Pop Rock Music
And how is that weather? “Happy Together” was written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon, who were former members of the band The Magicians (bass player and drummer). Bonner also has had a solo career and has been with the Kenny Vance and The Planotones The Turtles released it as a single in 1967, and it rose to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, replacing “Penny Lane” by The Beatles for that position. The song went to #12 on the U.K. Singles Chart. “Happy Together” was also on The Turtles’ 1967 album of the same name. The song has been categorized as sunshine pop, a subgenre of pop that was part of the sixties California sound.
The Turtles performed it on television a number of times, and each time Mark Volman pretended to play a different instrument than was on the record. It was a way of making fun of the lip-syncing going on. On The Ed Sullivan Show, Volman played a trumpet. On The Smothers Brothers, he played a piano. “Happy Together” has proved to be very popular over the years. It has been featured in movies, TV shows, and commercials.
The Turtles began as a surf-rock group called The Crossfires and formed in Westchester, Los Angeles, in 1965. They went through several iterations in lineup and name. At one point, they were The Tyrtles, but that spelling didn’t last long. By the time of “Happy Together” in 1967, they consisted of Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman (later of Flo & Eddie), Joel Larson, John Barbata, Chip Douglas, and Jim Tucker. Membership changed over time, but The Turtles continue to tour and perform.
