Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Happy
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Unit, Villa Nellcote, Villefranche-sur-mer, France,
July 10 - November 23, 1971, Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles,
California, US, December 4 - 19, 1971 & January - March 1972 and
Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, California, US, March 24 & 25, 1972

Keith Richards - vocals, electric guitar, electric slide guitar, bass
Mick Jagger - vocals
Jimmy Miller - drums
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Bobby Keys - saxophone, percussion
Jim Price - trumpet, trombone

Well, I never kept a dollar past sunset, it always burned a hole in my pants
Never made a school mama happy, never blew a second chance, oh no
I need a love to keep me happy, I need a love to keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy, baby, baby keep me happy

Always took candy from strangers, didn't wanna get me no trade
Never wanna be like papa, working for the boss ev'ry night and day
I need a love to keep me happy, I need a love, baby won’t you keep me happy
Baby, won’t you keep me happy, baby, please keep me

I need a love to keep me happy, I need a love to keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy, baby

Never got a flash out of cocktails, when I get some flesh off the bone
Never got a lift out of lear jets, when I can fly way back home
I need a love to keep me happy, I need a love to keep me happy
Baby, baby keep me happy, baby, baby keep me happy, baby

Happy, baby won't you keep me happy, baby won't you keep me
Happy, baby won't you keep me happy, baby won't you keep me
Happy, baby won't you keep me happy, now keep on dancin’, keep me
Happy, now baby, won't you squeeze me
Happy, baby got the feeling
Happy, now, now, now, now, now, keep me
Happy, come on now, keep me
Happy, keep on dancin’, keep me
Happy, keep on dancin’, I thought you’re
Happy, come on baby, keep me happy

Produced by Jimmy Miller

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Exile On Main Street” 2LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 69100) UK, May 12, 1972



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2011-11-21 14:17 by René.

That's KR's !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taylor is not on Happy (studio)!

I thought Taylor did all the noodling on Happy.

Rene honey, please fix the credits on the studio version! the mistake is confusing people

what a shimmering beauty of a riff ... and the whole number just pours out like a natural wonder

the lyrics are in waaay second place to the glorious sound of the whole thing, but
it's worth noting that they include one of Keith's early plays on words with that "anita love"
and that at least half the time he always blows that second chance :E

one of the best.

"harmony vocal" seems off for what mick does, since he takes the lead for the choruses and outro and, live, does a somewhat better job of getting his mouth near the mic. "Backing vocal"?

what noodling?

MT's noodling was on a live version.

The studio version is absolute classic. Happy' is the song I most associate with Keith. I never get tired of it.

One of the best from Exile. Period.

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cc
one of the best.
"harmony vocal" seems off for what mick does, since he takes the lead for the choruses and outro and, live, does a somewhat better job of getting his mouth near the mic. "Backing vocal"?

would "countervocal" do?

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with sssoul

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cc
one of the best.
"harmony vocal" seems off for what mick does, since he takes the lead for the choruses and outro and, live, does a somewhat better job of getting his mouth near the mic. "Backing vocal"?

would "countervocal" do?

yeah! except... it's more "supporting" than "counter," don't you think? Hence the poignancy.

will this be yet another uncorrected Track Talk?


or could we see the very first correction here.......

Come on! There has been many corrections. Don't be lazy. look 'em up.

don't mind the troll; it's a little game he's playing.

Of course it's one of the best ever -- as my buddy told me when the album first came out -- hearing the song makes you happy! Interesting to me is Jimmy Miller doing another great Charlie impression -- perfect just behind the beat drumming. And the horns! And the...you name it.

"Never got a flash out of cocktails," eh?

Lyrics are in way second place? Huh? Are there other Keith lyrics that describe him more perfectly than Happy? It's the guys whole story right there. And his vocal delivery is as unabandoned as I've ever heard.

smile: yeah well for me it's the whole glorious sound that's such an exuberant expression of Keith Richardsness.
the words are part of it, sure ... but listen to that wonderful little "hurry up" stroke he throws into the intro
that's Keith Richards overflowing with Keith Richardsness - like no other can


ps: >> Are there other Keith lyrics that describe him more perfectly <<

i'm not knocking the lyrics to Happy - they're great - but since you ask:
yeah, there are lyrics that convey the man's Keith Richardsness at least as well -
especially if you take the long view :E



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-15 23:51 by with sssoul.

hmm, agreed that the music is more expressive than the lyrics here, though the lyrics are good. But in any case the lyrics are not a statement of being happy--which, to me, keith has only resembled in latter years--but of needing something specific in order to be happy.

I always thought that the horns were great, but a bit too low in the mix.

Great track, pity he didn't did a few more of this kind of singing

__________________________

this and you got the silver are his best.

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cc
don't mind the troll; it's a little game he's playing.

I don't think that it's "trollish" to criticize René about his laziness in his own threads. For 24 hours a trivial mistake about who's playing guitar on Happy has been uncorrected despite calls to make a correction. These track talk threads have great potentiality. If people get the impression that René don't care about the input these threads will loose interest though.

But they are corrected. By us. That's what Track TALKS are for, imo. Eventually, Rene will correct the text in the first post - because of us.

But it's very hard to know when a correction is "sanctified" or rejected, or when a version of the data about a song is declared the final truth. The idea and method could be clarified and improved by René.

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DandelionPowderman
But they are corrected. By us. That's what Track TALKS are for, imo. Eventually, Rene will correct the text in the first post - because of us.

Like ive said before, René has never made a correction

Quintessential song in the catalogue.

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DandelionPowderman
Taylor is not on Happy (studio)!

Indeed he isn't audible, but the Stones do give him credit for it on most releases. The slide solo on the last turn-around does resemble Taylor a bit.

Mathijs

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Mathijs

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DandelionPowderman
Taylor is not on Happy (studio)!

Indeed he isn't audible, but the Stones do give him credit for it on most releases. The slide solo on the last turn-around does resemble Taylor a bit.

Mathijs

As Taylor wasn't at the original session, wouldn't it have had to be an overdub? Maybe in LA? If keith did the original slide I don't see why they would have needed another. The credits on the album are a bit obscure because they are not meant to be exact for all the personnel on each song. They "assume" the five band members and then any exceptions or extra people are listed on the individual track. And of course there are no "anti-credits" to say which band members did not appear on which tracks, which would have been helpful in Bill's case especially.

Happy live pre-2000's gooooood....post......baaaad! Keith can no longer play guitar and chew gum at the same time!

Never liked the song. Always considered as to "simple", it's a riffest though, for those who likes that.

Keith at his absolute best on the best Stones album. What's not to like?