ABBA logo, Arrival album art and single covers (1976–1982)
Arrival was first released in Sweden on October 11, 1976.
News Gothic is the main typeface used on the artwork for the albums and singles by Swedish pop group ABBA from 1976 to 1982. It is also the typeface used for the iconic logo with the backwards B. According to Wikipedia, it was –
[…] designed by Rune Soderqvist, who had designed ABBA’s record sleeves. The logo first appeared on the French compilation album, Golden Double Album, released in May, and would henceforth be used for all official releases.
But the idea for the official logo was made by the German photographer Wolfgang Heilemann on a “Dancing Queen” shoot for the teenage magazine Bravo. On the photo, the ABBA members held a giant initial letter of his/her name. After the pictures were made, Heilemann found out that one of the men held his letter backwards as in ᗅᗺᗷᗅ. They discussed it and the members of ABBA liked it.
For the albums Ring Ring, Waterloo, and ABBA, different fonts were used.
The first appearance of the ABBA logo was on the French Golden Double Album (Melba, Vogue, May 1976). The secondary typeface is Windsor Elongated in all caps.
“Knowing Me, Knowing You” / “Happy Hawaii” (1976/1977).
Live 77 was “recorded live in Australia 1977. Specially produced for Jultidningsförlaget. Not for sale.” — Discogs
“Voulez-Vous” was first released in Sweden on April 23, 1979.
German version of “Money Money Money” / “Crazy World” (Polydor, 1976), featuring ITC Serif Gothic.
German version of “Knowing Me Knowing You” (Polydor, 1976). The typeface used for the titles is Horatio.
