Something's Going On

Infobox Album |
Name = Something's Going On


Type = studio
Artist = Frida
Released = September, 1982
Recorded = February - March 1982
Genre = Pop
Length = 43:42
Label = Polar Music
Epic (original UK/Éire/Israel release)
Atlantic (Original United States release)
Universal Music (2005 reissue)
Producer = Hugh Padgham, Phil Collins
Reviews = Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:qm6uakjk5m3v~T1 link]
Last album = "Frida ensam"
(1975)
This album = "Something's Going On"
(1982)
Next album = "Shine"
(1984)
Misc =

"Something's Going On" was the first solo-album in English for ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida). Her previous albums had all been recorded in Swedish. "Something's Going On" was first released in 1982 and has since been re-released several times, mainly in 2005 in re-mastered form.

History

In 1982, Frida felt it was time to record a solo-album again, this time in English and aimed at the international market. ABBA were spending less and less time together and the group were unofficially on a break. Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson spent most of their time writing what was to become the musical "Chess". Going through her divorce from Andersson, Frida had heard Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight", and then "listened to the album ("Face Value") non-stop for eight months". As Collins himself put it in a TV interview: "Frida and I had something in common as far as our divorces were concerned. We were both the injured party." Polar Music approached Collins, asking if he would be interested in producing Frida's new solo album. He accepted the offer, thus making this his second album to be recorded in the Polar Studios, the first being Genesis' "Duke" (1980).

Polar Music sent out invitations to publishing companies around the world, announcing Frida's plans and asking for songs suitable for the project. The response was overwhelming; more than 500 songs came in to the Polar Music offices in Stockholm. Among the composers who made it to the album's final tracklist were Bryan Ferry, Stephen Bishop, Rod Argent and Russ Ballard. The Giorgio Moroder/Pete Bellotte composition "To Turn The Stone" was originally written for Donna Summer's 1981 album "I'm a Rainbow" - a double set which for various reasons would remain in the Casablanca Records archives until 1997. Frida also asked Roxette's Per Gessle to set Dorothy Parker's bittersweet poem "Threnody" to music. A re-interpretation of the "Face Value" track "You Know What I Mean" - a song especially close to her heart, both musically and lyrically - was also included.

Recording

Recording began in the Polar Studios, Stockholm in February 1982 and continued for two months. Earth Wind & Fire's horn players - also an important part of the "Face Value" album - came to Stockholm for a two day visit. Strings, orchestra, and harp were later recorded at Sir George Martin's Air Studios in London in the attendance of both Martin and Paul McCartney.

At the time of recording "Something's Going On" Frida wanted to distance herself from the "typical ABBA pop sound". She wanted to break away from being associated with the group and make a fresh start both as an artist and as an individual. The new songs, new musicians, and new producer gave Frida a new identity. Collins' production and especially his unique gated drum sound heard throughout the album as well as the rough and raw guitar riffs of the lead single "I Know There's Something Going On" made it perfectly clear this was no lightweight ABBA record. All backing vocals were sung by Frida and Phil. The album closes with their duet "Here We'll Stay".

Reception

In the autumn of 1982 Frida unveiled the results of these recording sessions by releasing the single and video "I Know There's Something Going On". An extensive promotion tour of Europe and the United States followed. In Europe, Frida went to all the major countries and performed both the single and other songs from the album on major TV-channels. The album received some positive reviews by critics. Billboard wrote: "ABBA's auburn-haired songstress makes a bold solo-project a stunning success" and Mark Coleman described the album in the third edition of Rolling Stone Album Guide as a "sharp, rock-oriented, delightfully eclectic album". Audiences around the world also accepted the new, rockier sound and both the album and its lead single soon started climbing the charts; the single became a #1 hit in France (where it spent five weeks at the top), Belgium, Switzerland and Costa Rica, and reached the Top 10 elsewhere throughout Europe. It also became a huge success in Australia and South Africa. In the United States, the single reached a respectable #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #9 on "Radio & Records" airplay. The single was heavily promoted on MTV. The single sold some 3.5 million copies and Frida as a solo artist did in fact far better on the charts than any of the ABBA-singles of 1982. The album sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, making this the best-selling solo project of any of the former ABBA members to date. [ [http://www.carlmagnuspalm.com/abba/blds.html] Palm, Carl Magnus, page 452 ] A notable exception to its success was in the UK, traditionally a hugely popular market for ABBA, but the single failed to make the top 40. The album, however, was a top 20 hit (peaking at #18).

