Mr. Happy: Difference between revisions

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{{song-2|
{{song-2|
|song name                = Mr. Happy
|song name                = Mr. Happy
|single image              = [[File:Emancipation.jpg|100px|link=Album: Emancipation]] <br><small> from the album [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]]</small>
|single image              = [[File:Emancipation.jpg|100px|link= Album: Emancipation]] <br><small> from the album [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]]</small>
|performer                = [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]]
|performer                = [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]]
|first released            = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/November_19|19 November 1996]] - [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]] album
|first released            = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/November_19|19 November 1996]] - [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]] album
|album(s)                  = [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]]
|album(s)                  = [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]]
|writer(s)                = [[Prince]] (as [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]])
|writer(s)                = [[Prince]] (as [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]]) and [[Scrap D.]] (uncredited)
|producer(s)              = [[Prince]] (as [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]])
|producer(s)              = [[Prince]] (as [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]])
|previous song            = [[Mr. Goodnight]]
|previous song            = [[Mr. Goodnight]]
|next song                = [[Mr. Nelson]]
|next song                = [[Mr. Nelson]]
|introduction              = '''Mr. Happy''' is the eleventh track on the first disc of [[Prince]]'s 19th album [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]], the third album to be credited to [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]].
|introduction              = '''Mr. Happy''' is the eleventh track on the first disc of [[Prince]]’s 19th album [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]], the third album to be credited to [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]].


While exact recording dates are not known, it is likely that basic tracking took place in March 1996, at [[Paisley Park Studios]] in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions where [[Scrap D.]] recorded raps for [[I Rock, Therefore I Am]] and [[Da, Da, Da]], and shouts for [[Style]]). It contains a repeated sample of "bought a house next to [[Prince]]", taken from ''What Can I Do?'' by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cube Ice Cube] (written by Leon Ware, Arthur Ross, Ice Cube, Mychal-Kaye Simmons and Victor Nathan Taylor, from his 1993 album [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_Injection_(album) Lethal Injection]). The studio version was premiered at a [[Paisley Park Studios]] party on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/August_24|24 August 1996 (a.m.)]].
While exact recording dates are not known, it is likely that basic tracking took place in early 1996 (the track was filed for copyright registration with [[Style]] on 3 March 1996), at [[Paisley Park Studios]] in Chanhassen, Minnesota<!--(during the same set of sessions where [[Scrap D.]] recorded raps for [[I Rock, Therefore I Am]] and [[Da, Da, Da]], and shouts for [[Style]])-->. '''Mr. Happy''' was premiered at a [[Paisley Park Studios]] party on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/August_24|24 August 1996 (a.m.)]].
 
