Happy (The Rolling Stones song)

"Happy"
Single by The Rolling Stones
from the album Exile on Main St.
B-side	"All Down the Line"
Released	July 1972
Format	7"
Recorded	July–November 1971 Villa Nellcôte, France
Genre	Rock
Length	3:05
Label	Rolling Stones
Writer(s)	Jagger/Richards
Producer(s)	Jimmy Miller
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"Tumbling Dice" (1972) "Happy" (1972) "Angie" (1973)
Exile on Main St. track listing 18 tracks Side one "Rocks Off" "Rip This Joint" "Shake Your Hips" "Casino Boogie" "Tumbling Dice" Side two "Sweet Virginia" "Torn and Frayed" "Sweet Black Angel" "Loving Cup" Side three "Happy" "Turd on the Run" "Ventilator Blues" "I Just Want to See His Face" "Let It Loose" Side four "All Down the Line" "Stop Breaking Down" "Shine a Light" "Soul Survivor" Alternative covers Japanese Pressing of "Happy"

"Happy" is the tenth track on The Rolling Stones' 1972 album Exile on Main St. and features Keith Richards on lead vocals. Released as the second single from the album in July 1972, "Happy" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 69 on 15 July 1972 and reached No. 22 on 19 August 1972.

Credited to Jagger/Richards, "Happy" was written primarily by Keith Richards in summer 1971, at the villa Nellcôte in southern France, over the course of a single afternoon. According to Richards, "We did that in an afternoon, in only four hours, cut and done. At noon it had never existed. At four o'clock it was on tape." The basic tracks were recorded in the Nellcôte basement, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, with Richards on bass, guitar and vocals, producer Jimmy Miller on drums, and saxophonist Bobby Keys on maracas. Piano by Nicky Hopkins was added later, as were Jim Price's trumpet, Keys' saxophone, Mick Taylor's guitar and the final vocal tracks, including Mick Jagger's backing vocals.

Since 1972, Richards has often sung "Happy" in concert and it has become one of his signature tunes. Performances of the song through 1978 also featured Jagger's vocals during the chorus.

Concert renditions of the song appear on the albums Love You Live and Live Licks; the studio track has been released on the compilation albums Made in the Shade, Forty Licks and GRRR! The song also features on concert films and DVD box sets: Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones (1974), Stones at the Max (1992), Four Flicks (2004), The Biggest Bang (2007), Some Girls: Live in Texas '78 (2011), Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live (2013) and L.A. Forum - Live In 1975 (2014).