"Happy" is a song by the English rock band

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

from their 1972 album '' Exile on Main St.'' Featuring guitarist

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...

on lead vocals, it was released as the second single from the album in June 1972, entering the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at No. 69 on 15 July 1972 and reached No. 22 on 19 August 1972.

Overview

Credited to Jagger/Richards, "Happy" was written primarily by Keith Richards during the summer of 1971, at the villa

Nellcôte Villa Nellcôte (often referred to as Nellcôte) is a 16-room mansion built during the Belle Époque on a headland above the sea at Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Azur in Southern France. Among rock music fans, it is known as the recording ...

in southern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, over the course of a single afternoon. According to Richards, "We did that in an afternoon, in only four hours, cut and done. At noon it had never existed. At four o'clock it was on tape." The basic tracks were recorded in the Nellcôte basement, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, with Richards on bass, guitar and vocals, producer

Jimmy Miller Jimmy Miller (March 23, 1942 – October 22, 1994) was an American record producer and musician. While he produced albums for dozens of different bands and artists, he is known primarily for his work with several key musical acts of the 1960s ...

on drums, and saxophonist

Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney ...

maracas A maraca ( , , ), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas, also known as tamaracas, were rattles of d ...

. "Happy" was the only single by the band to chart on the Hot 100 on which Richards sang lead. In 1972, ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' called "Happy," along with the B-side of "All Down the Line" as, "the Stones at their best."

In concert

Since 1972, Richards has often sung "Happy" in concert and it has become one of his signature tunes. Performances of the song through 1978 also featured Jagger's vocals during the chorus. Concert renditions of the song appear on the albums '' Love You Live'' and '' Live Licks''; the studio track has been released on the compilation albums '' Made in the Shade'', '' Forty Licks'' and ''

GRRR! ''GRRR!'' is a greatest hits album by the Rolling Stones. Released on 12 November 2012, it commemorates the band's 50th anniversary. The album features two new songs titled " Doom and Gloom" and " One More Shot", which were recorded in August ...

'' The song also features on concert films and DVD

box sets A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

: '' Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones'' (1974), '' Live at the Tokyo Dome'' (1990), '' Stones at the Max'' (1992), '' Four Flicks'' (2004), '' The Biggest Bang'' (2007), '' Some Girls: Live in Texas '78'' (2011), '' Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live'' (2013) and '' L.A. Forum – Live In 1975'' (2014).

Personnel

According to ''Exile on Main St.'' liner notes and authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: The Rolling Stones *

lead vocals, backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass *

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

backing vocals Additional musicians *

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone (sometimes abbreviated to "bari sax") is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass saxophone, bass. It is the lowe ...

, tambourine * Jim Price trumpet, trombone *

drums

Cover versions

* Spirit on the album '' Spirit of '76'' *

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American female vocal group from Oakland, California, who achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. They have had a repertoire with many genres, they have sold around 50 million records throughout their ...

on the album '' Priority'' *

Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a memb ...

on his 1977 album '' I Came to Dance'' *

Southside Johnny John Lyon (born December 4, 1948), known professionally as Southside Johnny, is an American retired singer-songwriter who fronted the band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Southside Johnny has long been considered the Grandfather of "t ...

on his album ''Into the Harbour'' * The Replacements live on tour in 1987 *

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...

on the live album '' Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park'' in 1999, featuring Keith Richards *

The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...

live on tour in 2005 *

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

live on tour in 2009/2010. *

Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayl Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, ''Ramblin' on My Mind (Lucinda Williams album), Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and ''Happy Woman Blues'' (198 ...

live 2009

Notes

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Happy (The Rolling Stones Song) The Rolling Stones songs 1972 singles Songs written by Jagger–Richards Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller 1972 songs