If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul [Import]

Jimmy Soul | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 27, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Ace Records UK
• ASIN: B0000009JL
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,360 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. If You Wanna Be Happy

2. I Can't Hold Out Any Longer

3. Some Kinda Nut

4. Twistin' Matilda (And The Channel)

5. Take Me To Los Angeles

6. Call Me

7. When I Get My Car

8. Everybody's Gone Ape

9. Guess Things Happen That Way

10. She's Alright

11. Church Street In The Summertime

12. I Want To Know If You Love Me

13. You're Nothing

14. I Hate You Baby

15. My Little Room

16. You Can't Have Your Cake

17. I Know Why Dreamers Cry

18. Hands Off

19. I Love You So

20. Treat 'Em Tough

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

1996 compilation for the hit 60s R&B vocalist. 25 tracks including the number one hit 'If You Wanna Be Happy' & 'Twistin' Matilda (& The Channel)'. Ace.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Modest And One Huge Hit For The Wonder Boy, August 8, 2007

By 

AvidOldiesCollector (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul (Audio CD)

Jimmy Soul, born James McCleese in New York City in 1942, was raised in North Carolina and Virginia. At a very young age he became a preacher and then, when a teenager, performed with a local gospel group known as The Nightingales, billed as The Wonder Boy.

After coming to the attention of Frank Guida of Legrand Records, who had earlier discovered Gary (U.S.) Bonds, Jimmy was given a song that Bonds had rejected, a twist version of the calypso tune Matilda, generally associated with Harry Belafonte. Released on the S.P.Q.R. subsidiary, Twistin' Matilda (And The Channel) was a fairly successful debut hit, reaching # 20 R&B and # 22 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100 in the spring of 1962 b/w I Can't Hold Out Any Longer (S.P.Q.R. 3300).

But nothing after that made any impact whatsoever until almost exactly one year later when another Bonds' reject of an upbeat Caribbean-flavoured tune became what can only be described as a monster hit. Based upon the Jamaican tune Ugly Woman, If You Wanna Be Happy shot to # 1 on both the R&B and Hot 100 charts in May 1963 b/w Don't Release Me on S.P.Q.R. 3305.

Figuring he had latched onto a formula for success, Jimmy churned out several more of those fast-paced West Indian melodies, such as Treat 'Em Tough and When Matilda Comes Back, but none could get him back on the charts. He eventually abandoned the music scene and did a stint in the military. On June 25, 1988 he died of a heart attack at age 45.

As usual with releases by Ace Records of London the sound quality is excellent, the liner notes by Brian Walsh informative, and all four sides to his two lone hit singles are included.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY !!, August 15, 2006

By 

J. Hoffman "soul lover" (dover, pa. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul (Audio CD)

This is the most memorable hit that Jimmy Soul will be most remembered for. So sorry to hear of his passing in 1988 !!

1 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Finding the label will make me happy, July 12, 2001

By 

Martin A Mainetti (Bs. As. Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Wanna Be Happy: The Very Best of Jimmy Soul (Audio CD)

I would like to know the label of "If you wanna be happy" of the My best friend wedding soundrack version. thanks