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Happy Anniversary (Little River Band song)

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"Happy Anniversary"
German cover art
Single by Little River Band
from the album Diamantina Cocktail
B-side"The Inner Light"
"Changed and Different"
ReleasedDecember 1977
Recorded1976
StudioArmstrong Studios, Melbourne
GenrePop
Length3:30 (single version) 4:04 (album version)
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Beeb Birtles, David Briggs
Producer(s)Little River Band, John Boylan
Little River Band singles chronology
"Home on Monday"
(1977) 		"Happy Anniversary"
(1977) 		"Shut Down Turn Off"
(1978)

"Happy Anniversary" is a pop music song by Australian group Little River Band, released in territories outside of Australia in December 1977 as the fourth and final single from the group's third studio album, Diamantina Cocktail (April 1977). It was co-written by Beeb Birtles and David Briggs. The song became the band's second top twenty single in the United States, peaking at number 16 in March 1978 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Background

"Happy Anniversary" appeared on Australian group Little River Band's third studio album, Diamantina Cocktail (April 1977).[1][2] It was recorded, with the rest of the album, by the line-up of Beeb Birtles on guitar and vocals, David Briggs on lead guitar, Graeham Goble on guitar and vocals, George McArdle on bass guitar, Derek Pellicci on drums and Glenn Shorrock on vocals at Armstrong Studios, Melbourne with John Boylan and the group producing.[2][3] "Happy Anniversary" was co-written by Birtles and Briggs.[4]

For the local market, Diamantina Cocktail's singles were, "Help Is on Its Way" (April 1977), "Witchery" (August) and "Home on Monday" (November).[1] For the international market "Happy Anniversary" was issued in December 1977 as the album's second single behind "Help Is on Its Way" (May).[5] In the United States it peaked at number 16 in March 1978 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Reception

Julie Meldrum of The Canberra Times reviewed Diamantina Cocktail and observed, "'Witchery', 'LA in the Sunshine' and 'Happy Anniversary' are all catchy numbers although after I had listened to 'Happy Anniversary' a few times the lyrics began to grind and become somewhat banal."[6] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described how the album, "spawning the hit singles 'Happy Anniversary' and 'Help Is on Its Way'... With its laidback, sweet country-rock, [it] has a similar sound to the band's debut, but the melodies are a little sharper and catchier... better, more fully-rounded collection."[5] Record World said that "an acappella chorus is the chief hook; the style is basic r&b."[7]

Track listing

European 7" (EMI 2702)
Side A. "Happy Anniversary" - 3:30
Side B. "The Inner Light"
North American 7" (Harvest 4524)
Side A. "Happy Anniversary" - 3:30
Side B. "Changed and Different" - 3:50

Charts

Chart (1978) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 16

References

  1. ^ a b * First edition (online copy): McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Little River Band'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 15 June 2004. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
    • Second edition: McFarlane, Ian (2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Little River Band'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Jenkins, Jeff (Foreword) (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press. pp. 282–283. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
  2. ^ a b Holmgren, Magnus; Reboulet, Scott; Warnqvist, Stefan; Birtles, Beeb; Sciuto, Tony. "Little River Band". Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 28 March 2004. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  3. ^ Little River Band; Briggs, David; Shorrock, Glenn; Birtles, Beeb; Goble, Graeham (1977), Diamantina Cocktail, EMI, retrieved 23 November 2021
  4. ^ "'Happy Anniversary' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 23 November 2021. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  5. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Diamantina Cocktail – Little River Band". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  6. ^ Meldrum, Julie (27 May 1977). "Obvious L. A. Influence". The Canberra Times. Sporting Section. Vol. 50, no. 14, 787. p. 1. Retrieved 23 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 17 December 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Little River Band Happy Anniversary". musicchartsarchive.com. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
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