Part 1, "Happy Talk" - Muriel Smith
"Happy Talk" is a song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. The song was sung by the character Bloody Mary in the musical. In the 1958 film version it was Muriel Smith who was the voice for actress Juanita Hall. I have to admit that I am no fan of musicals at all - so what the hell is this song doing on this blog and why would Bitter FM even play this? Good question... but the answer is in the next two parts of this trilogy.
Part 2, "Happy Talk" - Captain Sensible
In 1982 Captain Sensible, of English punk band The Damned, released a solo single - a cover of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song "Happy Talk" and it went to number 1 in the UK. It was a surprise choice of a song to cover for a member of a pioneering punk band - but he kind of made it his own. The appeal was obvious and the popularity was well deserved.
Part 3, "Dream" - Dizzee Rascal
English hip hop artist and grime pioneer, Dizzee Rascal, also released a cover of "Happy Talk", which was re-named "Dream". The song was released as a single from his Showtime album in 2004. It contains a sample from the Captain Sensible song and while some may say it's less a cover and more a song featuring a prominent sample, to me it is a great reinvention of a great cover.
