"Tell Me It's Over" (Stephen Bishop) "I See Red" (Jim Rafferty) "I Got Something" (Tomas Ledin) "Strangers" (Jayne Bradbury, Dave Morris) "To Turn The Stone" (Pete Belotte, Giorgio Moroder) "I Know There's Something Going On" (Russ Ballard) "Threnody" (Per Gessle, Dorothy Parker) "Baby Don't You Cry No More" (Rod Argent) "The Way You Do" (Bryan Ferry) "You Know What I Mean" (Phil Collins) "Here We'll Stay" (duet with Phil Collins) (Tony Colton, Jean Roussel) Anni-Frid Lyngstad - lead vocals, backing vocals Phil Collins - drums, backing vocals, percussion Prophet 5 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 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 Yves Poyet - cover illustration Anders Hanser - photography Dick Nilson - album design Thomas Johansson - album coordinator Stig Anderson - executive producer Released September 1982 Recorded February 15- March 31, 1982 Polar Studios, Stockholm Label Polar Music 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. 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 into 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 for Geffen Records which for various reasons would remain in the archives until 1996. Frida also asked Per Gessle, later of Roxette, 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. The song "Here We'll Stay" had previously been recorded and performed by singer Sonia Jones for the UK pre-selection for Eurovision Song Contest 1980. On the album, it was recorded as a duet with Phil Collins although he wasn't credited. When it was decided to release the song as a single in 1983, Collins declined to be associated with the track, and Frida re-recorded the song as a solo version. Recording began in the Polar Studios, Stockholm, on February 15, 1982 and continued until March 31. Earth Wind & Fire's horn players (the Phenix Horns) - 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. Produced at a time when most commercial recordings still used only analog technology, the album was one of the few to be both digitally recorded and mixed. 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. Swedish Television, SVT, filmed the whole recording process. From day one in the studio to the releaseparty when the album was completed. The result became a one hour TV-special, including interviews with Frida and Phil, Björn & Benny from Abba, as well as all the musicians on the album.

• published: 14 Nov 2013
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