Feeling Good

For other uses, see Feeling Good (disambiguation).

"Feeling Good" from The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd
Written by	Anthony Newley Leslie Bricusse
Written	1964
Original artist	Cy Grant
Recorded by	Nina Simone, Muse, Michael Bublé, Eels

"Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English singer-songwriters Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, where Cy Grant first sang the song on the UK tour, a year before the 1965 Broadway premiere. The song has notably been covered by artists such as Nina Simone, Muse, Michael Bublé and Eels (see longer list below).

Nina Simone version

"Feeling Good"
Song by Nina Simone from the album I Put a Spell on You
Released	1965
Recorded	1965
Length	2:53
Label	Philips
Writer	Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley

Nina Simone's version appeared on her 1965 album I Put a Spell on You. Simone's version is also featured in the 1993 film Point of No Return, in which the protagonist uses the code name "Nina" and professes to be a longtime fan of Simone's music. The song was also featured in the promotional video of the TV series Six Feet Under (4th season), and is included in the show's volume 2 soundtrack. Simone's version is in the soundtracks of the 2006 film Last Holiday, the 2010 film Repo Men, the French 2011 film Intouchables, the 2009 video game The Saboteur (set during World War II, long before the song was written), and the Chuck episode "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners". It is also used - incongruously and possibly ironically - in the 2006 Italian film Nuovomundo (Golden Door) about the emigration of poor Sicilian peasants to the US.

Versions and other songs containing samples of Nina Simone's version

The George Michael version contains samples, and is featured in Swedish hip hop group Fjärde Världen's song "Ingen Annan".

Simone's version was remixed by Joe Claussell in 2002 for the first volume of the Verve Remixed series.

The track "About You" on Mary J. Blige's album The Breakthrough features an unusual take on the song. The bulk of the recording consists of new lyrics, composed by Mary J. Blige, will.i.am and Keith Harris. However, the chorus samples several lines from "Feeling Good" as performed by Nina Simone. The original vocals are distorted so that the voice is almost unrecognizable. For this reason, Simone receives a credit as a feature artist, and writers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse receive credit as writers. The track is produced by will.i.am. A song by 50 Cent Bad News contains a sample from the Nina Simone's version as well, as does Lil Wayne's "Birds Flying High." The song is also sampled in the song "New Day" from the debut collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne, released August 8, 2011. The song is also sampled in the song "How I feel" by Wax Tailor, on the album Tales of the Forgotten Melodies.

In April, 2011, PBS used the song to promote their airing of the remake of "Upstairs, Downstairs".

The vocal from the Nina Simone recording is also sampled in numerous house and dubstep tracks. Like by Huff & Herb or in Viper's - The Twister together with the Duran Duran sample.

Muse version

Main article: Hyper Music/Feeling Good

"Feeling Good"
"Feeling Good" cover
Song by Muse from the album Origin of Symmetry
Released	19 November 2001
Format	MP3, AAv,
Recorded	Unknown
Genre	Symphonic rock, alternative rock
Length	3:19
Label	Taste/ Mushroom
Writer	Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley

Muse crafted a version on their album Origin of Symmetry and with "Hyper Music" as part of a double A-side. In a poll by Total Guitar of "the best covers ever", the Muse version came 5th in the list. It is also featured in the 2008 movie Seven Pounds starring Will Smith and in one episode of the TV series Queer as Folk as well as during the end credits of an episode of TV series Luther.

In September 2010, NME readers voted the Muse version of the song the greatest cover song of all time, beating The Beatles' version of "Twist and Shout" and Johnny Cash's "Hurt".

The song has featured prominently in many forms of media. The Muse version was used by Nescafé for their advertising, but without the band's permission, so Nescafé replaced it with the Nina Simone version. Muse was subsequently paid settlement money, which they donated to Oxfam. Virgin Atlantic used the Muse version as the soundtrack for a global television commercial which debuted in October 2010. The ad prominently features the song as accompaniment to a surreal sequence of vignettes depicting Virgin Atlantic cabin crew members.

