It's Going to Happen!
{{for|the film in which this phrase is said|Lawrence of Arabia (film)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = It's Going to Happen!
| cover = ItsGoingtoHappen.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Undertones
| album = Positive Touch
| released = {{Start date|1981|4|21|df=y}}
| recorded = January 1981
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = New wave
| length = 3:30
| label = Ardeck-EMI
| writer = Damian O'Neill
Michael Bradley
| producer =
| prev_title = Wednesday Week
| prev_year = 1980
| next_title = Julie Ocean
| next_year = 1981
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Rear cover
| cover = ItsGoingToHappenRearSleeve1981.png
| border =
| alt =
| caption = Rear cover of single, depicting the Undertones in 1981
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|aQtaqgW6MXg|"It's Going to Happen!"}}}}
}}
"It's Going to Happen!" is a new wave song originally written and recorded by Northern Irish band the Undertones. The song was written in the winter of 1980 and recorded at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands in January, 1981. "It's Going to Happen!" was the eighth single released by the band and the second single released to be co-written by lead guitarist Damian O'Neill and bassist Michael Bradley.
Unlike any of the previous singles released by the Undertones, the majority of which focused on teenage angst and romance, "It's Going to Happen!" was partly written in reference to the 1981 hunger strikes in Northern Ireland. The single is notable for its inclusion of brass instruments in the recording.
The song was selected by EMI to be released as a single before the Undertones' 3rd LP Positive TouchTeenage Kicks: My Life as an Undertone {{ISBN|978-1-78558-180-9}} p. 186 and was released on 21 April 1981, two weeks before the release of Positive Touch. The single reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart on 24 May,{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/uk-top-40-singles-chart/19810524/750140/|title=Official Singles Chart Top 40: 24 May 1981 - 30 May 1981|work=officialcharts.com|access-date=28 August 2021|date=1 June 2016}} and would also reach number 10 in the Irish Singles Chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement|title= The Irish Charts: All There is to Know: The Undertones|work=irishcharts.ie|access-date=28 August 2021|date=2 October 2006}}
Sleeve artwork
The artwork for the single sleeve was designed by Bush Hollyhead. The front of the sleeve depicts an image representing a tightrope walker beginning to fall to the ground; the image on the rear of the sleeve depicts the band standing before a backdrop of icons representing each of the songs on their album Positive Touch. This particular photograph was taken by Mervyn Franklin.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/1861348-Bush-Hollyhead|title=Discography: Bush Hollyhead|work=discogs.com|access-date=28 August 2021|date=6 December 2013}}
Top of the Pops
"It's Going to Happen!" was performed on Top of the Pops on 7 May 1981, shortly after one of the hunger strikers, Bobby Sands, died.Teenage Kicks: My Life as an Undertone {{ISBN|978-1-785-58180-9}} p. 188 To mark his death, Damian O'Neill performed the song on Top of the Pops wearing a black armband.{{cite web|url=https://www.spitrecords.co.uk/undertones.htm|title=A to Z of Bands: The Undertones|work=spitrecords.co.uk|access-date=28 August 2021|date=1 January 2009}}
{{cite news
|newspaper=The Independent
|location=London
|date=29 March 2002
|title=Pop: Songs in the Key of Real Life
|last=Martin
|first=Gavin
|page=15
{{cite news
|title=A Hunger for Justice
|first=Denis
|last=O'Hearn
|date=5 June 2006
|newspaper=The Nation
|url=http://www.thenation.com/article/hunger-justice
}} The Undertones also performed the song on the 21 May 1981 edition of Top of the Pops.{{cite web|url=https://soundofthecrowd.org.uk/1981/blow-up-the-tv-blow-up-the-car-top-of-the-pops-21-may-1981/|title='Blow up the TV, Blow up the Car': Top of the Pops, 21 May 1981|work=soundofthecrowd.org.uk|access-date=28 August 2021|date=6 September 2014}}
Track listing
{{tracklist
| headline = Side one
| extra_column = Written by
| title1 = It's Going to Happen!
| extra1 = Damian O'Neill, Michael Bradley
| length1 = 3:39
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = Side two
| extra_column = Written by
| title1 = Fairly in the Money Now
| extra1 = Tommy Tate & The Torpedoes
| length1 = 2:34
}}
- Tommy Tate & The Torpedoes was a pseudonym used by Damian O'Neill.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- It's Going to Happen! [https://genius.com/The-undertones-its-going-to-happen-lyrics lyrics]
- The Undertones [https://www.theundertones.com/ official website]
{{The Undertones}}
{{authority control}}