Happy, Happy, Happy!

[MorningOpensQuietly]

Driving to work this morning in yet another rainy, foggy day in Georgia (it's been raining here constantly for what seems like forever this spring), I decided to brighten up my Friday by playing one of my personal Carpenters' favorites - "Happy" - in the car. I never tire of this song and listening again made me wonder, what if....What if Richard and Karen released this tune as their follow-up single to "Only Yesterday" instead of the slower and dramatic power ballad being "Solitaire"? I tend to think it would have done quite well and perhaps earned them yet one final Top 10 pop record in 1975. I appreciate "Solitaire" and its great vocal performance by KC, but strategically, they likely could have done better on the charts with "Happy" in my humble opinion. Thoughts from anyone? And "Happy" Friday out there to all!

 

[GaryAlan]

And, a "Happy" Friday to you !
Great song, Happy: Tony Peluso, Diane Rubin and John Bettis, penned.
Fan Club Newsletter #42 (March/April 1975) says :
" Tony has recently written two songs,
Happy and Sailing On The Tide, both songs will be featured on the New Album."
(Apparently, the latter tune was not then recorded until 1977).
Well, it was chosen to be the flip side of Only Yesterday, thus, I am wondering
exactly when the song--Happy-- was recorded .
( Only Yesterday , recorded January 1975 ?)
Terrific song, no matter.

 

[song4u]

yet another rainy, foggy day in Georgia

An aside: You reminded me of Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia" there - great song, but sad.

But I prefer to think of Happy while spending the day at the beach today. Or even Postman! As much as I adore those torch songs Karen just nailed, I'm "happy" they recorded pure pop numbers like Postman, and light numbers like Happy.

Tony Peluso liked to change keys all over the place in his songs, but Karen sang them with ease, didn't she.

 

[BarryT60]

Driving to work this morning in yet another rainy, foggy day in Georgia (it's been raining here constantly for what seems like forever this spring), I decided to brighten up my Friday by playing one of my personal Carpenters' favorites - "Happy" - in the car. I never tire of this song and listening again made me wonder, what if....What if Richard and Karen released this tune as their follow-up single to "Only Yesterday" instead of the slower and dramatic power ballad being "Solitaire"? I tend to think it would have done quite well and perhaps earned them yet one final Top 10 pop record in 1975. I appreciate "Solitaire" and its great vocal performance by KC, but strategically, they likely could have done better on the charts with "Happy" in my humble opinion. Thoughts from anyone? And "Happy" Friday out there to all!

Back to a Nashville story.... I had called so may stations so often, they got to know my voice, and one program director actually shared my love of K and R and I recall a vivid conversation about Happy with him...

He said, that he had understood from his regional A & M rep, that they were considering releasing Happy, either promoting the B side - or a fresh release, due to fan and listener demand...

I had always wondered if that was "wishful thinking" on his part, as it sounded terribly odd to me, however, with Won't Last a Day coming out a year earlier and of course, two years after the album, I didn't question his theory too much...

Many think Happy was a hit... Surprised really, that Caught Between or Love Me For What I Am wouldn't have been the OY B side... particularly, since both OY and H are up beat.

 

[Chris May]

And, a "Happy" Friday to you !
Great song, Happy: Tony Peluso, Diane Rubin and John Bettis, penned.
Fan Club Newsletter #42 (March/April 1975) says :
" Tony has recently written two songs,
Happy and Sailing On The Tide, both songs will be featured on the New Album."
(Apparently, the latter tune was not then recorded until 1977).
Well, it was chosen to be the flip side of Only Yesterday, thus, I am wondering
exactly when the song--Happy-- was recorded .
( Only Yesterday , recorded January 1975 ?)
Terrific song, no matter.

What's interesting is - if you listen to the melodic structure of both tunes, they're quite similar actually. Wondering if this is what prevented Richard from recording Sailing On The Tide during the '75 period.

 

[Chris Mills]

I would have been pleased to hear both "Happy" and "Sailing on the Tide" on the track list for the "Horizon" album, and just to creat a bit of balance, "Tryin' To Get That Feeling Again" included as well, that would have created an almost perfect album release with just two extra songs.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Happy is obviously a fan favorite as it appeared on By Request. It has not really appeared on that many comps. I agree that it should have been a single, seems like a radio friendly tune to me much like Postman.

