"I Know Him So Well" is a duet from the

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Some ...

and subsequent musical ''

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

'' by

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...

Benny Andersson Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, singer, composer and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess'', ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', and '' Mamma M ...

and

Björn Ulvaeus Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals '' Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamma Mia!'' He co-produced the films ...

. It was originally sung by

Elaine Paige Elaine Jill Paige (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first professiona ...

(as Florence) and Barbara Dickson (as Svetlana). In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing their relationships fall apart.

History

The chorus of the song is based on the chorus of "I Am an A", a song performed live during Andersson and Ulvaeus' group

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...

's 1977 tour."Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA", Carl Magnus Palm, p. 471
/ref> Although "I Am an A" was never released officially, it circulated on various bootlegs and is readily available on YouTube.

Original version

The duet was first released worldwide on the ''Chess''

double LP A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

, often referred to as a

or album musical, in the autumn of 1984. Later it was released as a single by Paige and Dickson, the duet reaching number one in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

for four weeks in 1985. They laid down their vocals separately and never met during the recording of the song, only for the video and subsequent performances on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'' and the European tours. This recording remains in the ''

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing worl ...

'' as the biggest selling UK chart single ever by a female duo. Paige also appeared in the original London West End stage production of ''Chess''. The song peaked at number 21 in Australia. In the United Kingdom on 18 September 2004, the BBC's ''All-Time Greatest Love Songs'' (hosted by

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recor ...

) saw the duet performed live by Paige and Dickson, together for the first time in 20 years, to a rapturous reception. Paige played her solo demo recording of the song on her

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

show, '' Elaine Paige on Sunday''. In January 2011, the

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

released a list of the top 10 All Time Best Selling Duets in which "I Know Him So Well" was placed seventh in the chart. Paige and Dickson also recorded Spanish-language lyrics for release as "Lo Creo Conocer". The single was never released though.

Charts

Original recording credits

* Benny Andersson – keyboards, synthesizers * Barbara Dickson – vocals *

Anders Eljas Anders Erik Gillis Eljas (born 15 January 1953 in Stockholm) is a Swedish musician, orchestrator and conductor. Biography He was educated at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he studied piano and violin, began his musical career at ...

– keyboards, synthesizers *

Rutger Gunnarsson Johan Rutger Gunnarsson (12 February 1946 – 30 April 2015) was a Swedish musician, bass guitarist, guitarist, arranger and producer. He was closely associated with the pop group ABBA. Career Gunnarsson grew up in Ledberg parish. His career began ...

– bass * Per Lindvall – drums, percussion * Elaine Paige – vocals * Lasse Wellander – guitars * Writers and producers – Benny Andersson, Tim Rice, Björn Ulvaeus * Arrangement – Benny Andersson,

* Engineer and mixer – Michael B. Tretow

Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston version

In 1987, a studio version of "I Know Him So Well" was recorded as a duet by

Cissy Houston Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...

and her daughter

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

for Whitney's second album, '' Whitney''. It was released as the 6th and final single from ''Whitney'' on 30 November 1988 in Australia, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain. There was no official music video produced for the Houston duet of song, however there are live performance video-recordings. The song version was included in the

North American leg of the

Moment of Truth World Tour The Moment of Truth World Tour was the second worldwide tour by American recording artist Whitney Houston and supported her ''multi-platinum'' hit album '' Whitney''. The trek started on July 4, 1987 in North America and continued overseas during ...

. The single was not promoted as heavily as previous singles from ''Whitney''.

Critical reception

Robert Hilburn of the ''Los Angeles Times'' praised the duet thus: "The album ends on a graceful, intimate note as Houston is joined by her mother, singer Cissy Houston, on "I Know Him So Well," a ballad from the musical ''Chess''. Rolling Stone's Vince Alleti criticized the song and production: "Walden covers all these bases, out-schlocking Masser with "I Know Him So Well" — a genuine if frankly derivative show tune (from Tim Rice's Chess) treated here with deadly reverence..." ''St. Petersburg Times'' called the duet lifting and praised the mother's role: "Mom adds a brief, welcome moment of grainy soulfulness to the album."

Chart performance

This single peaked at number 46 in Germany and in the Netherlands it peaked at number 14.

Track listings and formats

*''CD single (Germany)'' #"I Know Him So Well" – 4:26 #"Just The Lonely Talking Again" – 5:30 #"You're Still My Man" – 4:15 *''7" Single (Germany)'' **A "I Know Him So Well" – 4:26 **B "Just The Lonely Talking Again" – 5:30 *''12" Single (Germany) **A1 "I Know Him So Well" – 4:26 **B1 "Just The Lonely Talking Again" – 5:30 **B2 "You're Still My Man" – 4:15

Chart positions

Steps version

British musical group Steps originally recorded "I Know Him So Well" for the 1999 '' Abbamania'' compilation, and the song later appeared on Steps' own '' The Last Dance'' collection. It was released as a single together with " Words Are Not Enough" in 2001 as the group's fifteenth single release, and the group's last single to be released before their

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

split later the same month.

Chart performance

The single entered the charts at number five in the United Kingdom but quickly fell out of the top ten to number 14 the following week. It spent eleven weeks in total in the top 75 despite much lower sales than the group's previous singles. It also peaked at number 21 in Ireland.

