chorus".[3] In 2021, Total Guitar rated "Does Your Mother Know" as ABBA's fourth best guitar song, after "Waterloo", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" and "SOS".[16]

The song was featured heavily in the 2003 film Johnny English, starring Rowan Atkinson.

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

ABBA version[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
France — 80,000[38]
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Mamma Mia! version[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Singles". Cash Box. Vol. 41, no. 1. New York. 19 May 1979. p. 22.
  2. ^ a b "Hits of the Week". Record World. Vol. 35, no. 1662. New York. 19 May 1979. p. 1.
  3. ^ a b Guarisco, Donald A. "Does Your Mother Know Review Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b Elliott, Mark (27 April 2019). "'Does Your Mother Know': The Story Behind The ABBA Song". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  5. ^ Palm, Carl Magnus (2001). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA. London: Omnibus Press. p. 399. ISBN 0711983895.
  6. ^ Palm, Carl Magnus (1994). ABBA: The Complete Recording Sessions. London: Century 22. pp. 53, 86–89. ISBN 0907938108.
  7. ^ Scott, Robert (2002). Abba: Thank You For The Music – The Stories Behind Every Song. London: Carlton Books. pp. 108–109. ISBN 1842227939.
  8. ^ a b Anderson, Benny; Ulvaeus, Björn; Craymer, Judy & Dodd, Philip (2006). Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You?: The Inside Story of Mamma Mia! and the Songs of ABBA. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 74–78. ISBN 978-0297844211.
  9. ^ "Abba in Switzerland". Radio Times. No. 2892. London. 12 April 1979. Retrieved 15 May 2024 – via Genome.
  10. ^ Potiez, Jean-Marie (2007). ABBA: The Book (Updated ed.). London: Quantum Publishing. p. 189. ISBN 978-1845733063.
  11. ^ Paphides, Pete (2022). "The History of the Book on the Shelf". Record Collector. No. 539. London. pp. 89–99.
  12. ^ "ABBA - Does Your Mother Know / Kisses of Fire". discogs. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  13. ^ Voulez-Vous (LP sleeve notes). ABBA. New York: Atlantic Recording Corporation. 1979. SD 16000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Copsey, Rob (7 November 2021). "ABBA's Official Top 20 biggest songs". The Official Charts Company. London. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  15. ^ Harrison, Ed, ed. (19 May 1979). "Top Single Picks". Billboard. New York. p. 99. ISSN 0006-2510.
  16. ^ Scaramanga, Tony (November 2021). "Rock Me! ABBA's top 10 guitar songs". Total Guitar. No. 351. Bath. p. 26. ISSN 1355-5049.
  17. ^ Kent, David (1994). Australian Charts Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 978-0646119175.
  18. ^ a b Kent, David (31 December 1979). "National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report. No. 288. p. 3. Retrieved 10 January 2023 – via Imgur.
  19. ^ "ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  20. ^ "ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  21. ^ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM Weekly. Vol. 31, no. 25. Toronto. 15 September 1979. Retrieved 14 October 2016 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Does Your Mother Know". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  24. ^ "ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  25. ^ "ABBA – Does Your Mother Know". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  26. ^ "ABBA – Does Your Mother Know". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  27. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  28. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  29. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  30. ^ Downey, Pat; Albert, George & Hoffmann, Frank (1994). Cash Box Pop Singles Charts, 1950–1993. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. p. 1. ISBN 978-1563083167 – via Internet Archive.
  31. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  32. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1979". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  33. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  34. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1979". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Top Singles 1979". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 22 December 1979. p. 27.
  37. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  38. ^ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP 45 Tours – 1979". 40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles (in French). OCLC 469523661. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022 – via Top-France.fr.
  39. ^ "British single certifications – ABBA – Does Your Mother Know". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  40. ^ "British single certifications – Original Cast Recording – Does Your Mother Know". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

External links[edit]

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