I Know There's Something Going On

"I Know There's Something Going On" is a song by the Swedish singer and ABBA member Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad. Released in August 1982 as her debut English-language single and her first solo single since her version of "Fernando" in 1975, it was the lead single to her third studio album and her first in the English language, Something's Going On (1982). It was penned by Russ Ballard and produced by Phil Collins.

"I Know There's Something Going On"
UK vinyl-single picture sleeve
Single by Frida
from the album Something's Going On
B-side	"Threnody" (album version) You Know What I Mean" (2015 limited edition version)
Released	August 1982 (1982-08)[1]
Recorded	1982
Genre	Hard rock[2]
Length	5:29 (album version) 4:07 (single version)
Label	Polar
Songwriter(s)	Russ Ballard
Producer(s)	Phil Collins
Frida singles chronology
"Fernando" (1976) "I Know There's Something Going On" (1982) "To Turn the Stone" (1982)
Music video
"I Know There's Something Going On" on YouTube
Audio sample
"I Know There's Something Going On" file help

Being released shortly before ABBA's hiatus, "I Know There's Something Going On" proved to be a major hit for Frida, peaking atop the music charts of Belgium and Switzerland and made the top ten in multiple European countries and Australia. Uniquely, it also became a somewhat large American hit, stalling out at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking higher than many of ABBA's own singles on the chart.

Background

Recording began in ABBA's Polar Music Studio, Stockholm, in February 1982. Frida recorded the album during the last year of ABBA in the 20th century. 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. 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 television broadcaster SVT. This documentary includes interviews with Lyngstad and Collins, Björn and Benny from ABBA, as well as all the musicians involved with the album.

Reception

"I Know There's Something Going On" was released throughout the summer of 1982 and became a major chart success for Frida. The single reached the number one position in Belgium and Switzerland. The track reached the top ten throughout most of Europe– including a number three peak in Frida's native Sweden–as well as in Australia and South Africa. It had longevity in the United States, where it reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 29 weeks in total, an unusually lengthy time in the chart at the time. This was reflected in the 1983 year end chart, where it was ranked at number 20 despite not peaking within the top ten.^[3] An exception of the song's success was in the United Kingdom, traditionally a popular market for ABBA, where it failed to enter the top forty, peaking at number 43. Her fellow member Agnetha Fältskog was also struggling to enter the UK market.

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 relationship with a man who works as a photographer. She then discovers through photos taken by a private investigator that the man is seeing another woman who had modeled for him. The rest of the video consists of Frida spying on the two.^[4]

Credits

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

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "I Know There's Something Going On" Chart (1982–1983) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 5 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 1 Canada (RPM 50 Singles)[8] 30 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[9] 7 France (SNEP)[10] 4 Ireland (IRMA)[11] 23 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[1] 3 Norway (VG-lista)[13] 3 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[14] 5 Spain (AFYVE)[15][16] 29 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 3 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 1 UK Singles (OCC)[19] 43 US Billboard Hot 100[20] 13 US Rock Top Tracks (Billboard)[21] 17 US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[22] 14 US AOR/Hot Tracks (Radio & Records)[23] 10 US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records)[24] 9 West Germany (GfK)[25] 5

Year-end charts 1982 year-end chart performance for "I Know There's Something Going On" Chart (1982) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[26] 50 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 32 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28] 46 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29] 45 West Germany (Media Control)[30] 75 1983 year-end chart performance for "I Know There's Something Going On" Chart (1983) Position US Billboard Hot 100[31] 20 US Cash Box Top 100[32] 90 US Top 40 (Gavin Report)[33] 81 US AOR/Hot Tracks (Radio & Records)[34] 53 US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records)[35] 73

Cover versions

Bomfunk MC's version

"(Crack It) Something Going On"
Single by Bomfunk MC's featuring Jessica Folcker
from the album The Official Album of the 2002 FIFA World Cup
B-side	"PamPam"
Released	10 June 2002 (2002-06-10)[36]
Genre	Electro-pop[36]
Length	3:47
Label	Epidrome
Composer(s)	Russ Ballard Jaakko Salovaara
Lyricist(s)	Russ Ballard Raymond Ebanks
Producer(s)	JS16
Bomfunk MC's singles chronology
"Live Your Life" (2002) "(Crack It) Something Going On" (2002) "Back to Back" (2002)
Jessica Folcker singles chronology
"Miracles" (2001) "(Crack It) Something Going On" (2002) "Du kunde ha varit med mig" (2005)
Music video
"(Crack It) Something Going On" on YouTube

In 2002, Finnish hip hop group Bomfunk MC's used the song as a basis for their track "(Crack It) Something Going On", originally included on The Official Album of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.^[37][38] This version features Swedish singer Jessica Folcker performing the choruses and includes addition writing from Bomfunk MC's members Jaakko Salovaara (music) and Raymond Ebanks (lyrics). "Something Goin' On" was released a single in June 2002 and charted throughout mainland Europe, entering the top 10 in Finland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. A music video was made for the song, directed by Juuso "Uzi" Syrjä.^[39]

Track listings

Scandinavian CD single^[40]

1. "(Crack It) Something Going On" – 3:47
2. "PamPam" – 4:20

European maxi-CD single^[39]

1. "(Crack It) Something Going On" (original) – 3:47
2. "(Crack It) Something Going On" (Beats'n'Styles remix) – 4:45
3. "(Crack It) Something Going On" (extended) – 4:52
4. "PamPam" – 4:20
5. "Live Your Life" (video) – 3:53

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the European maxi-CD single liner notes.^[39]

Studio

• Mixed at 16 Inch Studios (Helsinki, Finland)

Personnel

• Russ Ballard – music, lyrics
• Jaakko Salovaara – music
• Raymond Ebanks – lyrics, vocals (as B.O.W.)
• Jessica Folcker – vocals
• DJ Gismo – turntables
• JS16 – programming, production, mixing
• Edgar Tompson – mixing
• Jani Tolin – artwork design
• Matti Pyykkö – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2002) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[41] 19 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[42] 31 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[43] 32 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[44] 3 Germany (GfK)[45] 10 Greece (IFPI)[46] 18 Italy (FIMI)[47] 15 Norway (VG-lista)[48] 2 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[49] 33 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[50] 4 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] 70 Chart (2025) Peak position Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[52] 72

Year-end charts Chart (2002) Position Germany (Media Control)[53] 93 Sweden (Hitlistan)[54] 63

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Norway (IFPI Norway)[55]	Gold

Other covers

• In 1992, Italian disco band Co.Ro. covered the song and released it as a single.
• In 1998, N'Time Vs Larry N'Mike - "What's Going On", rap version of "I Know There's Something Going On"
• 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.^[56]
• 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.^[57]
• In 2015, Norwegian DJ and producer Hans-Peter Lindstrøm released his own remix of the song.^[58]
• 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.
• In 2017, American Darwave, EBM, industrial band Sun Goes Dark covered song and released it as a single. Song is also in their album Pieces of humanity, released in 2018.

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.
• The drum line of Foo Fighters' "Erase/Replace" from their 2007 album Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace was borrowed from this song.^[59]
• In 2009, the track was sampled by Canadian hip hop artist k-os for the song "Eye Know Something" from his album Yes!.