The Name of the Game

The Name of the Game is the title of a song recorded and released by Swedish group ABBA. It was initially released as a 7" single and successively included on the group's fifth studio LP The Album, released in December.

Single release
The song was released as a single in the UK on 14 October 1977 and was ABBA's first new material since the previous year's album Arrival and associated singles, which included the no.1 hits Dancing Queen and Knowing Me, Knowing You.

The Name of the Game went to no.1 in the UK, reaching the top spot on 01 November 1977, two weeks after its release. It became the 16th biggest selling single in the UK in 1977.

The single was eventually knocked off the top spot after 4 weeks, replaced by Wings' Mull of Kintyre which stayed at the top for nine weeks, also slipping behind Queen's We Are the Champions and Status Quo's Rockin' All Over the World.

Tracklistings
original 7", EPIC S EPC 5750

A. The Name of the Game (4:53)

B. I Wonder (Departure) (4:27)

B side

 * The B side is a live recording of a track which would later also appear on The Album. The label states 'Recorded live in Sydney, March 1977'.

Trivia

 * The Name of the Game was one the group's longest recorded songs at the time and also features a rather complex arrangement with two two-part verses, a two-part chorus. The song features both Faltskog and Lyngstad as lead vocalists.
 * An edited version of The Name of the Game, which omitted the entire second verse of the song, reducing the length of the track from its original 4:51 to 3:58, was released on a promotional single in the US.
 * The song features in ABBA: The Movie (1977).
 * The song featured in the original 1999 stage musical Mamma Mia! although was eventually cut from the film version (2008). It was reinstated for the sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).
 * The song is one of ten featured on Cher's ABBA cover version album Dancing Queen (2018).
 * A live version features on ABBA's Live at Wembley Arena album, recorded in 1979 but not officially released until 2014.

Promo video
The promo video for the single was recorded on 25 September 1977 at Björn and Agnetha's home on Lidingö outside Stockholm, Sweden. The 'game' is the Swedish version of Ludo known as Fia-Spel. (this and further info from ABBA on TV)