ABBA Surprise – Frida's "I Know There's Something Going On"

 

There are sometimes things you take for granted – like a favorite TV show that suddenly gets canceled. There is also the music that you listened to in your youth. There are a few songs that I heard on the radio that I liked, but I never really investigated who was singing them. I just enjoyed them. Such is the case with the song "I Know There's Something Going On." 

The other day, I heard the song on the radio in my car, and it brought back old memories from the past. I decided I was going to look up the song when I got home. When I typed the title of the song for a search, I was shocked. I never knew that the singer of the song was ABBA band member Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad. As if that revelation was not enough, I also discovered that the distinctive drummer in the song is Phil Collins. Now listening to it again and watching the video, I'm just sorry I didn't know this sooner.

The Story of the Song

Frida and Collins in the studio

Released on August 6, 1982, "I Know There's Something Going On" was from Frida's third solo and first English language album Something's Going On. The song was written by Russ Ballard, and the album was produced by Collins. 

The song was released prior to the announcement that ABBA was going to take a break from recording and performing. This break would last into the next century, and Frida obviously was trying to take a different direction on her own.

Not Like ABBA

Frida wanted her single and album not to have an "ABBA  pop sound" to set her on her new journey. She obviously accomplished that – at least for me – because I never would have connected the song with ABBA because it sounds nothing like the group's work. 

With Collins playing the drums and also providing background vocals, the sound is quite unique and memorable. Frida's vocal is rather haunting, and the song holds up well after listening to it a number of times. It definitely had the right recipe to become a hit single. 

Documentary

The making of the single and the album was filmed by Swedish television SVT. The whole recording process was covered from the first day in the recording studio up to the release party. This indicates that Frida was very savvy about what was a new beginning for her and the end of ABBA.

The documentary includes interviews with Frida and Collins, as well Bjorn and Benny from ABBA. The musicians who worked on the album were also interviewed. While it was broadcast on SVT, the video was also made available to the public as Frida - THE DVD. 

Reception  

The cover of her third album

The single "I Know There's Something Going On" became a great success for Frida. It reached number one on the charts in Belgium and Switzerland, and it was in the top ten of most hit lists in other European countries, but it only made it to number three in her home country of Sweden. 

In the United States it reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it spent 29 weeks on that chart – which is very impressive longevity for a single. It also explains why it remained lodged in my mind all these years later because I had heard it so often back then. 

The Verdict

I think that "I Know There's Something Going On" was the perfect single to help launch Frida's solo career. The vocal is very different in retrospect when you think about how she sounded with ABBA. Her legacy with her former band was secure, but now she was setting out on a new path. 

While her voice was wonderful when she sang lead in the past – like the great song "Fernando" (1975) – in this song we hear a stronger vocal – a confident, independent, and powerful rock and roll voice like never before. Frida took this brave and necessary step, and it worked out perfectly for her. 

I hope you appreciate the song and video as much as I do. I have included the video below.