"Happy José (Ching Ching)" is a Mexican-influenced instrumental song released by a number of artists in 1962, including Jack Ross and his orchestra, whose version song was a surprise hit in the Netherlands and Sweden, reaching number one in both countries. Other recordings in 1962 included Dave Appell and the Applejacks and Willy Schobben and His Orchestra.
Contents
The song uses the same melody as "Happy Homer", an instrumental recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets for Warner Bros. Records in 1960 (however, that particular recording would not receive commercial release until Bear Family Records included it in the 1999 box set The Warner Bros. Years and More).
Song structure
Jack Ross' version uses the "Ching ching ching, oop-bop a-loop-a loop" lyrics in refrain, with backing orchestra and random outbursts of laughter between the singing. The Ross single came in a red sleeve with a comic figure on the front and is now considered rare and collectible. By comparison, the Haley version does not use the "ching ching ching" lyrics but rather another set of nonsense words.
Laughing was by Bill Imondi, a professional jazz drummer.
Other versions
Margie Rayburn released a version of the song as the B-side to her 1966 single "Play #10 on the Juke Box".