Happy Together (The Turtles album)

Happy Together
Studio album by the Turtles
Released	April 1967
Recorded	January 1966 – April 1967 [1]
Studio	Sunset Sound and United Western Recorders, Hollywood [1]
Genre	Pop [2] [3]
Length	27:12
Label	White Whale
Producer	Joe Wissert Bones Howe
The Turtles chronology
You Baby (1966) Happy Together (1967) The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands (1968)
Singles from Happy Together
"Happy Together" Released: February 1967 "She'd Rather Be with Me" Released: April 1967 "Guide for the Married Man" Released: June 1967

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Tom Hull	C− [3]

Happy Together is the third studio album by the American rock band the Turtles. It was released in April 1967 on White Whale Records, and was recorded from January 1966 to April 1967 at Sunset Sound Recorders and United Western Recorders in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The recording sessions were produced by Bones Howe (who also helped in the production of the band's first two studio albums, It Ain't Me Babe and You Baby) and Joe Wissert.

The album produced three singles: The title track (which became the band's biggest hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100), "She'd Rather Be with Me" (the band's second biggest hit, charting at number 3), and "Guide for the Married Man", which would become the signature track for the movie of the same name. The album itself would become the band's highest charting studio album, hitting number 25 on the Billboard 200, while also becoming the band's only charting album in the UK (hitting number 18 on their Official Albums Chart) and would also chart at number 15 in Cashbox, the highest charting position of the album, and the highest out of any of their studio albums.

Critical reception

Upon original release, Happy Together received primarily positive reviews in the American press. The staff writers for Billboard magazine wrote that the Turtles "should draw top sales interest with this LP" and noted the rockier "Makin' My Mind Up" and "Person Without a Care". ^[4] They singled out "Too Young to Be One" for the "fine, smooth treatment". ^[4] The reviewer for Cash Box wrote that the album is a "passel of rock outings" and singled out the title track, "Makin' My Mind Up" and "Person Without a Care". ^[5] They end the review with a statement that the band "has a hit sound working on the LP". ^[5] The album was singled out as one of the album of the week by Record World , who stated that the album should have no issue reaching the top of the charts. ^[6]

Track listing

Songwriting credits according to the original 1967 White Whale Records release of the album. ^[7] Track lengths adapted from the 1993 Sundazed Music reissue of Happy Together. ^[8]

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Makin' My Mind Up"	Jack Dalton Gary Montgomery	2:16
2.	"Guide for the Married Man"	John Williams Leslie Bricusse	2:42
3.	"Think I'll Run Away"	Howard Kaylan Mark Volman	2:29
4.	"The Walking Song"	Kaylan Al Nichol	2:42
5.	"Me About You"	Garry Bonner Alan Gordon	2:30
6.	"Happy Together"	Bonner Gordon	2:55
Total length:			15:34

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"She'd Rather Be with Me"	Bonner Gordon	2:19
2.	"Too Young to Be One"	Eric Eisner	1:59
3.	"Person Without a Care"	Nichol	2:22
4.	"Like the Seasons"	Warren Zevon	1:54
5.	"Rugs of Woods & Flowers"	Kaylan Nichol	3:04
Total length:			11:38

Personnel

Personnel according to the 1993 Sundazed Music reissue of Happy Together and the 2002 compilation Solid Zink, unless otherwise noted. ^{[9] [1]}

The Turtles Howard Kaylan  –vocals, keyboards (6) [10] Mark Volman  –vocals and special effects Al Nichol –lead guitar, keyboards (6) [10] and vocals Jim Tucker –rhythm guitar, backing vocals (6) [10] John Barbata  –drums Jim Pons  –bass guitar, vocals (2–5, 7–9, 11) Chuck Portz –bass guitar (1) Chip Douglas  –bass guitar, arrangement, backing vocals (6) [10]

Technical personnel Joe Wissert  – producer (2–9, 11) Bones Howe  –producer, engineer (1, 10) Armin Steiner –engineer [11] Guy Webster  – photography [11] Tom Wilkes  – graphic design [11] Bruce Botnick  –engineer [11]

Session musicians Warren Zevon  –guitar Leonard Malarsky –violin Jesse Ehrlich –cello Joseph Saxon  –cello Bob Thompson  –arrangements (10) Larry Knechtel  –bass guitar (10) Hal Blaine  –drums John Audino  –trumpet Jules Chaikin –trumpet Ray Triscari –trumpet Bob Edmondson –trombone Art Pepper  –alto saxophone

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Happy Together Chart (1967–1968) Peak position Canadian RPM Top LPs [12] 12 Finnish Soumen virallinen Albums [13] 15 UK Record Retailer LPs Chart [14] 18 US Billboard 200 [15] 25 US Cash Box Top 100 LPs [16] 15 US Record World 100 Top LPs [17] 15

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales United States (RIAA) [18] Gold 500,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

References

1. Sandoval 2002, p. 35.
2. Bruce, Eder. "The Turtles: Happy Together > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
3. Hull, Tom (November 2013). "Recycled Goods (#114)". A Consumer Guide to the Trailing Edge. Tom Hull. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
4. "Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . April 22, 1967. p. 88. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
5. "Album Review" (PDF). Cash Box : 28. April 22, 1967. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
6. "Albums Of The Week" (PDF). Record World : 1. April 22, 1967. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 8, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
7. Anon 1967, Back cover.
8. Bronson 1993, Back cover.
9. Bronson 1993, p. 2.
10. Pinnock, Tom (April 22, 2019). "The Turtles on 'Happy Together': "Everybody needs a big hit"". Magazine. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
11. Anon 2016, p. 1.
12. "RPM 25 Top LPs" (PDF). RPM : 5. May 27, 1967. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
13. Nyman 2005, p. 189.
14. Roberts 2006, p. 496.
15. "Billboard Top LPs" (PDF). Billboard . June 10, 1967. p. 42. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
16. "Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box : 37. June 17, 1967. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
17. "100 Top LPs" (PDF). Record World : 16. June 10, 1967. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
18. "American album certifications – The Turtles – Happy Together". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 20, 2016.

Sources

• Happy Together (Vinyl LP). US: White Whale Records. 1967. WW 114. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Internet Archive.
• Happy Together (CD). US: Manifesto Records. 2016. MFO 48043. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Internet Archive.
• Bronson, Harold (1993). Happy Together (CD). US: Sundazed Music. SC 6037. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Internet Archive.
• Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
• Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). United Kingdom: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
• Sandoval, Andrew (2002). Solid Zinc: The Turtles Anthology (CD). US: Rhino Entertainment. SC 6037. Retrieved February 21, 2025– via Internet Archive.