I Know There's Something Going On

"I Know There's Something Going On"
UK vinyl-single cover for "I Know There's Something's Going On".
Single by Frida
from the album Something's Going On
B-side	"Threnody" (album version)
Released	August 1982
Format	Cd/Vinyl
Recorded	1982
Length	5:29 (album version) 4:07 (single version)
Label	Epic
Writer(s)	Russ Ballard
Producer(s)	Phil Collins
Frida singles chronology
"I Know There's Something Going On" (1982) "To Turn the Stone" (1982)
Music sample "I Know There's Something Going On"

"I Know There's Something Going On" is a song recorded in 1982 by ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida). It was the lead single from her solo album Something's Going On. The song was a hit around the world during 1982 and 1983.

Song history

Recording began in ABBA's Polar Music Studio, Stockholm, in February 1982. As ABBA were unofficially on a break, Lyngstad spent time on her solo project. At the time of recording this song/album, Frida wanted to distance herself from "the typical ABBA pop sound". "I Know There's Something Going On" was written by Russ Ballard and produced by Genesis drummer and singer Phil Collins, who also played drums on the song. The backing vocals are sung by Lyngstad herself and Collins.

"I Know There's Something Going On" was released in the autumn of 1982 and became a major success for Frida. It hit #1 in France (spending five weeks on top), Belgium, Switzerland and Costa Rica, and was a Top 10 hit throughout most of Europe, as well as in Australia and South Africa. The song was also a success in the United States, reaching #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1983 with the song's video receiving heavy airplay on MTV. Though the song did not reach the top ten, Billboard's Year-End chart ranked it as the 20th most popular song of 1983.^[1] However, in the UK, traditionally a popular market for ABBA, the song failed to reach the Top 40, peaking at #43 (and spending seven weeks inside the Top 75).

A one-hour TV documentary about the making of the album and this song, is included in Frida - The DVD. The whole recording process, from day one in the studio to the release party, was filmed by Swedish TV SVT. This documentary includes interviews with Lyngstad and Collins, Björn and Benny from ABBA, as well as all the musicians involved with the album.

Music video

The music video was directed by Stuart Orme and filmed at several locations in London, England in early July 1982. The video, which received heavy promotion on MTV due to the worldwide success of the song, shows Frida in a struggling relationship. She then discovers through photos taken at a fashion shoot that her husband or lover is seeing another woman.

The video is included in Frida - The DVD.

Single

1982 Version

Side A.

I Know There's Something Going On 4:07 (single edit).

Side B

Threnody 4:16.

2015 Limited Edition Version

Side A

I Know There's Something Going On.

Side B

You Know What I Mean.

Weekly charts

Credits

• Frida - vocals
• Phil Collins - drums, backing vocals, producer
• Daryl Stuermer - guitars
• Mo Foster - bass
• Peter Robinson - keyboards

Cover versions

• In 1992, Italian disco band Co.Ro. covered the song and released it as a single.
• 1998, N'Time Vs Larry N'Mike- What's Going On Rap version of "I Know There's Something Going On
• In 2002, Finnish breakbeat band Bomfunk MC and Jessica Folcker covered the song and released it as a single.
• In 2006, American electronic rock band Luxxury covered the song on their debut album Rock and Roll is Evil.
• In 2006, Tre Lux Covered the song on their Cover Album "A Strange Gathering".
• In 2007, German band Wild Frontier covered the song for their album Bite The Bullet.^[15]
• In 2009, American electronic group Sleepthief covered the song, featuring vocals by Roberta Carter-Harrison.
• In 2011, Swedish heavy metal group Overdrive covered the song for their album Angelmaker.
• In 2014, American Producer Straight-P covered the song featuring Elan Noelle on lead vocals.^[16]
• In 2015, Norwegian DJ and producer Hans-Peter Lindstrøm released his own remix of the song.^[17]
• In 2016, Norwegian heavy metal singer Jørn Lande and his solo band Jorn recorded their version of the song as the opening number of their cover album Heavy Rock Radio.

Sampling

• In 1988, American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa sampled the guitar riff in the song "I Gotcha" on their second album "A Salt with a Deadly Pepa".
• In 2002, Finnish hip hop group Bomfunk MC's used the song as basis for their hit named "(Crack It!) Something Goin' On". The chorus was performed by Swedish singer Jessica Folcker.
• The drum line of Foo Fighters' "Erase/Replace" from their 2007 album Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace was borrowed from this song.^[18]
• In 2009, the track was sampled by Canadian hip hop artist k-os for the song "Eye Know Something" from his album Yes!.

Appearances in other media

In the MTV animated series Daria, the song was featured during the closing credits of Episode #406, entitled, "I Loathe a Parade". The song is featured in the 1984 movie Just The Way You Are as well as the song "Voulez-Vous" by ABBA (of whom Frida is a member). The song also played during the pilot episode of 2015's Scream Queens on Fox.

References