The Happy Organ

{{Distinguish|The Happy Whistler}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2009}} {{Infobox song | name = The Happy Organ | cover = | alt = | type = single | artist = Dave "Baby" Cortez | album = The Happy Organ | B-side = Love Me as I Love You | released = 1959 | format = | recorded = 1958 | studio = | venue = | genre = {{hlist|Instrumental rock<ref name= "Breihan 2018">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Dave "Baby" Cortez's "The Happy Organ" |website= Stereogum |date= February 1, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/1981180/the-number-ones-dave-baby-cortezs-the-happy-organ/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...he decided to knock out a quick instrumental...over a fired-up R&B groove....Instrumental songs didn’t often hit #1 in the rock ‘n’ roll era...it was pretty rare to hear anyone playing an organ in a rock ‘n’ roll context at the time.|accessdate= June 3, 2023}}</ref>|R&B<ref name= "Breihan 2018">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Dave "Baby" Cortez's "The Happy Organ" |website= Stereogum |date= February 1, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/1981180/the-number-ones-dave-baby-cortezs-the-happy-organ/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...he decided to knock out a quick instrumental...over a fired-up R&B groove....Instrumental songs didn’t often hit #1 in the rock ‘n’ roll era...it was pretty rare to hear anyone playing an organ in a rock ‘n’ roll context at the time.|accessdate= June 3, 2023}}</ref>}} | length = 2:06 | label = Clock | writer = Dave "Baby" Cortez, James J. Kriegsmann, Ken Wood | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = The Whistling Organ | next_year = 1959 }}

"'''The Happy Organ'''" is an instrumental composition made famous by Dave "Baby" Cortez in 1959. Cortez co-composed it with noted celebrity photographer James J. Kriegsmann and frequent collaborator Ken Wood. A significant portion of the tune bears a strong resemblance to the traditional "Shortnin' Bread" tune.<ref name="broven09"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whosampled.com/sample/160984/Dave-%22Baby%22-Cortez-The-Happy-Organ-James-Whitcomb-Riley-Shortnin%27-Bread/|title=Compare Dave 'Baby' Cortez' 'The Happy Organ' with James Whitcomb Riley's 'Shortnin' Bread'|publisher=who sampled: Exploring the DNA of music|accessdate=2014-10-18}}</ref> The record topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 11 May 1959<ref name="broven09"/> and also reached #5 on Billboard's R&B chart.<ref name='billbook'>{{cite book |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, 3rd Edition |last=Bronson |first=Fred |authorlink=Fred Bronson |year=1992 |publisher=Billboard Publications, Inc. |location=New York, New York |isbn=0-8230-8298-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn0000bron/page/52 52] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn0000bron/page/52 }}</ref> In Canada, the song reached #6.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/59-04-27-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - April 27, 1959}}</ref>

"The Happy Organ" originally featured lyrics and was intended to be sung accompanied by a piano and an organ. Cortez recorded a vocal for it, but was unhappy with the result. He spotted a Hammond B3 organ in the studio and decided to play the song's melody on it. He also brought in studio drummer, Gary Hammond, to provide percussion. The guitar solo is by session musician Wild Jimmy Spruill.<ref name="broven09"/> Hearing an organ on a rock or R&B song at the time was unusual, but Cortez helped popularize its use outside of the jazz field.

The piece was Cortez' second single for Clock Records, a New York indie launched in 1958.<ref name="broven09">{{cite book | title=Record makers and breakers: voices of the independent rock 'n' roll pioneers | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3zdJ66VAOQC| url-access=registration | author=John Broven | year=2009 | publisher=University of Illinois Press | page=363 | isbn=978-0-252-03290-5 }} Lowell Music's 'Clock' was located at 1619 Broadway. Doug Moody handled sales & promotion.</ref> The next week, the Hot 100's #1 was Wilbert Harrison's cover of "Kansas City", which also included Spruill's guitar.<ref name="broven09"/> Doug Moody soon left Clock to start up Mystic Records in Hollywood, and Cortez took his next hit, "Rinky Dink", to Chess Records.

==Chart Positions== {| class="wikitable" !Chart (1959) !Peak<br />position |- |CAN ''CHUM''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/59-04-27-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - April 27, 1959}}</ref> |align="center"|6 |- |U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 |align="center"|1 |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Happy Organ, The}} Category:1959 singles Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Category:Cashbox number-one singles Category:Pop instrumentals Category:Rock instrumentals Category:1959 songs Category:1950s instrumentals