The ‘Oh Happy Day’ hit maker has sadly passed away. I have loved that song since the first time I heard it, it never fails to lift my spirits when I hear it and it will probably be played at my funeral.
So, as a tribute to Edwin, here is his best known song [which is one of the best recordings ever made]
Should you be inclined, please post a ‘happy’ or uplifting song that you love.
Collaborative Spotify playlist to follow, natch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff5IYXby3Z4
(Fats Domino – Be My Guest)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNcTm7BkULQ
(Nat King Cole Trio – Scotchin’ With The Soda)
(Louis Jordan – Barnyard Boogie)
I love that Fats track
There’s about 8,346 songs by Nat King Cole on Spotify – but that one I cannot find!
I tried typing “Artist:Nat King Cole Trio” into Spotify, rather than just typing”Nat King Cole”, but it’s not there, as you say. Not even amongst the 20-disc Complete Capitol Recordings set.
It’s pre- Capitol Records, from the early ’50s, final track on a collection “In The Beginning” released in 1956 on UK Decca’s “Ace Of Hearts” label and on Decca over in the USA.
https://www.discogs.com/Nat-King-Cole-Trio-In-The-Beginning/master/801134
In a similar vein
Really? As much as I love skanking around the kitchen to this little beauty, if I let the words in – even a little bit – I quickly succumb to the old “Time In A Bottle” blues (first experienced aged 8 – cheers daytime radio..)
This is the Ska choon for me.
(Lord Tanamo – I’m In The Mood For Love)
Notice how the Ska beat is just a rearrangement of the New Orleans beat that Fats Domino did so well.
I take your point, but it still works for me
Sewer, your ‘Time in a Bottle Blues’, reminds me of being traumatised as a kid by ‘In The Year 2525’ by Zagar & Evans, which is possibly the most depressing song to have been a daytime radio hit – and ‘Concrete And Clay’ by Unit 4 + 2, although not in the same league as 2525, it still disturbed me.
Oh, afternoon radio was a psychological minefield – Where Do You Go To My Lovely? Janis Ian At Seventeen, “See the tree how big it’s grown…”
..and me just home from this week’s run through of every grisly detail of the torture and and execution of an exceptionally nice Jewish man.
I was barred from watching The Goodies because it was “too silly”. They didn’t understand – I needed silly!
The Aliens – Happy Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QMDXx8tSmg
Cracking idea for a thread. I was listening to Oh Happy Day over Xmas. What a song!
Here some Rapture from Anita Baker
And some Felicidade (Happiness) from Vinicius de Moraeus and the sublime Maria Creuza. Toquinho’s guitar playing is stupendous too,
La Fusa – a wonderful live set from a show which was set up to promote Brazilian coffee sales in Argentina!
That Anita Baker “Rapture” album is an absolute pearl.
Wonderful stuff.
Songs are wonderful and beautifully performed. Suffers from ‘Eighties’ production, though. An album gagging for a remix if ever there was one.
Not too bad a job as ’80s high-gloss productions go, but yes.
Making it even better would be no bad thing at all.
It suffers so much from 80s production that my copy went to the the charity shop many years ago.
My copy got picked up on a whim from the swaps/help yourself table at an Afterword Mingle (remember them?).
Best free acquisition that year.
The Betty Carter CD I picked up at the same time was an error.
Another uplifting gospel song – Luther Barnes – My God Can Do Anything
This is delirious.
Jónsi – Go Do
Happy man, happy man, that’s me…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLnYoHsOVJM
I could be happy, the rest of my life…
Jackie Mittoo- Juice Box
(Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks – I’m An Old Cowhand)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQqLQ_aLw9E
(Marvin Pontiac – Small Car)
I’d have to go with this one
Bright Side of the Road
This is not their most popular choon around these parts, but I love it
https://youtu.be/nJoQbLV2sQU
Nothing more happy.
A wonderfully exhilarating song from the Waterboys: Fisherman’s Blues.
Come to think of it, it could sound rather fine sung by a gospel choir.
Mr Hawkins and his Singers also provided backing vocals on this hit from around the same time…
Did a quick Google on Edwin. Oh Happy Day was an 18th century hymn that he modernised. So successfully that it sold 7 million copies internationally.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jan/17/edwin-hawkins-obituary
There cannot be too many other hymns that enjoyed such chart success.
And now, some wonderfully uplifting pop from the Boo Radleys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X48weyESpec
Josh Rouse – Sunshine [come on lady]
The Avett Brothers – Ain’t No Man
In celebration of a new Eels album, here’s ‘Prizefighter’
Pet Shop Boys – Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)
Hold On Tight – Electric Light Orchestra
Johnny Cash – A Thing Called Love
Chuck Berry – You Never Can Tell
The are few happier songs than The Lovin’ Spoonful and Do You Believe in Magic –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAfp7uf_rn4
Lucinda Williams isn’t especially noted for her happy songs, but Crescent City is one of them:
I’m glad you put “Do You Believe In Magic” up. Saved me the trouble.
Oh, come now…
Can’t fault either of those, Mike.
Maybe we should take some nourishment at this point. How about some Memphis Soul Stew?
Tasty!
This has always made me happy. Irresistible.
Actually, this live version is the business. Dear old Albert’s never seen anything like it, I should think.
https://youtu.be/CZzAflMoW-c
(Thin Lizzy – Dancing In The Moonlight)
(Antibalas – Gabe’s New Joint)
Antibalas have a new album out soon. I hope they tour here, they are a great live band.
Very good live. Saw them at The Jazz Café a few years back.
Signed to Daptone now, aren’t they?
I saw them at the Jazz Cafe too, last time I saw them was at the Islington Assembly Hall, they were excellent. Daptone is an appropriate label for them. They contain members of Daptone’s predecessor label Desco’s house band The Soul Providers and the Daktaris whose album Soul Explosion you really should own.
The opening bars always put a smile on my face before the singing even starts:
It’s been this long and no-one’s posted this…?
Norwegians and Canadians are perhaps not always so famed for gloriously joyful songs..
Aha
and Feist
to show how wrong preconceptions can be.
Her Sesame Street appearance is quite wonderful.
That marvelous Marvin Pontiac track reminded me of this song by Amadou and Mariam
Blimey! That Marvin Pontiac saga is something else.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/john-lurie-emerges-out-of-nowhere-with-some-strikingly-resonant-fake-music
(The Monkees – I’m A Believer)
In tribute to Neil Diamond also.