If You Wanna Be Happy: Very Best of

What a talent. I love when he sings in that high pitch voice. This guy is a legend. I wish there was video of him though.

25 cuts, more than other of his compilations, Ace Records quality and informative booklet. And the happy, fun rockalypso of Jimmy Soul, who on ballads you find to be a great singer. Plus you get Daddy G on sax, and the Church Street gang. If you wanna be happy, drop some coin on this beachy summer CD.

THIS IS THE MOST OF MUSIC TODAY CARDINE L.JORDAN

The CD was an unrecognizable format according to my Bose CD Player. Would not play.

Great!

I am ordering this for my husband’s 🥳 birthday! (For the second time.) The reason I am writing this review early is because I have heard this one before and it is so awesome! Actually, we renewed our wedding vows after 13 years of marriage and to the guests surprise after the Ceremony was done Jimmy Soul’s invigorating tune came flowing through the church. Wide eyes filled the room until the guests saw the Pastor tapping his foot and smiling as we danced our way back down the aisle to “...if you want to be happy for the rest of your life....”. Realizing that it was intentional and it was okay with me the guests celebrated and danced right along with us to our reception. Jimmy Soul has made me smile so many times and even people at the TriCities Airport in Blountville TN enjoyed it when the airport staff helped my husband to play the same Jimmy Soul original as I arrived back home from a business trip. It is so nice to think back on a song that left so many smiling after they figured out that it’s okay to enjoy a comical song without having to apologize. I hope others enjoy it and the rest of the CD 💿. It is well worth having.

Jimmy Soul, born James McCleese in New York City in 1942, was raised in North Carolina and Virginia. At a very young age he became a preacher and then, when a teenager, performed with a local gospel group known as The Nightingales, billed as The Wonder Boy.After coming to the attention of Frank Guida of Legrand Records, who had earlier discovered Gary (U.S.) Bonds, Jimmy was given a song that Bonds had rejected, a twist version of the calypso tune Matilda, generally associated with Harry Belafonte. Released on the S.P.Q.R. subsidiary, Twistin' Matilda (And The Channel) was a fairly successful debut hit, reaching # 20 R&B and # 22 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100 in the spring of 1962 b/w I Can't Hold Out Any Longer (S.P.Q.R. 3300).But nothing after that made any impact whatsoever until almost exactly one year later when another Bonds' reject of an upbeat Caribbean-flavoured tune became what can only be described as a monster hit. Based upon the Jamaican tune Ugly Woman, If You Wanna Be Happy shot to # 1 on both the R&B and Hot 100 charts in May 1963 b/w Don't Release Me on S.P.Q.R. 3305.Figuring he had latched onto a formula for success, Jimmy churned out several more of those fast-paced West Indian melodies, such as Treat 'Em Tough and When Matilda Comes Back, but none could get him back on the charts. He eventually abandoned the music scene and did a stint in the military. On June 25, 1988 he died of a heart attack at age 45.As usual with releases by Ace Records of London the sound quality is excellent, the liner notes by Brian Walsh informative, and all four sides to his two lone hit singles are included.

VERY PLEASED WITH ITEM.

I only liked 2 of the songs. I hate this CD. I regret ever buying this CD and I want to give it to Neil.

Some unusual titles for Jimmys tracks but some great soul sounds !

Great stuff ! A few tracks not my taste as there always is with any album . On the whole though its worth the money .

Old but is nice, go back in time. I love it.

Olden but so Golden. Such superb quality in every single respect. A very HAPPY customer!