Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy Explained

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

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]

Charts

Chart (1968)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 10061
U.S. Billboard Best Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles26

Sonia version

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]

Formats and track listings

CD single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" – 2:55
  2. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" (extended mix) – 4:54
  3. "Used to Be My Love" – 3:47

7-inch single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" – 2:55
  2. "Used to Be My Love" – 3:47

US 7-inch single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" (Beach mix) – 3:18
  2. "Used to Be My Love" – 3:47

12-inch single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" (extended mix) – 4:54
  2. "Used to Be My Love" – 3:47

Charts

Chart (1991–1992)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart22
Irish Singles Chart23
US Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart13
Canadian Singles Chart98

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. http://www.sensationalepics.com/ Sensationalepics.com
  2. http://southerngaragebands.com/sensationalepics.html Sotherngaragebands.com
  3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 586.
  4. Justin Connolly, Justin (October 17, 2014), "Which Northern Soul classics get Maxine Peake, Mani and others on the dancefloor?", Manchester Evening News.
  5. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 19. August 17, 1991.
  6. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Joel Whitburn . 2002 . Record Research . 227.