Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy

"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
Single by The Tams
B-side "That Same Old Song"
Recorded 1968
Length 2:06
Label ABC Records
Writer(s) Ray Robert Whitley, J.R. Cobb
Producer(s) Joe South
The Tams singles chronology
"All My Hard Times"
(1967)		 "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
(1968)		 "Trouble Maker"
(1968)
"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
Single by Sonia
from the album Sonia
B-side "Used To Be My Love"
Released 31 August 1991
Format CD Single
7" Single
12" Single
Genre Pop
Length 2:56
Label IQ Records
Producer(s) Nigel Wright
Sonia singles chronology
"Only Fools (Never Fall in Love)"
(1991)		 "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
(1991)		 "You to Me Are Everything"
(1991)

"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" is a soul song. It was first recorded by The Sensational Epics,[1][2] and was originally released on Warner Bros. Records. The song has also been recorded by the Jimmy Castor Bunch, The Gentle Touch, Booker T. and the M.G.'s and others.

The Tams' version

The Tams version was released as a single in 1968, and was a moderate success. It peaked at #32 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1970. It has since become one of the most popular beach music songs, especially in the American South, where the song and the group enjoy continued popularity and recognizability, as do all of the hits by the group. The song is also still popular in Great Britain amongst fans of Northern soul. [3] Noddy Holder, lead singer with 70s British Glam rock band Slade, claimed in a newspaper interview that his band was playing the song live long before its Northern Soul success.[4]

Chart

Chart (1970) Peak
Position
UK Singles Chart[3] #32

Sonia's version

Sonia's cover version was produced by Nigel Wright for her second studio album, Sonia (1991). The song was released in August 1991 as the album's second single, with another album track "Used to Be My Love" on the B-side. The song reached #22 on the UK Singles Chart,[5] and #13 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Formats and track listings

CD Single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" - 2:55
  2. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" (Extended Mix) - 4:54
  3. "Used to Be My Love" - 3:47

7" Single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" - 2:55
  2. "Used to Be My Love" - 3:47

US 7" Single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" (Beach Mix) - 3:18
  2. "Used to Be My Love" - 3:47

12" Single

  1. "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" (Extended Mix) - 4:54
  2. "Used to Be My Love" - 3:47

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
Position
UK Singles Chart[5] #22
Irish Singles Chart #23

References

  1. ↑ Sensationalepics.com
  2. ↑ Sotherngaragebands.com
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roberts 2006, p. 549.
  4. ↑ Manchester Evening News interview
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Roberts 2006, p. 514.

Sources