Michael Bublé version

"Feeling Good"
Single by Michael Bublé
from the album It's Time
Released	April 4, 2005
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2005
Genre	Big band
Length	3:57
Label	143, Reprise
Writer(s)	Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
Michael Bublé singles chronology
"Spider-Man Theme" (2004) "Feeling Good" (2005) "Home" (2005)
Music video "Feeling Good (Official video)" on YouTube

"Feeling Good" was later covered by Canadian crooner Michael Bublé, and released as the lead single from his second major-label studio album, It's Time. The single was released on April 4, 2005.

Background

Feeling Good was also used as the opening track for Bublé's live album Caught in the Act, which was recorded live during his performance at the Wiltern Theater. Bublé's version has since been used in several television commercials, and introductions for ESPN's 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament, and for the 2010 NBA Draft Tournament. It has also featured in a number of films. The most recent appearance of his version occurs on advertisements for Virgin Holidays. The music video for the track was directed by Noble Jones. The single peaked at #162 in the United Kingdom, #70 in Australia, #36 in Germany, #66 in Austria, and #14 in Poland. Despite this, the song has became one of his most popular singles, and is performed during almost all of his concerts. The track finally became a hit in May 2010, when it reached #69 on the UK Singles Chart after it was featured in a series of British commercials.

Tracklisting

• German CD single

1. "Feeling Good" - 3:57
2. "Softly As I Leave You" - 3:23
3. "You'll Never Know" (Live) - 3:48

Chart performance

Chart (2005–2010)	Peak position
ARIA Singles Chart	70
UK Singles Chart	69
Polish Singles Chart	14
Austrian Singles Chart	66
Netherlands Singles Chart	61
German Singles Chart	36

Selected list of other notable recordings

• 1964: Cy Grant on the album Cy & I, with Bill LeSage (World Record Club)
• 1965: Gilbert Price in the original Broadway cast
• 1965: John Coltrane on The John Coltrane Quartet Plays
• 1965: Julie London on the album Feeling Good
• 1965: Chris Connor on the album Sings Gentle Bossa Nova
• 1965: Sammy Davis, Jr. on the album The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show
• 1966: Bobby Darin on the album Bobby Darin: In A Broadway Bag
• 1966: Jack Jones on his album Impossible Dream
• 1966: Freda Payne on the album How Do You Say I Don't Love You Anymore
• 1969: Black Cat Bones on the album Barbed Wire Sandwich
• 1969: Traffic on the album Last Exit
• 1969: Mahogany on the album Mahogany
• 1991: Carla White on the album Listen Here
• 1993: Elaine Paige on her album Romance & the Stage
• 1997: Sheryl Crow on the song "Tomorrow never dies" in the album Tomorrow Never Dies (soundtrack)
• 2000: Eels on the album Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
• 2000: Frank Cunimondo Trio on the album Feelin' Good
• 2001: Muse on the album Origin of Symmetry
• 2003: RZA samples Freda Payne's rendition in the lead track of the album Birth Of A Prince, "Bob 'N' I"
• 2004: Michelle McManus on her debut album The Meaning of Love
• 2004: Sophie B. Hawkins on the album Wilderness
• 2005: Pussycat Dolls on the album PCD
• 2005: Wax Tailor on the album Tales of the forgotten melodies, sampled on the track "How I feel"
• 2005: Quantic Soul Orchestra on the album Pushin' On
• 2006: Lil' Wayne & Juelz Santana on the shelved mixtape "I Can't Feel My Face", sampled on the track "Birds Flyin' High"
• 2007: Toše Proeski on the album Igri Bez Granici
• 2007: John Barrowman on the album Another Side
• 2007: Blackmailers on the album Paradise Fanfare Blues
• 2007: Randy Crawford and Joe Sample on the album Feeling Good
• 2007: UNC Clef Hangers on the album Time Out. The track was also included in the a cappella compilation album Sing III.
• 2009: Joe Bonamassa on The Ballad of John Henry
• 2009: My Brightest Diamond on Dark Was the Night
• 2009: Oleta Adams on Let's Stay Here
• 2009: Escala on Escala
• 2010: Gregory Porter in his album Water
• 2011: Jennifer Hudson album track from I Remember Me
• 2011: Jay-Z and Kanye West on the song "New Day" in the album Watch the Throne
• 2011: Ronan Parke in his debut album Ronan Parke

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics