If You Wanna Be Happy Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Popular singer Jimmy Soul was born James McCleese in North Carolina in 1942. He grew up singing in church in Gospel choirs. He toured the Southern United States with a gospel group called the Nightingales. McCleese preached as well as sang; it was his fiery preaching that gave rise to his stage name "Soul." Record producer Frank Guida "discovered" Soul singing Gospel. Guida heard commercial potential and took him on.

"If You Wanna Be Happy" was not an original composition. It was based on a Trinidadian calypso song called "Ugly Woman" written by Rafael de Leon and recorded by him in 1933 using his stage name Roaring Lion. Frank Guida "discovered" this song and sensed its commercial appeal.

He thought, however, that the lyrics urging men to marry unattractive women who will serve them, be faithful, and ensure their husbands' happiness were too provocative. The Women's Movement in the United States was not well developed in the early 1960s. Guida, his wife Carmela, and Joseph F. Royster adapted the lyrics to de Leon's original song and toned them down a bit. Nonetheless, several U.S. radio stations declined to play the song on the air because it seemed demeaning to women. Many modern listeners would agree and find the lyrics objectionable.

Soul's 1963 recording rose promptly to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks. This was his second hit, the first being "Twistin' Matilda" (1963). It would also be his last. His several attempts at producing another hit were all unsuccessful, and he ended his career as a recording artist in 1966. He joined the U.S. Army, went to prison after his discharge, and died at age 45 in 1988.

"If You Wanna Be Happy" fared much better. It opened the way for reggae and ska. It played well in Australia and Europe. A French-language version was recorded by Claude François. His recording was titled "Si tu veux être heureux." It charted well in both France and Belgium. In Cher and Winona Ryder's motion picture "Marmaids" (1990), Soul's original version in its entirety played in the closing scene. Likewise, a bit of it is heard in the Robert Downey Jr. and Cybill Shepherd film "Chances Are" (1989).

While no one remains tolerant of song lyrics which are insensitive to issues concerning women, "If You Wanna Be Happy" did help to internationalise American popular music and does provide a window into the mores of 1960s America.