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How Keith Richards Landed His Only Hot 100 Track Just by Showing up To Practice on Time
Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones achieved his only Hot 100 hit almost by accident, writing, arranging and recording "Happy" in a single afternoon. The song, the second single from 1972's Exile On Main St, is notable for featuring Richards on lead vocals rather than Mick Jagger, and it reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first Stones track fronted by Richards to chart.
According to Richards's memoir Life, the whole process took roughly four hours, with the song simply not existing at noon and being on tape by four o'clock, an experience he described as "sublime". Richards had arrived at the studio unusually early and, finding few other musicians present, worked up the track with saxophonist Bobby Keys, brass player Jim Price and drummer Jimmy Miller, while playing guitar, bass and lead vocals himself; Jagger contributed only backing vocals. By the time the rest of the band turned up, the song was essentially finished.
In short
- Keith Richards wrote and recorded "Happy" in one afternoon
- It became his only Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 22
- Song came together informally while few bandmates were present
Explained simply
"Happy" is a Rolling Stones song from the 1972 album Exile on Main St that became Keith Richards's only song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 22. It is notable for featuring Richards on lead vocals rather than Mick Jagger, who typically sings for the band.
Keith Richards is the guitarist and co-founder of The Rolling Stones, a rock band that emerged in the 1960s and has remained prominent in popular music. Mick Jagger has typically served as the lead vocalist, with Richards usually playing guitar and contributing to songwriting.
The track came together quickly when Richards arrived at the studio early one day. He wrote, arranged and recorded it in roughly four hours with only a few musicians present, playing guitar, bass and other instruments whilst providing lead vocals, with the song essentially completed before the rest of the band arrived.