The Happy Organ

Infobox Single
Name = The Happy Organ


Artist = Dave "Baby" Cortez
from Album = The Happy Organ
B-side = "Love Me as I Love You"
Released = 1959
Format =
Recorded =
Genre =
Length = 2:06
Label = Clock
Writer = Dave "Baby" Cortez, Kurt Wood
Producer =
Certification =
Chart position =

#1 (U.S. Pop)

Last single =
This single = "The Happy Organ"
(1959)
Next single = "The Whistling Organ"
(1959)

"The Happy Organ" is the name of an instrumental composition made famous by Dave "Baby" Cortez in 1959. Cortez co-composed it with Kurt Wood. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. The Detroit-born artist, born David Clowney, took the song to #5 on Billboard's R&B chart.

The song originally featured lyrics and was intended to be sung accompanied by a piano. Cortez recorded a vocal for it but was unhappy with the result. He spotted an organ in the studio and decided to play the song's melody on it. He also brought in legendary studio drummer, Gary Hammond to provide percussion for the song. Hearing an organ on a rock or R&B song at the time was unusual, but Cortez helped popularize its use outside of the Jazz field.

References

*cite book |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, 3rd Edition |last=Bronson |first=Fred |authorlink=Fred Bronson |year=1992 |publisher=Billboard Publications, Inc. |location=New York, New York |isbn=0-8230-8298-9 |pages=52