The track contains two lines sampled from songs by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cube Ice Cube] previously used on the [[The Good Life|Big City Remix]] of [[The Good Life]]: "bought a house next to [[Prince]]", taken from the "''Westside Remix''" of ''What Can I Do?'' (also called ''What Can I Do? (Remix)'') released on a single in 1994 and "Microphone check" from ''When I Get To Heaven (Remix)''. Both tracks were included on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cube Cube]’s 1994 compilation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootlegs_%26_B-Sides Bootleg & B-Sides].
|recording info            =
|recording info            =
{{RecordingLine|
|date                      = Early 1996 (assumed)
|studio                    = [[Paisley Park Studios]],<br>Chanhassen, MN, USA
|additional info          = Tracking
}}
{{RecordingLine|
{{RecordingLine|
|date                      = March 1996 (assumed)
|date                      = March 1996 (assumed)
|studio                    = [[Paisley Park Studios]],<br>Chanhassen, MN, USA
|studio                    = [[Paisley Park Studios]],<br>Chanhassen, MN, USA
|additional info          = Basic tracking
|additional info          = Additional recordings with [[Scrap D.]]
}}
}}
|recording personnel      =  
|recording personnel      =  
*[[Prince]] (as [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]]) - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
*[[Prince]] (as [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]]) - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
*[[Scrap D.]] - rap
*[[Scrap D.]] - rap
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cube Ice Cube] - sampled vocals (from ''What Can I Do?'', [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_Injection_(album) Lethal Injection], 1993)
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Cube Ice Cube] - sampled vocals (from ''What Can I Do? (Remix)'' and ''When I Get To Heaven (Remix)'')
|released versions        =
|released versions        =
{{Songchart|
{{Songchart|
Line 44: Line 51:
*[[New Power Soul Festival Tour]] <small>(instrumental coda included in [[Take Me With U]] / [[Raspberry Beret]])</small>
*[[New Power Soul Festival Tour]] <small>(instrumental coda included in [[Take Me With U]] / [[Raspberry Beret]])</small>
|performed occasionally in = [[All Concerts#1998|1998]] <small>(instrumental coda included in [[Take Me With U]] / [[Raspberry Beret]])</small>, [[All Concerts#1999|1999]] <small>(usually as instrumental coda included in [[Take Me With U]] / [[Raspberry Beret]])</small>
|performed occasionally in = [[All Concerts#1998|1998]] <small>(instrumental coda included in [[Take Me With U]] / [[Raspberry Beret]])</small>, [[All Concerts#1999|1999]] <small>(usually as instrumental coda included in [[Take Me With U]] / [[Raspberry Beret]])</small>
|trivia                    = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Happy#Mr._Happy Mr. Happy] is a famous children's book character in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Men Mr. Men] series; this seems entirely unrelated to [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]]'s song, however.
|trivia                    = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Happy#Mr._Happy Mr. Happy] is a famous children’s book character in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Men Mr. Men] series; this seems entirely unrelated to [[File: SymbolSmallerBlue.png|link=Alias: Symbol]]’s song, however.
*The song’s lyrics include "''"Skip the Rémy and let me have some Mary Tyler Moore of that New Power Soul"'', references to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognac French brandy] (or Cognac) producer, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rémy_Martin Rémy Martin]; and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Tyler_Moore Mary Tyler Moore] the leading actor in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mary_Tyler_Moore_Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show] a television situation comedy broadcast originally from 1970-77 and fictionally set in Minneapolis. 
|see also                  = [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]] album
|see also                  = [[Album: Emancipation|Emancipation]] album
|references                = ''[[Book:_The_Vault|The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)]] ''
|references                = ''[[Book:_The_Vault|The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)]] ''
|categories                = [[Category:1996]][[Category:Released Songs (Prince)]][[Category:Songs (Prince)]][[Category:Recorded 1996]]
|categories                = [[Category:1996]][[Category:Recorded 1996]][[Category:Songs (Prince)]][[Category:Released Songs (Prince)]]
}}
}}

Latest revision as of 19:34, 21 February 2025

Mr. Goodnight   < < < Non-Prince Songs All Prince Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Mr. Nelson
Mr. Happy

from the album Emancipation
Song details
Performer:
First Released: 19 November 1996 - Emancipation album
Album(s): Emancipation
Writer(s): Prince (as ) and Scrap D. (uncredited)
Producer(s): Prince (as )
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
Performed occasionally in shows:

Mr. Happy is the eleventh track on the first disc of Prince’s 19th album Emancipation, the third album to be credited to .

While exact recording dates are not known, it is likely that basic tracking took place in early 1996 (the track was filed for copyright registration with Style on 3 March 1996), at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Mr. Happy was premiered at a Paisley Park Studios party on 24 August 1996 (a.m.).

The track contains two lines sampled from songs by Ice Cube previously used on the Big City Remix of The Good Life: "bought a house next to Prince", taken from the "Westside Remix" of What Can I Do? (also called What Can I Do? (Remix)) released on a single in 1994 and "Microphone check" from When I Get To Heaven (Remix). Both tracks were included on Cube’s 1994 compilation Bootleg & B-Sides.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Early 1996 (assumed) Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA 		Tracking
March 1996 (assumed) Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA 		Additional recordings with Scrap D.
Recording Personnel
  • Prince (as ) - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
  • Scrap D. - rap
  • Ice Cube - sampled vocals (from What Can I Do? (Remix) and When I Get To Heaven (Remix))

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Mr. Happy 4:46 Emancipation Studio



 
Additional Information
See also Trivia
  • Mr. Happy is a famous children’s book character in the Mr. Men series; this seems entirely unrelated to ’s song, however.
  • The song’s lyrics include ""Skip the Rémy and let me have some Mary Tyler Moore of that New Power Soul", references to the French brandy (or Cognac) producer, Rémy Martin; and Mary Tyler Moore the leading actor in The Mary Tyler Moore Show a television situation comedy broadcast originally from 1970-77 and fictionally set in Minneapolis.
References
Mr. Goodnight   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Mr. Nelson
Retrieved from "https://princevault.com/index.php?title=Mr._Happy&oldid=254392"