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Happy Days and Lonely Nights

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"Happy Days and Lonely Nights"
Single by Connie Francis
A-side"Fallin'"
Released1958
Recorded1958
GenreRock and roll
Length2:11
LabelMGM Records K 12713
Songwriter(s)Billy Rose/Fred Fisher
Producer(s)Morty Kraft
Connie Francis US singles chronology
"Stupid Cupid" / "Carolina Moon"
(1958) 		"Fallin'" / "Happy Days and Lonely Nights"
(1958) 		"My Happiness" / "Never Before"
(1958)

"Happy Days and Lonely Nights" is a torch song written by Billy Rose and Fred Fisher, first recorded by The Harmony Brothers on May 18, 1928.[1] The song was successfully revived in the 1950s in the US by the Fontane Sisters and in the UK most successfully by Ruby Murray.

Recordings

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  • Ruth Etting made her recording of the song in New York City on 24 May 1928 for release on Columbia Records. This version was ranked as high as #9 on the charts of the day. [2]
  • 1928 also saw a version of "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" credited to the Knickerbockers actually by Columbia a&r director Ben Selvin.
  • In 1929 recordings of "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" were made by Vaughn De Leath and Eva Taylor.[3][4]
  • The song was revived in 1954 by the Fontane Sisters whose version - made with the Billy Vaughn Orchestra - reached #18 on the US charts.[5] Although the UK release of the Fontane Sisters' version was overlooked.
  • Three British-based acts covering "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" for the UK market: both Suzi Miller & the Johnston Brothers and Frankie Vaughan took "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" into the UK Top 20 with respective peaks of #14 and #11 in January 1955.
  • A version by Ruby Murray - produced by Norrie Paramor - which debuted that 5 February which became the major hit reaching #6 on the chart dated that 26 February.[6][7] Ruby Murray set a UK chart record the week of 26 March 1955 when she had five releases in that week's Top 20 including "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" then at #16. Her precedent releases "Heartbeat" and "Softly, Softly" were respectively at #15 and #2 while the first follow-up to "Happy Days and Lonely Nights": "Let Me Go Lover" was at #5. That week Murray's single "If Anyone Finds, This I Love You" (with Ann Warren) debuted at #17. Murray's feat has yet to be beaten but was equaled the first week of July 2009 by Michael Jackson.[citation needed]
  • Connie Francis recorded "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" at Metropolitan Studios (NYC) on 2 September 1958 in a session conducted by its producer Morton "Morty" Kraft. Although relegated to the B-side of the upbeat "Fallin'", "Happy Days and Lonely Nights" received enough attention to appear on the Cash Box Best Selling Singles chart at #88.[8]

Other cover versions

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[3] [9]

References

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  1. ^ "Song: Happy Days and Lonely Nights written by Fred Fisher, Billy Rose | SecondHandSongs". SecondHandSongs.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 506. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  3. ^ a b "HAPPY DAYS AND LONELY NIGHTS - Lyrics - International Lyrics Playground". Lyricsplayground.com. 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  4. ^ "Artists - Ruth Etting". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 162. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  6. ^ "Classic UK 45s". 45-rpm.org.uk. 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  7. ^ "The Official Charts Company - Search for: happy days and lonely nights". Archive.is. 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  8. ^ "Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies: Connie Francis - part I". Countrydiscography.blogspot.com. 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  9. ^ "Popmusicinfo". Popmusicinfo.com. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
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