SOMETIMES I´M HAPPY
Music: Vincent Youmans- Lyrics: Irving Caesar
Year: 1925
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) |
|
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
|
|
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) |
|
|
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) |
|
|
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 |
|
|
1943.12.28 |
Lester Young (ts), Johnny Guarnieri (p), Slam Stewart (b), Sid Catlett (d) |
|
|
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) |
|
|
1950.02.?? |
Bud Powell (p), Curley Russell (b), Max Roach (d) |
|
|
1954.10.12 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Bob Bates (b), Joe Dodge (d) |
|
|
1954.10.29 |
Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Louis Bellson (d) |
|
|
1955.06.10 |
Bennie Green (tb), Charlie Rouse (ts), Cliff Smalls (p), Paul Chambers (b), Osie Johnson (d), Cándido Camero (cng) |
|
|
1956.01.23 |
Milt Jackson (vib), Lucky Thompson (ts), Hank Jones (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
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) |
|
1961.03.14 |
Walter Bishop Jr. (p), Jimmy Garrison (b), Wilbert G.T. Hogan (d) |
|
|
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 |
|
1953.09.29 |
King Pleasure (voc), John Lewis (p), Percy Heath (b), Kenny Clarke (d), Dave Lambert Singers (voc) |
|
|
1955.06.14 |
Carmen McRae (voc), Dick Katz (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke (d) |
|
|
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 |
|
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 |
|