You've Made Me So Very Happy
"You've Made Me So Very Happy" is a song written by Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson and Berry Gordy, and was released first as a single in 1967 by Brenda Holloway on the Tamla label. The song was later a huge hit for jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1969, and became a Gold record.
"You've Made Me So Very Happy" | ||||
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Single by Brenda Holloway | ||||
from the album Hurtin' & Cryin (canceled) & The Artistry of Brenda Holloway (non-US) | ||||
B-side | "I've Got to Find It" | |||
Released | August 17, 1967 | |||
Recorded | July 21, 1967 | |||
Studio | Hitsville West Studios, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Soul | |||
Length |
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Label | Tamla | |||
Songwriter(s) | Berry Gordy, Jr., Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson | |||
Producer(s) | Frank Wilson, Berry Gordy, Jr. | |||
Brenda Holloway singles chronology | ||||
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"You've Made Me So Very Happy" | ||||
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Single by Blood, Sweat & Tears | ||||
from the album Blood, Sweat & Tears | ||||
B-side | "Blues – Part II" | |||
Released | 1969 | |||
Recorded | 1968 | |||
Genre | Jazz rock, soft rock[1] | |||
Length | 4:19 (LP) 3:26 (single) | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Berry Gordy Jr., Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Frank Wilson | |||
Producer(s) | James William Guercio | |||
Blood, Sweat & Tears singles chronology | ||||
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Overview
Recording
By 1967, Brenda Holloway had been recording for Motown Records since 1964 and had struggled with Berry Gordy over control of her music, alleging that Gordy had forced her to sing Mary Wells' "leftover tracks" after the Motown singer left the label in 1964. Some of the songs in question included modest hits such as "When I'm Gone" and "Operator". Holloway was planning to release her long-awaited second album, Hurtin' & Cryin, which had released "Just Look What You've Done" as the leading track, but for unknown reasons the record was shelved. Along with her sister Patrice, using music provided by Frank Wilson and with additional help from Gordy himself, Holloway co-wrote "You've Made Me So Very Happy". Coincidentally, Holloway recorded the song after a breakup with a boyfriend.
Release and reaction
Reaction to the song was stronger than Holloway's previous offerings, rising to number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming her third Top-40 pop single.[2] It peaked at number 40 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.[3] Shortly after its release, Holloway left Motown and the song was eventually featured on her "second" album, The Artistry of Brenda Holloway. After two more years singing background for acts such as Joe Cocker, Holloway retired to marry a preacher and have a family. By the mid-1990s, she had returned to music full-time. Meanwhile, her song got a boost when the jazz-rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears covered it in 1969.[4] It became one of the group's biggest hits, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in April 1969[5] The song was kept from the number 1 spot by Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In by The 5th Dimension.[6] Outside the US, "You've Made Me So Very Happy", went to number 35 in the United Kingdom in May of that year.[7]
Cover versions
- In 1968, Blood, Sweat & Tears released their version of the song on their eponymous album Blood, Sweat & Tears.
- The song was also covered by fellow Motown acts such as Edwin Starr and Blinky on their 1969 duet album Just We Two, Chris Clark on her 1969 album CC Rides Again, The Temptations in 1970, The Miracles, also in 1970, and Diana Ross in 1994 on a Berry Gordy tribute album.
- Bobbie Gentry included her rendition on her 1969 album Touch 'Em with Love.
- Cher recorded the song in 1969 for her album 3614 Jackson Highway, but the track was left off the final track list.
- Lou Rawls recorded the song and named his 18th album, You've Made Me So Very Happy (1970) after it.
- Sammy Davis Jr. recorded the song for his 1970 album, Something for Everyone.
- Little-known Motown act The Hearts of Stone recorded a version for their 1970 album Stop the World - We Wanna Get On.
- Alton Ellis recorded two reggae versions in 1970, one for Treasure Isle and one for Studio One, both in Jamaica.
- Mina included her rendition on her 1972 live album Dalla Bussola.
- Shirley Bassey included her rendition on her 1976 album Love, Life and Feelings.
- In 1977, Barry Williams performed the song on an episode of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (1976–1977).
- In 1994 it was covered by pop musician Gloria Estefan; she included the song on her album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, which was a collection of covers that inspired her musical career.
- In 2012, it was covered by Julian Ovenden on his debut album If You Stay.
Chart history
Brenda Holloway version
Chart (1967) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 39 |
U.S. Billboard R&B Singles Chart | 40 |
Blood, Sweat & Tears version
Chart (1969) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[8] | 18 |
UK Singles Chart | 35 |
Personnel
Brenda Holloway version
- Lead vocals by Brenda Holloway
- Background vocals by assorted vocalists
- Instrumentation by bass: Carol Kaye, other unknown Los Angeles musicians
- Produced by Frank Wilson and Berry Gordy Jr.
Blood, Sweat & Tears version
- Lead vocals by David Clayton-Thomas
- Background vocals by Bobby Colomby, Dick Halligan, Steve Katz, and other assorted vocalists
- Instrumentation by Blood, Sweat & Tears (including)
- Fred Lipsius – alto saxophone, piano
- Lew Soloff – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Chuck Winfield – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Jerry Hyman – trombone, recorder
- Dick Halligan – organ, piano, flute, trombone
- Steve Katz – guitar, harmonica
- Jim Fielder – bass
- Bobby Colomby – drums, percussion
- Produced by James William Guercio
References
- Farley, Keith. "Songs You Know by Heart: Songs of Love - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 289.
- "Brenda Holloway Songs ••• Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography • Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
- Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 25 - The Soul Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story. [Part 4] : UNT Digital Library" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 68
- The Hot 100 (The week of April 12, 1969) at www.billboard.com
- Official Charts Company info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
- Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 30.
External links
- Original version by Brenda Holloway at youtube.com
- Cover version by Blood, Sweat & Tears at youtube.com
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
- List of cover versions of "You've Made Me So Very Happy" at SecondHandSongs.com