Oh Happy Day



"Oh Happy Day" is a 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th-century hymn by clergyman Philip Doddridge. Recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, it became an international hit in 1969, reaching No. 4 on the US Singles Chart, No. 1 in France, Germany, and the Netherlands and No. 2 on the Canadian Singles Chart, UK Singles Chart, and Irish Singles Chart. It has since become a gospel music standard.

The recording begins with a muted piano, drum, and bass backing lead singer Dorothy Combs Morrison on the left-hand stereo channel, then alternates twice with a full-throated chorus that includes a large ensemble, and ends with a return to the muted sound at the beginning. The track is notable for its clear sound given the powerful vocals and the modest equipment used to capture them. It was made at Hawkins' church, the Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California.

Origins
Edwin Hawkins’ gospel style arrangement of the hymn "Oh, Happy Day" has a long pedigree. It began as a hymn written in the mid-18th century ("O happy day, that fixed my choice") by English clergyman Philip Doddridge (based on Acts 8:35) set to an earlier melody (1704) by J. A. Freylinghausen. By the mid-19th century it had been given a new melody by Edward F. Rimbault, who also added a chorus, and was commonly used for baptismal or confirmation ceremonies in the UK and USA. The 20th century saw its adaptation from 3/4 time to time and this new arrangement by Hawkins, which contains only the repeated Rimbault refrain, with all of the original verses being omitted.

The B-side of the single was Hawkins' own modern arrangement of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" originally written by Charles Wesley in 1740.

Legacy and influence
Hawkins' arrangement quickly became a “standard” and has been recorded by hundreds of artists. It was included on the RIAA Songs of the Century list and won Hawkins a Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance in 1970 (performed by the Edwin Hawkins Singers).

In live performances and acoustic versions of the Nick Cave song "Deanna" (1988), portions of "Oh Happy Day" are included, revealing the inspiration for Cave's song. George Harrison has stated the song was a primary inspiration in the writing of his 1970 international hit single "My Sweet Lord."

The song has appeared in many movies, beginning with the German film  in 1970, but most notably Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act 2, with then-17-year-old Ryan Toby singing lead. The song also appears in Big Momma's House, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, David LaChapelle's 2005 movie Rize, Robin Williams’s 2007 movie License to Wed., the 2010 biographical film produced by Walt Disney Pictures: Secretariat, and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman.

The song is regularly performed by space-rock band Spiritualized as the last song of their live sets; their version can be heard on the 1998 live album Royal Albert Hall October 10 1997.

Personnel

 * Dorothy Combs Morrison – lead vocal
 * Edwin Hawkins – choir director, arranger, piano
 * Betty Watson – co-director, soprano vocals
 * Choir Members – Walter Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Elaine Kelly, Margarette Branch, Rueben Franklin, Donald Cashmere, Ruth Lyons and 40 others
 * Drums, bass and percussion – unconfirmed (probably Bennie Bolton, drums, and Harley White, bass.)
 * Produce - La Mont Bench
 * Recorded live at the Ephesian Church of God in Christ, Berkeley, California

The song was also included on the album Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord (1968). It was released as a 7" single on Pavilion Records in April 1969, then on the Buddah Records album It's A Happy Day also in 1969.

Awards

 * 1970 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance

Other versions

 * Joan Baez performed the song at Woodstock in 1969.
 * Quincy Jones covered the song on his 1969 album Walking in Space.
 * Jack Jones covered the song on his 1969 album A Jack Jones Christmas.
 * Glen Campbell covered the song on his 1970 album Oh Happy Day. The single reached number 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number 7 AC, and number 44 in Canada.
 * Nana Mouskouri covered the song on her 1990 album Gospel.
 * Club Nouveau included the song on their 1992 album A New Beginning. The single charted at No. 45 on the US R&B Chart.

Other sources

 * Original Seeds, CD liner notes by Kim Beissel