Happy Birthday (Altered Images song)

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"Happy Birthday"
Altered Images Happy Birthday single.jpg
Single by Altered Images
from the album Happy Birthday
B-side
ReleasedAugust 1981
Recorded1981
Studio Genetic (Berkshire, UK)
Genre
Length3:00
Label
Songwriter(s) Altered Images
Producer(s) Martin Rushent
Altered Images singles chronology
"A Day's Wait"
(1981)
"Happy Birthday"
(1981)
"I Could Be Happy"
(1981)

"Happy Birthday" is a song by Scottish band Altered Images, released as a single from their 1981 album of the same name. The song entered the UK charts in September 1981 and peaked at number two the following month, holding that position for three weeks. It was the 15th-best-selling single in the UK in 1981 and has been certified silver by the BPI for sales in excess of 250,000 copies.

Contents

"Happy Birthday" is the only song on the album that was produced by Martin Rushent, who had already scored major success that year producing for the Human League and would win the Producer of the Year award for 1981 at the BPI Awards. Accordingly, the band chose Rushent to produce their next album, Pinky Blue (1982), in its entirety.

Track listings

7-inch single [3]

A. "Happy Birthday"
B. "So We Go Whispering"

12-inch single [4]

A1. "Happy Birthday"
B1. "So We Go Whispering"
B2. "Jeepster"

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [14] Silver250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

"Happy Birthday" has been covered by the Ting Tings for the children's television show Yo Gabba Gabba! in 2008, [15] by the Wedding Present for their 1993 compilation album John Peel Sessions 1987-1990, [16] and by Thomas Fagerlund (The Kissaway Trail) with Christian Hjelm (Figurines) for the Danish radio programme Det Elektriske Barometer (The Electric Barometer) in 2010. [17]

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References

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  4. Happy Birthday (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Altered Images. Epic Records. 1981. EPC A 13 1522.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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