Track listings

UK CD single # "Words Are Not Enough" – 3:24 # "I Know Him So Well" – 4:14 # "Bittersweet" – 3:58 # "Words Are Not Enough" (video) – 3:24 UK cassette single # "Words Are Not Enough" – 3:24 # "I Know Him So Well" – 4:14 # "Bittersweet" – 3:58

Personnel

Claire Richards Claire Anne Richards (born 17 August 1977) is an English singer who is best known for being in the pop group Steps. Richards was a contestant on the second series of '' Popstar to Operastar'' before being voted off in the semi finals. She po ...

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

* Lisa Scott-Lee –

Faye Tozer Faye Louise Tozer (born 14 November 1975) is an English singer, dancer, and actress, best known as a member of British pop group Steps. Career Music Steps are a pop group that have had a series of charted singles between 1997 and 2020. Their ...

–

Lee Latchford-Evans Lee Latchford-Evans (born 28 January 1975) is an English singer, dancer, stage actor and one of the five singers of the British pop group Steps. Early life From Ellesmere Port, Evans was born as Lee Latchford Evans, with his middle name Latc ...

–

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

* Ian "H" Watkins –

Charts

Geraldine McQueen and Susan Boyle version

"I Know Him So Well" was recorded by

Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English actor, comedy writer and stand-up comedian. He has written, produced and acted in several television and film projects, and has written three books. Born and brought up in Bolton, Kay studied ...

and

Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer. She rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the Britain's Got Talent (series 3), third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'', singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from '. Bo ...

for '' Comic Relief 2011'', with Kay appearing as his alter ego Geraldine McQueen. Their version reached number 11 on the

. A parody music video was also created.

Melanie C version

"I Know Him So Well" was also covered by English recording artist

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

. The song was the first single to be taken from Melanie C's musical theatre-inspired and sixth studio album '' Stages''. The song is a duet with Melanie C's fellow

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...

group member Emma Bunton. The song was released as a single on 11 November 2012. The b-side of the single is a cover of "

You'll Never Walk Alone "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''Carousel''. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and enco ...

" from the musical ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular pl ...

''. The music video for the song premiered on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

on 12 November 2012.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "I Know Him So Well". * Digital download # "I Know Him So Well" # "

" * Limited CD single # "I Know Him So Well" # "

" * Digital download # "I Know Him So Well"

Live performances

Melanie C and Bunton performed the song on * '' This Morning'' * '' BBC Children in Need'' * ''Live at

Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...

'' * '' The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' * ''

Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...

Charts

Release history

Additional covers

The song has been covered in non-charting versions by several notable performers. *Originally recorded in 1985 during sessions for '' The Broadway Album'',

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

released her version featuring Mr. Mister’s

Richard Page Richard Lewis Page (born 22 February 1941) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and from December 1979 to 2005. Early life Born the son of Victor Charles Page, he went to the independent Hu ...

in her 1991 box set '' Just for the Record...'' *Pianist

Richard Clayderman Richard Clayderman (; born Philippe Pagès , 28 December 1953 in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popular ...

included an instrumental version on his 1987 album, ''Songs of Love''. *Singers

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and '' Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrowv ...

and

Daniel Boys Daniel Boys (born 26 March 1979) is an English musical theatre actor, who was a contestant on the BBC talent series '' Any Dream Will Do'' in 2007 before becoming known as a stage actor in various musicals including ''Avenue Q'', ''Spamalot'' an ...

covered the song on Barrowman's 2008 album ''

Music Music Music ''Music Music Music'' is a 2008 album by John Barrowman preceded by the digital-only single "What About Us?", written by Gary Barlow and Chris Braide. The album consists mostly of cover versions and was produced by Simon Franglen (who has worked ...

''. *In 2014,

Charlotte Jaconelli Jonathan Antoine (born 13 January 1995) and Charlotte Jaconelli (born 24 August 1995), known collectively as Jonathan and Charlotte, were an English classical crossover duo from Essex. They finished as runners-up in the sixth series of ''Britain ...

and

Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...

performed the song on Jaconelli's solo debut album, ''Solitaire''. *

Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints of ...

sang the song with

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress, media personality, and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent show competition ''Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the ''Heart Brea ...

on Holden's 2020 debut album '' Songs from My Heart''. *In 2022,

YouTuber A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006. Influence Influe ...

singer/songwriter

AJ Rafael Arthur Joseph Rafael (born March 12, 1989), known professionally as AJ Rafael, is a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, YouTuber, and TikToker. Born in Moreno Valley, California, he graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2010. Rafael st ...

released a single version along with filmmaker and singer Chance Calloway to raise funds for

The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning ( LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number ...

References

{{Authority control 1980s ballads 1984 songs 1984 singles 1985 singles 2001 singles 2011 singles 2012 singles Elaine Paige songs Barbara Dickson songs Barbra Streisand songs Charity singles Comic Relief singles Contemporary R&B ballads Emma Bunton songs Female vocal duets Jive Records singles Melanie C songs Pete Waterman Entertainment singles Pop ballads Songs from Chess (musical) Songs with lyrics by Tim Rice Songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus Soul ballads Steps (group) songs Susan Boyle songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Whitney Houston songs