Happy (Michael Jackson song)

"Happy"
"Happy"
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Music & Me
B-side	"In Our Small Way" (original release); "We're Almost There" (1983 re-release);
Released	July 10, 1973 (original release); 1983 (re-release)
Genre	R&B; soul;
Length	3:22
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Michel Legrand; Smokey Robinson;
Producer(s)	Hal Davis
Michael Jackson singles chronology

"Happy" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson for the Motown label in 1973. The song featured on Jackson's album Music & Me. Its full title is "Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues)", although Michael's version was never featured in the film, there was an instrumental version used, however, it was not featured on the soundtrack for Lady Sings the Blues. The song was first released as a single by Bobby Darin in November 23, 1972, peaking #67 on the Billboard Hot 100, his last single to hit the chart.^[1] Michael Jackson's single was first released in Australia, backed by "In Our Small Way".^[2]

Jackson continued to perform the track in concert as late as 1977, citing it as one of his favorite songs.^[3]

In 1983, the song was released as a single in the UK to promote Motown's 18 Greatest Hits compilation album, on which the song was included. Upon its release, "Happy" (credited to Michael Jackson plus The Jackson 5) peaked at #52 on the British pop chart.^[4]^[5] It was also issued as a single by Bobby Darin and included on his posthumous Motown LP Darin: 1936-1973. It was later recorded by the song's composer, Smokey Robinson, and appeared on his landmark solo album A Quiet Storm.

According to Robinson, the song was inspired by the film's melody, which was originally composed by Michel Legrand. He explained, "I was looking at the movie one day, and I was listening to that melody, and I thought it was just such a beautiful melody, until I wanted to write some words for that melody, which I did, and I went and I sang them for Berry Gordy, and he was really upset because I didn't write them before he finished the movie so they could've been in the movie."^[6]

Charts[]

Chart (1973)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	31
UK Singles Chart	52

Notes[]

^ "Cover versions of Happy (Love Theme from "Lady Sings the Blues") written by Smokey Robinson | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
^ "Michael Jackson - Happy / In Our Small Way (Viny)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
^ Happy (Live in Venezuela). YouTube. Retrieved on February 14, 2014.
^ Halstead, p. 6
^ George, p. 39
^ Smokey Robinson Interview, Timeless Love, Exclusive Target Edition (audio track)

References[]

Halstead, Craig and Chris Cadman (2003). Michael Jackson: The Solo Years. Authors OnLine. ISBN 0-7552-0091-8
George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet. Sony BMG.

External links[]

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

[1] "Cover versions of Happy (Love Theme from "Lady Sings the Blues") written by Smokey Robinson | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2017-12-24.

[2] "Michael Jackson - Happy / In Our Small Way (Viny)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.

[3] Happy (Live in Venezuela). YouTube. Retrieved on February 14, 2014.

[4] Halstead, p. 6

[5] George, p. 39

[6] Smokey Robinson Interview, Timeless Love, Exclusive Target Edition (audio track)

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hide v t Michael Jackson songs
Singles Songs
1970s	"Got to Be There" "Ain't No Sunshine" "I Wanna Be Where You Are" "Rockin' Robin" "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" "You've Got a Friend" "Ben" "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" "My Girl" "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" "We've Got a Good Thing Going" "With a Child's Heart" "Morning Glow" "All the Things You Are" "Happy" "Too Young" "Doggin' Around" "Music and Me" "We're Almost There" "Just a Little Bit of You" "You Can't Win" "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" "Rock with You" "Working Day and Night" "It's the Falling in Love"
1980s	"Off the Wall" "Girlfriend" "She's Out of My Life" "One Day in Your Life" "The Girl Is Mine" "Billie Jean" "Beat It" "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" "Human Nature" "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" "Thriller" "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" "Lonely Teardrops" "That's What Love Is Made Of" "Farewell My Summer Love" "Girl You're So Together" "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" "Bad" "The Way You Make Me Feel" "Speed Demon" "Liberian Girl" "Just Good Friends" "Another Part of Me" "Man in the Mirror" "Dirty Diana" "Smooth Criminal" "Leave Me Alone" "Twenty-Five Miles"
1990s	"Black or White" "Jam" "In the Closet" "Remember the Time" "Heal the World" "Who Is It" "Give In to Me" "Will You Be There" "Gone Too Soon" "Dangerous" "Come Together" "Scream" "Childhood" "They Don't Care About Us" "Stranger in Moscow" "This Time Around" "Earth Song" "D.S." "You Are Not Alone" "Tabloid Junkie" "HIStory" "Smile" "Mind Is the Magic" "Blood on the Dance Floor" "Ghosts" "Is It Scary" "On the Line"
2000s	"Speechless" "You Rock My World" "Heaven Can Wait" "Butterflies" "Cry" "One More Chance" "Cheater" "The Way You Love Me" "Fall Again" "This Is It"
2010s	"Hold My Hand" "Hollywood Tonight" "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" "Behind the Mask" "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" "Price of Fame" "Love Never Felt So Good" "Chicago" "Loving You" "A Place with No Name" "Slave to the Rhythm" "Blue Gangsta"
Other	"We Are the World" "What More Can I Give/Todo Para Ti" "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" "She's Trouble" "Blood on the Dance Floor x Dangerous" "Diamonds Are Invincible"
Featured	"Ease on Down the Road" "A Brand New Day" "Night Time Lover" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "State of Independence" "Muscles" "Say Say Say" "Somebody's Watching Me" "Don't Stand Another Chance" "Centipede" "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)" "Eaten Alive" "Get It" "2300 Jackson Street" "Do the Bartman" "Whatzupwitu" "Why" "I Need You" "Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2)" "All Eyez on Me" "All in Your Name" "There Must Be More to Life Than This" "Low" "Don't Matter to Me"
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