Peak
1
Weeks
17
Score
3,515
Chart Year
1959
///
"The Happy Organ" is an instrumental composition made famous by Dave "Baby" Cortez in 1959. Cortez co-composed it with noted celebrity photographer James J. Kriegsmann and frequent collaborator Ken Wood. A significant portion of the tune bears a strong resemblance to the traditional "Shortnin' Bread" tune.[2][3] The record topped the Billboard Hot 100 on 11 May 1959[2] and also reached #5 on Billboard's R&B chart.[4] In Canada, the song reached #6.[5] "The Happy Organ" originally featured lyrics and was intended to be sung accompanied by a piano and an organ. Cortez recorded a vocal for it, but was unhappy with the result. He spotted a Hammond B3 organ in the studio and decided to play the song's melody on it. He also brought in studio drummer, Gary Hammond, to provide percussion. The guitar solo is by session musician Wild Jimmy Spruill.[2] Hearing an organ on a rock or R&B song at the time was unusual, but Cortez helped popularize its use outside of the jazz field.
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 16, 1959 | 68 | 58 |
| 2 | Mar 23, 1959 | 57 | 69 |
| 3 | Mar 30, 1959 | 35 | 91 |
| 4 | Apr 6, 1959 | 25 | 101 |
| 5 | Apr 13, 1959 | 13 | 113 |
| 6 | Apr 20, 1959 | 13 | 113 |
| 7 | Apr 27, 1959 | 6 | 120 |
| 8 | May 4, 1959 | 2 | 124 |
| 9 | May 11, 1959 | 1 | 125 |
| 10 | May 18, 1959 | 3 | 123 |
| 11 | May 25, 1959 | 6 | 120 |
| 12 | Jun 1, 1959 | 10 | 116 |
| 13 | Jun 8, 1959 | 10 | 116 |
| 14 | Jun 15, 1959 | 14 | 112 |
| 15 | Jun 22, 1959 | 25 | 101 |
| 16 | Jun 29, 1959 | 38 | 88 |
| 17 | Jul 6, 1959 | 70 | 56 |