Almanac Music: Something’s ‘Happening’ Here

 

There is no denying that things were ‘happening’ in modern music in the mid-late 1960’s. And one of the main things ‘happening’ was the word ‘HAPPENING’. And when the word ‘happening’ happened in a song, it demanded the listeners full attention.

 

Sometimes, songwriters used the word ‘happening’ in the opening line of a song (just once) to demand the listeners immediate attention. Other times, it was repeated in the chorus; and on that rare occasion, the ‘HAPPENING’ was the song.

 

So, join me as I revisit my top six most ‘happening’ songs of the mid-late 1960’s; bookended by a ‘happening’ song from 1944 and 2012.

 

Of course, modern music will have many more ‘happening’ songs, and readers are invited to add their favourite ‘happening’ song/s in the comments section below.

 

 

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

 

In certain circles, Rosetta is known as the Queen of Rock & Roll ~ making R’n’R-style gospel and soul music powered by an electric guitar in the 1930’s and 40’s. Although hidden in the mists of time, Rosetta is credited as having influenced Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. Rosetta died in 1973, aged 58, and was (finally) inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 as an ‘early influencer’ of rock and roll.

 

Rosetta recorded the African-American traditional spiritual ‘Strange Things Happening Everyday’ in 1944 and it peaked at #2 on the US R&B charts. This version of the song has been dubbed the first ‘rock and roll record’:

 

… Oh, we heard church people say
They are in the holy way
There are strange things happening everyday

 

 

 

Bob Dylan

 

Bob’s mid-60’s period was when it was all ‘happening’ for him ~ ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’; ‘Like A Rolling Stone’; ‘Visions Of Johanna’ and sold-out worldwide tours. For some he was a ‘Judas’, for others the ‘Messiah’, and for a few he was just ‘Bob’.

 

In mid-1965, Bob recorded ‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’ ~ which settled comfortably into track 5 on side 1 of the Highway 61 Revisited album:

 

Because something is happening here but you don’t know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?

 

 

 

 

Buffalo Springfield

 

Buffalo Springfield (the band; not the steamroller) formed in 1966. The band included Stephen Stills and Neil Young, who were both 21 years old.

 

In December 1966, the band recorded and released the Still’s composition ‘For What It Is Worth’ as a stand-alone single – reaching #7 on the Billboard Top 100.

 

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear

 

 

 

Note: The success of the song resulted in it being included on second pressings of the band’s debut self-titled album ~ which was originally released one month prior to ‘For What It Is Worth’ being recorded.

 

 

The Supremes

 

The Supremes began life as a four-member girl group in 1959, but at the height of their mainstream success (mid-60’s) they had comfortably settled into a trio with Diana Ross taking on the dominant vocal position.

 

Perhaps the most ‘happening’ of ‘happening’ songs, The Supremes released ‘The Happening’ (composed by Holland-Dozier-Holland) as a single in 1967. The song peaked at #1 in the US and #5 in Australia:

 

Hey! Life, look at me, I can see the reality
‘Cause when you shook me, took me outta my world, I woke up
Suddenly I just woke up to the happening

 

 

Bee Gees

 

The Bee Gees returned to the UK from Australia in January 1967, just as their debut single ‘Spicks and Specks’ was inching its way to #5 on the Australian singles chart. The only other chart success for the song was in The Netherlands (#2) and Germany (#28).                              

 

Back in the UK and signed to Australian born Robert Stigwood’s recording company, the Bee Gees recorded ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’ (written by Barry, aged 21 and Robin, aged 18) in mid-March 1967. The song was released to an international market in mid-April. The single fared extremely well ~ #3 in Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands; #10 in Sweden, Germany; #12 UK; #13 Canada; and #14 USA.

 

A partial reason for the success of the single from what, at the time, was a virtually unknown vocal group was a rumour that the ‘Bee Gees’ were, in fact, ‘The Beatles’ recording under a pseudonym (where ‘Bee Gees’ was a code for ‘Beatles Group’).

 

In the event of something happening to me
There is something I would like you all to see

 

 

 

 

Herman’s Hermits       

                   

Formed in Manchester in 1963, Herman’s Hermits had sixteen top 10 hits in the UK/US between 1964-1970. Among those hits was an adaptation of ‘Figlia Unica’, written by Italian songwriters Giancarlo Bigazzi and Riccardo Del Turco. The adaptation became ‘Something’s Happening’, and was released in December 1968, peaking at #6 in the UK and #25 in Australia:

 

Something is happening
And it started happening when you walked by

 

 

 

 

Jesus Christ Superstar   

 

The origins to the soundtrack of the Webber/Rice Jesus Christ Superstar musical began in 1969 and culminated in the release of the album in October 1970. Lyricist, Tim Rice, gives credit to Dylan’s ‘With God On Our Side’ and the line ‘you’ll have to decide whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side’ as the motivation for the musical being told from Judas’ point of view.

 

 

‘What’s The Buzz’

 

What’s the buzz?
Tell me what’s a-happening

 

 

 

 

Bill Fay

 

On 22 February 2025, Bill Fay died in London, aged 81. He was an English singer-songwriter who released two studio albums in 1970/1971 ~ both albums failed to sell and he was dropped by his label. Over time Bill and his songs began to acquire a cult following and the albums were re-issued in 1998 and 2004.

 

In 2012, Bill released his third studio album Life Is People ~ and it is at track 3 on this album that we find ‘The Never Ending Happening’:

 

The never ending happening
Of what’s to be and what has been
Just to be a part of it Is astonishing to me

 

 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this journey back in time to the ‘happening’ songs of the mid-late 60’s, If you have a ‘happening’ song that rocked your boat in any decade of any era and in any musical genre, please feel free to add it to the comments section below.

 

Wishing you all a very ‘happening’ 2026.

 

 

More from Karl Dubravs can be read HERE.

 

 

Read more stories from Almanac Music  HERE

 

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