Happy Together (song)

"Happy Together"
Picture sleeve for the US single
Single by the Turtles
from the album Happy Together
B-side
  • "Like the Seasons" (US/Canada/South Africa/Mexico/Denmark)
  • "We'll Meet Again" (Japan and most of Europe)
  • "Can I Get to Know You Better?" (Brazil)
  • "Get Away" (Australia/New Zealand)
ReleasedJanuary 1967 (1967-01)[1]
RecordedJanuary 1967
StudioSunset Sound, Hollywood
Genre
Length2:50
LabelWhite Whale
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Turtles singles chronology
"Can I Get to Know You Better"
(1966) 		"Happy Together"
(1967) 		"She'd Rather Be with Me"
(1967)
Music video
"Happy Together" on YouTube

"Happy Together" is a song written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon and recorded by American rock band the Turtles. It was released as a single, backed with (b/w) "Like the Seasons", in January 1967, and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's first and only chart-topper there. It also reached the top 20 in various countries, including number 2 in Canada and number 12 in the UK. It was later included on the Turtles' third studio album Happy Together (1967).

Bonner and Gordon composed the song while members of the Magicians. The lyrics express an unrequited, imagined love. The Turtles recorded their version in the Sunset Sound studio, with the newly arrived bassist Chip Douglas arranging the horns and backing vocals.

After the song's successful release, the band was called to perform on TV shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Smothers Brothers Show in 1967. Music critics have continued to praise the Turtles version for its pop qualities. It was covered by several acts, with the most successful being by the soft rock duo Captain & Tennille, and has been featured on numerous movies and TV shows. In 1999, BMI included the song in the list of the most-performed songs in the United States in the 20th century and, in 2007, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[6][7] Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, singers of the Turtles, were involved on various legal battles due to their attempts to copyright "Happy Together" against unauthorized broadcasts, notably with Sirius XM Radio.

  1. ^ "Billboard". January 28, 1967.
  2. ^ Morrison, Craig (2000). Psychedelic music in San Francisco: style, context, and evolution. Concordia University. p. 79.
  3. ^ Walker, Michael (2010). Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock-and-Roll's Legendary Neighborhood. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-4299-3293-6.
  4. ^ Greene, Doyle (2014). The Rock Cover Song: Culture, History, Politics. McFarland. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-4766-1507-3.
  5. ^ Deming, Mark. Various Artists - Chartbusters USA: Sunshine Pop (2009) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "BMI Announces Top 100 Songs of the Century". BMI. December 13, 1999.
  7. ^ "List of Grammy of Fame Inductees". GRAMMY.com. October 18, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2021.