A-side "Oh How happy" Released April 1966 Label Impact 1007 | B-side "Little Orphan Boy" Genre Soul Writer(s) Edwin Starr | |
Oh How Happy is a song written by Edwin Starr. It was a hit for the group The Shades of Blue. It was also a minor hit for New Zealand based New York City, soul singer Herb McQuay in the early 1980s. It has been covered by numerous artists.
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Background
The song was first recorded by The Shades of Blue. While at Golden World, they were recording background vocals and some demos. Edwin Starr happened to be there. Hearing them sing and liking the way they sounded, he had an unfinished song that he had an idea to do more with. He sat down with the group and they worked out the chorus and wording. According to group member Nick Marinelli, they actually contributed some of the wording and chorus, but weren't credited for that. He cites their youth and inexperience for not knowing what their crediting should have been. The song was recorded in the late fall of 1965. They took the record to Harry Balk at Impact Records. He signed them into a contract. The record was released in March 1966 and in no time went straight to no. 1 in the locals. Nationally it got to no. 12 in the pop charts and no. 7 in the R&B charts.
Other versions
A version of the song by Blinky and Edwin Starr was released in the Gordy label in 1969. On the week ending August 23, 1969, in the Billboard Hot 100, the song had climbed from 99 where it was the previous week to 92.
A version by Herb McQuay was released on the Ode label in 1980.
A version by Percy Sledge appears as the B side of his 1967 Atlantic single, "It Tears Me Up".
The Jackson Five, with Jermaine Jackson on lead, recorded the song for their third album, 1970's aptly-named Third Album.
The song has since been adapted for gospel music. It appears on the Voices of Heaven album by The Sparrow Singers.
Cliff Richard, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr recorded it for Richard's 2011 album Soulicious.