| Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | the Tams |
| Album: | A Little More Soul |
| B-Side: | That Same Old Song |
| Released: | 1968 |
| Recorded: | 1968 |
| Genre: | R&B |
| Label: | ABC |
| Producer: | Joe South |
| Prev Title: | All My Hard Times |
| Prev Year: | 1967 |
| Next Title: | Trouble Maker |
| Next Year: | 1968 |
"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" is a soul song. It was first recorded in 1967 by the Sensational Epics[1] [2] and was originally released on Warner Bros. Records. The song has also been recorded by the Tams, Sonia, and others.
The Tams' version was released as a single in 1968, in the US, and was a moderate success, peaking at 26 on the R&B singles chart and No. 61 on the Hot 100.[3] Sometime later, in March 1970, it peaked at No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart. It has since become one of the most popular beach music songs, especially in the American South, where the song and the group enjoy continued popularity and recognizability, as do all of the hits by the group. The song is also still popular in the United Kingdom among fans of Northern soul. Noddy Holder, lead singer with '70s British Glam rock band Slade, claimed in a newspaper interview that his band was playing the song live long before its Northern Soul success.[4]
| Chart (1968) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 61 | |
| U.S. Billboard Best Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles | 26 |
| Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy | |
| Cover: | Be young foolish happy sonia.jpeg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Sonia |
| Album: | Sonia |
| B-Side: | Used to Be My Love |
| Released: | [5] |
| Length: | 2:56 |
| Label: | IQ |
| Producer: | Nigel Wright |
| Prev Title: | Only Fools (Never Fall in Love) |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | You to Me Are Everything |
| Next Year: | 1991 |
Sonia's version of the song was produced by Nigel Wright for her second, self-titled studio album. The song was released in August 1991 as the album's second single, with another album track "Used to Be My Love" on the B-side. The song reached No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1992, the track was released as the lead single off the album in the US, with a different single mix than in the UK. It peaked at No. 13 on Billboards Adult Contemporary chart.[6]
CD single
7-inch single
US 7-inch single
12-inch single
| Chart (1991–1992) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 22 | |
| Irish Singles Chart | 23 | |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart | 13 | |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 98 |