Happy Birthday (Altered Images song)

"Happy Birthday" is a song by the Scottish band Altered Images released as a single from their 1981 album of the same name. The song entered the UK charts in September 1981, and peaked at number 2 in October, holding that position for three weeks.[1] It has been certified Silver by the BPI for sales in excess of 250,000 copies.[2]

"Happy Birthday"
Single by Altered Images
from the album Happy Birthday
B-side
  • "So We Go Whispering"
  • "Jeepster" (12" only)
ReleasedAugust 1981
RecordedGenetic Studios, Berkshire (1981)
GenreNew wave
Length3:00
Label
Songwriter(s)Altered Images
Producer(s)Martin Rushent
Altered Images singles chronology
"A Day's Wait"
(1981)		 "Happy Birthday"
(1981)		 "I Could Be Happy"
(1981)

"Happy Birthday" is the only song on the album that was produced by Martin Rushent, who had already scored major success that year producing for The Human League and would win the Producer of the Year award for 1981 at the BPI Awards. Accordingly, the band chose Rushent to produce their next album, Pinky Blue (1982), in its entirety.

The song appeared in the 1984 John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles.[3]

"Happy Birthday" has been covered by The Ting Tings, for the children's television show Yo Gabba Gabba! in 2008,[4] by The Wedding Present, for their 1993 compilation album John Peel Sessions 1987-1990,[5] and by Thomas Fagerlund (The Kissaway Trail) with Christian Hjelm (Figurines) for the Danish radio programme Det Elektriske Barometer (The Electric Barometer) in 2010.[6]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1981–1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 23
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 3
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[9] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 16
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11] 2
West Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 56

Year-end charts
Chart (1981) Position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13] 14

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Silver 250,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "The Official Charts Company - Happy Birthday by Altered Images Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
  2. "BPI : Certified Awards". Bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  3. "Sixteen Candles (1984) - Soundtracks - IMDb". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  4. Lapatine, Scott (24 September 2008). "More Indie Rockers Visit Yo Gabba Gabba!". Stereogum. Buzz Media. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  5. Robbins, Ira. "Wedding Present". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  6. Friberg, Lennart (3 November 2010). "Det Elektriske Barometer fylder 24 (The Electric Barometer turns 24)". Gaffa. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 16. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Happy Birthday". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  9. Brian Currin. "South African Rock Lists Website – SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (A)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  10. "Swedishcharts.com – Altered Images – Happy Birthday". Singles Top 100.
  11. "Altered Images: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  12. "Offiziellecharts.de – Altered Images – Happy Birthday". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  13. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1982). "The Top 200 Singles: January–December 1981". BPI Year Book 1982 (5th ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 46–49. ISBN 0-906154-03-0.
  14. "British single certifications – Altered Images – Happy Birthday". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
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