Marshall Crenshaw: “Something’s Gonna Happen” (1981)

Something did happen, as Crenshaw went on to sign a record deal with Warner Bros.

Kronomyth 0.1: Something in the some way he some day moves.

The first single from Marshall Crenshaw scored him a major-label contract following his stint in Beatlemania as John Lennon. Something’s Gonna Happen already features the minor-key melodies and retro rockabilly charm that would become the hallmark of every Marshall Crenshaw record that followed. Co-produced by music critic and Shake Records founder Alan Betrock, the sound is a little bit muddled but the musical genius of Marshall Crenshaw shines through.

The B side could just as easily have been the A side. Not that any two Crenshaw songs ever sound exactly alike, but they all sound similar. She Can’t Dance is another clever song that feels like a lost rock & roll classic given a twangier treatment. In 1982, the single was released in the UK on Albion Records, which is the easier copy to find.

Original 12-inch single version

A1. Something’s Gonna Happen (Marshall Crenshaw)
B1. She Can’t Dance (Marshall Crenshaw/Rick Cioffi/Fred Todd)

The Players

Marshall Crenshaw (vocals, guitar), Robert Crenshaw (drums, vocals), Chris Donato (bass, vocals). Produced by Alan Betrock & Marshall Crenshaw; engineering assistance by Willie Schillinger.

The Pictures

12-inch sleeve: Photo by Gary Green; graphics by Mikki Rain. 7-inch sleeve: Art direction by Christina de Lancie; graphics by Edwin Torres; photography by Gary Green.

The Plastic

Released on 12-inch single in 1981 in the US (Shake, SHK-104).

  1. Re-issued on 7-inch and 12-inch single on March 12, 1982 in the UK (Albion, 12 ION/ION 1029).

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