It's Going To Happen!

"It's Going To Happen!"
Single by The Undertones
from the album Positive Touch
Released 2 May 1981 (1981-05-02)
Format vinyl record (7")
Recorded 1981
Genre Punk rock
Length 3:30
Label Ardeck-EMI
The Undertones singles chronology
"Wednesday Week"
(1980)
"It's Going To Happen!"
(1981)
"Julie Ocean"
(1981)

"It's Going To Happen!" is a punk rock 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. The song 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, all of which focused on teenage angst and romance, It's Going to Happen! was written in reference to the 1981 hunger strikes in Northern Ireland. The single is also notable for it's inclusion of brass instruments in the recording.

The song was released as a single on 2 May 1981, two weeks before the release of the Undertones' 3rd LP, Positive Touch reaching number 18 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] The single peaked at number 7 in Irish Singles Chart, making the single the band's highest positioning single in any Singles Chart.

It's Going to Happen! was performed on Top of the Pops on 5 May 1981, the day one of the hunger strikers, Bobby Sands, passed away. To mark his passing, Damian O'Neill wore a Black Armband.[2]

[3] [4]

References

  1. ^ Chart Stats - The Undertones
  2. ^ YouTube.com
  3. ^ Martin, Gavin (2002-03-29). "Pop: Songs in the key of real life". The Independent (London): p. 15. 
  4. ^ O'Hearn, Denis (2006-05-06). "A Hunger for Justice". The Nation. http://www.thenation.com/article/hunger-justice.