Happy Together

by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon

Published: 28 Oct 2022 Updated: 18 Oct 2023Visits: 48Code: UL1107

INSTRUMENTS: Pop Main: Ukulele Others: Ukulele
Subjects: Rock • Pop

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Happy Together

"Happy Together" is a song written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon and recorded by American rock band the Turtles. It was released as a single, b/w "Like the Seasons", in January 1967, and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's first and only chart-topper there. The song also reached the top 20 in diverse countries, including number 2 in Canada and number 12 in the UK. It was later included on their third studio album, Happy Together (1967).

Bonner and Gordon composed the song while still members of The Magicians. The lyrics, despite the joyous sound of the music, express an unrequited, imagined love. They recorded a demo consisting of a simple arrangement of acoustic guitar and hand claps. The demo was offered to and rejected by a dozen artists, due to its primitive sound.

Happy Together is in the The Daily Ukulele 365 Songs for Better Living book.

Strum a different song every day with easy arrangements of 365 of your favorite songs in one big songbook! The Daily Ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulele-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing.

Happy Together…

The Turtles, who had come from commercial and personal problems, found the demo and, thinking the song a potential hit, initially rehearsed it in live performances. They recorded their version in the Sunset Sound studio, with the newly-arrived bassist Chip Douglas arranging the horns and backing vocals.

After the song's successful release, the band were called to perform on several TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Smothers Brothers Show. Music critics have continued to praise the Turtles version for its pop qualities. It was covered by several acts, with the most successful cover being from the soft rock duo Captain & Tennille, and featured on numerous movies and TV shows. Thus, the song is inducted in the list of the most-performed songs in the United States of the 20th century by BMI in 1999, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.[6][7] Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, singers of the Turtles, were involved on various legal battles due their attempts to copyright "Happy Together" against unauthorized broadcasts, notably with Sirius XM Radio.

Intro & Verse

Here is a super close approximation of the Intro from the original recording transposed Frm F#m to Dm .

Introduction & Verse Accompaniment Riff/Lick/Figure.
Continue for Chords of the Verse: Dm C Bb A .

Open Position Chords

Here are the basic Open Position chords that can be used for Happy Together.

For Strums

Start with the Four Famous Strums in the Building Your Core Strums for Ukulele Series .

Resources & Links

Main Song Download(s)

The main downloads for this Song.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY

Happy Together Leadsheet Dm

Updated: 28 Oct 2022

"Happy Together" is a song written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon and recorded by American rock band the Turtles.

Related Lessons

Related Lessons for Happy Together.

ULHA-YB-98

Happy Together

Updated: 18 Oct 2023

Harmonic Analysis (RMA) Worksheet for the song: "Happy Together".

Related Songs

Related Songs for Happy Together.

UL1103

I'm A Believer

Updated: 29 Apr 2022

"I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966, and remained there for seven weeks becoming the last No. 1 hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967.

Related Books & Charts

Related Books for Happy Together.

HL00240356

The Daily Ukulele

Updated: 16 Feb 2024

Strum a different song every day with easy arrangements of 365 of your favorite songs in one big songbook! The Daily Ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulele-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing.

A Selection of Books & Reference Charts that are recommended for creating a solid foundation with your chosen instrument and music in general.

Books

Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Finally, learn the names of the notes of the fingerboard.

Six Secrets of Ukulele Fingering

Learn the six fingering principles to navigating the ukulele fingerboard. Fingering is one of the most universal topics.

Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition.

Ukulele – Reading Music Series – Primer

Learn to read single note melodies in the first/open position is a lot easier than you might think.

Daily Practice Material for the Contemporary Ukulele

An organized collection of daily practice and reference material for the contemporary ukulele player for developing the vocabulary and knowledge necessary for single note playing.

Checkout the Books for ALL available books.

Reference Charts

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G - G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G – G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Key Signatures — Circle of Fourths and Fifths – ANSI A & A4 sizes

A handy reference chart of all 15 major and relative minor key signatures. US Letter 8.5 x 11 sized (ANSI-A) , A4

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

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