Trivia

"Something's Going On" was digitally remastered by Universal Music in 2005 and released with two bonus tracks and is included in the "Frida Box Set".

A one-hour documentary TV-special of the making and recording of this album, including interviews with Frida and Phil, Björn & Benny, as well as all the musicians on the album, can be seen in "Frida The DVD".

The track "Shot Down In Action" from the "Something's Going On" sessions remains unreleased.

Frida left Stockholm and moved to London in early 1983.

"Something's going on " was used in MTV's Daria Episode #406 "I Loathe a Parade" as the closing credits

Track listing

Side A:
#"Tell Me It's Over" (Stephen Bishop) – 2:52
#"I See Red" (Jim Rafferty) – 4:33
#"I Got Something" (Tomas Ledin) – 4:04
#"Strangers" (Jayne Bradbury, Dave Morris) – 4:06
#"To Turn The Stone" (Pete Belotte, Giorgio Moroder) – 5:26

Side B:
#"I Know There's Something Going On" (Russ Ballard) – 5:29
#"Threnody" (Per Gessle, Dorothy Parker) – 4:17
#"Baby Don't You Cry No More" (Rod Argent) – 3:02
#"The Way You Do" (Bryan Ferry) – 3:38
#"You Know What I Mean" (Phil Collins) – 2:37
#"Here We'll Stay" (duet with Phil Collins) (Tony Colton, Jean Roussel) – 4:10

2005 remaster bonus tracks

12. "I Know There's Something Going On (Single Edit)" (Ballard) – 4:07
13. "Here We'll Stay" (Solo Version) (Colton, Roussel) – 4:11

Personnel

* Anni-Frid Lyngstad - lead vocals, backing vocals
* Phil Collins - drums, backing vocals, percussion
* Mo Foster - bass guitar
* Daryl Stuermer - guitar
* Peter Manning Robinson - keyboards, horn arrangements, string arrangements
* Don Myrick (The Phenix Horns/Earth, Wind & Fire) - saxophone
* Michael Harris (The Phenix Horns) - trumpet
* Rahmlee Michael Davis (The Phenix Horns) - trumpet
* Louis Satterfield (The Phenix Horns) - trombone
* Skaila Kanga - harp
* The Martyn Ford Orchestra - strings
* Martyn Ford - conductor, strings
* Gavyn Wright - leader, strings

Production

* Phil Collins - producer
* Hugh Padgham - sound engineer
* Hans Gunnar "Paris" Edvinsson - assistant engineer
* Digitally recorded and mixed at Polar Music Studios, Stockholm Sweden
* Strings and harp recorded at AIR Studios, London England
* Henrik Jonsson - mastering
* Leif Mases - mastering
* Yves Poyet - cover illustration
* Anders Hanser - photography
* Dick Nilson - album design
* Thomas Johansson - album coordinator
* Stig Anderson - executive producer

ources

* Carl Magnus Palm: "Bright Lights - Dark Shadows", Omnibus Press UK 2001, ISBN 0.7119.8389.5
* Carl Magnus Palm: "ABBA - The Complete Recording Sessions", Century 22 Limited UK, 1994. ISBN 0-907938-10-8
* TV documentary: "Frida - Something's Going On", SVT 1982. Included on "Frida - The DVD", Universal Music 2005.

Charts