Shiny Happy People
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Shiny Happy People" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by R.E.M. | ||
| from the album Out of Time | ||
| Released | 6 May 1991 (UK) 3 September 1991 (US) |
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| Format | UK: CD, 7", 12", cassette US: 7", cassette |
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| Recorded | September–October 1990 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:45 | |
| Label | Warner Bros. 7-19242 (US, 7") 4-19242 (US, cassette) W0027 (UK, 7") W0027C (UK, cassette) W0027CD (UK, CD) W0027CDX (UK, Collectors' Edition CD) W0027T (UK, 12") |
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| Producer(s) | Scott Litt & R.E.M. | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| R.E.M. singles chronology | ||
| "Losing My Religion" (1991) |
"Shiny Happy People" (1991) |
"Near Wild Heaven" (1991) |
"Shiny Happy People" is a song by the band R.E.M. It appeared on their 1991 album Out of Time and was released as a single in the same year. The song features guest backing vocals by Kate Pierson of the B-52's.
It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the fourth and final R.E.M. single to reach the top 10 on the chart. It also peaked at #6 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the first R.E.M. song to reach the top ten in the UK and the only to reach the top ten in both countries.
Although a top ten hit, it was excluded from the band's 2003 'Best Of' album In Time; this was reportedly a deliberate decision by Michael Stipe, who once mentioned his dislike of the song in an episode of Space Ghost Coast To Coast.
The band performed it on Sesame Street, during the 1998/1999 season, under the title "Furry Happy Monsters". The female vocal was performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo of Avenue Q fame. New lyrics were written by Sesame Street writer Christopher Cerf. Some of the lyrics included: "Monsters having fun, happy, happy, See them jump and run, happy, happy, Laughing all the while, cheerful, cheerful, Flashing a big smile, that's a perfect sign That they're feelin' fine! Furry happy monsters feeling glad!"
The song appeared in Michael Moore's anti-war film Fahrenheit 9/11 during footage of George H.W. Bush visiting the Saud family. Moore had previously directed the video to "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" for R.E.M..
In 2005, Q magazine included Shiny Happy People in a list of "Ten Terrible Records by Great Artists". [citation needed] In its 2006 "Song of the Summer" countdown, CBC Radio's Freestyle named Shiny Happy People 1991's "Song of the Summer" [1]. In contrast, in 2006, the song received the number one position on AOL Music's list of the "111 Wussiest Songs of All Time."[2]
Contents |
[edit] Single covers
 UK standard edition CD single cover |
 UK "Collectors' Edition" CD single cover |
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise stated.
[edit] US/UK 7"/cassette singles
- "Shiny Happy People" – 3:45
- "Forty Second Song" – 1:20
[edit] UK CD/12"
- "Shiny Happy People" – 3:45
- "Forty Second Song" – 1:20
- "Losing My Religion" (live acoustic version)1 – 4:36
[edit] UK "Collectors' Edition" CD
- "Shiny Happy People" – 3:45
- "I Remember California" (live)2 – 5:42
- "Get Up" (live)2 – 3:15
- "Pop Song '89" (live)2 – 3:30
[edit] Notes
1 Recorded on Rockline; April 1, 1991.
2 Taken from the live performance video, Tourfilm.
[edit] External links
- Video sample at R.E.M.hq
- "Shiny Happy People" (UK CD/12") at MusicBrainz
- "Shiny Happy People" (UK Collectors' Edition CD) at MusicBrainz
[edit] References
- ^ CBC Radio | Freestyle, retrieved 5 September 2006.
- ^ "The 111 Wussiest Songs of All Time (No. 1)". AOL Music. Retrieved on 20 August 2006.
