The Hump Day Picker-Upper

For those of us taking care of business during the regular workweek, I guess it’s safe to assume we’ve all felt that dreadful Wednesday blues. Sometimes, that middle point of the workweek can be a true drag. But help is on the way!

My proposition for today is a gospel classic: Oh Happy Day. Not only do I generally love the harmony singing of a gospel choir, but how can you not listen to this upbeat tune and think, ‘yes, I can do this!’

Originally, Oh Happy Day was a hymn written in 1755 by Philip Doddridge, an English clergyman. In 1967, American gospel musician and choirmaster Edwin Hawkins arranged Doddridge’s hymn as a gospel tune and recorded it with his choir, The Edwin Hawkins Singers.

Released as a single in 1968, Oh Happy Day became an international hit the following year. It topped the charts in France, Germany and Switzerland, reached no. 2 in the UK, and climbed to no. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The tune also appeared on The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ 1968 debut album Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord.

Hawkins’ excellent arrangement became a gospel standard and, according to Wikipedia, has been recorded by hundreds of artists. It won a Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance in 1970.

George Harrison has cited Oh Happy Day as a primary inspiration for My Sweet Lord, not that other song that gave him, well, a less than happy day. The tune has also appeared in many movies, perhaps most notably in the 1993 picture Sister Act II starring Whoopi Goldberg – gotta love Whoopi! You can check out the scene here.

Happy Hump Day, and speaking of George, always remember his wise words: All things must pass!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

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