 

[GaryAlan]

The fellow who posted Tony Peluso performing
Sailing On The Tide,
also says:
"I will try to find the other gems Tony wrote, sang and recorded like "Happy"."(Sam Tagliavore)
That, too, would be a treat. Hope it is found and posted, soon.

 

[MorningOpensQuietly]

An aside: You reminded me of Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia" there - great song, but sad.

But I prefer to think of Happy while spending the day at the beach today. Or even Postman! As much as I adore those torch songs Karen just nailed, I'm "happy" they recorded pure pop numbers like Postman, and light numbers like Happy.

Tony Peluso liked to change keys all over the place in his songs, but Karen sang them with ease, didn't she.

What a great song, too, and your mentioning it makes me think of what an interesting rendition Karen singing that song could have been! It would have played nicely with her deep register on the low notes, injecting the bluesy feel found on some of their other recordings, such as "Rainy Days".

 

[mr J.]

I would have been pleased to hear both "Happy" and "Sailing on the Tide" on the track list for the "Horizon" album, and just to creat a bit of balance, "Tryin' To Get That Feeling Again" included as well, that would have created an almost perfect album release with just two extra songs.

I'd have to disagree on that. "Sailing" and "Trying" are mediocre tracks that don't match the caliber of most of the Horizon tracks.

"Sailing" is the black stain on Voice Of The Heart,just as "Postman" is the black stain on Horizon.

Being that Richard has developed a disdain for synthesizers over the years-"Sailing" and "Happy" are two tracks that He would not revisit today,as both prominently feature synthesizers.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

"the black stain"?? maybe a poor choice of words or analogy.
Postman (as corny as it may seem now) earned them a lot of money and went to #1 on the charts in the US and very well in other parts of the country too. That's a stain any artist would have wanted back then for their single to hit #1. Sailing is a nice album cut and I still enjoy it.

 

[GaryAlan]

I notice "Synthesizer Programming" is credited on 8 of the 10 "Time" album pieces.
"Synthesizer" is credited on "Bless The Beasts and Children" and "Flat Baroque"
on the Richard Carpenter: PACC
My question: Is there a musical difference between those two terms ?

And, my two cents....purely opinion...
"Please Mr. Postman" is one of the most brilliant Carpenters' songs in their entire catalog.
Skillfully produced, creative arrangement and sparkling Karen Carpenter vocals; plus... those
trademark 'backing vocals', Karen Carpenter on drums.....I could go on and on...a great 45.
This is an inspired choice by the duo, it may not be a ballad...but, it has the earmarks of creative brilliance.
(Richard : "It is a simple song, but a lot of fun to listen to." Anthology Liner Notes)

While "Happy" and "Sailing on the Tide" may not count as great ballads, either, both songs are
performed well, with creative arrangements, and, again, the trademark Carpenters' 'backing vocals'.
(I'd have to respectfully disagree: Mediocre is not a synonym for describing these two songs.)
In the Anthology Liner Notes Richard Carpenter says: "I love a good bubblegum record-some things never change."
(Words appended to the song 'Back In My Life Again').

And,
"Trying to Get The Feeling, Again"
A Work Lead ! Hard to fathom what it would have become if completed in January 1975.
An awesome interpretation by Karen Carpenter. Again, sparks of Richard Carpenter genius.
(Richard Carpenter finished it quite nicely in May 1994. He did as good as can be done for the time.)
This song is a masterpiece. (IMHO)

 

[Chris Mills]

"Happy" and "Please Mr Postman" really help to lighten the mood on the "Horizon" album, and it's a formula that was repeated on their albums, and as much as I love a ballad, you need songs such as "Happy", it's all about constucting a balance, which Richard was good at creating.

 

[Jamesj75]

"You can deal me in this time around":

I am a happy supporter of "Happy," as championed here by others. To me, "Happy" was another missed opportunity, which might have charted well as a single. Up-tempo, feel-good numbers had their own deserved place in the Carpenters' catalogue. We know, indeed, that such songs were well crafted and expertly performed. And synthesizers don't bother me...