SOMETIMES I´M HAPPY

Music: Vincent Youmans- Lyrics: Irving Caesar

Year: 1925

 

SOMETIMES I´M HAPPY-clasicos del jazz-standards jazz

Origin of the song

The song ‘Sometimes I'm Happy’ belonged to the show A Night Out, which premiered on 7 September 1925 at the Garrick Theater in Philadelphia, and was on the billboard for only two weeks. Despite the failure, its authors believed in it and used it again in the musical Hit The Deck! which premiered on 28 March 1927 at the Chestnut Street Opera House in Philadelphia. This time, the show and song was a hit and Hit the Deck! moved to the Belasco Theatre in New York where it remained on the billboard until 25 February 1928, giving three hundred and fifty-two performances. Charles King and Louise Groody sang ‘Sometimes I'm Happy’ at the end of the first act. These same performers recorded the song for the Victor label two days after the show premiered in New York.

Hit The Deck! was taken to the screen twice, in 1929 by RKO Radio Pictures and in 1955 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Neither of the two films was released in Spain. Jack Oakie and Polly Walker in the first and Jane Powell and Vic Damone in the second sang 'Sometimes I'm Happy'.

Youmans and Caesar had already collaborated before. Two of his 1924 hits are 'Tea for Two' and 'I Want to Be Happy'. Caesar is also owed the letters of 'Swanee' (1919), 'Crazy Rhythm' (1928), 'Just a Gigolo' (1930), 'Animal Crackers in My Soup' (1935) and 'Is It True What They Say About Dixie?' (1936).


Versions in the top charts

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

DAY OF ENTRANCE

PERMANENCE WEEKS

HIGH POSITION REACHED

 

Charles King & Louise Groody

1927.04.12

1927.08.06

4

9

Charles King, Louise Groody (voc), Frank Banta (p)

Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra

1927.04.14

1927.07.09

7

5

Franklyn Baur (voc)

Benny Goodman Orchestra

1935.07.01

1935.09.14

4

12

Instrumental

Sammy Kaye Orchestra

1937.09.03

1938.02.05

1

18

Tommy Ryan (voc)

Lester Young Quartet

1943.12.28

1944.03.25

4

5

Instrumental

Rhythm & Blues charts

 

Jazz. Outstanding performances

  Instrumental

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Red Nichols & His Five Pennies

1930.01.24

Red Nichols (cnt, dir), Ruby Weinstein o Tommy Thunen o Mannie Klein (tp), Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey (tb), Fud Livingston (cl, ts), Babe Russin (ts), Adrian Rollini (bars), Jack Russin (p), Treg Brown (g), Gene Krupa (d)

Benny Goodman Orchestra

1935.07.01

Benny Goodman (cl, dir), Bunny Berigan, Nate Kazebier, Ralph Muzzillo (tp), Red Ballard, Jack Lacey (tb), Toots Mondello, Hymie Schertzer (as), Arthur Rollini, Dick Clark (ts), Frank Froeba (p), George Van Eps (g), Harry Goodman (b), Gene Krupa (d)

Benny Goodman Orchestra

1938.01.16

Benny Goodman (cl, dir), Ziggy Elman, Gordon Griffin, Harry James (tp), Red Ballard, Vernon Brown (tb), Hymie Schertzer (as), George Koenig, Arthur Rollini, Babe Russin (ts), Jess Stacy (p), Allen Reuss (g), Harry Goodman (b), Gene Krupa (d)

In Carnegie Hall, New York

Lester Young Quartet

1943.12.28

Lester Young (ts), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Slam Stewart (b), Sid Catlett (d)

Claude Thornhill Orchestra

1948.??.??

Claude Thornhill (p, dir), Emil Terry, Bob Peck, Johnny Vohs (tp), Allen Langstaff, Johnny Torick (tb), Sandy Siegelstein, Al Antonucci (tpa), Bill Barber (tu), Danny Polo (as, cl), Lee Konitz (as, fl), Mickey Folus, Jerry Sanfino (ts, cl), Gerry Mulligan (bars), Russ Savakus (b), Bill Exner (d)

Bud Powell Trio

1950.02.??

Bud Powell (p), Curley Russell (b), Max Roach (d)

Dave Brubeck Quartet

1954.10.12

Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Bob Bates (b), Joe Dodge (d)

Roy Eldridge- Dizzy Gillespie Quintet

1954.10.29

Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Louis Bellson (d)

Bennie Green Sextet

1955.06.10

Bennie Green (tb), Charlie Rouse (ts), Cliff Smalls (p), Paul Chambers (b), Osie Johnson (d), Cándido Camero (cng)

Milt Jackson Quintet

1956.01.23

Milt Jackson (vib), Lucky Thompson (ts), Hank Jones (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke (d)

Jimmy Smith Trio

1958.02.26

Jimmy Smith (org), Kenny Burrell (g), Philly Joe Jones (d)

Jo Jones Trio

1958.04.30

Jo Jones (d), Ray Bryant (p), Tommy Bryant (b)

Walter Bishop Jr. Trio

1961.03.14

Walter Bishop Jr. (p), Jimmy Garrison (b), Wilbert G.T. Hogan (d)

Oscar Peterson Trio

1961.07.29

Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d)

  Vocal

PERFORMERS

DATE OF RECORDING

MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING

 

Mildred Bailey

1941.03.14

Mildred Bailey (voc), unidentified accompaniment

King Pleasure

1953.09.29

King Pleasure (voc), John Lewis (p), Percy Heath (b), Kenny Clarke (d), Dave Lambert Singers (voc)

Carmen McRae

1955.06.14

Carmen McRae (voc), Dick Katz (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke (d)

Billie Holiday with Ray Ellis Orchestra

1959.03.04

Billie Holiday (voc), Harry 'Sweets' Edison (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Gene Quill (as), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Milt Hinton (b), Osie Johnson (d), string section, Ray Ellis (dir)

Joe Williams

1961.07.??

Joe Williams (voc), Harry Edison Orchestra

Tony Bennett

1962.06.09

Tony Bennett (voc), Eddie Costa (vib), Ralph Sharon (p), Kenny Burrell (g), Cándido Camero (cng), Jack Lesberg (b), Billy Exiner (d)

In Carnegie Hall, New York

Sun Ra Arkestra

1982.09.??

Sun Ra (org, p, sin), Walter Miller (tp), Tyrone Hill (tb), Vincent Chancey (tpa), Marshall Allen (fl, as), John Gilmore (ts), Danny Ray Thompson (bars, fl), James Jacson (ob), Hayes Burnett (b), Samarai Celestial (d), Atakatune (cng, per), June Tyson (voc)

On cinemas

 The song 'Sometimes I’m Happy' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:

 

ORIGINAL TITLE

TITLE IN SPAIN

YEAR OF PRODUCTION

PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM

Hit the Deck

No se estrenó en España

1929

Jack Oakie and Polly Walker

Hit the Deck

No se estrenó en España

1955

Jane Powell and Vic Damone

Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie y Clyde

1967

 

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