Songoftheday 7/4/15 - I never thought that I'd find someone like you, I feel hypnotized with the things you do...

"Happy" - Surface
from the album Surface (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #20 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 8

Today's SOTD is by the soul trio Surface, who came together in New Jersey in the early 80s. With former Isley Brothers guitars David Townsend, bass player and singer Bernard Jackson, and David Conley, they released their first single "Falling In Love" (with Karen Copland on vocals) in 1983, which was a minor R&B hit at #84. When it came time for their first album in 1986, Copeland was gone reducing them to the three with Jackson on lead. A re-released version of "Let's Try Again" became their first to make the R&B top-40 at #22 in 1986. Evolved away from their post-disco roots to a slow jam act, they continued the trend with their next jam, "Happy", which was originally released by British band Hi-Tension two years prior...

"Happy" climbed into the American pop top-20 in August of 1987. On the R&B chart, the track stopped one notch short of the top spot. The easy-going single even crossed over to both the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart (#24) and Dance Club Play (#16) list in Billboard magazine. Across the pond, the song made it to #56 in the UK.

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And here's Hi-Tension's version, which Conley produced...

 In 1995, another British R&B group, MN8, covered "Happy" and had the most successful version in the UK, peaking at #8 on the singles chart...

Up tomorrow: Samoan-American siblings make a vow.